Blackjack pass game

Abstract

The card game of Blackjack Pass is provided in either an electronic format or in a traditional card game format including decks with 52 physical playing cards. Blackjack Pass is played with many of the same rules as standard Blackjack. Blackjack Pass is played using one or more standard fifty-two card decks of playing cards. Each Player and the Dealer are initially dealt two cards. Similar to standard Blackjack, the game of Blackjack is resolved by determination as to whether the Player's hand or the Dealer's hand is closer, without exceeding 21. The Player or Dealer “busts”, and thereby loses, by exceeding 21. However, unlike traditional standard Blackjack, in Blackjack Pass, in the event that the Dealer has a better hand than the Player after the Dealer's turn taking cards, then a player is given the opportunity to take additional cards. Play cycles between the Dealer and Player taking turns electing to take cards until the Dealer busts, the Player busts, or there is a “Push”.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a BlackJack game played with a conventional deck of 52 cards. A conventional deck of cards includes four suits (spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds) having thirteen cards each totaling fifty-two cards per deck. Often times, the game is played by combining 2-8 decks added into the shuffle. The present invention concerns the options that are given to the Player while playing their hand(s).

Standard Blackjack (“SBJ”), also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un (French: “twenty-one”), is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. SBJ is a comparing card game played with one or more French decks of 52 cards. The Player draws cards to an initial two card hand with the object of bringing the total hand value as close as possible to 21 without exceeding it, so that the house, which draws cards after the Player, will stop short of the Player's total, or will lose by exceeding 21. Many rule variations of blackjack exist as outlined below.

1. Dealer Stands on Hard 17—This is the classic, and most common, rule of blackjack. Under this rule, the Dealer will stand as soon as his/her score reaches 17 or above (without an ace in the hand). (Strictly speaking, this isn't even a rules variation, since it's almost always in place.). This rule does not apply in BlackJack Pass and is replaced by a new set of options detailed in the description of the Pass Value and the rest of the BlackJack Pass Invention, below.

2. Dealer Stands on Soft 17—The Dealer stands if she has 17 or better and an ace in his hand. This is more advantageous than if the Dealer hits a soft 17. This rule does not apply in BlackJack Pass and is replaced by a new set of options detailed in the description of the Pass Value and the rest of the BlackJack Pass Invention below.

3. Dealer Hits on Soft 17—Soft 17 is an optional rule which is not used widely, since most casinos require their Dealers to stand on a 17 or better, but it is always used in Blackjack Switch, another variant of Blackjack described below. This variation requires the Dealer to draw another card if he's holding a soft 17 (that is, a 17 with an ace in the hand). However, the Dealer will still stand on a hard 17. This variation slightly increases the house edge. If the Dealer hits on soft 17, the house edge is increased by about 0.2%. This rule does not apply in BlackJack Pass and is replaced by a new set of options detailed in the description of the Pass Value and the rest of the BlackJack Pass Invention below.

4. Doubling—Considered one of the most profitable Player options, some online casinos entirely prohibit doubling, while others allow it. Some casinos only allow doubling on the first two cards, while others allow doubling on any number of cards. (Being allowed to double down on any 2 cards improves your expectation by a little more than 0.2%.) This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass, and is used to increase or decrease the Player's odds of winning.

When you double down, you double your bet (or you can choose to bet less than the original wager, just never more) and receive one, and only one, additional card to your hand. This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass, but the rule for winning or losing is determined by the number 17. If the Dealer has over 17 at any time and has not gone over 21 and is beating the Players 3 card total, then the Player has lost. For further description see Doubling listed in the full description of BlackJack Pass listed below.

Some casinos will allow you to double on any two cards, while others will allow you to double only if your cards are of a certain value, typically 9-11. The latter variation decreases the Player's edge by about 0.1%. This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass, and is used to increase or decrease the Player's odds of winning.

5. Doubling After Split—This variation is uncommon. It allows you to double even after the hands have been split. This improves the Player edge by 0.14%.

Splitting is defined as being able divide an initial hand consisting of two matching cards (two aces, two jacks, etc.) into two separate hands and then playing them independently. But keep in mind that 21 is not considered a natural hand (or blackjack) after a split.

