Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
CARD GAME AND METHOD OF PLAY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to card games, and more particularly to card games
based on twenty-one
(also known as Blackjack) that incorporate elements of the card game known as
Poker.
Description of the Related Art
twenty-one is a card game commonly available in casinos. The thematic object
of the game is
for a player to obtain a hand of cards having a value closer to 21 than the
value of the dealer's
hand. If the value of the player's hand exceeds 21, however, the player loses
(no matter what the
value of the dealer's hand).
twenty-one is normally played is as follows: each card has a value equal to
its face value, with
the exception of aces (which have a value of one or eleven, depending which is
most useful to
the holder of the card), and the face cards (jack, queen and king) which all
have a value of ten.
Each player is initially dealt two cards. The dealer is then dealt a card face
up (a common
variation is to deal the dealer two cards - one of which is face down).
A player may request additional cards (request a "hit") to increase the value
of the player's hand.
If the value of the player's hand is becomes greater than 21, the player
loses, or "busts." The
player may cease taking cards, or "stand" when he has a hand with a value of
21 or less. If a
player busts, the wager is lost regardless if the dealer also busts.
After all of the players have busted or elect to stand, the dealer "stands" or
takes "hits" based on
pre-established rules. Commonly, such rules situate that the dealer must take
a hit if the value of
the dealer's hand is less than 17, or must stand if the value is 17 or
greater. Further variations
may be in place depending on whether the dealer's hand includes an ace.
After the value of the dealer's hand has been established, such value is
compared to that of the
player. If the player has busted, the player loses, if the player has not
busted and the dealer has,
the player wins. If neither the player nor the dealer has busted, the hand
having the highest value
wins, and in the case of a tie (known as a "push") there is no winner.
Another feature commonly present in twenty-one is "Doubling Down." If the
player's first two
cards have a total value of 10 or 11, the player may "double down". The player
then turns both
of his cards face-up and makes a second wager equal to the amount of his
initial wager. The
dealer then deals the player an additional card and the resulting three-card
hand establishes the
value of the player's hand. Most "Doubling Down" rules permit the player to
"double down"
CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
only on hands having a value of 10 or 11. Variations include allowing players
to "double down "
on hands having a value of 9, 10 or 11; only on 11; or on any two cards.
Another variation is called "Splitting Pairs." If the player's first two cards
are a pair, the player
may "split" such cards into two separate hands. The player's original wager is
applied to one of
the hands and an additional wager is made for the other hand. The player then
is dealt a new
second card for each hand. Each of the split hands is played separately and
the player proceeds
normally. If a player splits a pair of Aces, the player is dealt only one card
for each hand; unless
the new card dealt to the player is another Ace, in which case the player may
again split the Aces
and repeat the process.
This variation may be combined with "doubling down" so that the player may
"double down " on
either or both of his split hands if he is eligible to do so. In many gaming
establishments, a
player may also split his hand if both of the initial cards dealt are ten
count cards (Tens, Jacks,
Queens or Kings).
A further variation is "Insurance" in which if the dealer's visible card is an
Ace, the player may
make an additional "insurance" wager. The insurance wagers are made after each
player is dealt
his first two cards and the dealer reveals a card and before any additional
cards are dealt.
"Insurance" allows each player to wager one-half of the amount of the original
wager as
insurance against the dealer having a Blackjack, (a two-card 21 count, for
example an Ace and a
10 count card such as a King, Queen, Jack or Ten). If the dealer has a
Blackjack, the player loses
his original wager but wins two-to-one odds on the "insurance" wager, and that
round of the
game ends and all players lose except those who also have a Blackjack (in
which case such
players tie or "push"). If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the player
loses the "insurance "
wager and the other hand is played normally.
In yet another variation of twenty-one, the dealer shows both of his cards
face-up before the
players draw. This improves the player's odds of winning and the payout odds
are modified to
adjust for this change so that the house's advantage remains.
As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, the term "twenty-one"
means the game
of twenty-one or Blackjack as previously described and including known
variations. A difficulty
with conventional twenty-one is that there is no opportunity for a player to
win a large amount
(by having a high odd payback). Instead a player will win only a small amount
(typically at 2-1
odds) each hand and to win a larger amount he or she must play many hands.
Poker is another well established card game. In a typical game of poke,
players make an initial
wager, and are dealt a number of cards (typically 5). A second round of
betting follows, after
which the players exchange cards held for new cards, or in some variations,
draw new cards.
