Patent Grant
7527265
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to card games using the generation of numbers between a predetermined minimum and a predetermined maximum, such as craps, Four the Money, hi-low craps and roulette. More particularly the invention applies to playing a game of the type previously listed utilizing a card deck to generate random rolls and providing for unique features of tracking and displaying the results.
2. Prior Art
Dice games and card games are known in the prior art. Machines which automatically deal from decks and which randomly deal from a certain position in a deck of cards are also known in the art.
One of the major improvements of the invention versus the prior art is the addition of a randomizing event to select from one or more pre-dealt cards which appear on a gaming table.
While the act of displaying cards in and of itself is not novel, it is novel in order to allow the player to exercise some control utilizing an alternative selection means in order to select from one or at least one of several different cards so that a mechanical device generating the roll is not the sole arbitrator of the cards selected and the roll generated by the selection.
The invention described herein is best understood as a novel method of playing and redesigning roulette or dice games (e.g. craps, Four The Money, High-Low Craps, etc.) by substituting numbered cards for traditional dice and utilizing modern shuffling technology and unique layouts to provide better, random results.
A technique for playing a wagering game is taught where at least one random number is needed in order to determine an outcome and wherein the number is determined by selecting at least one or more random numbers within a range and where the numbers are determined by mechanically dealing one or more cards where each card has at least two numbers or has a single number representing a plurality of numbers (alternatively, at least two cards are dealt and added together to get the result). One of the cards be replaced or selected with a dice or dice means to vary the result.
One method of doing this would be to shuffle multiple sets of six cards where each set was numbered sequentially one through six so that the shuffle and subsequent deal acts numerically identically (statistically) to a six-sided dice.
A shuffling machine could shuffle the cards so that the sets of six would be shuffled together and could use random card selection technologies to randomly deal from the mixed decks. Modern shuffling technology for normal card decks may be adapted for these options.
The dealer could (1) deal out two or more (even all six cards) and turn over one for each dice or (2) deal out one of the 6 cards for each dice. In order to add various degrees of excitement, by way of example, the six cards could be set down in two rows of six each and then one card from each row could be turned up in order to get a dice roll for a game of craps, Four The Money, or High-Low Craps. To give the player the feeling of control, the deal need only deal two cards from which the selection of the player would be made since this would introduce a randomizing feature without dependence on a machine, but would reduce the number of cards to be handled. Also, the display of the non-picked card could add to the angst which makes these games of chance so popular.
Likewise, only one of the cards could be dealt out with a set of thirty-six cards (each representing a roll of two dice) and that card could be the dice roll.
The two card method (2 sets of 1-6) could be set up so that a user could look at the six dealt cards dealt face down and select one to be turned up. To prevent marking, the players could select one space of 6 and the card dealt to that space would be the one turned up. In order to provide more excitement, it could be required that one player would select one card location and another player would select a second card location where two players were playing the game. If only one player were to play in the game, various similar methods of selecting the cards automatically could be established. In the preferred embodiment two six-sided dice are used. It can be seen that any number of dice sides or dice numbers could be utilized to a similar effect.
For Roulette, two extra cards would be required representing 0 and 00 in addition to the other card numbers (traditionally 1-36) possible from a roulette wheel. This would be played on a prior art table being modified to receive 2 or more numbers which would e available for the user to select using the methods described herein.
Under another method to practice to the invention where the outcome of two six sided dice are important, the game would be played having at least one of 36 cards dealt out reflecting the 36 combinations of two six sided dice and the dealer would turn one card up in order to represent the dice roll of the two dice. In one embodiment, all 36 dice could be shuffled and one or more dealt out of the set of 36 with a space selection being made before the deal. The same machine or a second machine with a like dice set (or with a more unusual game with a different type of dice set) could deal the next deal in a similar manner. Dice could be dealt from countless decks and recycled according to logical dealing sequences. Solid cards are envisioned, but electronic displays representing the cards could be used. These displays could be electronically hidden by cards.
In one embodiment of the invention, all 36 combinations could be dealt and the players could pick rolls sequentially so that each time one was picked it was turned over. For Four The Money or High-Low Craps type games, this would allow the user to obtain a win or a loss based on (1) 4 cards without a seven, or (2) how many of the cards were turned up before a target number, usually seven with two six-sided dice, having 36 possible combinations. The selection process can involve a random selection means (dice means, wheel, etc.)
A craps game may be set up so that the players sequentially take turns so that multiple players select cards to turn up, where one player turns up the cards until a terminating event (a seven after a point in traditional craps) or cards may be electronically selected to be turned up.
Because multiple cards are used in the invention, each card may be electronically or mechanically marked so that a sensor can determine what number is displayed. In this way, electronics may track the card displayed or the total displayed to track a series of card plays so that in games where multiple rolls or totals are required (four the money or high roller of the month, for example) or series of rolls are important (different doubles, all or none at all), these may be tracked electronically. This is more difficult in traditional dice usage because the dice must be picked up and set on a location or number punched in for the same result. Here the cards need only be placed at the appropriate location when dealt.