In fact, some casinos allow you to keep splitting, as long as you keep getting pairs on the initial hand. The most common rule allows you to split up to three times, thus giving you four separate hands on the table. If doubling after the split is allowed on all these, then you could possibly have as much as eight times your initial bet on the table. This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass, and is used to increase or decrease the Player's odds of winning. However, this is not a standard option used in playing Blackjack Pass.

6. Surrender—While this variant is often prohibited altogether, it can be “early” or “late” if allowed. An “early” surrender can be invoked before a Dealer checks for Blackjack, while a “late” surrender comes after the initial check. If you choose to surrender, you forfeit the hand and lose half of your original bet. Because the “early” surrender offers such a cheap way out for the Players, it is almost never allowed. This variant can make a huge difference in your strategy. This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass, and is used to increase or decrease the Player's odds of winning.

7. Dealt a Blackjack—Common to most forms of Blackjack, if a Player is dealt and Ace and a face card or ten, his hand totals 21 and referred to as a Blackjack. Unless the Dealer also has a Blackjack, a Player is often paid 1.5 to 1, i.e. a $10 bet yields a $15 payout.

8. Insurance—A commonly available rule for Blackjack, Insurance may also be the least understood. It works like this: if the Dealer turns an up-card of an Ace, he will offer “insurance” to the Players. Insurance bets can be made by betting up to half your original bet. The Dealer will then check to see if he has a 10-value card underneath his Ace, and, if he does have blackjack, your winning insurance bet will be paid out at 2:1. You'll lose your original bet (unless you also have a blackjack), so the net effect is that you'll break even (assuming you bet the full amount allowable on insurance). If the Dealer does not have blackjack, you'll lose the insurance bet and still have to play out your original hand. This rule option is also applicable to BlackJack Pass.

9. Push Value—In many variations of Blackjack the push value (The number that the Dealer will offer a tie to the Player) is 17 and above if the Dealer stands on 17 or above (see rule 1, 2 or 3 above). In BlackJack Pass, the push value can be set to 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21. In order to manipulate the odds in favor of the house, the Push Value needs to be set at a higher number. If the Push Value is set to a lower number the odds can actually be swayed in the favor of the Player. Setting the push value of the game is a critical difference between BlackJack Pass and other Blackjack games.

In addition to SBJ, there are a number or variations of BlackJack games being played around the world. These BlackJack games include Standard Blackjack, Blackjack Switch, Spanish 21, Double Exposure Blackjack, Double Attack Blackjack and Pontoon.

Blackjack Switch—Very popular among online casino Players, Blackjack Switch is a blackjack-based game which gives you control over two hands. Both hands have their own betting pocket and, initially, you must wager equally on both hands. There is also a “super match” betting pocket, which is won if your initial four cards contain two or more matching cards. You can find the odds for the “super match” bets on the casino table.

In Blackjack Switch, you play both hands separately before the Dealer. It is allowable to hit, stand, and double with each hand. Before you make the first move, you may perform a switch between hands (exchanging the two top cards of both hands).

Another difference is that the Dealer always plays the “soft 17” rule and draws another card when he has a 17 with an ace.

If the Dealer draws 22, it is considered a push and bets are refunded unless the Player has blackjack, in which case the Player wins.

Spanish 21—This variant provides Players with many Player-friendly rules, such as: doubling down on any number of cards (with the option to “rescue”, or surrender only one wager to the house), payout bonuses for getting blackjack with five or more cards, hitting blackjack with a 6-7-8, hitting blackjack with three 7 cards, late surrender, Player blackjacks always winning, and Player 21's always winning. The biggest difference from a gaming standpoint is that there are no 10 cards in the deck (although there are still jacks, queens, and kings). Besides its various rule variations, Spanish 21 is popular because, with a correct basic strategy, the house has a lower edge than in a comparable standard blackjack game.

Double Exposure Blackjack—This game is the same as SBJ except that the Dealer's cards are both face-up.

Double Attack Blackjack—Double Attack Blackjack is a blackjack variation that's dealt from a Spanish shoe. (Like Spanish 21, the decks are 48 cards and have all the tens removed.) The face cards are not removed; just the actual ten of each suit. The game is almost always played from six or eight decks.

