U.S. patent number RE36,739 [Application Number 09/272,657] was granted by the patent office on 2000-06-20 for method of playing a card game for a casino.
Invention is credited to Teofilo Gutierrez.
United States Patent |
RE36,739 |
Gutierrez |
June 20, 2000 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method of playing a card game for a casino
Abstract
A card game is played on a felt covered semicircular table top
with player stations along its arcuate edge. Pairs of cards of a
deck are dealt face up until a pair consists of two cards of
unequal rank. The two cards are respectively designated a B card
and a P card. Cards of the deck are thereafter dealt face up until
a conclusion card is dealt that is equal in rank to either the B
card or the P card. A player makes a color wager on the color of a
card that is dealt face up, a HI/LO wager on the rank of the card
that is dealt face up and a P/B wager on the rank of the conclusion
card.
Inventors: |
Gutierrez; Teofilo (Las Vegas,
NV) |
Family
ID: |
46255455 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/272,657 |
Filed: |
March 18, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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592765 |
Jan 26, 1996 |
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Reissue of: |
739925 |
Oct 30, 1996 |
05692755 |
Dec 2, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292;
273/306 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/00157 (20130101); A63F 1/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/00 (20060101); A63F 1/00 (20060101); A63F
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/292,274,306,309
;463/12,13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Scarne's Encyclopedia of Games, J. Scarnes, "Monte" pp. 310-311,
1973..
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Primary Examiner: Layno; Benjamin H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Morishita; Robert Ryan Quirk &
Tratos
Parent Case Text
This application is a .Iadd.reissue of application Ser. No.
08/739,925, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,755 which is a
.Iaddend.continuation-in-part of application no. 08/592,765, filed
Jan. 26, 1996, now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. In the method of playing a card game, suitable for a casino
environment, with a standard deck of cards and a joker with cards
that bear nominal identifications two through ten, jack, queen,
king and ace having rankings that differ from each other, the cards
also bear color identification wherein each card is identified by
one of two colors, the steps of:
successively dealing pairs of cards of the deck face up until a
pair consists of two cards of unequal rank;
designating a first and a second of said two cards as a .[.B.].
.Iadd.P .Iaddend.card and a .[.P.]. .Iadd.B .Iaddend.card,
respectively;
successively dealing cards face up until a conclusion card is dealt
that has the same rank as either the P card or the B card; and
having a player make a color wager by choosing which of the colors
a card dealt after the P card and B card will have, the color wager
being won when the color of the card corresponds to said choice,
having a player make a HI/LO wager by choosing whether the rank of
a card, dealt after the P card and B card, will be of a high
ranking greater than a predetermined rank or whether the rank of
the card will be of a low ranking less than the predetermined rank,
the HI/LO wager being won when the rank of the card corresponds to
said choice, and having a player make and a P/B wager by choosing
whether the rank of the conclusion card will be equal to the P card
or the B card, the P/B wager being won when the rank of the
conclusion card corresponds to said choice.
2. In the method of claim 1 wherein said player loses all wagers
when a first dealt card is the joker.
3. In the method of claim 2 wherein said player loses said color
and HI/LO wagers when a card dealt after said first dealt card is
the joker.
4. In the method of claim 1 wherein said player has an option of
making a hedge wager that a card to be dealt is the joker.
5. In the method of claim 1 wherein said player loses said color
and HI/LO wagers when a dealt card is a specified card.
6. In the method of claim 5 wherein said player has an option of
making a hedge wager that a card to be dealt is said specified
card.
7. In the method of claim 1 wherein cards that bear the
identifications ace, two, three, four five and six are referred to
as low ranking cards and cards that bear the identification eight,
nine, ten, jack queen and king are referred to as high ranking
cards, said HI/LO wager being made by said player making a choice
of either a high rank or a low rank, said HI/LO wager being won
when the rank of a next turned card corresponds to said choice.
8. In the method of claim 1 where the hearts and diamond suits of
the deck are collectively identified as being the color, red and
the spade and club suits of the deck are collectively identified as
being the color, black, said color wager being made by said player
making either a choice of the color, red or a choice of the color,
black, said color wager being won when the color of a next turned
card corresponds to said choice.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention is in the field of games of chance and, more
particularly, is a method and apparatus for playing a new type of
card game suitable for a casino environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A card game in a casino is usually played on a green felt covered
table top that is semicircular. Accordingly, the table top has an
arcuate edge and a straight edge. The covering typically carries
indicia where cards are placed. A plurality of player stations are
evenly spaced adjacent to the arcuate edge.
