U.S. patent application number 10/157372 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-04 for split pairs blackjack side bet.
Invention is credited to Collins, Bryon E., Dunow, Mark T..
Application Number | 20030222400 10/157372 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29582451 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030222400 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Collins, Bryon E. ; et
al. |
December 4, 2003 |
Split pairs blackjack side bet
Abstract
The method of the present invention involves a conventional live
casino table game, or video machine type twenty-one game (also
known as Blackjack), in which, in addition to a player's normal
wager, a player has the option to make an additional side-bet wager
that makes the player eligible to win at a pre-selected ratio for
having been dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards: the optimal
choice being four pairs of aces and eights. As well, there is the
addition of the side bet winning at a pre-determined ratio when the
dealer has a blackjack and the player has been dealt any
pre-determined combination or pair. This new side bet to the game
of Blackjack may be played with any two cards selected by the
casino at the ratio predetermined by the State Gaming Commission.
(i.e. threes and nines, which are commonly, called a Baseball
pair). This game involves the splitting of a pair of initially
dealt cards up to three times so as to match them with a second
predetermined card. The predetermined winning ratio ranges from 10
to 1 for a single unsuited combination (ace-eight) to the optimal
10,000 to 1 for four pair of matching combinations.
Inventors: |
Collins, Bryon E.; (Spokane,
WA) ; Dunow, Mark T.; (Spokane, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bryon E. Collins
4424 North Vercler Road
Spokane
WA
99216
US
|
Family ID: |
29582451 |
Appl. No.: |
10/157372 |
Filed: |
May 29, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/274 ;
273/303 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00157
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/274 ;
273/303 |
International
Class: |
A63F 003/08 |
Claims
1. A method of including a split pairs side bet component to a
casino twenty-one game comprising the steps of a. The casino
choosing two cards that will be the object of the game, which are
approved by the governing State Gaming Commission at a set ratio.
b. A player making a first wager to participate in the traditional
twenty-one game; c. The same player as in (b) above making a second
wager to participate in the Split Pairs Blackjack Side Bet to catch
a pair of pre-selected cards, or splitting pairs of pre-selected
cards and matching them to secondary pre-selected cards such as
aces and eights. d. Dealing a hand of two playing cards each to the
player and the dealer one at a time alternately. e. The
pre-selected arrangement of player's cards comprises at least one
combination (ace-eight) or a pair (two aces or two eights) for the
player, or the casino collects the non-winning side bet. f. If the
player's hand comprises a pre-selected paired arrangement
(ace-eight) and the dealer has blackjack, the player wins at a
predetermined ratio. g. If the player's hand is a pair of
pre-selected cards (aces or eights), the player may split the cards
up to three times in an attempt to gain the maximum winning hands.
h. Additional cards are dealt, and if a pair or more of
pre-selected cards is achieved, the player wins at the
predetermined ratio up to the maximum for four hands (i.e. four
ace-eight combinations).
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected two cards are
chosen by the casino with the predetermined ratio of winning
amounts approved by the State Gaming Commission, the same ratio
applies if either pre-selected card is drawn first except when the
ratio of cards per deck is altered in any way by number of suits or
types used in the game.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the player does not achieve the
pre-selected cards, the amount of the Split Pairs Blackjack Side
Bet is collected by the casino dealer and goes to the casino.
4. A method of claim 1 through claim 3 which includes a side bet
component to a live or on-line video twenty-one game comprising the
same steps and claims as that of the casino table version except
wherein the collection of bets is electronic, and payment of
winnings is done by coins, tokens, receipt method, or
electronically to a player's given account at the termination of
all play.
5. A method of claim 1 and claim 4 wherein the ratio to wager of
winnings for the player achieving the desired predetermined cards
is set by law under the direction of the State or Tribal Gaming
Commission and may be higher or lower in different states with the
average hold for the house being approximately 18%.
6. A method of claim 1 and claim 4 wherein the pre-selection of two
cards by the casino is approved by the State Gaming Commission and
should be part of optimal player strategy and not interfere with
the normal play of the game for other players choosing not to make
the Split Pairs Blackjack Side Bet.
