Patent Application
20090127780
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casino roulette games. More specifically, the present invention relates to games of chance that use vertical or horizontal roulette wheels.
2. The Relevant Technology
The general concept of the roulette wheel having a large number of wheel sections has been known for some time. Each of the wheel sections typically corresponds to a unique number or other indicia. Various wheel sections can also correspond to different groupings, such as by color, odd or even numbering, or the like. Standard roulette game rules generally permit players to place wagers on one or more of the sections of the wheel, with various wagering combinations also being permitted based on the wheel section groupings.
After wagers have been placed, the wheel is spun and one of the wheel sections is randomly selected by an indicator. This is generally done in one of two ways, depending on the orientation of the wheel. For horizontally inclined wheels, a ball is introduced to the spinning wheel and randomly selects a pocket associated with one of the wheel sections. For vertically oriented wheels, a pointer is used to gradually slow down the wheel and randomly point to one of the wheel sections when the wheel comes to a stop.
Once a wheel section has been randomly selected, winnings are paid to the players that have correctly wagered on the selected wheel section or one of the groupings that includes the selected wheel section. All losing wagers are forfeited to the house and new wagers are then placed for the next spin of the wheel.
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. In the drawings, like parts are given like reference numerals.
The present invention is directed to a game apparatus used in a game of chance. The game apparatus includes a roulette wheel assembly having a roulette wheel and a playing surface for placing wagers on the outcome of a spin of the wheel. Various methods of playing the game of chance using the game apparatus are also disclosed herein.
Depicted in
The plurality of wheel sections 116 is divided into different portions according to what is contained within the wheel sections. For example, in a first portion of wheel sections, each wheel section 116a includes a plurality of dice faces disposed thereon, each of the dice faces corresponding to a separate dice. As used herein, a “face of a die” or a “die face” or equivalent notation is defined as a face of an actual die that is mounted to the wheel 100, or a representation of a face of a die that is mounted or rendered on the wheel 100.
In a second portion of wheel sections, each wheel section 116b includes a depiction of a suit of a standard deck of playing cards disposed thereon. As used herein, a “depiction of a playing card suit” or a “card suit depiction” or equivalent notation can comprise an actual playing card that is mounted to the wheel 100 or a representation of the card or the suit that is mounted or rendered on the wheel 100.
In light of the above, the wheel sections 116a in the first portion of wheel sections (i.e., those wheel sections having multiple dice faces disposed thereon) are referred to herein as dice wheel sections 116a. Similarly, the wheel sections 116b in the second portion of wheel sections (i.e., those wheel sections having a depiction of a playing card suit disposed thereon) are referred to herein as card wheel sections 116b.
In the depicted embodiment, there are 36 dice wheel sections 116a and four card wheel sections 116b for a total of 40 wheel sections. Alternatively, there can be more or less total wheel sections 116 and/or a different number of each type of wheel section 116a and 116b on the wheel 100. Furthermore, although each of the wheel sections 116 in the depicted embodiment is either a dice wheel section 116a or a card wheel section 116b, this is not required. For example, other types of wheel sections 116 can be interspersed with the dice wheel sections 116a and the card wheel sections 116b on wheel 100.
Each of the dice wheel sections 116a has a background portion 122 and two faces 124 and 126 of dice mounted or painted thereon. All of the background portions 122 of the dice wheel sections 116a are similar to each other so that it is obvious that the dice wheel sections 116a are related. For example, the background portions 122 can be colored similarly, and/or can have a similar design or pattern disposed thereon.
The two faces 124 and 126 of dice mounted or painted on each dice wheel section 116a form a dice combination 128. Dice combinations are herein denoted “a-b”, wherein a represents the number disposed on one of the die faces and b represents the number on the other die face. For example, if die faces 124 and 126 respectively represent a 1 and a 2, then the corresponding dice combination 128 is “1-2” or “2-1.”
