Multiplayer game with strategic element

• US 7,758,048 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Star Games LLC
• Original Assignee: North Star Games LLC
• Inventors: Heasley, Nathanael Breeze, Crapuchettes, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce; William M
• Application Number:
  US11/203,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 273/274, 273/429, 273/430, 273/431, 273/432
• US Class Current: 273/274
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/18 Question-and-answer games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A question and answer game includes more than one answer choice to each question and each answer choice has a strategic element with a risk/reward tradeoff.

Claims

1. A method of playing a question and answer game, comprising:

providing a playing card for each player and a playing surface having a series of more than one position;

receiving each playing card with an answer choice on the more than one position of the playing surface according to a numerical order from a smallest to a largest answer choice;

assigning a strategic element with a risk-versus-reward tradeoff to each answer choice in response to the position on the playing surface such that selection of an answer choice includes consideration of the risk-versus-reward tradeoff of the strategic element;

prompting one or more players to select an answer choice as a potential winning answer;

determining the winning answer; and

awarding an amount according to the strategic element to any player that selects the determined winning answer as the player'"'"'s selected potential winning answer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the strategic element comprises assigning a payout of a multiple greater than one to at least one answer choice.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein assigning the payout includes assigning payouts to each answer choice such that the payouts are not all identical.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein assigning the payout includes assigning a payout to each answer choice such that an answer choice with a greater risk of not being determined as the winning answer includes a reward of a higher payout and an answer choice with a lesser risk of not being determined as the winning answer includes a reward of a lower payout.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the risk-versus-reward of an answer choice is accomplished by ordering the answer choices from the smallest numerical value to the largest numerical value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the winning answer as the answer choice having a closest numerical value to a correct answer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the winning answer as the answer choice having a closest numerical value to a correct answer without exceeding the numerical value of the correct answer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting players to select one or more answer choice as the potential winning answer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting players to put a wager on any of the player'"'"'s selected one or more answer choice as the potential winning answer.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein assigning the strategic element comprises assigning a payout multiple to more than one answer choice, wherein the payout multiple is one of a higher payout, a lesser payout, and an identical payout for any of the more than one answer choice;

the method further comprising;

awarding any player that put a wager on the winning answer an amount equal to a product of the player'"'"'s wager and the assigned payout multiple of the winning answer.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

penalizing any player that put a wager on a losing answer an amount equal to the player'"'"'s respective wager.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing more than one answer choice comprises providing more than one player-generated answer choice.

13. A question and answer game, comprising:

more than one player card having an erasable writing surface to indicate an answer choice of a player;

a playing surface having a series of more than one answer position to receive a player card arranged according to a numerical order from a smallest to a largest answer choice;

wager tokens positioned at one or more answer position for each player to indicate a winning answer;

wherein each answer position includes a strategic element with a risk-versus-reward tradeoff such that selection of an answer choice at a particular answer position includes consideration of the risk-versus-reward tradeoff.

14. The game of claim 13, wherein the more than one answer position comprises a first answer position, a second answer position, a third answer position, a fourth answer position, a fifth answer position, a sixth answer position, and a seventh answer position.

15. The game of claim 14, wherein:

the first answer position and seventh answer position have a payout multiple of 4 to 1;

the second answer position and the sixth answer position have a payout multiple of 3 to 1;

the third answer position and the fifth answer position have a payout multiple of 2 to 1; and

the fourth answer position has a payout multiple of 1 to 1.

16. The game of claim 13, wherein:

more than one player card includes a player identification.

17. The game of claim 13, wherein:

the wager tokens comprise poker chips to keep track of player wagers and scores.

18. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a computer to play a question and answer game, the computer program comprising:

a first code segment to provide an image of a playing surface with more than one answer position on a display terminal;

a second code segment to prompt each player to input a response to a question with an input device;

a third code segment to sort each response by numerical order;

a fourth code segment to assign a payout to each-response based on the numerical order such that a response of a greater risk of not winning includes a reward of a higher payout and a response of a lesser risk of not winning includes a reward of a lower payout;

a fifth code segment to display each response with the assigned payout on the playing surface;

a sixth code segment to prompt players to wager on one or more answer choice as a potential winning answer;

a seventh code segment to determine a winning answer;

an eighth code segment to award each player that selects the winning answer as the player'"'"'s potential winning answer an amount equal to a product of the player'"'"'s respective wager and the assigned respective payout for the response containing the winning answer; and

a ninth code segment to penalize each player that put a wager on a losing answer an amount equal to the player'"'"'s respective wager.