Worst In Show
Worst In Show Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 60 Dog cards (1-15 in four suits)
- 5 Obedience cards (1 each in five player colors)
- 5 Bid dice (1 each in five player colors)
Game Overview
Worst In Show is a must-follow trick taking game. The lead player will choose a card from their hand, and every other player in clockwise order will play a card of the same suit from their hand if possible. If they cannot follow the same suit, they may play a card in the trump suit (Great Dane) or a card in any other suit. If any Great Danes are played, the highest value Great Dane will win the trick. Otherwise, the highest value card of the led suit will win. The winning player takes the trick as a face down pile to keep track of how many they have won. The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
After 12 tricks, players assess whether or not they have made their bid and score points. This process is repeated for the same number of hands as the number of players.
However, there are differences from standard must-follow trick taking.
Your hand will be split by an Obedience card. Cards to the left are played normally, but the cards to the right can only be played if you decide to Misbehave. Where you decide to place the Obedience card in your hand will determine how many tricks you think you will win. There is also a bonus based on when you have played all of the cards on the right (or a penalty if you fail to play them all before you run out of cards on the left).
Setup
At 3 players, only use ranks 1-9 in all suits. At 4 players, only use ranks 1-12 in all suits. At 5 players, use all cards.
Give each player an Obedience card and matching Bid die. Place any unused cards and dice back in the box.
Shuffle the Dog cards and deal 12 to each player. Players should pick them up and splay them to the right.
DO NOT SORT YOUR HAND.
Take your Obedience card and place it in your hand of cards, dividing it into two sections. On the left side of the Obedience card, you must abide by must-follow rules. On the right side of the Obedience card, you can Misbehave and play any card. Set your Bid die so that it shows the same value as the number of cards to the right of your Obedience card. The bid must be between 1 and 6. Players should do this simultaneously.
Once you've placed the Obedience card, you may sort your cards on either side - just make sure not to move any cards from one side to the other.
The player who has pet a dog most recently is the first lead player.
Trick Play
The lead player chooses a Dog card from the left side of their hand and plays it face up on the table. The lead player may never choose to Misbehave and play a card from the right side of their Obedience card.
If the lead player has no Dog cards to the left of their Obedience card, they must play their Obedience card face down on the table and the lead passes to the next player. They will not play for the rest of the hand. The remainder of their cards are discarded.
As a following player, you have four options.
- If you have a card of the led suit in the left side of your hand, you can play it.
- If you have a card of the led suit in the left side of your hand, you may declare that you will Misbehave and play any card from the right side of your hand. This may still follow suit but it does not have to.
- If you do not have any cards of the led suit on the left side of your hand, you may play any card from the left side of your hand. You are not allowed to Misbehave.
- If you have no Dog cards to the left of your Obedience card, you must play your Obedience card face down and sit out the rest of the hand, discarding the remainder of their hand.
You may only Misbehave if you are capable of following.
If a player plays their last card to the right of their Obedience card, they play their Obedience card face up in the center of the table, overlapping any previously played cards. Depending on who has cleared their Misbehave cards before them, they will score points at the end of the hand (see Scoring).
If it is a player's turn and they have no Dog cards to the left of their Obedience card, they must play their Obedience card face down on the table in front of them and will not play for the rest of the hand. Any remaining cards in their hand are discarded. Play continues with the next player.
End of Round
The round ends when either all 12 tricks have been played, all players have been eliminated, or all but one player has been eliminated.
Scoring
There are two ways to score:
- Making Your bid
- Clearing Misbehavior
These two things score independently of each other. If you were forced to play your Obedience card face down, but were still able to make your bid, you will still score your bid. However, you will accrue a penalty for failing to clear your Misbehave cards.
Making Your Bid
- Taking the exact number of tricks as you bid = 3 points.
- Taking +1 or -1 tricks than you bid = 1 point
- Taking any other number of tricks = 0 points
Clearing Misbehavior
Playing your last Misbehave card and placing your Obedience card face up on the table is worth points depending on how many players have done so before you.
For 4 and 5 players:
- First = 1 point
- Second = 2 points
- Third = 4 points
- Fourth = 2 points
- Fifth = 1 point
In a 3-player game:
- First = 1 point
- Second = 3 points
- Third = 1 point
If you failed to clear your Misbehave cards, you score -2 points.
You can never go below 0 points.
Record the scores from the hand, and reset and re-deal as explained in Setup.
After playing hands equal to the number of players, total the scores and the player with the highest total wins. If there is a tie, whoever has the highest score in the final round is the winner. If there is still a tie, tied players share the victory.
FAQ
Q: Can I look at cards from previous tricks? A: No.
Q: Can the score be checked at any point during the game? A: Yes.
Q: I keep failing to be able to clear my Misbehave cards. Do you have any hints? A: Since you need to be able to follow in order to Misbehave, try to hold on to as many suits in the left side of your hand as possible for as long as possible.