In the depicted embodiment, the dice faces 124 and 126 in each dice wheel section 116a are positioned radially so that the inner die face 124 is closer to the axle 102 of the wheel 100 than the outer die face 126. In other embodiments, the faces 124 and 126 can be positioned side by side so that both dice faces 124 and 126 are equidistant from the axle 102. Other arrangements are also possible.
There are 36 possible combinations available from a pair of six-sided dice. Each non-doubles dice combination (i.e., where the numbers represented on the selected faces of both dice do not match, e.g., “2-5” or “1-2”) can be obtained in two manners because the face of either die can show either number. For example, the combination of a 1 and a 5 can be arrived at by the face of the first die representing a 1 and the face of the second die representing a 2 (i.e., “1-2”) or the face of the first die representing a 2 and the face of the second die representing a 1 (i.e., “2-1”). In contrast, each doubles combination (e.g., “1-1” or “2-2”) can only be obtained in one manner because the faces of both dice must represent the same number.
The numbers represented on the dice combinations 128 of the 36 dice wheel sections 116a correspond to all of the combinations available from a pair of standard six-sided dice. As such, according to the explanation above, each non-doubles dice combination is represented by two of the dice wheel sections 116a while each doubles dice combination is represented by only one of the dice wheel sections 116a.
For each dice wheel section 116a, the numbers represented by the faces 124 and 126 of the pair of dice are summed together to obtain a summation. For example a dice wheel section 116a in which the faces of the dice respectively represent a 3 and a 4 would have a summation of 7. The summations available from a pair of dice (and thus from the dice wheel sections 116a) range from 2 (the numbers represented on each pair of dice equaling 1) to 12 (the numbers represented on each pair of dice equaling 6).
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the faces 124 and 126 of the pair of dice in each dice wheel section 116a are painted a particular color based on the summation of the dice faces in the particular section. This can be done in a number of ways. For example, in one embodiment, each different summation is associated with a unique color. In that case, eleven different colors (for each of summations 2-12) are required to color the dice faces 124 and 126. In other embodiments, summations are grouped together, which reduce the number of separate colors used. For example, in the depicted embodiment, dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 6 or 8 are grouped together to define a first group 130, dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 5 or 7 are grouped together to define a second group 132; and dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 are grouped together to define a third group 134. With a total of three dice groups (130, 132, and 134), only three colors are required to distinguish between the different groups. In the depicted embodiment, the colors of the first group 130, the second group 132, and the third group 134 are respectively black, red, and yellow. Of course, these colors can be rearranged or other colors can alternatively be used. Based on the above groups, there are ten dice wheel sections 116a in each of the first and second groups 130 and 132, and sixteen dice wheel sections 116a in the third group 134.
Similar to the dice wheel sections 116a, each of the card wheel sections 116b has a background portion 136. All of the background portions 136 of the card wheel sections 116b are similar to each other so that it is obvious that the card wheel sections 116b are related. The background portions 136 of the card wheel sections 116b are also different than the background portions 122 of the dice wheel sections 116a so as to differentiate between the two sections. For example, the background portions 136 can be colored similar to each other, but different than the background portions 122, and/or can have a design or pattern disposed thereon that is different from the background portions 122. If the differentiating factor is color, the background portions 136 of the card wheel sections 116b are colored in a different color than the colors that differentiate between the groups of dice wheel sections 116a. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the background portions 136 of the card wheel sections 116b are all colored green, which distinguishes over the black, red, and yellow colors used to differentiate the dice wheel section groups. Of course, other colors can alternatively be used.
There are four card wheel sections 116b, each corresponding to a different suit of a standard deck of playing cards. Accordingly, each card wheel section 116b contains a representation 138 of one of the suits of the standard deck. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the card wheel sections 116b respectively depict a heart, a diamond, a spade, and a club.
The card wheel sections 116b can be evenly distributed around the wheel 100, or can be positioned next to each other, or can be arranged in some combination of the two. For example, in the depicted embodiment the card wheel sections 116b are positioned so as to be evenly spaced from each other around the wheel 100.
