Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-23
2003-04-22
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
C273S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550771
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains generally to games, and in particular to a game in which a player endeavors to select objects in a pre-established sequential order.
BACKGROUND ART
A number of games have been devised for casino play and wagering including, but not limited to, table games such as craps, roulette, and blackjack, and gaming devices such as slot machines and video display devices for games such as poker, keno, blackjack, and other familiar games of chance. In one sense these games can be divided into two broad categories, those which depend solely on random probabilities and require no player skill other than pulling a handle or pushing a button, and those which depend on a combination of random probabilities and player skill. By far the two most popular formats for gaming devices are the slot machine and the video poker machine. However, these two types of games often appeal to different groups of individuals. Those who play and enjoy slot machines may not enjoy playing video poker machines, and vice versa. Slot machines require no special knowledge or skill on the part of the player, whereas to play video poker machines well the player must have some understanding of the rules of poker. There then appears to be a middle ground which has not been addressed and which is embraced by the present invention. To wit, a game which does not require that a player understand the rules of a particular game, but rather only that the player be able to exercise some skill in placing objects in a predetermined sequential order.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method of playing an object selection game. The game comprises a player attempting to place a plurality of objects in a predetermined sequential order. The player is rewarded according to how many correctly ordered objects have been achieved. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the player must decide during the course of the game whether to next select an object which has already been revealed, or alternatively to next select a hidden object. In accordance with another possible embodiment of the present invention, more than one object is revealed to the player, thereby increasing the player's chance of correctly placing the objects in proper sequence.
The present invention includes elements, rules, and logic as specified herein. The method of the subject invention is unique in that it involves a high degree of player interaction, making the game more attractive to the player than a game based purely on a random outcome (e.g., a slot machine), while still retaining a mostly random determination of the outcome. The game also provides for combinations and methods of playing the game which have certain winning combinations of very low probability, which makes it possible to offer certain payoffs of extreme value. High value payoffs are very attractive to players and are important if the game is used with a local area or wide area network where multiple games at different locations participate in a common high-value jackpot. In the current state of the art only multi-reel slot machines have been able to provide winning combinations of suitably low probability to support networks with high-value jackpots. To maintain player interest it is also important to have outcomes of high and moderate probability so that the player is rewarded with frequent small and medium payoffs. Such combinations are easily constructed using this method. These combinations of features are not available in other traditional games of chance.
NOTE: Examples [shown in italics] are intended to assist in forming a visualization of the elements, rules, or logic described and to be illustrative or suggestive of possible implementations, but not to limit the concept only to those examples presented. In particular, while the examples given use tangible physical realizations such as a gaming table or board game, it is well known that analogous electronic representations such as a video game and associated computer and computer program can be constructed using an identical logical basis. All realizations of this game which are based on the elements, rules, and logic described herein are therefore embraced by the present invention.
In the play of the game, a set (Pool) of distinguishable objects are provided. The specific distinguishing characteristics of some of the objects are obscured or hidden. Some of the objects may be revealed to the player before starting play. From time to time after play begins additional objects may be put into play. Once play has begun, the player selects the objects one at a time. Beginning with the second or a subsequent selection, the current selection and one or more of the previous selections are tested to see if they have been selected in an acceptable order according to an ordering rule. If so, the player is allowed to select another object and the comparison process is repeated. After each selection a terminating rule is invoked to determine whether play terminates or continues. After play terminates, the game is then scored according to the presence or absence of certain selected objects or combinations of objects.
If no objects are revealed to the player before the selection process begins, the game is essentially a pure game of chance, although by consciously making selection decisions, the player may subjectively feel that he is controlling the outcome. When one or more objects are revealed to the player before the selection process begins, an element of player skill is added which strongly reinforces the subjective feeling of control. This occurs because the player has knowledge of the objects which have already been selected as well as knowledge of the revealed objects which have not yet been selected. This knowledge allows the player to decide the best strategy for selecting the revealed objects. To what extent the actual outcome of the game is still predominantly determined by chance can be controlled by the selection of the various rules. These features make the present invention ideally suited for use as a gambling device, however it may also be utilized without the placement of wagers.
In one preferred embodiment, there is a correct solution or winning combination for every hand played in that no hands can be dealt which do not have a winning sequence. Whether or not the player achieves the win depends solely on the order in which the objects are selected. The shuffle or randomization of the objects changes their placement on the playing field but does not change the probability of the player selecting a winning combination. When used as a gambling device, the shuffle is used to randomly vary the maximum possible payoff amount for a winning hand. That is, all hands can be correctly placed in order, but certain hands will have more inherent value than others. With games like Poker, a winning hand is predominantly determined by the shuffle and, to a lesser degree, by the player's choice of which cards to hold or discard. Similarly, in Blackjack the results are mostly determined by the shuffle; the player exhibiting control only in deciding when to quit receiving cards from the deck.
The most essential ideas of this invention are (1) the selection of hidden objects which can be placed in a defined order or sequence, (2) the scoring of the game based on rules which determine the value of the objects which have successfully been selected and placed in order, (3) the concept of previewing some of the objects so that the player can exercise skill by altering his selection strategy, (4) the high degree of player interaction, (5) the ability to construct card games and other types of interactive games with certain outcomes of extremely low probability while retaining combinations of high and moderate probability, and (6) in certain embodiments, a method which provides that every hand is a potential winner regardless of how the objects have been shuffled.
GAME ELEMENTS AND RULES
The specific elements and rules of the game are these:
1) PLAYER The
Ramos Gary A.
Weaver Janice L.
Weaver John D.
Layno Benjamin H.
Masters Ted
Mendiratta V K
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