Patent Application
20070241506
In the following description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The order in which the steps are presented below is not limited to any particular order and does not necessarily imply that they have to be performed in the order presented. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the order of these steps can be rearranged and performed in any suitable manner. It further will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that some steps may be omitted or added and still fall within the spirit of the invention.
The present invention comprises a gaming method and an apparatus that may be used to implement the gaming method. In general, the gaming method is designed to reward players who have compiled blackjack hands that are better than the dealer's blackjack hand based on conventional blackjack rules and to reward players who have compiled poker hands that beat the dealer's poker hand.
Traditional blackjack rules are used to value the cards and to determine the outcome of the blackjack component of the gaming method of the present invention. At least one standard deck of 52 playing cards is used in the present invention although up to eight decks of cards may be used on a blackjack-sized table. These cards each have a numerical or letter value, and a suit associated with them. A standard deck consists of four sets (of thirteen cards each) numbered as follows: A (ace), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J (jack), Q (queen), and K (king). There are four cards of each value, one of each “suit”: spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts. As in conventional blackjack, the suit is irrelevant for purposes of the blackjack game component of the present invention, and only the value of the card is considered. The value of the cards is computed as follows: for cards valued two through nine, they are given the value shown on the card; tens, jacks, queens, and kings are each valued as ten points; aces may be valued as one point or as eleven points, at the player's discretion.
To determine whether the player or the dealer wins a blackjack hand, the value of each card in the player's blackjack hand is added together. If the value of all the cards in a player's blackjack hand ever exceeds a score of 21, then the player “busts” and loses the hand (keeping in mind that the player may choose to value aces as one if necessary). If the player does not bust, then the person with the cards that total the highest value wins the hand. If the combined values of the cards in the player's blackjack hand and the dealer's blackjack hand are the same, then the hand is usually a “push,” wherein neither the player nor the dealer wins the hand.
With reference to the poker component of the present invention, each poker hand includes five cards although in alternate embodiments, the poker hand may be comprised of a different number of cards such as a three card poker hand. Unlike the blackjack component of the present invention, the suit of the cards is relevant for purposes of determining the outcome of the poker game component. Traditional poker combinations and their corresponding ranks are used- namely (ranked in ascending order) pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flushes, four of a kind, full house, straight flush, and royal flush.
For purposes of describing various embodiments herein, the term “dealer” represents the “house” or the casino; or a dealer may refer to a virtual dealer in embodiments of the invention that involve computers, the Internet, and/or other forms of electronic media.
As depicted in the block diagram of
Referring now to
After the dealer shuffles the cards and the players have placed their blackjack bets and ante bets, the dealer deals two face down cards to each player (step 130). The dealer also deals a face up card and a face down card to himself (step 140). (The term “face up” card may be used to refer to a card that is laid out to the players and to the dealer such that the card's game indicia are visible to the players and the dealer.) At this juncture, the dealer and players are not yet permitted to view the dealer's face down card. The dealer also deals three community cards face down (step 150).
Next, at step 160, after seeing their two face down cards and the dealer's face up card, each player must decide whether to bet or fold his poker hand. (The player's poker hand is comprised of his two face down cards and the three community cards, and the dealer's poker hand is comprised of the dealer's face up card, the dealer's face down card, and the three community cards). If the player decides to fold, he loses his ante bet (step 162), but the blackjack component of the gaming method is unaffected. If the player decides to bet, he places a play bet equal to the ante (step 164). The poker game component of the gaming method is settled after the blackjack game.
If the combination of a player's initial two card hand (i.e., his two face down cards) forms a blackjack, then the player is an automatic blackjack winner, he will be paid three-to-two on his blackjack bet, and he is not allowed to make any additional bets. If the player did not fold his poker hand, his cards will be tucked under his ante poker bet and the poker game will continue for him.
At step 170, the remaining players must decide whether to stand or ‘buy’ the first community card. If the player decides to stand, no further bets can be made (step 172) and his blackjack hand is then comprised of only his two face down cards. If the player decides to buy the first community card, he places an additional bet (“first blackjack bet”) equal to the blackjack bet to buy the first community card (step 174) so that his blackjack hand is comprised of his two face down cards and the first community card. After the players have decided whether to buy the first community card and have placed their first blackjack bets, the first community card is revealed (step 176).
