U.S. patent application number 10/378649 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-11 for system for playing duplicate backgammon tournaments, scoring and handicapping tournaments and awarding points on outcome of tournament.
Invention is credited to Samberg, Charles.
Application Number | 20030168805 10/378649 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27805159 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030168805 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Samberg, Charles |
September 11, 2003 |
System for playing duplicate backgammon tournaments, scoring and
handicapping tournaments and awarding points on outcome of
tournament
Abstract
The system provides for conducting a backgammon tournament for
multiple pairs. The scoring of individual matches is tallied and,
based on the score for each individual player during the
tournament, players are ranked and Gammon points are awarded.
Gammon points are accumulated over time and different levels of
expertise are achieved. In addition, winning averages are developed
over time allowing for stratified games in tournaments. An
alternative to stratified games will be games using the players
handicap. With the use of Gammon points won, the winning average,
as well as the handicap system, players of every level and ability
can play and have a reasonable expectation of winning some number
of points.
Inventors: |
Samberg, Charles; (Boynton
Beach, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Christopher J. McDonald, Esq.
HOFFMAN, WASSON & GITLER, PC
Suite 522
2361 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington
VA
22202
US
|
Family ID: |
27805159 |
Appl. No.: |
10/378649 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60362335 |
Mar 8, 2002 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/248 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2011/0065 20130101;
A63F 3/00088 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/248 |
International
Class: |
A63F 003/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A system for conducting a duplicate Backgammon game, comprising:
a plurality of first pairs, each pair comprising a first player and
a second player, each first pair playing at least one game of
Backgammon, with every first pair playing with identical rolls of
dice, rotating players so that each first player is paired with a
different second player, to comprise second pairs, each second pair
playing at least one game of Backgammon, with every second pair
playing identical rolls of dice, continuing to rotate players to
form new pairs and play at least one game of Backgammon, until a
plurality of games have been played, tallying a score for all first
players and tallying a score for all second players, and the game
score based on all hands played.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of game is 30.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first pairs is
ten, each first player playing each second player three hands.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: ranking all first
players according to the tallied score, ranking all second players
according to the tallied score, and awarding Gammon Points to the
top first players and the top second players.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein Gammon Points are awarded to the
top 40% of first players and top 40% of second players.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the top players of the first
players and second players receive one tenth point for each pair in
the game.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein every subsequent player after the
top player receives half the points earned by the next best
player.
8. The system of claim 4, wherein Gammon points are given a
designation varying with the level of difficulty of the
tournament.
9. The system of claim 4, wherein points are accumulated and
players achieve levels based upon the accumulated points.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein tournaments have players of
different levels, and a ranking of players of similar and lower
levels together.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein a player scoring points in
several level rankings receives the highest point total of the
levels.
12. The system of claim 1, further comprising calculating a
handicap for each player, the handicap being the difference between
the player's average score and a percentage of the maximum score
for the game.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the percentage of the maximum
score is 60%.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first player and the second
player with the highest score for a game receive match points being
one point less than the number of first pairs.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein all first players play at least
one game of Backgammon against all second players.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional
application patent application Serial No. 60/362,335, filed on Mar.
8, 2002.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a system for organizing backgammon
games using multiple pairs of players and boards, scoring the
winners of individual matches, calculating a handicap for each
player and awarding points based on the outcome of the game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rules of Backgammon
[0003] Setup
[0004] Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board
consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The
triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of
six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's
home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer
board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a
ridge down the center of the board called the bar.
[0005] The points are numbered for either player starting in that
player's home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point,
which is also the opponent's one point. Each player has fifteen
checkers of his own color. The initial arrangement of checkers is:
two on each player's twenty-four point, five on each player's
thirteen point, three on each player's eight point, and five on
each player's six point.
[0006] Both players have their own pair of dice and a dice cup used
for shaking. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake of
the game.
[0007] The object of the game is for a player to move all of his
checkers into his own home board and then bear them off. The first
player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.
[0008] To start the game, each player throws a single die. This
determines both the player to go first and the numbers to be
played. If equal numbers come up, then both players roll again
until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the higher
number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on
both dice. After the first roll, the players throw two dice and
alternate turns.
[0009] The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the
player is to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved
forward, to a lower-numbered point. The following rules apply:
[0010] A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is
not occupied by two or more opposing checkers.
[0011] The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For
example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five
spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open
point, or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an
open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or
five spaces from the starting point) is also open.
[0012] A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the
dice twice. A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes
to use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels
appropriate to complete this requirement.
[0013] A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally
possible (or all four numbers of a double). When only one number
can be played, the player must play that number. Or if either
number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger
one. When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn. In
the case of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the
player must play as many numbers as he can.
[0014] A point occupied by a single checker of either color is
called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is
hit and placed on the bar.
[0015] Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his
first obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing
home board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point
corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice.
[0016] For example, if a player rolls 4 and 6, he may enter a
checker onto either the opponent's four point or six point, so long
as the prospective point is not occupied by two or more of the
opponent's checkers.
[0017] If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn.
