Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2001-10-16
Wong, Steven (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Betting or wagering board
C273S292000, C273S274000, C273S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302396
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wagering games, such as those played in casinos. More particularly, the present invention concerns a card game in which two hands of cards are played against one another by the dealer and the players bet on the expected outcome of how the hands will be dealt cards according to a set of rules. The present invention also concerns a table layout for playing such a card game.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
One of the most popular wagering games is blackjack (alternatively referred to as twenty-one). Generally speaking, each player competes against the dealer or “the house” with the objective of being dealt a hand having a count higher than the dealer's hand without exceeding a count of twenty-one. However, there are several problems associated with conventional blackjack.
For example, players must have some degree of skill when playing blackjack; otherwise, the player will quickly lose money and consequently interest in the game. Not only is it necessary for a player to know the basic rules and objectives of blackjack, the odds of winning can be significantly improved if a player is knowledgeable of the general guidelines for being hit (i.e., for taking additional cards from the dealer) depending on his/her hand and the dealer's exposed card. It is also believed that this acquired skill is particularly critical for the player dealt cards last (i.e., the player sitting immediately to the dealer's right). Specifically, some believe that this player can alter the chances of the entire table by affecting the cards dealt to the dealer's hand. For example, if the last player takes an unnecessary hit card in contradiction to the guidelines, this card would naturally have been dealt to the dealer's hand, if necessary, and could possibly have caused the dealer to bust. Another problem with conventional blackjack is that players are typically required to make their initial bet before any cards are dealt. Players will often consequently feel as though they are making a blind wager without any indication as to how the cards may be dealt. Yet another problem often associated with conventional blackjack is the potential for slow paced games as a result of players taking time to decide on whether to hit or stay. It is also be believed that conventional blackjack is problematic because players compete individually against the dealer, which will often cause players to look elsewhere for the comradery provided by other wagering games (e.g., craps). Those ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that all of these problems have the potential to adversely affect earnings by the house.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Responsive to these and other problems, an important object of the present invention is to provide a wagering game that is interesting, captivating and fast paced. It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a wagering game that does not require a high level of skill. Another important object of the present invention is to provide a wagering game that is useful in educating players about the game of blackjack. Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a wagering game that enhances comradery among the players. In particular, an important object of the present invention is to provide a wagering game that pits at least two dealer hands against one another which is naturally more exciting for the players and is likely to generate comradery as players make similar wagers as to how they expect the hands to be dealt. Furthermore, an important object of the present invention is to provide a wagering game that gives the players the perception that they determine the odds of winning, or at the very least they have the ability to affect those odds, rather than relying purely on statistical chance. An additional important object of the present invention is to provide a table layout for use in playing a wagering game that provides the previously noted objects.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of the preferred embodiment, the present invention concerns a method of playing a wagering game with a deck of numerically valued cards including the steps of having each player make an initial wager and dealing at least two cards to form a corresponding number of hands. Each player is asked to select an initial winning option based on how the player expects the hands to be dealt. The game further involves dealing an additional card to each of the hands until each of the hands has a count of at least a first predetermined value, such as seventeen in the case of blackjack, and then awarding each of the players whose initial winning option correctly predicted how the hands would be dealt.
If desired, the game may also include the step of accepting a second wager from each of the players, and simultaneously having each player who made the second wager select a second winning option based on how that player expects the hands to be dealt. Similar to the initial wager and initial winning option, players are awarded when their second winning option correctly predicted how the hands would be dealt.
The present invention also concerns a table layout for playing the above-noted wagering game. The table layout includes a dealer station having at least two spaced apart dealer hand locations to which cards are dealt. In addition, a plurality of player stations are provided, with each player station including an initial wager location and a set of initial winning option locations having indicia thereon corresponding to different ways the hands may be dealt. If the players are given an opportunity to place a second wager, each player station also includes a set of second winning option locations having indicia thereon corresponding to different ways the hands may be dealt.
Yet another form of the present invention concerns a slightly different wagering game, wherein each player makes a wager and then a face-up card is dealt to each of the dealer hands. After the player views the face-up cards, he/she is permitted to increase the wager. The player is also preferably required to select the winning option after having an opportunity to view the face-up cards, although such a sequence is not necessary. The players are not given an opportunity to select a second winning option as previously described, but rather each player's entire wager (i.e., the initial wager and any increase thereto) is based on the single selected winning option. This form of the present invention also concerns a somewhat different table layout for playing the alternative wagering game.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
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Eaton Christopher M.
Eaton Timothy E.
Hohman Jeffery D.
Collins D.
Hovey Williams Timmons & Collins
Pick One, Inc.
Wong Steven
LandOfFree
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