Patent Publication Number: US-2012043721-A1

Title: Double Denomination Playing Card Deck

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to what are commonly known as playing cards, particularly to the formation of a deck of playing cards containing double denomination cards including subsections of decks of double denomination cards. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     Playing card games which include ‘Poker’, ‘Gin Rummy’, ‘Bridge’ or ‘Blackjack’ etc, are popular card games used for group and private entertainment and/or for gambling purposes in Casinos and Poker Clubs. With the growing nature of the internet, playing cards can now be widely found in digital form on countless different websites for the purpose of gambling, entertainment and education. Standard playing cards possess a variety of geometric symmetrical properties. A standard playing card is rectangular in shape with the numbers and suits arranged using a portrait view it can display symmetries including point symmetry (an object that looks the same when viewed from opposite directions, such as left vs. right, or if turned upside down) and rotational symmetry (an object that looks the same after a certain amount of rotation). 
     There are 52 cards in a standard deck of playing cards which are made up of 13 cards numbered/denominated Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen and King. There are four suited variations of each card in a standard deck of cards, the suits being Hearts, Clubs Diamonds and Spades (4 suits×13 cards=52 cards). 
     A standard deck of cards possesses a different form of mathematical symmetry or symmetric function. This symmetric function can be demonstrated by simply removing any one card from a standard deck. 
     Although the remaining 51 card deck would still possess elements of symmetry, the overall symmetry would be broken. The overall symmetry can be regained by reinserting the card previously removed or by removing the three remaining cards of the same value leaving a sub deck of 48 cards. 4 suits multiplied by 12 cards=48. Double denomination cards have the benefit of increasing the value of playing cards whilst retaining their singular nature. None of the prior art double denomination cards have had any significant commercial success in either casinos or in the home market, primarily due to the limiting nature of games possible as a result of their design and configuration. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 712,566 (Moller) the double denomination function is applied to reduce cards from a standard deck of 52 to 26 by placing the 52 values of an entire deck into 26 objects (cards) thereby reducing the number of playing cards. This approach is extremely limiting due to the locking nature embodied in this configuration. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 712,566 FIG. 3, the card is displayed as the 10 of spades on the top of the card, with the 4 of hearts on the bottom. This configuration is locked. 
     In the popular card game, commonly known as three card Poker (brag), each player receives 3 cards. The goal of this game is to arrange your cards to achieve various poker style hands. Using the deck as described above, the locking feature ensures that were a player to receive a card corresponding to FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 712,566, as one of his cards the lower value, in this case the 4 of hearts, dictates the card&#39;s value. This arbitrarily places limits on what hand can be achieved on the lower or bottom hand, thereby limiting the scope of games achievable with this particular deck. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,358 (Hancock) the assertion is made that previous double denomination cards are cumbersome and difficult to read when used and that this invention improves the nature of double denominational cards by arranging the values of cards in a more functional and aesthetically pleasing fashion. The locking of cards is present, arbitrary and limiting just as in U.S. Pat. No. 712,566. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,916 (Gleason Jr.) the focus is on the prior art being unsuccessful in producing sufficient numbers of high value card which renders games with the prior art undesirable. The proposed 104 playing cards (2 full decks) would be reduced to 52 by use of double denominations thereby displaying 2 full decks on a single deck with the proviso that each card must bear a denomination no lower than eight and that no card bears two denominations of the same suit. Another of the objects in that proposal is to randomly pair denominations until a final selection is made at the last moment before play although the mechanism for how this would be achieved is not revealed. By limiting the card denomination to display denominations no lower than an eight and by not permitting the double denomination card to bear two denominations of the same suit, games that do not require high value cards for play are not improved. Such games include baccarat and card games requiring the player to value the lower value cards such as “Poker” Low ball. 
     In each of the above mentioned prior art examples the broad focus or aim of their inventions is to produce double denominational cards that increase the number of values achievable in a single playing field by increasing the amount of values available to players on the cards themselves. These prior art card decks all have problems as described above. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a deck of double denomination cards that does not have those problems/limitations and which is truly versatile. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a deck of double denomination playing cards, there being at least 1,378 cards in the deck with each card having a front playing face, where each playing face is divided into a first playing field and a second playing field whereby the deck has a total of at least 1,378 first playing fields and at least 1,378 second playing fields, with each playing field containing one of four non-denominational suits selected from the group comprising: Hearts; Clubs; Diamonds; and Spades, with each playing field further containing one of thirteen value designations selected from the group comprising: 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; Jack; Queen, King; and Ace, whereby each playing field contains a said non-denominational suit and a said value designation. 
     In one preferred embodiment the deck is computer-generated and each card that is played is displayed on a display screen. 
     Each playing card may have a back face that has identical indicia to the front playing face of that card. 
     Each playing card is suitably elongate rectangular in shape, the front playing face of the card having a top part and a bottom part, wherein the first playing field is at the top part and the second playing field is at the bottom part. Preferably the first playing field is divided from the second playing field by a dividing line. 
