AU2003100778A4 - System and method for playing a side betting game - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicants: DION LEMMING KIM LEMMING Invention Title: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLAYING A SIDE BETTING GAME The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLAYING A SIDE BETTING GAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system and method for playing a game and in particular to a system and method for playing a side betting game. The invention relates primarily to a side betting game and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application.

However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART An example of a method for playing a side betting game is described in US Patent No. 5393067. This patent describes a system to generate jackpots for live card table games such as blackjack. In the system of US 5393067, each seat at a blackjack table includes a coin acceptor allowing a participant in a blackjack game to place a side bet relating to but separate from the game.

Payout of at least a portion of the jackpot is made to a participant in the side betting game (ie. a blackjack player who has placed a coin in the coin acceptor during a given blackjack game) if the player draws a particular low probability blackjack hand. Since the given hand is of low probability and only likely to occur once per several games, if the hand is not drawn during a given blackjack game the coin deposited by the side bettor is contributed to a progressive jackpot for future participants in the side bet.

US Patent No. 5377973 discloses a similar game where the user may bet in one of the primary game only, the primary game plus the side betting game, or the side betting game only. The primary game in this case may be blackjack, five card stud poker, etc. Similarly to US 50688.DOC 3 5393067, if a player participates in the side bet, the payout to the player is dependant upon a predetermined dealt hand in the given game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of playing a side betting game having a jackpot component, the method comprising the steps of: allowing a plurality of users of one or more primary betting games to participate in the side betting game by making a monetary contribution to the side betting game; applying the monetary contribution to a jackpot pool; and randomly paying out a portion of the jackpot pool to one of the users.

Since the payout is random, and not dependent on the outcome of the primary game, the side betting game does not affect the outcome of the primary betting game.

In an extreme case, the portion of the jackpot pool can include the entire jackpot pool (eg as an incentive offered by the casino or gaming house).

Preferably, the jackpot portion payout made to the randomly selected user is only paid when the randomly selected user has participated within a predetermined time prior to payout. The predetermined time may be determined by a given clock time, or determined by the start of the primary betting game, for example.

Preferably, the jackpot portion payout made to the randomly selected user is only paid when the primary betting game that the randomly selected user is playing is still in play.

Preferably, the users are permitted to participate in the side betting game at a predetermined time. For 50688.DOC 4 example, this predetermined time may be the start of the primary game or a given clock time.

Preferably, the primary betting game comprises a standard casino table game. For example, the standard casino table game may comprise blackjack, five card stud poker, roulette, etc. Preferably, the primary betting game comprises at least one game or game type, but can include multiple games or game types being played simultaneously, such as standard casino table games.

In one variation, the primary and side betting games can be played on a computer. Preferably, the computer is connected to a computer network. Preferably, the computer is connected to the Internet.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for playing a side betting game having a jackpot component, the system including: a device allowing a plurality of users of a primary betting game to participate in the side betting game by making a monetary contribution to the side betting game; a device for applying the monetary contribution to a jackpot pool; and a device for randomly paying out a portion of the jackpot pool to one of the users.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method and related system of playing a side betting game having a jackpot component. The method and system will firstly be described in brief, before describing each step in more detail.

Firstly, a plurality of users of a primary betting 50688.DOC game are allowed to participate in the side betting game by making a monetary contribution to the side betting game. Typically, the primary betting game is a standard casino table game such as blackjack, five card stud poker, roulette, etc. In an alternative embodiment, the primary betting game includes a horse race, for example.

The monetary contribution to the side betting game made by the user is then applied to a jackpot pool and one of the users participating in the side betting game is randomly selected to be paid a portion or all of the jackpot pool. To place a bet in the side betting game, the user makes a monetary contribution to the side betting game either by way of legal tender or by way of casino chip, credit card, smart card, etc. A contribution is made by way of placing the side bet in a side bet acceptor.

In a preferred variation the user places a chip on a designated section on the table. The dealer presses a button corresponding to that betting position, indicating that a jackpot bet has been placed. The computer then adds that jackpot bet to the jackpot total. The dealer then removes the chip. This process is repeated until each jackpot bet has been accounted for, for that round of play.

Alternatively a slot in or on the table for accepting a chip or monetary contribution can be employed. One example of a coin acceptor which might be used with the present invention is described in US 5393067. This system involves a coin being placed in a slot in the table. The slot senses that the coin is there and, once the dealer has pressed a button, it drops the coin into a chute and rolls it down a tube to the dealer. Simultaneously, the computer automatically adds the jackpot bet to the jackpot 50688.DOC 6 total. The system also disallows any more jackpot bets to be placed until the dealer presses a button. The lights on the table indicate that the user may now place a new jackpot bet.

The cost to participate in the side betting game is fixed at a predetermined amount. For example, a typical contribution is AU$1 or AU$2 in either coins or chips. Of course, the contribution may be more or less than this amount.

To participate in the side betting game, the user must place their side bet by a predetermined time.

Typically, the predetermined time is determined by the start and finish of the primary game which the user is playing. For example, if the primary game is blackjack, the user must place their bet in the side betting game after the end of the previous primary game and before the start of the next primary game.

To aid the user, the table at which the user is playing their primary game is equipped with an indicator to display when it is possible for a user to participate in the side betting game that is to say, to indicate when the House, or casino, will accept bets in the side betting game. The indicator is typically a light on the table that the user is playing their primary game. When the House is open for the user to place a bet in the side betting game, the light displays a green colour and when the time is finished for the user to participate in the side betting game, the light displays a red colour.

The croupier of the given table controls when the user is able to participate in the side betting game.

That is to say, a switch controlling the indicator is available to the croupier to indicate when the house is accepting bets in the side betting game and when they are 50688.DOC 7 not.

If a bet is placed by a user in the side betting game, once the croupier indicates that the house is closed to accepting further bets at that time, a sensor in eg. a side betting acceptor can detect whether or not a bet has been placed at each table seat, or position, and the bet made by the user is collected by the house and added to a central jackpot pool.

One or more displays located about the casino room will indicate the size of the winnable jackpot for the side betting game. The winnable jackpot is usually a portion of the total amount held by the central jackpot pool. In a preferred form, the winnable jackpot amount is of the total jackpot amount. 5% of the total jackpot amount is retained as a starting pool of the total jackpot amount, after a jackpot has been won, while 15% is retained by the House. In alternative embodiments, the winnable amount may be of a higher or lower percentage.

For example, from time to time the casino may offer the entire jackpot pool to players as an incentive to play in the side betting game.

A computer system keeps a record of the amount pooled in the central jackpot pool and of which users have participated in a given side betting game.

The user's participation in the side betting game ends at a predetermined time, which is typically the end of the primary game in which they are participating. This is again controlled by the croupier. That is to say, at the end of the primary game, the croupier depresses a button to indicate to both the side betting game participants and to the computer system controlling the side betting game that any users participating in the side betting game at that particular casino game table are no 50688.DOC 8longer participating in the game in other words that the side betting game has finished. The light at the table will therefore then be coloured green to indicate to the users of the primary betting game that the previous side betting game is completed and, if they wish to participate in a further side betting game, they are able to place a side bet at that time. The process then continues as described above.

A portion of the jackpot is paid out to users participating in a side betting game at random intervals.

That is to say, at a time randomly selected by the computer, the computer system will assess which casino table games are potentially in play in the side betting game (that is to say, the primary betting game at a given table is in play), and an assessment will be made of which users at a given table in play are participating in the side betting game. The computer system is typically arranged to provide a jackpot payout between given monetary amounts (eg. between $100,000 $200,000).

Alternatively, it can payout a jackpot at a random time once per day. In further alternative embodiments, the computer system can be arranged to provide jackpot payouts either more than once per day, or less than once per day.

Once determined that a jackpot payout is to be made, the computer system then randomly selects a participating user from a casino table in play, and that randomly selected user is indicated by the computer system as having won the side betting game. Indication is made by actuating a light adjacent the user's table position. The system can also trigger an announcement and sirens etc to aid excitement. The croupier at the table where the user has won the side betting game then arranges payment of the winnable jackpot to the user.

50688.DOC 9 In an alternative embodiment, the start time and finish time of a given side betting game is determined by a clock time. For example, a user of a primary betting game in this embodiment is able to participate in the side betting game for ten minute intervals, with a five minute down time interval in between. For example, on a given day a user is able to place a bet in a side betting game from 10.00AM to 10.05AM at which stage no more bets are accepted by the house. The side betting game then starts at 10.05AM and finishes at 10.15AM. If the user wishes to again participate in the side betting game, they must then place a bet within the next five minutes, that is to say from 10.15AM to 10.20AM at which time the next side betting game is deemed to have begun, etc.

In another alternative embodiment, the user may place a bet on the side betting game at any time. In this embodiment, the side betting game starts immediately after the end of a previous side betting game. The time for starting the side betting game in this embodiment of the invention may be either time based, for example every fifteen minutes, or game based, for example at the start or finish of a primary betting game. In this embodiment, the user may place a side bet at any time during the side betting game, and remains in contention to win the winnable jackpot, from the time contribution to the side betting game is made, to the game's end.

In another alternative embodiment, the jackpot pool is contributed to by more than one casino. That is to say, the computer system controlling the side betting game may control side betting games from, for example a casino in Sydney, Australia and a casino in Melbourne, Australia to increase the potential size of the jackpot pool, and therefore the potential winnings of a side bet 50688.DOC 10 participant.

In another alternative embodiment, a user participates in the side betting game via an on-line casino. In this embodiment, the casino table games are configured for playing directly on a computer.

Now that preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the method and system for playing a side betting game have at least the following advantages: 1. The side betting game increases primary game users' potential participation in game playing.

2. The side betting game gives primary game users' the opportunity to win, even if they do not win in the primary betting game.

3. The jackpot pooling of contributions to the side betting game is configured such that a relatively large payout may be made to a side bet user who has made a relatively small contribution.

4. The random nature of the payout means the casino facilitating the side betting game has more control over how often a jackpot payout will be made than with the priorart.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particular examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

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Claims (4)

1. A method of playing a side betting game having a jackpot component, the method comprising the steps of: allowing a plurality of users of one or more primary betting games to participate in the side betting game by making a monetary contribution to the side betting game; applying the monetary contribution to a jackpot pool; and randomly paying out a portion of the jackpot pool to one of the users.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the jackpot portion payout made to the randomly selected user is only paid when the randomly selected user has participated within a predetermined time prior to payout, optionally while the primary betting game that the randomly selected user is playing is still in play.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the primary betting game comprises one or more standard casino table games.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the primary and side betting games are played on a computer connected to a computer network. A method or system for playing a side betting game having a jackpot component, substantially as herein described but excluding the prior art referred to in the DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART. Dated this 11 th day of September, 2003 KIM DION LEMMING By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK

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