Image from here
Intro
Septica is a Romanian trick-taking chance-strategy card game for two players. My family tweaked the rules of play to make it a game for several (more than 2, but not many) players. The following version works well with 3 players
Goal
The goal of Septica is to be the player with the most points.
Cards
Septica uses playing cards, sixes (all suits) through Kings (all suits), the aces (all suits) and the two Jokers. Please remove playing cards twos (all suits) through fives (all suits). The remaining cards will be used and referred to as “the deck”.
The point values of the cards in the deck are as follows:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 14 |
| King | 13 |
| Queen | 12 |
| Jack | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
Setting Up
To set up the game:
- Shuffle the deck.
- Deal each player 4 cards.
- Place the deck face-down in the middle of the players, where everyone can see.
- Start the first trick.
Game Play
How to play a trick:
- The starting player leads to the first trick by placing any card from their hand face-up beside the deck of cards.
- Going in the direction of play, each player is given an opportunity to cut. In Septica, a cut is made when a player matches the figure on the original card (suit doesn’t matter), or plays a 7 (of any suit) or a Joker, from their hand. A player does not have to cut, even if they have a playable card in their hand. If a player does not cut on their turn, they are not permitted to cut later, for the rest of the trick (trick, not game).
- If no one (not including the player who started the trick, who played the original card) cuts, the player who started the trick (played the original card) keeps the card by placing it beside them. The card does not become part of their hand. This ends the trick.
- If one or more people do cut, going in the direction of play, cuts are made by the players (including the player who started the trick, who played the original card) until no one cuts. As before, if a player does not cut on their turn, they are not permitted to cut later, for the rest of the trick (trick, not game). The last person who cut takes the cards by placing it beside them. The cards do not become part of their hand. This ends the trick.
- After the trick ends, each player draws cards from the deck until they have 4 cards. Going in the direction of play, the player after the starting player who lead the last trick (played the original card) starts the next trick.
When there are no more cards in the deck, the players continue to play tricks with just the cards in their hands.
When someone does not have any cards in their hand, they cannot cut or start a trick and are skipped. In the direction of play, the next person who has one or more cards in their hand goes.
The game ends when no one has any cards left in their hands. The total number of points of the cards won by each person is their end score. The player with the highest score wins.
