Abstract:
A dice game including dice, chips, predictive markers, and methods of play. The goal of the game is to be the first person to obtain all the chips from the other players. Chips are used for wagering on the outcome of dice rolls. The game may optionally employ predictive markers to facilitate predictions for the outcome of the dice roll.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/350,144 entitled “Dice Game,” filed Nov. 2, 2001, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Dice games for multiple players have been in use for many years and are well known in the art of gaming. Dice games are commonly used in both gambling and non-gambling gaming applications. Gambling versions of dice games commonly incorporate one of two types of gaming competition and, consequently, of betting arrangement. Players may either compete individually against a house or against other players. Accordingly, the dividend of a player&#39;s wager, when successful, is typically either backed by a house or by a collective pot of players&#39; money. In either arrangement, gambling dice games often revolve around predictive guessing, such as betting on the value of the next roll in Craps. 
     In contrast, non-gambling dice games often incorporate point-based or goal-oriented competition. In point-based games, the object is typically to possess either the greatest or the least number of points at the end of the game. In goal-oriented games, a player may win by accomplishing some dice-related task, such as rolling a particular consecutive series of dice combinations. Additionally, it is not uncommon for dice games to use combinations of both styles of competition, such as those which reward points for the accomplishment of particular goals. However, non-gambling game play tends to be reactionary, based on the chanced roll of never-changing dice combinations, rather than incorporating the ever-changing predictive element common to many gambling games. 
     A major source of attraction for gambling dice games often lies in their ability to create a thrilling atmosphere of suspense due to the risks and potential rewards inherent in play. Gambling games typically use either currency or chips during play to reflect players&#39; wagers because the clear representation of their possible gains and losses can heighten the intensity of the gaming experience. Such an atmosphere can be created for groups of players by pool-style gambling where each player&#39;s bet is combined in a collective pot, which, in turn, is awarded to the winner. In this respect, non-gambling dice games are commonly inferior to their gambling counterparts. Merely tallying points or completing ordered tasks is often not as effective in inducing the degree of excitement common to wager-style play. 
     However, whereas gambling dice games may commonly be restricted to inconveniently located gaming establishments, non-gambling dice games may often be played just about anywhere by just about anyone. Non-gambling dice games can provide gaming enjoyment among groups of players for whom participation in gambling may not be desirable, appropriate, or legal. Consequently, non-gambling dice games may be ideal for many groups of players, such as those who wish to compete in table games in a casual household setting. 
     As a result, there is need in the art for the development of non-gambling dice games for multiple players that are capable of incorporating the varied benefits of traditional gambling and non-gambling gaming applications. For this reason, the development of dice games for multiple players that combine the suspense of pot-style wagering, the variety of predictive guessing, and the convenience of family-style gaming in a single non-gambling embodiment would be very beneficial to the art of gaming. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides methods and components of a dice game. The object of the game is for players to obtain all of their opponents chips by predicting the results of a roll of at least one die. 
     The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts layout of players and components of a dice game, including dice, chips, and predictive markers. 
     FIG. 2 depicts wagering of players using chips. 
     FIG. 3 shows details of a die, including colored character indicia and wild indicia used to distinguish each pattern. 
     FIG. 4 depicts the awarding of a pot of chips to a player correctly predicting an outcome of a dice roll. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The dice game is suitable for a plurality of players  100 . In the example shown in FIG. 1, four players  100  are shown, including a player A  102 , a player B  104 , a player C  106 , and a player D  108 . 
     The components of the dice game include multiple dice  10 , chips  12 , and predictive markers  14 , as shown in FIG.  1 . Dice  10  are imprinted with non-numerical indicia  16  on at least one of the several sides  18  of each die  10 . The particular dice roll combination of indicia  20  is used to determine play progression. 
     Chips  12  are used to place a players&#39;  100  wager into a pot  22 , as shown in FIG.  2 . In one embodiment of the game, the chips are in the shape of gemstones  24 . Predictive markers  14  are typically two-sided and may be in the shape of stars  26 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, dice patterns  28  typically are subdivided into at least a first pattern  30  and a second pattern  32 , and usually up to five patterns, with one side  18  remaining blank. These patterns  28  may further include colored character indicia  34 , as shown in FIG. 3 by a depiction of a dragon from  Yu - Gi - Oh  by Kazuki Takahashi, and wild indicia  36 . Each of the wild indicia  36  is distinct from one another and may be found on only one of the dice  10 . 
     Chips  12  are divided equally among players  100 . Players  100  then ante at least one chip  12  into pot  22 . A first player, player A  102  in this example, then selects a roll combination that he or she wants to predict will be the result of the roll of dice  10 . The first player  102  then rolls dice  10 . If player  102  correctly predicted outcome  38  of dice  10 , as shown in FIG. 4, then player  102  wins pot  22 . If outcome  38  was not correctly predicted by first player  102 , then the next player, player B  104  in this example, takes a turn to predict outcome  38  and re-rolls dice  10 . In one embodiment of the dice game, predictive markers  14  are used to record a player&#39;s predicted outcome  38 . The prediction may be recorded by setting forth predictive markers  14  that bear indicia  34  corresponding to that on the dice  10 . 
     In one embodiment of the game, each player  100  may predict outcome  38  of a roll of dice  10  as long as each player  100  selects an outcome  38  different from that selected by other players  100 . That way, play will progress more quickly as the odds of a player  100  winning pot  22  increases. If no player  100  correctly predicts the dice roll outcome  38 , then players  100  ante additional chips  12  into pot  22  and play proceeds. 
     If, at any time during play, pattern  30  is rolled such that wild indicia  36  is revealed, pot  22  automatically is awarded to a particular player  100  based on a predetermined meaning of each of the distinct wild indicia  36 . For example, rolling of a particular wild indicia  36  may indicate that pot  22  is awarded to player  100  to the left of first player  102 . 
     Play continues until one of players  100  has won all chips  12  from the other players  100 . 
     It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where any claim recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such claim should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
     Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through presentation of new claims in a related application. Such new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.