Board Game Using Strategic Movement to Obtain Poker Hands

Abstract

A poker related board game for 2-4 players, which is played on a game board using markers, blockers, a die, and a deck of cards. The game board is composed of a starting area for each player, unmarked spaces, and 52 “marked spaces” that each contain a unique value from a standard deck of cards. The players take turns rolling a die and moving markers from their starting area to a desired marked space, claiming that space as a card in their hand. Once four marked spaces are claimed, they combine with a fifth card dealt from the deck to create a five card poker hand, the strength of which determines the winner. Depending on the embodiment of the game, players also use blockers to block opponents from claiming marked spaces. The game can be played using the actual materials or on a computer.

1 ) This invention is a poker related board game that utilizes the following components:
 A) A game board that contains designated starting areas, 52 “marked spaces” (i.e., spaces that are each marked with a unique value from a standard deck of 52 playing cards), and “unmarked spaces”;   B) A set of primary games pieces (hereinafter called “markers”) for each player color (red, blue, orange, and yellow);   C) A die;   D) A deck of 52 playing cards (with 2 jokers);   E) A set of black secondary game pieces (hereinafter called “blockers”);   
     
     
         2 ) Between 2-4 players use the components described in  claim 1  to play a game, the object of which is to claim marked spaces to make a poker hand, by doing the following:
 A) Placing four colored markers in the designated starting area; 
 B) Placing black blockers on the game board, one in each of the eight most central unmarked spaces; 
 C) Dealing two “community cards”, one of which will function as the “fifth card” in each players' hand; 
 D) Taking turns rolling the die and moving the number of spaces indicated thereon, either
 i) a marker from the player's designated starting area to a desired marked space, claiming it as a card in their hand, or 
 ii) a blocker from one of the eight unmark spaces in the center of the board to a marked space, blocking any player from claiming that space. 
 
 E) Continuing game play as described in ( 2 )(d) until either
 i) a player claims a card with each marker that when combined with the fifth card make a “minimum qualifying hand” (“MQH”—i.e., a straight or better), at which point the rest of the players each get one more turn, or 
 ii) all players claim a marked space with each of their markers; and 
 
 F) Determining the winner of the game, who at the end of the game is the player with the best five card poker hand (composed of the marked spaces claimed plus any one of the two community cards). 
 
     
     
         3 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claim 2 , except that instead of dealing community cards at the beginning of the game as described in claim ( 2 )(c), the players are each dealt a single “hole card” to be used as the fifth card when determining the value of the player's poker hand. 
     
     
         3 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claim 2 , except that when the first player claims a marked space with all of his markers
 A) two community cards are drawn, one of which each player will use as the fifth card in their hand, 
 B) the first player is awarded a hole card to use, instead of the community cards, if he so chooses, and 
 C) any community or hole card that matches any of the marked spaces claimed by a player entitled to use such card, becomes a wild card for that player. 
 
     
     
         5 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claim 3 , except that
 A) a hole card is dealt to each player who claims a marked space with each of his markers, and 
 B) any hole card that matches any of the marked spaces claimed by the player wielding it, becomes a wild card for that player. 
 
     
     
         6 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claims 2 - 5 , except that the game may be played with any number of markers between one and five as long as sufficient hole or community cards are provided to enable the players to obtain a five card hand (e.g., five markers and no cards; three markers and two hole cards; three markers and three community cards, out of which any two of the community cards are used to complete the hand). 
     
     
         7 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claims 2 - 6 , except that no blockers are on the board at the start of the game, and the players are dealt “blocker cards”—7 in a two player game, 6 in a three player game, and 5 in a four player game—which the players may use by either
 A) revealing one at the beginning of their turn (until all the cards are used) and marking the corresponding space on the board for that card with a blocker (blocking anyone from claiming that space), or 
 B) discarding any one of their blocker cards and exchanging it for a new one from the deck for use on a later turn. 
 
     
     
         8 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claim 7 , with the added option of using the two jokers in the deck as wild cards, enabling the player holding a joker to block any marked space. 
     
     
         9 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claims 2 - 6 , except that 16 blocker cards (or any number agreed to by and among the players) are dealt from the deck at the beginning of the game, and a blocker is placed on the corresponding marked space on the game board for each of those cards blocking any player from claiming those marked spaces during the game. 
     
     
         10 ) Alternatively, the materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claims 2 - 6 , except that instead of placing black blockers on the game board as described in claim ( 2 )(b), for the first 24 rounds of the game (or any number agreed to by and among the players), a blocker card is drawn at the beginning of each round and a blocker is placed on the corresponding marked space on the board for that card blocking any player from claiming those marked spaces during the game. 
     
     
         11 ) The materials described in  claim 1  may be used to play the game by the methodology described in  claims 2 - 11  with wagers being made any time a player claims and/or blocks a marked space. 
     
     
         12 ) The materials described in  claim 1  may be digitized and the game may be played on an electronic device using the methodology described in  claims 2 - 11 .