Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-30
2003-08-19
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Betting or wagering board
C273S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06607195
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to casino games with the objective to inspire more players to make a side wager or continue to play a casino game. The inspiration comes from the possible occurrence of a random event during the play of the game so the event pays off not only the individual player and possibly the other bystander players.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
There is a continuing need to add excitement to casino offerings. One manner in which this has been done is through the use of optional side wagers to an underlying game. In particular, side wagers to Blackjack have become plentiful in recent years.
A desired quality of any Blackjack side bet is that it be optional. In this way, players who do not want to make the side bet are not required to do so. Players not making the side wager instead play a normal Blackjack game. From a casino point of view, making the side bet optional is also desirable, for there is then very little risk in introducing it. If the side bet is unsuccessful (no one wants to wager on it), the Blackjack table reverts back to its classic play by default.
Optional Blackjack side wagers include Over/Under 13, Super 7s, Top of the Deck, Royal Match (Boylan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107) and Bust-Out wagers. Too, a separate jackpot wager achieved through a predetermined arrangement of cards has been proposed (Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041).
The Top of the Deck wager includes a side bet on if the player and/or dealer will receive a natural (a two-card total of 21). It has no “play” value, per se, in that the outcome of the wager is decided merely on the basis of the first two cards dealt to the player and/or dealer. Top of the Deck suffers with restrictive rules as to when players can make the bet (only immediately after a shuffle). Thus, players can make the wager typically only once every few hands.
The Over/Under 13 wager is a side bet on whether the player's first two cards will total over or total below 13. It is made at the start of a new hand. There is no decision for the player once the bet has been made.
The Royal Match wager is a side bet on whether the player's first two cards will be of the same suit. It is made at the start of a new hand but is also another completely passive bet.
The Super 7s wager has a bet on if the player will receive one or more Sevens in his/her hand. It too is made at the start of a new hand and it is almost completely passive as the player has a decision to make roughly once in every 170 hands. But in all other cases (the vast majority), there is nothing to do. Indeed, any jackpots paid on a predetermined arrangement of rare cards (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 mentioned above) succumb to this problem.
Vancura (U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917) describes a side wager that allows players to wager on the number of hits that they and/or the dealer will ultimately take. The resolution of the main Blackjack wager can proceed as usual. Unlike the aforementioned Blackjack side wagers, players are actively in control of their fortunes and can play hands as they wish.
Boylan et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,041) describe a side wager to Pai Gow poker in which an “envy bet” is taught. The “envy bet” is a side wager of a minimum amount and allows the player to also be paid, should another player receive a hand of predetermined rank.
The game of Spanish 21 (Lofink, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,888 and 5,806,846) modifies Blackjack and includes a bonus on the main wager. There is an opportunity of several players winning if someone gets special predetermined cards. In Spanish 21, the player receiving the predetermined cards wins in addition to all other players.
Rainbow Blackjack, (Grassa, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,934 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,296) wherein the rules of play are the same but each player is assigned a color and players are allowed to wager on each other's colors, is another try that is reminiscent of back-lining, where others can wager with a particular player.
While the above casino games are each unique, none of them have the desirable feature of allowing a bystander player (one who wagers on the base game but not necessarily on any side bet) to receive an award based on the outcome of a side wager. Furthermore, none of these games afford one player an award based upon another player losing a wager.
There is therefore the need for side wagers that are exciting, easy-to-play, encourages play, and allows players to formulate their own strategy. There is the need to add excitement to wagering players not currently “in the game” to minimize boredom. There is the need for a casino game that allows a bystander player to receive an award based on the outcome of another player's side wager. There is the need for a casino game in which one player may win based upon another player losing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Described herein is a casino game that allows a bystander player to receive an award based on the outcome of another player's side wager. In a preferred embodiment, one player may win based upon another player losing.
A preferred method uses a side wager associated with the conventional game of casino Blackjack. The preferred game is played on the standard Blackjack table with an extra area for making each player to side wager adjacent to the area delineated for making the main wager. There is a video screen for play of the bonus game, in a preferred embodiment including the MONOPOLY® game. In principle, wagers may be made with money, gaming chips, credits, or their video or mechanical equivalent and preferably the bonus game is played in a bonus round by a player that has achieved entry thereto during play of a base game of cards. More particularly, the entry into the bonus game requires that the players make a side bet on the occurrence of a predetermined outcome of the base game and the outcome indeed happen.
The game has a method of paying off according to Blackjack rules modified to include a bonus round with incentives for all Blackjack players. The rest of the rules for the base game of Blackjack are normal remaining exactly as before. Indeed, the resolution of the main wager may proceed in exactly the same fashion as in ordinary play. In this way, the invention conforms to the subtle yet common variations in rules and/or conditions that exist between casinos. In the preferred embodiment, the introduction of side betting of bystanders does not cause the overall “optimal” Blackjack strategy to change whatsoever.
Unlike the existing Blackjack side bets where the player has little, if anything, to do, this invention affords the player considerable interest in the outcome of the bonus game. Playing Blackjack with the classical “basic strategy” (a set of rules meant to optimize the player's expectation taking into account only information from the present player and dealer hands) does not guarantee winning on the side bet. The outcome of the side bet is exciting but subject to chance due to random selection.
In another embodiment, players may make the side wager on the dealer's hand, in addition to their own.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4861041 (1989-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5098107 (1992-03-01), Boylan et al.
patent: 5390934 (1995-02-01), Grassa
patent: 5494296 (1996-02-01), Grassa
patent: 5615888 (1997-04-01), Lofink et al.
patent: 5653444 (1997-08-01), Dahl
patent: 5673917 (1997-10-01), Vancura
patent: 5707285 (1998-01-01), Place et al.
patent: 5806846 (1998-09-01), Lofink et al.
patent: 5842698 (1998-12-01), Brown
patent: 5863041 (1999-01-01), Boylan et al.
patent: 5868392 (1999-02-01), Kraft
patent: 5911418 (1999-06-01), Adams
Dorr, Carson , Sloan & Birney, P.C.
Mikohn Gaming Corporation
Pierce William M.
LandOfFree
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