Depicted in
As shown in
Playing surface 150 contains a wagering area 160 that can cover the entire playing surface 150 or, as in the depicted embodiment, only a portion thereof As shown in
Turning to
The first wager section 166 corresponds to the first group 130 of dice wheel sections 116a on the wheel 100, i.e., those dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 6 or 8. Because ten of the forty wheel sections 116 on wheel 100 correspond to first group 130, the odds of the pointer 114 randomly selecting one of the dice wheel sections 116a corresponding to the first group 130 is 4 to 1. Those odds or the house's established payout amount can be printed in the first wager section. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the payout is printed: “Pays 2 to 1.” As noted above, the dice faces 124 and 126 associated with the first group 130 are colored black on the wheel 100. Therefore, to help the game player coordinate the first wager section 166 with the first group 130 on the wheel 100, the letters within the first wager section 166 are also colored black.
The second wager section 168 corresponds to the second group 132 of dice wheel sections 116a on the wheel 100, i.e., those dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 5 or 7. Similar to that of first group 130, because ten of the forty wheel sections 116 on wheel 100 correspond to second group 132, the odds of the pointer 114 randomly selecting one of the dice wheel sections 116a corresponding to the second group 132 is also 4 to 1. Also similar to first wager section 166, the payout is printed within second wager section 168: “Pays 2 to 1.” As noted above, the dice faces 124 and 126 associated with the second group 132 are colored red on the wheel 100. Therefore, to help the game player coordinate the second wager section 168 with the second group 132 on the wheel 100, the letters within the second wager section 168 are also colored red.
The third wager section 170 corresponds to the third group 134 of dice wheel sections 116a on the wheel 100, i.e., those dice wheel sections 116a having summations of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Because 16 of the forty wheel sections 116 on wheel 100 correspond to third group 134, the odds of the pointer 114 randomly selecting one of the dice wheel sections 116a corresponding to the third group 134 is 5 to 2. Similar to first and second wager sections 166 and 168, the payout is printed within third wager section 170: “Pays 1 to 1.” The third wager section 170 is different than the first and second wager sections 166 and 170 in that the third wager section 170 also displays the individual summations within the third group 134 and gives different payouts depending on which summation of the third group 134 corresponds to the randomly selected wheel section 116 on the wheel 100. As shown in
The fourth wager section 172 corresponds to the card wheel sections 116b on the wheel 100. Because 4 of the forty wheel sections 116 on wheel 100 correspond to the card wheel sections 116b, the odds of the pointer 114 randomly selecting one of the card wheel sections 116b is 10 to 1. Similar to the first three wager sections 166, 168, and 170, the payout is printed within fourth wager section 172: “Pays 8 to 1.” As noted above, the background portions 136 of the card wheel sections 116b are all colored green on the wheel 100. Therefore, to help the game player coordinate the fourth wager section 172 with the card wheel sections 116b on the wheel 100, the letters within the fourth wager section 172 are also colored green.
The fifth wager section 174 also corresponds to the card wheel sections 116b on the wheel 100. However, unlike the fourth wager section 174 that corresponds to all of the card wheel sections 116b, the fifth wager section 174 contains a separate portion corresponding to each of the suits represented by the card wheel sections 116b. That is, the fifth wager section 174 allows wagering on the individual playing card suits. To that end, displayed in fifth wager section 174 are representations of the card suits, one each for hearts 176, diamonds 178, clubs 180, and spades 182. Each of the representations 176, 178, 180, and 182 includes a payout amount for the individual card suit.
Besides lettering colors, it is appreciated that the coordination of the wager sections 164 with corresponding groups on the wheel 100 can be done in other ways. For example, the background of the particular wager section 164 could be colored to match the color of the corresponding grouping on the wheel 100. Other ways of coordination can also be used.
