U.S. patent application number 11/085527 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-28 for method of playing a blackjack card game.
This patent application is currently assigned to Picken Inc.. Invention is credited to John Douglas Picken.
Application Number | 20060214372 11/085527 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37034417 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060214372 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Picken; John Douglas |
September 28, 2006 |
Method of playing a blackjack card game
Abstract
A variation on blackjack suitable for tournament play involves
at least three players buying a stack of three or more chips for a
predetermined buy-in. All of the buy-ins are placed in a pool and
the pool is paid out, less a house rake, to the eventual winner of
the game. Hands of blackjack are played against a dealer until only
one player has remaining chips or until a predetermined time limit
expires. The player with the most chips left at the end of the game
is the winner of the pool.
Inventors: |
Picken; John Douglas;
(London, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANISSIMOFF & ASSOCIATES;RICHMOND NORTH OFFICE CENTRE
SUITE 201
235 NORTH CENTRE RD.
LONDON
ON
N5X 4E7
CA
|
Assignee: |
Picken Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37034417 |
Appl. No.: |
11/085527 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292 ;
273/303 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2001/003 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; A63F 3/00157 20130101; G07F 17/3293
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/292 ;
273/303 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a blackjack game comprising the steps of:
three or more players buying a stack of three or more chips from a
house for a predetermined buy-in, each player buying the same
number of chips for the same buy-in, all of the buy-ins forming a
pool; playing a first hand in which (i) each player wagers a number
of the player's chips, the number of chips being one or more, (ii)
a dealer for the house deals two cards to each player and two cards
to the dealer, one of the two cards face down and one of the two
cards face up for each of the players and the dealer, (iii) each
player in turn elects to stand or to draw additional cards from the
dealer without wagering additional chips, (iv) a player card sum is
determined for each player, each player whose player card sum is in
excess of twenty-one busting, (iv) after each player has elected to
stand or has busted, the dealer turns up the dealer's face down
card, the dealer drawing an additional card when the dealer's cards
have a dealer card sum of sixteen or less and standing when the
dealer card sum is seventeen or greater, the dealer busting if the
dealer card sum exceeds twenty-one, (v) the player card sums are
compared to the dealer card sum to determine winning players and
losing players of the hand, the card sums being determined with
cards from 2 to 10 counted at face value, with jacks, queens and
kings counted as 10 and with aces counted as 1 or 11, the winning
players consisting of the players who did not bust with the dealer
busting, or, the players whose player card sum does not exceed
twenty-one but does exceed the dealer card sum with the dealer not
busting, the losing players consisting of the players that busted,
and, the players whose player card sums are less than the dealer
card sum with the dealer not busting, and (vi) the house provides
each winning player a number of chips equal to the number of chips
wagered by that winning player, and the house takes from each
losing player the number of chips wagered by that losing player;
playing one or more other hands until a winner of the game is
determined or a predetermined time limit has been reached; and,
paying the pool minus a predetermined rake to the winner of the
game.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three or more players is
three to seven players.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of chips that each
player may wager in the first hand is one, and wherein the number
of chips that each player may wager in the other hands is only
limited by the number of chips that the player possesses.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stack of three or more chips
is a stack of three chips.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rake is equal to one
buy-in.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein if the player card sum of one or
more players is equal to the dealer card sum, and the one or more
players and the dealer do not bust, the one or more players neither
wins nor loses the wagered chips, the wagered chips being pushed to
a next hand.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time limit is ten
minutes.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each player has a wagering time
window in which to make the wager on each player's respective turn,
the player losing one chip for failing to make the wager within the
wagering time window.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein each player has a drawing time
window in which to stand or draw an additional card on each
player's respective turn, the player losing one chip for failing to
stand or draw an additional card within the drawing time
window.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein players who lose all of their
chips are eliminated from the game.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the players may not be offered
insurance, the players may not split or double-down, and any one
player may not occupy more than two spots in the game.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the player having a remaining
chip after all of the other players have been eliminated, is the
winner of the game.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the player having the largest
number of chips when the time limit expires is the winner of the
game.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein more than one player have the
largest number of chips and the pool minus the predetermined rake
is divided equally among all of the players who have the largest
number of chips.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein before expiration of the time
limit two remaining players divide the pool equally between them
provided there are no other remaining players and provided that the
two remaining players both agree to divide the pool.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is played in a virtual
setting.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is played in a physical
setting.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is played with four
decks of cards and a marker.