7. A method of claim 1 and claim 4 wherein the pre-selected cards
and ratio of winning may be applied in combination with other
casino games which include but are not limited to Fortune-Pia-Gow,
Three-card poker, Spanish Twenty-one, Match the Dealer, Royal
Match, Sweet Sixteen, and Lucky Ladies, which would include the
Split Pairs Blackjack Side Bet, allowing the player to make an
additional single or double side bet on each hand dealt.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of casino gaming
and specifically to the game of Blackjack.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Several blackjack jackpot and side wagers have appeared in
recent years:
[0003] 1. Top of the Deck is a side bet on whether or not the
player and/or dealer will receive a "natural" (a two-card 21).
[0004] 2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 includes a side bet for a
progressive jackpot.
[0005] 3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,077 discloses an alternative payout
structure for a progressive jackpot component of a twenty-one game,
with the objective of providing predetermined winning arrangements
of cards that do not interfere with the play of the underlying
twenty-one game.
[0006] 4. Over/Under 13 is a side bet on whether the player's first
two cards will total over or fewer than 13. The side wager is made
at the start of a new hand.
[0007] 5. Royal Match, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107 is a side bet on
whether the player's first two cards will be of the same suit. The
wager is made at the start of the new hand.
[0008] 6. Super 7s involves a side bet on whether or not the player
will receive one or more sevens in the hand dealt to them.
[0009] 7. Bust-Out includes a side wager made while the blackjack
hand is in progress. When the dealer's hand is "stiff," i.e. a hard
hand with value between 12 and 16, the players are allowed to wager
on whether the next card will have the value of 10.
[0010] 8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,485 includes a side bet for blackjack
wherein a player is allowed to wager on whether the player will
receive a "stiff" hand. A variation allows the player to bet on
whether he/she will be dealt a non-pair "stiff" hand or a pair of
aces. In a still further embodiment, a player in a blackjack game
is provided with the option of wagering on whether the first two
cards will result in a "stiff" hand or a "soft" hand, i.e. that the
player's first two cards include an ace and either: 1) any non-ten
denomination, i.e., an ace through nine, or 2) any non-ten and
non-ace denomination, i.e. two through nine.
[0011] 9. U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,705 involves a side bet wherein the
player elects to bet on the player obtaining a winning hand by
placing a wage on a second betting area, or whether to bet on the
dealer obtaining a winning hand by placing a wager on a first
betting area.
[0012] 10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,579 involves a side bet to
conventional blackjack wherein the player is wagering on whether
the dealer will either bust on his hand or achieve a hand count of
exactly 21.
[0013] 11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,934, involves a side bet to
blackjack wherein a player can play not only his own hand against
the dealer but by an extra play also those hands of the other
players at the table.
[0014] 12. Destiny 21, U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917, allows players to
wager on the number of hits they and/or the dealer will ultimately
take.
[0015] The entire disclosures of the aforementioned patents are
incorporated by reference herein as jackpot or side-bet bets.
[0016] It is a feature of the present invention to maintain basic
strategy for all players at the table, whether they choose to
participate in the optional side bet or not. According to basic
strategy, a player should always split certain pairs of cards: the
optimal pair being that of aces and eights. Herein this invention
the player, as part of basic strategy, seeks to achieve a
predetermined arrangement(s) of cards (pairs or ace-eight
combination) that constitute winning hands at a pre-selected ratio
from the casino dealer. Many of the above-disclosed patents
incorporate a "jackpot" component, which "progressively" increases
and is split between tying winning hands held by the players.
[0017] It is a feature of this game that if two players are dealt
the same winning hands, each player is paid at the pre-determined
ratio from the casino dealer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below
with reference to the following accompanying drawings.
[0019] FIG. 1 Overview of the table layout with the side bet circle
positioned at the place generally recognized as acceptable for side
bets.
[0020] FIG. 2 Close-up view of a single player's initial $5
Blackjack bet and optional $1 Split-pair side bet as positioned on
the required areas.
[0021] FIG. 3 Close-up view of a single player's initial hand
consisting of a pair of aces.
[0022] FIG. 4 Close-up view of a single player's initial pair of
aces being split and the additional twenty-one bet placed with the
second ace.
