Cards: The cards used in Combo 3:
Format: A Combo 3 tournament is played a round at a time, and participating teams should
have 3 players. In each round, each team plays another team in a head-to-head match. Each
team plays four matches in the morning in rounds that last 20 minutes each, and four matches
in the afternoon in rounds that last 12 minutes each. Teams switch who they play after each
round. After each team plays eight matches (i.e., one per round), the championship match is
played between the top two teams to determine the champion. Use the rules for Level 3 games.
Morning Rounds (20 minutes each): A match during a morning round is played a game at a
time in the order listed below. After playing all of the games once during a morning round, if time
permits, the teams continue playing the games in the same order again until the round ends.
● Game 1: Border-Up™
● Game 2: State IQ™
● Game 3: Dashing States™
● Game 4: Play the Ranks TM or Play the Border Zap™
● Game 5: Chummy Challenge™
Afternoon rounds (12 minutes each): At the beginning of each afternoon round, each team
picks a GeoPlunge card and whichever team picks the card with a Statehood rank closer to 1
gets to choose a game it wants to play during the match in that round. The other team then
chooses a different game that it wants to play during the match in that round so that there are
two different games being played during the match. After playing both of the selected games in
the order they were chosen, if time permits, the teams continue playing those two games in
the same order until the round ends.
Championship match: After 8 rounds, the two teams that have won the most matches
advance to the championship match to determine the champion. If a tie needs to be broken to
determine which teams advance to the championship match, those tied teams participate in a
playoff game, Border-Up, to determine which team advances to the championship match.
In a championship match, the teams play all four games once, and whichever team wins the
most games wins the championship. If after playing all four games each team has won the
same number of games, the teams participate in a tie-breaker game, Border-Up, to determine
the champion. If one team wins the first three games of a championship match, or two of the
first three games and the third game ends in a tie, that team wins the championship and the
remaining game is not played.
GeoPlunge Card Clarifications: On each GeoPlunge card, the acronym “PATOS” means the “President At Time Of Statehood” for that state. In addition, the color-coded border at the top of each GeoPlunge card indicates the time zone for that state. Where a state is in more than one time zone, the second time zone is represented by a circle in the appropriate color on the top right corner of the card.
Scoring: Scoring is the same for each game.
GeoPlunging does not impact the play of the game and is similar to raising the stakes in a game of poker; a team, by GeoPlunging, is simply increasing the amount of points the winning team will receive for that game. For each game, each team decides if it wants to GeoPlunge for that game. That happens in the following manner: At the time specified in the game rules, the dealer will simultaneously ask the teams, “Are you GeoPlunging?TM” and then slowly count to 5. For a team to indicate that it is GeoPlunging, the person closest to the dealer must be standing by the time the dealer reaches 5.
Example of point totals: If a winning team for a game earns the Bonus Points and both teams are GeoPlunging, it receives 40 points for that game.
Cards Used: GeoPlunge cards
Objective: This game is a race! Each team tries to find winning groups of cards, and sort them in the proper order, as fast as it can. The border states of each state determine the winning groups and how to sort them, as described below.
Step 1: Determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview). Then deal each team 18 GeoPlunge cards face-down. Teams do NOT turn over or look at their cards until the dealer says, “Ready, Set, GeoPlunge!”
Step 2: The teams then turn over their cards and the race begins. Each team tries to create 2 winning groups, or 3 winning groups if it wants to earn the Bonus Points, from the cards it was dealt. A winning group of cards consists of 3 cards where one state in the group borders both of the other states in the group. (For example, the states Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina are one group because Virginia borders both Maryland and North Carolina.) Teams must also properly sort the cards within each winning group so that the state that borders the other two states is in the middle of the card group. If all three states in a group border each other, it does not matter which card is placed in the middle. A team cannot use the same card in more than one group.
Step 3: A team shouts “GeoPlunge” as soon as it creates 2 properly sorted winning groups, except that if it is trying to earn the Bonus Points, it should wait until it creates 3 properly sorted winning groups, and then shout “ThreeOPlunge.”
Determining Who Wins and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: If the first team to shout GeoPlunge or ThreeOPlunge immediately shows its winning groups of cards, which is 2 groups if it shouted GeoPlunge and 3 groups if it shouted ThreeOPlunge, and the cards are sorted in the proper order, it wins this game. If it shouted ThreeOPlunge it also receives the Bonus Points. However, if the shouting team does not immediately show its winning groups sorted in the proper order, the other team wins the game and receives the Bonus Points. If both teams shout at the same time, the game is a tie unless only one team immediately shows its winning groups sorted in the proper order, in which case that team also receives the Bonus Points.
Cards Used: GeoPlunge cards, Clue cards, Power cards, Cut-out card
Objective: Each team has up to 3 guesses to guess the state held by its opponent. Each team gets a new clue before each guess that it makes.
Determining Who Guesses First: Each team picks a GeoPlunge card without looking at that card in advance. Whichever team’s card has a statehood ranking closer to 1 will be the first guessing team in this game.
