GB2333719A - Snooker board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game simulating snooker comprises a board, which is marked out with a representation of a snooker table 14, a number of coloured playing pieces 16 representing snooker balls, and a set of cards indicating actions associated with the playing of snooker. The players play cards in turn to determine the course of the game. The board may also have a number of areas 28, 30 for storing unused and discarded game cards, an area 32 for collection of playing pieces as they are potted and a snooker type scoreboard. The game pieces 16 may be substantially spherical with a flattened portion 36 for stability.

Description

EDUCATIONAL GAME This invention relates to an educational game, and in particular an educational game for developing mathematical skills in children.

There are a number of educational games available which encourage children to learn whilst they have fun. Educational games which are directed to the development of simple mathematical skills in children are well known and include, for example, games involving the addition of numbers displayed on two die and the translation of the sum of these numbers to a game piece movement.

Despite the many games available today there is an ongoing requirement for novel educational games which promote the learning of mathematical skills, and in particular mental arithmetic skills, and which are also fun to play. Although such games are available, complex rules often make them unsuitable and/or unattractive for children to play.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple educational game which can not only be played by adults and children but can also, when played by children in suitable circumstances, provide a ready means for engaging their interest while developing their mathematical skills in a structured way.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational board game which is based on the rules of an existing well known game.

According to the present invention there is provided a board game comprising a playing surface bearing indicia depicting a billiard table playing surface, a set of game pieces for use therewith, each game piece being assigned a numerical value corresponding to a billiard ball value, and a set of game cards, each game card associated with an action in a billiard game for determining a sequence of play events.

In this way, an educational game for the development of mathematical skills can be played by adults and children who can relate the various actions to those carried out in accordance with the rules of a known billiard game. Billiard games, such as snooker and pool, provide a ready means for engaging the interest of children and adults alike whilst developing mental arithmetic skills.

It is to be noted that the terms "billiard" and "billiards" as used herein are intended to be construed in their broad sense as relating to table games, such as snooker, pool, and that known as billiards itself, in the course of which a ball is struck with the tip of a long cue, moved generally longitudinally, in order to propel the ball so struck into contact with at least one other ball.

Preferably, the indicia depict a snooker table playing surface, and each game piece being assigned a value corresponding to that of a particularly coloured snooker ball, and each game card is associated with an action in the billiard game of snooker. This allows children and adults to play an educational game for the development of mathematical skills which is based on the well known game of snooker. The billiard game of snooker is particularly suited to developing mental arithmetic skills since it involves, inter alia, the addition of points scored during play, and an awareness of the number of remaining points available to an opponent.

Conveniently, the snooker table playing surface indicia include a playing area and a triangular non-playing area disposed within the playing area for movement of the game pieces corresponding to red snooker balls from the nonplaying area to the playing area. This enhances the realism of the game, as it permits the game pieces corresponding to the red snooker balls to be held initially in the non-playing area and moved into the paying area following the occurrence of a pre-determined play event.

In a preferred embodiment, the playing area includes indicia depicting the game pieces corresponding to other coloured snooker balls. In this respect the game pieces corresponding to the other coloured snooker balls can be positioned on the corresponding indicia to show that they remain in play.

Preferably, the playing surface includes a plurality of discrete sections including a section for the game cards.

This allows the game cards to be played on the playing surface.

Conveniently, the playing'surface includes a section for the game pieces removed from the playing area. In this way, the game pieces can be moved to a section of the playing surface remote from the playing area when they are no longer in play.

In preferred embodiments, the playing surface includes a section having indicia thereon depicting a snooker scoreboard. This allows each player's score to be displayed on a respective section of the playing surface.

Preferably, the game pieces are part spherical, but are each formed with a flat or other stable platform at their base. In this way the game pieces can be shaped to resemble a major portion of a billiard ball, but can stand upright on the playing surface.

In the description and claims hereof, it will be understood that the term "billiard game" includes snooker, pool and billiards, for example, and the terms "billiard table" and "billiard ball11 are to be construed accordingly.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The drawing shows a board game 10 which comprises a flat cardboard sheet 12 having a playing surface 14 on one side thereof, a set of game pieces 16 (only three are shown in the drawing) and a set of game cards (not shown). The playing surface 14 is provided by a printed sheet which is adhered to the upward facing side of the board as shown in the drawing.

The playing surface 14 is divided into a plurality of discrete sections. A first section 19 of the playing surface occupies approximately half the area of the playing surface and includes indicia thereon which depict a billiard table playing surface which is marked out for the game of snooker.

