UNITED STATES

INTRODUCTION
Educational Geography card game.
Subject: The United States of America.

THE DECK
The deck has 50 cards. One for each State.
Each Card just lists the name of one state.

SETUP
Each player is dealt 7 cards.
Turn order is reverse age order. Youngest player goes first.

TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns.
Each turn has 3 Phases:
Draw Phase
Meld Phase
Discard Phase

DRAW PHASE
Take the top card off of the top of the Deck or the Discard pile.

MELD PHASE
You may play one or more melds to the table from your hand.
A Meld consists of 3 or more States that are adjacent and/or connected.
For example: California, Oregon, and Washington would be a legal meld.
California & Washington are not adjacent, but they are connected by Oregon.

DISCARD PHASE
Max hand size = 7 cards. 
Discard excess cards.
The Discard pile is face up.

END GAME 
The game ends when there are no more cards left to be drawn, and 
No one can make any more Melds.

SCORING
Tally points at the end of the game.
Get one point for every State you played in a Meld.

WARM UP EXERCISES
--Name all 50 States from Memory.
--Someone names a State. You name all States adjacent to it.
--Get copies of an unlabeled map and write in the names of the States.

EASIER VARIANTS
--Put a picture of the state on each card (To make it easier)
--Play with a Labeled Map nearby that everyone can see.
--Play with an unlabeled Map nearby.

SCORING VARIANT
Get 5 points for playing a 4 card Meld.
Get 7 points for playing a 5 card Meld.
Get 9 points for playing a 6 card Meld.
Get 11 points for playing a 7 card Meld.
Get 13 points for playing an 8 card Meld.

DRAW VARIANTS
--In draw Phase draw 2 cards.
--In draw Phase always fill your hand to 8 cards.
--When you play a Meld draw an equal number of replacement cards.

ALASKA & HAWAII
--Consider Alaska to be adjacent to Washington.
--Consider Hawaii to be adjacent to California.
--Consider Alaska & Hawaii to be adjacent to each other.

SOLO VARIANTS
--The game can be played solo as is.
--Solo scoring: Subtract one point for every turn you play.

INTERACTIVE VARIANTS
--Players may Trade cards.

PUNNISHING VARIANTS
--If you make an incorrect Meld, put it back in your hand and skip your next turn.
--If you make an incorrect Meld, put it back in your hand and discard a card.