Hardway

Abstract

Hardway is an invention which deals with a new way of dealing with games which involve throwing a pair of dice and moving game pieces. It is unique, because the corresponding pieces are moved based on the sum of 2 dice on a unique layout with unique rules, and also because this same layout incorporates most aspects of the game of craps.

1 . A game playing surface which combines horse racing lanes and certain aspects of craps in the same surface including: 
 seven horse racing lanes each with a starting and finishing point for seven different horse playing pieces, each lane being divided into a number of squares;    seven different horse playing pieces which are numbered 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10;    betting areas for each horse bet that is offered;    betting areas for each craps bet that is offered;    separate betting areas for each person playing the game;    two identical 6-sided dice cubes with dots on each side (surface) of each die corresponding to the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6;    casino chips to make horse bets and craps bets; “race-closed” chips to cap horse bets during a race.    
   
   
       2 . A game playing surface in  claim 1  where the ratio of the number of squares in the horse racing lanes needed to be covered to go from the starting point to the finishing point for the purpose of winning a race for the 6, 7, or 8 horses as compared to the 4, 5, 9, or 10 horses is 3:2.  
   
   
       3 . A game-playing surface in  claim 1  where each person playing the game has their own betting areas for each of the seven horses that are racing.  
   
   
       4 . A game playing surface in  claim 1  where the craps wagers that are offered include: 
 place bets, pass-line bets, don't pass-line bets, laying odds bets, taking odds bets, hardway bets, field bets, and C-E-7 bets.    
   
   
       5 . A game-playing surface in  claim 1  where each person playing the game has their own betting areas for each of the craps bets that are offered.  
   
   
       6 . A method for playing the game playing surface in  claim 1  where the dice are “rolled” by one of the players whereby the arithmetic total of the two dice of a particular roll determines which horse to move and at the same time determines the outcome of the craps betting.  
   
   
       7 . A method for playing the game playing surface in  claim 1  where the dice are “rolled” by one of the players whereby whether or not it is the “come out” roll in the craps game, affects the movement of the 7-horse.  
   
   
       8 . A method for playing the game playing surface in  claim 1  where prior to the start of a horse race, players place their bets on the horses and then are not allowed to change their horse bets until the race is over.  
   
   
       9 . A method for playing the game playing surface in  claim 1  where each new horse race only starts when it is the “come out” roll in the craps game which is being played simultaneously.  
   
   
       10 . A method for playing the game playing surface in  claim 1  where players place their craps bets based on the betting rules of craps and the payout of these craps bets is being determined by the same roll of the same dice which are controlling the horse race which is happening simultaneously on the same playing surface.