If at any time, the value of a player's blackjack hand exceeds 21, the player busts and loses the blackjack game immediately; however he may proceed to play the poker game unless he folded his poker hand. Thus, if a player busts, his ante bet remains in action (unless he folded his poker hand) and his cards may be tucked under his ante bet. The dealer will collect all blackjack bets wagered before busting except that the last buy bet wagered will be returned to the player.
The players who bought the first community card must decide whether to stand or buy the second community card (step 180). If the player decides to stand, no further bets can be made (step 182) and his blackjack hand is then comprised of his two face down cards and the first community card. If the player decides to buy the second community card, he places an additional bet (“second blackjack bet”) equal to the blackjack bet to buy the second community card (step 184) so that his blackjack hand is comprised of his two face down cards, the first community card, and the second community card. After the players have decided whether to buy the second community card and have placed their second blackjack bets, the second community card is revealed (step 186).
The players who bought the second community card must then decide whether to stand or buy the third community card (step 190). If the player decides to stand, no further bets can be made (step 192) and his blackjack hand is then comprised of his two face down cards, the first community card, and the second community card. If the player decides to buy the third community card, he places an additional bet (“third blackjack bet”) equal to the blackjack bet to buy the third community card (step 194) so that his blackjack hand is comprised of his two face down cards, the first community card, the second community card, and the third community card. After the players have decided whether to buy the third community card and have placed their third blackjack bets, the third community card is revealed (step 196).
The dealer then reveals his face down card (step 210). Next, the dealer is given the opportunity to use as many community cards needed to reach at least “17” (step 220). If the sum of the dealer's face up card and his face down card does not equal at least “17”, then the dealer must use the first community card to form his blackjack hand. If the sum of the dealer's face up card, face down card, and the first community card, still does not equal at least “17”, then the dealer must use the second community card to form his blackjack hand. Finally, if the sum of the dealer's face up card, face down card, the first community card, and the second community card still does not equal at least “17”, then the dealer must use the third community card to form his blackjack hand. If at any point, the dealer's hand reaches a soft “17” (for example, a hand comprised of (A-6), (A-4-2), (A-3-3), (5-A-A), (2-2-2-A), or (4-A-A-A), then the dealer must stand. The dealer does not ‘buy’ additional community cards like the players must do by making additional bets as described above in steps 174,184, and 194. In alternate embodiments of the invention, the method and rules used by the dealer in deciding whether to use additional community cards may vary according to a predetermined set of house rules. Such house rules may vary depending on the preference of the gaming establishment.
Once the dealer has played out his blackjack hand, he will compare his hand with each player's blackjack hand (step 230) and the blackjack bets are then resolved (step 240) according to a predetermined payout schedule. If the dealer's blackjack hand exceeds “21” at any point while playing his blackjack hand, then the dealer busts and loses to all remaining players; and all of the remaining players' blackjack bets are paid even money. A dealer's two-card blackjack will push any player's blackjack hand of “21.” In the event the dealer's blackjack hand ties with the player's blackjack hand, then it is a push.
After the blackjack game is finished, the dealer will form his poker hand which is comprised of his face up card, face down card, and the three community cards (step 250). Each player forms his poker hand which is comprised of his two face down cards and the three community cards (step 260). The dealer then compares his poker hand with each player's poker hand (step 270), and the ante and play bets are then resolved (step 280).
On the other hand, if the player's poker hand does not qualify with a King-Jack or better, then the next step in the inquiry is to determine whether the player's poker hand beats the dealer's poker hand (step 286). If the player's poker hand beats the dealer's poker hand, then the player's ante bet wins one-to-one and the play bet pushes (step 287). If the player's poker hand does not beat the dealer's poker hand, then the player loses both his ante bet and play bet (step 288).
In alternate embodiments, the ante and play bets may be resolved according to a different set of rules and the requirements to qualify may also vary.
In alternate embodiments of the invention, an optional side bet may be incorporated into the gaming method of the present invention. In such embodiments, when making the blackjack and ante bets, the player may choose to make an additional side bet before any cards are dealt to him. Such side bets may be made for the occurrence of any variety of events. For instance, the side bet may be based on the outcome of any combination of the following cards: one or more of the player's cards, one or more of the dealer's cards, and/or one or more of the community cards.