Typically a final round of betting is held, and then the players reveal their
cards, and the highest
ranking hand wins the entire amount wagered.
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Frequently when poker is played in a gaming establishment, (for example on a
video terminal),
the player makes a wager, and attempts to obtain the highest ranking hand
possible through the
initial deal and one or more card exchanges. The player wins (or loses) an
amount based on the
odds of obtaining a certain hand (for example a four of a kind would pay the
player at greater
odds than two pairs).
There have been several other variations to twenty-one and poker games in an
attempt to provide
a game that provides more fun for the players, and may allow them to win
larger prizes.
U.S. Patent No. 5,549,300 to Saunders discloses a method of playing a
blackjack game wherein
wild cards (jokers) are used and the face cards (including aces) are removed.
What is not present
is the ability to offer players larger payouts at greater odds than is found
in conventional
blackjack, and jokers function as aces do in standard twenty-one.
U.S. Patent No. 5,615,888 to Lofink et al. discloses a Spanish twenty-one card
game method of
play in which the "Tens" are removed from the deck, and a bonus is paid to the
player if the
player's first two cards are a Blackjack. The bonus payout is still limited,
however, and is based
on card combinations in the players hand (which still cannot exceed a value of
21).
U.S. Patent No. 5,678,821 to Hedman discloses a method of playing a
combination poker-like
and blackjack-like wagering card game wherein each player receives 5 cards to
form two
blackjack hands and a single poker hand and a complex system is employed to
determine a
winner. The disclosed methods provides minimal choice for players as little
decision making
with respect to the cards held is employed.
U.S. Patent No. 5,713,574 to Hughes discloses a card game method combining
elements of
Blackjack and poker in which each player gets three cards (and may discard one
for a new card)
to form a poker or blackjack hand. As the player can hold no more than three
cards, many
proper poker hands (e.g. full house, two pair) cannot be formed by the
player's hand.
U.S. Patent No. 6,012,719 to Webb discloses a method of playing blackjack with
a three card
poker wager. If the player has selected a poker wager prior to playing, the
player's three card
hand wins or loses in conjunction with a preset odds table, and the player
continues on with a
standard blackjack game. The player has no decision making with respect to the
poker hand, and
given the three card hand, large payouts are not possible as many proper poker
hands cannot be
created.
There is a need for a modified method of play of conventional twenty-one with
elements of
poker, restoring fun and excitement to the game by using liberal payouts, and
play options that
are normally not available under the conventional manner of play of twenty-
one.
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Summary of the Invention
The method of play of the present invention will maintain a specified house
advantage on the
order of the house advantage enjoyed in conventional twenty-one and, at the
same time, the
method of play is unfavorable to professional card players who using card
counting methods to
tip the advantage of the game to their favor.
These goals are achieved by the elimination number of tens cards from a
conventional 52 card
deck of playing cards by revaluing cards as follows: Jacks (Clubs, Diamonds,
Hearts and Spades)
count as 2; Queens (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) count as 3; and Kings
(Clubs,
Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) count as 4; and by adding a Joker: The Joker is a
wild card, has
no value and is used to determine the bonus hands. For the purposes of this
application, the term
"Joker" shall mean a joker conventionally included with a deck of playing
cards or any other
card marked to differentiate itself from the other cards in the deck.
The resulting deck includes Fifty-three cards comprising the Aces through the
tens and the Jacks,
Queens, Kings, and Joker. The elimination of the twelve ten-value cards (Jack,
Queen, King
count as 10 in a conventional Twenty-OneBlackjack) makes card counting
difficult for the
professional card player.
The elimination of the twelve ten-Value cards also improves the odds of the
game toward the
house. To offset this change in the odds, the method of play is modified to
provide liberal game
rules and bonus payouts on the original hand. Preferably a player may select
one or both Bonus
bets available at the table, referred to as the Joker bonus and the Poker
bonus. The result of these
modifications to the method of play results in a player receiving some form of
an advantage
approximately once every five hands of play.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rule modifications
from standard
Twenty One take the form of
1 Paying all Blackjacks (a two-card combination equaling a numerical count of
21) at two-to-
one odds, including those occurring even if the dealer also has a Blackjack,
if the player has
selected as least one of the bonus bets. Under the conventional manner of play
of twenty-
one, the player's hand would be a push if both the player and the dealer had a
Blackjack.
