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Euchre tiebreakers and payouts

Most arguments at a euchre tournament are about a tie or the money. Settle both before the first card is dealt, and post them where everyone can see.

Pick your tiebreakers

Work down this list until the tie is broken:

1. Most rounds won
2. Head-to-head result
3. Most loners made
4. A single playoff game

Head-to-head only helps if the tied players were opponents, and in a progressive tournament they may never have met. If so, move on to the next line. Whatever order you choose, announce it before play starts. A tiebreaker chosen after the scores are in will always look unfair to someone.

Decide when a tie gets broken

A tie only needs breaking if it changes something. Your rules should cover three cases:

• A tie in the money. Either the tied players share the prizes, or a tiebreaker decides. See ties in the money.
• A tie at the edge of the money. If three players tie for the last paid place, they split it, or a tiebreaker gives it to one of them.
• A tie outside the money. Leave it. The players stay tied.

If you run a season or a qualifier, a tie can also decide season points or a place in the Finals, so say whether your tiebreaker applies there too.

Decide how many places get paid

Say how many places get paid before you collect anything. A common starting point is one paid place for every five or six players, which pays 4 places at a 24-player tournament. Pay more places if your group likes to see more people win something, and fewer if it wants a bigger first prize.

Take out anything that doesn't go to prizes first, such as the room, the food or a club fund. What's left is the prize pot.

An example split

Here are 24 players at $20 each, a $480 pot, paying 4 places:

Place	Share	Exact	Paid
1st	40%	$192	$190
2nd	30%	$144	$145
3rd	20%	$96	$95
4th	10%	$48	$50

These numbers are only an example. Some clubs pay every place the same, and that's simple and easy to announce. Check that the paid column adds up to the pot before you post it.

Handle ties in the money

If you split ties, the tied players add together the prizes for the places they cover and share the total evenly. The next player then drops down by that many places.

In the example above, two players tied for 2nd cover 2nd and 3rd: $145 plus $95 is $240, so each takes $120. The next player finishes 4th.

If you use a tiebreaker, the winner takes the higher place and the higher prize, and the loser really does finish a place lower. Say which you do before play starts.

Round the prizes

Round every prize to an amount ending in 0 or 5, so you aren't hunting for singles at the end. Anything left over can go to first place or the club fund, but say which.

A split tie is the one place this breaks down. Three players sharing a $50 prize get $16.67 each, so decide whether you pay that, round it, or use a tiebreaker instead.