It is therefore one purpose of the invention to provide for a game which follows rules of various gaming-type dice games utilizing cards and utilizing a novel method of shuffling, dealing and displaying the cards in order to attempt to maintain the statistical variation in existing dice games and in order to provide new rules allowing for greater player entertainment and selection.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become better understood hereinafter from a consideration of the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, and in which like numerals correspond to parts throughout the several views of the invention.
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:
a shows two cards of an alternate type usable when one card represents two dice.
As can best be seen by reference to
In front of each of these, is a space, card holding location 106 to receive one or more cards. Betting locations are available on the table. One betting location 107 which is here shown as a traditional odds wager location, which is typically served exclusively by the dealer. Also shown are user betting locations 105, here a Four The Money odds wager layout. Here, the odds wager layout shows slots 109 for wagers to be placed and held. These slots 109 may not take the money; they may simply serve to hold the wager until the end of the betting period to prevent manipulation of wagers or to prevent these wagers from being disturbed by dice rolls. The slots 109 may also allow the house to track which bets have been made so that the game can identify winning wager and losing wagers by lighting the space when a win or loss occurs to ease the handling of multiple wagers of this type. While slots 109 are shown for this purpose, it is also clear that these slots 109 could be replaced with sensors of other types which sense the presence of a wager at the locations where the slots 109 are shown.
Each wager location allows the player a place to put a wager on a place to put a wager on a statistical event. For example, a “come bet” allows a wager that a 7, 11 or repeat of a point will occur before a “craps” roll on the “come out” roll or a 7 after the “come out” roll but before the repeat of the point.
In the example shown, marker 96 marks space 99a and marker 95 marks space 97f so that cards (not shown) dealt to card location 108a and a card (not shown) dealt to card location 98f would be the selected cards. In this example if a “3” was dealt to 108a and a “4” dealt to location 98f, then the total of 7 is the resulting roll or deal. By way of alternate example, if card 3 is dealt to location 108a and another card 3 is dealt to location 98f, in this example of the layout, the total would be a 6 “hardway” or a “hard six”. The space 99a-f may be selected by a method such as rolling a dice, spinning a wheel as shown in
If 36 cards are simultaneously shuffled, reflecting each of the 36 possible outcomes with two six sided dice, then the outcomes may be dealt to a first single location 120 shown on
If two cards are dealt to get the total, but the user does not preselect the space to which it is dealt, the layout shown in
The card holding locations may work in several different manners in accordance with the disclosure herein. Six locations 108a-f are shown so that six different card dice rolls may be displayed and one of those may be pre-selected with a marker 96 on spaces 99a-f. Where two sets of cards are used, each having the numbers sequentially on through six, there may be a second set of six locations 98a-f to display the next six cards. The same marker 96 for both groups of locations (108a-f and 98a-f) or two different markers 95 and 96 for locations 108a-f and 98a-f, respectively, may be used to get the same statistical result.
Similarly, a card may be turned up either according to its location after it is dealt, by being specified by the user or, as set forth above in the preferred embodiment, the location may be selected when the cards are dealt by a second random number generator at location determining device. It should also be noted that while locations for all six cards are shown, only two cards need be dealt to card holding locations for the first roll, if dealt randomly, to allow for user selection to play a roll in the random outcome.
The game may be viewed as played using 6 cards numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 36 cards showing every possible combination of the dice or a set of cards representing the numbers possible on a roulette wheel. A randomizing means (the random number generator) is then used in order to select which of the cards will be turned up.
One example of how this could work is as follows: 6 cards are dealt to spaces numbers 1-6 (98-f); 98a being 1, 98b being 2, 98c being 3; 98d being 4; 98e being 5; and 98f being 6). If six sided dice is roller. The number on the dice decides which card is selected. (E.g. if a 3 card us on 98b and a 2 is rolled on the dice, the first number (on the dice if using 2 cards to obtain sums or the entire roll if the card represent the sum of the roll) is a 3.
Other methods are described below.
One way to determine which card is turned up is to have the player select a space before or after the cards are displayed. Another method would be to deal the cards to at least two spaces use a random number generator CE-9. to roll at least one dice to determine which of the spaces was displayed.
A random number generator may be utilized in order to display the numbers in the spaces provided in the form of wheels, cards or dice in the layouts embodied herein.
Where 36 combinations are used, up to 36 cards could be dealt. The player could then pick from these 36 combinations using whatever randomizing method was desired (cards, wheels, dice, electronic random generator, or combinations thereof.
If 6 cards are dealt for each of the two dice, the dice would occupy 6 spaces for each of the two dice represented. The player could select the spaces at random, before the roll to determine the location of the roll or could use another random method for determining the spaces to be selected after the roll. Rolling a six sided dice and picking the card or a space corresponding to the number on the dice would be one method. To separate the first and second rolls, the dice could have different colors corresponding to a first color used for the first location for the first 6 cards representing the possible outcomes (1-6) of the first dice and a second color used for the second location for the second 6 cards representing the possible outcomes (1-6) for the second dice if 2 dice was used with six sided dice, six different color (with associated shapes) could be used.
The cards would be reshuffled for each new “deal”. This is not required in all embodiments because only one randomizing event is required.
A shuffle machine or hand dealt cards could be used on this or on a roulette table. For either dice or roulette, the location could be selected using a wheel such as that shown in
All 36 cards (38 for roulette with two zero spaces (single zero and double zero) could be dealt or the player could select from only 6 of the 36 (38 for roulette) cards dealt using a randomizing method such as the dice (discussed above), six other cards, electronic random number generators or wheels shown in
Since there may be 38 possible spaces for traditional games and because it may be desirable to use dice with only six sides (or less) or wheels with less than 38 possible spaces (such as the 6 sided wheels shown in
While a six sided dice is used in the example, a two sided dice could be used to determine between two or more spaces since the addition of a separate selection means for selecting randomly dealt numbers is only a method for taking the selection process away from the dealing machine or hand dealt cards and, theoretically, is not less random than allowing the user to pick a space before or after the deal and before the cards are displayed according to the user's personal choice.
In any scenario, a “boxman” displays at least two cards (these cards may appear as electronic pictures on spaces so provided or may be cards from a shuffle machine) on a display location. They may be placed face up or face down on the display location. Then a randomizing dice or other randomizing means selects from the at least two spaces to determine the card selected.
Once that card is revealed all appropriate transactions are negotiated. The cards are put back in the continuous shuffler or shuffled by hand and the game continues.
For a Roulette table, a shuffle machine with a deck of 38 cards (representing 1-36, 0, and 00) (or 37 cards representing 1-36 and zero) and a randomizing means to select a card may be used. The randomizing means may be a spinner with indicators (numbers as shown in
Whatever indicator is selected, that corresponding card is revealed to determine the outcome of the deal (typically 1-6 or 1-36, 0 and 00).
While user choice, spinners and dice are discussed, a second set of cards could be used to the same effect. The key is to randomly pick a location for each roll in addition to the randomization inherent in the “shuffle” of the cards.
For either roulette or dice games all possible combinations may be shown utilizing the random chance of each outcome. This can be done with multiple dice cards (two sets of cards, each representing the rolls of dice) or 36 dice with craps. For Roulette, the zero and double zero require that more cards be used, usually 38.
Also, a single “roller” may select the card to turn up or it may be selected by majority vote of multiple players. The selection process may occur before every roll or may be made once and apply to all deals until a terminating event occurs.
The purpose for having the determination as to which spot would have the card to be turned up before the cards were dealt would be to prevent the possibility of any marking of the cards interfering with the random of nature of the game.
A single card may be dealt from the top of the deck or at a random location determined by a dealing machine. In a situation where each of the card dealing machines 101 through 104 deals out a single card from 36 cards, this one location 120 will display a card corresponding to one of the rolls of the two dice (Examples are shown in
In addition to utilizing cards in this technique, a random number generator may be utilized in order to display the numbers in the spaces provided in the form of cards or dice in the layouts embodied herein. In the example shown in
Since the invention may be played with a single dealing machine,
A first wager location for accepting a wager on at least one statistical event associated with the random generation of dice tolls according to a set of rules based on statistical odds is required for most games of this type. Typically this is a “come” location 110.
Utilizing the locations for six cards (108a-f and 97a-f) and the locations for six markers (99a-f and 97a-f), it can be seen that the location for the six markers can be removed and replaced with the random number generator, in this case the spinners (124 and 125) so that after the six cards are dealt, the random number is generated (the spinner is spun) and the number on the spinner corresponding to the number on the card location (the location with the corresponding number) will be location from which the card is selected for that portion of the deal. Therefore, if on location number two 108b, a “six” card is displayed, then if the spinner lands on “2”, the “six card” is selected. I.E. the spinner spins to two, then the card on the two location is turned up and that is either half or all of the spin according to the rules of the game (Either two cards added together to achieve a total (two six sided dice in craps) or one card shows the total of two six sided dice (36 cards required)).
It can be seen that less than all of the cards can be dealt and while six spaces are taught in the preferred embodiment from which to select from, it can be as few as two or as many thirty-eight for roulette or more for alternate versions of the game.
One of the benefits of this is that more cards can be available than on a typical roulette table but a typical roulette wheel can still be used because only thirty-eight spaces are needed. Likewise, a more than six sided dice of any other type could be utilized but a six sided dice could be rolled because only six spaces were available to determine which six cards, thereby allowing for the odds to be varied and the payouts to be increased.
The spinner shown in
a shows two cards of an alternate type usable when one card represents two dice. By way of example, one card shows a 3-1 combination to make 4 and the other card shows a 3-3 combination to make a “hard six”.
Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment(s) herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This patent is a divisional and continuation in part patent of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 09/975,907 filed Oct. 12, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,262.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6070872 | Squitieri | Jun 2000 | A |
| 20010042960 | Lewis et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20030032471 | Darder | Feb 2003 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09975907 | Oct 2001 | US |
| Child | 11173570 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09975907 | Oct 2001 | US |
| Child | 09975907 | US |