2 Paying the player's original bet at three-to-one odds if the player's hand
has a value of 21
including Joker and the player has selected the Joker bonus even if the dealer
also has a hand
having a numerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner of
play of
twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if both the player and the
dealer each had a
hand having a numerical count of 21.
3 Paying the player's original bet at two-to-one odds if the player's hand has
a value of 19 or 20
including Joker and the player has selected the Joker bonus even if the dealer
also has a hand
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having a numerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner of
play of
twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push or a lost if the player had
total value of 19 or
20 and the dealer had a hand having a numerical count of 20 or over.
4 Paying the player's original bet at one-to-one odds if the player's hand has
a numerical count
of 17 or 18 including Joker and the player has selected the Joker bonus even
if the dealer also
has a hand with a higher value. Under the conventional manner of play of
twenty-one, the
player's hand would be a push if the player and the dealer had hands with the
same value or a
loss if the player had a hand value of less than that of the dealer.
5 Allowing the player to double down on any two or more cards and receiving as
many cards
as they want. Under the conventional manner of play of twenty-one, the player
may only
double down on his first two cards (and some gaming establishments only allow
doubling
down if the first two cards have a numerical count of 10 or 11 ). This
doubling down would
be permitted even after the player has split pairs, up to a maximum of one
hand.
6 Allowing the player to Surrender - Once the player has received their
original two cards,
prior to any action taking place and even if the dealer has an Ace showing the
player has the
option to "Surrender". The Player loses one-half of the original bet. Under
the conventional
manner of play of twenty-one, the player may only Surrender on his first two
cards if and
only if the dealer card is not a Ten or an Ace.
7 Allowing the player to Insurance: If the Dealer's first card is an ace
before any players draw
a card, the Players are offered the option of insuring their bets against the
possibility of the
Dealer's final hand being a natural Blackjack. If a player insures their
initial bet, they shall
place one half of their original bet on the insurance line displayed on the
table layout as an
insurance bet. If the Dealer's hand is a Blackjack, insurance bets shall then
be paid at 2 to 1
odds. Players do not need to insure against the bonuses. Under the
conventional manner of
play of twenty-one, the player may insure against a Blackjack and there are no
bonus hands
to insure against.
8 Bonus payouts are added to the method of play based on poker hands. If the
player achieves
one of a group of pre-designated card combinations ("Combinations") during the
play of his
hand and has made a Poker bonus wager, they receive the associated bonus
payout on the
bonus wager based on a pre-established payout schedule ("Payouts")
9 The method of the present invention still includes the conventional manner
of play of twenty-
one with regard to Insurance wagers being allowed and the dealer hitting any
hand that has a
numerical count of a soft 17 or lower. Alternatively, the method can also
include the
conventional manner of play of Twenty-one in those gaming establishments that
mandate
that the dealer stand on 17 or higher. The conventional "Surrender" option is
also available in
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which the player may reclaim half of his original wager by surrendering his
hand after the
dealer checks to see if the dealer's hand is a Blackjack.
The present invention offers advantages to both the player and the house. The
player will receive
more entertainment value for his wager and will have the possibility of
receiving large bonus
payouts. The player will also enjoy having the additional wagering
opportunities offered by the
liberalized doubling down and splitting rules.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a particular table layout
and sign are used to
state the Payouts and other bonuses. Under conventional twenty-one the layout
is standard and is
not designed for such bonuses.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from a
consideration of the following detailed description.
Description of the Figures
Figure 1 is a top view of a layout of a Blackjack table according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
General Description:
The invention is a card game played with one standard deck of 53 cards
preferably dealt from an
automatic single deck card shuffler or a shoe by a Dealer. Each player
attempts to achieve a
higher total point value per hand than the dealer without exceeding a value of
21, and/or each
player attempts to achieve get the best possible poker hand combination in the
single hand with
out exceeding the total value of the 21.
Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a table for use in a gaming establishment
to practice the
invention. In the description the reference characters refer to:
Table 1
1 Mega Max Blackjack
2 Table Frame where the dealer
stands
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3 Table Frame where the player
stands
4 Actual Frame
Tray
6 Slots for value chips
7 Blackjack spot
8 Bonus spot
9 Poker spot
Insurance line
Object of the Game:
The Player's hand can beat the Dealer, and/or win the bonuses in many ways,
preferably
including:
5 1 Achieve a higher total point value than the Dealer's hand without
exceeding a value of 21;
2 Achieve a total point value of 21 or less with the Dealer's hand exceeding a
value of 21;
3 Achieve a Blackjack (total point value of 21 with the first two cards).
4 Achieve a total value of 17 through 21 with Joker as part of their hand and
the Joker bonus
wager made.
