Card game and method for playing the same

Abstract

A card game and method for playing the same includes a deck of cards having a plurality of like sets of cards, optional wild cards, and optional special cards. Players are dealt a hand and the remainder of the cards is placed in the center of the table, face down. In the preferred embodiment, each player, on his or her turn, begins play by opening a collection by playing a partial collection of matching cards from his or her hand. The player may continue to open collections, build on previously opened collections, or steal partially completed collections from opponents. The player's turn is over when the player either creates a complete collection of matching cards or passes play to the next player. In the preferred embodiments, the goal is to earn the most points, which may be awarded, for example, based on the number of completed collections and the number of cards in open collections. In preferred embodiments, cards remaining in a player's hand at the end of a round detract from the player's score. Preferably, a game comprises multiple rounds, and the player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

1 . A method of playing a card game with multiple players, comprising:
 a. providing a deck of cards having multiple sets of cards with matching indicia;   b. dealing a hand comprising multiple cards from the deck to each player;   c. beginning a round wherein each player take turns in succession, each turn including any one or more of:
 (i) creating an open set of matching cards by combining a plurality of cards having matching indicia and laying down said plurality of cards face up, wherein said plurality of cards contains at least a first predetermined number of cards and less than a second predetermined number of cards, wherein said first predetermined number of cards is a minimum number of cards required to create the open set of matching cards and said second predetermined number of cards is a number of cards required to create a completed set of matching cards; 
 (ii) building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set; 
 (iii) if the player is holding a card having indicia matching an open set previously created by an opponent, stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent; and 
 (iv) passing play to a next sequential player; 
   d. if said building on a previously created open set or said stealing the open set previously created by the opponent results in a completed set of matching cards, immediately ending the turn and passing play to the next sequential player; and   e. if the player plays all of the cards in the hand, ending the round.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to beginning each turn, if a player does not have at least one open set of matching cards containing at least said first predetermined number of cards and less than said second predetermined number of cards, immediately passing play to the next player.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after said dealing a hand comprising multiple cards to each player, placing a remainder of the deck of cards face down, the remainder of the deck of cards being a draw pile; and   each player beginning the turn by taking the top card from the draw pile.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 after all of the cards in the remainder of the deck have been drawn, ending the round.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at the end of the round, scoring each player's hand.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 after a predetermined number of rounds have been played, ending the game.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said scoring comprises, for each player:
 awarding a first numerical point value for completed collections;   awarding a second numerical point value for each card in an open collections; and   deducting points for any unplayed cards remaining the player's hand at the end of the round.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said scoring comprises, for each player:
 if the number of unplayed cards remaining in the player's hand at the end of the round exceeds the number of cards in the player's open collections and completed collections created during the round, awarding the player a score of zero points;   for each unplayed card remaining the player's hand at the end of the round, removing a card from one or both the player's open collections and completed collections;   after said removing, awarding a first numerical point value for any remaining completed collections and awarding a second numerical point value for each card remaining in any open collections.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said deck including one or more wild cards; and   using said one or more wild cards in place of one of said plurality of cards having matching indicia.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 if the player is holding a card that matches the cards in a completed set of matching cards previously created by the player or any opponent, discarding said card that matches the cards in a completed set and drawing a new card from the remainder of the deck.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said deck includes five like sets of cards, said first predetermined number of cards is two, and said second predetermined number of cards is five. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cards in said deck of cards contain numerical indicia on a face thereof and further wherein the cards in said deck of cards have a uniform back opposite the face whereby each card is indistinguishable from the other cards in the deck when played face down. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 if said step of building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set results in a set having a number of cards that is less than said second predetermined number of cards, laying said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face up;   if said step of building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set results in a set having a number of cards that is equal to said second predetermined number of cards, the player can either (i) lay said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face down; or (ii) play a bluff card by laying down a card having non-matching indicia to the previously created open set face down to create a completed set;   if said step of stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent set results in a set having a number of cards that is less than said second predetermined number of cards, laying said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face up;   if said step of stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent set results in a set having a number of cards that is equal to said second predetermined number of cards, the player can either (i) lay said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face down; or (ii) play a bluff card by laying down a card having non-matching indicia to the previously created open set face down to create a completed set;   if the player creates a completed set, allowing an opponent to challenge a card laid face down as a being a bluff card;   if an opponent correctly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card, the player forfeiting the completed set to said opponent; and   if an opponent incorrectly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card, said opponent forfeiting to the player either (i) a completed set previously created by said opponent; or (ii) one or more open sets previously created by said opponent.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 if the player creates a completed set, allowing only opponents having at least one previously created completed set, at least one previously created open set, or both to challenge a card laid face down as a being a bluff card; and   if an opponent incorrectly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card: (i) said opponent forfeiting to the player a completed set previously created by said opponent; or (ii) if said opponent does not have at least one previously created completed set, said opponent forfeiting to the player all open sets previously created by said opponent.   
     
