EP0119010A1

EP0119010A1 - Casino game

Info

Publication number: EP0119010A1
Application number: EP19840300834
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lionel Vivian Ollington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-02-10
Filing date: 1984-02-09
Publication date: 1984-09-19
Also published as: PT78084B; PT78084A

Abstract

in a casino game of two-up or the like in which a person, known as the spinner, spins two coins whilst standing in a ring (10), the total number of players is restricted and the players purchase their position in the ring by making a time-based payment, the house making no charge other than this payment. The game also includes a possibility that players bet against the house and the return to the players is based on betting that the spun coins will fall so that either two heads ortwo tails will be uppermost or, alternatively, not only on two heads and two tails being uppermost but also on mixed heads and tails; in either case the odds are adjusted so that over a period the house received a predetermined percentage of the total amount wagered. Above the ring (10) there is an obstruction such as a mesh (12) which, when struck by the coins, causes them to spin.

Description

This invention relates to a casino game and, in particular, to a casino adaptation of the game commonly called "two-up".
The object of the game two-up is for a spinner to spin two coins so they both land with a "head" uppermost and the spinner enters a bet which is covered by one of the other players. Other participants, and the spinner, can also enter side bets against each other on whether the coins will fall "heads" or "tails". In this game, if one coin falls heads and the other tails, known as "one of each", there is no result and the coins are re-spun. Whilst in this specification I shall refer to coins having heads or tails, it is to be understood that any flat token, preferably circular in shape, having differentiable markings on opposite sides can be used.
During the period whilst he is spinning, the spinner can, before each spin, withdraw some of the money which is held by the house.
In this conventional game, where a spinner spins three heads in a row, the house takes 10% of all money bet on the particular spin.
There have been proposed modifications of this game, for example that used in Australian casinos, where the spinner must spin three heads consecutively, or spaced by mixed heads and tails, before he can withdraw any of the money won. In this game, if mixed heads and tails are spun five times consecutively, all money in the ring is lost.
Both of these games have disadvantages as far as the players and the appropriate licensing authorities are concerned, the disadvantage in the first game being that it is necessary for the house commission to be taken from bets standing in the ring and the second, which is basically a disadvantage to the players, is that the whole of their bets can be lost on an unsuccessful run of mixed heads and tails.
A further disadvantage is that, in order for the game to maintain the attention of the players and to be exciting, it is necessary that the coins, which are thrown from a "kip", a flat piece of board held in the spinner's hand, should spin satisfactorily so the result is in doubt when the coins strike the floor of the ring. To do this takes a skill which is often not possessed by a novice.
It is the principal object of the invention to provide modified forms of two-up which are particularly suitable for casinos, in which the house commission is achieved simply and without inconvenience to the players.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a ring in which the coins are constrained to spin satisfactorily.
It is a third aspect to provide a ring where, provided the coins land within the bounds of the ring, they are assured of adopting a configuration of one face being upwardly directed.
In the first form of game the number of players in a ring is restricted to a predetermined number and they purchase their position in the ring by making a time based payment. Once in the ring, they can bet against each other or against the house.
In the modified form of game which is played against the house the return to the players is based on betting that either two heads or two tails will be uppermost or, alternatively, not only on two heads or two tails, but also on mixed heads and tails. In another case, the odds are adjusted so that the house receives, over a period, a percentage of the total amount wagered.
The invention also includes a casino game of two-up comprising a ring within which a spinner stands and outside which the other players are located and an obstruction located above at least portion of the ring, which obstruction is adapted to be struck by the coins to be thrown by the spinner to ensure that these are caused to spin.
In this form it is preferred that the junction between the wall forming the boundary of the ring and the floor thereof is in the form of a continuous curve to ensure that any coin striking this junction is moved towards the centre of the ring.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, particular forms of the invention will be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view of a first form;
Fig. 2 is a view of a second form;
Fig. 3 is a view of a third form;
Fig. 4 is a view of a fourth form; and
Fig. 5 is a broken view of a form of the junction between the ring and the wall bounding the ring.

I shall refer firstly to the form of ring illustrated in Fig. 1.
The ring 10 must be of such a size as to provide freedom of movement of the spinner, the player who is spinning the coins, and the assistant or assistants who are running the game. It must also be of such a size as to permit coins spun into the air to land freely within the ring, even if they are not spun directly upwardly.
Also, the size of the ring determines the number of other players which can be located close to its periphery to be able to satisfactorily watch the game.
It is to be understood that the players do not need to be directly adjacent the periphery of the ring, although this is preferable.
Referring to Fig. 1, the ring 10 is substantially circular, but could be of any other required shape, and is surrounded by a viewing space 11 in which players can either stand or be seated.
Located above the ring there is a mesh 12, which is preferably a taut wire mesh having a mesh spacing of, say, 5 cm the spacing being sufficient to permit relatively easy passage of the coins being used, which may be approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, but of such a size that there is a high likelihood that the coins will strike portion of the mesh, either on their passage up or down through the mesh, to thereby impart a spin to the coins.
The coins are placed on a kip 13, which is a relatively flat piece of wood or other material, and an experienced spinner can, by twisting his wrist at the time of throwing the coins, cause them to spin through the air but a novice or unskilled spinner often finds that the coins float so that they spin little, if at all.
By providing the mesh 12, I ensure that the coins, after striking the mesh when passing through in either direction, spin satisfactorily so that it is not possible to anticipate how the coins will land when they strike the floor of the ring 10.
If, as may happen, a coin becomes lodged on the upper surface of the mesh 12, a rule may be made that the coin can be dislodged, say by striking the mesh with ball or the like, and that the coin, after falling to the ground can either, by definition, complete the spin or cause a no-spin so that the spin is to be repeated. In practice, I have found there is little tendancy for the coins to be retained in the mesh.
In a modified form of the ring, shown in Fig. 2, instead of the mesh 12, I provide an outwardly flared conical member 14, the centre of which lies above the centre of the ring.
This member may be made of a hard material or of a fabric which is drawn relatively taut so that, on their passage, the coins tend to strike this member obliquely and this will ensure that a spin is given to the coins.
In a second modified form, illustrated in Fig. 3, there is an open flared conical member 15, the centre of which lies above the centre of the ring. In this embodiment the coins are thrown to the inner surface of the cone and, on striking this obliquely, they are caused to spin.
A still further modified form is illustrated in Fig. 4.
This form, to a certain extent, can be considered a combination of the forms of Figs. 1 and 3.
In this case, the mesh 12 is placed over the open mouth of a canopy 16 or the like which is mounted above the ring.
This arrangement has advantages over the version shown in Fig. 1 in that the mesh 12 is kept under the required tension at all times and it is relatively simple to remove the canopy 16 together with the mesh and to replace this where required.
In the embodiment of Fig. 1 there can be difficulties in properly locating the mesh and maintaining it sufficiently taut.
Also, whilst the sides of the canopy 16 are inwardly sloping, these tend to deflect inwardly coins which pass through the mesh 12 and strike the sides, so the coins leave the mesh somewhat towards the centre thereof.
It has been found in use that this embodiment of the invention is very satisfactory and, because of its arrangement, it can be made to be aesthetically pleasing as well, as previously explained, as being portable.
In a further alternative, instead of using a mesh, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, I may use parallel cords or wires. Preferably I use cords or wires in two spaced planes, with the wires in one plane being offset relative to those in the other. This overcomes any likelihood of a coin being caught on cross wires but still effectively ensures that.the coins will strike at least one of the wires whilst moving into and out of the canopy.
Also, although not illustrated, it is possible to provide lighting within the canopy and this, again, aids in the appearance of the canopy.
Whilst in the embodiments of the Figures I have shown particular forms of obstructions which can cause the coins to spin, it is to be understood that these are purely exemplary.
In a modified form of ring, I prefer that the wall 30 which separates the players from the playing surface of the ring 10 is continuous and may be provided with a gate or the like through which the spinner and the other officials of the game may pass. This is to ensure that the coins are kept within the bounds of the ring as defined by the wall 30.
Rather than have the junction between the wall and the ring as a discontinuity, I prefer to provide an inwardly directed, curved lower edge 31 to the wall so that, should the coins strike adjacent the wall, they land on this curved surface which tends to move the coins back towards the centre of the ring and ensures that, at no time, can coins be caught at a discontinuity and cause a throw to be a nulity.
As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, I show one side of a circular ring, and as a practical matter a circular ring is very satisfactory. However, this is no reason why, if required, a square, rectangular or other shaped ring could not be used and, preferably, in each such case, we can provide a curved inner surface, such as surface 31.
In the first form of game I would anticipate providing, say, fifty chairs for players about the ring and with the spinner being a person from one of the chairs.
Each player would pay a predetermined amount for the occupancy of a chair for a particular time and this one-off payment would provide the whole payment to the house.
The game can then be played in a completely conventional manner with the spinner receiving the normal odds of even money if he spins heads and losing should he spin tains.
A mixed spin of one of each leaves the status quo and a further spin is effected.
As far as side bets are concerned, these are made between the various players, including the spinner, if he so requires, or between the players and the house.
The only differences from the conventional game is that the game is not disrupted after three consecutive spins of heads, as the house does not take commission in this way.
Normally, the rules are that the spinner is spinning for heads and, wherther he is betting on heads or tails, the spinner remains spinning until he spins tails.
It will be seen that, if the cost to join the game was, say, $20.00 per hour and there were fifty players, the house's commission would be $1,000.00 per hour, or some $8.75 million per year if the game were played at full capacity, twenty-four hours per day.
In the second form of modification the game is played against the house and is arranged for the house to pay on either two heads or two tails being spun or on two heads or on two tails or one of each being spun.
In this form of game the odds are arranged to ensure that, over a period, the house receives a percentage of the monies bet.
If the betting is on only heads or tails, the house payout would normally be 9:10, over a period a house take of 10%. The odds can be varied as required. This form of game can add to the suspense as, each time one of each is thrown, there are no successful, or no losing, bettors.
In one particular form where a payout can be made on heads, tails or mixed spin, the arrangement can be a 2:1 payout for players correctly selecting heads or tails and a 4:6 payout for those correctly selecting one of each.
On such an arrangement, in the long term, the house's take would be approximately 25% and there would, again, be no other house commission paid.
In such forms of game the amount received by the house would not be as predictable as in the first form, but it would, nevertheless, provide a satisfactory game for players and, again, would avoid any disruption through the necessity of taking a house percentage after predetermined events or at predetermined times.
In this form of the game it would be possible to provide, from the house commission, a certain percentage for a jackpot. This jackpot could be payable on a certain, rare, combination of spins, such as, for example, seven heads in a row. As the jackpot mounts, it will be appreciated that the players will be drawn to play the game with the hope that they could succeed in winning the jackpot.
It will be understood that certain modifications can be made in these new variations of the game, particularly in the odds offered, provided such modifications are such as to permit the game to be readily controlled without disruption, whilst, at the same time, giving a pleasurable game to the players.

Claims

1. A casino game of two-up in which a person, the spinner, spins two coins by throwing them into the air in an attempt to cause them to land with the same, designated, face up, the spinner entering a bet which is covered by another player and the other players making side bets, as desired, the bets being that on landing each coin will have the same face directed upwardly, any spin which terminates with different faces directed upwardly being a nullity, bets being laid after each spin, the spinner continuing to spin the coins until they each land with the non-designated face up, characterised in that the number of players in the game is restricted and each player obtains and maintains his position by making a time-based payment to the house.

2. A game as claimed in claim l,wherein the bets are even money bets.

3. A casino game of two-up in which a person, the spinner, spins two coins, by throwing them into the air in an attempt to cause them to land with the same, designated, face up, the spinner entering a bet against the house and the other players making bets against the house, as desired, the bets being that on landing each coin will have the same face directed upwardly bets being laid after each spin where a result is achieved, the spinner continuing to spin the coins until they each land with the non-designated face up, characterised in that wherein when each coin has the same designated face directed upwardly the bets are paid at odds, which give a house commission.

4. A game as claimed in claim 3_fwherein the odds paid to a winning bettor are 9:10.

5. A game as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4,wherein portion of the retained bets is placed in a jackpot to be won by the spinner throwing the designated faces upwardly a predetermined number of times.

6. A casino game of two-up in which a person, the spinner, spins two coins, by throwing them into the air in an attempt to cause them to land with the same, designated, face up, the spinner entering a bet against the house and the other players making bets against the house, as desired, the bets being that on landing each coin will have the same face directed upwardly or different faces directed upwardly, bets being laid after each spin, the spinner continuing to spin the coins until they each land with the non-designated face up, characterised in that wherein when each coin has the same designated face directed upwardly the bets are paid at a first odds, and wherein when different faces are designated and are directed upwardly the bets are paid at second, lesser, odds.

7. A game as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pay-out on coins having the same face directed upwardly is 2:1 and on coins having different faces directed upwardly is 4:6.

8. A game as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein portion of the retained bets is placed in a jackpot to be won by the spinner throwing the designated faces upwardly a predetermined number of times.

9. A casino game of two-up comprising a ring within which a spinner stands and outside which the other players are located and an obstruction located above at least portion of the ring which obstruction is adapted to be struck by the coins to be thrown by the spinner to ensure that these are caused to spin.

10. A game as claimed in claim 9, wherein the obstruction is in the form of a mesh having apertures therethrough which are of a sufficient size to pass the coins but of a size so that the coins will strike the edges of the mesh, either when passing upwardly or downwardly therethrough, to ensure that the coins are caused to spin.

11. A game as claimed in claim 9,wherein the obstruction is in the form of spaced parallel cords or wires.

12. A game as claimed in claim 11, wherein there are cords or wires in at least two spaced planes, the cords or wires in one plane being offset relative to those in the other.

13. A game as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mesh is located over the face of a canopy which is located above the ring.

14. A game as claimed in either claim 11 or claim 12,wherein the cords or wires are located over the face of a canopy which is located above the ring.

15. A game as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the canopy has sloping sides which can be struck by a coin which passes through the mesh, or cords or wires, adjacent the edge thereof and which tends to deflect the coin towards the centre of the canopy.

16. A game as claimed in claim 6, wherein the obstruction is of a form such that the coins will strike the obstruction at an angle to ensure that the coins are caused to spin.

17. A game as claimed in claim 16,wherein the obstruction is in the form of a member having its side(s) directed outwardly from a central position, which sides present an angle to coins striking thereon.

18. A game according to claim 16, wherein the obstruction is in the form of an open bottomed member, the side(s) of which are inwardly sloping, which sides present an angle to coins striking thereon.

19. For a casino game of two-up, a member adapted to be mounted above at least portion of the ring and which is adapted, when struck by the coins thrown by the spinner, to cause these to spin.

20. A member as claimed in claim 19, comprising a mesh or a series of spaced parallel cords or wires.

21. A member as claimed in claim 20,wherein the mesh or cords or wires are located over the open downwardly directed face of a canopy.

22. A member as claimed in either claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the cords or wires are in two spaced planes, the cords or wires in one plane being offset relative to those on the other plane.

23. A member as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22,wherein the canopy has internally sloping sides.

24. A member as claimed in claim 19 which is in the form of an open bottomed canopy, the sides of which are inwardly sloping and which sides present an angle to coins striking thereon.

25. A member as claimed in claim 18 having its side(s) directed outwardly from a central position, which sides present an angle to coins striking thereon.

26. A casino game as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein the ring is defined, at least in part, by a wall which forms the boundary thereof and wherein