10 5 Poker bonus: Placing the bet on the Poker bonus spot, (this is an
independent bet), as seen in
Fig. 1, and
5.1 Achieve a poker hand without exceeding total value of 21 with or without
the Joker;
5.2 achieve bonus hands as defined in the table of Payouts
5.3 Both bonuses: Placing the bet on both the Joker bonus and the Poker bonus
spots, this
is an independent bet (see the diagram) in which case:
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5.3.1 This bet empowers the poker bet and the black jack hand
5.3.2 By betting this bonus, the following rule changes apply:
5.3.2.a Regardless of the dealer's total point value, the player wins if the
joker is a part of player's hand (superior hand) and total point
value of its card is 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21.
5.3.2.b Blackjack pays 3 to 1
5.3.2.c Blackjack win automatically
5.3.2.d Joker counts as a wild card in the poker hand. Players can use the
joker to complete their poker hands.
5.3.2.e Preferably give the player the chance to win up to 1000,000.00 .
5.3.3 These bonus hands are defined in the table of Payouts
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a Fifty-three-card deck
of cards
comprising the Aces through Kings and a Joker is used. In the preferred
embodiment of the
present invention, a single deck of this Fifty-three-card deck is shuffled
together and used to deal
the hands to the players and the dealer. Optionally, up to eight decks of
cards can be used,
although the method of the present invention can be practiced using as few as
a single deck. In a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, a maximum of one deck should be
used for the
bonus payouts as described herein.
The method of the present invention preferably uses this modified deck of
playing cards and the
conventional manner of play of Blackjack as modified with one or more of the
following
changes to the rules. As in conventional Blackjack, each player makes a wager
to be eligible to
participate in the game. Conventional dealing procedures are used which result
in each player
having two cards and the dealer having an up card.
--In a preferred embodiment, no more than seven Players shall participate in
the same game, and
optionally, a Player is permitted to play more than one betting position in
any round of play. The
player make bets prior to receiving cards. The player must make an ordinary
twenty-one wager,
and may make bets on either or both of the Bonus selections.
Player Options
After the initial two cards are dealt, and the player has the player has the
following options:
1 Hit - Using a hand signal the Player draws one or more cards, or uses their
cards and
scratches the layout. A Player may not hit on a Blackjack or Hard 21, but may
hit on a soft
21.
2 Stand or Stay - The Player uses a hand signal to indicate their hand is
complete and that they
do not want additional cards, or places the cards on the layout behind their
bet.
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3 Pair Splitting - When the first two cards dealt to a Player are of equal
point value, the Player
may split them to form a second hand. Preferably, the rules for Pair Splitting
are as follows:
3.1 Maximums of one split hand are allowed. Aces may only be split once also.
3.2 The Player may receive as many hits as they wish on a split hand without
exceeding
21.
3.3 If the Dealer's first card is an ace or 10, any losing bets and cards
shall remain on the
table with the Dealer placing the corresponding bet on top of the cards. If
the Dealer
makes Blackjack, only the original bet on a split hand is lost.
3.4 A two-card 21 on a split hand is not a Blackjack and is paid at one to one
(only the
original two cards dealt are considered a Blackjack).
3.5 Split hands are exempt from the Poker and Joker bonuses.
4 Double Down: A Player may place an additional bet equal to the original bet
on any number
of card total, (with the exception of Blackjack). Rules for Double Down bets
are as follows:
4.1 Player places an additional, separate bet, equal to the original bet in
value. The bet
shall be placed in such a way that surveillance in the gaming establishment
can
differentiate between a Double Down option and a Split option (the split bet
shall be
place on the right side of the original bet, and the double down bet shall
place right
behind the original bet). The Player receives one additional card.
4.2 A Player may double down on any number of hands and receive as many hits
as they
wish, including hands that are the result of a split.
4.3 If the Player's hand exceeds 21, and if the Dealer's first card is an ace
or 10, the
losing bets and cards shall remain on the table with the Dealer placing the
corresponding bet on top of the cards. If the Dealer receives a Blackjack, the
Player
loses only the original bet. Otherwise, the Player loses all bets.