The section 19 has a rectangular boundary 20 which represents the cushions of a billiard table. A playing area 22 is provided within the boundary 20. The playing area 22 includes a plurality of lines 24 which represent the lines on a billiard table marked out for the game of snooker, a triangular non-playing area 26, and further indicia 27 depicting the initial relative position, colour and value of the non-red balls used in the billiard game of snooker.

A second section 29 of the playing surface includes an area 28 for receiving a number of the game cards in a concealed face down orientation, and an adjacent area 30 for playing the game cards on the playing surface during play.

The playing surface is provided with third and fourth sections 32 for receiving the game pieces 16 removed from the playing area during play. The playing surface is further provided with fifth and sixth sections 34, each of which includes indicia thereon depicting a scoreboard for the billiard game of snooker.

The set of game pieces 16 correspond to a set of billiard balls for the game of snooker. Each game piece 16 is coloured according to the colour of the billiard ball it represents, and each game piece 16 is assigned, and may be marked with, a value indication according to its colour. The value of each game piece corresponds to that of the correspondingly coloured billiard ball in the game of snooker. In the set there are fifteen red game pieces, one yellow game piece, one green game piece, one brown game piece, one blue game piece, one pink game piece, one black game piece and one white game piece. Each game piece is part spherical and has the shape of a truncated sphere formed with a flat base surface portion 36 or some other suitable platform for stability on the playing surface 14.

The set of game cards includes fifty one cards, as detailed hereinafter, although the set may be supplemented by one or more extra cards which are not game cards as such, and do not feature in the game, but feature, for example, likenesses of snooker players or personalities associated with the game. Each game card is associated with an action, such as potting a ball or snookering an opponent, as will be made clear later, in the billiard game of snooker. The action is printed on one side of the game card only, and the other side may be blank, or may carry a reference set of rules for the game or a layout for an alternative form of the game, for example. The set of game cards is divided into different types of game card.

"Pot" cards are one type of game card. Each "pot" card is associated with the action of potting (or pocketing) a ball in the billiard game of snooker. There are four "pot red" cards, one "pot yellow" card, one "pot green" card, one "pot brown" card, one "pot blue" card, two "pot pink" cards and two "pot black" cards in the set. "Pot" cards score their face value when validly played against a corresponding game piece in the playing area 22, ie "pot red" scores one point, "pot yellow11 scores two points, "pot green" scores three points1 "pot brown" scores four points, "pot blue" scores five points, "pot pink" scores six points and "pot black" scores seven points. These cards score their respective values unless they are followed by a "pocket white" card. If an opponent follows a "pot" card with a "pocket white" card, the opponent gains the score shown on the face of the pot card.

"Try" cards are another type of game card which score their face value when validly played against a corresponding game piece in the playing area 22. There are five "try red" cards, two "try yellow" cards, two "try green" cards, two "try brown" cards, two "try blue" cards, two "try pink" cards and two "try black" cards. "Try" cards can be opposed by an opponent.

"Safety" cards are another type of game card. "Safety" cards can be played at any point during a player's turn.

There are nine "safety" cards. "Safety" cards carry no score, but an opponent must either follow a "safety" card with another "safety" card or change one of their cards or pass.

"Snooker" cards are another type of game card.

"Snooker" cards can be played at any point during a players turn. There are two "snooker" cards. "Snooker" cards score penalty points against an opponent unless followed by a "snooker escape" card.

Another type of game card is the "snooker escape" card.

A "snooker" card is cancelled if followed by a "snooker escape" card. If a "snooker escape" card is played by an opponent following the playing of a "snooker" card, the player of the "snooker" card continues their turn. There are two "snooker escape" cards.

Another type of game card is the "totally snookered" card. The "totally snookered" card scores penalty points in the same way as the "snooker" card. The "totally snookered" card cannot be cancelled by a "snooker escape" card. There is only one "totally snookered" card.

Another type of game card is the "fluke" card. This card can be played as any "pot", "safety11, "snooker" or "snooker escape" card. The "fluke" card cannot however be played as a "totally snookered" card. There are two "fluke" cards.

Another type of game card is the "foul shot" card.

"Foul shot" cards score penalty points against an opponent.

"Foul shot" cards can be used against any "try" card. There are two afoul shot" cards.

Another type of game card is the "missed card. The "missed" card is played to end an opponent's turn but can only be played following a "try" card. There are two "missed" cards.

"Pocket white" cards are another type of game card which are played to end an opponent's turn. "Pocket white" cards can be played against any type of card. "Pocket white" cards score penalty points against an opponent. Penalty points are awarded according to the colour of a "pot" or "try" card the "pocket white" card is played against. There are two "pocket white" cards.

