Method for playing pointspread blackjack

• US 6,341,778 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John S. Lee
• Original Assignee: John S. Lee
• Inventors: Lee, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Dolores R.
• Application Number:
  US09/449,518
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/309, 273/274, 273/303, 273/85.CP
• US Class Current: 273/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082

Abstract

The invention comprises a method for increasing the payout for the main wager of the game of blackjack or Twenty-One and/or for providing a side bet opportunity during the game of blackjack or Twenty-One which are based upon the point-spread between the players hand and the dealers hand. In one embodiment, a pointspread of 1, 2, 3, or 4 would result in 1×, 1.5×, 2×, or 10× payout, respectively, of the side wager. In another embodiment, a pointspread of 1, 2, 3, or 4 would result in 1×, 2×, 3×, or 5× payout, respectively, of a side bet. In another embodiment, a pointspread of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 would result in 0.5× , 1× , 1.5× , 3× , or 5× payout, respectively, of a side bet. The game allows for variations in the rules and for other types of side-betting opportunities while maintaining the excitement of a multiple pointspread payout at the resolution of the hand.

Claims

1. A method of providing an increased payout in a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a wager to participate in the black jack card game;

(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;

(c) comparing each of the players'"'"'hands with the dealer'"'"'s hand to identify winning players and losing players; and

(d) resolving each player'"'"'s wager by taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack and paying off winning players according to a payoff table that multiplies a conventional blackjack payoff by a scale factor that varies as a function of the magnitude of a pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and the respective winning player'"'"'s hand.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager is a side wager.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager is a main wager.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing each player an opportunity to make a side wager representing a wager on the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand; and

(f) paying each player according to the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand and according to a payoff table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) providing a gaming surface having a wagering area with indicia representing a pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand and upon which each player may place the money, gaming chips, and/or credits representing the wager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is played using a device selected from the group consisting of:

video game devices, software operated computer game devices, scratch-off type playing cards, and pull-tab type gaming cards.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is played using a conventional deck of playing cards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is played using a nonconventional deck of playing cards.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the payout is made according to Table 1:

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the payout is made according to Table 2:

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the payout is made according to Table 3:

12. A method of playing a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a wager to participate in the black jack card game;

(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;

(c) comparing each of the players'"'"'hands with the dealer'"'"'s hand to identify winning players and losing players; and

(d) the dealer resolving the wager by taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack and paying off winning players according to a payoff table that multiplies a conventional blackjack payoff by a scale factor that varies as a function of the magnitude of a pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and the respective winning player'"'"'s hand.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing each player an opportunity to make a side wager representing a wager on the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand; and

(f) paying each player according to the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand and according to a payoff table.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

(e) providing a gaming surface having a wagering area with indicia representing a pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the method is played using a device selected from the group consisting of:

video game devices, software operated computer game devices, scratch-off type playing cards, and pull-tab type gaming cards.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the method is played using a conventional deck of playing cards.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the method is played using a nonconventional deck of playing cards.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the payout is made according to Table 1:

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the payout is made according to Table 2:

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the payout is made according to Table 3:

21. A method of providing an additional wagering opportunity based on a magnitude of a pointspread between a dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand in a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a main wager to participate in the black jack card game and an opportunity to make a side wager representing a wager on a magnitude of the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and the respective player'"'"'s hand;

(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;

(c) comparing each of the players'"'"'hands with the dealer'"'"'s hand to identify winning players and losing players and the dealer resolving the main wagers by paying off winning players and taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack; and

(d) paying each winning player'"'"'s side wager according to a payoff table that varies as a function of the magnitude of the pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and the respective winning player'"'"'s hand.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

(e) providing a gaming surface having a wagering area with indicia representing a pointspread between the dealer'"'"'s hand and each player'"'"'s hand.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is played using a device selected from the group consisting of:

video game devices, software operated computer game devices, scratch-off type playing cards, and pull-tab type gaming cards.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is played using a conventional deck of playing cards.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is played using a nonconventional deck of playing cards.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the payout is made according to Table 1:

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the payout is made according to Table 2:

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the payout is made according to Table 3:

29. A method of calculating a house advantage for pointspread blackjack, comprising:

providing a standard computer having software programming; and

i) inputting into said computer data, variables, and/or objects relating to a basic game of blackjack;

ii) inputting into said computer data, variables and/or objects relating to pointspread blackjack including a magnitude of a pointspread amount, a payout multiple that varies as a function of the magnitude of the pointspread amount, and the number of decks of playing cards used by a dealer; and

iii) calculating with said computer a value of the house advantage over each player.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a blackjack game having a pointspread of 1, 2, 3, or 4 results in 1×

, 1.5×

, 2×

or 10×

payout respectively and wherein the value of the house advantage ranges from 5.15% for 2 decks of cards in a dealer tray to 5.32% for six decks for players using a basic strategy, and the house advantage is 2.43% for 2 decks to 2.53% for 6 decks for players using a dealer mimic strategy wherein a player hits to 17 regardless of a dealer'"'"'s up card.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein a blackjack game having a pointspread of 1, 2, 3, or 4 results in 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, or 5×

payout respectively and wherein the value of the house advantage ranges from 6.25% for 2 decks to 6.36% for 6 decks of cards in a dealer tray, and the house advantage is 3.77% for 2 decks to 3.80% for 6 decks for players using a dealer mimic strategy wherein a player hits to 17 regardless of a dealer'"'"'s up card.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein a blackjack game having a pointspread of 0 (a tie), 1, 2, 3, or 4 results in 0.5×

, 1×

, 1.5×

, 3×

or 5×

payout, respectively, of a side bet and wherein the value of the house advantage ranges from 5.19% for 2 decks to 5.28% for 6 decks for a player using a basic strategy, and the house advantage for a player using the mimic strategy results in 2.56% for 2 decks and 2.57% for 6 decks.