How states are won — and lost
Every state on the board is won through a standard auction except for the Super Tuesday blind auction and those won via Debates. The sequence is always the same: trivia, adjacency bonus, bidding, payment. Knowing each phase gives you a real edge at the table.
The initiating player chooses a difficulty and answers one question, read by the player to their left. You have 30 seconds.
| Difficulty | Bonus if correct | Bonus if incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | +$10M bidding credit | $0 — see Challenge below |
| Hard | +$25M bidding credit | $0 — see Challenge below |
If the initiating player answers incorrectly, any opponent may immediately call "Challenge" — the first to call gets one attempt at the same question.
| Challenge result | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Correct | Challenger earns the trivia bonus as a bidding credit for this auction only (use it or lose it) |
| Incorrect | Challenger pays the roller $5M (Easy) or $10M (Hard) |
Every bidder — not just the initiating player — checks how many states they own that share a border with the state being auctioned. Each shared border is worth $10M as a bidding credit.
| Adjacent states you own | Your bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 border | +$10M |
| 2 borders | +$20M |
| 3 borders | +$30M |
The initiating player opens bidding. Play proceeds clockwise. Once you pass, you are out of this auction.
The winner pays using dollar cards. Bonuses are applied first — trivia credit, then adjacency credit — and only the remainder is paid in real dollars.
Payment goes to the bank for standard auctions. For October Surprise and Recount auctions, payment goes to the state's current owner (or the bank if the owner wins the auction back).
Three players. The roller owns Utah and Wyoming (both border Colorado). Player 2 owns New Mexico (one border). Player 3 owns no adjacent states.
The roller picks Easy trivia and answers incorrectly. Player 2 immediately calls "Challenge" and gets one attempt at the same question.