Euchre - Strategy or Cheating? - Renege

Renege

If a player does not follow suit when he is able to (usually by playing a trump card instead), it is considered a renege, and the opposing team is rewarded two points if it is caught in later tricks of the same hand. A variation on calling out a renege is that if more than one card of the reneged suit is played afterward, the infraction may only be called on the first instance; if it is not called until the second instance it does not count. A cheating or strategic player often reneges purposely in order to win a trick if they think the opposing team will not catch the renege. However reneges can also be unintentional, where a player misreads some of his/her cards, most commonly by misinterpreting the left bower as being of its native suit, but are still callable by opponents as reneging. If a player reneges when the opposing player is going alone, that team may be awarded 4 points instead of 2, depending upon region. In those areas, purposely reneging when the opposing player is going alone to prevent them from getting the full 4 points is explicitly allowed but considered somewhat underhanded, akin to stealing the deal. If the player going alone reneges the opposing team is likewise awarded 4 points as the value of a renege has been changed for a lone hand condition and should count equally for both teams.