It is also appreciated that other indicia may be used within each wager sections 164 other than the payout amount. For example, the summation number(s) can alternatively be used. Alternatively, pictures such as icons can be used to associate each wager section 164 with the corresponding wheel section 116 or group. Furthermore, the payout amounts discussed above are exemplary only. The gambling establishment can of course determine different payout amounts if so desired.
A sixth wager section 184 may also be included to provide a location for a game player to place his ante onto the table or to allow wagering on other things, such as whether another player will win. For example, in the depicted embodiment the sixth wager section 184 is used for an ante and thus has a large “A” imprinted thereon for that purpose.
Although the wager sections 164 are depicted in a particular order in
During play, the roulette wheel assembly 98 is set up to face the playing surface 150 with the inner edge 152 of the playing surface 150 being the closest portion of the playing surface 150 to the wheel assembly 98, as shown in
If a player places a wager on the fifth wager section, the player must place the wager on one of the suit representations 176, 178, 180, or 182. By so doing, the player is wagering that the card wheel section 116 corresponding to the particular card suit representation will be randomly selected. The player is not necessarily limited to a single wager. That is, the player can place wagers on more than one wager section 164 during a single spin of the wheel if the gambling establishment desires.
Once all of the wagers have been placed on the playing surface 150, the wheel 100 is spun by the croupier. As the wheel 100 spins, the resilient pointer 114 contacts the pins 110 as the pins 110 pass the pointer 114, thereby gradually slowing the wheel 100 down, as is known in the art. The wheel 100 eventually stops with the resilient pointer 114 being positioned between two adjacent pins 110 so as to “point” to the randomly selected wheel section 118.
Each player that has placed a wager on a wager section corresponding to the selected wheel section 118 wins an amount based on the amount of the wager times the payout amount. For example, if the player had placed a $10 wager on second wager section 168 and the selected wheel section 118 contains two dice faces 124 and 126 that sum up to 7 (i.e., the selected wheel section 118 corresponds to the second group 132), the player receives his $10 back plus a payout of $20 ($10 times the payout of 2 to 1). If the selected wheel section 118 is a card wheel section 116, each player that has placed a wager on the fourth wager section 172 is declared a winner and receives winnings corresponding to the established payout (8 to 1 in the exemplary embodiment) and each player that has placed a wager on the particular suit representation 176, 178, 180, or 182 in the fifth wager section 174 corresponding to the suit 138 depicted on the randomly selected wheel section 116 is also declared a winner and receives winnings corresponding to the established payout (35 to 1 in the exemplary embodiment).
Note that if the selected wheel section 118 corresponds to the third group 134, the payout for the players who placed wagers in the third wager section 170 depends on the sum of the dice faces 124 and 126 associated with the selected wheel section 118. If the sum of the dice faces 124 and 126 is two or twelve, the payout is respectively 2 to 1 and 3 to 1; otherwise the payout is 1 to 1. As noted above, the listed payouts are exemplary only and can be established by the gambling establishment.
As is known in the art, all wagers placed on wager sections 164 that do not correspond to the selected wheel section 116 are forfeited to the gambling establishment and removed from the playing surface by the croupier. If the sixth wager section is used as an ante section, each player will place a predetermined ante amount before each spin of the wheel.
As is known in the art, cash, chips, or the like may be used as a form of wagering.
Depicted in
Similar to playing surface 150, playing surface 200 has a generally linear inner edge 152 and semicircular outer edge 154. However, instead of the wagering area 160 having a separate playing position 162 for each player, wagering area 204 includes wager sections 206 that are shared between players. For example, four separate first wager sections 208 are distributed about the playing surface 200. Similar to the first wager sections 166 on playing surface 150, the first wager sections 208 correspond to the first group 130 of dice wheel sections 116a on the wheel 100. Similarly, four separate second wager sections 210 corresponding to the second group 132 and three separate fourth wager sections 212 corresponding to the card wheel sections 116b are also distributed about the playing surface 200.
