System and method for adding a skill aspect to games of chance

• US 8,105,141 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cantor Index Limited (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Leen, Fergus A., Lawrence, Sam B., McNally, David G., Hetherington, Clive, McDowell, David M., O'Neal, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US11/397,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 9- 11, 463/47, 273/138.1, 273/146, 273/166, 273/234, 273/246, 273/248, 273/249, 273/138.2, 273/237, 273/242, 273/243
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically

Abstract

A system and methods are provided in which a certain level of the chance aspect of a game or other application is removed and a certain level of a skill aspect is added. This may be accomplished by using an indicator to establish a predetermined number of move numbers for one or more players in the game. For example, the indicator may be used to determine a first group of move numbers for a first player and a second group of move numbers for a second player. The players use the pre-established move numbers to advance according to the rules of the game. Depending on the particular embodiment, the move numbers within a group may be sequenced or non-sequenced. Move numbers may be replaced at each player'"'"'s turn or when all or a subset of the move numbers of a group are used. Move numbers may be established by any type of indicator such as dice, dominos, or a random number generator. In some embodiments, move numbers may be traded in. Move numbers may or may not be visible at predetermined times to one or more players.

Claims

1. A system for executing a game in which users make moves, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

determining a first sequence of move numbers by activating an indicator a predetermined plurality of times, the first sequence of move numbers comprising a plurality of non-zero numbers;

after the first sequence is determined, causing a first player of the game to advance a first time, in a first turn of the first player, by a number of positions corresponding to a move number of the first sequence of move numbers;

after causing the first player to advance the first time, causing a second player of the game to advance in a first turn of the second player; and

after causing the second player to advance, causing the first player to advance a second time, in a second turn of the first player, by a number of positions corresponding to another move number of the first sequence of move numbers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first move number of the first sequence is not used to cause any player of the game to advance more than once during advancements corresponding to the first sequence of move numbers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of (i) one or more die and (ii) one or more dominos.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a random-number generator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each player participates in the game by taking turns, and wherein one or more move numbers of the first sequence of move numbers is visible to a respective player at times during the game other than the respective player'"'"'s turn.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a user participates in the game by taking turns, and wherein move numbers are invisible to the user until selected by the user upon the user'"'"'s turn.

7. The system of claim 1, in which the method further comprises:

receiving from the first user a request to exchange one or more move numbers for one or more substitute move numbers; and

exchanging one or more move numbers for one or more substitute move numbers.

8. The system of claim 1, in which the method further comprises activating the indicator a predetermined number of times to determine a second sequence of one or more move numbers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the total of the move numbers of the first sequence of move numbers is within a predetermined range of the total of the move numbers of the second sequence of move numbers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the total of the move numbers of the first sequence of move numbers equals the total of the move numbers of the second sequence of move numbers.

11. The system of claim 1, in which the method further comprises:

communicating the first sequence of move numbers to the first player during the game, in which the first sequence of move numbers are not communicated to the second player during the game.

12. The system of claim 1, in which the method further comprises:

communicating the first sequence of move numbers to the first player and the second player during the game.

13. The system of claim 1, in which the method further comprises:

before the act of causing a player to advance by the number of positions, causing at least one indicator representing the plurality of numbers to be displayed to the first player and the second player.

14. A system for executing a game in which users make moves, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

determining a first group of move numbers by activating an indicator a predetermined plurality of times, the first group of move numbers comprising a plurality of numbers;

after the first group of move numbers is determined, causing the first player to advance a first time, in a first turn, by a number of positions corresponding to a first move number of the first group of move numbers;

activating the indicator a second time during the first turn to determine one or more substitute move numbers;

receiving a request to replace one or more of the move numbers of the first group of move numbers with one or more of the substitute move numbers; and

responsive to the request, replacing one or more of the move numbers of the first group of move numbers with one or more of the substitute move numbers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the step of activating the indicator a second time is accomplished after the step of advancing a first time.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising causing the first player to advance a second time by a number of positions corresponding to a second move number of the first group of move numbers.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first group of move numbers comprises a sequence of a plurality of move numbers.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of (i) one or more die and (ii) one or more dominos.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the indicator comprises a random-number generator.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein each player participates in the game by taking turns, and wherein one or more move numbers of the first group of move numbers is visible to a respective player at times during the game other than the respective player'"'"'s turn.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein a each player participates in the game by taking turns with other players, and wherein move numbers are invisible to a respective player until selected by the respective player upon the respective player'"'"'s turn.

22. The system of claim 14, in which the method further comprises the step of exchanging one or more move numbers for one or more substitute move numbers.

23. The system of claim 14, in which the method further comprises activating the indicator a predetermined number of times to determine a second group of one or more move numbers.

24. The system of claim 14, in which the request is received from the first player, and in which the method further comprises:

before replacing the one or more of the move numbers, determining a number of move numbers of the first group which may be replaced based on at least one of (i) how many moves the first player has made prior to receiving the request and (ii) whether the first player is winning or losing the game at the time the request is received.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the total of the move numbers of the first group of move numbers is within a predetermined range of the total of the move numbers of the second group of move numbers.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the total of the move numbers of the first group of move numbers equals the total of the move numbers of the second group of move numbers.

27. A system for executing a game or other application in which users make moves, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

prior to a move by a first user, activating an indicator a predetermined number of times to determine a plurality of move numbers for the first user;

causing the first user to advance a first time by a number of positions corresponding to at least one of the plurality of move numbers;

after causing the first user to advance a first time, activating the indicator to determine one or more substitute move numbers;

receiving a request to exchange at least one of the plurality of move numbers with at least one of the one or more substitute move numbers; and

responsive to the request, exchanging at least one of the plurality of move numbers with at least one of the one or more substitute move numbers.

28. The system of claim 27,

wherein the step of activating the indicator a predetermined number of times results in a first plurality of move numbers,

wherein the step of activating the indicator to determine one or more substitute move numbers results in a second plurality of move numbers, and

wherein the step of causing the first user to advance comprises causing the first user to advance a first time by a number of positions prior to the step of activating the indicator to determine one or more substitute move numbers.