Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-15
2003-09-02
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
C273S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612580
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to a method of playing a variation to a blackjack card game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The game of “blackjack” or “twenty-one” is perhaps the most popular card game played in casinos throughout the United States. This game is typically played with a standard deck of playing cards containing fifty-two cards in four different suits. The object of the game is for each player to collect a number of cards in his or her hand whereby the total point value assigned to the cards in a player's hand is as close to possible to twenty-one without going over. Numbered cards (i.e., 2-10) are assigned a numerical value equal to their face value and face cards (i.e., king, queen and jack) are assigned a numerical value of ten points each. An ace card may be assigned either a point value of one or eleven—whichever value gives a more favorable hand to the player. If the point value in a player's hand exceeds twenty-one points, the player “busts” and is eliminated from further play until a winner is declared and the next hand is dealt.
Blackjack is typically played at tables that include a location for a dealer and up to seven additional players. Each player places a wager and, along with the dealer, initially receives two cards. In traditional blackjack, each player is playing against the dealer or “house”. The dealer or house acts as the bank, paying all losses and collecting all winnings from the other players at the table. In order to win his or her wager, the cards in a player's hand must have a higher total point value than the total point value in the dealer's hand without going over twenty-one points.
During a player's turn, a player may elect to draw additional cards (i.e., take a “hit”) or play only the cards currently held in his or her hand (i.e., “stand”). A player may continue to receive additional cards in order to try to reach a point total of twenty-one without exceeding twenty-one. It is not necessary to reach twenty-one points to win a game; it is only necessary to come closer to twenty-one points than the dealer. Since the dealer receives one of his two initial cards facedown (i.e., a “hole” card), the players know only half of the cards in the dealer's initial hand. This adds an element of uncertainty to a player's decision to take a hit or stand.
The risk of losing a hand by exceeding twenty-one points (i.e., “busting”) by taking an additional card increases as the point total of the cards in the player's hand approaches twenty-one. A player increases the probability of beating the dealer's card total by selectively and strategically hitting or standing on a particular card situation. Under most house rules, the dealer must take a hit on any point total of sixteen or less and must stand on any point total of seventeen or more. Each player at the table who comes closer to a point total of twenty-one than the dealer without exceeding twenty-one wins his or her wager. Conversely, each player who “busts” or who does not achieve a higher point total than the dealer loses the hand and the corresponding wager for that hand. Even if the dealer also busts, the player still loses when the player busts.
A “blackjack” occurs when a player or the dealer receives an ace and a face card or ten. A blackjack by the dealer ends the game, causing all other players to lose their wagers. A blackjack for a player is the best possible hand for the player and beats the dealer unless the dealer also has a blackjack. Ties between the player and the dealer are a “push” and are typically won by the house. Players at a blackjack table will typically play multiple successive hands and players may enter and leave the game at any time between hands.
After all of the players have taken hits or have stood on their hand, the dealer stands or hits based on preestablished rules of the game. The conventional manner of play requires the dealer to take a hit whenever the dealer's hand is a “soft
17
” count. However, in other casinos, the dealer stands on a soft
17
count. The term “soft” means that the ace is valued as a count of eleven, instead of as a count of one. A soft
17
occurs when the dealer has an ace and a six (or multiple cards that add up to six). The dealer will stand on soft
18
s, soft
19
s and soft
20
s.
A drawback with traditional forms of blackjack is that the set point values of the cards may make the game somewhat predictable so as to eventually bore players after a few hands. Moreover, there is no incentive built-into the game for playing additional hands beyond other than the usual reasons of winning money or recouping money lost in previous wagers.
There is a need to provide a modified version of blackjack that generates additional unpredictability, excitement, and revenue for both players and casinos relative to traditional forms of blackjack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method of playing a modified blackjack game with a dealer and at least one player includes providing stack of playing cards including a plurality of decks, preferably five to seven decks. Each deck is preferably a conventional fifty-two card, four-suit collection. A card is selected from among the stack of playing cards to serve as both a cut card and a wild card. The cut/wild card, either a joker card or another designated card, is not playable by the dealer. The cut/wild card is placed either by a player or the dealer into a generally lower portion, preferably a lower third level, of the stack of playing cards. When a player is dealt the cut/wild card, the player may select a value for the cut/wild card from among the values associated with any one of the playing cards. Preferably, one cut/wild card is used for the stack of playing cards. Moreover, the cut/wild card is preferably prevented from being used by a player to double down or split. Further, the selection of the value for the cut/wild card is preferably limited to a value for making blackjack or “twenty-one” (i.e., automatic 21 by which the player would not win in a tie with the dealer's 21).
A first advantage of the present invention is that the anticipation of receiving a cut/wild card keeps players at the table longer for the benefit of the casinos.
A second advantage of the present invention is that players may tend to place larger wagers in anticipation of receiving the cut/wild card for the benefit of both players and the casinos.
A third advantage of the present invention is that the use of the cut/wild card adds fun to the game of blackjack.
A fourth advantage of the present invention is that the modified version of blackjack creates new marketing opportunities for casinos.
A fifth advantage of the present invention is that dealers do not need to learn an entirely new game.
A sixth advantage of the present invention is that players do not need to “work at it”.
A seventh advantage of the present invention is that the modified game accentuates and updates the most popular table game in a gaming establishment.
An eighth advantage of the present invention is that the modified game adds revenue to the gaming establishment.
A ninth advantage of the present invention is that the gaming table and shoe need no modification—the casino could simply change the signage.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description and accompanying figures.
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Collins Dolores
Layno Benjamin H.
LandOfFree
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