For instance, a player may make a side bet that their poker hand (their two face down cards and the three community cards will form a certain winning five-card poker hand (e.g., pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flushes, four of a kind, full house, straight flush, and royal flush). In one embodiment of the present invention, a player may make a side bet that their poker hand will form either: a royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, or a pair of 6's or better. In such embodiments that incorporate a side bet, the ante bet and blackjack bet have no bearing on the side bet. If the player busts or obtains a blackjack, he is still eligible to win on his side bet (his side bet remains in action and his cards may be tucked under his side bet). In one embodiment, the payout schedule to resolve the side bets may be as follows:
In a further embodiment of the invention wherein a player may make a side bet that his poker hand will form either a royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, or a pair of 6's or better, the following payout schedule may also be used:
Referring now to
Gaming layout 60 includes a plurality of player positions 62A-G, which is adapted to distinguish each player's bets and cards from those of the other players. Although seven player positions 62A-G are depicted in
Gaming layout 60 further includes a dealer position 64 which may include a chip tray to store gaming chips 66, a card dispensing apparatus such as a dealing shoe 61, and a discard holder 63 for discarded cards. The dealer may place the cards dealt to himself in any designated area of the gaming layout per the casino's preference. For example, the dealer may deal his face up card and place it on card position 67 and deal his face down card and place it on card position 68.
Gaming layout 60 also includes a community card area 91 somewhere in the center area of the table. Community card area 91 includes three distinct community card positions 92, 94, and 96 located substantially in the center of the gaming layout or the board. The three community card positions 92, 94, and 96 may be individually adapted to identify each community card distributed during the course of the game. For example, community card position 92 may be labeled “1” to indicate that the first community card should be placed thereon; community card position 94 may be labeled “2” to indicate that the second community card should be placed thereon; and community card position 96 may be labeled “3” to indicate that the third community card should be placed thereon. In an alternate embodiment, community card position 92 may be labeled “1st Card” to indicate that the first community card should be placed thereon; community card position 94 may be labeled “2nd Card” to indicate that the second community card should be placed thereon; and community card position 96 may be labeled “3rd Card” to indicate that the third community card should be placed thereon.
Referring now to
Each player position also includes: a play bet position 76, a first card bet position 71, a second card bet position 72, and a third card bet position 73. Play bet position 76 is where the player places his play bet if he decided not to fold his poker hand. The first card bet position 71, second card bet position 72, and third card bet position 73 are adapted to designate use of the first community card, second community card, and third community card respectively. If the player decides to make an additional bet (first blackjack bet) to buy the first community card to form his blackjack hand, he would place his bet on the first card bet position 71. If the player decides to make an additional bet (second blackjack bet) to buy a second community card to form his blackjack hand, he would place his bet on the second card bet position 72, and if the player decides to make an additional bet (third blackjack bet) to buy a third community card to form his blackjack hand, he would place his bet on the third card bet position 73. Although the terms “1st Card,” “2nd Card,” and “3rd Card” are used to designate use of the first community card, second community card, and third community card respectively in the embodiment depicted in
Also, the number of community cards incorporated into the game is not limited to three community cards. For instance, in other variations of the invention there may be two, four, or more community cards. Naturally, in such embodiments, the number of additional betting positions correlate with the number of community cards used in the game.
The player position depicted in
Of course, locations, and designs of the player's betting positions and/or card positions may be adjusted as desired so long as they remain within reasonable access and view for the player and the dealer. Also, any designation (any combination of colors, patterns, designs, words, numbers, logos and/or other symbols) may be included within the betting locations and/or card positions so long as the meaning of the designation is clear to the players and dealer. Other features may be included within the gaming layout 60 such as payout schedules/tables, rules of play, logos, trademarks, casino name, designs and/or various artistic elements.
It can be realized from the embodiments described herein that the present invention provides a modified blackjack game that adds new excitement and larger rewards than traditional blackjack games. The above-described embodiments of the present invention have many advantages. For instance, the embodiments that incorporate a side bet and utilize the payout schedules presented above may provide the player with games that are more rewarding (for both players and gaming establishments). In conventional blackjack, a player may earn one-and-a-half times his original bet on a “blackjack,” but otherwise he is limited to winning the amount that he wagers (even by splitting or doubling down, the player must double his original bet for a chance to win only that doubled amount). In contrast, the present invention offers the possibility for a player to make side bets for an opportunity to win up to five hundred times his original side bet (see TABLES 1 and 2). Thus, the present invention offers the possibility of huge payouts for the players.
