WO2004082782A1

WO2004082782A1 - A wagering game, method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2004082782A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/000703
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Moshal
Original assignee: Waterleaf Limited
Priority date: 2003-03-19
Filing date: 2004-03-12
Publication date: 2004-09-30
Also published as: WO2004082782A8; GB0306280D0

Abstract

A gaming apparatus (1) comprises a wagering facility (8) enabling a player to place a wager on a predicted outcome in blackjack between the player and a dealer. Game rules and pre-established game play decisions are associated with both the player and the dealer. A simulation means (7),(9) automatically simulate the player’s turn in accordance to game rules and game play decisions without player intervention. A settlement facility (11) determines actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game and of settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome selected by the player. The predicted outcome are: 1) the player will beat the dealer, and (2) the dealer will beat the player. A successful wager that the player will beat the dealer, even money,is won. A successful wager that the dealer will beat the player, odds of less than even money is won. A wager is forfeited if unsuccessful.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A WAGERING GAME

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a gaming apparatus that enables a user thereof to place a wager on, and to play, a game and, more particularly, to an apparatus that enables a user thereof to place a wager on, and to play, a game of chance, in this instance a game of blackjack. The invention extends to a method of operation of the gaming apparatus.

Background to the Invention

The game of blackjack is well known and widely played in most land-based casinos.

At the simplest level, the game of blackjack is played between each one of a number of players and a dealer, who represents a "house". During a turn of the game, each player is required to make an initial wager on an outcome of two hands of playing cards, one hand being dealt to the player and the other hand being dealt to the dealer, respectively. After making the initial wager, each player is dealt two cards face-up and the dealer is dealt one card face-up, from one or more decks of 52 playing cards. Each card is deemed to have a point value as follows: a deuce to a ten is deemed to have a point value equal to the face value of that card; a Jack, a Queen or a King is deemed to have a point value of 10, while an Ace is deemed to have a point value of 1 or, optionally, 11 , at the discretion of the player and the dealer, respectively. Each player is then required to decide, on the basis of the two playing cards which have been dealt to him, and the dealer's exposed playing card, whether to draw additional cards, one at a time, to augment the player's hand (that is, to "hit"), or not to draw any further additional cards for augmentation of the player's hand (that is, to "stand"). If the total point value of the cards in the player's hand exceeds 21 at any stage, the player is deemed to have "bust", in which case the initial wager is forfeited to the house, and the player takes no further part in that turn of the game.

Once each player in that turn of the game has elected to stand, or has bust, the dealer augments his hand by drawing additional cards, one at a time, according to the following rules:

1. the dealer must hit if the total point value of the cards in the dealer's hand is less than 17;

2. the dealer must stand if the total point value of the cards in the dealer's hand is greater than or equal to 17;

3. the dealer busts if the total point value of the cards in the dealer's hand is greater than 21. If the dealer busts while the player has not, the player wins the initial wager at even money.

Where neither the player nor the dealer has bust, the outcome of the wager is decided by comparing the total point value of the player and dealer hands. If the player's hand has the higher total point value, the player wins the initial wager at even money. If the dealer's hand has the higher point value, the player's initial wager is forfeited to the house. In the event that the total point values of the player and dealer hands are equal, the initial wager is neither forfeited nor won by the player. There are numerous variations to these rules of the game of blackjack, which are not material to the invention, and which will not be described here in detail.

A disadvantage of this game of conventional blackjack is a lack of variety, which can cause the game to become monotonous, particularly in a multi-player situation, and which can result in a player's interest in the game waning rapidly.

In order to overcome this problem, it is known to introduce an optional side wager into the game, which a player may elect to exercise in order to liven up the progress of the game. A disadvantage of this particular variation of the game is that a player is required to take a conscious decision, at every turn of the game, whether to exercise the optional side wager or not, which can also cause the player's interest in the game to wane.

A further disadvantage of the game of blackjack when cards are dealt by hand in a land-based casino, is that the progress of the game as a whole is slow, which restricts the rate at which succeeding turns of the game can be played. The problem is further exacerbated when the optional side wager is introduced into the game, as a croupier is required to manage and administer the players' side wagers in addition to the initial wagers, thereby slowing the game down even further.

It is known that the game of blackjack is a game where a player's skill is a major determinant of success or failure in the game. It also well known that an unskilled player should play the game according to a certain predefined basic strategy in order to minimise an advantage which the game offers to an operator of the, game. A disadvantage of the game of blackjack is that the rules of the basic strategy can be tedious to learn and to master. A still further aspect of the game of blackjack is that a number of turns of the game are dealt from a shoe consisting of, typically, five conventional decks of 52 playing cards each. Successive turns of the game are thus not independent and are influenced by the cards that have been dealt from the shoe in preceding turns of the game, until the five decks in the shoe are re-shuffled. An unskilled player can thus find the game of blackjack particularly daunting and be reluctant to play the game for fear of making incorrect game play decisions.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of this invention to provide a gaming apparatus and a method of operation thereof, that will, at least partially, alleviate the abovementioned difficulties and disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with this invention there is provided a gaming apparatus, comprising: a wagering facility operable by a player to place a wager on a selectable predicted outcome of a turn of a game of blackjack between the player and a dealer, the predicted outcome being either one of an outcome that the player will beat the dealer and an outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the turn of the game; a repository of game rules and predetermined game play decisions associated with both the player and the dealer; simulation means responsive to placement of the wager by the player to automatically simulate the turn of the game in accordance with the game rules and game play decisions contained in the repository, without intervention from the player; and a settlement facility capable of determining an actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game and settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome selected by the player and the actual outcome of the turn of the game.

Further features of the invention provide for the settlement facility to settle a successful wager that the player will beat the dealer at even money, and for the settlement facility to settle a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player at odds of less than even money, preferably about 20% less than even money.

The invention extends to a method of operation of a gaming apparatus, which includes the steps of: accepting a wager on a selected, predicted outcome of a turn of a game of blackjack between a player and a dealer, the predicted outcome being either one of an outcome that the player will beat the dealer and an outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the turn of the game; providing a repository of game rules and predetermined game play decisions associated with both the player and the dealer; automatically simulating the turn of the game in accordance with the game rules and game play decisions contained in the repository, without intervention from the player; and determining an actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game and settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome selected by the player and the actual outcome of the turn of the game.

There is further provided for settling a successful wager that the player will beat the dealer at even money, and for settling a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player at odds of less than even money, preferably about 20% less than even money. Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the abovementioned drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a gaming apparatus according to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Referring to Figure 1 , a gaming apparatus is indicated generally by reference numeral (1).

The gaming apparatus (1) includes a gaming server (2) and a player access facility (3) in the form of a computer workstation with an associated display monitor (4) and a pointing device (5), such as a mouse or, alternatively, a touchpad. The computer workstation (3) is located remotely from the gaming server (2) and communication between the computer workstation and the gaming server is provided across a communication network (6) that is, in this embodiment, the Internet.

The computer workstation (3) is a conventional personal computer operating under a Windows 2000 Professional operating system, which is well known and commercially available from the Microsoft Corporation of Seattle, Washington, USA. The gaming server (2) itself operates under the Windows NT operating system that is available from the Microsoft Corporation. The computer workstation (3) executes a stored program (7), the operation of which will be outlined in the description that follows. The stored program (7) in the computer workstation (3) displays to a player, or user, of the apparatus (1) a simulated playing surface on which a game of blackjack can be played. During a turn of the game of blackjack, the stored program (7) in the computer workstation (3) provides the player with a wagering facility (8) that enables the user to place a wager on a selectable predicted outcome of the turn of the game between the player and a fictitious dealer. The available predicted outcomes from which the player may make his selection are a first predicted outcome that the player will beat the dealer in the next turn of the game, or a second predicted outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the next turn of the game. Once the player has selected a predicted outcome, the stored program (7) in the computer workstation (3) presents the player with an icon (not shown) on the display monitor (4), labelled "Deal", which the user can activate with the pointing device (5) to initiate execution of the turn of the game. The player is prevented from initiating execution of the turn of the game until the player has placed a wager and has selected a predicted outcome of the next turn of the game as described above.

The stored program (7) in the computer workstation (3) also provides a simulation means (9), which simulates the progress of a turn of the game of blackjack. The stored program (7) includes, further, a repository (10) of rules of the game of blackjack and predetermined game play decisions associated with both the player and the dealer. In particular, the repository (10) will contain game rules pertaining to the order of play between the player and dealer, and game rules for determining the outcome of the turn of the game, that is whether the player or the dealer wins the turn of the game.. The predetermined game play decisions relate to hit and stand decisions for each combination of point values for the dealer hand and the player hand, respectively. In this embodiment the predetermined game play decisions relating to the player are those of a well- known "basic strategy", which is an optimal strategy for a player as a function of the parameters of the particular variation of blackjack being played. The basic strategy in the repository (10) does not include any double-down or insurance decisions. Once the player initiates simulation of the turn of the game, the stored program (7) instructs the gaming server (2) to simulate the dealing of cards as required by the rules of the game in the repository (10). The dealing of cards is implemented as a software random number generator that is executed in the gaming server (2), such random numbers being mapped onto cards of a conventional deck of 52 playing cards. The stored program (7) in the computer workstation (3) displays each generated random number to the player by means of animated sequence on the display monitor (6) which shows the corresponding playing card being turned over and revealed.