[0023] FIG. 5 Close-up view of player splitting the predetermined
pair of cards dealt him and the additional cards being dealt of
which two are eights.
[0024] FIG. 6 is single view of player achieving predetermined
cards to win maximum possible ratio.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The method of playing a twenty-one game is described in
detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041.
[0026] A conventional live casino twenty-one game is conducted on a
gaming table (FIG. 1) with any number of decks of cards selected.
In a normal twenty-one game, the dealer deals two initial cards to
the players and the dealer according to the normal method of play.
One or more standard decks of playing cards may be used. The Split
Pair Blackjack Side Bet invention includes a standard side bet
circle (FIG. 1).
[0027] Prior to starting play of the Split Pair Blackjack Side Bet
game, the casino chooses two different cards to be the object of
the game and of which, the State Gaming Commission predetermines
the ratio of winnings authorized for each combination of pairs,
usually associated with the rules of normal play. Here, we will use
the ace-eight combination to illustrate.
[0028] The predetermined winning ratio set for the ace-eight
combination by the Nevada Gaming Commission by law is as follows
(table 1): (other State Gaming Commission ratio's will be similar
for any pair selected that is part of optimal player strategy).
[0029] As used in this specification of Table 1, for play with a
single deck, "suited" means that each of the designated cards must
be of the same card suit--Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.
"Unsuited" means that at least two of the cards of the hand are of
different suits.
1TABLE ONE Winning Outcomes per # of decks ONE TWO FOUR SIX EIGHT
A,8 Unsuited 10 0 0 0 0 A,8 Unsuited with DBJ 100 0 0 0 0 A,8
Suited 30 0 0 0 0 A,8 Suited with DBJ 300 0 0 0 0 A,8 0 10 10 10 10
A,8, with DBJ 0 100 100 100 100 2-A or 2-8, 25 20 20 20 20 2-A or
2-8, with DBJ 250 200 200 200 200 2-A or 2-8, Split, Catch 1 75 60
60 60 50 2-A or 2-8, Split, Catch 2 500 500 500 400 350 3-A or 3-8
100 80 50 50 45 3-A or 3-8, Split, Catch 1 200 160 100 90 90 3-A or
3-8, Split, Catch 2 2,000 1,600 1,000 900 900 3-A or 3-8, Split,
Catch 3 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,500 4-A or 4-8 1,000 750 500 500
500 4-A or 4-8, Split, Catch 1 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,500 1,500 4-A or
4-8, Split, Catch 2 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4-A or 4-8,
Split, Catch 3 7,500 7,500 7,500 7,500 7,500 4-A or 4-8, Split,
Catch 4 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 DBJ = Dealer has
Blackjack 21
[0030] At the beginning of each hand, each player, in addition to
making his standard twenty-one wager, (FIG. 2a) may also make an
optional split pair side-bet wager (FIG. 2b). To be eligible to win
the side bet wager, the player must achieve at least one
predetermined pair or combination of ace-eight cards. (table
1).
[0031] It is a preferred embodiment of this invention, that unlike
a "jackpot" or "progressive" bet, the Split Pairs Blackjack Side
Bet is paid to the winning player by the casino when the side bet
is won according to the pre-selected pairing criteria. No part of
the split pairs side bet wager is retained so as to accumulate
specifically for future winnings.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, optimal player
strategy is maintained for all players at the table, removing
conflict often seen in other side-bet games where players to have
to choose between a winning hand and attempting to achieve a higher
winning ratio hand for the side bet. This is done when the
pre-selected two cards designated by the casino optimally allow for
both traditional twenty-one game play without a side-bet and those
players wishing to make the Split Pair Blackjack Side Bet second
wager. As in the case of the example ace-eight combination, a pair
of eights or aces are split in the course of normal play and have
no impact whatsoever on the underlying twenty-one game of other
players at the table. The ace-eight combination is the optimal pair
to be chosen by the casino as they are most often split in the
course of optimal player strategy (FIG. 3 & 4).
[0033] Table 2 below lists the statistical odds for achieving the
individual winning hands. The listed odds are for the ace-eight
combination, which is statistically the same for all other cards in
a standard deck of cards.
