Class GeoPlunge 51 (10 To 50 Players)

What You Should Know Before You Play

The object of the game is for your students to try to get the cards they play, in combination with the cards played by their opponents, to equal 51. To do this they add the state rankings (from 1^st to 50^th) in either size, statehood or population of the cards they play with those played by their opponents, in the manner described below. All they need is some good cards, and the ability to add small numbers, to do well.

Divide the class into four teams with an equal number of players on each team (or most 1 more player on some teams than other teams). Play one round at a time until a player or team gets 50 points. Use only the GeoPlunge cards, and shuffle the deck after each round.

How to Play

¨         To start each round, deal each player 1 card (except that if some teams have 1 fewer player, deal a player on each of those teams an extra card, so that each team has the same total number of cards).

¨         The teacher will then decide which team will play first to begin the round (i.e., have one of its players play a card first to start the round). For the rest of the round each team, one at a time in clockwise order around the table, plays a card each, until all of the players have played all of their cards.

¨         Before a player plays a card, he or she must announce one of that card’s three rankings (size, statehood or population). For example, if a player plays California, he or she may say either “1” which is its population ranking, “3” which is its size ranking, or “31” which is its statehood ranking.

The “Count”

The “count” is the sum of the rankings chosen by the players from the cards they play. For example, if the first team plays New York to begin the round and chooses its population ranking of ”3”, the count is then equal to 3. If the next team plays Maryland and chooses its statehood ranking of “7”, the count is then at 10 (i.e., 3 plus 7). If the third team then plays Washington and chooses its size ranking of 20, the count is then at 30 (i.e., 3 plus 7 plus 20). If the fourth team then plays Montana and chooses its size ranking of 4, the count is then at 34 (3 plus 7 plus 20 plus 4). If the first team, then plays Texas and chooses its population ranking of 2, the count is then at 36 (3 plus 7 plus 30 plus 4 plus 2).

A team is not permitted to play a card that makes the count exceed 51.

At the beginning of the game, and before the start of each round, the “count” begins at 0. Also, whenever points are awarded to a team, the “count” starts over at 0.

Keeping Score

A team receives 10 points if a player on that team plays a card that makes the count equal 51.

A team receives 5 points if a player on that team plays a card so that any card the next team would play (which is any card the next team has left) would make the count exceed 51.