SKILL GAME FOR AMUSEMENT FOR USE IN A CASINO
A matrix is populated with playing cards, dice symbols, or slot machine symbols at cell locations in the matrix. The player attempts to select symbol combinations in either horizontal rows, vertical columns or diagonal lines. The game may be played as a single player game, may include specific poker hand categories to find, may include time periods, may include scoring points, may include multiple rounds of play and may include single or multiple player versions.
This application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/079424, filed Jul. 9, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein.
This invention relates primarily to a skill game, and more particularly to a skill game that can be played in an amusement format or in a wagering format in a gaming casino.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSkill games have been popular pastime for many years. Some of the best known skill games are word games such as crossword puzzles and word search games.
A classic word search game uses a matrix of letters. A player is given a list of words to find among the matrix of letters. The player visually searches through the matrix and circles the words that he finds from the list of words. The words are formed vertically, horizontally or on a diagonal line.
A representative PRIOR ART word search game is shown generally at A in
The typical word search game is played as a solitaire game by a single player. The game is simply a skill game with the player achieving the satisfaction of finding all of the words on the list.
The present invention adopts the word search skill aspects into a more challenging method that can be played as a wagering game or as an amusement game. The features of winning points or money is added to the method of play. Multiple player features have also been added as well as the feature of playing the game with time limits imposed or by adding multipliers for finding the result quickly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA matrix is populated with playing cards, dice symbols, or slot machine symbols at cell locations in the matrix. The player attempts to select symbol combinations in either horizontal rows, vertical columns or diagonal lines. The game may be played as a single player game, may include specific poker hand categories to find, may include time periods, may include scoring points, may include multiple rounds of play and may include single or multiple player versions.
The present invention is a skill game that uses playing cards, dice faces, or slot machine symbols that a player is required to find among a matrix of symbols.
As shown in
Preferably the five card poker hand combinations are conventional poker hand rankings such as a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush, a Four of a Kind, a Full House, a Flush, a Straight, a Three of a Kind, a Two Pair and a Pair of Jacks or Better. The matrix may be larger or smaller than the 7×7 matrix 10 shown in
Another version of the present invention is shown in
Another version of the present invention is shown in
The game would end when each player has a predetermined number of turns, or when a player achieves a predetermined total score or when all of the winning poker hand combinations displayed in the matrix 400 are exhausted.
The player is provided with a scoring box 510 and a timer box 520. The player starts with a time period, say three minutes, shown in the timer box 520 during which the player must find as many scoring poker hand combinations in the matrix 500 as possible. Each scoring hand has an associated score shown in the scoring table 35. In the example shown in
The scoring box 510 shows one of the poker hands that is still available for the player to find and the amount of scoring points that the player can earn for finding that scoring hand. The timer box 520 counts down the remaining time available.
As shown in the example in
Another variation that may be added to the methods of the present invention that use the timer feature is bonus awards for finding the results quickly. For example, certain category may be designated as special categories that earn the player bonus awards for finding that category in the matrix. In a playing card matrix, a Flush could be designated as the special category and the player could receive a bonus award for each Flush that is found.
Multiplier awards can be given for finding the one or more of the categories quickly. A 4× multiplier can be designated for finding the category in the first thirty second period, then a 3× multiplier can be designated for finding the category in the next thirty second period and a 2× multiplier can be designated for finding the category in the third thirty second period.
The multiplier awards can be combined with the special category awards to add additional excitement and skill to the play of the methods of the present invention.
While the invention has been illustrated with respect to its various embodiments, these embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting. Various modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims
1. A method of playing a game comprising:
- a) providing a matrix having a plurality of cell locations, the cell locations being arranged as a group of vertical columns, horizontal rows and diagonal lines;
- b) providing a deck of playing cards, each playing card having a unique suit and rank, and populating each cell location with a playing card selected from the deck;
- c) a player selecting in the matrix at least one combination of playing cards along a vertical column, along a horizontal row or along a diagonal.
2. The method of claim 1 in which the combination of playing cards is at least a five card poker hand.
3. The method of claim 2 in which a scoring table is provided that lists points that a player may achieve for each five card poker hand that is selected by the player.
4. The method of claim 3 in which a plurality of preselected five card poker hands are displayed to the player and the player attempts to select each of the plurality of preselected five card hands within a predetermined time period.
5. The method of claim 1 in which at least two players compete against each other in selecting poker hand combinations.
6. The method of claim 1 in which
- a) each playing card is provided with a numerical value based on the rank of the playing card,
- b) each playing card that is an Ace having a numerical value of one or eleven, each playing card that is a King, a Queen, or a Jack having a numerical value of ten and any other playing card having a numerical value equal to the number of pips on the playing card; and
- c) the combination of playing cards has a total numerical value of twenty-one.
7. The method of claim 1 in which the matrix has seven cell locations along each vertical column and seven cell locations along each horizontal row.
8. A method of playing a game comprising:
- a) providing a matrix having a plurality of cell locations, the cell locations being arranged as a group of vertical columns, horizontal rows and diagonal lines;
- b) providing a group of dice symbols, each dice symbol being a die face having a value of One, Two, Three, Four, Five, or Six, and populating each cell location with a dice symbol selected from the group;
- c) a player selecting in the matrix at least one dice symbol combination along a vertical column, along a horizontal row or along a diagonal.
9. The method of claim 8 in which the dice symbol combination is at least a group of five dice symbols.
10. The method of claim 8 in which the matrix has seven cell locations along each vertical column and seven cell locations along each horizontal row.
11. A method of playing a game comprising:
- a) providing a matrix having a plurality of cell locations, the cell locations being arranged as a group of vertical columns, horizontal rows and diagonal lines;
- b) providing a group of slot machine symbols and populating each cell location with a slot machine symbol selected from the group;
- c) a player selecting in the matrix at least one slot machine symbol combination along a vertical column, along a horizontal row or along a diagonal.
12. The method of claim 11 in which the slot machine symbol combination is at least a group of five slot machine symbols.
13. The method of claim 11 in which the matrix has seven cell locations along each vertical column and seven cell locations along each horizontal row.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 7, 2009
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2010
Inventors: ERNEST W. MOODY (LAS VEGAS, NV), DAVID L. HOYT (Chicago, IL), MICHAEL FIELDS (HENDERSON, NV), STEVE BULLOCK (CHAPEL HILL, NC)
Application Number: 12/498,384
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);