Blackjack dice game

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of gaming, and more specifically to the field of blackjack games using dice.

The object of the blackjack game is to accumulate playing cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over 21. Face cards—Jacks, Queens and Kings—are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their number. Players often wager that their hand will beat the dealer's, or House's, hand.

If the player and the House tie, it is called a push and no one wins. Ace and 10—Blackjack—on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand, i.e., not accept additional cards, at any time.

To win you need to beat the dealer without busting. You bust when your cards total more than 21 and you lose the hand automatically. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards.

Land-based casinos have blackjack table seating about 6 players. Either six or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called a ‘Shoe’.

Before receiving any cards, players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down (unless you are playing European Rules in which case the dealer takes only one card face Up.

Each player in turn either stays or hits, i.e., takes more cards, to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn.

When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card, or takes another in European Rules. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.

If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards, i.e., a 10 or a face card and an Ace, you win automatically. This is called ‘Blackjack’. If you have Blackjack, you will win one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back.

The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win.

There are other betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money and Split.

Insurance is a side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21—it is allowed only when the dealer is showing an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not have a blackjack.

Surrender involves giving up your hand and losing only half the bet. Early Surrender is a surrender allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack. Late Surrender is when the dealer first checks to see if he has blackjack. If he does, surrender is not permitted.

Double Down is when you can double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. It is a good bet if the player is in a strong situation.

An Even Money play is when you cash in your bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer's card is an Ace.

Split Hand allows you to split the initial two-card hand into two hands and play them separately when the two first cards are of equal value. Use each card as the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the first.

Hard Hand is defined as a hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand where you can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you.

Blackjack has been played at casinos for quite a long time and is a mainstay of most casinos. There is a need for a new way to play the fundamental game of blackjack that allows for excitement from the players and attracts a large number of players and observers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a dice variation on the card game of blackjack that is easily understood and enjoyable to play.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a blackjack dice game comprises the steps of one or more players in successive turns rolling one or more dice to accumulate points towards a predetermined number of points. Further, the embodiment may include establishing a point value for a house, against which the one or more players wager.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing constitutes a part of this specification and includes an exemplary embodiment to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an overhead view of a casino dice gaming table in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Various aspects of the invention may be inverted, or changed in reference to specific part shape and detail, part location, or part composition. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Turning to FIG. 1, there is shown an overhead view of a blackjack dice gaming table 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Blackjack dice game in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is played in many respects similar to the conventional card variation described above and currently played in many casinos. The primary variation is the substitution of dice for cards, such that instead of receiving cards to accumulate points towards 21, players roll a pair of dice, though one dice may be used, or more than two may be used, or specialized dice may be used. In the present invention, when to dice are used at each roll, the total number of the face up sides are added together to arrive at the point value of the roll. Alternately, rolls showing 10, 11 or 12, may be counted as 10, similar to cards showing 10, Jack, Queen, and King all count 10 points in conventional blackjack. Additionally, a roll of 2 may be counted as 2 or 12, similar to and ace counting as 1 or 11 in card-based blackjack. Alternate schemes may be used without departing from the present invention.

Similar to conventional blackjack, players in the present invention try to accumulate more points towards 21 (without going over), than the House or Dealer. In the present invention, the House may be set at a pre-set number such as 18½, or some other number. Alternately, the House may be set at a number such as 15, 17 or the like, and be allowed one roll of one die to accumulate points. Other variations include allowing the House to roll dice similar to the players without a pre-set number. In such a case, similar to conventional blackjack, rules would establish when the House was allowed to make additional rolls, or be forced to stay. Alternate betting sequences are contemplated such as forcing the House to establish their number towards 21 before the player or after the player. Depending upon the number of players at any one time, and whether each player is allowed to wager on another player's roll, the house may establish the number before the first player, after the last player, or somewhere between the two.

Additional rules not present in conventional black may be allowed. For example, particular payout odds may be made when a player rolls 21 in only two rolls of two dice, or three rolls of two dice, similar to getting 21 on the first two cards dealt a player. Payout odds may be determined to give the house any particular advantage they seek. In addition, side bets may be allowed to wager on a player making 21 in the particular number of rolls.

An additional side bet may include that a player pushes with the house, offering a payout of predetermined odds.

In the contemplated embodiment, each player takes a turn against the 24 House in succession. Each of the players may wager on their turn, or may wager on the other players turn. Such a wager would be that the current roller will beat the house 33, that the house will beat the roller 36, that the roller will get 21 in two rolls 38, etc., with each such bet offering pre-determined payout odds. It is anticipated that a player would be forced to stop rolling after reaching a predetermined number such as, for example 18, so that they could not continue rolling past 21 to force other players that wagered with the player to lose.

Alternate dice rolling schemes may be employed, such as allowing players two rolls dice using two dice, but requiring subsequent rolls to be with only one die. Further additional wagering may be allowed so that the player may deviate from the set one or two die rolling scheme, etc.

Blackjack dice gaming table 10 has a plurality of gaming stations 13, one each for the maximum number of intended players or gamers. In the illustrated embodiment, there are eight gaming stations 13, one each for eight players.

FIG. 1 also shows an enlarged view of pit 50 into which the dice are thrown in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Pit 50 may be of any particular circumference, and in the embodiment shown is approximately 3 feet in diameter and has a downward sloping, generally conical portion shaped edge 51, sloping into a holding area 53 to retain the thrown dice to urge the dice onto holding area 53.

It will be appreciated that the above described game may be played, for example, 1) in a casino allowing wagering, 2) as on-line gaming through, for example the internet or other networked computer systems, 3) as individual slot machine type apparatus, or other computer equipment, 4) as entertainment without wagering, 5) as entertainment with non-monetary wagering, or 6) as entertainment in the home with or without wagering.

It will be appreciated that many things may change and not depart for the present invention, such as the number of players, the payoff odds, the number of dice used and therefore the outcomes of rolls, and the available outcome wager selections, among others.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.