If a player is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he
must enter as many as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his
turn.
[0018] After the last of a player's checkers has been entered, any
unused numbers on the dice must be played, by moving either the
checker that was entered or a different checker.
[0019] Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his
home board, he may commence bearing off. A player bears off a
checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which
the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board.
Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a checker from the
six point.
[0020] If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll,
the player must make a legal move using a checker on a
higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered
points, the player is permitted (and required) to remove a checker
from the highest point on which one of his checkers resides. A
player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an
otherwise legal move.
[0021] A player must have all of his active checkers in his home
board in order to bear off. If a checker is hit during the bear-off
process, the player must bring that checker back to his home board
before continuing to bear off. The first player to bear off all
fifteen checkers wins the game.
[0022] Backgammon is played for an agreed stake per point. Each
game starts at one point. During the course of the game, a player
who feels he has a sufficient advantage may propose doubling the
stakes. He may do this only at the start of his own turn and before
he has rolled the dice.
[0023] A player who is offered a double may refuse, in which case
he concedes the game and pays one point. Otherwise, he must accept
the double and play on for the new higher stakes. A player who
accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may make
the next double.
[0024] Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles. If
a player refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that
were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, he becomes the new
owner of the cube and the game continues at twice the previous
stakes. There is no limit to the number of redoubles in a game.
[0025] At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off
at least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the
doubling cube (one point, if there have been no doubles). However,
if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers, he is gammoned
and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Or, worse, if the
loser has not borne off any of his checkers and still has a checker
on the bar or in the winner's home board, he is backgammoned and
loses three times the value of the doubling cube.
[0026] The following optional rules are in widespread use.
[0027] Automatic doubles. If identical numbers are thrown on the
first roll, the stakes are doubled. The doubling cube is turned to
2 and remains in the middle. Players usually agree to limit the
number of automatic doubles to one per game.
[0028] Beavers. When a player is doubled, he may immediately
redouble (beaver) while retaining possession of the cube. The
original doubler has the option of accepting or refusing as with a
normal double.
[0029] The Jacoby Rule. Gammons and backgammons count only as a
single game if neither player has offered a double during the
course of the game. This rule speeds up play by eliminating
situations where a player avoids doubling so he can play on for a
gammon.
[0030] Irregularities
[0031] The dice must be rolled together and land flat on the
surface of the right-hand section of the board. The player must
reroll both dice if a die lands outside the right-hand board, or
lands on a checker, or does not land flat.
[0032] A turn is completed when the player picks up his dice. If
the play is incomplete or otherwise illegal, the opponent has the
option of accepting the play as made or of requiring the player to
make a legal play. A play is deemed to have been accepted as made
when the opponent rolls his dice or offers a double to start his
own turn.
[0033] If a player rolls before his opponent has completed his turn
by picking up the dice, the player's roll is voided. This rule is
generally waived any time a play is forced or when there is no
further contact between the opposing forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0034] The system provides for conducting a backgammon tournament
for multiple pairs. The scoring of individual matches is tallied
and, based on the score for each individual player during the
tournament, players are ranked and Gammon points are awarded.
Gammon points are accumulated over time and different levels of
expertise are achieved. In addition, winning averages are developed
over time allowing for stratified games in tournaments. An
alternative to stratified games will be games using the players
handicap. With the use of Gammon points won, the winning average,
as well as the handicap system, players of every level and ability
can play and have a reasonable expectation of winning some number
of points.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] The game is played by multiple pairs of players. The ideal
number of players is twenty players or ten tables. Each pair has a
first chair or player and a second chair or player. A game
represents a pair playing Backgammon until a winner is established.
In a ten pair tournament, there will be two (2) game per round and
ten rounds per tournament. This will total twenty games per
tournament. At the end of each round, the player sitting in the
second chair will move up to play the next round with a new
opponent. This way each first player will play every second player
in the tournament. The player at table one, chair two will move up
to table two, table two to table three, table three to table four,
etc. The player at table ten moves to table one. The game is run by
a director or a computer whose function is to roll the dice. The
roll of the dice determines how the player can move the checkers.
For example, if the dice roiled a 6 and a 3, the player can move
one checker 6 points and a second checker 3 points, or the player
can move one checker 9 points. The decision of which checkers to
move is a decision of the player. To decide which player of the
pair goes first, a pair of dice of different color, corresponding
to the colors of the checkers played by the pair, are rolled. The
dice of the color having the higher number indicates that player
has the first move. If the first roll shows matching numbers, the
scoring of the game will be doubled and the dice rolled again.
During movement of the checkers, a checker may not move onto a
point occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers. If a
single checker is moved for both parts of the move, the first part
of the move also cannot be to a point occupied by two or more of
the opponent's checkers.
[0036] By using a single source of rolled dice, each member of the
pair, first player or second player, plays the same dice as every
other member of each pair. Since the decision of which checkers to
move is up to each individual player, the details of the play of
the game will vary from pair to pair.