Pontoon—The British version of blackjack, which many people think is actually an ancestor of the traditional American blackjack game. To get a Pontoon you simply have to get an Ace and any Ten point cards, a Pontoon can also be made should you have split your cards. If you get a Five Card Trick, even after Splitting then you will be paid out at odds of 2-1. A Pontoon however, will always beat a Five Card Trick, as the Pontoon hand is deemed the strongest. The rules of Pontoon dictate that a Player must Twist on all hands worth less than fifteen and not a Five Card Trick, so keep that in mind when playing The Dealer will be dealt two face down cards, and he will always peek at his cards to see if he has made up a Pontoon hand. At all times the Dealer will always Stick on all hands worth 17 or higher. You are permitted to buy any two, three or four cards but only once per hand. You may also buy a card after you have Split a hand. You may also Split two times and that will mean you are playing with the maximum three hands. Just one card will be dealt to Aces that have been Split.

Unfortunately, the present Blackjack games suffer from various drawbacks.

It would be desirable to provide a variant of Blackjack which provides more action to the Player.

It would be desirable to provide a variant of Blackjack which provides the Player the opportunity to have opportunities to change their hand even after the Dealer has taken his or her turn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the aforementioned disadvantages by providing an improved Blackjack game referred to herein as “Blackjack Pass”. Blackjack Pass is played with many of the same rules as SBJ. Blackjack Pass is played using one or more standard fifty-two card decks of playing cards. Each Player and the Dealer are initially dealt two cards. Similar to SBJ, the game is resolved by determination as to whether the Player's hand or the Dealer's hand is closer, without exceeding 21. The Player or Dealer “busts”, and thereby loses, by exceeding 21.

In Blackjack Pass, Players first must make their wager. The hands are initially dealt in the same manner as SBJ. From the Dealer's Left to Right, One card is dealt to each Player and then the Dealer. Then a second card is dealt to the Player and the Dealer. The Player's cards are dealt up. The Dealer then shows 1 of his two cards, just as in SBJ.

The Players are then given several options. If the Dealer has an Ace showing, the Players are offered Insurance, just as in standard blackjack. If the Dealer has blackjack and the Player has bought insurance, they are paid 2 to 1 for their bet, i.e. a $10 insurance bet would yield a $20 payout for a total of $30. If the Dealer does not have 21, the insurance bet is lost. For Players without insurance, if the Dealer is showing a 10, the Dealer will check their hole card and if the Dealer has blackjack, all bets are lost unless the Player has blackjack, then the Player “pushes”, meaning the Player does not lose their bet, nor is the Player paid.

If the Dealer does not have blackjack, it is now the First Player's Turn to Act.

Player's First Turn to Act

The Player has the following options:

Blackjack—If the Player has Blackjack and the Dealer does not, the Player is paid 1.5 to 1, i.e. a $10 bet would yield a $15 payout for a total of $25.

Surrender—The Player may surrender his/her hand at this time before the Dealer has shown his hole card and have half of their wager returned. If the Dealer has shown his hold card (Later in the game), surrender is not allowed.

Split—This option is only available when both of the Player's cards are the same number. Any combination of 10, J, Q, K can also be split. The Player must put out a second bet equal to the original bet and then they are dealt 1 card to the first hand, just as in SBJ and then play continues below. The split hand will be played next just as in SBJ. Players may split up to three times.

Double-down—To double down (The card is still dealt up in this case) on his/her bet. In this case, the Player bets double the amount of his/her original bet, and is given one card facing up. The total of the Player's cards must first be 21 or less, otherwise the entire bet is lost. If the total of the Player is less than 21, play continues. If at any time the Dealer's hand is equal to or greater than 17 and the Dealer's hand is greater than the Player's hand when the Player has doubled down, the bet is lost.

Hit—The Player is given one card. If the Player's hand totals over 21, their bet is lost. If the Player's hand total is 21 or below, they are given the option to either Hit or Pass (yes, you can hit on 21, just like in Vegas. This is done usually to eat a card for a hand further down the line). If the Player Hits, they receive another card, just as in SBJ. If their hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If their hand total is 21 or below they are given the option again and again, until they Pass.

Pass—Pass is similar to Stand in standard SBJ, but in Blackjack Pass, you get additional chances to take a card. The Player is only allowed to pass if their hand total is 12 or greater. If their hand total is 11 or less they must take a card or Stand. The Player decides to wait to see what the Dealer has (Dealer's turn is coming). The Player must have 12 or more to Pass. If the Player elects to Pass, it is now either the next Player's turn or the Dealer's turn if there are no other Players. If it is another Player's first turn, they are given and bound by the same First Player Turn Rules as listed above.