In the depicted embodiment, the first, second, and fourth wager sections 208, 210, 212 together form a portion of an arc, though this is not required. Furthermore, instead of displaying the payout amounts, the first and second wager sections 208 and 210 display the summations associated with the groups corresponding to the particular wager section and the fourth wager section 212 contains no lettering or numbering. Each of the wager sections 208, 210, and 212 on playing surface 200 also displays a background color that matches the color of the background portion 122 or 136 associated with the corresponding wheel sections 116.
Instead of having a plurality of third wager sections 170, wagering area 204 uses the field portion of the playing surface as a third wager section 214. That is, a wager placed on the wagering area 204 but outside of the delineated wager sections 208, 210, and 212 constitutes a wager in the third wager section 214. Similar to the third wager section 170, different payout amounts are displayed for a summation of 2 or 12 in the third wager section 214.
Note that playing surface 200 does not include a separate fifth wager section 174 displaying each of the particular card suit representations. Instead, a lammer or marker (not shown), having a representation of one of the suits is used to place a wager on a particular playing card suit, as discussed below.
Using playing surface 200, the method of play is generally the same as with playing surface 150. Wagers are placed, the wheel 100 is spun, and winnings are paid out based on the randomly selected wheel section 118. As noted above, because the field portion of the table is used as a third wager section 214, any wager placed outside of the delineated wager sections 208, 210, 212 constitutes a wager in the third wager section 214.
Furthermore, as noted above, to place a wager on a particular playing card suit, a lammer or marker having a representation of the particular suit is used. The lammer is placed on top of the desired wager amount within the fourth wager sections 212 so that the desired card suit is showing on the lammer. This establishes that the wager is directed toward the particular suit shown on the lammer. If the suit displayed on the lammer corresponds to the selected wheel section 118, the player who placed the wager wins and receives winnings corresponding to the established payout, as described previously.
It is appreciated that other alternative embodiments of the present invention are also possible. For example, other types of indicator mechanisms for randomly selecting one of the wheel sections can alternatively be used. In one embodiment, instead of a vertically oriented roulette wheel 100, a horizontally oriented roulette wheel is used. In this embodiment, the indicator mechanism for randomly selecting one of the wheel sections comprises a ball and a plurality of pockets associated with the wheel sections. During a spin of the wheel, the ball randomly drops into one of the pockets corresponding to a wheel section, as is known in the art. Other indicator mechanisms for randomly selecting one of the wheel sections can also be used.
Also, variations in the number and type of wheel sections 116 are also possible. For example, in one embodiment, no card wheel sections 116b are included on the wheel 100. That is, only dice wheel sections 116a are used. In this embodiment, the wager sections corresponding to the card wheel sections 116b are removed from the playing surface or simply not used and the odds and payout are adjusted accordingly. The corresponding card wheel sections 116b can also be removed from the wheel 100 so the wheel only has a total of thirty six wheel sections 116. In another embodiment, the card wheel sections 116b are used, but no wagering is allowed on a particular suit. In this embodiment, the wager section corresponding to the particular suit representations are removed from the playing surface or simply not used and the odds and payout are adjusted accordingly. Other variations are also possible.
Furthermore, variations in the types and number of groups of the wheel sections 116 are also possible. For example, although only three groups of the dice wheel sections 116a are described herein, in other embodiments more or less groups are alternatively used. Furthermore, groups based on even vs. odd, above and below a certain summation, etc. can alternatively be used.
In addition, variations in the type of representations shown on the wheel sections can alternatively be used. For example, in one embodiment other types of number representations are used in place of dice representations. That is, instead of a pair of dice faces, each dice wheel section includes a pair of other number representations. The pair of number representations are summed to produce a summation, similar to the embodiments described herein. Additionally, other types of representations can be used in place of card suit representations.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/989,423, filed Nov. 20, 2007, which application is incorporated herein by specific reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60989423 | Nov 2007 | US |
