U.S. patent application number 12/575924 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-04 for baccarat insurance game.
This patent application is currently assigned to GLOBAL CONNECTION DEVELOPMENT LTD.. Invention is credited to James Thomas Kenny.
Application Number | 20100029357 12/575924 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37082459 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100029357 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kenny; James Thomas |
February 4, 2010 |
BACCARAT INSURANCE GAME
Abstract
Additional options for the placement of wagers in the game of
baccarat are provided, to expand the potential interest and
excitement of the game. The various betting or wagering options
include different types of "insurance" in which the customer is
buying insurance against the loss (or tie in certain cases) of the
hand being insured. These optional wagers may be placed in addition
to the traditional wagers on the Banker, Player, or Tie bets.
Inventors: |
Kenny; James Thomas;
(Shorewood, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.
1100 13th STREET, N.W., SUITE 1200
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-4051
US
|
Assignee: |
; GLOBAL CONNECTION DEVELOPMENT
LTD.
San Centre
SG
|
Family ID: |
37082459 |
Appl. No.: |
12/575924 |
Filed: |
October 8, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11103337 |
Apr 11, 2005 |
7621533 |
|
|
12575924 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/13 ;
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00157 20130101;
A63F 2001/001 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/13 ;
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A computer device for providing a baccarat game, said computer
device configured to perform: a dealing step, wherein a hand of
playing cards is dealt face down from at least one standard deck of
playing cards comprising 52 cards, to form at least one player hand
and a banker hand, each of at least two cards; a player hand
turning step, wherein the at least two cards of said at least one
player hand are turned face up whereby customers at the game may
view the player hand cards; a banker hand turning step, wherein the
at least two cards of said at least one banker hand are turned face
up whereby customers at the game may view the banker hand cards; an
insurance offering step, wherein said customers are provided an
opportunity to take insurance on the hand first turned face up if
the sum of the value of said at least two cards of said hand is
within a predefined range of hand total values that is based on
whether the hand first turned up is the banker hand or is the
player hand; and continuing play of said hand.
2. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform: a
second player hand turning step, wherein a third card is turned
face up onto said player hand, if dictated by the rules of the
game, whereby customers at the game may view said card; and a
second insurance offering step responsive to the second player hand
turning step, which provides an opportunity to said customers to
take insurance if insurance has not already been offered, if the
sum of the value of said player hand is now from four to nine
inclusive, and the rules of the game provides for a draw of at
least one more card.
3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein: the banker hand turning
step is performed before the player hand turning step; and the
predefined range of hand total values is from six to nine
inclusive.
4. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform: a
second insurance offering step subsequent to the player hand
turning step, which provides an opportunity to said customers to
take insurance if insurance has not already been offered, if the
sum of the value of said at least two cards of said player hand is
from five to seven inclusive, and if the rules of the game provide
for a draw of at least one more card to said banker hand.
5. The computer device of claim 4, further configured to perform: a
second player hand turning step, wherein a third card is turned
face up onto said player hand, if provided by the rules of the
game, whereby customers at the game may view said card; and a
second insurance offering step responsive to the second player hand
turning step, which provides an opportunity to said customers to
take insurance if insurance has not already been offered, if the
sum of the value of said player hand is from five through nine
inclusive, and if the rules of the game provide for a draw of at
least one more card.
6. The computer device of claim 4, further configured to perform: a
second banker hand turning step, wherein a third card is turned
face up onto said banker hand prior to said player hand, whereby
customers at the game may view said card; and a second insurance
offering step responsive to the second banker hand turning step,
which provides an opportunity to said customers to take insurance
if insurance has not already been offered, if the sum of the said
banker hand is from five through nine inclusive, and the rules of
the game provide for a draw of at least one more card.
7. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform:
offering said customers an opportunity to take insurance before any
cards are revealed.
8. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform:
offering said customers an opportunity to take insurance after at
least one card has been revealed.
9. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform:
offering said customers an opportunity to take insurance after
zero, one, two, three, four, or five cards of any totals have been
revealed.
10. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform:
taking the insurance wager of said customers who have taken
insurance, if the hand wins; and paying said customers according to
the posted pay scale who have taken insurance on a hand total that
was beaten or who have taken insurance on a nine hand total which
was tied.
11. The computer device of claim 1, wherein: the player hand
turning step is performed before the banker hand turning step; and
the predefined range of hand total values is from six to nine
inclusive.
12. The computer device of claim 1, further configured to perform:
a second insurance offering step subsequent to the banker hand
turning step, which provides an opportunity to said customers to
take insurance if insurance has not already been offered, if the
sum of the value of the at least two cards of said banker hand is
from four to seven inclusive, and if the rules of the game provides
for a draw of at least one more card by the banker.
