“Euchre is Life” – Lessons from a Card Game For Your Life

I got a chance to visit with family during Thanksgiving and to play Euchre. If you’re not familiar, Euchre is a trick-taking card game with trump (like Bridge) using half the normal deck of cards (like Pinochle). Euchre’s one mind-bender is that the jacks of the color of trump become the most powerful trump cards. Once you get that sorted out, it’s a simple game, a beautiful game…in fact, you might say that Euchre is life.

image

Euchre Life Lesson #1: Be Grateful When Following Suit

One of the rules of Euchre is to follow suit. If someone leads with a heart (and shouldn’t we all lead with our hearts as often as possible?) and you have a heart in your hand, you must play one of those hearts; i.e., you can’t trump in and steal the trick.

When this happens, you can lament your luck in not having a choice in the matter, or you can play the heart in your hand, freeing yourself of the burden of worry. Will you win the hand? Will you lose? Not to worry, because you’ve done what you had to do with the cards you were dealt. As the cards are played, we’ll soon know the result. But in these few moments, there is nothing to worry about. Be at ease.

In life, we have obligations, agreements, and commitments. Our day-to-day can be hectic, chaotic and confusing. But if there’s a thing you have to do, either by consent or decree, do it with an unburdened spirit. Grant yourself a few moments of peace while it’s your turn to act.

image

Euchre Life Lesson #2: When in Doubt, Call Trump[†]

I’ve played Euchre for decades, but one of the first and most important lessons was that calling trump[‡] usually goes well. If you think you have even a tiny advantage, you probably do. The reason is that you have a partner who may help you, and that there are cards buried that no one can play.

During game play, you can’t know for certain, but the odds are with you that a perceived opportunity will go in your favor. Your opponents also don’t know how the cards have been dealt, and they must suffer the pangs of uncertainty. Your bravado in calling trump may cause them to make a mistake out of fear.

Often, your opponents may have intention of playing a different suit; by calling trump before them, you rob them of their power against you.

In life, this is often summed up with the pithy catch-phrase, “Fortune favors the bold.“[§] There are risks in almost everything we do, but when we take a chance at something, the adrenaline surge may heighten our senses to help us avoid pitfalls. We inspire those around us, and they may rally and support us when needed.

The sheer audacity of starting something–a conversation, a business, or a story–often brings its own luck. Go boldly wherever you go, and you may impress people before you even meet them. (Show them that you’re a real big spender just by the way you walk into the joint, as the song goes…) It may not go as you hoped, but I promise you it’s a lot more fun when you dare yourself to do something and it works out.

image

Euchre Life Lesson #3: Stay at the Table Long Enough and Good Cards Will Arrive

Euchre is a very streaky game whose outcome is determined by the shuffle, the deal, and where you’re sitting (in relation to the dealer) rather than your card-playing skills. Because you have to follow suit, and someone may call trump before you get a chance, a game of Euchre can be a series of losing hands, taking the occasional trick but never enough to win. This can go on for hours.

Those losing streaks can be super annoying when the winners act like they’re a f–king genius at Euchre. I promise you, there are no geniuses in Euchre (although, more than once, I’ve played with a couple of idiot-savants).

But if you hang in there long enough, good cards will come your way and you’ll get the chance to call trump.

In life, we all have to endure some bad days when it’s hard to stay positive while surrounded by bastards who seem to make money hand over fist, and seemingly few bad things ever happen to them.

But if you hang in there long enough, a couple of good days will come your way. You have to be ready to take a chance on something–or someone–when the opportunity presents. While you’re waiting for that to happen, keep following suit and be a good sport.

And don’t let the lucky bastards grind you down.

image

Meanwhile, at My Writing Desk…

I started writing a new novel last month, as I mentioned in a previous Picayune. The working title is Cubicle Farm, and is based on several TV pilots I wrote over the span of five years but who knows where it’ll go. I’m only 15,000 words in (25%?) but it’s been fun.

Writing a novel can be like a trip to visit family. You think you know where you’re going, but you don’t know how much traffic there will be, or if construction will force a detour, or an accident completely derails your plans.

You go anyway, hoping it’ll be fun and rewarding, and that people appreciate that you attempted the journey.

image

Maybe You’d Like

I also wrote two satire pieces which the comedy site Little Old Lady Comedy was kind enough to publish:

Mom’s New Rules for Thanksgiving – https://littleoldladycomedy.com/2021/11/24/moms-new-rules-for-thanksgiving-dinner/

God Workshops the Ten Commandments – https://littleoldladycomedy.com/2021/11/10/god-workshops-the-ten-commandments-with-his-holy-spirit-jesus-adam-and-eve/

Upcoming Books and Stuff

imageI’ve been yacking about Ruthless on and off all year, and had it out for a Dec. 15th publication date, but it’s been proofed and I decided to let it rip.

The ebook is available right now on Amazon and probably every major online bookstore, as well. The paperback will be available tomorrow (maybe today?).

Ruthless, available wherever fine books are sold, is set in 1979, in a suburb of Cleveland where everything is fine as long as you don’t cause trouble. But when a cop’s daughter dies in a weird accident, only her sister dares cross the thin blue line to discover the truth.

imageIf you only have a couple of hours and just a few bucks, you can give this a try: Welcome to Willieville, a novelette,about a murder in a suburb north of Detroit and the young man who has to deal with it all by his lonesome.

Recommended Reading

imageI finished a book I heard about last year: Want by Lynn Steger Strong. It’s a suspense novel about economic disparity, emotional abuse, and finding a way to survive in this modern world. I really enjoyed it, but brace yourself for this thrilling, bumpy ride: https://bookshop.org/books/want-9781250247544/9781250247544

Next Picayune

I’m going to be looking for more partnerships with other writers for the next Picayune, and looking for advance readers willing to review Ruthless and Welcome to Willieville.

Thanks for reading the Mickey Picayune!

All the best,

–mickey

† The term “trump” is used as in one of the suits of a standard deck of cards, such as spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).

‡ Note that I used a dagger for the endnote symbol next to the use of the term trump; it was intentional. Also note that I used a double-dagger the second time; also intentional.

§ Notice how I bolded the phrase that used the word “bold?” Pretty awesome.