Abstract:
The present invention provides a board game. The board game includes a spinning device and an inner and outer ring of characters. The characters include at least one of a plurality of numbers or a plurality of letters located in one or more rings. Each player activates the spinning device. After the spinning device has stopped a master scorecard and the scorecard associated with the player who performed the activation of the spinning device are marked to identify what letter or number the spinning device is pointing to. The players rotate spinning of the spinning device until the master scorecard indicates that the game is over.

Description:
PRIORITY INFORMATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/763,968 filed on Feb. 1, 2006 and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to games and, more specifically, to board games. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many games of chance have employed a rotatable spinner/pointer to produce a random selection. However, many of these games of chance lose user interest, because they fail to keep the players engaged. 
     Therefore, there exists a need for a game of chance that engages the users to want to play more and more. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a board game. The board game includes a spinning device and an inner and outer ring of characters. The characters include at least one of a plurality of numbers or a plurality of letters located in one or more rings. Each player activates the spinning device. After the spinning device has stopped, a master scorecard and the scorecard associated with the player who performed the activation of the spinning device are marked to identify what letter or number the spinning device is pointing to. The players rotate activation of the spinning device until the master scorecard or a player&#39;s scorecard indicates that the game is over. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the game is over when one of the characters has been pointed to a predefined number of times. The predefined number of times is three times. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the game is over when the letters of a predefined word have been pointed to at least once. The predefined word is RICH. 
     In still another aspect of the invention, the game is over when a player&#39;s initials have been pointed to at least once from activation of the spinning device by the player. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, the game is over when any of the above game ending determinations have been made. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a game board formed in accordance with embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an example scorecard formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 4-6  illustrate flowcharts of an example process for playing the game using the items shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a top view of a game board  20  used in one embodiment. The game board  20  is made out of crafted wood. In alternate embodiments the game board  20  is made of plastic, card board, metal, and/or any other composite material known in the art. The game board  20  preferably includes an interior ring  24  of numbers and/or letters and an exterior ring  26  of numbers and/or letters. The game board  20  preferably, but not necessarily, includes a master scorecard  30 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an arrow  40  used, in one embodiment, as a spinning device. The arrow  40  is mounted in the middle of the game board  20  and is configured to spin when pushed by a player. Further, the arrow  40  includes a tip being the selection side for pointing at a number or letter located in the inner or outer rings  24 ,  26 . In an alternate embodiment, the game board is configured such that it spins and the arrow  40  is stationary in the middle. 
     In alternate embodiments a physical game board is not required and the game is played using a computer program on a computer system. The game board in an alternate embodiment is mounted on a wall or is a self supporting structure. In an alternate embodiment, the game board has electronic lights and/or sensors. 
       FIG. 3  shows a scorecard  50  similar to the scorecard  30  used in one embodiment. The scorecard  50  includes spaces  52 ,  54  to write the player&#39;s initials, a plurality of numbers section  56 , a plurality of letters section  58 , and/or word “RICH” section  60 . In alternate embodiments other words and/or symbols are used. Next to each of the foregoing items  56 - 60  are three empty blocks. In alternate embodiments, there is at least one block next to each item. These blocks will be colored in while playing the board game. In an alternate embodiment, the scorecard  50  is electronic with each block containing a light that can be illuminated. 
       FIG. 4  shows an example process  100  for playing a game using the game board  20  and the scorecards  30 ,  50 . The process  100  begins with a set of players (e.g. two or more players), that select a game, at block  102 . Selecting the game is further described in  FIG. 5 . The players then each deposit a per-round deposit, at block  104 . This deposit preferably includes game tokens, game money, and/or currency. Once the players have provided all of the requisite deposits, each player spins the arrow  40  in a predefined order, at block  106 . In one embodiment, the order is determined by an initial spin of the arrow  40  and the player who has the highest number goes first, and then in a clockwise manner from the first player. After each spin, the player that made their spin records the inner or outer ring letter/number that the arrow  40  is pointing to, then a decision is made as to whether there is a winner, at decision block  108 . The method for determining if there is winner is further explained in  FIG. 6 . If there is not a winner then the process  100  returns to block  104 . If there is a winner then the game is completed, see block  110 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an example process  120  performed at block  102  of  FIG. 4 . In one embodiment, any combination of the following games can be selected and played concurrently. The process  120  begins with determining whether the players will play their initials, block  122 . If the players are playing their initials then each player will write their initials on their scorecard. If the arrow  40  lands on one of their initials when they spin the arrow  40  (not when other players spin), then they will color one of three blocks located next to each initial at section  58  and/or circle the same letter in the initials space  54 . Only the player who just spun may mark their initials and nothing happens if another player lands on one of the particular player&#39;s initials. 