19. A method of playing a blackjack game comprising the steps of:
three to seven players buying a stack of three chips from a house
for a predetermined buy-in, each player buying the same number of
chips for the same buy-in, all of the buy-ins forming a pool;
playing a first hand in which (i) each player wagers one of the
player's chips, (ii) a dealer for the house deals two cards to each
player and two cards to the dealer, one of the two cards face down
and one of the two cards face up for each of the players and the
dealer, (iii) each player in turn elects to stand or to draw
additional cards from the dealer without wagering additional chips,
(iv) a player card sum is determined for each player, each player
whose player card sum is in excess of twenty-one busting, (iv)
after each player has elected to stand or has busted, the dealer
turns up the dealer's face down card, the dealer drawing an
additional card when the dealer's cards have a dealer card sum of
sixteen or less and standing when the dealer card sum is seventeen
or greater, the dealer busting if the dealer card sum exceeds
twenty-one, (v) the player card sums are compared to the dealer
card sum to determine winning players and losing players of the
hand, the card sums being determined with cards from 2 to 10
counted at face value, with jacks, queens and kings counted as 10
and with aces counted as 1 or 11, the winning players consisting of
the players who did not bust with the dealer busting, or, the
players whose player card sum does not exceed twenty-one but does
exceed the dealer card sum with the dealer not busting, the losing
players consisting of the players that busted, and, the players
whose player card sums are less than the dealer card sum with the
dealer not busting, and (vi) the house provides each winning player
a number of chips equal to the number of chips wagered by that
winning player, and the house takes from each losing player the
number of chips wagered by that losing player; playing one or more
other hands in which the players may wager any number of their
remaining chips until a winner of the game is determined or a
predetermined time limit of 5 to 20 minutes has been reached; and,
paying the pool, minus a house rake equal to one buy-in, to the
winner of the game.
20. A computer program comprising computer code for executing the
method defined in claim 1.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to casino or card room gaming,
more particularly to a method of playing a blackjack card game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The game of blackjack or twenty-one is played with a
standard deck of playing cards containing fifty-two cards in four
suits. The object of the game is to achieve a count of twenty-one
without going over twenty-one (i.e., "busting"). Numbered cards
(i.e., 2-10) count as their face value and face cards (i.e., king,
queen, jack) count as ten. An ace counts as either one or
eleven.
[0003] Blackjack is typically played at a table, either physical or
virtual, that includes a dealer and up to seven players. Each
player is playing against the dealer or "house". Each player places
a bet and along with the dealer initially receives two cards. In
order to win his bet, a player must have a higher point total than
the dealer without going over twenty-one. A player may draw
additional cards (i.e., take "hits") or stand on the cards at his
discretion. The dealer, however, must take a hit on any point total
of sixteen or less and must stand on any point total of seventeen
or more. A Blackjack occurs when a player or the dealer receives an
ace and a face card or ten.
[0004] Variations of the standard blackjack game are known in the
art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,353 issued May 9, 1995
describes Jack Attack.TM., which is a variation allowing players to
play against each other while the house takes an automatic rake. In
Jack Attack.TM., the dealer receives no cards. U.S. Pat. No.
6,283,474 issued Sep. 4, 2001 describes a variation in which
players may make side or second wagers each hand to form a pot from
which the house takes a rake. The pot is won when a certain
predetermined winning condition is met during that hand.