A check rack is located on the table top near the straight edge
about midway between the ends thereof. The casino's gaming tokens,
known as checks (often referred to as chips), are stored in the
check rack. The covering often carries indicia where checks are
placed during play of the game.
A dealer is usually positioned near the check rack. Because the
player stations are along the arcuate edge, all of the player
stations are equidistant from the dealer.
Blackjack, for example, is a game that is typically played on the
felt covered table top. After World War II, gaming patrons deserted
games such as Roulette and 3-Dice Hazard in favor of Blackjack
because they won more often. In other words, the gaming patrons
compared risks involved in each of the games and gravitated to the
game with the lowest risk.
Playing a round of Blackjack is time consuming because cards are
dealt to all players at the table. Additionally, the dealing of the
cards to all of the players causes a security problem. Heretofore,
there has not been a card game suitable for a casino environment
where none of the players are dealt cards and the risks approximate
those encountered in Blackjack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is a card game suitable for play
in a casino environment where none of the players are dealt
cards.[.:.]..Iadd...Iaddend.
Another object of the present invention is a card game suitable for
play in a casino environment where a player is not exposed to risks
significantly beyond those encountered in Blackjack.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a card game
is played on a table that has a semicircular fabric covered top
with a central portion that carries a P card indicium and a B card
indicium. A plurality of evenly spaced similar groups of wagering
indicia are carried on the covering adjacent to an arcuate edge of
the table top.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the game is
played with a card deck that includes a standard deck of cards and
a joker. The heart and diamond suits of the card deck are
collectively identified as being the color, red, and the spade and
club suits of the deck are collectively identified as being the
color, black. Cards that bear nominal identifications two through
ten, jack, queen, king and ace have rankings that differ from each
other. Two cards of unequal rank are disposed face up and
designated P and B, respectively. Cards from the deck are dealt
face up until a conclusion card is dealt that has the same rank as
either the P card or the B card. A player makes a color wager on
the color of a card that is dealt face up, a HI/LO wager on the
rank of the card that is dealt face up and a P/B wager in the rank
of the conclusion card.
A game in accordance with the invention is easy to play, does not
expose a player to risks significantly beyond those encountered in
Blackjack, is not as time consuming as Blackjack and obviates the
security problems of Blackjack.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention
should be apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a table top in accordance with a first
aspect of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a group of wagering indicia on
the table top of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, a table has a semicircular fabric covered table
top 10 with an arcuate edge 12 and a straight edge 14. A check rack
16 is mounted upon the table top 10 near the edge 14 substantially
midway between ends 14A, 14B thereof. A dealer (not shown) is
positioned near the check rack 16.
The covering carries eight evenly spaced similar groups of wagering
indicium 21-28 adjacent to the edge 12. Preferably, the fabric of
the covering is green felt.
The groups 21-28 respectively comprise eight player stations. The
eight player stations are consecutively numbered one through eight,
respectively, with station one being adjacent to the end 14A.
Each player is positioned near a player station. Since there are
eight player stations, there is at least one but no more than eight
players in the game. In an alternative embodiment, there may be
other than eight player stations.
A rectangular B card indicium 30, and a rectangular P card indicium
32 are carried on a central portion of the covering. The indicia
30, 32 are of similar size and orientation. Lettering of the
letters B and P are carried adjacent to the indicia 30, 32,
respectively. A rectangular turned card indicium 34 is carried
intermediate to the indicia 30, 32.
As shown in FIG. 2, the group 21 includes disc shaped indicia BL, R
that are slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of a check.
The indicium .[.B.]. .Iadd.BL .Iaddend.is disposed adjacent to the
corner 14A (FIG. 1). The indicium R is disposed adjacent to a
junction of the edge 12 and a group separation line 36. In this
embodiment, the indicia BL, R (FIG. 2) are colored black and red,
respectively.
