U.S. patent application number 11/166462 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-16 for multiplayer card tournaments and methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zone4Play, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gil Levi.
Application Number | 20060055113 11/166462 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36033075 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060055113 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Levi; Gil |
March 16, 2006 |
Multiplayer card tournaments and methods
Abstract
The invention provides a multiplayer card tournament for playing
on a communications network and methods for conducting and
determining a winner of the tournament.
Inventors: |
Levi; Gil; (Kfar Saba,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SULLIVAN & WORCESTER LLP
ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
BOSTON
MA
02109
US
|
Assignee: |
Zone4Play, Inc.
Wilmington
DE
|
Family ID: |
36033075 |
Appl. No.: |
11/166462 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60609613 |
Sep 14, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3293 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/3276 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/292 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1. A multiplayer card tournament that is played over a
communications network, the tournament comprising a sequence of
card games that are played concomitantly by at least two players
against a house until a winner is determined, wherein prior to the
tournament the players are provided with a number of points that
are used to make wagers, and wherein the winner is the player that
obtains the highest number of points compared to the house and the
other players.
2. The multiplayer tournament according to claim 1, wherein the
tournament is a blackjack tournament.
3. The multiplayer tournament according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the games comprise (a) each player placing a wager; (b) a dealer
dealing cards to each player; (c) each player assessing their
cards; and (d) determining a winner.
4. The multiplayer tournament according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a
predetermined number of games is played.
5. The multiplayer tournament according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the tournament comprises inference relations.
6. The multiplayer tournament according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a
score and/or a wager of at least one player is presented on a
screen that the at least one player can observe.
7. A method for conducting and defining a winner in a multiplayer
card tournament that is played over a communications network, the
method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sequence of card
games on a communications network, wherein the card games are
played concomitantly by at least two players against a house until
a winner is determined, wherein prior to the tournament the players
are provided with a number of points that are used to make wagers;
and (b) identifying a player that obtains the highest number of
points compared to the house and the other players.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the tournament is a
blackjack tournament.
9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the method
comprises the steps of (a) each player placing a wager; (b) a
dealer dealing cards to each player; (c) each player assessing
their cards; and (d) determining a winner.
10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a predetermined
number of games is played.
11. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the tournament
comprises inference relations.
12. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a score and/or a
wager of at least one player is presented on a screen that the at
least one player can observe.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/609,613, filed on Sep. 14, 2004, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of multiplayer
card tournaments, such as blackjack tournaments, that can be played
either in the presence of a community of players or over a
communications network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Blackjack is a popular game played typically in casinos. The
game is played by a player who tries to win the game playing
against the house. In an ordinary casino set up, several players
play concomitantly with the house but are not interacting amongst
themselves. This is explained schematically in FIG. 1 in which the
set-up of the game is described. House 10 interacts directly with
players 12, 14, 16 and 18. Each one of the players is a solitary
player having no interaction with the other players.
[0004] In a blackjack game, cards are dealt by the dealer (house)
to each player and to the dealer in respect of each player
separately. A player thus has a set of cards (a "hand") which
opposes a corresponding "hand" of the dealer. The rules of the game
are such that the opposing hands of cards, each typified by a
numerical sum and nature of cards, are compared at specific events,
determining which opposing side wins. To reach such an event, the
player and dealer are dealt cards, until the conditions defining an
event are reached. The player places the bet before the dealing
starts, but the bet may change if and when certain card
combinations occur.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic description of the relationships
between the players and the house in a blackjack game of the prior
art;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic description of the relationships
between the players and the house in a game of the invention;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a description of the sequence of steps carried out
in the playing of a round by a player in a blackjack game of the
invention; and
[0008] FIG. 4 is a description of the sequence of steps carried out
in the tournament game of the invention after the rounds are
finalized, for determining the winner of the game.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A blackjack game played in accordance with the present
invention involves different playing interactions with respect to
the prior art blackjack game. To further explain the game of the
invention, reference is first made to FIG. 2, which portrays
schematically the set-up of a game of the invention. House 10
interacts in a game session with the players, exemplified by
players 12, 14, 16 and 18. A player such as player 14 also relates
to the co-players in the game session in a relationship which is
different than the interaction this player has with the house 10.
The relationships of the player 14 with the co-players in the
session are hereinafter referred to as inference relations. The
inference relations of the invention are defined as the drawing of
information from the playing conduct of co-players without
interacting with them directly otherwise.
Exemplary Playing Rules of the Game of the Invention
[0010] A tournament is played by a player against the dealer
(house) and other players. A tournament consists of a sequence of
rounds. The number of rounds is predetermined and all of the
players in the tournament are synchronized, so that all the players
play the same round with the house concomitantly with the
co-players. Before the tournament begins, each of the players is
allotted a number of credit points which is equally received by all
the co-players. If during the tournament the number of credit
points drops to zero, the player loses the game. The playing of a
round is described with reference to FIG. 3. As a round starts, the
player of the example places a bet in step 20, after which the
dealer starts dealing the cards at step 22. The game is
subsequently played according to the customary rules in step 24. In
the next step there is a decision to be made at step 26 as to who
wins the game. If the player wins the round, the score of the
player is increased by the wager at step 28. If the player loses
the round, the score is nullified and the player is left with a
zero score for that round at step 30. The tournament then continues
by starting the next round at step 32 similar to step 20. As the
predetermined number of rounds is reached, the tournament comes to
an end and, as described in reference with FIG. 4, further
calculations are made. At step 40 the personal betting score of
each player is computed. At step 42 the personal scores are
compared, and the highest score is determined at step 44. If a
player's score is highest he/she is declared a winner of the
tournament at step 46. The player is declared a loser at step 48,
if his/her score is not highest.
[0011] In an ongoing tournament, a player of the game of the
invention has a chance to learn from the playing behavior of the
co-players. The individual player, although playing a direct game
only with the house, infers from the activities of the co-players
as to their respective playing characteristics. Such a game is
inducive to more involvement of planning and memory based activity
on behalf of the players. With respect to the traditional blackjack
game the winning is less a matter of chance and more a matter of
learning and planning, making the game overall a more joyful and
rewarding pastime event.
[0012] In order for the player to be able to be acquainted with the
games of his/her co-players, in some embodiments of the invention,
the game parameters (e.g., score or bet) of each individual
co-player are presented on a screen that a player can observe.
* * * * *