4.4 A 21 with a Joker on a Double Down hand is not a Joker bonus and is paid
one to one
(only the original cards dealt are to be considered for the Joker bonus).
4.5 Double down hands are exempt from both bonuses (both Joker and Poker).
5 Surrender - Once the player has received their original two cards, prior to
any action taking
place and if the dealer does not have an Ace showing the player has the option
of
"Surrender". The Player loses one-half of the original bet should they
"Surrender".
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5.1 Bonuses: All Bonus bets are considered as losing bets, once a player
requests
surrender.
6 Insurance: If the Dealer's first card is an ace before any players draw a
card, the Players are
offered the option of insuring their bets against the possibility of the
Dealer's final hand
being a natural Blackjack. If a player wishes to insure their initial bet,
they place one half of
their original bet on the insurance line displayed on the table layout as an
insurance bet. If the
Dealer's hand is a Blackjack, Insurance bets are then paid at 2 to 1 odds.
Play proceeds: Sequence of Play
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Sequence of play of each hand
is as follows:
1 Play commences with each player optionally placing two optional wagers in
the designated
betting circles for the bonus games.
2 Upon completion of the hand sweep, the Dealer announces no more bets.
Players may not
alter their bonus bets after the dealer announces no more bets.
3 The Dealer verifies that all bets are placed and that they are within the
betting spots provided.
4 The Dealer places the deck into the shuffling position of the shuffling
device.
5 Once automatic shuffler finishes shuffling the cards, the dealer withdraws
the deck from the
shuffler and places it on the cut cards.
6 Once the first card of the hand has been drawn from the deck, no new bets
are permitted and
no chips may be added to or taken away from existing bets, with the exception
of splitting,
doubling down, surrender and insurance.
7 The Dealer ensures that all the bets are in the proper spot allocated in
front of the player for
each Player wagering on the Poker bonus or the Joker Bonus.
8 The Dealer checks Bonus wager/bets, and verifies that the bonus wagers
correspond to the
player's original wager.
9 The Dealer discards the first card from a new shoe.
10 Starting with the Player to the Dealer's left and proceeding clockwise, the
Dealer deals each
player one card, face up or down (depending on the house rules), in front of
the betting space.
CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
11 The Dealer deals one card for him/herself and places it on the table
layout, face up, to the
front (and in the center of) the chip tray.
12 The Dealer deals a second card, face up or down (depending on house rules),
to each player,
again from left to right.
13 Players are permitted to touch their cards after the dealer finishes
distributing the initial
distribution of cards.
14 Players may pick up their cards and decide if they wish to take any action.
If the Dealer shows an ace, the Dealer announces "insurance" and Players who
wish to do so,
place one half of their original bet on the insurance line displayed in the
table layout. A
10 Player with a natural Blackjack may insure their hand against a Dealer's
Blackjack by asking
for "Even Money". The Dealer shall immediately pay the Player's Blackjack bet
with even
money or 1 to 1 odds, and place the Player's cards in the discard rack before
continuing with
the game. After giving the Players sufficient time to place insurance bets,
the Dealer shall
announce "insurance closed" and check that the insurance bets do not exceed
more than one
15 half of the original amount bet.
16 Once the Player has received the first two cards, prior to any action
taking place, and if the
Dealer does not have an ace showing, the Player will have the option of
Surrender. The
Dealer shall push the Player's hand together in a pile, place their bet on top
of their cards and
place a surrender button on top of the chips. If the Dealer has an ace,
Surrender is not
permitted.
17 The Players, at their option, and if they have the appropriate cards, may
choose to Split
and/or Double Down at this time by placing the appropriate bet in the proper
position.
18 The Dealer then deals all additional cards left to right to Players who
signal for a hit by
scratching the layout toward themselves with their cards (or by otherwise
signaling). Players
wishing to stand shall place their cards on the table behind the bet.
19 Where a "bust" hand occurs during play the player notifies the dealer by
showing their hand
to the dealer, and the Player's bets and cards in the bust hand are
immediately picked up and
placed in the chip tray and discard rack, respectively.
20 A Blackjack appearing during play is paid only when the Dealer reaches that
hand during the
course of play and not before the Dealer's hand has been played.
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21 When a Player Surrenders, the Dealer takes one half of the Player's bet
when the Dealer
reaches that hand during the course of play.