     
         15 . A method of playing a card game with multiple players, comprising:
 a. providing a deck of cards having multiple sets of cards with matching indicia and at least one special action card;   b. dealing a hand comprising multiple cards to each player;   c. beginning a round wherein a first player takes a turn, the turn including any one or more of:
 (i) creating an open set of matching cards by combining a plurality of cards having matching indicia and laying down said plurality of cards face up, wherein said plurality of cards contains at least a first predetermined number of cards and less than a second predetermined number of cards, wherein said first predetermined number of cards is a minimum number of cards required to create the open set of matching cards and said second predetermined number of cards is a number of cards required to create a completed set of matching cards; 
 (ii) building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set; 
 (iii) if the player is holding a card having indicia matching an open set previously created by an opponent, stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent; 
 (iv) playing a special action card; and 
 (v) passing play to a next sequential player; 
   d. if said building on a previously created open set or said stealing the open set previously created by the opponent results in a completed set of matching cards, immediately ending the turn and passing play to the next sequential player; and   e. if the player plays all of the cards in the hand, ending the round.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 prior to beginning each turn, if the player does not have at least one open set of matching cards containing at least said first predetermined number of cards and less than said second predetermined number of cards, immediately passing play to the next player.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 after said dealing a hand comprising multiple cards to each player, placing a remainder of the deck of cards face down, the remainder of the deck of cards being a draw pile; and   each player beginning the turn by taking the top card from the draw pile.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 after all of the cards in the remainder of the deck have been drawn, ending the round.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 said one or more special action cards selected from the group consisting of:   a first special action card requiring the player to draw one or more cards from the remainder of the deck;   a second special action card allows the player to take one random card from an opponent's hand;   a third special action card requiring each player to pass a card to an adjacent player;   a fourth special action card requiring each player to reveal one card, wherein a player playing the fourth special action card may select a revealed card and add it to the player's hand;   a fifth special action card allowing the player to create an open set with one or both of: (i) a single card; or (ii) some number of matching cards which is less than said first predetermined number of cards;   a sixth special action card which cannot be played during one or more of the steps of (i) creating an open set; (ii) building on a previously created open set; and (iii) stealing an open set previously created by an opponent; and   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 said deck including one or more wild cards; and   using said one or more wild cards in place of one of said plurality of cards having matching indicia.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 if the player is holding a card that matches the cards in a completed set of matching cards previously created by the player or any opponent, discarding said card that matches the cards in a completed set and drawing a new card from the remainder of the deck.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said deck includes five like sets of cards, said first predetermined number of cards is two, and said second predetermined number of cards is five. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cards in said deck of cards contain numerical indicia. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 if said step of building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set results in a set having a number of cards that is less than said second predetermined number of cards, laying said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face up;   if said step of building on a previously created open set of matching cards by adding a card having matching indicia to the previously created open set results in a set having a number of cards that is equal to said second predetermined number of cards, the player can either (i) lay said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face down; or (ii) play a bluff card by laying down a card having non-matching indicia to the previously created open set face down to create a completed set;   if said step of stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent set results in a set having a number of cards that is less than said second predetermined number of cards, laying said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face up;   if said step of stealing the open set previously created by the opponent by taking the open set previously created by the opponent and adding the card having indicia matching the open set previously created by the opponent set results in a set having a number of cards that is equal to said second predetermined number of cards, the player can either (i) lay said card having matching indicia to the previously created open set face down; or (ii) play a bluff card by laying down a card having non-matching indicia to the previously created open set face down to create a completed set;   if the player creates a completed set, allowing an opponent to challenge a card laid face down as a being a bluff card;   if an opponent correctly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card, the player forfeiting the completed set to said opponent; and   if an opponent incorrectly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card, said opponent forfeiting to the player either (i) a completed set previously created by said opponent; or (ii) one or more open sets previously created by said opponent.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 if the player creates a completed set, allowing only opponents having at least one previously created completed set, at least one previously created open set, or both to challenge a card laid face down as a being a bluff card; and   if an opponent incorrectly challenges the card laid face down as being a bluff card: (i) said opponent forfeiting to the player a completed set previously created by said opponent; or (ii) if said opponent does not have at least one previously created completed set, said opponent forfeiting to the player all open sets previously created by said opponent.