Step 1: Deal each team 1 GeoPlunge card face-down. Each team looks at its card. Then determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview).
Step 2: The dealer then turns the top Power card in the deck face-up. Teams use the order of the letters A, B, and C in the upper right corner of that Power card to give clues from the Clue cards before each guess.
For example, if the Power card turned face-up has BAC in the upper right corner (see example on right) each guessing team will receive a Type B clue before its first guess, a Type A clue before its second guess, if necessary, and a Type C clue before its third guess, if necessary.
For Type A and B clues, there usually will be options for which clue is provided as described by the Clue card. If the clue-giving team is required to show its opponent the state flag, use the cut-out card to hide all of the information with the exception of the state flag.
The dealer will turn over a new clue card before each guess. Used Clue cards are placed at the bottom of the deck.
Step 3: The first guessing team has up to 3 guesses to try to guess the state of the GeoPlunge card in the other team’s hand.
Step 4: After the first guessing team correctly guesses the name of the state held by its opponent or has made 3 incorrect guesses, the teams switch roles with the first guessing team then providing clues regarding its state. Use the same Power card for both teams. The second guessing team does not continue to guess once it has won or lost, even if it has not made all three guesses.
Determining Who Wins and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: Whichever team guesses the state of the GeoPlunge card in the other team’s hand in fewer guesses wins this game. The winning team receives the Bonus Points if it guesses correctly on its first guess. The game ends in a tie if neither team guesses correctly or each team guesses correctly using the same number of guesses.
Cards Used: Map cards
Objective: Dashing States™ is a series of races! Whichever team wins 2 races wins this game. During a race, each team tries to identify the states in red on 6 of its 7 Map cards so that it can sort those cards as quickly as it can, and the first team to do so then announces the required information, as described below. There is only one state in red on each Map card.
Step 1: Before the first race, determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview).
Step 2: For each race:
Step 2A: Players for each team stand up and turn around so that their backs are facing away from the game table. Deal each team 7 Map cards face-down. Teams do NOT turn over or look at their cards until the dealer says, “Ready, Set, GeoPlunge!”
Step 2B: The teams then turn around, turn over their cards, and the race begins. Each team tries to place 6 of its 7 states in order as described in the objective and then shout “GeoPlunge!” The unused card must be turned face-down before shouting GeoPlunge.
Step 2C: Each member of the first team to shout GeoPlunge must then correctly identify the required information for 2 of the 6 map cards WITHOUT help from his/her teammates, as follows: the player on the left must identify the information for the 2 cards that are most to the left, the player in the middle must identify the information for the 2 cards in the middle, and the player on the right must identify the information for the 2 cards that are most to the right.
Determining Who Wins a Race: The first team to shout GeoPlunge wins if:
Otherwise, the other team wins the race. If both teams shout GeoPlunge at the same time, the race ends in a tie unless only one team successfully completes Step 2.
Step 3: After the first race is completed, start the second race by returning back to the beginning of Step 2. If neither team wins this game after the first 2 races, the teams have a third race (unless the first two races both ended in a tie, in which case this game ends in a tie). Do not shuffle the cards between races. The cards used in a race should not be used in any later race during this game.
Determining Who Wins this Game and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: If one team wins the first two races, it wins this game and receives the Bonus Points. If the first two races end in a tie, the game ends in a tie. Otherwise, the teams have a third race. If that happens, the game ends in a tie unless a team won 2 of the 3 races.
Cards Used: GeoPlunge cards, Power cards
Determining Which Version to Play: There are three different versions that may be played as Game 4: Play the RanksTM 1 (PTR1), Play the RanksTM 2 (PTR2) or Play the Border ZapTM (PTB). Only one of the three versions is played when it’s time to play Game 4. To determine which version is then played, turn the top Power card face-up. Whichever version is named at the bottom of the card is played at that time. In the example, right, the teams would then play Play the RanksTM 2.
What is a Trick and Determining the Lead Team for the First Trick: Regardless of which version is played, the teams play one “trick” at a time until each team has played all of its GeoPlunge cards. Each trick consists of two GeoPlunge cards, one from each team. In PTR1 and PTR2, sometimes a Power card is also played on a trick. No card can be used in more than one trick. In this game, the lead team (i.e., the team that plays the first card) for the first trick is the team that just won Dashing StatesTM in an All match, or the most recent game the teams just played in a Call match. If that game was a tie, each team picks a GeoPlunge card without looking at it in advance and whichever team’s card has a statehood ranking closer to 1 is the lead team for the first trick.
PLAY THE RANKSTM 1 (PTR1)
Objective: Each team tries to win as many tricks as it can. Two things determine who wins each trick: (1) the base for the trick, which is either 1, 10, 20, 30, or 50, and (2) the state rankings of the cards played in the selected category. The selected category for a trick will be either size, statehood, or population.
Step 1: Deal 9 GeoPlunge cards and 2 Power cards to each team face-down. Each team may look at its cards.
