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  Method and apparatus for a card game tournamentUSPTO Application #: 20070090599Title: Method and apparatus for a card game tournament Abstract: A method and apparatus for a card tournament with elimination hands is presented. The method and apparatus of the present invention provides for a multi-round blackjack tournament with periodic hands wherein players with the lowest chip or point total are eliminated from the game. A home/portable edition implementation is also provided for, allowing players to conduct a card game tournament in venues outside of the traditional casino environment. (end of abstract) Agent: Lewis And Roca LLP - Phoenix, AZ, US Inventor: Russell Hamilton USPTO Applicaton #: 20070090599 - Class: 273292000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Card Or Tile Games, Cards Or Tiles Therefor The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070090599. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the full benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/729,190, filed on Oct. 21, 2005, titled "Card Game Tournament Method," the disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to method and apparatus for a card game tournament. More specifically, the present invention provides for a method for a card game tournament for card games such as blackjack, with elimination rounds and secret bets to further increase the entertainment value for players and spectators alike. Also provided for is an apparatus for conducting the disclosed card game tournament in venues such as a person's home. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Over the last few years, the popularity of poker tournaments has grown substantially, owing in part to the rapidly growing number of poker players and interested observers. Television cable channels now routinely broadcast poker tournaments, and games such as those featuring celebrities receive particularly good ratings. To the uninitiated, observing a game of poker can at times lack entertainment value because of the slow pace, and some viewers may fail to appreciate subtle but important nuances of poker strategy. However, as the popularity of the game of poker grows, viewers are often attracted not just for the pure entertainment value, but for the chance to learn from "the masters" and gain insight into the less apparent aspects of poker strategy and tactics. [0006] Also gaining in popularity is the card game "blackjack", which was already well known and has been played for many years. In its present conventional or electronic form, this game is played in almost every major casino in the United States. Blackjack shares a fast-paced play environment with other table games such as roulette and craps, yet offers the opportunity for players to utilize some level of skill to increase game winnings. Blackjack further owes its popularity to an uncomplicated rule set, as well as the publicity that arises from news stories of high-skill players that have received substantial winnings. Further, unlike poker, blackjack players play against the house rather than other players. [0007] The simplicity of the blackjack game along with its rapid play provides the potential for high observational interest, yet blackjack tournaments have failed to be as commercially successful as poker tournaments, especially in the television broadcast realm. The lagging effect of blackjack tournament popularity may be attributable to the absence of factors that can increase the playing tension between the players and provide for more opportunities for strategic betting decisions. [0008] What is needed, therefore, is a method for conducting a blackjack tournament that increases viewer interest. What is additionally needed is a blackjack tournament method that provides new play opportunities to increase competition between players and that supports the use of an overall game strategy to increase likelihood of player success. What is further needed is a method of conducting a tournament that spurs user excitement by allowing for elimination of players at particular times during the tournament. What is also needed is a blackjack tournament method that allows the live viewer or television audience to see cards or bets not within view of other players. What is also needed is a method and apparatus to allow payers to conduct their own blackjack tournaments, as disclosed herein, yet outside of a casino environment such as in the comfort of their own homes. SUMMARY [0009] A method is provided for conducting a card game tournament in one or more rounds, with the possibility of elimination at several points within a round. In each round, comprised of a predetermined number of hands, at certain intervals, "elimination hands" may be declared, wherein after the hand is played, the player with the lowest score, point count, or chip total will be eliminated, therefore expediting play of the tournament and heightening viewer suspense as the player to be eliminated is determined. Further, such elimination hands cause players to adjust their play style, since for elimination hands, the players are competing more directly against one another to avoid the penalty of elimination. At the end of a round, the player with the highest player total (in tokens, chips, point value, or dollars, for instance) will advance to the next round. After the final round is completed (e.g., the championship round), the player with the highest score, point count, or chip total is winner of the tournament. If two players are tied for the highest point total, a playoff will be held to determine which player advances. [0010] It is another object of the invention to provide for a betting technique to further increase viewer interest and excitement of the tournament. Once or more per tournament, another implementation of the present invention provides for a "secret bet," where players may place a bet in confidence, with the amount not known to other players until the end of the hand when bets are resolved. However, the present invention provides for a means to reveal the bet to a viewing audience, a broadcast audience, or both, at the time the bet is placed (or thereafter). One such means for revealing a secret bet may be accomplished by displaying a video feed on a visual display that is viewable only by members of an intended live or remote audience In this way, viewers have knowledge of potential game outcomes that players may not, and therefore viewers become more