U.S. patent application number 15/013593 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-03 for apparatus and method for playing a hybrid card game.
The applicant listed for this patent is Steven Russell, Andrew Virostek. Invention is credited to Steven Russell, Andrew Virostek.
Application Number | 20170216712 15/013593 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58264559 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170216712 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Russell; Steven ; et
al. |
August 3, 2017 |
Apparatus and Method for Playing a Hybrid Card Game
Abstract
A gaming apparatus and method are disclosed wherein a gaming
surface having distinct betting locations is provided in order to
assist in the play of a hybrid version of blackjack and poker games
having a side bet. The gaming surface includes a main betting spot
for the blackjack game and a separate raised betting platform for
the side bet to keep the bets from being comingled. The side bet of
the hybrid game is based on whether or not the dealer's hand is a
qualifying poker hand. Multipliers and a progressive jackpot are
used during the hybrid game to increase the potential winnings.
Inventors: |
Russell; Steven; (Jeannette,
PA) ; Virostek; Andrew; (Murrysville, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Russell; Steven
Virostek; Andrew |
Jeannette
Murrysville |
PA
PA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
58264559 |
Appl. No.: |
15/013593 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 9/0468 20130101;
G07F 17/322 20130101; G07F 17/3293 20130101; A63F 1/065 20130101;
A63F 2003/00167 20130101; A63F 2011/0086 20130101; A63F 1/00
20130101; A63F 2001/005 20130101; A63F 2001/003 20130101; A63F 1/06
20130101; A63F 1/067 20130101; A63F 3/00157 20130101; A63F 2250/485
20130101; A63F 11/0074 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00; A63F 11/00 20060101 A63F011/00; A63F 1/06 20060101
A63F001/06 |
Claims
1. A three-dimensional gaming surface for use with a card-based
wagering game involving one or more players comprising: a main
betting spot located directly in front of each player so that the
player may place at least one bet during a first portion of the
game; at least one elevated betting platform for each player to
place at least one side bet for a second portion of the game,
wherein the first portion and the second portion have different
rules.
2. The three-dimensional gaming surface of claim 1, wherein the
elevated betting platform is in the range of one-eighth of an inch
to two inches.
3. The three-dimensional gaming surface of claim 1, wherein the
elevated betting platform is located at a two o'clock position in
relation to the main betting spot.
4. The three-dimensional gaming surface of claim 1, further
comprising a side bet pay table.
5. A gamepiece set for a card-based wagering game involving one or
more players comprising: at least one deck of playing cards; and a
gaming surface comprising: a main betting spot for each player to
place at least one bet during a first portion of the game; and at
least one elevated betting platform for a player to place at least
one side bet for a second portion of the game, wherein the first
portion and the second portion have different rules.
6. The gamepiece set of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of
disc-shaped chips or markers having multiplier identifications.
7. The gamepiece set of claim 5, wherein the elevated betting
platform is in the range of one eighth of an inch and two inches
above the gaming surface.
8. The gamepiece set of claim 5, further comprising a random number
generator.
9. The gamepiece set of claim 8, wherein random number generator is
shaped like an axe having a blade portion and a handle portion.
10. The gamepiece set of claim 9, wherein the handle portion has a
button or switch and the blade portion has a display whereupon
activation of the button or switch actuates the random number
generator and causes a generated number to appear on the
display.
11. The gamepiece set of claim 8 further comprising a gaming table
with an upper surface sized to receive the gaming surface.
12. A method of playing a card game played by a dealer and at least
one player, the card game having two portions comprising: using at
least one set of playing cards; receiving at least one initial bet
from a player on a first game portion in a main betting circle;
receiving a side bet from a player on an elevated betting platform;
the side bet pertaining to a second portion of the game; dealing a
number of cards to at least one player; dealing a number of cards
to the dealer; resolving the first game portion in accordance with
blackjack rules; taking or paying players' bets as a result of the
blackjack game; determining an outcome of the second portion of the
game in accordance with poker rules; and taking or paying the side
bet in accordance with a payout table as a result of the second
portion.
13. The method of playing a card game as set forth in claim 12,
wherein the second portion of the game is played using only the
cards dealt to the dealer.
14. The method of playing a card game as set forth in claim 12,
wherein the second portion of the game is only played if the cards
dealt to the dealer make up a qualifying poker hand.
15. The method of playing a card game as set forth in claim 12,
further comprising optionally actuating a random number generator
to determine a multiplier to be multiplied by the side bet; and
distributing winnings.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein a maximum number of five cards
is used in determining a dealer's poker hand.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the card game is played on an
electronic computing device controlled by a processing system,
including a display screen, wherein the cards and bets are
displayed on the display screen and bets are taken or paid for the
first portion in accordance with blackjack rules and the second
portion in accordance with poker rules.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the King of Diamonds is a wild
card for the second portion of the game.
19. The method of claim 19, wherein the King of Diamonds is a
payout multiplier for the second portion of the game.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the odds payouts are paid
according to the following pay table: TABLE-US-00002 Straight Flush
(5 cards) 1000:1 Five of a Kind 400:1 Flush (5 cards) 200:1
Straight (5 cards) 80:1 Four of a Kind 40:1 Full House 30:1 Three
of a Kind 20:1 Two Pair 10:1 Pair and Jack, Queen, King, or Ace 6:1
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to casino style card games and
more particularly to a method of playing a card game using a novel
gaming surface and optionally, a novel random number generator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Casinos are constantly searching for new and exciting card
games to increase interest and draw larger crowds to play games.
Similarly, players are often looking for different games to
increase their skill set as well as increase their chances of
winning. There are many well-known card games in the field of
casino gaming. Among these card games are blackjack and poker,
which are staples at almost every casino. The main objective during
a game of blackjack, also referred to as "twenty-one," is to first
draw cards totaling twenty-one or as close to twenty-one as
possible without exceeding twenty-one and then, to have a better
total than that of the dealer. When more than one player is present
in a game, each player is competing against the dealer in terms of
reaching the number closest to twenty-one, rather than competing
with each other. When a blackjack player and the dealer both obtain
a total that does not exceed twenty-one, the person having the
highest total of cards, with a total of twenty-one being the best
hand, wins that round of betting. Anyone who draws a total greater
than twenty-one "busts" and loses the game. When the dealer and the
blackjack player end up with the same card total, a "push" is
declared and neither party wins. During a game of blackjack, cards
having values of two through ten count towards the twenty-one total
at face value; jacks, queens, and kings count as having a value of
ten; and aces can count as either having a value of one or eleven.
Thus, the best hand to be dealt is a face card and an ace. In many
casinos, this last hand automatically pays 3:2.
[0003] Another popular casino card game is poker. During a game of
poker, the ranking of the cards goes in numerical order from lowest
to highest. For example, a combination of the lowest ranking cards
that doesn't otherwise qualify as being special in some other way,
such as being a flush or a straight, would be one of the worst
hands during the game whereas some combination of an ace, king,
queen, jack or ten would be one of the better hands, if not the
best hand, during the game. Suit combinations, multiple cards of
the same number and cards having consecutive numbers also
contribute to the overall desirability of a hand. For example, if a
particular hand included an ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the
same suit, the hand would be quite stronger.
[0004] Currently, there are a large number of different variations
of poker. One of the most common types of poker is called five-card
stud. The object of five-card stud is to make the best possible
hand using the cards dealt to the player only. The player at a
particular table having the best five-card hand, according to the
hierarchy of poker hands, wins the wager against both the other
players and the dealer. Another variation of poker is community
card poker, or flop poker which shares some common traits with stud
poker, but differs in the card-dealing portion of the game. In a
game of community card poker, an incomplete hand of face-down
cards, such as two, is dealt to each player and a certain number of
face-up community cards are dealt to the center of the table. The
players can then use their cards in addition to the community cards
to assemble their best five card hand during the course of the
game.
[0005] During the course of play in certain casino games such as
blackjack or poker, players sometimes have the option to place a
side bet in addition to the initial wager ("ante") and follow on
bets placed in the original game of blackjack or poker. A side bet
is any wager placed outside the confines of normal game play for
whatever game is being played and usually has a separate and
distinct set of rules.
[0006] In a variety of casino card games, players sometimes also
have the option to participate in a progressive jackpot. A
progressive jackpot is a potential pool of winnings that increases
with each round of play until someone wins that jackpot. The amount
by which the progressive jackpot increases per game is typically
predetermined by a casino. In relation to games played on an
electronic machine in a casino, the progressive jackpot can be tied
to the game play on a plurality of machines, which causes the
jackpot to grow at a quicker rate due to the contribution of many
players participating at the same time.
[0007] Some players tend to favor games that allow for the
placement of more than one bet during a single gaming round.
However, when placing more than one bet in a single game, confusion
can result if bets become mixed or players try to change a bet
during the course of a game. When the initial wager and the side
bet are placed in approximately the same location such as in a
betting circle, it provides players with a greater incentive to
manipulate a bet or cheat during the course of the game. Thus,
there is a currently a need for a gaming apparatus that allows for
placement of more than one bet and keeps bets separate when the
bets are placed simultaneously at a single gaming table during the
course of a game. Additionally, there is also a need for a fresh
game that provides players with increased chances of winning during
rounds of playing at a single gaming table.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a
gaming surface that assists in the play of casino card games having
unique side bet options. It is another objective of the present
invention to allow for the placement and segregation of more than
one bet simultaneously in a single card game. It is a further
objective of the present invention to provide a practical way to
separate and protect multiple bets during the course of a card game
by providing designated betting spots for a main bet and a side
bet. The present invention comprises a gaming surface to be used
when playing a hybrid version of poker and blackjack combined into
a single table game. The provided gaming surface comprises a gaming
table or table cover having a specified location thereon for
placement of a main bet, and an elevated betting platform for a
side bet. The novel hybrid game played on the gaming surface
comprises a main game of blackjack and a side bet based on the
poker value of the dealer's hand depending on whether or not the
dealer's hand is a qualifying poker hand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gaming apparatus designed to
facilitate the implementation of various embodiments of the present
invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gaming apparatus designed
to facilitate the implementation of various embodiments of the
present invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a random number generator
designed for use during play of the hybrid game.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the random number generator for use during play of the hybrid
game.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The following detailed description is the best currently
contemplated variety of modes for carrying out exemplary
embodiments of the present invention. The description is not to be
taken in a limiting sense, but is made for the purpose of
illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the
scope of the invention is defined most accurately by the
claims.
[0014] In order to best understand the several embodiments of the
present invention, a detailed description of the gaming surface is
necessary. FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a gaming surface 5, which in
embodiments, may take the form of a game board or a table cover
that has at least one personal betting spot 10, at least one raised
betting platform 20, at least one side bet pay table 30 and a chip
tray 40. The raised betting platform 20 is a platform that is
higher in elevation than the rest of the table. In embodiments, it
is raised a quarter of an inch, half an inch, and one inch above
the gaming surface. Those of skill in the art will recognize,
however, that there are many different elevations that will
accomplish the goal of setting the raised betting platform apart
from other betting areas. The platform my also be flat or concave
or may even be formed like a cup in embodiments.
[0015] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the gaming surface 5 may
be used when playing a hybrid version of blackjack and poker of the
present invention, combined into a single game at a gaming table.
In embodiments, the hybrid game to be played on the gaming surface
5 may comprise a main game of blackjack and a side bet based on the
dealer's hand according to rules based on the game of poker. In
embodiments, a qualifying poker hand might be any dealer hand
having a pair of jacks or any combination of cards better than that
according to the standard rules of poker. Players place side bets
for the poker portion of the game on a raised betting platform 20
that segregates the bet from the blackjack bets and those side bets
are either collected or paid by the dealer according to the rules
of the game.
