Abstract:
An alphabet challenge game for a group of players, the game includes a deck of seventy-two cards each having an alphabet indicia on a front face for creating words during a participant&#39;s turn. The deck includes wild cards and special function cards to be used by players only after a recognizable first word is formed and cast. Twelve cards are dealt to each player. The indicia distribution for each deck is designed to provide each player a time of entertainment and challenge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to word games, particularly, to forming words from a dealt set of cards, each baring a letter of the alphabet, thereafter, following a given set of rules, providing entertainment and challenge to ones vocabulary adeptness.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     A number of word games are marketed that challenge the skill, imagination and vocabulary of opposing players. Most word games that are related to a supporting board with playing pieces that contain alphabet characters strung together to form words on that board. Some games utilize a deck of cards each having one or more letters. Such games are challenging with an educational aspect while providing fun for a group of friends coming together for an evening of enjoyment and socializing.  
         [0005]     A word card game disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,255 describes playing cards with letter designations in the upper left-hand corner in each of two different invertible positions of the card. There is provided an “information center” giving the letter designation of the card should the card be inverted. Cards are selected and a word must be formed with the cards being able to be positioned in either of their two inverted positions. After the word is formed, the word is then used as an acronym in the formation of a sentence, with the sentence preferable being associated with the word itself.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention includes a card game utilizing seventy-two cards in a deck; each labeled with a letter of the alphabet. Two additional cards are added, each having a specially marked character. The distribution of the letters and specially marked characters are as follows: 
        Four of each vowel (a,e,i,o,u).     Four of the letter S.     Four of each of the specially marked characters * and (.     Three of each of the letters B, C, D, F, M, P and T.     Two of each of the letters G, H, L, N, R and W.     One each of the letters J, K, Q, V, X, Y and Z.        
 
         [0013]     The game can be played with one deck of 72 cards by two to four players. Five to eight players would require 2 decks, and a party of nine to twelve players requires 3 decks. Prior to starting the game, ground rules of the game should be established. The rules must be understood and agreed by all participants. To start the game, a selected first player is named. A clock-wise rotation, as typically done when playing “bridge”, “poker” etc, determines the second, third, etc, and last player in the group. The last player shuffles the deck, deals out twelve cards to each player, starting with the first player, and lastly including self, then places the remaining cards, face down, at the center of the playing table.  
         [0014]     The first player draws a card from the deck and forms (casts) a word. The first word cast is designated a “first word” and must be cast from each player&#39;s hand during their turn. The number of cards (letters) to form a first word is decided at the beginning and agreed to by all players. A standard first word is compiled of four cards (example: an “H” card, an “E”, an “A”, and a “T” card spelling the word “HEAT”). If the word cast is not a known word and not in the dictionary, the player must discard a card from his or her hand. The next player may choose to use the discard or to draw a card from the deck, however, the discard can only be taken if the player had firstly cast a recognized first word. The player forfeits his/her turn if the choice is to keep the discard. If the choice is to draw a card from the deck, the player repeats the cycle of forming words, etc.  
         [0015]     When a word is cast, another player may cast an “S” card to the cast word “HEAT”, changing it a plural version “HEATS”. This can only be done if the other player had previously cast his/her first word.  
         [0016]     It the deck is used up before the game ends; there are two options. The first option that is for all players to count their points, the least total penalty points is the winner. The second option is for the current player to reshuffle all the discards, placing them face down to form a new deck. Play continues until one of the players completes his/her hand and wins the game.  
         [0017]     Two special cards are included. It is optional whether the players decide to use one or both of these special cards. The cards are designated “wild” cards and “special function” cards. There are four wild cards in a deck. Each is labeled “*” and used to replace any letter in the alphabet and for any situation.  
         [0018]     There are-also four “special function” cards in a deck, each is labeled “(”. If a player is dealt one special function card, that player can use it to replace any letter from a word that had just been cast and immediately forms a word to be cast. When casting the word with the special function card, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card. After using the special function card, the card must be removed from the game.  
         [0019]     If dealt two special function cards, the player may use the cards to sabotage a word that had just been cast by removing a letter and placing it at the bottom of the deck. The player who had formed and cast the word must think of a way to replace the missing letter to form a new word. If not, the player must pick up the remaining cards while drawing one from the deck. When casting a word using the special function card, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card. After using the special function cards, the cards must be removed from the game.  
         [0020]     If dealt three special function cards, the player can use the cards to counter a special function card applied by another player. As before, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card. After using the special function cards, the cards must be removed from the game.  
         [0021]     A score keeper is selected to record penalty/merit points after each player&#39;s name. For example, the point system could be as follows: 
        Each player starts the game with 30 points.     When casting a word found to be wrong spelling or player stated wrong meaning, player will receive penalty points.     Players to decide how many games to be played. The point total at the end of the games determines the winner.        
 