     If the players decide to play the numbers, then they will be using the section  56  of the scorecard  50 , block  124 . Each time the arrow  40  lands on a number, that number is colored in on the main scorecard  30  and the player who spun will color that number on their scorecard. If the players do not play numbers then that portion of the scorecard is omitted. 
     If the players decide to play the letters then they will be using the section  58  of the scorecard  50 , block  126 . Each time a player spins and the arrow  40  lands on a letter, that letter is colored in on the main scorecard  30  and the player who spun will color that letter on their scorecard. If the players do not play letters then that portion of the scorecard is omitted. 
     If the players to decide to play “RICH,” the section  60  is used, block  128 . If any player spins and the arrow  40  lands on one of the letters in the word “RICH,” then it is noted on their scorecard as well as the main scorecard  30 . In order to win “RICH” either a particular letter must be spun three times or the word “RICH” must be spelled out. If the word “RICH” is spelled out by a player, then they win. In an alternate embodiment, the game ends once the scorekeeper&#39;s scorecard indicates that each of the letters R, I, C, H in the section  60  have at least been pointed to at least once, then the game ends. The amount of money that was included in the deposit then gets then split amongst players who were first to spin the letters R or I or C or H. 
       FIG. 6  shows a process  140  of determining if there is a winner of the game. The process  140  begins by recording a result on a main scorecard  30  located on the game board  20 , block  144 . Once the result is recorded, the process  140  determines whether the three blocks next to any of the letters or numbers in sections  56  and  58  of the main scorecard  30  are colored/filled in (i.e. 3 spins pointed to the letter/number), block  146 . If all three blocks are colored, then the deposits are split between those people who spun that letter or number during the game, block  148 . If the three blocks next to any number/letter are not filled in, the game is continued, block  150 . 
     The result of a spin is recorded on the main scorecard  30  and on the individual player&#39;s scorecard by filling in the square next to the number/letter corresponding to the result of a spin. Each individual player only records their spins on their scorecard, unless the players are playing on teams. 
     The players who spun the winning number/letter at any time during the current game are identified when the scorekeeper&#39;s scorecard  30  has indicated that the game is over. If more than one person spun the winning number/letter, the deposits are split based on how many times each player spun the winning number/letter. In one example, Player A, B and C each spun the winning number 12. Each Player A, B, and C will take ⅓of the deposits. In another example, Player A spun the winning number 12 twice and Player C spun the winning number 12 once. Therefore, Player A will take ⅔&#39;s of the deposits and Player C will take ⅓. If one person spun the winning number/letter three times, all of the deposits go to that player. 
     Another method of winning the deposits is if the players decided to play the initials game and one of the players spun their initials before anyone else has spun their initials. If this occurs, then that player would take the entire deposit. 
     If the users decided to also play the “RICH” game, then once the scorekeeper scorecard  30  records at least one hit for each of those four letters, then the game is over. The deposits then would be split amongst the players for only those players that were first to record any of the letters R, I, C or H. For example, if Player A spins and gets an R they would indicate on their scorecard that they were the first to record the R, for example by circling the R and they will also highlight one of the blocks next to R. If Player B then spins and they record a C they would do the same thing except for the letter C. If then Player C over the life of the game was the first to spin an I and also an H they would make similar indications next to the letters I and H. After Player C has spun the H, the scorekeeper determines that all the letters R, I, C and H have been spun and that the game is over. The deposits are split then amongst Players A, B and C, whereby Player C gets 50 percent of the deposits because they had two of the four letters and Players A and B each get 25 percent of the deposits because they had each one of the four letters. 
     In other embodiments, other formats for determining who winners are or distribution of the deposits at the end of the game may be determined. For example, other words or combinations of numbers or combinations of numbers and words may be a requirement for the game to end and then, of course, determination of the distribution of the deposits would occur. For example, the players may decide to play the word WINNER. Thus, when the scorekeeper records that the letters W, I, N, E, R have been hit and the letter N has been spun twice, then the game would be over and distribution of the deposits would go to those players that were first to hit the letters W, I, N, E and R and also to the player that spun a second N first. 
     In another embodiment the scorekeeper&#39;s scorecard  30  and the scorecards  50  may be made of an easily erasable material depending upon the type of writing device used. For example, the scorecards may be formed of a dry eraser board material that would allow users to mark them with dry erasers. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment.