April Board and Card Game Patents

Interactive challenge game systems and methods – Not a board or card game, but wow.

From Creative Kingdoms.

Central determination poker game – According to this patent, life is too uncertain to leave mathematical probability in charge of the payout for slot machines and poker hands against the dealer. Since each pull of the handle an deal of the cards is independently random, there is always that possibility that, in the short run, the house will lose some money or players will become frustrated by not hitting a big jackpot.

What we need is a machine that provides wins exactly according to a pre-determined percentage.

Shyah. That will give all the people who hang around casinos observing slot machines in the hopes of calculating when the big payout is about to come something to do.

Active dealer version of blackjack – Making the dealer hand more interesting to play. I think this is aimed at games in which the house takes a rake and dealer rotates among players, in which case I’m not sure why a dealer is necessary at all. The abstract:

This invention relates to a method of playing a modified version of blackjack wherein the dealer is an active rather than a passive participant. The dealer selects which of the two dealer initial cards to turn face-up for exposure to the other players. The dealer also elects whether to surrender or play the hand that is dealt. The dealer further may opt to take additional cards on any “soft” hand and is not forced to stand on a losing hand. Additional modifications to the standard game of blackjack which increase the role of strategy and skill as well as increase the excitement of the game relate to doubling up which includes removing the limit on the number of cards that a player may take after placing an additional wager and removing the limit on the amount by which the initial wager may be increased.

Baseball dice game system – Dice Ball. No relation to Diceball.

The necessity for granting this patent is a bit of a stretch:

The uses of baseball board games is known in the prior art. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a system that has certain improved features that uses a plurality of strike columns and ball rows of pitch result apertures to indicate the outcome of pitches on the rolls of play dice. Additionally, the system should include stealing dice to indicate the results of one player declaring to steal a base.

Remembrance game system – A board game played in order to remember a deceased friend. You land on trivia spaces (I assume the trivia is about the deceased friend) and gain puzzle pieces with pictures of the friend that you must assemble.

I’m still trying to figure out what the “Trash Dance” space is all about.

Device for use in playing card handling system – A card collection device. Yawn.

Device and method for forming and delivering hands from randomly arranged decks of playing cards – A card dealer. Snore.

Card shuffling apparatus with integral card delivery – A card shuffler. Zzzz.

Playing cards – A deck of 104 cards (called “Split”) where the tops and bottoms of the standard playing cards are each split between two cards. Patentee claims that increasing the size of the deck, without adding new and unfamiliar cards, increases the number of potential games that can be played.

Somehow I can’t see a deck of playing cards with the cards split between two cards as being an original idea.

Card game – A poker game where betting is based solely on the number of cards with matching suits, and the payout depends on the size of the hand.

Board game apparatus for teaching electoral college, historical and geographical concepts – By a company called “Bright Red Ideas”, a board game about the electoral college and how it varied over time. Successive overlays are place over the outline of the US showing the states at different periods in history.

Method of a payout dice game – Roll two dice and receive a payout. This game is similar to other dice games, claims the patent, but is simpler.

And part of the instructions include this helpful sentence: “The dice are rolled to establish a rolled outcome of the dice.”

Toy water cannon game – The abstract:

A toy water cannon game wherein opposing players use water cannons to herd cannon balls from perches on the boat deck into the scoring holes. The rotational capability of the unsinkable boat within the reservoir adds difficulty and realism. The game is designed to keep a majority of the water within and to continually recycle that water. The player to first clear the deck of cannon balls wins.

Method and apparatus for tournament betting – Side-betting on Blackjack and other poker games. Patent goes on and on about side-betting, but eventually is forced to end with “includes an apparatus”. From DEQ.

Gaming table – A design patent.

Method for playing modified game of poker – Texas Hold’em with four hole cards for each player and four community cards, turned up one by one.

Storey telling game – A game where the spinner determines if you have to tell a story based on one of your cards (ending the story with “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”), give or take a card from another player, or serve drinks and snacks (I kid you not). Each task must be done within 5 minutes.