Abstract:
A method is provided for allowing an active player and a plurality of opposing players to play a game by taking turns in an alternating manner. The method includes the step of providing a question to be answered by an active player. The opposing players the wager desired amounts on the active player&#39;s ability to answer said question. The active player then answers the question and the wagers are paid off or collected based upon the accuracy of the active player&#39;s answer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to a system and method for playing a game of knowledge and wagering. The game system allows players to wager upon the ability of themselves and/or other players to correctly answer information or trivia questions at particularly determined odds levels. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The prior art includes various trivia games which may be played by groups of individuals for entertainment purposes. Trivia games generally include questions on diverse subjects which are posed to individuals or teams of individuals. In some embodiments, questions have been assigned discreet point values related to their difficulty and the point at which they are posed during game play. Other trivia and information games have been developed which include board game elements, wherein the players move game pieces across the surface of a game board to determine the particular questions to be answered. These boardtype trivia games are particularly well suited to home or party use by small groups of players. 
     However, trivia board games have generally lacked a strategy component, instead concentrating solely on luck and knowledge. Incorporation of a strategy component, such as player wagering, into a trivia board game would serve to increase the entertainment value of the game. Additionally, the method of play in previous trivia board games typically involves little or no participation by the opposing players when a particular player is answering a question, thereby making the game less exciting than one in which all players may be continuously involved. 
     Thus, there is a need for an informational or trivia board game incorporating a strategy component such as player wagering. Furthermore, there is a need for an informational or trivia game which allows all players to participate and have a stake in the outcome of all phases of game play. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game system and method which allows players to wager desired amounts of either points, currency or tokens upon their ability to answer trivia-type questions. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a game system and method which allows players to wager desired amounts of either points or currency upon the ability of their opponents to answer informational or trivia-type questions. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a game system and method wherein players may bet upon their ability to answer a particular question at a preset odds level related to the difficulty of the particular question. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a game system and method wherein all players will participate throughout the play of the game. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method is provided for allowing an active player and a plurality of opposing players to play a game by taking turns in an alternating manner. The method includes the step of providing a question to be answered by an active player. The opposing players wager desired amounts on the active player&#39;s ability to answer said question. The active player then answers the question and the wagers are paid off or collected based upon the accuracy of the active player&#39;s answer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an overhead view of a game system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a question card in accordance with the game system of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a penalty question card in accordance with the game system of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart diagram representative of a method of playing a game in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIG. 1, game system A is provided for allowing a group of players to play a trivia-type board game. In a preferred embodiment, game system A includes a game board  10  having game spaces  12  and a plurality of game tokens  14  for moving thereabout to determine certain player actions. A plurality of question cards  16  are provided, having unique questions for testing the knowledge of players. A random number generator  17  is provided for allowing random number generation by players to determine the number of spaces which they should move their respective game tokens  14  during game play. A plurality of betting tokens  18  are also provided as a wagering medium for allowing players to wager upon their ability, and the ability of their opposing players to answer questions from question cards  16 . Additionally, a plurality of lottery tickets  19  may optionally be included for allowing players to engage in lottery-type betting activities. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, game board  10  includes a plurality of game spaces  12  arranged into concentric pathways  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  disposed around a central lottery pool area  28 , defining pathways along which players may move their respective game tokens  14 . In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of player start spaces  30  are distributed about the outermost concentric ring  20  to designate the starting positions for the respective players. Concentric rings  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  are connected by a plurality of pass-through-zone spaces  32  which serve as transitions for allowing player&#39;s respective game tokens  14  to pass to and from adjacent concentric pathways  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  and to lottery pool area  28 . In a preferred embodiment, specific pass-through-zone spaces  32  are associated with particular players, and the particular players may only utilize their respective associated pass through zone spaces  32 . 
     Game board  10  also includes a plurality of wagering areas  34  upon which players may place betting tokens  18  during game play to indicate respective wagers. Wagering areas  34  each include an ante area  36  and a betting area  38  wherein players may position betting tokens  18  during the respective ante and wagering portions of game play. Outcome areas  40  and  42  respectively are provided for allowing a respective player to indicate that a particular wager is either for or against a player&#39;s ability to correctly answer a question during game play. 
     Game tokens  14  include distinguishing characteristics or indicia sufficient to associate each respective game token  14  with a particular player. In a preferred embodiment, each respective game token  14  has a conical similar to that used in many traditional board games and is distinctively colored to allow association with a particular player. Alternatively, each game piece may have distinctive shape for allowing association with a particular player, for example, geometric shape, an animal shape, a human shape or a vehicle shape. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a question card  16  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of game system A. Each question card  16  includes an odds level  50 , a category  52  to which the question card pertains, a multiple choice question  54  related to topic  52 , and an answer  56 . Optionally, each question card  16  may also include one or more lottery numbers  58  for allowing the players to engage in a game-related lottery by matching the numbers with those found on lottery tickets  19 . 
     Random number generator  17  is included for generating random numbers for use by players when determining the number of spaces to move their respective game tokens  14  during a particular turn. In the preferred embodiment, random number generator  17  includes a plurality of dice  66  which the players may roll to generate random numbers. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a number of other random number generating devices, such as cards, conventional game roulette-type spinners or electronic random number generators, would also suffice for generating random numbers in game system A. 
     While the game system described above includes physical components such as a game board  10 , game tokens  14  question cards  16  and betting tokens  18 , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the game is also easily adaptable to play on a computer system. For example, virtual analogs of the above-mentioned physical components may easily be simulated and displayed to one or more players through use of a typical computer system while applying the rules of the present game invention. 
     It is contemplated that, in a preferred embodiment, game system A may be utilized by players to play a game of knowledge and wagering according to the steps of the following basic game method illustrated in FIG.  3 . At game set-up step  102 , one of the plurality of players is selected to serve as the “house player.” The house player is responsible for distributing a predetermined amount of betting tokens  18  to the remaining players and for matching winning bets by players and for collecting betting tokens  18  in response to losing bets by players. The house player is also responsible for placing a predetermined amount of betting tokens  18  into lottery pool area  28 . Once a house player has been selected the remaining players select their desired game tokens  14  and position the tokens at appropriate positions for starting the game. 
     At step  104 , each player is allowed to purchase a lottery ticket  19  for a specified fee. Fees collected from the players are placed in the lottery pool area  28 , thereby increasing the amount therein. At various points during the game to be specified later, players will be given opportunities to purchase additional lottery tickets  19  and to match their accumulated lottery tickets  19  with randomly determined lottery numbers which serve as payout criteria for lottery pool  28 . If a player matches one of his accumulated lottery tickets  19  to a randomly determined lottery number, that player will then collect the contents of the lottery pool area  28  and the lottery pool area  28  will be immediately restocked to its minimum size by the house. Thereafter, the amount of tokens in the lottery pool area  28  will also increase through accumulation of losing wagers and any player penalties which occur. 
     Next, at step  106 , the players roll game dice  66  to determine which player will have the first turn. The player whose turn it is at any given time will hereinafter be referred to as the “active player.” The remaining players will be referred to as the opposing players. 
     The active player then again rolls the game dice  66  at step  108  to determine how many spaces he will move his particular game token  14  along the particular concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26  along which it lies. If the game token  14  currently is residing in a designated “pass through zone”  32  the game token  14  may be moved inward to the next respective concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26  or to lottery pool area  28  if at the innermost concentric pathway  26 . In either case the player&#39;s game token  14  must come to rest on a space of one or the other of the concentric pathways  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26 . When the active player moves his game token inward to a new concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26 , he may also draw an additional lottery ticket  19 . Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, after the game token  14  has been moved, it is necessary to determine whether a game terminating criteria has been fulfilled at step  110 . 
     If the game termination criteria was not fulfilled at step  110 , a question card  16  is then drawn by the player to the right of the active player (the “caller”) at step  112 . All players must ante a minimum quantity of betting tokens  18 . A given player antes by placing the appropriate amount of betting tokens  18  into his respective ante area  36 . If any player has insufficient betting tokens  18  to meet the ante requirements he is out of the game. The “house” then matches the antes by placing an equivalent amount of betting tokens  18  into the ante area  36  for each respective player. In the preferred embodiment, all bets are transacted directly between individual players and the house, rather than between individual players. 
     In the preferred embodiment, each concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  is associated with a particular minimum betting amount. The minimum betting amount at a given point in game play is equal to the minimum betting amount associated with the concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26  wherein the active player&#39;s game token  14  resides. Preferably, the minimum betting amounts of concentric pathways  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  increase towards the center of game board  10 . 
     The caller then reads the associated lottery number  58  from the question card at step  114 . If the lottery number  58  matches a lottery ticket  19  held by the active player then the active player may collect the accumulated betting tokens  18  from the lottery pool area  28 . Only the active player may win the lottery pool, therefore matches by other opposing players have no effect. This step is repeated during each players&#39; turn throughout the course of the game, ensuring that all players have a chance to win the lottery during those turns in which they are the active player. 
     The caller next reads the odds level  50  from the respective question card at step  116 . The house then adds additional betting tokens  18  to the active player&#39;s ante area  36  to match the odds level  50  specified on the question card  16 . For example, if the minimum betting amount for the respective concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26  is $50 and the specified odds are 3:1, then the house adds betting tokens equating to $150. Only the active players&#39; wagers are matched at the given odds level. All wagers by opposing players are always at a 1:1 odds level. 
     Once all antes have been met, at step  118 , the caller reads aloud both the category  52  of the respective question and the respective question  54  itself. The caller shows the answer of the question to the opposing players. 
