WO2015114290A1

WO2015114290A1 - Roulette type game

Info

Publication number: WO2015114290A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/000021
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chi Fat Au-Yeung
Original assignee: Chi Fat Au-Yeung
Priority date: 2014-01-29
Filing date: 2015-01-23
Publication date: 2015-08-06
Also published as: GB201401464D0

Abstract

An apparatus for playing a roulette type game has a multifaceted indicator (20), the different faces (22) of the indicator (20) bearing different identifiers by which the different faces (22) may be uniquely identified; and a table layout (30) with boxes (32) representing the different identifiers, in which bets may be placed on one or a combination of the identifiers.

Description

Roulette Type Game

The present invention relates to a roulette type game.

Conventionally Roulette is played with a wheel having 37 pockets formed in its periphery, the pockets being numbered 0 to 36 (French/European Roulette); or 38 pockets numbered 0 to 36 and 00 (American roulette). The same numbers are printed on the table lay-out in a matrix of boxes with three columns of 12 boxes, where bets may be placed. The numbers on the wheel alternate between red and black, except 0 and 00 which are green. The numbers themselves alternate between high/low and odd/even, with the 0 directly opposite the 00. A Dealer (a casino employee) spins the wheel in one direction and the ball in the opposite direction. The players attempt to forecast the winning number which is determined by the pocket in the wheel into which the ball comes to rest.

Players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colours red or black, the high or low numbered pockets or whether the winning number is odd or even.

The French mathematician, Pascal, is credited with designing the Roulette wheel in the late seventeenth century. A ball is thrown or spun round the wheel's rim and comes to rest in one of its pockets each one separately identified thus allowing players to attempt to forecast the outcome i.e. into which pocket the ball will land.

Consisting of thirty seven pockets, each numbered from 1 to 36 with an additional pocket designated 'for the House' and numbered zero, the wheel became established in its present form towards the end of the eighteenth century though in some cases a double zero pocket was added to increase the House edge.

In the 19th century the game of roulette became a regular feature in Europe and the USA becoming with Baccarat and later with Blackjack the most popular and standardised of gambling games offered by a Casino. When the world-wide legal and political constraints on gambling were gradually withdrawn in the 1960s and 1970s by and large the USA had adopted the double zero wheel while the single zero version was paramount in the UK and Europe. The apparatus consisting of wheel, ball and betting layout or gaming cloth had barely changed in two hundred years until internet and remote 'touch-screen' betting forced a fresh look at practices and procedures employed in live table games.

In 2004 California legalised a form of roulette known as California Roulette. By law the game must use cards and not pockets on the roulette wheel to pick the winning number. There are at least two variations. In some casinos, the dealer spins a wheel containing 38 cards from 1 to 36, plus 0 and 00, and after betting is closed, stops the wheel; a pointer identifies the winning card, which the dealer removes and shows to the players. In the Cache Creek casino in northern California, a wheel resembling a traditional roulette wheel is used, but it has only alternating red and black slots with no numbers. As the ball is spinning, the dealer takes cards from a shoe and places two of them face down on the table in red and black rectangles. When the ball lands in a red or black slot, the card in the corresponding rectangle is turned over to reveal the winning number.

Roulette is a popular casino game and various steps have been taken to try and keep the game simple, interesting and stimulating for the Players. This invention is a modification of the Roulette game which allows the game to be played with a multifaceted indicator, for example die, in place of a roulette wheel and ball. This modification while retaining the characteristics of roulette provides significant cost advantages, the multifaceted indicator being far less expensive and maintenance free, as compared to the conventional roulette wheel which is expensive to produce and must be maintained in balance. According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for playing a roulette type game is characterised by a multi:^'aceted indicator, the different faces of the indicator bearing different identifiers by which the different faces may be uniquely identified; and a table layout with boxes representing the different identifiers, on which bets may be placed on one or a combination of the identifiers. According to a preferred embodiment, the multifaceted indicator is a multifaceted die. Other multifaceted objects, for example polygonal prisms which may be rolled or spun or a multifaceted rotatable real, may be used. The indicator will preferably have an even number of sides so that when the indicator comes to rest on one face, the uppermost face will be horizontally disposed and will indicate the winning identifier. It is possible to use indicators with odd numbers of faces, in which case the winning identifier would be that of the face on which the indicator comes to rest or a face indicated by pointer means.

The identifiers on each face of the indicator are preferably numbers, however other identifiers, for example letters of the alphabet, animals, colours, icons, symbols or combinations thereof, may be used. The indicators may be grouped into two or more different sets, by for example using numbers, letters, animals, icons or symbols of different colour or animals, icons or symbols of different types.

The table layout may comprise a matrix of boxes representing the identifiers, arranged in a plurality of columns, each column having a plurality of rows, thereby permitting bets on individual identifiers or combinations of the identifiers, as with a conventional roulette layout. Other boxes may also be attached to the main matrix, for other combinations of identifiers. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the main matrix of boxes may include an additional column corresponding to identifiers in a remote column of the main matrix, to allow bets to be place on further combinations of identifiers, as disclosed in EP2640480B1.

The invention is now described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 illustrates a multifaceted indicator in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the indicator illustrated in figure 1 , showing the faces flattened out;

Figure 3 is a table layout for use with the indicator illustrated in figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative embodiment of the indicator illustrated in figure 1 , showing fie faces flattened out; and Figure 5 is a table layout for use with the indicator illustrated in figures 1 and 4;

Figure 1 illustrates a die 20 having twenty identical faces 22. As illustrated in figure 2, the faces 22 are numbered from 0 to 18, one face 24 being left blank. The 0 is coloured green, numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 , 13, 15 and 17 are coloured black and the numbers 1 , 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 18 are coloured red.