[0005] Despite the variations known in the art, there is still a
need for a fast-paced blackjack game in which the players can win
larger pools and which is suitable for tournament style gaming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] There is provided a method of playing a blackjack game
comprising the steps of:
[0007] three or more players buying a stack of three or more chips
from a house for a predetermined buy-in, each player buying the
same number of chips for the same buy-in, all of the buy-ins
forming a pool;
[0008] playing a first hand in which
[0009] (i) each player wagers a number of the player's chips, the
number of chips being one or more,
[0010] (ii) a dealer for the house deals two cards to each player
and two cards to the dealer, one of the two cards face down and one
of the two cards face up for each of the players and the
dealer,
[0011] (iii) each player in turn elects to stand or to draw
additional cards from the dealer without wagering additional
chips,
[0012] (iv) a player card sum is determined for each player, each
player whose player card sum is in excess of twenty-one
busting,
[0013] (iv) after each player has elected to stand or has busted,
the dealer turns up the dealer's face down card, the dealer drawing
an additional card when the dealer's cards have a dealer card sum
of sixteen or less and standing when the dealer card sum is
seventeen or greater, the dealer busting if the dealer card sum
exceeds twenty-one,
[0014] (v) comparing the player card sums to the dealer card sum to
determine winning players and losing players of the hand, the card
sums being determined with cards from 2 to 10 counted at face
value, with jacks, queens and kings counted as 10 and with aces
counted as 1 or 11, [0015] the winning players consisting of the
players who did not bust with the dealer busting, or, the players
whose player card sum does not exceed twenty-one but does exceed
the dealer card sum with the dealer not busting, [0016] the losing
players consisting of the players that busted, and, the players
whose player card sums are less than the dealer card sum with the
dealer not busting, and
[0017] (vi) the house provides each winning player a number of
chips equal to the number of chips wagered by the winning player,
and the house takes from each losing player the number of chips
wagered by the losing player;
[0018] playing one or more other hands until a winner of the game
is determined or a predetermined time limit has been reached;
and,
[0019] paying the pool minus a predetermined rake to the winner of
the game.
[0020] Throughout the following specification, use of the masculine
form, for example "he", "him", etc., with reference to a player or
the dealer is done for convenience and does not exclude female
players and dealers.
[0021] The game is played with three or more players, preferably
3-7 players. More than seven players can slow the game
considerably. Before the game starts, each player buys a stack of
three or more chips from the house for a predetermined buy-in. The
number of chips and the amount of the buy-in are fixed for each
table. Preferably, the number of chips is fixed at three or four,
more preferably three. The buy-in can be fixed at any amount, for
example $50, $100, $500, etc. Thus, in one example, at a $50 table,
each player buys three chips for $50. If there are five players,
the total of the buy-ins is $250, which is placed in a pool. As
indicated below, the house will take a predetermined rake from the
pool, therefore, in the example above the winner of the game will
be paid somewhat less than $250. If the rake is equal to one
buy-in, the winner of the game in the example above would be paid
$200.
[0022] Each game comprises a series of hands of blackjack. At the
beginning of each hand, each player wagers one or more of the chips
in the stack received from the buy-in. Preferably, the players are
only allowed to wager one chip in the first hand to eliminate the
possibility of everyone losing in the first hand. In subsequent
hands, each player is preferably allowed to wager as many chips as
there are in his stack.
[0023] In a hand, the dealer deals two cards to each player and to
himself. One of the cards is dealt face down, the other is dealt
face up. Each player in turn reveals his face down card and elects
to stand or draw additional cards, preferably using appropriate
signals. No further wagering of chips is done at this point. A
player card sum is determined for each player and each player whose
card sum is in excess of twenty-one busts and loses the hand. After
each player has played his turn, the dealer turns over his face
down card. The dealer must stand when the dealer's cards have a
card sum of seventeen or greater and must draw an additional card
when the dealer card sum is sixteen or less. The dealer busts if
his card sum exceeds twenty-one.
[0024] If fast play is desired, a time window for wagering and/or
playing may be imposed. The time window is preferably from about 5
to 20 seconds, more preferably about 10 to 15 seconds. Failing to
wager or play within the time window results in the automatic loss
of one or more chips, preferably one chip.
[0025] The dealer always plays last in a hand and the order in
which the players take their turns is determined from the dealer
button. Preferably, each player plays his full turn before the next
player plays. The order of play from one hand to the next changes
as the dealer button is moved anti-clockwise or preferably
clockwise from one player to the next between hands.
[0026] Card sums for both the players and the dealer are determined
as in regular blackjack with cards from 2 to 10 counted at face
value, with jacks, queens and kings counted as 10 and with aces
counted as 1 or 11.
[0027] For a given player, the player automatically loses a hand
when the player busts. If the player stands before busting, the
player loses the hand if his card sum is less than the dealer's
card sum and the dealer has not busted. If the player stands before
busting, and the dealer busts, the player wins the hand. If the
player stands before busting, and the dealer does not bust, the
player wins the hand if the player's card sum is greater than the
dealer's card sum. When the dealer's card sum is equal to the
player's card sum, the wager is pushed to the next hand for the
player.