22 After all the Players' hands are complete, the Dealer shall not play out
the Dealer's hand i~
22.1 All Players have busted;
22.2 If the remaining players all have Blackjack and the Dealer's first card
is neither an ace
or 10 value card,
23 Otherwise the Dealer takes additional cards face-up, one at a time, up to
and including a hand
having a value of a "soft" 17.
24 Dealer Stands if the hand is a "hard" 17 or more, including hard or soft
totals of 18, 19, 20, or
21.
25 If the Dealer does not have a natural Blackjack after having dealt
him/herself second cards,
they shall immediately collect any insurance bets in order from right to left.
The rest of their
hand shall then be dealt and regular bets paid, taken or pushed.
26 If the Dealer's hand is a natural Blackjack, the regular losing bets shall
immediately be
collected in order starting from the right and continuing counter clockwise to
the left.
Insurance bets shall then be paid at 2 to 1 odds, in order from right to left,
only after pushing
the Player's regular/original bet, as applicable. Bonus hands may beat a
Blackjack
27 All subsequent Dealer's cards are dealt to the Dealer's left of the first
two cards and shall not
overlap. Should the Dealer need more space, they may move their cards slightly
to the left or
right in order to avoid encroachment with the last Player's hand. The Dealer
shall not pre-
slide the cards.
Because the revaluation of the face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) from each
conventional
fifty-two card deck changes the mathematical odds of the game in favor of the
house, the method
of the present invention modifies the conventional manner of play of twenty-
one in order to
move these mathematical odds closer to those present in conventional twenty-
one. These rule
modifications may take various forms, including one or more of the following:
Form 1:
All player Blackjacks (a two card combination equally a numerical count of 21)
are paid at two-
to-one odds, including those occurring even if the dealer also has a
Blackjack. Under the
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conventional manner of play of twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push
if both the player
and the dealer had a Blackjack.
Form 2:
The player's original bet is paid at three-to-one odds if the player's hand
has a numerical count of
21 even including a Joker and has selected the Joker bonus, even if the dealer
also has a hand
having a numerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner of
play of twenty-
one, the player's hand would be a push if both the player and the dealer each
had a hand having a
numerical count of 21 and loss if the dealer has Blackjack
Form 3:
A player is allowed to double down on any two or more cards and to receive as
many "hits" as
they like. Under the conventional manner of play of twenty-one, the player may
only double
down on his first two cards (and some gaming establishments only allow
doubling down if the
first two cards have a numerical count of 10 or 11). This doubling down would
be permitted even
after the player has split pairs.
Form 4:
Bonus payouts are added to the method of play. If the player achieves any of
the following card
combinations (Bonus Combination) during the play of his hand, they receive the
associated
bonus payout shown in Table 1:
1 Bonuses:
1.1 All Players who place a bet before the cards are dealt, have the option of
placing a
$1.00 Chip or up to maximum house bet (depending on house rules) on the Joker
bonus spot or the Poker bonus spot allocated to their betting position in
order to
participate in the Bonus game.
1.2 Players can multiply the bonuses by betting on both the Joker and Poker
bonus spots.
(E.g. Bonuses are paid according to the table of Payouts)
1.2.1 There is preferably an aggregate amount of maximum bonus Payout for a
particular bonus spot,
1.3 A Player must make a bet on the basic game in order to qualify to make a
bonus bet
on that round of play.
1.4 A Player choosing to play bonus bets shall be responsible for ensuring
their wager has
been accepted and placed prior the dealing commences.
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CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
1.5 Neither the house hand nor a Dealer bet is eligible for bonuses.
1.6 A Player who has placed a wager on a bonus and receives a hand, which
qualifies for
a bonus prize, shall win irrespective of whether, the Dealers hand wins.
1.7 Any Bonus Payouts made to a Player shall be independent from and in
addition to
any payment made for a bet by the Player on the basic game and shall be paid
according to the Payout table.
1.8 If two or more Player's hands qualify for Bonuses in the same round of
play, the
payout shall disbursed according to the order of the play.
2 Payouts. A preferable schedule of Payouts could be as follows:
2.1 A Winning hand is paid even money or 1 to 1 of the original bet
accordingly.
2.2 A Blackjack hand is paid two to one of the original bet accordingly.
2.3 A Joker bonus blackjack hand is paid one to one of the original bet
accordingly
2.4 Two cards totaling 21 on a split is not a Blackjack and is paid even
money.