drawn into observing game play. Further, the secret bet aspect of the present invention allows for players to exercise gaming strategy more akin to the game of poker, where "bluffing" plays a key role in adding an element of the unknown. In one implementation of the present invention, since player cards are visible to other players, the secret bet has the effect of allowing a player to exercise confidential strategy and force other players to adjust play technique accordingly. [0011] It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus and method to conduct a blackjack tournament in a venue outside of a casino or studio environment. With viewer interest likely increasing in response to the broadcast of tournaments conducted in accordance with the present invention, viewers may become motivated to play in such tournament themselves, host their own tournaments, or conduct tournaments at a public forum such as for fundraising. In these situations, the method and apparatus of the present invention provide for game components and rules to support the implementation of a blackjack tournament at a venue outside of a typical casino or studio environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart portraying one method of the present invention, wherein a card game tournament is conducted; and [0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart for one embodiment of playing a hand of cards in accordance with the present invention. [0014] The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0015] An implementation of the present invention provides for a card game tournament conducted in one or more rounds, each round comprising one or more hands of cards. In one implementation, a round of the tournament comprises 30 hands played, or in some situations, may comprise 10 to 60 hands played. A round may end before the predetermined number of hands is played, and may continue longer to break ties. A sufficient number of rounds is played to eliminate players and determine an ultimate champion. One implementation further provides for a card game tournament utilizing the game of blackjack. [0016] Turning to FIG. 1, a flowchart of an implementation of the present invention is presented. At the beginning of the tournament, certain game play parameters are established, (100) such as the minimum and maximum allowable bet/wager, the number of rounds in the tournament, the time limits to place bets and to act upon dealt cards, and the number and cardinality of elimination hands (discussed more fully below). In one implementation, hand numbers 8, 16, and 25 are designated as elimination hands, where players may be eliminated under certain conditions. Further, while in one implementation elimination hands are announced before the tournament begins, in an alternate implementation to further increase the spontaneity and enjoyment of the game, elimination hands may be declared at the beginning of a round, at the beginning of an elimination hand, or after an elimination hand of cards had been played without a player's knowledge that such hand was an elimination hand. [0017] At the beginning of each round of the tournament (103), players are seated in the game and an initial play/seating order is determined, such as through a random draw. Those of skill in the art understand that since the order of play typically proceeds sequentially from one player to the next in the seating order, the terms "play order" and "seating order" are interchangeable, and are to be considered interchangeable herein. It is understood that in some implementations, such as in a computer-implemented tournament, not all players must necessarily physically reside at the same location. It is further understood that the number of players in each game or table may vary due to the number of entrants in the tournament. In one implementation, a physical or virtual marker is placed proximal to the player that is first in the bet/play order, and such marker is rotated to a next player after completion of play of each hand of cards. In an alternate implementation, such marker also provides an indicia of which hand number is being played within a round and/or whether such hand comprises an elimination hand During this phase (103), players receive an initial allocation of tournament chips or a monetary indicia of value ($25,000 worth, in one implementation or in a home edition implementation, players each receive $100,000 in chips). If the round being played is a final, or championship round, players optionally receive a different allocation of chips or monetary value ($100,000, for instance). With the exception of the final round, players may vary their bets within predetermined limits, for instance from $500 to $25,000 in increments of $100. In the final championship round, or in a home version of the present invention players may vary their bets in a second range, for instance from $1,000 to $100,000 in increments of $100. It is understood by those of skill in the art that bet limits may be adjusted responsive to the length of the tournament, the number of rounds to be conducted, the nature of players involved, or the venue of the tournament. In one implementation, once bets are placed in the player's betting square, the bets may not be changed. [0018] The hands of each round are played (105) with rules determined by the nature of the card game tournament being conducted. In one implementation, the rules of the card game are substantially similar to established casino blackjack rules. One implementation of playing a hand in accordance with an implementation of the present invention will be discussed more fully below in relation to FIG. 2, below. At the completion the playing of a hand of cards (105), each player's point, chip, or monetary value indicia totals will be adjusted based on their respective success or failure in that hand of cards. [0019] If a hand played was designated as an elimination hand (107), players' point/chip/value totals are accrued and compared (109). If two or more players tie for lowest total (111), then a playoff is conducted (113) to determine a player with the lowest chip total. After the optional playoff (113), the player that has the lowest remaining total is eliminated (115). Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for a card game tournament Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for a card game tournament 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. 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