[0037] Duplicate backgammon uses a different scoring system. When
one player removes all of the checkers from the board, the scoring
is calculated. The winner receives one point for each checker in
the home board of their opponent. They receive two points for each
checker on the other two parts of the board. They receive three
points for any checker in their opponent's home board. If the loser
did not bear off any checkers, the score will be doubled.
[0038] Ideally, ten tables will be used, each table used by a pair.
With the roll of the dice, all first players or all second players
use the same roll of dice. The rolling of dice continues until all
games are completed. Again, due to the fact that each
player-chooses how to move their checkers in response to the roll
of the dice, the outcomes of each game will be different. Each pair
plays three games at which point the pairs are changed so that each
player plays a different opponent. The playing of two games against
each opponent completes a round. Match points are awarded to negate
the effect of a lopsided win or loss.
[0039] Each game is scored by total points and at the end of the
game, the total points are converted to match points. The scores
for all first players and all second players are ranked separately.
To calculate match points, a player receives one point for each
player that he/she beats who is sitting in the same seat
designation as he/she. He/she receives one-half a point for each
player he/she ties. The maximum number of match points he can
receive per game is nine, the maximum number of points per
tournament is 180, 9 by 2 by 10 tournament. Forty percent of the
first seat players and forty percent of the second seat players
will win some number Gammon points.
[0040] Gammon points are awarded to the winners of the tournament.
The number of Gammon points won depends on the number of tables in
play. One tenth of a point for each table is awarded for first
place, second place receives half the number of points as first
place and third place receives one quarter the number of points of
first place and fourth place receives 0.13 of the points awarded to
first place. In the event two players are tied, the point totals
for their positions are added and split evenly. If there is a tie
for fourth place, for the last place for which points are awarded,
the points are divided evenly between the two.
[0041] Gammon points won in tournaments are accumulated over time.
Levels of accomplishments are based on the number of points won
over time. Points won at high level, special tournaments are
granted special favors. These points are designated with a color to
result in a "pigmented point system". Points won at local clubs and
on the Internet are designated black, those won at sectional events
will be black and silver, regional tournaments are black and gold,
and those at national events are designated black, gold and
platinum.
[0042] Levels are achieved based on accumulated Gammon points. A
novice player will have up to 20 points of any color. A junior
master will have 20-50 points of any color, and a club master will
have 50-100 points of any color. A sectional master will need up to
200 points of which 25 will be silver, whereas a regional master
will require up to 250 points of which 25 will be silver and 25
gold. A national master will have 300 points of which 25 will be
silver, 25 will be gold and 25 will be platinum. A grand master,
the highest achievable level, will require 500 points with 25
silver, 25 gold, 25 platinum and 5 diamond points. The designation
of different levels of achievement allows stratified
tournaments.
[0043] With stratified tournaments, a large number of players are
involved and players at a lower level can compete against players
at a higher level yet be scored against only players at the same
level. A first scoring will take into account all players who
participate in the game, the second scoring will exclude players at
the highest level, and a third scoring will exclude the first and
second highest level. The Gammon points awarded for each level will
be based on the number of players included at each level. Under
such a system, a player at a lower level can earn points for
accumulating more match points than players at a higher level, and
if they do not score higher, have a chance to score by being
compared with players at their own level.
[0044] In an example of how a stratified tournament would operate,
a hypothetical tournament has 15 total pairs with the 15 first
players ranked against each other and the 15 second players ranked
against each other. In this case, if there are five players in the
highest level, five players in the second level and five players in
the third level, the 15 players for both first and second players
are ranked sequentially from top to bottom. All 15 players are
ranked and 40%, 6 players, receive Gammon points. These top six
players receive points regardless of which level they are in. The
five highest level players are then excluded and the remaining 10
first and second players are ranked separately, and four players of
these 10 receive points. Lastly, the five players in the lowest
level are ranked against each other and the top two, 40%, receive
Gammon points. This allows players to earn points in a higher level
but not at a low level. The number of points awarded is always
dependent on the number of players ranked. In this instance, the
top player of the 15 players ranked receive 11/2 points, the
highest player of the 10 players ranked in the second scoring
receive 1 point and the highest player of the five players being
ranked receive 1/2 a point. If a player were to receive points in
more than one grouping, they are awarded the highest number of
points.
[0045] Besides a stratified tournament, a handicap can be used to
level the playing field between players of different abilities.
Under a handicap system, a player has points added to their score
based on that player's average score and a percentage of the
maximum number of points possible in a game. In an instance with 10
pairs playing, the maximum score a player could have is 270, based
on nine points per game and 30 games. The average would then be 135
points, half of the maximum. A handicap can be calculated as the
difference between a player's average score and a percentage of the
maximum score. In a preferred embodiment, the handicap is
calculated as the difference between the average score and 60% of
the maximum score since the top 40% of the players earn Gammon
points. An average player would have an average of 135 and a
handicap of 27 based on the difference between the average and 60%
of 270. If a tournament is played with other than 30 games, the
handicap could be proportionately changed.
[0046] Variations and modifications of the invention would be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The number of points
awarded for match play between pairs and Gammon Points awarded to
the winners of a tournament could be altered without deviating from
the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention covers such
modifications and variations.
* * * * *