2.5 Total value of 21 including a Joker on the split and double down is not a
bonus and is
paid even money.
2.6 If Player and a Dealer have equal value hands, it is a tie or "push" and
neither party
wins or loses. The Player's bet is left on the table and the cards are picked
up. This
excludes the instance if players purchase the bonus bets.
2.7 A player wins on push if the player wagers either bonus.
2.8 If the value of a hand exceeds 21, it is a "bust" and the bet is
automatically lost,
except as prescribed in the Double Down and Split options.
2.9 All suits have the same rank.
A representative table of Payouts could be as follows (for hands received face
up or
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CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
Welcome to Bonus Blackjack
Note: Kings, Queans, Jacks are
Valued as 4, 3, 2
i) Poker Hands (requiring a Poker
bonus bet) Including or Excludingpoker Bet PayoutPoker Bet Payout
the Joker Face-up Facedown
(Players must bet the Joker bonus
bet in order
to use the joker)
Card Royal Flush Plus the Joker100,000 250,000
5 Card Royal Flush 20,000 25,000
5 Card Straight Flush 150 to 1 200 to 1
4 of a Kind 25 to 1 50 to 1
5 Card Full House 15 to 1 20 to 1
5 Card Flush 10 to 1 15 to 1
5 Card Straight 6 to 1 10 to 1
3ofaKind 4to1 4to1
2 Pairs 2 to 1 2 to 1
Pair 1 to 1 1 to 1
ii) Basic Game Winning Hands
(Players must bet the Joker bonusBasic bet PayoutBasic bet
to receive Payout
the Bonus Blackjack or hands including
a
Joker
Bonus Blackjack 3 to 1 3 to 1
Blackjack 2 to 1 2 to 1
Total of 21 Including Joker 2 to 1 2 to 1
Total of 17 through 20 Including 1 to 1 1 to 1
Joker
Tests to calculate the revenue stream and the hold percentage of the game
playing face down
with the odds given in the table result in a hold percentage of 7.36% for the
poker bet, and 100%
hold for the one dollar bonus. A simulation to calculate the revenue stream
and the hold
5 percentage of the game playing face up with the odds given in the table
above sees the hold
percentage of 8.39% for the poker bet, and 100% hold for the one dollar bonus.
2.10 A winning bet shall always be paid even money or at 1 to 1 odds.
2.10.1 Blackjack pays 2 to 1.
2.10.2 Blackjack with Joker (with Joker bonus selected) pays 3 to 1.
Aces are accepted as either a high card or a low card for the purposes of
constructing either a
straight or a straight flush hand. A Tie hand is considered as a push. When
all hands, including
CA 02330356 2001-O1-OS
the Dealer's, have been played, winning bets are paid and losing bets taken,
on a Player by Player
basis, from the Dealer's right to left. The Dealer pays the winning bets of
all hands which are
greater than the total of the Dealer's hand and which do not exceed 21 and
collects losing bets
from all hands which are less than their hand. Should the Dealer's hand exceed
21, all remaining
bets are paid off.
The method of the present invention still includes the conventional manner of
play of twenty-one
with regard to Insurance wagers being allowed and the dealer hitting any hand
that has a
numerical count of a soft 17 or lower.
For additional amusement for the gaming establishment patrons and publicity
for the gaming
establishment, the largest bonus available (the royal flush with joker being
made with both the
Poker bonus and Joker bonus selected) may be insured by the casino.
While the invention has been illustrated with respect to several specific
embodiments thereof,
these embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting.
Various
modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to those skilled
in the art. In
particular the method may employ some or all of the rule variations and
Payouts described
herein. Payouts in particular are easily modified to suit the circumstances.
The method of the present invention is not limited to live table game versions
of twenty-one.
Any of the methods described above can be applied to a twenty-one game that is
programmed to
operate on an electronic video gaming machine that displays twenty-one to a
player and the
player effects the play of the game using control buttons or the like. Each of
the features
discussed above can be easily included in any electronic version of twenty-one
and the claims of
the present invention are intended to include both the live table game
version, the electronic
video gaming machine version, computer software versions, Internet gaming,
slot machines and
other electronic devices incorporating the method of the present invention.
Accordingly, the invention should not be limited by the foregoing description,
but rather should
be defined only by the following claims.
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