A card game for 4 players.
Designed by Andrew S. Fischer (fischer@dynanet.com)
Copyright 1996, Andrew S. Fischer
Orgy is a serious card game for mature adults only (actually, it's for anyone who can handle the basic concept). A standard deck of 52 cards is used, and the game play involves trick-taking and a trump suit as in other card games.
The first player to attain 21 or more points wins.
Each player is dealt 13 cards. The cards are ranked Ace (one) through Ten (high). Jacks, Queens and Kings all have the equal rank of zero. The deal rotates around the board after each hand.
After players have arranged their cards, play commences as follows:
The dealer announces the trump suit, and then the player to his/her left leads to the first trick. At this point play proceeds as in other card games. The winner of the first trick (and those thereafter) leads to the next trick. Players must follow suit unless void in that suit, in which case they may play a trump or optionally discard any other card. Highest card of the suit led wins the trick unless trumped, in which case the highest trump card wins the trick.
Jacks, Queens and Kings (since they're male and female, and, presumably, are sexual beings) comprise the Orgy cards. While they have a rank of zero during the play of the hand, they can score points when the hand is over. The entire objective of the game is to take these cards during play. The unusual ranking of the cards in Orgy may take some getting used to, so the author has graciously provided some pertinent examples....
Consider the following tricks, played in order left to right:
Trick 1
| 3 of Clubs |
| Ace of Clubs |
| 7 of Clubs |
| Jack of Clubs |
Who wins the trick? If you said the 7 of Clubs, you are correct. Remember, the Ace has a value of one, and the Jack has a value of zero.
Trick 2
| 3 of Clubs |
| Ace of Spades |
| 7 of Clubs |
| Jack of Clubs |
This time the Ace (one) of Spades wins, since it's the only trump card.
Trick 3
| 3 of Clubs |
| Ace of Spades (trump) |
| 7 of Clubs |
| Jack of Spades |
The Ace of Spades wins again, since the Jack has a value of zero.
Trick 4
| 3 of Clubs |
| Ace of Clubs (trump) |
| 7 of Clubs |
| Jack of Spades |
The Jack of Spades wins, since-- even though its rank is zero-- it's still trump!
Trick 5
| Queen of Clubs |
| King of Clubs (trump) |
| 7 of Hearts (not trump-- just a discard) |
| Jack of Clubs |
Here the Queen wins, simply because it was the first of the three equal zero-ranked Clubs to be played (Official Tie-Breaking Rule), and the 7 of Hearts doesn't follow suit. (Note that a non-trump Orgy card can't possibly win a trick unless led.)
Trick 6
| 7 of Hearts |
| King of Clubs (not trump) |
| Queen of Clubs (not trump) |
| Jack of Clubs (not trump) |
Now the 7 of Hearts wins the trick, since the other cards don't follow suit. (Note that if Clubs were trump, however, then the King would take the trick, simply because it was the first of the three zero-ranked trumps to be played.)
To repeat: the cards are ranked Ace (one) through Ten, while the Orgy cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings) are all ranked equally as zeros. As in other card games, players must follow suit unless void in that suit, in which case they may play a trump or optionally discard any other card. Highest card of the suit led wins the trick unless trumped, in which case the highest trump card wins the trick.
After the hand is over, players go through their winning tricks and display the Jacks, Queens and Kings they've taken. Each player scores one point for each member of a valid orgy. Suit is irrelevant for scoring purposes, and there is no difference between Jacks and Kings.
To be valid, the orgy must consist of at least three participants, and must alternate between males and females. Any "extra" Orgy cards are ignored.
Scoring examples:
| Meld | Score |
|---|---|
| Jack Queen King | Three points |
| Jack Queen Jack | Three points |
| Queen Jack Queen | Three points |
| King Queen Jack Queen | Five points |
| King Queen King Queen Jack | Five points |
| King Queen King Queen Jack Jack | Five points (the extra male card is ignored) |
| King Queen King King Jack Jack | Five points (the extra male card is ignored) |
| Queen King Queen King Queen Jack Queen | Seven points |
Special Scoring: If a player takes all four Queens and five or more Jacks/Kings (i.e., Maximum Orgy), he wins the game immediately!
The first player two to attain 21 or more Orgy Points wins. If two or more players reach 21 simultaneously then the highest score wins. In case of a tie, continue play until a winner is determined-- any player can win with the highest score.
Queens are fewer and thus more important than Jacks/Kings, so be careful with them.
Evaluate your cards carefully before the hand begins. Try to determine which Orgy cards you have a chance to win, and which are sure losers.
As dealer, you have a big advantage in choosing trump; use it wisely.
Try to force out all the trumps. Then, if you're left with the last card of a suit and it's an Orgy card, you can lead it and win it.
Count cards. Try to keep track of which Orgy cards have been played, as well as the other cards. For example, if Diamonds have gone around the table once (four cards) and you hold three Diamonds, then it means there are a total of six other Diamonds left. If no Diamond Orgy cards have been played, and you lead the Ten of Diamonds, it's a good bet to take an Orgy card (assuming it's not trumped).
Notice who's winning Orgy cards. For example, if someone takes two Queens early, you may want to discard your Jacks/Kings on another player, to stop both of them from scoring points.
Team up against a player with a big lead. Discard an Orgy card on another player rather than let the leader take it.