The present invention retains some of the features and advantages of blackjack while also providing the player with more control of the cards dealt to him and the dynamics of a side wager and additional betting opportunities for enhanced player anticipation and enjoyment. A player may feel like he has more control because the present invention provides him with options. For instance, in the present invention, the player has the option of making additional bets to buy additional community cards to form his blackjack hand.
The invention therefore benefits the player who desires a novel variation of blackjack and/or poker as well as the player who does not want to have to learn new rules for valuing cards and scoring hands, but desires some variety. Additionally, with the incorporation of a side bet and additional betting opportunities, the invention provides gaming establishments with the potential of generating more revenue. Nonetheless, it is advantageous to offer blackjack players and poker players some variation to maintain their long-term interest.
Additionally, the poker element of the present invention has a number of advantages over traditional poker games. The present invention's incorporation of a poker game allows multiple players to win against a dealer in a single poker round. Providing players with multiple opportunities to win in one game (e.g., blackjack game, poker game, side bet, etc . . . ) would bring excitement and interest to the players. In the poker game component of the present invention, the players do not compete against each other but compete against the dealer, and thus more than one player may win in each poker round. Competing against a dealer can be more enticing to new players as it may be less intimidating than playing against other more experienced players. Playing against a dealer may also create an atmosphere of camaraderie among the players and invoke a feeling of belonging together for the same cause, which is to beat the dealer. The present invention further adds excitement by providing multiple betting opportunities and opportunity for bigger payouts than conventional poker games.
Additionally, various embodiments of the present invention have reasonable odds for both the player and the house. This is another advantage of the invention because, to be a viable casino game, the gaming method should provide opportunity for a reasonable return for both the house and the player.
It is to be understood, that although some advantages of the present invention are described herein, it is not necessary that all the advantageous features and/or all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment of the invention.
Although the present invention has been described above in considerable detail with reference to certain versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the gaming method described above is not limited to being played as a table game. The gaming method may be played as a board game or by using computers or electronic devices having audio and video outputs. Thus, the term “cards” as used in this application refers to traditional cards made of paper stock having traditional game indicia, such as numbers (2-10), suits (diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs), and characters (aces, jacks, queens, and kings). The term “cards” is also used to refer to electronic images of traditional cards. The term “dealer” may be an actual person distributing the cards. It is noted that the dealer may also be a player, and the dealer does not have to be associated with a business entity having a stake in any profits derived from operating the game. The term “dealer” may also be used to refer to a virtual dealer that is programmed through an electronic device or computer.
The invention can be readily implemented in a wide variety of additional forms and media including, but not limited to: single player slot video machines, multi-player slot video machines, electronic games and devices, lottery terminals, scratch-card formats, software, as well as in-flight, home, and Internet entertainment. Furthermore, the invention can be readily implemented in software, which can be stored on a disk (e.g., magnetic disk, compact disc (CD), USB memory stick, etc.) and used with a computer system. In one embodiment, the gaming method of the present invention may be implemented as a computer game that may be executed via disk or downloaded from the Internet and played using a computer, gaming console, or an electronic handheld device (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, etc.). Such embodiments may be played individually or may be played with other players. In another embodiment, the present invention may be played as an interactive online gambling game wherein the player may play against the dealer individually or with other players via the Internet. The dealer may be an actual person or a virtual dealer. Similarly, the other players may be actual people or they may be computer generated virtual players. In other embodiments of the invention, the gaming method may be played against a casino or wagering establishment from a remote location via the Internet or any other type of network.
Some steps of the gaming method described herein may be added, omitted, modified, or performed in various sequences. Additionally, some of the steps described in the various embodiments herein are for illustrative purposes, and as such, some of the steps may be modified, added, or omitted without departing form the scope of the invention. Nonetheless, the various embodiments of the invention which are described herein may be incorporated in a variety of contexts as mentioned above.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.
This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/554,826, filed Oct. 31, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/404,138, filed Apr. 15, 2006, both of which applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11554826 | Oct 2006 | US |
| Child | 11625782 | US | |
| Parent | 11404138 | Apr 2006 | US |
| Child | 11554826 | US |