Stand below 12—If they Stand, they are not allowed to receive any more cards. If at any time the Dealers hand total is 17 or greater, then the Player who stands or 11 or less loses their bet. This is very rare that a person would chose to stand on 11 or less, but it can be done.

Dealer's First Turn

Once all the Players have had their “first” turn and their hand totals are known, the Dealer now turns over his hold card to reveal his total. Prior to this, the rules have been almost exactly the same as SBJ. Now the game starts to get different from SBJ. In Blackjack Pass, once the Players have had their “first” turn, he Dealer will do one of the following: If the Dealer has less than 17, the Dealer takes 1 hit. If the Dealer has 17 or over, then the Dealer Passes.

Player's Subsequent Turn(s)

Now all the Player's and the Dealer's hand totals are known. The Player will have three options:

Hit—The Player may always hit. If their hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If they take a card and their hand is 21 or below, the Player has all the options listed in this section, Player'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S).

Must Hit—If the Player's hand total is less than the Dealer's hand total, then the Player Must Hit (Shown as “M-Hit” in the attached pictures). If the Player's hand total is equal to the Dealer's Hand total, and the total is 17 or less (Rule Option can be less than 17 instead of 17 or less), then the Player Must Take a Hit. If their hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If they take a card and their hand is 21 or below, the Player has all the options listed in this section, Player'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S), but they do not have to take another card if their hand total still qualifies for a Must Hit condition; they may now Pass. If the odds are not sufficiently to the house's liking, the house odds may be improved by changing this Must Hit condition to that the Player must hit at lower numbers that 17, such as 16, then Player Must Take a Hit.

Pass—The Player may Pass if his/her hand total is greater than the Dealer's Hand total or if they have already taken a card this turn around the table. If the Player passes, it is now the next Player's turn. If there are no other Players then it is the Dealer's turn. Push—The Player is offered a Push by the Dealer if at any time it is the Player's turn and the Player and Dealer's hand total is the same and the total is 18, 19, 20 or 21. If the Player does not accept the Push, then the Player must take a card. If the odds are not sufficiently to the house's liking, the house odds may be improved by changing this rule so that if that if the Player does not accept the Push, then the Player must take a card even if the Player and Dealer's hand total is less than 18, such as 17 or 16.

Dealer's Subsequent Turn(s)

The Dealer looks at the total of all the Player's hands and compares their total to the Dealer's total. If the Dealer is tied or beating any Player's hand that is still remaining the Dealer Passes and the play then continues around the table again as described in the previous section Player'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S).

If the Dealer has the lowest hand on the table, the Dealer will take one card. If the Dealer's hand total is over 21, then all remaining Player's Bets are won and are paid even money. If the Dealer's hand is 21 or below, the Dealer then Passes. Play then continues back around the table as described in the section, Player'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S).

The Cycle of Player'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S), and Dealer'S SUBSEQUENT TURN(S), continues until either the Player Busts, the Dealer Busts or the Player requests a Push from the Dealer. Payouts are made or bets collected accordingly.

Thus, it is a object of the present invention to provide an improved Blackjack game that provides more action to the Players.

Further, it is a object of the present invention to provide an improved Blackjack game which provides Players the opportunity to have opportunities to change their hand even after the Dealer has taken his or her turn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is perspective view illustrating a game of Blackjack Pass after a hand has been dealt;

FIG. 1B is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 1A after the Dealer has shown his hole card;

FIG. 1C is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 1A after the Dealer has taken a first card;

FIG. 1D is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 1A after the Player has taken a first card;

FIG. 1E is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 1A after the Dealer has “busted”;

FIG. 2A is perspective view illustrating Blackjack Pass after a second hand has been dealt;

FIG. 2B is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 2A after the Dealer has shown his hole card;

FIG. 2C is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 2A after the Dealer has taken a first card and thereby “busted”;

FIG. 3A is perspective view illustrating a third game of Blackjack Pass after a hand has been dealt;

FIG. 3B is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 3A after the Dealer has shown his hole card;

FIG. 3C is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 3A after the Player has taken a first card;

FIG. 3D is perspective view illustrating the game of Blackjack Pass of FIG. 3A after the Dealer has taken a first card and thereby busted; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the card game Blackjack Pass of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment of various forms, as shown in the drawings, hereinafter will be described the presently preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and it is not intended to limit the invention to this specific embodiments illustrated.

