No prudent player will order up the trump unless his hand is sufficiently
strong to render his chances of success beyond reasonable doubt. There are
cases, however, when there would be no imprudence in ordering up upon a
light hand. For instance, supposing the game to stand four and four, and
the elder or third hand to hold an ordinarily good show of cards in the
trump suit as turned up, with nothing better in any other suit, then it
would be proper to order up, for, should the trump be turned down, your
chance of success would be lost. If you are euchred, it does but give the
game to those who would win it anyhow in some other suit.
If the player is elder hand, and a suit should be turned in which he
receives both bowers and another large trump, and he has also two cards of
the suit corresponding in colour, it is his best policy to pass; for the
obvious reason that if the dealer's partner should assist, he would be
enabled to euchre the opposing side, and, if the trump were turned down,
his hand would be just as good in the next suit. Having in such case the
first opportunity of making the trump, he could "go alone," with every
probability of making the hand and scoring four. {74}
Elder hand holding the Right Bower, ace or king, and another small trump
and a card of the same colour as the trump suit, should pass; for if his
adversaries adopt the trump, he will, in all probability euchre them; and
if they reject it, he can make the trump next in suit, and the chances of
scoring the point are in his favour.
As a general rule, the elder hand should not order up the trump unless he
has good commanding cards, say Right Bower, king and ten of trumps, with an
ace of a different suit, or Left Bower, king and two small trumps. The
player at the right of the dealer should hold a very strong hand to order
up the trump, because his partner has evinced weakness by passing; and if
the opposing side turn down the trump, his partner will have the advantage
of first call to make a new trump.