GB2202157A - Card games - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a game based on the game of snooker includes cards indicative of the potting of red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and cards indicative of a foul stroke. The foul stroke cards may indicate fouls on the various colours, and the deck may include at least one "free ball" card, a miscue card, and total 52 cards. The game may be played by shuffling the deck and drawing cards in turn to indicate the course of play each player continues the 'break' provided red-colour card sequence is maintained. Apparatus includes scoring device e.g. conventional cribbage board. <IMAGE>

Description

CARD GAMES This invention relates to card games, and in particular, to a card game based upon the game of snooker.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a deck of cards for playing a game based on the game of snooker, the deck including: cards indicative of the potting of, respectively, red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and cards indicative of a foul stroke.

The cards indicative of the playing of foul stroke preferably include cards indicative of the occurrence of fouls on, respectively, the red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and the deck may also preferably include at least one card indicating that a "free ball" has been awarded, and that the player drawing that card may choose to nominate the free ball card representing any desired colour.

Each card preferably includes an indication of the number of points associated with it, e.g. the cards indicative of the potting of the red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black cards may include respectively an indication of the scoring 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 points.

In addition, the deck may also include cards indicating the occurrence of a snooker, and may preferably include cards indicating the occurrence of a snooker on, respectively, the red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and the associated number of penalty points to be awarded. Additional cards may be incorporated in the deck to indicate that no score has been achieved by a particular player in a given break.

Apparatus for playing a game may include a deck as defined above, an associated list of rules, and, if desired, scoring means, for example a board provided with holes, and pegs to be accommodated in the holes, thereby to indicate the score achieved.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show a possible design for a pack of cards in accordance with the invention.

As can be seen in the drawing, eight varieties of "pot" cards are provided, so as to provide 24 "pot red" cards, 2 "pot yellow" cards, 3 "pot green" cards, 2 "pot brown" cards, 3 "pot blue" cards, 2 "pot pink" cards, 3 "pot black" cards, and 1 "pot two reds" card.

Each card carries a depiction of one or two snooker balls of the appropriate colour, and an indication of the appropriate score.

In addition 3 free ball cards are provided, 1 "miscue" card, one each corresponding to snookers on the green, blue or black ball, and one each corresponding to foul strokes on the yellow, brown or pink balls. In each case, the card depicts a snooker ball of the colour concerned, and indicates the appropriate penalty.

It is desirable that the total number of the cards in the pack should be 52, to enable packs to be produced by conventional machines designed to produce ordinary playing cards.

A game may be played in accordance with the deck of cards of the invention, as follows: 1. The deck is shuffled, and placed face downwards on the table or other playing surface.

2. A player is nominated to play first, for example by the toss of a coin, or other suitable means.

3. Each player draws a card in turn from the deck, and examines the card to see whether he can "play" it or not (i.e. place it face upwards in front of him on the playing surface). Balls are "potted" by playing the corresponding card.

If it is the first card drawn by that player in that turn (or "break"), he can play the card drawn only if it represents the potting of a red ball, or of two red balls. If the card represents the potting of a colour (i.e. a ball other than a red), it can be played only if the player has "potted" a red in a preceding stroke and the corresponding red card has not been necessary.

If the ball can be "played", the card, if a red, is played face upwards on the table, and the player takes another card from the deck. If the card is a colour he may place it over an exposed red, score the appropriate value, and continue the "break" by drawing further cards provided the sequence red-colour is maintained. A "free ball" may be used as any colour but may not be subsequently changed to another. At no time may two reds be exposed. The "break continues for as long as the player can play a red and a colour alternately, as in the game of snooker.

4. The player continues his turn (or "break") until (a) a red or colour card is drawn but cannot be potted, (b) the pack is exhausted, or (c) a foul is drawn. If a foul stroke card is drawn, it must be exposed immediately, passed to the non-striker and the appropriate penalty credited to the non-striker. At the end of each turn (or "break") player scores the total of the balls potted in that "break", and indicates this on the scoring device (which may conveniently be a conventional cribbage board). The turn then passes to the next player.

The frame ends either when either player has "potted" each of the six colours (not necessarily in the correct order) or when the deck is exhausted.

5. A player may keep in his hand any card which he is unable to play immediately, for example a "red" card, drawn immediately after a red has been potted or a "colour" card which is drawn before a "red" has been potted. Such cards may be played at any time subsequently, in preference to the card drawn by the player from the deck. The exception to this is any "foul stroke" card, which must be played immediately.

At the end of each frame each player's score can be arrived at by adding the points on the cards placed upwards on the table including the value of forfeit cards passed to him by his opponent during the play.

Cards in hand after the last break has been completed do not count.

The rules indicated above are one example of rules in accordance with which the game may be played.

Alternative rules may however provide that a player can hold no more than a given number of cards in his hands at any one time, for example that he can hold no more than three cards at any one time. Any cards held in excess of three may then be placed either face up, or face down (depending on the particular variations of the rules selected by the players) on the playing surface. Cards thus discarded may then be recycled, when the initial deck of cards has been exhausted.

Thus, the game can continue beyond a single use of each of the cards in the deck.

It will of course be appreciated that a wide range of other variations in rules can be implemented, using the deck in accordance with the invention.

Claims (7)

1. A deck of cards for playing a game based on the game of snooker, the deck including: cards indicative of the potting, of respectively, red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and cards indicative of a foul stroke.

2. A deck of cards as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cards indicative of the playing of a foul stroke include cards indicative of the occurence of fouls on respectively, the red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls.

3. A deck of cards as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the deck includes at least one card indicating that "a free ball" has been awarded.

4. A deck of cards as claimed in any one of the preceeding Claims, wherein each card has assoicated with it an indication of the number of points associated with it.

5. A deck of cards as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including at least one card indicative of the occurence of a snooker.

6. A deck of cards as claimed in Claim 5, including cards indicating the occurence of a snooker on, respectively, the red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls, and the associated number of penalty points to be awarded.

7. Apparatus for playing the game, including a deck of cards as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims, together with a board having holes to receive pegs to indicate the score achieved.