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, Blackjack Pass is a new way to play Blackjack. Blackjack Pass may be played electronically such as at a casino electronic console, a television gaming station, or upon a mobile gaming device such as a cellular telephone loaded with a Blackjack Pass gaming application. Alternatively, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the game of Blackjack Pass may be played using one or more standard decks 3 of fifty-two playing cards 1 such as at a casino gaming table 7. Blackjack Pass can be played with one or more Players 11 and a Dealer 12. The objective of Blackjack Pass is the same as that of standard Blackjack. It is the Player 11 against the Dealer 12 with the closest to 21 without going over wins. However, in Blackjack you only get one chance to take cards. Conversely, in Blackjack Pass, if you want to wait and see if you already have the Dealer beat, you can pass and if you don't have the Dealer beat, you get additional chances to take that extra card to beat the Dealer. On the other hand, the Dealer gets additional chances at beating the Player too.

To play Blackjack Pass, Players 11 first must make their wager. The hands are initially dealt in the same manner as SBJ. From the Dealer's Left to Right, One card is dealt to each Player and then the Dealer. Then a second card is dealt to the Player and the Dealer. Preferably, the Player's cards are dealt up. The Dealer then shows one of his two cards, just as in SBJ.

If the Dealer is showing an Ace, the Player has the option to buy Insurance (see the description of Insurance above). If the Dealer does have 21, Blackjack, and if the Player has bought insurance, the Player is paid 2 to 1 for their bet, i.e. an original bet of $20 would require up to a $10 insurance bet and would yield a $20 payout for a total of $30. If the Dealer has Blackjack and the Player did not buy insurance, their initial bet is lost, unless the Player also has Blackjack and then it is a push. If the Dealer does not have 21, the insurance bet is lost.

If the Dealer is showing a 10, the Dealer will check their hole card and if the Dealer has blackjack, all bets are lost, unless the Player also has blackjack, in which case it is a push.

No matter what the Dealer's exposed card may be, if the Dealer does not have 21, it is now the First Player's Turn to Act.

Play Initiation

The Players are given several initial options: If the Dealer has an Ace showing, the Players are offered Insurance, just as in Standard Blackjack. If any Player is showing Blackjack, they are given the opportunity to take even money for their Blackjack prior to the Dealer checking the hold card. See description of the insurance rule is provided above.

Player's First Turn to Act

The Player has the following options:

Blackjack—If the Player has Blackjack and the Dealer does not, the Player wins. is paid 1.5 to 1, i.e. a $10 bet would yield a $15 payout for a total of $25. Notably, the amount that a Blackjack payouts can be modified by the house. As an example, the amount can be set to either even money or 1.5 to 1, though alternative odds may be set by Casino House.

Surrender—On the Players first turn only, the Player may surrender his/her hand at this time before the Dealer has shown his hole card. If the Dealer has shown his hold card (Later in the game), surrender is not allowed. If you surrender your hand, only half of your original bet is take.

Split—This option is only available when both of the Player's cards are the same number. Any combination of 10, J, Q, K, A can also be split. The Player must put out a second bet equal to the original bet and then they are dealt 1 card to the first hand, just as in SBJ and then play continues below. The split hand will be played next just as in SBJ. Splitting is a variable in Blackjack Pass that can be allowed or not allowed in depending on how the casino chooses to apply this rule. If the Player is allowed to split, the Player may be permitted to split from 1 up to three times.

Double-down—To double-down (The card is still dealt up in this case) on your bet, the Player must add an amount equal to their original bet. If the Player doubles down, they are given one card facing up. The total of the Player's cards must first be 21 or less, otherwise the entire bet is lost. If the total of the Player's cards are 21 or less, play continues. If at any time the Dealer's hand is equal to or greater than 17 and the Dealer's hand is greater than the Player's hand when the Player has doubled down, the bet is lost. If the Players hand is 17 or is equal to the Dealers hand the Player's bet is lost, unless the Player's hand total is equal to or great that the Push Value which can be set from anything from 17 to 21 and is used to directly impact the Player's odds of winning. The lower the push value, the better the odds for the Player. A Stand below 12 acts in the same way as the description above as far as rules.

