Quark Card Game

by

Helio Takaitakai@bnl.gov

(and dice game)

The Quark Card Game was created to convey students the concept of the Standard Model - the existence of quarks, substructure of mesons and baryons, particle decay, and the concept of color charge.

It addresses the population of students in Junior and Senior years, in the US Educational System, i.e 16-18 years old.

Each deck has 52 cards, with quarks and leptons, and four Wild Quarks. The Wild Quarks can be used in varying numbers from zero to 4.

Game - The only game that is currently developed and played in the US is Hadron Hold’em, and played using the same rules as Texas Hold’em that is popular in the US media.

Betting - You have to bet to play Hadron Hold’em. We introduce poker chips that are graded in eV (electron volts). The general idea is that you win because you made more stable or more particles.

Rules - are the same as Texas Hold’em. Before each round player places bet. Then receive two cards each. On the table dealer puts 3 cards face up and two face down. Based on possible combinations one bets more. Dealer turns another card face up, more betting, then final card is turned up. Final bet, and winner takes it all.

You can always fold!

Atomic Flush - proton + electron

Cosmic Flush - baryon + meson

proton, neutron - baryons

mesons,

etc....

Hands

u

d

s

c

t

b

Quarks

Cards

Joe Cool playing cards

Students Playing Cards

Teachers need a “lot” of instructions!!

Cards are portable!

Quark-TzeeDice Game

with Sergio Novaes, IFT - CMS.

Quark-tzee is a dice game that plays following Yahtzee rules.

The idea is that you start with 6 dies, and you can roll three times. On each roll you keep the dies that you consider the best to make certain particles.

First roll - all dies, keep as many you want to create mesons and baryons

Second roll - only dies that are not used on the first roll, and so on

You have to complete a given table, and you play by number of rounds.

Available as stickers to paste on top of dies.

Baryons MesonsParticle Anti Particle Particle Anti Particle

Quarktzee Score Card

It is fun to play, and students in particular like the game because it is “portable” and can be played anywhere. They can “hang out” anywhere.

Future - We are working on a on-line version. All using volunteers and it will take some time... Dice game is first.

There is no formal educational evaluation, but students smile, so it must be good... or just hilarious!