AU738087B2

AU738087B2 - A card game

Info

Publication number: AU738087B2
Application number: AU36936/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Atanas Vissilev Manov
Original assignee: AMA CONSULTING ENGINEERS QLD P
Current assignee: SHFL Enterteiment Inc
Priority date: 1998-05-12
Filing date: 1999-05-12
Publication date: 2001-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-12
Also published as: AU3693699A

Description

WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 1 A CARD GAME TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to improvements in Casino card games and in particular but not limited to a "Blackjack" card game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Card games such as "Blackjack" card games are played in Casinos on a playing surface which normally has seven boxes and each box is limited to a maximum of three players. Therefore maximum number of players are limited.

Additionally the odds for winning for the players are low as players are playing against the dealer.

The betting choices for the players are limited to their own hands.

OBIECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to alleviate or reduce to a certain level one or more of the above prior art disadvantages. In particular another object of the present invention is to provide a new game that has the usual attraction associated with a known game such as "Blackjack" but with more and improved betting choices with odds designed to attract participants.

It is a further object to provide a new game where the number of players able to bet is increased.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention resides in a card game for a dealer and at least one imaginary or real player receiving cards from the dealer, the game comprising a playing surface, one or more designated player betting zones along one side of the surface, where participants can bet on the player winning, one or more designated dealer betting zones along an opposite side of the surface where the participants can bet on the dealer winning, and one or more further betting zones associated with respective player and dealer betting zones. The or each said further betting zones is designated for a prenominated or paramount winning hand for participants to place bets thereon. In use one or each participant places a bet on one or more of the betting zones and a dealer deals from one or more packs of cards cards for the player and for the dealer in a manner according to WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 2 card game rules. On completion of a hand participants are paid according to winning bets made and according to the game rules.

In preference, the surface has one or more tie zones for participants to place bets thereon so that a winning bet takes place when the dealer hand and the player hand are tied.

Typically there is one paramount zone for the dealer and one paramount zone for the player. An example of the prenominated winning hand is "Blackjack" in the game of that name.

It is also preferred that the playing surface is divided into sectors and each sector has one player zone, one dealer zone and a prenominated or paramount winning zone associated with each said player zone and dealer zone. If desired the sector can also contain one or more tie zones.

Desirably a predetermined odd is allocated to the tie zones and/or the prenominated or paramount winning hand zones. In the case of Blackjack the odds are preferably about 4:1 for a tie; 9:1 for blackjack, 1:1 for dealer winning, and 1:1 for player winning.

In one preferred form the surface has a player card position and a dealer card position, and the cards for the player hand and the dealer hand are respectively placed in the player card position and the dealer card position.

The cards may include one or more sets of numbered cards, one or more sets of picture cards and at least one set of "Ace" cards. Each numbered card has a value from 2 to 10, each picture card is given the value of 10, and each "Ace" card is selectively counted as 1 or 11.

In a particular preferred form of the game rules a bet on one of the player betting zones or on one of the dealer betting zones is a winning bet when the player hand or the dealer hand has a cumulative card values closest to 21 or has a Blackjack; and a bet on one of said further betting zones associated with the player betting zones or the dealer zones is a winning bet when the player hand or the dealer hand has said prenominated or paramount winning hand.

More particularly a card is given to each said player hand and the dealer hand and the player hand must draw a card when its card value or cumulative card value is under 17. The player hand may immediately be declared a winning WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 3 hand when it has a Blackjack hand, or can be declared a winning hand only if the dealer hand does not have a Blackjack hand. When the player hand has a cumulative card value exceeding 21 the dealer hand is immediately declared a winning hand, or is required to draw a card at a time until it has a cumulative card value of at least 17 and not exceeding 21.

Where both the player hand and the dealer hand have their cumulative card values exceeding 21 the hand having a value closest to 21 may be declared the winning hand or alternatively a tie may be declared.

The card game may be played at a game table or on an electronic medium including an interactive video and/or audio medium such as a television network, a computer network and any other suitable communications network.

Preferably said computer network is the Internet or an intranet of networked computers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order that the present invention can be readily understood and put into practical effect the description will now refer to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the present invention and wherein:- Figure 1 shows a layout of a surface for a dealer "Blackjack" game as an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a dealer "Blackjack" playing surface 10 for the dealer blackjack game according to an embodiment of the present invention. The surface 10 is semi-circular shaped and has a curved side 12 and a straight side 14.

The surface 10 includes seven sectors 16 of betting areas. Each sector 16 has player "Blackjack" betting zone 18, a player betting zone 20, a dealer "Blackjack" playing zone 22, a dealer betting zone 24 ahd a tie betting zone 26.

The surface 10 also has a playing card area 28 and a dealer card area as shown in Figure 1.

A set of token boxes 32 is provided adjacent to the side 14. A shoe box 34 for cards is also provided. In this embodiment the game can be played with six to eight full decks of cards.

WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 4 In this example the tie zones 26 are allocated the odd of four to one (4:1) and the "Blackjack" zones 18, 22 nine to one Both the player betting zones and the dealer betting zones 24 are paid even money. As usual, house commission of about 5 will be deducted from some or all of the winning bets.

The game has two hands, the player's and the dealer's. These are community hands" for all participants who can place bets on any betting zones of the player or the dealer. That means a player simply bets against the cards and not playing against other players or the house.

In this game the values for the cards are the same for normal blackjack games. That is, the values of the numbered cards are as indicated on the cards and the picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are counted as 10. Ace cards can be counted as 1 or 11.

In use, players can place bets on any of the zones 18 to 26 in any of the sectors 16. Accordingly, the players need to consider only how much to bet and whether to bet on the player or the dealer to win, and/or to opt for a tie hand, blackjack for the player or blackjack for the dealer.

When all the bets are placed a dealer retrieves a card from the shoe box 32 for each of the player area 28 and the dealer area 30. A second card is also retrieved and placed on the player area 28.

If the player's hand has a cumulative value of 16 or less the dealer continues to draw a card to the player's hand until the total score is 17 or more.

If the player's hand has a cumulative value of 17 or more the player's hand must stand. The player is declared "bust" when his hand has a cumulative value higher than 21.

In one example, when the player's hand busts the dealer is declared the winner. In an alternative example when the player's hand busts the dealer hand must draw a card if it is 16 or less. The dealer is declared a winner only when his hand has a cumulative value of 16 or more and does not exceed 21.

In both examples, the hand closest to 21 wins and a tie occurs when both hands have the same value.

In said alternative example, if both hands bust the hand closest to 21 wins.

WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 Blackjack is the paramount hand in this embodiment of the invention.

Blackjack occurs when a hand has an ace card and a picture or a 10 card in the first two cards dealt to the hand.

A tie occurs when both the dealer hand and the player hand blackjacks or the same cumulative values.

When a tie occurs only bets on the tie zones 26 win. All other bets are a draw or a "stand off" i.e. neither a win nor a loss.

In this embodiment of the invention the "insurance" play as is generally known in the normal Blackjack game is not provided for.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A card game for a dealer and at least one imaginary or real player receiving cards from the dealer, the game comprising a playing surface having at least two sides, one or more designated player betting zones along one side of the surface, where participants can bet on the player winning, one or more designated dealer betting zones along an opposite side of the surface where the participants can bet on the dealer winning, and one or more further betting zones associated with respective player and dealer betting zones, the or each said further betting zones being designated for a prenominated or paramount winning hand for participants to place bets thereon, and in use one or each participant places a bet on one or more of the betting zones and a dealer deals from one or more packs of cards cards for the player and the dealer in a manner according to card game rules, on completion of a hand participants are paid according to winning bets made and according to the game rules.

2. The card game according to claim 1 wherein the surface has one or more tie zones for participants to place bets thereon so that a winning bet takes place when the dealer hand and the player hand are tied.

3. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 2 wherein said further betting zones including one or more prenominated or paramount winning zones for the dealer and one or more prenominated or paramount winning zones for the player.

4. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the prenominated winning hand is "Blackjack" in the game of that name.

5. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the playing surface is divided into sectors and each sector has one player betting zone, one dealer betting zone and a prenominated or paramount winning hand betting zone associated with each said player betting zone and dealer betting zone.

6. The card game according to claim 5 wherein each said sector has one or more tie zones.

7. The card game according to claim 5 or 6 wherein a predetermined odd is allocated to each said tie zone and/or each said prenominated or paramount winning hand betting zones. PCT/AU99/00357 Received 24 May 2000 7

8. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the surface has a player card position and a dealer card position, and the cards for the player hand and the dealer hand are respectively placed in the player card position and the dealer card position.

9. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the cards including one or more sets of numbered cards, one or more sets of picture cards and at least one set of "Ace" cards, and each numbered card having a value from 2 to 10, each picture card being designated the value of 10, and each "Ace" card being selectively counted as the value of 1 or 11.

10. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein for the game rules a bet on one of the player betting zones or on one of the dealer betting zones is a winning bet when the player hand or the dealer hand has a cumulative card values closest to 21 or has a Blackjack; and a bet on one of said further betting zones associated with the player betting zones or the dealer zones is a winning bet when the player hand or the dealer hand has said prenominated or paramount winning hand.

11. The card game according to claim 10 wherein a card is given to each said player hand and the dealer hand and the player hand must draw a card when its card value or cumulative card value is under 17; when the player hand having a Blackjack hand the player hand is either immediately declared a winning hand, or is declared a winning hand only if the dealer hand does not have a Blackjack hand; when the player hand having a cumulative card value exceeding 21 the dealer hand is either immediately declared a winning hand, or is required to draw a card at a time until having a cumulative card value of at least 17 and not exceeding 21.

12. The card game according to claim 10 or 11 wherein where both the player hand and the dealer hand have respectively cumulative card values exceeding 21 the hand having a value closest to 21 is declared the winning hand or alternatively a tie is declared.

13. The card game according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the game is played at a game table or on an electronic medium including an interactive a AMENDED SHEET IPENA/AU WO 99/58211 PCT/AU99/00357 8 video and/or audio medium such as a television network, a computer network and any other suitable communications network.

14. The card game according to claim 13 wherein said computer network is the Internet or an intranet of networked computers.