Hit—The Player is given one card. If the Player's hand totals over 21, their bet is lost. If the Player's hand total is 21 or below, they are given the option to either Hit or Pass (yes, you can hit on 21, just like in Vegas. This is done usually to eat a card for a hand further down the line, but rarely done by most Players). If the Player Hits, they receive another card, just as in SBJ. If the Player's hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If the Player's hand total is 21 or below they are given the option to hit or pass again and again, until they Pass or they Bust and go over 21.

Pass—Pass is similar to Stand in normal Blackjack, but in BJPass, you get additional chances to take a card). The Player is only allowed to pass if their hand total is 12 or greater. If their hand total is 11 or less they must take hit to continue normal play or Stand, see the Stand Below 12 rule described below. If the Player decides to pass, the Player is deciding to wait to see what the Dealer has (Dealer's turn is coming). The Player must have 12 or more to Pass on their first turn. If the Player elects to Pass, it is now either the next Player's turn or the Dealer's turn if there are no other Players. If it is another Player's first turn, they are given and bound by the same First Player Turn Rules as listed above.

FIGS. 1A-1E illustrate an example of a “Pass”. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the cards are dealt as in standard Blackjack. The Player may choose either to Hit or Pass. Since the odds of improving the Player's hand is low and the odds of the Dealers had busting is high, the Player chooses to Pass. The Player's hand total and the Dealer's showing card do not matter in the application of the rule. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the Dealer first exposes his hole card. After Dealer compares his hand to the Player(s) if the Dealer's hand total is lower, the Dealer must take a card. As illustrated in FIG. 1C, the Player now must take a card because his hand total is below that of the Dealer. As illustrated in FIG. 1D, in the next step, the Dealer compares his hand to the Player(s). Since the Dealer's hand total is lower than all Players, the Dealer must take another card. As illustrated in FIG. 1E, the result, in this example, is the Dealer goes over 21, busts and the Player Wins! As illustrated in this example, the Player passed on the first round, and then the Dealer showed that he had 18. The Player “Must Hit” in this situation and got a 2, for a total of 19. The Player then passed, and it became Dealer's turn.

Standing Below 12—If the Player Stands and their hand total is below 12, they are not allowed to receive any more cards. If at any time the Dealer's hand total is 17 or greater, then the Player who stands on 11 or less loses their bet. This is very rare that a person would chose to stand on 11 or less, but it can be done. In the interest of speed of play, the Player must either take a card that has no risk of making the Player bust or Stand below 12 and hope that the Dealer's hand total is never between 17 and 21. In the Stand below 12 Example below, the Player stood on 9, and the Dealer Busted. Everybody Wins!

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate an example of a “Standing Below 12”. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the cards are dealt as in standard Blackjack. The Player may choose either to Hit or Pass. Since the odds of improving the Player's hand is low and the odds of the Dealer's had busting is high, the Player chooses to Pass. Player's hand total and the Dealer's showing card do not matter in the application of the rule. The Players hand total and the Dealer showing card do not matter in the application of the rule. As illustrated in FIG. 2B, in the next step, the Dealer exposes his hole card. The Dealer then compares his hand to the Player(s) hand(s) and if the Dealer's hand total is lower, the Dealer must take a card. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, in response, the Player may choose either to Hit or Stand. If the Player feels that the Dealer will never have a hand totaling between 17 and 21, the Player has the option to Stand, even though there is no chance of the Player going over 21. For this reason, and in the interest of playing speed, a Player is not allowed to Pass with an initial hand less than 12, and then take cards later in the hand.

Dealer's First Turn

At this point of the game, the Players have had their turns and their hand totals are known. For any busted hands, the Dealer collects their bets as play progressed above. It is now the Dealer's turn. The Dealer now turns over his hole card to reveal his total. Prior to this point, the rules of Blackjack Pass have been almost the same as SBJ. However, now Blackjack Pass changes significantly from SBJ.

Once the Players have had their turns, the Dealer will do one of the following: Just for the First Turn if the Dealer has less than 17, the Dealer takes 1 card. If the Dealer's hand is 21 or less, the Dealer now Passes. Play now continues around the table again from the Dealers left to right.

Player's Subsequent Turn(s)

Now all the Player's and the Dealer's hand totals are known, the Player will have up to four (4) options:

Push—The Player is offered a Push by the Dealer if at any time it is the Player's turn and the Player and Dealer's hand total is the same and the total is 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21. If the Player does not accept the Push, then the Player must take a card.