Step 2: Turn the top 2 Power cards in the deck face-up and place them in the middle of the playing surface. The base for the first 4 tricks is the left corner number of the first Power card turned face-up and the base for the last 4 tricks is the left corner number of the second Power card turned face-up. In the example, the base for the first four tricks is 1, and the base for the last four tricks is 30. If the left corner number of the two Power cards is the same, then that number is the base for all 8 tricks.
Step 3: Each team then discards 1 GeoPlunge card from its hand, face-down, so that each team has 8 GeoPlunge cards and 2 Power cards.
Step 4: Determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview).
Step 5: The teams then play 8 tricks, one at a time. The team that wins a trick is the lead team for the next trick.
When the base for a trick is 10, 20, or 30, a team automatically loses the trick if it plays a GeoPlunge card that has a rank smaller than the base in the selected category. However, in the rare instance that both teams play a GeoPlunge card with a ranking smaller than the base in the selected category, the lead team wins the trick.
Clarifications and Exceptions:
Examples: Suppose the base for the first four tricks is 1 and the base for the last four tricks is 30.
Determining Who Wins and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: Whichever team wins at least 5 tricks wins this game. If both teams win 4 tricks, whichever team wins the last trick wins this game. The winning team receives the Bonus Points if it wins 6 tricks. However, if a team fails to play both of its Power cards during a game, it automatically loses the game.
Use the rules for Play the Ranks™ 1, except:
Cards Used: GeoPlunge cards
Objective: Each team tries to win as many tricks as it can. For each trick, the border states of each state played or the number of borders of each state played determines who wins the trick, as described below.
Step 1: Deal 3 GeoPlunge cards face-down to each team. Each team may look at its cards. At the same time, each team trades one of its GeoPlunge cards with the other team. Teams may look at their 3 cards.
Step 2: Teams place their 3 cards on the table, face down, until Step 2 is completed. Deal 3 more GeoPlunge cards face down to each team. Teams may look at these 3 cards. At the same time, each team trades one of its GeoPlunge cards that it was just dealt with the other team.
Step 3: Each team may now look at all 6 GeoPlunge cards. Then deal one more GeoPlunge card to each team, but deal these cards face-up. Each team then discards one GeoPlunge card face-down so that each team has a total of 6 GeoPlunge cards.
Step 4: Determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview).
Step 5: The teams then play 6 tricks, one at a time, and whichever team wins a trick is the lead team for the next trick. For each trick, the lead team plays its card face-down and announces the name of the state it is playing on that trick. The other team then plays its card face-up. After both teams play a card, the lead team turns face-up the card it played so that the teams can determine who wins the trick.
If one team wins the first 5 tricks, the game ends early.
Example: Team 1 plays Utah face-down. Team 2 plays Texas face-up. Team 2’s card “Zaps” Team 1’s card because New Mexico is a common border of both states. Therefore, Team 2 wins the trick.
Determining Who Wins and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: Whichever team wins at least 4 tricks wins this game. If both teams win 3 tricks, whichever team wins the last trick wins this game. The winning team receives the Bonus Points if it wins 5 tricks.
Cards Used: Challenge cards, Power cards
Information about the Challenge Cards: Each Challenge card contains five questions and answers. Some questions require multiple answers for a correct answer. The questions are color coded and are referred to as the “red question”, “blue question”, etc. Only the red and blue questions and answers are used in this level of Chummy Challenge (i.e., Level 3).
Objective: Chummy Challenge™ is a series of challenges. During each challenge, the teams try to answer a question from a challenge card. Whichever team wins 2 challenges wins this game. If neither team wins this game after the first 2 challenges are played, the teams play a third challenge (unless the first two challenges both ended in a tie, in which case this game ends in a tie).
Step 1: Before the first challenge, determine which teams are GeoPlunging for this game (see description in the overview).
Step 2: For each challenge:
Step 2A: Each team identifies its GeoPlunger for that challenge by having that player sit closest to the dealer. A team must use a different GeoPlunger for each challenge.
Step 2B: The dealer then looks at the top Power card and Challenge card from each of those decks but does not show them to the teams. The Power card has either a red or blue square in the left center of the card, and that square identifies the color of the question that the dealer asks from the Challenge card. For example, if the Power card has a red square (see example on right), the dealer asks the red question from the Challenge card.
Step 2C: Once the dealer begins asking the question, the GeoPlunger for either team may shout “GeoPlunge” at any time. As soon as a GeoPlunger for a team does this, the dealer immediately stops reading the question even if the question has not been read in its entirety.
Once a Power card and Challenge card are used, they are placed at the bottom of their decks.
Step 3: After the first challenge is completed, start the second challenge by returning back to the beginning of Step 2 and then, once that challenge is completed, start the third challenge, if necessary.
Determining Who Wins and Whether that Team Receives the Bonus Points: If one team wins the first two challenges, it wins this game and receives the Bonus Points. If the first two challenges end in a tie, the game ends in a tie. Otherwise, the teams play a third challenge. If that happens, the game ends in a tie unless a team won 2 of the 3 challenges.