GB1459391A - Gaming machines games of skill - Google Patents

Abstract

1459391 Gaming machines GRAZEBROOK VINT LABORATORIES Ltd 22 Feb 1974 [24 Feb 1973] 48836/72 Heading A6H [Also in Division G4] A machine for simulating the playing of a game of snap, comprises means for simultaneously displaying a symbol selected from one series of symbols and a symbol selected from a second series of symbols, means operable by a player to indicate an observed concurrence or relationship between the symbols, selected from said respective series of symbols, means in the machine for indicating when a concurrence has not been indicated before the occurence of another event. In one embodiment a human player plays against the machine. Then during a game the machine rapidly recognises the matching of the two top cards of two stacks and starts a delaying device. A decision circuit decides whether the man player has signalled 'snap' before the machine player's 'snap'. Preferably the machine players' snap is audible or visual. The cards are represented by codes held in cells of an electronic or mechanical memory. Means are provided to display the top cards of the machines' and players' stacks. The cards displayed may be pictures, diagrams or characters which may be used for advertising purposes in addition to their use in the game. Two identical sets of codes representing packs of the cards are held in the machine and are pseudorandomly dealt to the players before the game begins. Advantageously, one more card is dealt to the man player to reduce the possibility of games being interminable. This condition can be avoided by a device that counts the number of cards placed since the last "snap" and, after a predetermined number it causes the machine player to make a mistaken "snap" on the next occasion there is only one card on its stack. This card it taken automatically by the player. A further preferable device controls the period of the delaying device. This consists of a register which accummulates a preset number of positive points for a man player's game win and substracts a preset number of points for a machine player's win. The accummulated score of points in the register is used to control the period of the delay. This controls the rate of winning games against the machine to a predetermined rate. The man players snap may be by a push button switch or an audio arrangement. Conveniently the controlling part of the machine can provide signals for operating a mechanism for dispensing goods or money soon after a coin is inserted and/or when the game has been won. A device is preferably provided to indicate the size of the players hand plus the size of his stack. Preferably the size of each players hand is 9 for the man and 8 for the machine. Advantageously different sets of cards can be displayed from game to game. In an alternative form of the game machine, the machine player is replaced by a second button and modified decision device so that two men players can compete. Alternatively, the decision device can be extended to enable more than two players to compete.