         [0025]     In view of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a word game that is socially entertaining for a large group to participate in while being challenging, resourceful, and educational.  
         [0026]     These and further constructional and operational characteristics of the invention will be more evident from the detailed description given hereafter with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments and alternatives by way of non-limiting examples. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a typical deck of cards of the invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a conventional card table showing a party of four playing hands.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3   a  is a chart depicting the flow sequence of the game.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3   b  is a listing of notes explaining the rules of the game.  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a chart showing the distribution of merit and penalty points, and number of cards associated with each card of the deck 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the present invention includes a card game utilizing seventy-two cards in a playing deck  10 , each labeled with a letter  11  and  12  of the alphabet. Two additional cards are added, each having a specially marked character  13  and  14 . The distribution of the letters and specially marked characters are as follows: 
        Four of each vowel (a,e,i,o,u) contained in stack  12 .     Four of the letter S contained in stack of consonants shown as stacks  11 .     Four of each of the specially marked characters “*”  13  and “(”  14 .     Three of each of the letters B, C, D, F, M, P and T contained in stacks  11 .     Two of each of the letters G, H, L, N, R and W contained in stacks  11 .     One each of the letters J, K, Q, V, X, Y and Z contained in stack  11 .        
 
         [0039]     The game can be played with one alphabet challenge deck  10  of seventy two cards by two to four players, as the dealt hands shown in the player positions  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and  24 , on playing surface  15 , in  FIG. 2 . Five to eight players would require two alphabet challenge decks, and a party of nine to twelve players requires three of the alphabet challenge decks. Prior to starting the game, ground rules of the game should be established. The rules must be understood and agreed by all participants. To start the game, a selected first player  21  is named. A clock-wise rotation, as typically done when playing “bridge”, “poker” etc, determines the second  22 , third  23 , etc, and last player  24  in the group. The last player  24  shuffles the alphabet challenge deck  10 , deals out twelve cards to each player, starting with the first player  21 , and lastly including self, then places the remaining cards  20 , face down, at the center of the playing table  15 . Refer to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3   a  and  3   b .  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  respectively depict the flow sequence and rules of the game.  
         [0040]     The first player  21  draws a card from the deck  20  and forms and casts a word. The first word cast is designated a “first word” and must be cast from each player&#39;s hand during their turn. The number of cards (letters) to form a first word is decided at the beginning and agreed to by all players  21 - 24 . A standard first word is formed using four cards (example: an “H” card, an “E”, an “A”, and a “T” card spelling the word “HEAT”). If the word cast is not a known word and not in the dictionary, player  21  must discard a card from his or her hand and place it on a discard location  25 . Player  22  may choose to use the discard or to draw a card from the deck  20 , however, the discard can only be taken if the player  21  had cast a recognized first word. The player forfeits his/her turn if the choice is to keep the discard. If the choice is to draw a card from the deck  20 , the player  21  repeats the sequence of forming words as indicated by step  7  in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
         [0041]     When a word is cast, another player may cast an “S” card to the cast word “HEAT”, changing it to a plural form “HEATS”. This can only be done if the other player had previously cast his/her first word.  
         [0042]     It the deck  20  is used up before the game ends, there are two options. The first option is for all players  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and  24  to count their points, the least total penalty points is the winner. The second options that are for the current player to reshuffle all the discards in stack  25 , placing them face down to form a new deck at the center. Play continues until one of the players completes his/her hand and wins the game.  
         [0043]     Two special cards  13  and  14  are included. It is optional whether the players decide to use one or both of these special cards. The cards are designated “Wild” cards  13  and “special function” cards  14 . There are four wild cards are a deck. Each is labeled “*” and used to replace any letter in the alphabet and for any situation.  
         [0044]     There are also four “special function” cards  14  in a deck, each is labeled “(”. If a player is dealt one special function card, that player can use it to replace any letter from a word that had just been cast and immediately forms a word to be cast. When casting the word using the special function card, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card. After using the special function card, the card must be removed from the game and placed at a location away from deck  20  and discard  25  location.  
         [0045]     If dealt two special function cards, they can be used to sabotage a word that had just been cast by removing a letter and placing it at the bottom of the deck. The player must think of a way to replace the missing letter to form a new word. If not, the player must take the remaining cards and draws one from the deck. When casting the word using the special function card, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card. After using the special function cards, the cards must be removed from the game.  
         [0046]     If dealt three special function cards, they can be applied to counter a special function card used by another player. As before, the player must have three cards in the hand, excluding the special function card, before applying its counter power. After applying the special function cards, the cards must be removed from the game.  
         [0047]     A score keeper is selected to record penalty/merit points (see  FIG. 4 ) after each player&#39;s name.  
         [0048]     Guide for applying the point system may be as follows: 
        a) Each player starts the game with 30 points.     b) When casting a word found to be wrong spelling or player stated wrong meaning, player will receive penalty points.     c) Players to decide how many games to be played. The point total at the end of the games determines the winner.        
 
         [0052]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.