NUMBER GAME

Abstract

A number game, wherein each player places a bet on at least one number out of a set of available numbers (N), each available number being all integers between a smallest (n1) and a largest (n2) number, wherein the winner is the player that has placed a bet on the lowest number that no one else has chosen.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/752,139, filed Dec. 19, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a number game, where each player places a bet on at least one number out of a set of available numbers, each available number being all integers between a smallest and a largest number.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Games of chance are well known to the art and number games, where each player places a bet on at least one number out of a set of available numbers are known in different forms. The general idea of number games is that the winning number is drawn by chance by the organizer in some way after the last player has placed his bet so that no one, not even the organizer, knows the winning number before the last bet is placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches that the winner of an inventive number game is either the player that has placed a bet on the lowest number that no one else has chosen, or, if there is no number that has been chosen by only one player, the winners are the players that have placed a bet on the lowest number of the least chosen number or numbers.

This means that the winning number is decided by the players and not by chance through the organizer of the game. It also brings an element of strategy into the game, which is not usually the case with number games.

The present invention teaches that, in order to not compromise the safety of the game, a playing round in an inventive game is limited in time, where no bets are allowed after a predetermined point in time, and where the bets are not available to the game organizer for evaluation until after this predetermined point in time.

The present invention also teaches that, in order to provide a possibility for several players to win in different levels, a part of each bet goes into a pot, where the pot is divided into a number of shares, where the winner wins a first share, where the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to the winning number divide a second share, where the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to those that won the second share divide a third share, and so on until every share has been divided. One way of sharing the pot would be to have the pot divided into three shares, where a first share is 35% of the pot, a second share is 25% of the pot, and where a third share is 40% of the pot.

It is also possible to limit the shares, so that the prize from the second share is never more than a first amount, the prize from the third share is never more than a second amount, and so that the second amount is smaller than the first amount. A part of the bet could go to the organizer of the game, and it is proposed that 50% of the bet goes into the pot and the rest to the organizer.

According to one proposed embodiment, the inventive game is a pool game limited to a group of players, where several pool games can be playing simultaneously independent of each other, and where each pool game may be played according to its own conditions regarding betting size, number of players, and allowed number of bets per player.

In an inventive pool game, a part of each bet may go into a pot, where the winner wins the whole pot.

A pool game should be fast; and it is proposed that the time limit for a playing round is short, such as three to five minutes, or even shorter, such as less than one minute.

The size of the pool may be limited to a predefined number of players or the pool may be open to an unlimited number of players.

Regardless of embodiment, it is proposed that the bets are placed through different means available to the game organizer, and where the results of the game are presented through a number of available means for presentation.

The bets may also be placed through a coupon or by mouth to a representative of the game organizer, they may be placed through the Internet, through interactive television, and/or through a cell phone.

The results may be presented through television, teletext, newspapers, the Internet and representatives of the game organizer, and these results may comprise not only the winning number but also statistics on the distribution of the bets in the game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a number game with a sole winner,

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a number game with two players dividing the first prize,

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a player placing a bet with a representative of the game organizer,

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a different means of communication for players placing their bets, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a different means of communication for the game organizer as the results are presented.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 a number game according to the present invention will now be described.

Each player places a bet on at least one number out of a set of available numbers N, each available number being all integers between a smallest n1 and a largest n2 number. FIG. 1 illustrates that in a specific playing round four players placed their bet on number 1, two players placed their bet on number 2, two players placed their bet on number 3, one on number 4, six on number 5, three on number 6 and so on.

The present invention teaches that the winner is the player that has placed a bet on the lowest number that no one else has chosen which would be the sole player that has placed a bet on number 4 in the playing round of FIG. 1.

It is possible that there is no number that has been chosen by only one player and FIG. 2 illustrates such a playing round where several players have put their bets on the same numbers but where only two players have put their bet on number 6. In this case, the winners are the players that have placed a bet on the lowest number of the least chosen number or numbers, which in the playing round of FIG. 2 would be the two players with bets placed on number 6.

The present invention teaches that a playing round is limited in time, where no bets are allowed after a predetermined point in time, and where the bets are not available to the game organizer for evaluation until after the predetermined point in time.

The present invention proposes that a part of each bet goes into a pot, where the pot is divided into a number of shares, where the winner wins a first share, where the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to the winning number divide a second share, where the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to those that won the second share divide a third share, and so on until every share has been divided. This means that in the playing round of FIG. 1, the sole player that placed his bet on number 4 wins the first share, the two players that placed their bet on number 3 and the six players that placed their bet on number 5 divide the second share, the two players that placed their bet on number 2 and the three players that placed their bet on number 6 divide the second share, and so on.