[0016] Further explaining a preferred embodiment, the game is
played according to the standard rules of blackjack until the
dealer has completed his hand. In a typical game of blackjack, the
dealer is prohibited from taking additional cards once the sum of
17 has been reached. If the dealer has drawn a sum greater than 21,
on the other hand, the dealer has lost and the hand has been
completed. During the blackjack game, the players place their bets
in their respective primary betting spots 10. Additionally,
however, each player may have a separate raised betting platform 20
near his upon which the player may place a side bet based solely on
the dealer's hand according to poker rules. In embodiments, the
raised betting platform 20 may be at the two o'clock position in
relation to a player's primary betting spot 10, but those of skill
in the art will realize it could be placed in many other clock
positions.
[0017] In embodiments, after all bets have been taken or paid for
the blackjack game, the dealer uses his cards, including his bust
card, if he has one, to determine whether or not he has a
qualifying poker hand. To improve game flow, however, it will
easily be seen that all bets for both games can be taken or paid
after the completion of the poker portion instead. During the
course of the game, the side bet pay table 30 for the qualifying
poker hand may begin at any minimum hand according to standard
poker rules. In embodiments, the qualifying poker hand may be "any
pair" or higher, such as "jacks or better" meaning that the dealer
must have at least a pair of jacks or a poker hand that is better
than a pair of jacks in order for players to win. If the dealer's
hand is a qualifying poker hand, the players who placed a side bet
win according to the payouts listed on the pay table 30. In an
embodiment, the payouts may be paid according to the following pay
table:
TABLE-US-00001 Straight Flush (5 cards) 1000:1 Five of a Kind 400:1
Flush (5 cards) 200:1 Straight (5 cards) 80:1 Four of a Kind 40:1
Full House 30:1 Three of a Kind 20:1 Two Pair 10:1 Pair and Jack,
Queen, King, or Ace 6:1
Those of skill in the art will recognize that other payouts are
possible depending on the number of decks in play, whether the
dealer hits on a "soft 17," and the payout goals of the casino
operator. In embodiments, the pay table is easily modified to have
low, medium and high house edges as well as having high payouts and
lower risk payouts.
[0018] Still with reference to a presently preferred embodiment, a
maximum hand of five cards may be used to make up the dealer's hand
for the poker portion of the game. If the dealer were to show seven
cards as a result of the blackjack portion, only five of those
cards could be used to make up the dealer's best possible poker
hand. The number of cards in the dealers hand is determined by the
dealer's blackjack hand only, although if the dealer busts, the
card that took his total over twenty-one may still be used as part
of the dealer's poker hand. If a dealer has straights or flushes,
the dealer needs to have used five cards in his blackjack hand. A
four card straight or flush are not valid poker hands; the dealer
must use have used at least five cards for winning hands such as
straight, flush or straight flush. Other winning poker hands,
besides a full house, may be paid with fewer than five cards shown
in the dealer's hand. If a side bet is made by a player and the
dealer does not end up with a qualifying poker hand, as set forth
in the side bet pay table 30 the player loses the side bet to the
house and the hand is over.
[0019] In embodiments, the king of diamonds (or "AxMan") in the
dealer's hand, may be wild for the side bet only. For example, the
dealer's first two cards may be an AxMan and a seven. In such a
case, the dealer may not necessarily be permitted to "hit" (take
another card) as the house may require the dealer to stand (not
take any additional cards) once the sum equals at least seventeen.
The best poker hand possible for this example may be a pair of
sevens with the AxMan wild card being converted to a seven. This
hand may qualify as a poker hand when the pay table begins at "any
pair." In other embodiments, a pair of sevens may not qualify as a
winning poker hand when the pay table begins at "jacks or
better."
[0020] In another example, the dealer's first two cards may be a
king of clubs and a two. According to blackjack rules, the dealer
has twelve and may hit. If the dealer were to draw a two, an ace,
and another two in succession, the dealer may be required to stop
at seventeen and, after determining winners in the blackjack game,
may determine a winning blackjack hand immediately thereafter. The
dealer in this case would have three of a kind as his best poker
hand.
[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, an AxMan
card present in a player's first two cards may serve as a
multiplier if an AxMan card was also present in the dealer's
qualifying poker hand. In such an embodiment, a random number
generator may be provided to determine the multiplier amount. In
one embodiment, the random number generator may be a pop-o-matic
bubble 400 configuration as seen in FIG. 4. In another embodiment,
the random number generator may be a roulette wheel having a stem
to serve as a spinner for the roulette wheel. In still another
embodiment, the random number generator may take the shape of an
object shaped like an axe 300, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This
hand-held axe 300 may optionally have a trigger 310 in a grip 320
of the ax that may be used to activate the random number generator
embedded therein. Once this random number generator is activated,
the multiplier may appear on the blade portion 330 of the axe.
Alternatively, a random number generator may be located underneath
the gaming table and may interact with a display screen located on
the top of the gaming table. In still another alternative
embodiment, a random number generator may be activated by a button
on the table or on the having the shape of a king's crown or an
axe.
[0022] Once a player is determined to be entitled to a multiplier,
the dealer may place a marker on top of a player's side bet wager
sitting on the raised betting platform 20 to indicate that the
player may use any one of the above-listed random number generators
to obtain a multiplier. Alternatively, any multiplier amount may be
located on the bottom of the marker, such as a 2.times., 3.times.,
5.times. or 10.times. in order to indicate a player's increased
winnings. In the event that a player may be dealt two AxMan cards
on the first two cards, the player may have two multipliers, or two
instances of using a random number generator to generate a summed
random number that will be used as a multiplier for the player's
winnings. By way of example, if the random number generator were to
display a two and a five in the above-referenced situation where
the player was dealt two AxMan cards, the player in this situation
may be paid seven times (2+5) the amount paid for the dealer's side
bet hand using poker rules. Alternatively, the AxMan card that is
dealt to the player could simply be a doubler multiplier while a
player receiving two AxMan cards on his blackjack hand would
automatically have his winnings multiplied by five in the second
portion of the game played by the rules of poker.
[0023] In an additional alternative embodiment, the AxMan may
include a bonus multiplier when the wild card AxMan is dealt as any
one of the dealer's cards. In this embodiment, the bonus multiplier
AxMan may be the face value of the dealer's third card. In still
other embodiments, any AxMan in the dealer's hand may still be a
wild card, but when the AxMan is dealt as the third card, that card
may be both a wild card and a bonus multiplier. The dealer may then
use a random number generator to determine a number between two and
five. In one embodiment, if the number is a four, then any winning
hand may have its payout multiplied by four. By way of example, if
the dealer's first two cards are an eight of spades and an eight of
hearts and the next card dealt is an AxMan wild card, the dealer's
poker hand consists of three of a kind because the wild card is
converted to an eight for purposes of the poker side bet. Staying
with this embodiment, the wild card was the third card dealt, so
the dealer uses a random number generator and may multiply any
winnings by the number displayed on the random number generator.
Alternatively, the player may be handed a random number generator,
such as an axe, a pop-o-matic bubble or a spinner, for example, to
activate in order to generate a multiplier factor personally. As
discussed, the random number generator may take a number of
different forms.
[0024] In another alternative embodiment, the multiplier card may
be any other card drawn from the deck: twos through nines may each
be a 2.times. multiplier, tens through kings may each be a 3.times.
multiplier, and aces may be a 5.times. multiplier. By way of
example for this embodiment, a player may receive two AxMan cards
for the first two cards whereby the winning payout is multiplied by
ten. Where a player is alternatively dealt an AxMan and an eight of
clubs and the dealer is dealt two queens, assuming the payout
begins at "jacks or better," the dealer may win the blackjack game
with the two queens but because the dealer has a qualifying hand in
the side bet poker game, the player's side bet winnings are
multiplied by two due to an eight being the player's non-Axman
second card.