The group 21 additionally includes circular indicia LO, B that have
substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the indicia BL,
R. The indicia BL, LO, B are disposed along a line that is
perpendicular to the edge 12 with the indicium LO intermediate to
the indicia BL, B. Lettering of the characters, LO, B, are carried
within the indicia LO, B, respectively.
The group 21 further includes circular indicia HI, P that are
similar to the indicia LO, B, respectively. The indicia R. .[.P,
LO.]. .Iadd.HI, P .Iaddend.are disposed along a line that is
perpendicular to the edge 12 with the indicium HI disposed
intermediate to the indicia R, P. Lettering of the characters, HI,
P, are carried within the indicia HI, P, respectively.
In a game described hereinafter, the heart and diamond suits of a
standard deck of cards are collectively identified as being the
color, red. The spade and club suits of the deck are collectively
identified as being the color, black. Additionally, cards that bear
nominal identifications two through ten, jack, queen, king and ace
have rankings that differ from each other. The cards that bear the
identification ace, two, three, four, five, and six are referred to
as low ranking cards. The cards that bear the identifications
eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king are referred to as high ranking
cards.
In this embodiment, the game is played with one standard deck of
cards and a joker. In an alternative embodiment, the game is played
with engith decks of cards and eight jokers.
A round of play of the game starts by the players each making three
wagers. At station one, for example, a color wager is made by
placing one or more checks within either the indicium BL or the
indicium R. A B/P wager is make by placing one or more checks
within either the indicium B or the indicium P. A HI/LO wager is
made by placing one or more checks within either the indicium HI or
the indicium LO. The dealer successively deals pairs of cards face
up until a pair consists of two cards of unequal rank. A first of
the two cards is designated as a .[.B.]. .Iadd.P .Iaddend.card and
is placed face .[.up.]. .Iadd.down .Iaddend.within the indicium
.[.30.]. .Iadd.32.Iaddend.. A second of the two cards is designated
as a .[.P.]. .Iadd.B .Iaddend.card and is placed face .[.up.].
.Iadd.down .Iaddend.within the indicium .[.32.]. .Iadd.30.Iaddend..
The B and P cards remain face .[.up.]. .Iadd.down .Iaddend.within
the indicia 30, 32, respectively.
After the B and P cards are designated, a third card is dealt face
.[.up.]. .Iadd.down .Iaddend.and placed within the indicium 34
.[.thereby placing it in plain view.]. .Iadd.then exposed
.Iaddend.while wagers are resolved. When the third card is the
joker, the players lose all wagers, whereby all wagers in
connection with the third card are resolved. Additionally, the
round of play ends.
When the third card is a seven, the players lose the color wager
and the HI/LO wager. However, the round of play does not end.
When the third card is neither a seven .[.or.]. .Iadd.nor
.Iaddend.the joker, and is red, the player at station one, for
example, wins the color wager when checks had been placed within
the R indicium (FIG. 2). Correspondingly, when the third card is
black, the station one player wins the color wager when checks had
been placed within the BL indicium.
Similarly, the station one player wins the HI/LO wager when checks
had been placed within the indicium corresponding to the rank of
the third card. When, for example, checks are placed within the HI
indicium, the station one player only wins the HI/LO wager only
when the third card is a high ranking card. When checks are placed
within the LO indicium, the station
one player only wins the HI/LO wager when the third card is a low
ranking card.
When the rank of the third card does not equal the rank of either
the P card or the B card, the players may again make the color and
HI/LO wagers on a fourth card that is dealt face up and placed
within the indicium 34 over the third card. When the fourth card,
or any successively dealt card, is either a seven or the joker, the
players lose the color and HI/LO wagers. The color and HI/LO wagers
may be made on a successively dealt card.
When the rank of the third card, or any successively dealt card
equals the rank of either the P card of the B card, it is a
conclusion card that ends the round of play. When checks are placed
by the station one player in the B indicium, the B/P wager is won
when the conclusion card has a rank equal to the rank of the B
card. Correspondingly, when checks are placed within the P
indicium, the B/P wager is won when the conclusion card has a rank
equal to the rank of the P card. .Iadd.It should be understood that
players at stations two through eight make wagers similar to those
described in connection with the station one player..Iaddend.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be
understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and
detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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