Hit—The Player is given the option to hit if they so choose when it is their turn, even if they are beating the Dealer. If they choose to hit and their hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If they take a card and their hand total is 21 or below, the Player may hit again or they may Pass (see Pass rule below)

Must Hit—If the Player's hand total is less than or equal to the Dealer's hand total, then the Player Must Hit. If the Player's hand total is equal to or less than the Dealer's hand total, then the Player Must Take a Hit. If the Player's hand total is over 21, their bet is lost. If they take a card and their hand is 21 or below, the Player has all the option to either Hit or Pass as defined in this section. The Player does not have to take another card if their hand total still qualifies for a Must Hit condition; they may now Pass and will be forced to take a card the next time their turn comes around.

Pass—The Player may Pass if their hand total is greater than the Dealer's Hand total or if they have already taken a card this turn around the table. If the Player passes, it is now the next Player's turn. If there are no other Players then it is the Dealer's turn.

An illustrative example of Blackjack Pass where the Player has first elected “Pass” in an initial round and elected “Must Hit” in a later round is explained as follows with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the hand is dealt and the Player elects to Pass in the hopes that the Dealer will not have a higher hand and wanting not to risk going over 21. In the next step illustrated in FIG. 3B, the Dealer first exposes his hole card. Then, the Dealer compares his hand to the Player's hands to determine if he is tying or beating all of the Players in the game. In this case, the Dealer's hand is over 17 and the Dealer's hand beating the Player's hand. So, the Dealer Passes. Now it is the Player's turn. As illustrated in FIG. 3C, since the Player's hand total is lower than the Dealer's, the Player Must Hit. In this case the Player's hand total is under 21 and the play continues. Now it is the Dealer's turn again. As illustrated in FIG. 3D, since the Dealer's hand total is lower than the Player's hand total, the Dealer Must Hit. In this case the Dealer goes over 21 and busts. The Player wins and is paid accordingly!

Dealer's Subsequent Turn(s)

As illustrated in the previous example, the Dealer looks at the total of all the Player's hands and compares their totals to the Dealer's total. If the Dealer is tied or beating any of the Player's hands that are still remaining, then the Dealer Passes and the play then continues around the table again with the Player's taking turns with their elections between Push, Hit, Must Hit, or Pass. However, if the Dealer has the lowest hand on the table, the Dealer will take one card. If the Dealer's hand total is over 21, then all remaining Player's Bets are won and are paid even money. If the Dealer's hand is 21 or below, the Dealer then Passes. Play then continues back around the table with the Player's once again making the elections. The cycles of the Players making their elections and the Dealer taking their turns, continues until the Player Busts, the Dealer Busts, or the Player requests a Push.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the game of Blackjack Pass may be played using physical decks 3 of cards 1. Alternatively, the game of Blackjack Pass may be played electronically on an electronic gaming machine such as a casino console, a television gaming station, or handheld unit. The electronic gaming machine includes a processor and a display screen. The processor and display screen may be combined in a single unit such as a hand held game or a cellular phone which includes a Blackjack Pass game application. During play, the cards are represented on a display screen showing a player display area for showing the player's cards, and a dealer display area for showing the dealer's cards. The processor includes firmware and software for controlling all gaming actions which preferably includes automation of the dealer's play, and receipt of bets and distribution of payouts. Meanwhile, an individual playing Blackjack Pass on an electronic gaming devise controls the Player elections including Pass, Hit, Must-Hit, and Push. The Player may input his election using various well known control apparatus which may take various forms as can be chosen by one skilled in the art such as one of more buttons, knobs, touch screens or even voice activation.

While several particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not intended that the invention be limited except by the following claims. Having described my invention in such terms as to enable a person skilled in the art to understand the invention, recreate the invention and practice it, and having presently identified the presently preferred embodiments thereof,

Claims

1. A method of playing a blackjack card game, comprising the steps of: a) accepting a bet from a Player by a Dealer, before any cards are dealt;b) dealing two cards to the Player and two cards to the Dealer;c) providing the Player with the option of “hitting” by taking another card or “passing” by not taking another card, if the Player's hand does not exceed 21 according to the conventional rules of blackjack;d) repeating step (c) if the Player has elected to “hit” by taking a card in step (c), and otherwise proceeding to step (e);e) dealing the Dealer a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold;f) repeating step (e) if the Dealer if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand; andg) repeating steps (c) through (f) until the Player busts or the Dealer busts by exceeding 21.

2. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 1 further comprising the step of: h) allowing the Player to elect to “push” in step (c) in the event that a Player's hand totals 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21, and the Player's hand total is the same as the Dealer's hand total; andi) in the event that a push is elected to allow the Player to take back a portion or the entirety of the Player's bet made in step (a).

3. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 1 wherein the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 3 wherein the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than 16.

5. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 1 the Player has Player also has the option of “standing” during only the Player's first opportunity to take a card in step (c) wherein Player does not take another card and steps (d) through (g) are skipped and instead the game is resolved in accordance with the conventional rules of blackjack such that the Dealer takes his turn and takes a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

6. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 5 the Player's option of “standing” is only permitted if the Player's hand total is below 12.

7. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 1 wherein the game is electronically implemented.

8. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 1 wherein the game is implemented using a deck of 52 physical playing cards.

9. An electronically implemented method of playing a blackjack card game, comprising the steps of: a) accepting a bet from a Player by a Dealer, before any cards are dealt;b) dealing two cards to the Player and two cards to the Dealer;c) providing the Player with the option of “hitting” by taking another card or “passing” by not taking another card, if the Player's hand does not exceed 21 according to the conventional rules of blackjack;d) repeating step (c) if the Player has elected to “hit” by taking a card in step (c), and otherwise proceeding to step (e);e) dealing the Dealer a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold;f) repeating step (e) if the Dealer if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand; andg) repeating steps (c) through (f) until the Player busts or the Dealer busts by exceeding 21.

10. An electronically implemented method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 9 further comprising the step of: h) allowing the Player to elect to “push” in step (c) in the event that a Player's hand totals 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21, and the Player's hand total is the same as the Dealer's hand total; andi) in the event that a push is elected to allow the Player to take back a portion or the entirety of the Player's bet made in step (a).

11. An electronically implemented method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 9 wherein the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than a predetermined threshold.

12. An electronically implemented method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 11 wherein the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than 16.

13. An electronically implemented method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 9 the Player has Player also has the option of “standing” during only the Player's first opportunity to take a card in step (c) wherein Player does not take another card and steps (d) through (g) are skipped and instead the game is resolved in accordance with the conventional rules of blackjack such that the Dealer takes his turn and takes a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

14. A method of playing a blackjack card game of claim 13 the Player's option of “standing” is only permitted if the Player's hand total is below 12.

15. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game comprising: a display for displaying the electronic blackjack game;a processor for controlling an electronic blackjack game; the processor including means for;a) accepting a bet from a Player by a Dealer, before any cards are dealt;b) dealing two cards to the Player and two cards to the Dealer;c) providing the Player with the option of “hitting” by taking another card or “passing” by not taking another card, if the Player's hand does not exceed 21 according to the conventional rules of blackjack;d) repeating step (c) if the Player has elected to “hit” by taking a card in step (c), and otherwise proceeding to step (e);e) dealing the Dealer a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold;f) repeating step (e) if the Dealer if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and is less than Player's hand; andg) repeating steps (c) through (f) until the Player busts or the Dealer busts by exceeding 21.

16. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game of claim 15 wherein said processor further comprises: h) means for allowing the Player to elect to “push” in step (c) in the event that a Player's hand totals 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21, and the Player's hand total is the same as the Dealer's hand total and in the event that a push is elected said processor allowing the Player to take back a portion or the entirety of the Player's bet made in step (a).

17. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game of claim 15 wherein said processor further comprises means for the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than a predetermined threshold.

18. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game of claim 15 wherein said processor further comprises means for the Dealer does not take a card during the Dealer's first opportunity to take a card in step (e) if Dealer's hand is greater than 16.

19. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game of claim 15 wherein said processor further comprises means for the Player also has the option of “standing” during only the Player's first opportunity to take a card in step (c) wherein Player does not take another card and steps (d) through (g) are skipped and instead the game is resolved in accordance with the conventional rules of blackjack such that the Dealer takes his turn and takes a card if the Dealer's hand does not exceed 21 and the Dealer's hand does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

20. An electronic machine for playing a blackjack card game of claim 19 wherein said processor permits the Player's option of “standing” only if the Player's hand total is below 12.