[0028] The payout for a winning hand is one-to-one. The loss for a
losing hand is equal to the number of chips wagered. Thus, a
winning player who wagered two chips would receive his original two
chips back plus another two chips from the house. A loser who
wagered three chips would lose those three chips to the house.
[0029] Hands are played successively until a winner of the game is
determined or a predetermined time limit expires. A player is
eliminated from the game when he loses all of his chips. When all
but one remaining player is eliminated, the remaining player is the
winner of the game. The pool is then paid to the winner of the
game, less a house rake. The house rake may be any amount of the
pool, preferably no more than half the amount of the pool, more
preferably equal to one buy-in. The rake may be taken by the house
before the game starts or after the game ends.
[0030] The time limit may be any suitable or agreed upon time. For
tournament play where speed is desired, the time limit is
preferably from about 5 to 20 minutes, more preferably about 10
minutes. If a winner of the game is not determined before
expiration of the time limit, the pool less the rake is paid out to
the remaining player who has the most chips. If more than one
remaining player has the most chips, the pool less the rake is
divided equally among the remaining players with the most
chips.
[0031] In one embodiment of the game, when there are only two
players remaining, the two remaining players may split the pool,
less the house rake, upon agreement between the two remaining
players. The dealer may offer this option when the third last
player is eliminated.
[0032] The blackjack game of the present invention is particularly
suited for tournament play. All of the players start on an equal
basis and game play is fast, as the game time limit prevents
excessively long games. The possibility for a number of hands
during each game encourages competitive play, permitting players to
incur some losses without being eliminated.
[0033] The blackjack game may be played in a physical or virtual
setting. Any visual layout of the playing surface that can
accommodate the rules of the game may be used. The visual layout
may be on a physical tabletop or an electronic tabletop.
[0034] The method of playing the blackjack game may be embodied in
software comprising a computer program having computer code for
executing the method of the present invention. The software may run
on a stand-alone computer or on a network, for example the
Internet. On the Internet, the software is preferably run from a
central server to which players may logon from remote locations.
Software provisions for making buy-ins electronically, for example
by credit card, may also be used.
[0035] Further features of the invention will be described or will
become apparent in the course of the following detailed
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood,
embodiments thereof will now be described in detail by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0037] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a
playing surface suitable for playing a blackjack game in accordance
with the present method; and,
[0038] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a
playing surface suitable for playing a blackjack game in accordance
with the present method.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] A blackjack game of the present invention may be called
TOURNEY JACK.TM.. TOURNEY JACK.TM. may be played on a playing
surface as depicted in FIG. 1. Playing surface 10 is oval in shape
and comprises player spots numbered 1-7 where players make their
wagers. Cards are dealt to the player spots. The pool is placed in
area 15 and remains there until a winner of the game is determined.
Once the winner of the game is determined, the dealer pays the pool
to the winner of the game after taking the house rake.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a playing surface in
which the playing surface of FIG. 1 further includes places for
setting drinks and/or ashtrays. Thus, playing surface 10 is oval in
shape and comprises player spots numbered 1-7 where players make
their wagers and receive cards. The pool is placed in area 15.
Drinks or ashtrays may be placed in holders 20 (only one labeled)
in raised area 25, which is raised off the playing surface 10.
[0041] The playing surface may be incorporated on to a gaming table
for use in a card room setting, for example a casino. While a
physical form of the playing surface has been described, it is
evident that the form may be replicated in a virtual setting on a
computer or electronic game monitor.
[0042] One embodiment of TOURNEY JACK.TM. has the following
rules:
[0043] The minimum number of players to commence play is three. The
maximum number of players is seven. The game may therefore be
considered a multi-user game.
[0044] To start the game, each player must "buy-in" to the game by
placing a buy-in on one of the spots provided. The cost of the
buy-in may be any amount, for example $50, $100, $500, etc., but
each player receives three chips irrespective of the actual buy-in
amount. For example, if the buy-in is $100, each player must pay
$100 to receive three chips. Each player starts the game with three
chips.
[0045] Each buy-in is placed into a pool for the eventual winner of
the game. The house will take from the pool an amount equal to one
buy-in to cover the table cost of each game, therefore, TOURNEY
JACK.TM. presents no risk to the house. For example, if seven
players buy into a $100 game, the house automatically takes $100
leaving the pool with $600. Therefore, each player has the chance
of winning $600 in a matter of minutes instead of hours. In another
example, if three players buy into a $500.00 game, the house takes
$500 leaving the pool with $1000 for a player to win.