Cards which score penalty points when played against "try red", "pot red", "try yellow", "pot yellowy, "try green", "pot green", "try brown" and "pot brown" cards score four penalty points. Cards which score penalty points when played against "try blue" and "pot-bluen cards score five penalty points. Cards which score penalty points when played against "try pink" and "pot pink" cards score six penalty points. Cards which score penalty points when played against "try black" and "pot black" cards score seven penalty points.

"Pocket white" cards score an additional four penalty points.

The game is played by two or more players. The object of the game is to score more points than the other player or players. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

In a game of three or more players, all the game cards are used. In a game of two players, on the other hand; one "try yellow" card, one "try green" card, one "try brown" card, one "try blue" card and one "pocket white" card are removed from the game card set. In either event, the pack of cards to be used for the game is shuffled and a card is dealt to each player until one of the players receives the "totally snookered" card. The player dealt the "totally snookered" card is designated the dealer and deals five cards to each player. The remaining cards are termed the "pick up" pack and are placed face down on the region 28 of the playing surface 14.

The game pieces 16 are then positioned on the playing surface 14. The fifteen red coloured game pieces are positioned in the triangular non-playing area 26, and the other game pieces are positioned on the indicia 27 depicting their respective initial position, colour and value.

The game follows generally the rules of the billiard game of snooker. The player to the left of the dealer begins the game by playing either a "safety" card or a "snooker" card from the five cards they have been dealt. If the player has not been dealt one of these cards the player must exchange one of their five cards for the card on the top of the "pick up" pack. The card which is played or replaced must be placed face up on the area 30 of the playing surface so that the action printed thereon can be seen by the other player or players. Play then passes to the player on their left. Each player takes it in turn to play one of their cards. Each time a card is played, a replacement card is taken from the pick up pack so that five cards are held by each player at all times. In this respect each player has the choice of playing one of their five cards, exchanging one of their cards with the card on top of the pick up pack or passing. When all the cards in the "pick up" pack have been played, the cards that have accumulated on the area 30 are shuffled and play continues using those cards, placed upon the region 28, as the "pick up" pack.

As in the billiard game of snooker, points are scored by potting the game pieces in a predetermined sequence. Points are scored for each red game piece potted by a player playing a "pot red" card unopposed, for example, and also for potting a game piece of another colour following the potting of a red game piece. Once all the red game pieces have been potted, the game pieces of other colours are potted in the usual snooker sequence of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black.

The red game pieces can only be potted once they have been moved from the triangular non-playing area 26 to the playing area 22. A red game piece can be moved from the triangular non-playing area each time a player changes a card or passes, or a player chooses to bring a red game piece into play during their turn. When a red game piece is potted by a player, it is removed from the playing area 22 and is placed in a respective one of the sections 32 assigned to that player. The game pieces of other colours remain in their respective positions on the playing area 22 until all the red game pieces have been potted. The game pieces of other colours are then removed from the playing area 22, in the usual snooker sequence, as they are potted.

As in the billiard game of snooker, the game of the present invention can be played over a number of rounds or frames so that the overall winner can be designated as the player who has won the highest number of frames in a game.

It will be understood that the illustrated embodiment described herewith shows an application of the invention in one form only for the purpose of illustration. In practice, the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailing embodiments being straightforward to those skilled in the art to implement.

For example instead of being based on the rules on the billiard game of snooker the game of the present invention could be based on the billiard game of pool.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. A board game comprising a playing surface bearing indicia depicting a billiard table playing surface, a set of game pieces for use therewith, each game piece being assigned a numerical value corresponding to a billiard ball value, and a set of game cards, each game card associated with an action in a billiard game for determining a sequence of play events.
2. 2. A board game according to claim 1 wherein the indicia depict a snooker table playing surface, and the numerical value assigned to each game piece corresponds to that associated with a respectively coloured snooker ball and each game card is associated with an action in the billiard game of snooker.
3. 3. A board game according to claim 2 wherein the snooker table playing surface indicia include a playing area and a non-playing area, enclosed within the playing area, providing for movement of the game pieces corresponding to red snooker balls from the non-playing area to the playing area.
4. 4. A board game according to claim 3 wherein the playing area includes indicia depicting positions for game pieces corresponding to other coloured snooker balls.
5. 5. A board game according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the playing surface includes a plurality of discrete sections including a section for the game cards.
6. 6. A board game according to claim 5 wherein the playing surface includes a section for game pieces removed from the playing area.
7. 7. A board game according to claims 5 or 6 wherein the playing surface includes a section having indicia thereon depicting a snooker scoreboard.
8. 8. A board game according to any preceding claim wherein the game pieces are part spherical.
9. 9. A board game substantially as herein described and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.