Capital GeoRaces:  2 To 30 Players

What You Should Know Before You Play

The object of the game is to be the first player or team to get 50 points by quickly using what you learn about U.S. state capitals.  The goal of this game is to --  as fast as you can -- find winning groups of cards among those you were dealt.  Make no mistake about it – THIS IS A RACE.  And the player or team to find winning groups of cards the fastest will win. 

Play one round at a time until someone gets 50 points.  With 3 or less players, play individually.  With more than 3 players, play with 2 or 3 teams.  Teammates should sit or stand next to each other and can talk to each other. Use only the GeoPlunge cards and shuffle the deck after each round.

How to Play

Ø      To start each round, deal each player (or team) 16 GeoPlunge cards.  Don’t look at the cards until they’re all dealt, and the dealer shouts “GeoRaces Begin.”

Ø      Then using only the cards you or your team were dealt, try to – as fast as you can -- find two groups of 3 cards each, such that for each group

1.      All of the cards in the group have state capitals that begin with the same first letter, OR

2.      The first letter of the state capitals of each of the cards in the group are consecutive letters of the alphabet (for example, state capitals that begin with B, C and D, respectively). 

Ø      You can have 1 group of each type (i.e., one group of the type described above in no. 1 and one group of the type described above in no. 2), or you can have 2 groups of the same type.

Ø      No card can be used in both groups.

Ø      Shout “GeoPlunge” as soon as you find 2 winning groups.

Ø      Each round, the first player (or team) to shout “GeoPlunge” and then immediately place face-up in the middle of the table the two winning groups of cards (and no other cards) wins the round. 

Keeping Score

You get 10 points for winning the round.  You get 10 bonus points if you have one winning group of each type.