Spades Variant

Abstract

A card game includes a deck of playing cards, an octahedral die, and spinner with a category card and timer. Each face of the octahedral die has indicia designating the dealer for the game. The spinner is divided into sections. A rotatable pointer is attached to the spinner. A category card is associated with the spinner and has verbiage describing the variants of the card game selected by the pointer. A timer controls the time of a speed hand and is started at the beginning of play of the card game. Prior to beginning of play of the card game, the octahedral die is thrown and when it had landed, the side facing up decides the dealer. Another player then spins the rotatable pointer to decide the category variant of the game to be played. Play then proceeds as with the rules of the card game.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card game comprising:
 a deck of playing cards comprising: a number of cards that are divided into a plurality of suits wherein each card in one suit is marked with an indicator of the suit and each card has a numerical designator within the suit;   a die configured such that when the die is rolled and comes to a stop, a designating indicator is in a readable position for designating a dealer for the card game; and   a spinner divided into multiple sections such that when a rotating indicator affixed to a base plate of the spinner is rotated a category of play is chosen.   
     
     
         2 . The card game of  claim 1  wherein the deck of playing cards meets the requirements for playing the game of spades. 
     
     
         3 . The card game of  claim 2  wherein the deck of playing comprises jokers for playing the variants of the game of spades. 
     
     
         4 . The card game of  claim 1  wherein the die is an octahedral die with eight sides, wherein each side is shaped in the form of an equilateral triangles. 
     
     
         5 . The card game of  claim 4  wherein the designating indicator includes indicia that is placed each face of the die wherein the indicia are letters, numbers, and/or symbols designating the player that is be the dealer for the game. 
     
     
         6 . The card game of  claim 1  wherein the spinner has a circular base plate that is divided into twelve (12) sections, wherein each section circumscribes an arc of 30°. 
     
     
         7 . The card game of  claim 6  wherein each section of the circular base plate includes indicia to distinguish the sections, wherein the indicia include colors, numbers, letters, or other symbols indicating the sections. 
     
     
         8 . The card game of  claim 7  further comprising a category card associated with the spinner for defining the categories specified by the rotating pointer when it has stopped rotating, wherein the category card includes indicia indicating the sections and verbiage describing the variants of the card game to be played as selected by the pointer. 
     
     
         9 . The card game of  claim 8  further comprising a timer that is associated with the category of the variant of the card game. 
     
     
         10 . The card game of  claim 9  wherein the timer is selected, when the rotating pointer is spun and stops on the section of base plate designating a speed hand. 
     
     
         11 . The card game of  claim 10  wherein the timer is started at completion of the bidding process and at the start of the trick-taking process and the speed hand requires teams to complete play of the hand by time expiration of the timer or no team wins the bid. 
     
     
         12 . The card game of  claim 1  wherein in preparation for playing the card game, the octahedral die is thrown and when it had landed, the side facing up decides which of the players is to be the dealer, another player then spins the pointer on the spinner to decide the category variant of the game to be played, and play then proceeds as with the rules of the card game. 
     
     
         13 . A method for playing a card game comprising the steps of:
 providing a deck of playing cards comprising: a number of cards that are divided into a plurality of suits wherein each card in one suit is marked with an indicator of the suit and each card has a numerical designator within the suit;   providing a die configured such that when the die is rolled and comes to a stop, a designating indicator is in a readable position for designating a dealer for the card game; and   providing a spinner divided into multiple sections such that when a rotating indicator affixed to a base plate of the spinner is rotated a category of play is chosen;   designating a player to throw the die;   throwing the die by the designated player and when it had landed, the side facing up chooses which of the players is to be the dealer;   designating another player for spinning the pointer;   spinning the pointer on the spinner to decide the category variant of the game to be played; and   playing card game according to rules of card.   
     
     
         14 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 13  wherein the deck of playing cards meets the requirements for playing the game of spades. 
     
     
         15 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 14  wherein the deck of playing comprises jokers for playing the variants of the game of spades. 
     
     
         16 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 13  wherein the step of providing the die comprises forming the die as an octahedral die with eight sides, wherein each side is shaped in the form of an equilateral triangle. 
     
     
         17 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 16  wherein forming the die included forming the designating indicator with indicia that is placed each face of the die wherein the indicia are letters, numbers, and/or symbols designating the player that is be the dealer for the game. 
     
     
         18 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 13  wherein providing the spinner comprises forming the spinner with a circular base plate that is divided into twelve (12) sections, wherein each section circumscribes an arc of 30°. 
     
     
         19 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 18  wherein each section of the circular base plate includes indicia to distinguish the sections, wherein the indicia include colors, numbers, letters, or other symbols indicating the sections. 
     
     
         20 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 19  further comprising the step of providing a category card associated with the spinner for defining the categories specified by the rotating pointer when it has stopped rotating, wherein the category card includes indicia indicating the sections and verbiage describing the variants of the card game to be played as selected by the pointer. 
     
     
         21 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 20  further comprising the step of providing a timer that is associated with at least one category of the variant of the card game. 
     
     
         22 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 21  further comprising the step of selecting the timer, when the rotating pointer is spun and stops on the section of base plate designating a speed hand. 
     
     
         23 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 22  wherein the step of activating the timer comprises starting the timer at a start of beginning of playing the card game and the speed hand requires teams to complete the playing of the hand by time expiration of the timer or no team wins the bid. 
     
     
         24 . The method for playing the card game of  claim 13  further comprising the step of preparing for playing the card game by the steps of:
 throwing the octahedral die and when it had landed, deciding which of the players is to be the dealer based on the face of the die pointing up; 
 spinning the pointer on the spinner by another player for deciding the category variant of the game to be played; and 
 playing the card game according to the rules of the card game.