The pot may be divided into three shares, where a first share is 35% of the pot, a second share is 25% of the pot, and where a third share is 40% of the pot.

This could, however, result in that the winners in the third share receive a higher prize than the winners of the second share. It is thus proposed that the prize from the second share is never more than a first amount, the prize from the third share is never more than a second amount, and where the second amount is smaller than the first amount. It is proposed that 50% of the bet goes into the pot.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to play the game as a pool game limited to a group of players, where several pool games can be playing simultaneously independent of each other, and where each pool game may be played according to its own conditions regarding betting size, number of players, and allowed number of bets per player.

With this form of the game, it is proposed that a part of each bet goes into a pot, where the winner wins the whole pot, and that the time limit for a playing round is short, such as three to five minutes, or even shorter, such as less than one minute. It is also possible to limit the size of the pool to a predefined number of players or to leave the size of the pool open to an unlimited number of players.

The bets for a game according to the present invention may be placed through different means available to the game organizer, and the results of the game may also be presented through a number of available means for presentation.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the bets are placed by a player 31 through a coupon 32 or by mouth to a representative 33 of the game organizer. This may, however, not be suitable in an inventive game in the form of a fast pool game.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the bets may also be placed through the Internet 41, through interactive television 42, through a cell phone 43 or any other means of communication and different communications networks 44 whereby a player may communicate in a safe way with the organizer 45.

FIG. 5 illustrates that the results may be presented through many different means of communication, such as television 51, teletext 52, newspapers 53, the Internet 54 and representatives 55 of the game organizer 56. The relatively slow means of communication, such as newspapers 53 and representatives 55 of the game organizer 56, may, however, not be suitable for an inventive game in the form of a fast pool game.

It is proposed that the presented results comprise not only the winning number but also statistics on the distribution of the bets in the game, thus enabling the players to make strategic considerations when they are to place their bets in the later games.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated exemplifying embodiments thereof and that modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept as illustrated in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A number game, wherein each player places a bet on at least one number out of a set of available numbers, each available number is an integer between a smallest and a largest number, wherein the winner is either the player that has placed a bet on the lowest number that no one else has chosen, or, if there is no number that has been chosen by only one player, the winners are the players that have placed a bet on the lowest number of the least chosen number or numbers.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein a playing round has a time limit, wherein no bets are allowed after a predetermined point in time, and wherein the bets are not available to a game organizer for evaluation until after the predetermined point in time.

3. The game of claim 1, wherein a part of each bet goes into a pot, wherein the pot is divided into a number of shares, wherein the winner wins a first share, wherein the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to a winning number divide a second share, wherein the players who have chosen the numbers adjacent to those that won the second share divide a third share, and so on until every share has been divided.

4. The game of claim 3, wherein the pot is divided into three shares, wherein a first share is 35% of the pot, a second share is 25% of the pot, and wherein a third share is 40% of the pot.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein the prize from the second share is never more than a first amount, the prize from the third share is never more than a second amount, and wherein the second amount is smaller than the first amount.

6. The game of claim 3, wherein 50% of the bet goes into the pot.

7. The game of claim 2, wherein the game is a pool game limited to a group of players, wherein several pool games can be playing simultaneously independent of each other, and wherein each pool game may be played according to its own conditions regarding betting size, number of players, and allowed number of bets per player.

8. The game of claim 7, wherein a part of each bet goes into a pot and the winner wins the whole pot.

9. The game of claim 8, wherein the time limit for a playing round is between three to five minutes.

10. The game of claim 8, wherein the size of the pool is limited to a predefined number of players.

11. The game of claim 8, wherein the size of the pool is open to an unlimited number of players.

12. The game of claim 2, wherein the bets are placed through different means available to the game organizer, and the results of the game are presented through a number of available means for presentation.

13. The game of claim 2, wherein the bets are placed through a coupon or by mouth to a representative of the game organizer.

14. The game of claim 12, wherein the bets are placed through the Internet.

15. The game of claim 12, wherein the bets are placed through interactive television.

16. The game of claim 12, wherein the bets are placed through a cell phone.

17. The game of claim 2, wherein the results are presented through television, teletext, newspapers, the Internet and representatives of the game organizer.

18. The game of claim 17, wherein the results comprise the winning number and statistics on the distribution of the bets in the game.

19. The game of claim 7, wherein the results are presented through television, teletext or the Internet.

20. The game of claim 19, wherein the results comprise the winning number and statistics on the distribution of the bets in the game.