     At step  120 , each opposing player must place an additional bet in an outcome area  40  or  42 , in addition to the ante, or forfeit the amount tokens previously placed into ante area  36 . The additional bet placed by each opposing player must be between one and five times minimum betting amount for the respective concentric pathway  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26  wherein the active player&#39;s game token  14  resides. The opposing players specify whether their respective bets will pay out on a correct or incorrect answer by placing betting tokens  18  in respective win or loss outcome areas  40  and  42  respectively of betting area  38 . 
     Once all opposing player bets have been made, at step  122 , the active player may bet up to five times the ante amount at the respective odds level  50  associated with the particular question card  16  in play. However, unlike the opposing players, the active player is not required to bet to avoid forfeiting his ante. The house matches the additional wager by active player at the odds level  50  specified on the particular question card  16 . 
     Next, at step  124 , the active player either correctly or incorrectly answers the particular question  54  and the wagers are settled as appropriate. Loosing wagers are collected by the house and placed in the lottery pool area  28 . 
     The next player then becomes the active player at step  126  and game play returns to step  108 , initiating a new turn. Play continues cyclically in this fashion until a player fulfills the game termination criteria as determined at step  110 . In the preferred embodiment, the game termination criteria is fulfilled when a player successfully moves his game token  14  into the central lottery pool area  28  by an exact roll of the game dice  66 . The player having the highest total of betting tokens  18  is declared the winner. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the basic game method of FIG. 3 may be subject to a variety of conditional modifications. For example, a subset of the spaces on the game board  10  may be designated as action spaces  70 , wherein an active player or his opponents may be required to perform specified actions when a player&#39;s game token  16  comes to rest upon the action space  70 . For example and not limitation, an action space  70  may: multiply the distance the active player moves his game token  14  during the turn (a “Multiplier”space); direct a player to draw a random event from a grab bag (“Grab Bags™” space); double the wager in the current turn (“Double Dog Dare™” space), direct the active player to call heads or tails and, if correct, pay the active player a specified amount (“CowChipFlip™” space); or reverse the odds of the question so that the active player risks more than his potential payoff (“SnakeBite™” space). All penalties paid by the active player from any action space events are placed in the lottery pool area  28 . In a further preferred embodiment, a player landing on a “Multiplier” space must also roll a directional die  71 , having two negative and four positive sides, to determine whether the player should move his respective game token  14  in a forward or reverse direction 
     In another embodiment, game system A may also include a penalty system for limiting the active player&#39;s option of “tanking” questions when the opposing players have placed substantial bets upon the active player&#39;s ability to answer correctly. For example, when the active player incorrectly answers a question  54  he may be given a penalty token  80 . In the preferred embodiment, penalty token  80  has a annular “ring” shape allowing it to be placed upon the active player&#39;s respective conically shaped game token  14 . When a player accumulates five penalty tokens  80 , he enters a penalty state (gets “dunced”) whereupon he must pay a fee and answer a specific penalty question  62  from a penalty question card  60  instead of taking a normal turn. 
     In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, each penalty question card  60  includes a penalty question  62  and an associated answer  64 . Penalty question cards  60  differ from regular question cards  16  in that they are not multiple choice, do not include an associated odds level  50  and do not include lottery numbers  58 . No wagers are placed on the penalty questions  62 . If the player correctly answers the penalty question, he may divest himself of all penalty tokens and retrieves his fee. If the player misses the penalty question, he loses his fee and must retain his penalty tokens. The player cannot move or divest himself of his penalty tokens without first correctly answering a penalty question. Optionally, the player may pay an enhanced fee to divest himself of penalty tokens. 
     In another optional embodiment, players may utilize game system A to wager directly against opponents, rather than against the house as was the case in the preferred embodiment. In this alternate embodiment, the opposing players may challenge the active player and bet directly that he does not know the answer to the question card in play. If no one challenges the active player, he is free to wager against the house at double the odds indicated on the question card  16  in play. For example, if the question in play has an odds level of 3:1 and no opposing player chooses to challenge the active player, the active player may them place a wager against the house at the doubled odds level of 6:1. Therefore, the opposing players must also strategically consider whether they can afford to let the active player win a wager at such high odds, adding to the strategic nature of the game. 
     Thus, it may be seen, that an advantageous game system is provided according to the present invention. The use of a trivia-type board game including wagering elements provides an entertaining and strategically challenging game which is well suited for home or party type uses. In addition to testing their knowledge, players are allowed to strategically test their assessment of the knowledge and skill of opposing players by betting upon their opponent&#39;s answering ability to answer their respective questions. Thus, the benefits of a conventional trivia game are combined with the strategic elements of a wagering game. Furthermore, because all players are allowed to wager and have a stake in the outcome of all phases of game play, the interest level of the players is maintained, heightening their enjoyment. 
     It thus will be appreciated that the objects of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing preferred specific embodiment has been shown and described for the purpose of this invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.