Hobbies And Interests
Gameplay
There are both online and face-to-face versions of AlphaBet. In the face-to-face game, anywhere between two to 12 players can play, with a suggested limit of eight players. In the online game, each virtual table takes up to five players. Players use a deck of cards made specifically for the AlphaBet game. Each of the deck's 83 cards has a letter and a point value. The objective for each player is to create a word using the cards and to accumulate the greatest number of points. To start a hand, players are dealt three cards each; they then make their bets with poker chips or otherwise. Subsequently, four community cards are dealt -- first two, then one, then the remaining one -- accompanied by additional betting.
Partnerships
In February 2008, the company announced that companies NYX Interactive and Trimark Gaming had joined-up with Alphabet Corporation to form a multiplayer gaming network for AlphaBet. The partnership gave outside online gaming operators the ability to incorporate AlphaBet into their established networks. It also gave Alphabet Corporation, a United Kingdom-based company, more exposure and access to the global online gaming community. According to the media release, Alpha-Bet online players compete in a virtual network poker room by registering with a participating licensee. Players can practice the game for fun or compete for cash with online competitors.
Investing
Alphabet Corporation is a private company open to new investors. Company executives expect the company to grow rapidly with the help of social media sites such as Facebook, as well as from strategies to expose the brand among poker players. Additionally, they will market AlphaBet to people who seek family friendly entertainment or games that challenge a person's vocabulary, such as Scrabble. Revenue, say company representatives, should come mostly from online game registrations and sales of face-to-face games. They also expect advertising sales from TV-based games, similar to poker games that have been broadcast on television.
Feedback
Company officials report strong, positive reactions from poker players who've tried the game, including one man who said he ended up playing AlphaBet for three to four hours without having any previous knowledge about the game. This seems to confirm the company's belief that AlphaBet will appeal well to poker players. Still, there's not a clear indication that families around the kitchen table will react or have reacted just as favorably. There's no question that people who like to gamble will be interested in a new way place their bets, but it's less certain that people seeking family friendly entertainment will want to make gambling a part of their play.