[0046] A player is allowed to wager only one chip on his first
hand. After the first hand, there is no limit on the number of
chips that may be wagered. Each hand is played like a blackjack
hand with players betting chips against the dealer's hand. Once a
player loses all of his chips, he is eliminated from the game. An
eliminated player loses his original buy-in, which remains in the
pool.
[0047] The object of the game is to play until only one player
remains with chips on the table. The remaining player wins the
pool. It doesn't matter how many chips the remaining player is left
with since he wins the pool, which is a fixed amount. The chips
themselves have zero face value and are ideally just colored with
no denomination. Each game may also be subjected to a time limit of
no more than 10 minutes, to encourage a fast paced game.
[0048] Each player buys three chips from the dealer at the stated
buy-in amount. The money from all the buy-ins is placed in the
pool. The dealer will take from the pool an amount equal to one
buy-in to cover the house rake.
[0049] Each player must place one chip only in the betting box to
start the game. A hand of blackjack is played with the players
playing against the dealer's hand. In subsequent hands, each player
may wager any number of his remaining chips.
[0050] In a hand of blackjack, each player and the dealer is dealt
two cards, one face down ("hole card") and one face up. The dealer
then goes around the table and asks each player if he would like to
draw another card ("hit") or if he would like to stand. The dealer
keeps asking each player if he wants to hit until each player
decides to stand. The player must indicate hit or stand by the
proper use of hand signals. After each player takes his turn, the
dealer turns up his hole card. If the dealer has sixteen or less,
he must hit until he reaches seventeen or more.
[0051] Each player's objective in each hand is to get a card sum of
21 or as close to 21 as possible without going over 21 (i.e.
without going "bust"). Each player also wants his hand to be closer
to 21 than the dealer's hand. If a player's card sum is closer to
21 than the dealer's hand, he wins. If the player's card sum is
less than the dealer's, the house wins. In the event of a tie with
the dealer, the player "pushes", i.e. neither the player nor the
house wins or loses the hand.
[0052] A winning hand pays even. Thus, each player who has a hand
with a higher value than the dealer's hand without going over 21
will be awarded back a number of chips equal to the same amount
betted. For example, on a wager of two chips, a winning player
would get back his original two chips plus two more.
[0053] There is no insurance offered and a 21 constitutes a normal
win. There is no payment of one and a half for a 21 or blackjack.
It is an equal payout.
[0054] A player may not split and double-down.
[0055] Numbered cards are counted at their face value. Kings,
Queens, and Jacks count as ten. Aces count as one or eleven.
[0056] If the first two cards a player is dealt have a card sum of
21, then the player has a blackjack. If the player busts (i.e. the
card sum exceeds 21), the player loses the hand immediately.
[0057] If the dealer busts, the house must pay all the players
still in the hand.
[0058] A player has only 15 seconds to place a bet. Failure to do
so will result in automatically losing one chip from the total
amount of chips the player has.
[0059] A player has 15 seconds to stand or to draw an additional
card. Failure to do so will result in automatically losing one chip
from the total amount of chips the player has.
[0060] When a player has no chips remaining, he is eliminated from
game.
[0061] When the table is down to two players only, the two
remaining players may choose to split the pool if so desired. The
dealer will ask this, however, both players must agree. If the two
remaining players split the pool, the game ends.
[0062] When the table is down to one player only, the remaining
player wins the pool and the game is over.
[0063] If there is more than one player remaining in the game after
10 minutes of play, the player with the most chips wins the pool.
In the event of a tie, the pool is split equally among the players
with the most chips.
[0064] Once all the money is in the pool and the game has begun,
the money may be touched only by the dealer. A player touching the
money in the pool is disqualified.
[0065] Any number of decks of cards may be used in the card shoe,
however, four decks with a marker is recommended. After the marker
has been found, the cards must be re-shuffled.
[0066] A player cannot occupy more than two spots per game. A
player may play as if he were 2 players by placing a buy-in on two
spots.
[0067] Other advantages which are inherent to the structure are
obvious to one skilled in the art. The embodiments are described
herein illustratively and are not meant to limit the scope of the
invention as claimed. Variations of the foregoing embodiments will
be evident to a person of ordinary skill and are intended by the
inventor to be encompassed by the following claims.
* * * * *