GB2333968A - Games machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A computerised games machine in which a game normally of skill and chance has a chance element of the game removed by displaying the values of the random variables for the game. The values are displayed for a limited length of time before the game is started, and if desired, a solution of the game can be displayed. The game may be patience in which the faces of the dealt cards are shown for a short length of time before the game starts, so that the position of key cards can be noted. The cards are dealt so that a winning solution can always be obtained, which can be shown to the player before the game is started, and the same game can be restarted if an unsuccessful attempt is made. The game could also be dice or dominoes.

Description

GAMES MACHINE Field of the invention The invention is concerned with a computerised games machine for playing games. In particular, the invention is concerned with a machine that is programmed to play a game that has been converted from one of chance to one of skill by first displaying to the player for a limited length of time in advance of commencement of the game the value of random variables that are to be selected during the course of playing of the game.

Background of the invention The playing of games of pure chance on a coin operated computer console is deemed in the United Kingdom to be gambling and brings the machines on which the games are played within the onerous provisions of the gaming laws.

Many games of chance also require an element of skill but even such games fall within the provisions of the gaming laws and for the machines not to be governed by the gaming laws, the chance element has to be removed.

It is possible to remove the chance element by displaying, in advance of the playing of the game and for a limited length of time, the value of variables that are to be selected during the course of playing of the game. This is to allow the player to arrive at a playing strategy that will allow the game to be completed successfully.

To be more specific, the game could be a card game and the variables would be the value of the cards that are to be revealed during the course of the game. So, for a game of patience (also known as solitaire), all the cards could be presented face up to the player for a length of time, before being turned back to their face down position and then turned over one at a time as the game is played out.

Because the player would have been shown all the cards for some time, it would be possible for a skilful player to decide the correct playing strategy to be able to complete the game.

This of course assumes that a solution to the game does exist, for in the absence of at least one viable solution each time the game is played, the game would again be classified as a game of chance rather than a game of skill.

Summary of the invention The present invention provides a games machine having a display screen and a computer programmed for the playing of a game in which the value of random variables that are to be selected during the course of playing of the game are displayed to the player on the screen for a limited length of time in advance of commencement of the game so as to remove any chance element from the playing of the game, wherein the variables are selected in such a manner as to ensure the existence of a solution each time the game is played and wherein the machines gives the player the option to request the computer to display a correct solution.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment The invention will now be described further by way of example, with reference to card game of patience though it should be emphasised that the invention is not restricted to this game nor indeed to just card games.

The card game of patience is itself well known but will be described briefly as an example of a game that can be converted from a game of chance to one of skill. Seven rows of cards are dealt from a shuffled pack with the first card in the row face up and the others face down. The first row has seven cards and the number of cards is decreased by one in each subsequent row. The first face up card in each row is placed over the second card of the row immediately above it and in this way seven columns of cards are formed of increasing length in which only the lowermost card in each column lies face up. Cards or sets of cards can be added to each column either from another column or from cards turned over one at a time from the remainder of pack. Each card must however be placed over one that is next in sequence and of the opposite colour. For example, one can place a red seven above a black eight or a black ten above a red jack.

The aces of the different suits are placed in piles separate from the pack and the columns and one can also stack all the cards in their suits sequentially above the aces. The aim of the game is to transfer all the cards to the suit stacks.

To remove the chance element from such a game, all the column cards and the pack cards are shown face up for say ten seconds. This allows the player to identify the position of key cards and adopt a strategy that will ensure that these cards come into play. The game then commences and the player using a touch screen on the games console can move individual cards or sets of cards as required from one column to another, from the currently revealed card on the remainder of the pack to a column, or a card from either the pack or the columns to one of the suit stacks. This continues until the entire pack has been dealt out, either one card at a time or more correctly in threes. If the player has been successful, then all the cards will end in the suit stacks but otherwise some of the cards in the column will remain face down and the game will have been lost.

It is essential if a game as described above is not to be classified as a game of chance, especially when played on a coin operated machine, for there to exist a correct solution to the game every time that it is played.

To demonstrate that a solution exists each time that the game is played, the present invention provides the option for the player to request the computer to play out the game correctly.

In one embodiment of the invention, a button is provided on the machine or on the touch screen of the console which can be depressed only before the player has commenced to play the game. In response to this instruction, the machine will play out the game to prove that a solution exists without the player being able to interfere with the process of the game. Of course, in this case the player will not be credited with a success.

The player may not want to see a solution to a game before having made any attempt to play it, and for this reason, it is desirable for a player to be able to ask to be shown a solution after having failed to find one. It is therefore preferred to provide a button that may be pressed only at the end of a game that has not been successfully completed to force the same cards to be replayed in the next game, whereupon the player may either make a further attempt at succeeding in the same game or ask to be shown a correct solution.

Because the existence of a solution to each game cannot be questioned, it can readily be demonstrated that computer consoles programmed to play a game in accordance with the invention do not fall within the provisions of the gaming laws thereby removing the constraints placed on such machines.

It will of course be appreciated that the invention applies not only to card games but other games of chance, such as games of dice or dominoes, where the luck element is removed by showing the player in advance the random variable values that are to occur during the playing of the game in their correct sequence.

Claims (5)

1. A games machine having a display screen and a computer programmed for the playing of a game in which the value of random variables that are to be selected during the course of playing of the game are displayed to the player on the screen for a limited length of time in advance of commencement of the game so as to remove any chance element from the playing of the game, wherein the variables are selected in such a manner as to ensure the existence of a solution each time the game is played and wherein the machines gives the player the option to request the computer to display a correct solution.

2. A games machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the option to request the computer to display a correct solution is selectable only at the commencement of a game.

3. A games machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the machines gives the player the option, upon unsuccessful termination of a game, to replay the same game.

4. A games machine as claimed is any preceding claim, wherein the games machine has a touch screen and all instructions from the player to the screen by touching areas of the designated by the computer program.

5. A games machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the machine is coin operated.