     The present invention thus provides two denominations on each playing card encompassing every possible combination of a standard 52 card deck resulting in a deck of playing cards numbering 1378 cards. Each card front playing face is divided to have both a first and a second (e.g. a ‘top’ and a ‘bottom’) playing field whilst retaining the randomness of a standard 52 deck of playing cards throughout the 1378 card deck or subsections of the 1378 card deck. 
     In the deck the first and a second (e.g. ‘top’ and ‘bottom’) playing field of any of the double denomination cards are separate entities in their own right. Their value and operation is restricted to interaction with other double denomination cards along the top and bottom playing field to ensure that the cards can be rotated at all times. 
     The present invention enables a sub-deck to be formed from a 1378 card deck by removal of one or more cards whereby the sub-deck contains the symmetric function of the deck whereby there is a complete symmetry within the sub-deck; every card, suit and value being on an equal footing. 
     As an example of such a sub-deck, this might be one that totals 240 double denomination cards. In compiling the 240 card sub-deck an intermediate deck may first be formed comprising: ace; 2; 3; 4; 5; and 6, with 4 suits making a total of 300 cards when all combine with each other. Of these 300 cards, 24 are cards containing two objects of equal value of the same suit, ie ace of hearts and ace of hearts, these are removed as are 36 where the top and bottom object has the same value but is of a different suit, ie ace of hearts and the ace of spades; leaving 240 cards. This sub deck contains the symmetric function of the full deck in that there is a complete symmetry within the deck, every card, suit and value is on an equal footing. Within this 240 card deck there are 15 cards all hearts, 15 cards all spades, 15 cards all diamonds and 15 cards all clubs totaling 60 cards, as well as 30 of mixed suit all red and 30 mixed suit cards all black, again totaling 60. The remaining 120 cards are mixed suit and mixed colour. This deck, along with the full deck permit a function that is absent from the prior art. Without exception the known prior art uses double denomination cards for extra values to strengthen a single hand. By contrast the double denomination deck of the present invention is configured to have the ability to run parallel games on top and bottom fields and can be reduced to sub-decks with symmetry that also run parallel games on top and bottom fields. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a double denomination playing card with two objects of different value and of different suit of which there are 936 such cards in the 1378 card deck. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a double denomination playing card with two objects of equal value of the same suit of which there are 52 such cards in the 1378 card deck. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a double denomination playing card containing different objects of value but of the same suit of which there are 312 cards contained in the 1378 card deck. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a double denomination playing card of which there are 78 such versions where the top and bottom object has the same value but is of a different suit. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of two double denomination cards placed side by side. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view corresponding to  FIG. 5  and signifying the turning of the latter card in  FIG. 5  by 180 degrees. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the completed outcome of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of three double denomination cards laid side by side. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a rare configuration of three double denomination cards. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a five card poker hand on the top and bottom horizontal. 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of a five card poker hand on the top and bottom horizontal with the 4 th  card from  FIG. 10  rotated by 180 degrees. 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of a five card poker hand on the top and bottom horizontal with the 1 st  and 3rd cards from  FIG. 10  rotated by 180 degrees. 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of ten double denomination cards with the same value on the top and bottom of each card. 
         FIG. 14  is a top view of three double denomination cards in a fanned position. 
         FIG. 15  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a double denomination card with its objects rotated by 90 degrees to form a landscape playing card. 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of double denomination cards where the values of each object can be added on the vertical plane. 
         FIG. 17  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of double denomination cards where the lower card from  FIG. 16  is rotated by 180 degrees. 
         FIG. 18  is a top view of the completed rotation of  FIG. 16  to form a different outcome of  FIG. 16  along the vertical plane. 
         FIG. 19  is a top view of two Double Denomination playing cards as described in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 20  is a top view of 78 Double Denomination playing cards which only contain either a Jack, Queen or King on both the top and bottom playing fields. 
         FIG. 21  is a top view of a game style using the Double Denomination playing cards. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Main Elements 
     The apparatus comprises a deck of double denomination cards which contain 1,378 playing cards, with each card of standard playing card size that contains two values of a standard deck of 52 cards, each card being so arranged to display any value of a standard playing card coupled with every other value of a standard playing card including itself. 
     Double Denomination Cards 
     In the preferred embodiment, each double denomination playing card is of standard playing card shape and preferably also size and with a dividing line running horizontally at the mid position as denoted in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  denotes the value of the object which is displayed on the left of the card and at 180 degrees to the same object on the right of the card to provide certainty of the value of the card regardless of whether the card is viewed from the top or bottom perspective. This configuration ensures the cards can be viewed from a fixed perspective laid out next to each other or easily viewed when held or fanned by a player in games that require players to conceal their cards. 
     Sub Elements 
     By configuring the double denomination cards to include every possible value of a standard deck of playing cards, it is made possible to preserve the randomness of a standard deck of cards on both the top and bottom playing field of each card. This improvement over the prior art enables both top and bottom playing fields to be in full play and not be constrained by arbitrary locking objects which restrict the symmetric function as in the prior art. This 1378 card deck greatly increases the variety of games that can be achieved whilst at the same time introducing new types of card games previously unavailable in the prior art or contained within a standard pack of cards. 