Example Game Rules
[0025] Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the
following is a example implementation of the rules of the game of
the present disclosure: Before any cards are dealt, any Blackjack
player may make the AxMan side wager in a special betting spot,
referred to herein as the raised betting platform 20. Casinos may
impose a maximum size for this bet in order to avoid overly large
payouts. Play proceeds as usual in a Blackjack game, with the
players' cards dealt face up and the dealer beginning with one up
card and one down card. The only differences are:
[0026] 1) if a player has made the AxMan side wager and his initial
two cards include at least one King of Diamonds, the dealer places
a marker on the player's AxMan wager indicating either a 2.times.
multiplier (if the player had one King of Diamonds) or a 5.times.
multiplier (if the player had two Kings of Diamonds). This allows
the player's cards to be cleared if he busts without losing the
information about his bonus multiplier.
[0027] 2) if all players surrender, bust, or get Blackjack, but at
least one player has made the AxMan side wager, the dealer exposes
his down card in order to settle the AxMan wager, unless the
minimum winning poker hand as set forth on the pay table 30 is
"jacks or better" and the dealer shows a non-face card, in which
case exposure of the dealer's down card will be rendered
unnecessary.
[0028] After the dealer has drawn his cards, including his bust
card if there is one, he forms the highest-ranking poker hand of at
most 5 cards that he can, ranks following normal poker rules except
as follows:
[0029] 1) Any King of Diamonds is a wild card
[0030] 2) If the dealer drew fewer than 5 cards, he may still form
"one pair", "two pairs", "three of a kind", or "four of a kind",
which have the same rank that a 5-card hand which contained them
along with unrelated cards would have.
[0031] 3) 5-card flushes and 5-card straights outrank "four of a
kind" hands and full houses
[0032] 4) Straight flushes outrank "five of a kind" hands, which
outrank flushes.
[0033] 5) Only the highest rank counts: a dealer hand which
contains 5 hearts and four of a kind or a full house (possible
because of the use of multiple decks) only counts as a flush
(because flushes outrank everything except a straight flush or five
of a kind).
[0034] In accordance with the particular knowledge of those skilled
in the art, the methods of the present invention may involve use of
a random number generator to determine a multiplier during the
course of a game. Accordingly, methods of the present invention can
be carried out using a variety of random number generators,
including but not limited to, the random number generators
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,871,400, 6,193,607, and 8,512,125.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,607 discloses "an apparatus
for generating random numbers in accordance with a first parameter
defining the number of random numbers to be generated and one or
more second parameters each defining the range of a random number
to be generated" such as those used in games of chance such as
poker, roulette, and slot machines, wherein "randomness is
critically important to ensure proper payment of winnings." In some
embodiments of the present invention, the cards may be shuffled and
dealt by way of a continuous shuffler. In other embodiments of the
present invention, the cards may be shuffled and dealt by a
dealer.
[0035] In accordance with the particular knowledge of those skilled
in the art, the methods of the present invention may be implemented
at a live gaming table using the gaming surface or the methods may
be implemented on any electronic or mechanical video-type gaming
device similar to the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,377,973, 5,374,067, 5,382,025, 8,734,245, and 9,028,319.
Furthermore, the methods disclosed herein may further be
implemented in an app to be downloaded to a smartphone or other
computing device typically found in the home or office, such as a
Mac computer or a PC. In some embodiments of the present invention,
the hands of the players and the dealer may both take the form of a
virtual representation displayed on a video screen controlled by a
microprocessor operating in accordance with an appropriate software
program. In alternative embodiments of the present invention,
configurations or variations listed above may be combined with one
another to carry out methods of the present invention
[0036] The various features and advantages of the present invention
are apparent from the detailed specification. It is thus intended
that the appended claims herein cover all features, advantages and
embodiments of the invention and do not depart from the true spirit
and scope of the invention. Additionally, because numerous
modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the particular
art, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact
construction illustrated and described. Accordingly, all suitable
modifications and equivalents can be resorted to which similarly
fall within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *