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  Game of chanceThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080054560. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates generally to the field of gaming, and more specifically to the field of games of chance using dice or other means for wagering on randomly-generated number events. [0003]Games of chance, and particularly betting games, should have certain attributes to make them attractive to players. Ideally, such games should have reasonable odds only slightly in favor of the house or bank. Furthermore, such games should be easy to learn, understand, and play. The games should also be exciting for all of those playing, and ideally pit each player against the house as opposed to against each other. Games with a large potential jackpot or top payout are often more exciting than those with a relatively small maximum payout. [0004]Games of chance must also have certain attributes to make them attractive to the house. The games must have a suitable house advantage, and preferably a relatively small cycle time between rounds of betting so that more rounds of the game can be played in any given period of time. Games should be easy to administrate. Games should attract a large number of players per table, and allow for excitement to build as a player does better over the course of his/her turn. The equipment for such games should be inexpensive to manufacture and easy to maintain. [0005]2. Description of the Related Art [0006]Wagering games that use various devices for generating a random event have been known for centuries. One of the most common of these devices is the conventional cubical die, employing six faces and having a series of six different numbers marked thereon. These dice have sequential numbers from one to six inclusive. They are used in a variety of methods to randomly generate a series of numbers ranging from two to twelve in any of thirty-six possible combinations. Alternative dice, for example, those with 4, 8, 10, 12, or 20 sides, are also available commercially, as they are popular for role-playing and other games. Thus, dice are currently used in a wide variety of wagering and non-wagering games and form the starting point for the preferred embodiments of the present game of chance invention. Current technology also makes it possible to generate these numbers by other means, such as computer-generated numbers displayed in a graphic format. [0007]The best known of the wagering games employing dice is the game known as "craps" or "casino bank craps". "Craps" or "bank craps" can generate an incredible amount of excitement among the players and nearby observers. Such excitement is due, in part, to the fact that players are betting on the chance outcome of a pair of dice thrown by themselves or another of the players. As such, there tends to be a higher degree of supportive vocalization from the players not throwing the dice. Sometimes the loud excitement generated by the players and observers results in the craps tables being jammed to capacity. Further, the rules in craps allow for the excitement to build as the player continues to roll the dice. On the downside, craps is a somewhat difficult game to learn, understand and play, and many players become frustrated with the time it often takes to resolve a bet, as further discussed below. Therefore, many gamblers do not appreciate the game. Further, the maximum payouts for craps are not nearly as high as, for example, roulette. [0008]In the current version of the craps game, players place wagers on individually-anticipated numerical outcomes expected from the toss of a pair of dice. This game is appealing to players because of its simplicity in obtaining a random number using two cubical dice. The basic wager in "craps" requires multiple (at least two and frequently many) tosses of the dice pair to reach the final consequence of the wager, which results in either a win or a loss. In some instances, a winner can be declared on the first roll, for example, if the first number rolled is seven or eleven. In some instances, a loser is declared on the first roll, for example, if the first number rolled is "craps" (2, 3, or 12). However, in many instances, a winner is declared only after a "point" is established (when 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled) and then that same number is rolled again, even after-several rolls but before a 7 is rolled. Thus, in most instances, a winning outcome depends upon an initial "point" number being produced by the first roll of the dice and the success in repeating the same number, but not necessarily on the very next roll. Normally, therefore, it will require several tosses of the dice to resolve the outcome of a wager. [0009]In a normal craps wagering cycle, therefore, a bet is deemed lost if a seven is rolled after a "point" (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) was established but before that same "point" is rolled a second time As a result, this system sometimes requires several tosses of the dice to be made with no resolution of a wager. In fact, it is possible that on a single wager a player may throw the dice an indefinite number of times and not resolve the bet. [0010]In order to overcome this feature of craps, which the inventors consider a defect, a wide variety of wagering propositions have been developed to make the game more exciting. Currently, a large number of possible "side" bets or "hop" bets (some of which can be decided on a single roll of the dice) are used in the game of "craps" to cover up this defect. These complex "side" and "hop" bets, in some circumstances, allow players to receive higher odds and resolve a wager more quickly. Unfortunately, these bets require extensive knowledge of the game and the laws of probability. As a result of attempts to correct such defects, the game of "craps" has evolved into a complex wagering system that only the experienced player can fully understand and utilize. Even with these changes, there are delays in resolving many wagers, which results in the disenchantment of many players. Even as craps is currently played, many players have found that the craps dice game is quite limited in several respects. For example, the current "craps" dice game does not offer the typical player a wide variety of wagering opportunities, as players are usually limited to betting on the "come" or "pass" line attempting to roll a specific "point" unless they have received extensive training. Also, as previously noted, the current dice game does not provide the player sufficient assurance that one or even two rolls of the dice can determine the outcome of a majority of bets and/or any subsequent parlay wagers. Furthermore, many players would like to place wagers with a higher potential for reward even when the possibility of successfully obtaining the reward remains low. As a result, the inventors believe that the industry needs a more user-friendly game that will allow players to quickly resolve wagers, while requiring minimal training to obtain the ability to successfully place meaningful wagers. [0011]A discussion of other games of which the inventors are aware is provided below. [0012]U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,926 was issued on Jul. 20, 1999 to J. Breck Brown. Entitled "Game Wager Control System," the patent describes an electronic wagering table and scoring system for a game combining aspects of blackjack and craps. The dice (craps) portion of the game uses only the conventional playing and wagering rules associated with the known and accepted casino game of craps. [0013]U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,579 was issued on Jul. 10, 2001 to Michael J. Horan. Entitled "Dice Game Having Dead-Even Odds," the Horan patent describes a game in which two players play against each other, or perhaps a single player plays against a casino dealer. The possible outcomes of dice pair tosses are divided into two groups, with all of the tosses of the first group having the same probability of occurring as all of the tosses of the second group. A player tosses the dice, and wins if the toss is the same as one of the possibilities in the first group. If the possibility is one of those in the second group, the player loses. Unlike embodiments of the present invention, Horan, as indicated by the title of his patent, does not provide any payouts according to the odds of making a specific dice combination. His game deals more with matching the throw of one's opponent. Moreover, Horan does not provide payouts for consecutive rolls of the dice, nor are his payouts based on the commonly accepted probabilities normally used in most games of chance. [0014]U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,225 was issued on Oct. 15, 2002 to Derek J. Webb. Entitled "Method And Apparatus For Playing A Dice Game," his patent describes a game using three dice, in which all players can wager upon various outcomes of a single dice toss by one of the players. Webb provides for wagers focusing on the majority of the three dice coming up with either even or odd numbers. He further promotes secondary or side bets, with one player continuing to toss the dice so long as that player continues to win an even or odd side bet placed with each toss. Unlike embodiments of the present invention, the Webb game requires three dice, does not provide any payout bonuses for the repeated number totals, and does not include the use of number sets as the mechanism to resolve wagers. [0015]U.S. patent application No. 20,050,140,089 as applied for by Vincenzo Auricchio is entitled, "Simplified Single Throw Craps Game." In his patent application, Auricchio offers a simplified version of the traditional casino craps games by providing a means for novice players to bet on a single roll of the dice. In his claim the applicant develops several wagering areas to simplify the process for the novice player by mixing the concept of roulette with a dice game. His groups are simplified (for example as an under and over seven wager) and do not use combinations of numbers to resolve wagers. Unlike embodiments of the present invention, the Auricchio game does not provide a multi-tiered bonus level for players with an increased payoff percentage. The Auricchio game relies on the generalized simplicity of odd versus even or black versus red while relying on the number seven to terminate play on a bet. [0016]U.S. patent application No. 20,050,001,379 filed on behalf of the Naif Moore offers a "Peat and Repeat" and "No Hardway" in his "Four the Money" gaming device. His game calls for bets being made as a part of the Dice Based Turnover Game employing a machine device in playing the game. The Peat and Repeat bet deals with the rolling of a "selected" number twice before a seven is rolled. In the Moore game, the player is limited to one selected number, rather than betting on a group of numbers as in embodiments of the present invention. In Moore's Peat and Repeat system, the player is not able to resolve the wager immediately and he must rely on the randomness of the number generator to determine when the bet is won or lost. Moore's "No Hardway" bet is a side wager that involves a single roll of the dice, wherein no target number is selected and the player is not allowed the opportunity to select a target number grouping. Moore's single roll wager also fails to offer the higher payouts offered in embodiments of the present invention. Moore's "Four the Money" bet deals with picking a point or "Target" and then avoiding the Target Number on subsequent rolls of four generated pairs of numbers. [0017]Finally, British Patent Publication No. 2,066,086 published on Jul. 8, 1981 to William C. W. Gordon, entitled "Dice Game," describes a game and table layout having features and aspects of roulette, but using only dice as the random number generating means. Accordingly, Gordon provides for wagers on even or odd numbers, as in roulette, and also provides a series of specific numbers which are colored red or black on his table layout, enabling a bettor to place a wager upon the likelihood of a dice toss resulting in any of the numbers of the red positions or of the black positions. Gordon also provides different payout odds, depending upon the probability of any given number occurring. However, Gordon extremely limits the wagers permitted by his players. He does not make any provision for players to place wagers upon even number groups or odd number groups or other number combinations. Unlike embodiments of the present invention, Gordon does not permit parlaying of wagers to offer players higher odds. [0018]The inventors believe that there is still a need for an improved game of chance, which is easy to learn and play, that quickly resolves bets, and that may provide players with the excitement of high odds. Features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into a variety of games, either as a stand-alone game or in combination with, or as a modification to, already-established casino-based games. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0019]The present invention is a game of chance that involves correctly selecting a specific event from a group of potential numerical outcomes, wherein said outcomes relate to the sum of the numbers in a randomly-generated set of numbers, and/or relate to the specific numbers in said set. Each set of numbers may result from use of multiple dice, a computer, or other means of number generation. The preferred embodiments use two six-sided dice or other means of generating similar number sets, that is, number sets each having two numbers and said two numbers independently being selected from the numbers 1-6. Alternatively, other embodiments may use dice with fewer or more than 6 numbers each, more than two dice, and/or other means of generating number sets of 2 or more numbers. [0020]In the preferred embodiments of the invention, wagering is allowed on at least two types of outcomes, specifically: 1) wagering that a first randomly-generated number set will add up to a sum that equals a number in the Number Group upon which the player has bet, and 2) wagering that a second number set, generated at a time later than the first number set, will be the same set of numbers as said first set. Thus, one step in the invented method comprises wagering on a sum of multiple numbers (also called herein the "total" or the "combined number") and another step comprises wagering on the particular numbers in the set without adding them together (also called herein the "individual numbers" or the "uncombined numbers"). In embodiments using two, six-sided dice, or generation means that result in similar number sets, sets of two numbers (with each of the two numbers being 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) are created with every roll of the dice or other generation step, and, in part of the game, the sum of the two numbers determines which wagers win, and in another part of the game, the individual two numbers determines which wagers win. Preferably, during the step wherein the individual two numbers determine which wagers win, a "win" means that the two rolled/generated numbers match an earlier-rolled/generated set of two numbers. The odds of rolling/generating the various sets of numbers with a pair of conventional six-sided dice or other number randomizer means, and therefore the odds of rolling/generating the combined (summed) or uncombined (not summed) numbers may be calculated and used to determine the payoffs for each of the wagering opportunities. [0021]Said Number Groups comprise multiple numbers that are predetermined by the casino owner/manager, by the manufacturer of the gaming table, board, computer game or other gaming platform, or, in some embodiments by the player in advance of playing the game. Typically, the numbers will be grouped according to some traditional groupings, such as "pairs," "big easy," and "little easy." Others may be selected because the casino ("the House") management prefers the odds resulting there-from, or because of personal preference. The inventors prefer a minimum of four Number Groups that provide wagering opportunities on each of the 36 combinations from two six-sided dice, for example, Soft 4-5-6 , Soft 8-9-10, Any Natural (3-7-11), or Any Pair. The Number Groups may be provided in the form of Wagering Zones, which take various forms depending upon the gaming platform: physical regions on a game table or a board game, buttons on a slot-machine, or icons or other interactive buttons on a computer-generated screen. Optimally, the preferred Wagering Zones are provided along with other, even conventional, wagering zones, for example, with those found in conventional craps or roulette games, to increase enjoyment of the game. [0022]In the preferred embodiments, wagering on Number Groups is considered a "first tier" wager, which is typically an initial wager that does not depend upon any previous outcome. After the first tier wager on the Number Groups is resolved by rolling the dice or otherwise generating a first number set, then the "second tier" wager may be placed by those who won the first tier wager. This second tier wager is preferably a wager that the next number set will be the same set of numbers as said first set. Preferably, the players parlay some or all of their winnings from the first tier wager on the second tier wager. Thus, once a player has won on the Number Group wager (betting on the combined/added number from the dice roll), he/she may bet that the uncombined/individual numbers from the next roll/generation will match the numbers from the immediately-previous roll/generation. Thus, the individual numbers that are summed to determine the outcome of a first tier wager become the Target Set for the second tier wager, wherein rolling/generating that same Target Set (those same two numbers, in the case of conventional dice) is the sole objective for the successful second tier wager. In both circumstances, that is, whether the sum of the two numbers or the un-summed numbers is/are used, a determinative outcome occurs with each number randomizing event. Thus, rather than a winning or losing outcome being postponed until several or many rolls of the dice, as in craps, a winning outcome may be determined after each roll of the dice. Continue reading... Full patent description for Game of chance Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Game of chance patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Game of chance or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Apparatus for handling flexible sheets Next Patent Application: Gaming machine chair Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Game of chance patent info. 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