13. An electronic device configured to perform: accepting a wager
from at least one player in a game of baccarat; dealing face down
from at least one standard deck of playing cards comprising 52
cards, at least one player hand and a banker hand, each of at least
two cards; turning the at least two cards of said at least one
player hand face up whereby the player hand cards are visible;
turning the at least two cards of said banker hand face up whereby
the banker hand cards are visible; after one of said turning steps
and prior to a second of said turning steps, offering insurance to
players of the game of baccarat, wherein said players may take
insurance on said wager if said wager is on the hand first turned
face up and if the sum of the value of said at least two cards of
said face up hand is a predefined range of hand total values based
on whether the hand first turned up is the banker hand or is the
player hand; and continuing play of said hand.
14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one
player hand is turned face up prior to said banker hand, and
wherein the predefined range of hand total values is six to nine
inclusive.
15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the banker hand is
turned face up prior to said at least one player hand, and wherein
the predefined range of hand total values is six to nine
inclusive.
16. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable
instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, configure
the electronic device to perform: dealing a hand of playing cards
face down from at least one standard deck of playing cards
comprising 52 cards, to form at least one player hand and a banker
hand, each of at least two cards; turning the at least two cards of
said at least one player hand face up whereby one or more customers
at the game may view the player hand cards; turning the at least
two cards of said at least one banker hand face up whereby the one
or more customers at the game may view the banker hand cards; and
offering insurance to said one or more customers, wherein said one
or more customers are provided an opportunity to take insurance on
the hand first turned face up if the sum of the value of said at
least two cards of said hand is within a predefined range of hand
total values that is based on whether the hand first turned up is
the banker hand or is the player hand.
17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein said
instructions further configure the electronic device to perform:
turning a third card face up onto said player hand, when dictated
by the rules of the game, whereby customers at the game may view
said card; and offering insurance, responsive to turning the third
card face up, which provides an opportunity to said one or more
customers to take insurance if insurance has not already been
offered, if the sum of the value of said player hand is now from
four to nine inclusive, and the rules of the game provides for a
draw of at least one more card.
18. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the banker
hand cards are turned face up prior to the player hand cards being
turned up.
19. The computer readable media of claim 18, wherein the predefined
range of hand total values is from six to nine inclusive.
20. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the player
hand cards are turned face up prior to the banker hand cards being
turned up.
21. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the predefined
range of hand total values is from six to nine inclusive.
22. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein said
instructions further configure the electronic device to perform:
offering insurance subsequent to turning the player hand face up,
which provides an opportunity to said one or more customers to take
insurance if insurance has not already been offered, if the sum of
the value of said at least two cards of said player hand is from
five to seven inclusive, and if the rules of the game provide for a
draw of at least one more card to said banker hand.
23. A method of playing a baccarat game, comprising: dealing a hand
of playing cards face down from at least one standard deck of
playing cards comprising 52 cards, to form at least one player hand
and a banker hand, each of at least two cards; turning the at least
two cards of said at least one player hand face up whereby one or
more customers at the game may view the player hand cards; turning
the at least two cards of said at least one banker hand face up
whereby the one or more customers at the game may view the banker
hand cards; and offering insurance to said one or more customers,
wherein said one or more customers are provided an opportunity to
take insurance on the hand first turned face up if the sum of the
value of said at least two cards of said hand is within a
predefined range of hand total values that is based on whether the
hand first turned up is the banker hand or is the player hand.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to non-provisional U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/103,337, filed Apr. 11, 2005, by inventor
James Thomas Kenny, herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to gaming and casino
games, and more specifically to different and heretofore unused
methods of betting in the card game of baccarat. The methods are
adaptable to both standard and so called "mini or midi-baccarat"
games as well as to computer or electronic play.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Casinos are constantly in search of increasing profits and
correspondingly the excitement on the games they put before their
customers. The casinos know that by adding "side bets" to existing
games that profits will increase as well as the enjoyment of the
game to the customer.
[0004] The need arises for a baccarat game to provide an additional
bet to the traditional banker, player, and tie bet. Customers are
discouraged in the play of the game when they have received a good
hand total but still end up losing or tying their bet. The
customers have no control of the outcome of the game and are
helpless to make any kind of a decision that would help them make
money on a perceived good hand. The baccarat game needs a side bet
with a chance for the customer to protect losing all their money on
a good hand. Like insurance in blackjack that can get the customer
even money on their wager, insurance in baccarat can protect the
customer from losing all their money, (or not getting paid because
of a tie hand on a nine), on what they perceive as a good hand.
[0005] The rules of the game would not change and the outcome of
all hands would be the same whether insurance was offered or not.
If a customer only wanted to take insurance on certain hands or at
certain times the results of the banker, player or a tie would not
change. In certain cases the order of exposing the cards would be
reversed from the traditional order but the results of the hand
would still end up the same as the standard way. The background
should indicate what has previously been done in the relevant art.