[0034] In each instance, the predetermined winning arrangement of
cards must consist of the first two cards received which may be an
ace-eight combination by the player, or a pair of aces or eights as
split and matched with subsequent pairs of winning cards. The order
of the winning card(s) being caught by the player is not specific
as to the suit of the aces or eights except in a single deck game.
In a six-deck game, a person receiving two aces as the first two
cards, splitting them, and then catching two eights wins at the
ratio that is predetermined for splitting two aces and catching two
eights. (FIG. 3, 4 & 5, table 1)
2TABLE 2 Outcome % per # Decks ONE TWO FOUR SIX EIGHT A,8 Unsuited
9.0498E-03 A,8 Unsuited with DBJ 7.3469E-03 A,8 Suited 3.0166E-03
A,8 Suited with DBJ 2.4490E-03 A,8 1.2066E-02 1.1949E-02 1.1891E-02
1.1872E-02 1.1863E-03 A,8, with DBJ 4.7280E-04 5.1963E-04
5.4065E-04 5.4733E-04 5.5060E-04 2-A or 2-8, 4.5249E-03 5.2278E-03
5.5741E-03 5.688E-03 5.7461E-03 2-A or 2-8, with DBJ 3.5460E-04
4.5468E-04 5.068E-04 5.2452E-04 5.3340E-04 2-A or 2-8, Split, Catch
1 1.3002E-03 1.4290E-03 1.4868E-03 1.5051E-03 1.5142E-03 2-A or
2-8, Split, Catch 2 4.4325E-05 5.6835E-05 6.3357E-05 6.5565E-05
6.6675E-05 3-A or 3-8 3-A or 3-8, Split, Catch 1 1.4869E-04
2.2604E-04 2.6388E-04 2.7631E-04 2.8248E-04 3-A or 3-8, Split,
Catch 2 1.0374E-05 1.8187E-05 2.2618E-05 2.4164E-05 2.4948E-05 3-A
or 3-8, Split, Catch 3 1.5718E-07 4.1334E-07 5.9973E-07 6.7121E-07
7.0875E-07 4-A or 4-8 4-A or 4-8, Split, Catch 1 1.0057E-05
3.4083E-05 4.9004E-05 5.4296E-05 5.6993E-05 4-A or 4-8, Split,
Catch 2 1.0775E-06 4.1613E-06 6.3368E-05 7.1497E-06 7.5719E-06 4-A
or 4-8, Split, Catch 3 8.3527E-09 4.7831E-08 8.4490E-08 9.9678E-08
1.0786E-07 4-A or 4-8, Split, Catch 4 1.8983E-10 2.7176E-09
6.2408E-09 7.9290E-09 8.8864E-09
[0035] It is a preferred embodiment of the invention that there are
no conflicts involving two or more players achieving the same
winning hands, as both are paid by the house at the predetermined
ratio and are undivided between players as in done in a "jackpot"
or "progressive" side bet.
[0036] It is a preferred embodiment of this invention that a player
being dealt an initial hand consisting of an ace-eight combination
wins on the Split Pairs Blackjack Side Bet even when the dealer has
a blackjack although the player loses the initial twenty-one bet
unless insurance has been taken. This provides the player with a
psychological incentive and rewards the player even when the house
wins all the initial twenty-one bets.
[0037] It is a preferred embodiment of this invention that the
significant number of winning combinations rewards the player at a
more frequent interval (approximately 5 winning combinations an
hour per table) than other side-bet games with one of the highest
winning ratios on a table game (FIG. 6).
[0038] This form of Split Pairs Blackjack Side Bet is a preferred
embodiment over that of the Royal Match side bet where the player
seeks a suited jack-queen or queen-king combination on the first
two cards dealt, or progressive jackpot where the player seeks only
four suited or unsuited aces.
[0039] It is an embodiment of this invention that the order in
which cards are caught after splitting pairs up to three times does
not matter based on suit. Also, if a non-preselected card
interrupts the order in which the cards are caught, the player wins
at the maximum ratio calculated for the total winning combinations
achieved in the hand. For example in Table 1, the player may split
aces twice and catch only one eight on any of the three aces and be
paid for three aces catching one eight.
* * * * *