The table layout 30 illustrated in figure 3 comprises a matrix of boxes 32 in three columns 34, each columns 34 having seven rows 36, 38. The central row 38 comprising a single box 40 which extends across all three columns. The first three and last three rows 36 and numbered sequentially 1 to 18, across the row 36 and then down to the next row 36. The central row 38 is numbered 0.

An additional column 42 of seven boxes 44 is provided down the right hand side of the main matrix, the first three and last three of these boxes 44 being numbered the same as the column 34 of boxes 32 on the left hand side of the main matrix.

A further column of six boxes 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 and 56 is provided on the left hand side of the main matrix; box 46 marked "1 - 9"; box 48 marked "EVEN"; box 50 marked with a red diamond: box 52 marked with a black diamond; box 54 marked "ODD"; and box 56 marked "10 - 18".

The game is played in much the same manner as conventional roulette. One or more players place their bets on the modified roulette layout 30 by placing chips of various monetary value on the table layout 30. Once all the players have placed their bets, the Dealer shakes the twenty-sided die 20 in a dice-shaker and announces the winning number, whicn is the number on the uppermost face of the die 20. If the uppermost face of the die 20 is the blank face 24, the dealer throws the die 20 again, until a numbered face is uppermost. The Dealer then places a dolly (marker) on the winning number on the modified roulette table layout 30. The Dealer then clears all losing bets and pays all winning outside bets, at appropriate odds. In the modified embodiment illustrated in figures 4 and 5, the faces 22 of the twenty sided die 20 are marked 1 to 18 in similar manner to the previous embodiment. The remaining faces (22) are however marked 0 and 00 coloured green.

The layout 30 is modified, the central row 38 of the main matrix being divided into two boxes, box 58 being marked "0" coloured green and box 60 being marked "00" coloured green.

The game is played in similar manner to that described above. With the betting layouts described above the Players may make the following bets, by placing their chips as illustrated in figures 3 and 5, as follows:

Straight-Up bet on a single number, including 0 and 00, by placing a chip 70 inside one of the boxes 32, 40, 58 or 60 of the main matrix of the layout 30. Winning Straight-Up bets pay out at odds of 17 to 1.

Split bets on two numbers, are made by placing a chip 72 so that it straddles the line between two boxes 32, 40, 44, 58 or 60 of the main matrix of the layout 30 or additional column 42. Winning split bets pays out at odds of 8 to 1.

Street bets on three numbers are made by placing a chip 74 on the outside line defining the left hand column 34 if the main matrix, between the upper and lower extremities of a row 36, to indicate a row 36 of three consecutive numbers, or on the intersection of a horizontal line with a vertical line adjoining three boxes 32, 40 and 44; 32, 44 and 60; or 32, 58 and 60. Winning street bets pay out at odds of 5 to 1.

Corner bets on four numbers are made by placing a chip 76 at the intersection of a horizontal line with a vertical line defining the inner edges of columns 34 and 42 of the main matrix, which adjoin four boxes 32, 44. Winning corner bets pay out at odds of 3.5 to 1.

Line bets on six numbers are made by placing a chip 78 on the line defining the outside of the left hand column 34 and straddling the horizontal line between two rows 36. Winning bets pay out at odds of 2 to 1.

Red or black bets on nine numbers coloured red or black, are made by placing a chip 80 in box 50 or 52 respectively. Winning bets are paid out at odds of 1 to .

Odd or even bets on nine odd or nine even numbers, are made by placing a chip 82 in boxes 54 or 48 respectively. Winning bets are paid out at odds of 1 to 1.

Bets on nine numbers 1 through 9 or 10 through 18 are made by placing a chip 84 in boxes 46 or 56 respectively. Winning bets are paid out at odds of 1 to 1.

The house gets its edge from 0 or 0 and 00. All even money bets lose if the outcome is 0 or 00. Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, any form of multifaceted indicator means may be used in place of the multifaceted die 20. The multifaceted indicator may have more or fewer faces than the twenty faced die 20 described above. The table layout 30 may also be varied with the number of faces on the indicator and/or to permit different betting combinations.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing a roulette type game is characterised by a multifaceted indicator (20), the different faces (22) of the indicator (20) bearing different identifiers by which the different faces (22) may be uniquely identified; and a table layout (30) with boxes (32) representing the different identifiers on which bets may be placed on one or a combination of the identifiers.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the indicator (20) is a multifaceted die.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the indicator (20) has an even number of faces (22, 24).

4. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the identifiers are numerals, letters of the alphabet, animals, colours, icons, symbols or combinations thereof.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 characterised in that the identifiers are grouped into two or more groups.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 characterised in that the identifiers are numerals, letters of the alphabet, animals, icons or symbols, different sets of the indicators being of different colour.

7. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that one or more faces (24) of the indicator (20) are blank.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that, the identifiers are numerals, at least one of the faces (22) of the indicator being marked "0".

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 characterised in that the indicator (20) is a twenty faced die, the faces (22) of the die being marked 1 to 18, and "0", the remaining face (24) being blank.

10. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that, the identifiers are numerals, at least one of the faces (22) of the indicator being marked "0" and a second face (22) of the indicator being marked "00".

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 characterised in that the indicator (20) is a twenty faced die, the faces (22) of the die being marked 1 to 18, "0" and "00".

12. An apparatus according to claim 8 or 10 characterised in that, numerals 1 , 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 18 are coloured one colour; numerals 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 1 1 , 13, 15 and 7 are coloured a second colour and numerals 0 and 00 are coloured a third colour.

13. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that, the boxes (32) in the table layout (30) are arranged in a main matrix having a plurality of columns (34) each column having a plurality of rows (36, 38).

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 characterised in that, additional boxes (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56) are attached to the main matrix, on which bets may be placed on various combinations of identifiers.