Tell the reader (e.g., a patent examiner or a layman on a jury)
what has been done and how the previous solutions leave a gaping
whole in the art. The reader should be left drooling at the end of
the Background section, wanting to know how you are going to solve
the problem.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,563 issued to David de Keller on May 16,
2000 discloses a Method of Playing a Casino game in which a dealer
and a player both receive five cards or roll five dice to form a
poker hand. The disclosure mentions an insurance wager only against
the possibility of a tie hand. While the present invention provides
for an insurance wager for a tie on a nine hand total, most of the
wagers are for a loss of the hand insured. The present invention is
directed only to use with the game of baccarat and not with the
games of poker or craps.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,459 issued to Myung Chae on Sep. 28,
1999 discloses a Method of Playing a Banking game in which two
hands are dealt which are counted similar to baccarat. The
disclosure mentions an insurance wager against the possibility of a
triple zero hand being made. Though similar in the counting of the
hand total, Chae does not describe a baccarat game. The present
invention is directed only with the game of baccarat and not with
any other games.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] By the present invention, improved wagering methods for the
baccarat are disclosed.
[0009] Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is
to provide baccarat wagering methods which generally expand upon
the wagering options open to the customers of the game.
[0010] Another of the objects of the present invention is to
provide improved baccarat wagering methods which include a
provision for insurance, wherein a customer may protect a perceived
good hand from a loss or in some cases a tie.
[0011] Yet another of the objects of the present invention is to
provide a side bet with sufficiently large payoffs that would help
increase the excitement of the game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a plane view of a nine (9) seat baccarat table,
showing the general layout and provision for the betting methods of
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 1A is plane view of a nine (9) seat baccarat table,
labeling the layout with the appropriate names for the different
areas on the table.
[0014] FIG. 2 is one payout schedule for the insurance wager. A
more complete understanding of the present invention and the
advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following
description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which
like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring now to the drawings, the present invention will be
seen to relate to various methods of providing wagering options in
a baccarat game. FIGS. 1 and 1A disclose a baccarat table 29, which
includes provision for the betting option of the present invention.
FIG. 2 discloses one pay scale of the present invention. The
present methods may be used in combination with a standard baccarat
game using standard baccarat, Chemin de Fer, Scarney, baccarat
banquet Nevada or other rules, wherein up to twelve to sixteen
customers may play, and may also be adapted for use with so called
"mini or midi baccarat tables", which allows for play by from one
to nine customers.
[0016] In standard Nevada style baccarat, plural standard decks of
cards, each having 52 cards of four suits, are used. The thirteen
(13) cards in each suit comprise spot cards marked from one (ace)
through ten, and court cards comprising the jack, queen, and king
of each suit. Each of the spot cards is counted at face value,
while each of the court cards is given a value of ten. Generally,
six to eight decks are provided and contained in a "shoe" or
container, from which the hands for the game are dealt. The object
of the game is to achieve a total value of nine with the cards in
the hand. It is not possible to "bust" or exceed nine, as the tens
digit in any count exceeding nine is dropped, leaving only a single
number between zero and nine (inclusive) as the value of the hand.
The hand (either the player hand or the banker hand) which is
closest to nine wins. Tie hands are a push on banker or player bets
and customers who have wagered on the tie hand would win that bet.
As the game is relatively simple and must be played according to
specific rules governing the drawing of a third card after the
initial two cards are drawn, the present methods of the invention
add considerable interest and excitement to the game.
[0017] Insurance is only offered if there are more cards to be
revealed and the hand being insured has a chance of being beaten or
in the case of a nine total, being tied.
[0018] Insurance may only be offered once during a baccarat hand.
Insurance may only be offered after the first two cards have been
revealed (two cards only), after the second set of two cards has
been revealed (four cards only), or after a third card has been
given to one hand (five cards only) and there will be a third card
given to the other hand. The offering of insurance in no way
affects the outcome of the regular game of baccarat. All the
hitting and standing rules remain the same. The opening order of
the cards may change depending upon the house rules of each casino
but the final outcome of all baccarat hands will be the same with
or without insurance being offered. In some cases the dealer may
turn over the initial two card hand of the banker before the
initial two card hand of the player. This may be done depending
upon the amount of money wagered on the banker and the player hand.
If the largest wager is bet on the banker hand then the casino may
have a house rule that the hand with the largest wager on it is
revealed first.
[0019] With references to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the manner of play of a
first embodiment of the present invention will now be described.
Initially, all the customers place their bets, for either the
player hand 30 in betting area 33, the banker hand 31 in the
betting area 34, or for the tie hand in betting area 35. Commission
would be placed in area 32. Two cards are dealt face down to the
player hand and two cards are dealt face down to the banker hand.
Traditionally the player hand would be revealed first so that the
customers may determine the value of the hand. The present
invention allows a customer the option of taking insurance in
betting area 36, on certain initial two card hand totals (six to
nine inclusive). The customer is basically insuring a perceived
good hand total against a loss to the other hand. In the case of a
nine hand total, the customer is insuring against the other hand
also having a nine, in which case they would not get paid because
their nine tied and did not win. Like in blackjack when a customer
takes insurance, the customer wants to make sure they get some
payment for having a good hand. The hand would be played out to its
conclusion and if a six, seven, or eight hand was beaten or a nine
hand tied, then the customer who took insurance would win the
insurance bet and would be paid according to the posted pay
scale.
[0020] If the initial player hand does not have a hand total from
six to nine inclusive then no insurance would be offered and the
bankers' two cards would be revealed. If the banker hand had a
total of zero, one, two, three, eight, or nine then no insurance
would be offered and the hand would play out according to the game
rules. If the banker hand now had a total of four through seven and
the player hand would be getting a third card, then insurance may
be offered on the banker hand. The hand would be played to its
conclusion and if the banker hand total of four, five, six, or
seven was beaten then the insurance bet would win and be paid at
the posted pay scale. All other cases the insurance bet would
lose.
[0021] If the initial two card player hand and the initial two card
banker hand have both been revealed and no insurance has yet been
offered, insurance may be offered on the player hand after it is
given a third card, according to the rules, and the player total is
four through nine inclusive and the bank hand will also draw a
third card. If in this case the player three card total of four,
five, six, seven, or eight was beaten by the three card total of
the banker hand, or if the player three card hand total of nine was
tied by the three card total of the banker hand, then the insurance
bet would win and be paid at the posted pay scale. If the player
hand was not beaten by the banker hand or a player nine total tied
by the banker hand, then the insurance bet would lose. In a second
embodiment of the present invention, the initial two card hand of
the banker would be revealed first. If the banker hand had a total
of from six to nine inclusive, then insurance would be offered on
the banker hand eventually losing on a six, seven, or eight, or
tying on a nine total. If the customer took insurance on one of
these hands and the hand lost or a nine was tied, then the customer
would win the insurance bet and be paid according to the posted pay
scale. All other cases would lose the insurance bet. If the banker
hand had a zero, one, two, three, four, or five initial two card
hand total, then no insurance would be offered and the initial two
card player hand would then be revealed.
[0022] The initial two cards of the player hand would now be
revealed which would make four cards exposed on the layout. These
four cards revealed would be referred to on the pay scale as a four
card hand or four cards only. If the player hand had a total of
five and the banker hand, which was revealed first, had a total of
four, then insurance may be offered on the player hand losing to
the banker hand. Any other hand totals would not be offered
insurance. If insurance was offered on the player hand total of
five and the banker ended up winning, then insurance would be paid
at the posted pay scale. If the player hand won, then the insurance
bet would lose. If the hand total of the player hand (when revealed
after the banker hand) is other than a five, then no insurance will
be offered and the hand will be played out according to the
rules.
[0023] If the initial two card banker hand and the initial two card
player hand have both been revealed and no insurance has been
offered, insurance may be offered on the banker hand after it is
given a third card and has a total of four, eight, or nine and the
player hand will draw a third card. If the four or eight hand is
beaten or the nine hand is tied then the insurance bet will win at
the posted pay scale. Any other case the insurance bet will
lose.
[0024] In a third embodiment of the present invention, insurance
would be offered only on a hand total of six, seven, eight, or
nine, when more card totals would be revealed.
[0025] Insurance would only be offered after the initial first two
cards have been revealed and after the second set of cards have
been revealed when there was a draw to be made on the other hand.
No insurance would be offered after a third card had been drawn.
This method of the game would make it easier to deal and a faster
paced game.
[0026] In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, insurance
may be offered before any cards are revealed, after one card is
revealed, after two cards are revealed, after three cards are
revealed, after four cards revealed, or after five cards are
revealed.
[0027] Insurance would be offered for any hand total. Any hand
total under nine would have to be beaten or a nine hand total tied
to win the insurance bet. All other cases would lose.
[0028] One or more aspects of the invention may be embodied in
computer-usable data and computer-executable instructions, such as
in one or more program modules stored in a memory or memories,
executed by one or more computers or other devices, e.g., by video
slot machines or other standalone or networked video gaming
platforms. Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular
tasks or implement particular abstract data types when executed by
a processor in a computer or other device. The computer executable
instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium such as a
hard disk, optical disk, removable storage media, solid state
memory, RAM, etc. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the
art, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or
distributed as desired in various embodiments. In addition, the
functionality may be embodied in whole or in part in firmware or
hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits, field
programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and the like. Particular data
structures may be used to more effectively implement one or more
aspects of the invention, and such data structures are contemplated
within the scope of computer executable instructions and
computer-usable data described herein.
[0029] Although the subject matter has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described
above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
* * * * *