GB2191410A

GB2191410A - Board game

Info

Publication number: GB2191410A
Application number: GB08614223A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur George Cover
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-11
Filing date: 1986-06-11
Publication date: 1987-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2006-06-11
Also published as: GB8614223D0; GB2191410B

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a board game simulating a game of snooker comprises:- (a) a board marked to depict the playing surface of a snooker table, the playing surface being divided into a number of regions which are sub- divided into sub-regions, (b) a cue ball counter, (c) a plurality of red ball counters, (d) a set of coloured ball counters, (e) a random region selector, (f) a random sub-region selector, (g) a random success indicator, the selectors and indicator being dice, each of which has more than six sides. The apparatus may also comprise a "snooker" success indicator and a random indicator to determine the outcome of the initial break. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Board game Field of the Invention The invention relates to apparatus for playing a board game, for simulating a game of snooker.

Snooker has become increasingly popular in the past few years with the ever increasing televising of the world class tournaments. With this increasing popularity has come an increasing demand for games and toys reflecting the theme of the game.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for playing a board game for simulating a game of snooker comprising: a board marked to depict the playing surface of a snooker table, the playing surface of the board being marked with a plurality of dividing lines to divide the total playing surface area into a number of regions, each region being subdivided into a number of sub-regions, the number of sub-regions in each region being equal to the number of sub-regions in each other region; a cue ball counter marked with indicia to represent a cue ball in snooker; a plurality of red ball counters, each marked with indicia to represent the red ball in snooker; a set of coloured ball counters, each counter marked with indicia to represent a particular coloured ball of the snooker game;; A first random region selector arranged to give at least a number of different possible region outcomes equal to the number of regions on the board; A second random sub-region selector arranged to give at least a number of different possible sub-region.outcomes equal to the number of sub-regions in a region; each region being marked with indicia to correspond to an outcome of the random region selector and in which each region is marked with different indicia;; each sub-region being marked with indicia to correspond to an outcome of the random subregion selector, such that no sub-regions in one region bear the same indicia but each region includes a sub-region corresponding to each sub-region outcome of the random sub-region selector, the apparatus also including a random success indicator arranged to produce at least three outcomes, the first representing a pot of a ball, the second representing the hit of a ball and the third representing a miss of the ball;; the apparatus being adapted to be played in accordance with a set of rules which specify the circumstances in which a player may choose a coloured ball counter or red ball counter to aim for at a particular stage in the game, and specifies that operation of the random success indicator gives the result of whether the outcome simulates that the ball is due to have been potted, hit or missed, and operation of the random region selector and random sub-region selector together gives the exact position on the board to which the cue ball counter should be moved.

Preferably the apparatus is played in accordance with a set of rules which corresponds as closely as possible to all the rules of snooker. For instance, each player will continue aiming for counters on the board until he has failed to pot in a particular go, whereupon the next player will start his turn.

Preferably each of the random selectors, ie. the random region selector, the random sub-region selector and the random success indicator are dice. More preferably the number of regions is greater than six and the number of sub-regions in each region is greater than six, such that the region die is a non standard die with more than six faces and the sub-region die is also non standard and has more than six faces. More preferably the number of sub-regions is not equal to the number of regions so that the region die is a different geometrical shape to the subregion die.

Preferably the random success indicator is also a die which is non standard with more than six faces. Preferably the success die is a twelve sided die with some of the faces marked with the word "pot", some of the faces being marked with the word "hit" and some of the faces marked with the word "miss".

The regions may be marked with any sort of indicia to differentiate them from the other regions, for example by colour or by letter with the corresponding face of the region die being marked with the same indicia. However, it is preferred that each of the regions bears a number which corresponds to a number on a die.

Preferably the number of regions is equal to eighteen. Preferably the number of faces of the region die is twenty with the first eighteen sides being marked with the numbers 1-18 and with the extra two faces being marked with the words "in, off". Preferably the game is played in accordance with rules which specify that if, when throwing the region die, one of the "in, off" faces is selected, the cue ball counter is deemed to have been put in the pocket and the result is similar to that in a real snooker game. Thus, the player who pockets the white ball has four points taken off his score and his opponent may place the cue ball counter anywhere in the 'D' marked on the board for his next turn.

Preferably the number of sub-regions in each region is equal to twelve and each sub-region is marked with a number from 1-12. Thus, the sub-region die is a twelve face die.

Preferably the apparatus also includes an auxiliary snooker success indicator. This is used to indicate the success of a player when he aims for a ball when he is in a "snooker". Preferably the rules of the game specify that the player is deemed to be in a "snooker" when there is no straight line unobscured from the cue ball counter to the coloured ball or red ball counter for which he is aiming. Preferably the snooker success indicator is also in the form of a die marked with faces including the words "pot", "hit" and "miss". Preferably the snooker success indicator has less faces marked with the word "pot" than the standard success indicator die so that the odds of achieving a successful pot in a snooker are much less than in a standard go similar to a real game of snooker.

It is preferred that the snooker success die is clearly distinguishable from the standard success die and preferably it is a die having a different number of faces than the standard success indicating die, conveniently ten faces.

In order to simulate the start of a game, ie. "the break" it is preferred that the game also includes a random break selector. Preferably this is in the form of a die which is a standard six sided die marked with the numbers 1-6, in conjunction with a card being marked with the numbers 1-6 and for each number a map of a possible outcome of a break such that for each throw of the die, a different pattern of counters on the board is selected.

Preferably the rules specify that more than one ball can be placed in a sub-region in a region at one time.

The counters may merely be coloured discs for placing on a board but due to the fact that there are so many counters that need to be kept in accurate position during the game, it is preferred that the board and counters include means to hold the counters firmly in position. The board may include a series of bores in each sub-region with the counters each incorporating a peg for inserting into a bore to hold it in position on the board. Alternatively, the board may be made of a thick spongy material into which pins on the counters may be stuck.

Alternatively, the board may be metallic with each of the counters being magnetic to hold them firmly in position on the board.

Brief Description of the Drawing An example of apparatus for playing a board game in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the board; Figure 2 is a plan view of the board showing a possible first move of the game; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the counters of the game; and, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the dice used in the game.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Apparatus for playing a board game to simulate a game of snooker comprises a board 101 as shown in Fig. 1. The board is marked to depict the playing surface of a snooker table with six pockets 103 and lines 105 marked on the board. Also the spots 107 for the black ball, 109 for the pink ball, 111 for the blue ball, 113 for the yellow ball, 115 for the green ball, and 117 for the brown ball are all clearly marked to indicate the required positions of the counters.

The playing surface of the board has marked upon it a series of lines 1 19 to divide the total playing surface into a plurality of regions 121. The board is divided up into eighteen regions 121. Each region 121 is subdivided into twelve sub-regions 123 with the number of sub-regions in each region being equal.

The apparatus also includes a cue ball counter which is as shown in Fig. 3 a pin having a spherical head. The cue ball counter as a spherical head coloured white so that it represents the white cue ball in snooker. The apparatus also includes 15 red ball counters similar to the white cue ball counter but having a red spherical top. The game is also played with a set of coloured ball counters and a set of pins with spherical heads coloured respectively yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black. The game is also played with a first random region selector arranged to give at least a number of different possible region outcomes equal to the number of regions on the board. The random region selector is a die having twenty faces. The first eighteen faces are marked with the numbers 1-18, the remaining two faces being marked with the words IN/OFF.

A second random sub-region selector is arranged to give at least a number of different possible sub-region outcomes equal to the number of sub-regions in a region and comprises a twelve sided die marked with the numbers 1-12.

Also included in the apparatus is a random success indicator which comprises a further twelve sided die with some of its faces marked with the word POT, some marked with the word HIT and some marked with the word MISS.

Each region 121 on the board is marked with a number 1 to 18 to correspond to an outcome of the random region selector. Each sub-region 123 is marked with a number 1-12 to correspond to an outcome of the random sub-region selector. No sub-region 123 in the same region 121 bears the same indicia but each region 121 includes a sub-region corresponding to each sub-region outcome of the sub-region selector.

The apparatus in this case also includes a second snooker success indicator which comprises a ten sided die marked with faces including the words POT, HIT and MISS but in which the odds of achieving a successful pot are considerably less than the odds of achieving a pot when throwing the first random success die. The apparatus also includes a standard die with six sides marked with the numbers 1-6 for use in determining the type of "break".

The game is played in accordance with a set of rules which are as close as possible to the game of snooker. To start the game both players playing the game throw the standard die and the player who achieves the lowest score starts the game. He then re-throws the standard die and then consults the set of rules which includes a card marked with a list of possible outcomes of a break corresponding to each outcome of the die and the player then arranges the counters on the board in accordance with these instructions.The possible outcomes are as follows:

Positions Number of balls Throw of die Balls Region Subregion in position Reds 14 3 14 8 14 10 14 11 3 13 12 17 2 3 17 6 17 4 2 16 3 18 9 Cue 3 9 Yellow Green Brown Unchanged Black Pink Black 17 9

2. Reds 9 5 13 8 14 8 14 10 14 9 3 17 1 17 2 17 3 17 4 17 12 16 3 18 1 18 2 Cue 2 5 Yellow Green Brown Unchanged Pink Blue 8 12 Black 18 7 3. Reds 1 6 11 3 14 8 3 14 10 14 17 14 12 17 5 17 3 2 15 7 15 6 15 9 18 2

Cue 2 9 Green Brown Unchanged Blue Unchanged Black Yellow 1 9 Pink 13 3 4. Reds 13 11 14 11 4 14 7 16 5 16 12 17 3 17 4 17 6 17 7 18 9 18 10 18 12 Cue 5 3 Yellow Green Brown Unchanged Pink Black Blue 12 1 5. Reds 2 4 6 4 7 5 10 3 12 6

13 2 13 6 14 7 14 11 2 16 5 16 9 17 3 18 1 18 4 Cue 11 2 Yellow Brown Unchanged Blue Blue Pink Black Green 2 9 6. Reds 7 12 8 6 14 5 14 7 14 9 14 11 16 12 16 9 2 17 2 17 3 17 4 18 7 3 Cue 8 10 Yellow Green Unchanged Brown

Blue Pink Unchanged Black 17 7 For instance if the first player threw a 1 on the die he would consult the table and arrange the counters on the board as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 the red ball counters 125 are represented by shaded circles, the cue ball counter 127 is represented by a circle with a cross in it and the coloured ball counters are represented by unfilled circles 129.Once the counters have been arranged in this way the conventional die can be discarded for play to start.

As in the full-sized game of snooker a player must first try to pot a red ball before being able to pot a coloured ball. The points that he achieves for hitting a ball are the same as in snooker, ie.

Red 1 Yellow 2 Green 3 Brown 4 Blue 5 Pink 6 Black 7 A player continues his turn until he has failed to pot a counter In order to attempt to pot a ball a player must first indicate which ball he is going to aim for.

There must be an unobscured line extending from the cue ball to the ball for which he is aiming.

For instance, in Fig. 2 the player could aim for the red ball 131 but this aim at the blue ball 133 is obscured by the brown ball 135. In some cases the player has to aim for an obscured ball but in the case it is deemed to be a "snooker" which will be discussed later.

In order to find out whether the player successfully pots a ball, he must throw three dice together. These three dice are the standard success indicator, the region selector die and the sub-region selector die. If the success indicator indicates a pot then the counter he was aiming for is removed from the board if it is a red ball counter. If it is a coloured ball counter the coloured ball is then replaced on its spot position and the cue ball is placed on the sub-region identified by the sub-regions selector die and region selector die.

If, however, the region selector die has selected an IN/OFF face then the white ball is deemed to have been removed from the board and four points are deducted from the player's score.

If a player throws a MISS with the success indicator the red or coloured ball counter remains where it is and the cue ball is moved in accordance with the region selector die and sub-region selector die.

If the success indicator indicates a HIT then the counter aimed for has also to be moved. The player himself can decide whether he moves the cue ball or the aimed ball to the position indicated by the first throw of the region selector die and sub-region selector die and he throws them again to find the position of the other ball.

Once all the red ball counters have been removed from the board the players must then remove the coloured ball counters from the board in the same order as is specified in the fullsized game of snooker, ie, in the order yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black.

If at any time during the game a player has to aim for a counter to which he does not have an unobscured line from the cue ball to the counter, he must instead of throwing the success indicator die with twelve sides, throw the snooker success indicator die which is the ten sided die where he has less chance of achieving a pot. The point system throughout is exactly as in the full size game of snooker.

The players can also play "Cannons" and "Plants". When playing a Cannon or a Plant the player must indicate the counter to be potted before rolling the dice. If a pot, the other counters used in the Plant or Cannon must be moved as follows: Plant: The counters remain where they are Cannon: The other counter must be moved to the position of the potted counter before it was potted. If a HIT is rolled only the counter indicated before the dice was rolled is re positioned as for a normai stroke.

Penalties similar to those in a full-sized game of snooker may be introduced into the rules.

For instance if a player 'misses' with a shot this is deemed to be a foul stroke. His opponent may make him play the shot again and incur a penalty.

In all foul strokes if the ball aimed for is a red, yellow, green or brown the penalty is 4 points, for blue 5 points, pink 6 points and for black 7 points.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a board game simulating a game of snooker, the apparatus comprising: a board marked to depict the playing surface of a snooker table, the playing surface of the board being marked with a plurality of dividing lines to divide the total playing surface area into a number of regions, each region being subdivided into a number of sub-regions, the number of sub-regions in each region being equal to the number of sub-regions in each other region; a cue ball counter marked with indicia to represent a cue ball in snooker; a plurality of red ball counters, each marked with indicia to represent the red balls in snooker; a set of coloured ball counters, each marked with indicia to represent a particular coloured ball of the snooker game;; a first random region selector arranged to give at least a number of possible region outcomes equal to the number of regions on the board; a second random sub-region selector arranged to give at least a number of different possible sub-region outcomes equal to the number of sub-regions in a region; each region being marked with indicia to correspond to an outcome of the random region selector and in which each region is marked with different indicia;; each sub-region being marked with indicia to correspond to an outcome of the random subregion selector, such that no sub-regions in one region bear the same indicia but each region includes a sub-region corresponding to each sub-region outcome of the random sub-region selector, the apparatus also including a random success indicator arranged to produce at least three outcomes, the first representing a pot of a ball, the second representing the hit of a ball and the third representing a miss of the ball;; the apparatus being adapted to be played in accordance with a set of rules which specify the circumstances in which a player may choose a coloured ball counter or red ball counter to aim for at a particular stage in the game, and specifies that operation of the random success indicator gives the result of whether the outcome simulates that the ball is due to have been potted, hit or missed, and operation of the random region selector and random sub-region selector together gives the exact position on the board to which the cue ball counter should be moved.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of rules corresponds as closely as possible to ail the rules of snooker and wherein, in particular, each player will continue aiming for counters on the board until he has failed to pot in a particular turn, whereupon the next player will start his turn.

3. Apparatus according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the random selectors are dice.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the number of regions is greater than six and the number of sub-regions in each region is also greater than six and the region and sub-region dice both have more than six faces.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the random success indicator is a die which has more than six faces.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an auxiliary snooker success indicator is provided.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a random break selector is provided.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the board and the counters include means for holding the counters firmly in position on the board.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the board is metallic and each of the counters is magnetic so that they are held firmly in position on the board.

10. Apparatus for playing a board game simulating a game of snooker, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.