     In  FIG. 5 , there are two double denomination cards. The four of hearts and the three of clubs are locked along the central axis. The four of hearts signifies the ‘top’ playing field and the three of clubs signifies the ‘bottom’ playing field. The second double denomination card has the five of clubs as the ‘top’ playing field with the two of diamonds as the ‘bottom’ playing field. Again this card is locked along the central axis. By placing these two cards together a variety of different outcomes can be achieved. In  FIG. 5  the ‘top’ values of both cards are added together to make a total of nine with the ‘bottom’ values making a total of five when adding both bottom horizontal values. 
       FIG. 6  represents the rotation of the second card by 180 degrees.  FIG. 7  represents the completed rotation. Using the same formula as  FIG. 5 , the top and bottom values added together along the horizontal in  FIG. 7  now displays a different value outcome. As an alternative, instead of adding the values of the playing fields together, the values could be multiplied together to reach a different value or in another alternative, the values of the top and bottom horizontal could be subtracted from each other. 
     The double denominational card deck retains the symmetric function of a standard deck of cards resulting in outcomes not possible from the prior art. For example,  FIG. 19  displays a combination of two double denomination cards with the ace of diamonds and ace of spades on the first card with the ace of spades and the ace of spades on the second card. Using the procedure as in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  the total values remain the same but a specific value could be attributed to matching a suited flush pair as in the bottom horizontal over and above the mathematical value of an ace. 
     Sub Decks 
     A physical deck of cards totaling 1378 double denominational cards has limited casino use and no practical home use due to the volume of cards. However, a digital deck of cards is not bounded by physical concerns and could be easily represented in a software program for use on the internet or for offline home use on a computer. The present invention includes within its scope a computer-generated deck of cards where each card that is played is preferably displayed on a display screen. 
     As disclosed, to achieve the symmetric function of a standard deck of playing cards across a top and bottom playing field requires 1378 cards. As in a standard deck of 52 cards, if one card is removed the overall symmetric function is broken; this rule applies equally to the 1378 card deck. The overall symmetric function can be regained by simply reinserting the previously removed card back to the deck or alternatively, removing the double denomination cards that have the same value, suit or properties as the card first removed. If the single card removed as described above is  FIG. 2 , the overall symmetric function of the deck is broken. To rebalance the deck  FIG. 2  could simply be reinserted or alternatively the 130 such cards that contain equal values on both the top and bottom fields could be removed. If all 130 such cards are removed from the 1378 card deck the overall symmetric function is retained in this sub deck as the deck will be equally balanced albeit without any equal value double denomination cards. Using this method a vast number of different sub decks can be constructed that reduce the amount of cards but retain an overall symmetric function within each sub deck. This is not present within the prior art. For example, a smaller sub deck of cards can be constructed from the larger sample using the Jacks, Queens and Kings only. To create such a deck but keep the symmetric function of the larger 1378 card deck in its entirety would require a deck of 78 double denomination cards as can be seen in  FIG. 20 . This smaller sub deck would be practical for home and casino use. 
     In  FIG. 21 , A different method of play is possible using this 78 card deck. Using a domino style engine, cards can be joined via their suit and/or their value. In  FIG. 9  a different type of game engine is displayed. On the top hand there are three Aces (Hearts, a flush three of a kind) and on the lower hand there is the five, six and seven of spades which can be treated as a ‘straight’ (straight flush), both hands are found in Poker games, specifically in three card poker. 
     In  FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  12 , it is shown how many different variations of poker hands can be achieved on both the top and bottom horizontal by rotating specific cards to form poker hands.  FIG. 14  displays the double denomination cards in a fanned position without any loss of information thus allowing players to conceal their cards in games requiring concealment. In an alternative embodiment as seen in  FIG. 16 , a landscape view of the double denomination cards is portrayed. In this embodiment, the double denomination playing card is rotated 90 degrees. Each object is placed vertically with the separator running along the central vertical axis. This particular embodiment can aid the player as subsequent cards can be overlaid without obscuring the objects above. Adding and subtracting the values of the cards is made easier using this embodiment. 
     For card games based on the popular game ‘21’ or ‘pontoon’ the landscape embodiment is preferable over the standard portrait embodiment. In this embodiment, the hands are calculated on the vertical plane with a Left playing field and a Right playing field or alternatively a West playing field and an East playing field. In  FIG. 15  the Left object is the six of clubs with the Jack of Hearts, the Right object.  FIG. 16  displays a second card overlaying  FIG. 15  with the King of Hearts the Left object, the Two of Clubs the Right object. By adding the values along the vertical plane the Right playing field totals 16 with the Left playing field totaling 12. In  FIG. 17  the lower card is rotated 180 degrees and the completed rotation is displayed in  FIG. 18 . The Left playing field hand now has a total of 8 with the Right playing field totaling 20.