Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-28
2003-12-02
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a well known wagering game called “Craps” and more particularly to an improvement thereto referred to herein as a “FIRE BET™”.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Craps is a casino wagering game which is enjoyed for its fast pace and excitement. The standard rules of play for Craps are very well established, so that there is no need to inform those having ordinary skill in the art how Craps is played. However, as a prelude to discussion of the present invention, it is useful to provide a short overview of the standard rules pertaining to a Craps “Pass Line” bet.
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, Craps is played on an elongated Craps table
10
, having a horizontal table top
12
surrounded by a sidewall
14
. The playing surface
16
is provided with a lay-out
18
in the form of indicia indicative of the play of Craps. The playing surface
16
, may for example be a felt material having the indicia of the lay-out
18
imprinted thereupon. The lay-out
18
includes indicia indicative of a pass line bet area
20
, indicia indicative of a point number area
22
(a plurality of squares having, respectively, therein the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10), and indicia indicative of a proposition bet area
24
.
In the play of Craps according to the standard rules, every player gets a chance to throw the dice. The person throwing the dice is called the “shooter”. The shooter must make a “pass line” (referred to also as a “line”) wager (bet) by placing a selected number of chips representing the value of the wager within the pass line bet area
20
. The shooter then throws the dice for his or her initial toss, referred to as the “initial come out”. If a 7 or an 11 was thrown, then a Pass Line wager wins and is paid even money; this outcome is referred to as a “natural winner”. If a 2, 3, or 12 was thrown, then a pass line wager loses and is forfeited; this outcome is referred to as a “natural loser”. If a number is thrown other than a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, then that number establishes the shooter's “point” (this point is either a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). The shooter's point is then marked by a dealer with a white circular point marker
26
called a “puck” (in
FIG. 1
, the puck is placed by way of example on the
5
number because the shooter has, merely by way of example, tossed a number 5).
Once a point has been established, the shooter will continue to throw (that is, roll or toss) the dice until he or she either: 1) throws the point number again (referred to as “making the point”), or 2) throws a 7 (referred to as a “seven out” or “sevening out”). If the shooter “makes the point”, then any player who made a pass line wager wins even money, and the shooter throws the dice for a repeat come out (this toss is not to be confused with the “initial come out”). If, however, the shooter “seven outs”, then any player who made a pass line wager forfeits the money wagered, and the shooter forfeits his or her turn and passes the right to dice throwing to the next shooter (in clockwise order). This next shooter will then throw an initial come out after bets have been placed, as described hereinabove. While the game of craps played according to the standard rules is exciting and enjoyable to play, what remains needed in the art is an improvement in the form of a simply executed proposition wager which provides the bettor the possibility of a high pay-out relative to the value of the bet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improvement to the standard rules of craps in the form of a simply executed proposition wager which provides the bettor the possibility of a high pay-out relative to the value of the bet, referred to hereinafter as a “FIRE BET™”.
A FIRE BET is a proposition bet made in conjunction with a Craps game otherwise played according to conventional rules of play. The lay-out is modified to include sequentially labeled wager areas located in the center of the Craps lay-out near the customary proposition bet area, as well as to include a plurality of mutually spaced player betting areas located in front of each player position around the Craps lay-out. The betting areas are sequentially labeled around the lay-out in correspondence with the sequential labeling of the wager areas. A plurality of point markers are provided for selective placement at the point number area as points are made according to the method of the present invention. The outcome of a FIRE BET wager is determined according to the method of the present invention and is dependent upon the course of play of the Craps game, wherein all other wagers under conventional rules are independent of whether or not a FIRE BET is wagered.
A player can only make a FIRE BET wager before the initial come out dice toss of each shooter. Each player making a FIRE BET wager must do so by making a FIRE BET wager indication by placing his or her chip(s) on the appropriate player wager area on the lay-out directly below their gaming position. Once a FIRE BET is wagered by placement of at least one selected chip at each participating player's respective player betting area, a dealer will retrieve the chip(s) and place the chip(s) upon the corresponding wager areas, designated for a “FIRE BET” in the proposition area. These FIRE BET wagers will then remain in the respective wager areas until the FIRE BET wagers are paid or lost, wherein FIRE BET wagers are won or lost based upon accumulation of “made points” in response to outcomes of dice throws by the shooter.
The shooter throws his or her initial come out toss. If the outcome is a natural winner or looser, there is no affect upon accumulation of made points, and, in this scenario, a shooter then repeats an initial come out throw. If the initial come out toss result is a point (a number 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) then the point is established, and the puck is placed at the point location of the point number area. The shooter then again tosses the dice. If the outcome is the point, then the point is made, the puck is removed and a selected point marker is placed at the point location of the point number area a point marker is placed. The shooter then continues to toss the dice. Additional points are accumulated in the same manner only if the outcome is a new point not already made. At any time during the course of play, if the outcome is a seven out the game is over.
A pay-out to the FIRE BET wagerers is won according to the schedule of a predetermined pay-out table. For example, a pay-out may require accumulation of 3 points, wherein if the game ends at an accumulated 0, 1 or 2 points, then the FIRE BET wager is lost; but, if 3 points are accumulated, then a pay-out is won according to the schedule of the pay-out table. In this example, if the game ended at the accumulation of points higher than 3, then the pay-out won is that only of the points of the highest accumulated points according to the schedule of the pay-out table.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved Craps game having a simply executed proposition wager which provides the bettor the possibility of a high pay-out relative to the bet.
This, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.
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Keefe Peter D.
Pierce William M.
Stasi Perry B.
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