Game of blackjack and apparatus therefore

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a multi-player blackjack-type card game, comprises a playing table having three or more, particularly four, delineated play regions, each assigned a different winning ratio. The regions are elongated to accommodate several players, and are additional to an incidental dealer region for use by a dealer player. There are one or more decks of playing cards, a set of counters, having stake values and for placing as desired on the regions. The user places counters on the regions of the table with a view to increasing his number of counters. At each play a final number of counters per player is calculated depending on an initial number placed on the first region, a blackjack result per player against the dealer using the cards and the respective first region winning ratio, the final number of counters further being modified by a number of said counters placed on one or more of the additional delineated play regions, modified by an outcome achieved by a dealer player, and a respective winning ratio of said additional region.

1 . Apparatus for playing a multi-player blackjack-type card game, comprising:
 a playing table having a first and at least two more delineated play regions, each region being assigned a respectively different winning ratio, and each region being elongated to accommodate each of a plurality of regular players, said regions being in addition to an incidental dealer region for use by a dealer player,   a set of cards comprising at least one deck of playing cards,   a set of counters, each counter being assigned a value and locatable on one of said regions,   the apparatus being configured for use to achieve a final value of counters per player depending on an initial value from said set being located on said first region, a respective blackjack result per player using said cards and the respective first region winning ratio, the final number of counters further being modified by a value of said counters placed on at least one of said additional delineated play regions, modified by an outcome achieved by a dealer player, and a respective winning ratio of said additional region.   
   
   
       2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said playing table has at least a third additional delineated region, assigned a fourth winning ratio, and also elongated to accommodate each of said plurality of regular players. 
   
   
       3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said second additional delineated play region is assigned a winning ratio of substantially seven to one. 
   
   
       4 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said second additional delineated play region is assigned a winning ratio of substantially seven to one. 
   
   
       5 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said third additional delineated play region is assigned a winning ratio of substantially eleven to one. 
   
   
       6 . Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said third additional delineated play region is assigned a winning ratio of substantially eleven to one. 
   
   
       7 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said third additional delineated play region is assigned a winning ratio of substantially ten to one. 
   
   
       8 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first additional delineated play region is assigned with two winning ratios, depending on different cards of equal value being drawn. 
   
   
       9 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said first delineated play region is associated with a blackjack result of a player beating the dealer, and wherein said first additional delineated play region is associated with a blackjack result of the dealer drawing an initial ace followed by a card of value ten. 
   
   
       10 . Apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said first additional delineated play region is associated with a first winning ratio and with a second winning ratio and wherein said second winning ratio is associated with two predetermined cards from the different cards of value ten, the first winning ratio being associated with others of the cards of value ten. 
   
   
       11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said second additional delineated play region is associated with a dealer initially drawing an ace and subsequently achieving a blackjack result of busting. 
   
   
       12 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said third additional delineated play region is associated with a dealer initially drawing a card of value ten and subsequently drawing an ace. 
   
   
       13 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said play regions are associated with a different blackjack event, each event having a finite probability of occurrence, and wherein said respective winning ratio is selected to be less than said finite probability of occurrence. 
   
   
       14 . Apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein said winning ratio is less than two percent for said first additional delineated play region. 
   
   
       15 . Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said winning ratio is in excess of five percent for each of said second and third additional delineated regions. 
   
   
       16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said winning ratio is in excess of six percent for said second additional delineated region. 
   
   
       17 . A method of providing a game of blackjack played between at least one player and a dealer using at least one deck of cards and having an insurance bet which a player may place in the event of a dealer initially drawing an ace, the insurance bet having a first winning ratio for applying a score in the event of the dealer subsequently drawing a card of value ten, the modification comprising:
 applying to said insurance bet a second winning ratio in the event of the value ten card drawn by a dealer being at least one predetermined card selected from the value ten cards.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said first and said second winning ratios are selected to give an overall probability of winning defining a margin over an actual probability of occurrence of less than two percent. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising the further modification of applying an additional bet on the dealer drawing a second card being an ace following the dealer having drawn an initial card of value ten. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising the further modification of applying an additional bet on the dealer achieving a blackjack result of bust following initial drawing of an ace. 
   
   
       21 . A method of providing a game of blackjack played between at least one player and a dealer using at least one deck of cards, comprising:
 defining three or more different regions on a play table, each associated with different events respectively, and assigning to each region a different winning ratio based on the finite probability of occurrence of the respective event.   
   
   
       22 . A method of providing a game of blackjack played between one player and a dealer using at least one deck of cards, the method comprising:
 supplying at least three different bets, each bet based on an event having a finite probability of occurrence and each bet being assigned a different ratio respectively, such that a margin is defined between said finite probability of occurrence and said respective ratio for each bet, said bets being such that said margin is less than seven percent for all of said bets.   
   
   
       23 . Networked computerized apparatus for playing a multi-player blackjack-type card game with other players at other computers over a network, the apparatus comprising:
 a virtual playing table having a first and at least two more delineated play regions, each region being assigned a respectively different winning ratio, and each region being elongated to accommodate each of a plurality of regular players, said regions being in addition to an incidental dealer region for use by a dealer player,   a virtual set of cards comprising at least one deck of playing cards,   a virtual set of counters, each counter being assigned a value and locatable on one of said regions,   the apparatus being configured for use to achieve a final value of counters per player depending on an initial value from said set being located on said first region, a respective blackjack result per player using said cards and the respective first region winning ratio, the final number of counters further being modified by a value of said counters placed on at least one of said additional delineated play regions, modified by an outcome achieved by a dealer player, and a respective winning ratio of said additional region.