The progress of the game simulation occurs automatically as a function of the game rules and predetermined game play decisions in the repository (10), without intervention from the player. Progress of the game simulation proceeds according to the following steps:

The player selects a predicted outcome by making a wager on either the player hand or the dealer hand to win;

The player activates the "Deal" icon to commence simulation of the game;

A first card is dealt face up for the player hand;

A first card is dealt face up for the dealer hand;

A second card is dealt face up for the player hand;

Third and subsequent cards are dealt for the player hand in accordance with the predetermined game play decisions in the repository. The player hand will be augmented in this manner until either the applicable game play decision is to stand, or the player hand busts; If the player hand busts, the turn of the game ends and the dealer hand wins;

If the player hand stands, the dealer hand is augmented by additional card until the dealer hand has a point value of at least 17, or busts;

If the dealer hand busts, the player hand wins;

If the dealer hand does not bust, the hand with the highest cumulative point value wins the turn of the game;

If the dealer hand and the player hand have equal cumulative point values, the turn of the game is tied and the player's wager is returned.

The stored computer program (7) includes a settlement facility (11) capable of determining an actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game, that is whether the player or dealer hand has won the simulated urn of the game. If the player's wager is unsuccessful, it is forfeited. If the player's wager is successful, the settlement facility (11 ) pays the wager at even money where the player has wagered on the player hand, and at odds of less than even money, more particularly 20% less, than even money where the player has wagered on the dealer hand. As an example, a $1 bet on a player hand that wins will be paid $2, while a $1 bet on a dealer hand that wins will be paid $1 ,80.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the gaming apparatus described above enables a player to participate in a game of blackjack without the necessity of learning the rules of the game and an optimal game play strategy. The gaming apparatus provides a player with a game that is a blend of blackjack and punto banco. The simulation of the game does not take into account any surrender or double-down game rules and does not provide for any additional payoff for a winning player hand that is a "natural", that is a hand which comprises an Ace and another card with a point value of 10.

Numerous modifications are possible to this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the number of decks of 52 playing cards that are used in the game may be increased to be 2, 3, 4 or 5. Further, the predetermined game play decisions in the repository (10) could be different to those of the well-known basic strategy. Still further, the game play decisions in the repository (10) could be made to be configurable at the instance of the player. Yet further, the computer workstation (3) and the gaming server (2) could be combined in a single processing unit such as a betting terminal or the like.

The technical problem solved by this invention is that of transforming a variable- odds game such as blackjack, in which a player's chances of success vary in accordance with game play decisions taken by the player, into a fixed-odds game in which a player's chances of success are invariable, thus making the game suitable for implementation on a fixed-odds betting terminal.

The invention therefore provides a novel gaming system that enables a player to play a game of blackjack.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising: a wagering facility operable by a player to place a wager on a selectable predicted outcome of a turn of a game of blackjack between the player and a dealer, the predicted outcome being either one of an outcome that the player will beat the dealer and an outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the turn of the game; a repository of game rules and predetermined game play decisions associated with both the player and the dealer; simulation means responsive to placement of the wager by the player to automatically simulate the turn of the game in accordance with the game rules and game play decisions contained in the repository, without intervention from the player; and a settlement facility capable of determining an actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game and settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome selected by the player and the actual outcome of the turn of the game.

2. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claiml in which the settlement facility settles a successful wager that the player will beat the dealer at even money.

3. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the settlement facility settles a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player at odds of less than even money.

4. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the settlement facility settles a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player at odds of about 20% less than even money.

5. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the settlement facility causes the wager to be forfeited if the wager is unsuccessful.

6. A method of operation of a gaming apparatus, which includes the steps of: accepting a wager on a selected, predicted outcome of a turn of a game of blackjack between a player and a dealer, the predicted outcome being either one of an outcome that the player will beat the dealer and an outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the turn of the game; providing a repository of game rules and predetermined game play decisions associated with both the player and the dealer; automatically simulating the turn of the game in accordance with the game rules and game play decisions contained in the repository, without intervention from the player; and determining an actual outcome of the simulated turn of the game and settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome selected by the player and the actual outcome of the turn of the game.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the player will beat the dealer, at even money.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player, at odds of less than even money.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player, at odds of about 20% less than even money.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 that includes the step of causing forfeiture of the wager if the wage is unsuccessful.

11.A method of playing a game, comprising the steps of: selecting a predicted outcome of a turn of a game of blackjack between a player and a dealer, the predicted outcome being either one of an outcome that the player will beat the dealer and an outcome that the dealer will beat the player in the turn of the game; placing a wager on the selected predicted outcome of the turn of the game; determining an actual outcome of the turn of the game; and settling the wager as a function of the predicted outcome and the actual outcome of the turn of the game.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the player will beat the dealer, at even money.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player, at odds of less than even money.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 that includes the step of settling a successful wager that the dealer will beat the player, at odds of about 20% less than even money.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 that includes the step of forfeiting the wager if the wager is unsuccessful.