Patent Publication Number: US-6659458-B1

Title: Perpetual seal card game

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a game system for playing games of chance for money and prizes and, more particularly, to a perpetual game of chance using a quantity of individual play cards and one or more seal cards to select one or more challengers and determine if the challengers defeat the prior game&#39;s winning player. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     The popularity of games of chance is undeniable. Whether operated by a government, casino, bingo hall, or tavern, these games can be a lucrative undertaking for both the player and the game operator. Games of chance come in a variety of styles to suit different players. One type is the paper-based small games of chance wherein symbols, letters, or numbers are imprinted on game cards to indicate whether the player has won the game. The symbols, letters, or numbers are concealed until the player purchases the card and removes the concealing means, revealing the results of the game. In this variety of game, a set of game cards is sold to the game operator who, preferably, sells all of the tickets in the set and uses the proceeds for the prizes. Once the prizes are awarded, the game operator keeps the remaining money as profit. 
     Over the years, manufacturers have developed a number of different paper-based small games of chance. For example, jar tickets are small folded and banded slips of paper that contain indicia of winning. Pull tab games, sometimes called break-open game cards, have one or more perforated tabs on the back of the card that can be removed to reveal indicia of winning. 
     Paper-based small games of chance are entertaining for the players because the games provide an opportunity for the player to win various sums of money or prizes for a limited cost. For the game operators, the games can be a source of revenue with a minimal initial investment. Since the cost of running and playing this type of game is minimal, many different groups use paper-based small games of chance as a source of income. Typically, game operators include gambling establishments, charitable groups, or private organizations. For gambling establishments such as bingo halls, this type of game can be a valuable extra source of revenue. Charitable groups benefit from these games through the income provided. For private organizations such as nightclubs or taverns, the entertainment of the patrons can be as beneficial as the added revenue the games produce. 
     As can be appreciated, the more entertaining the paper-based small games of chance are, the more successful the game operator will be. To make the games more appealing, manufacturers have produced games with an assortment of themes that might attract various people. In some cases, different forms of the same games have been developed. For example, a pull tab game may have a single removable area on the card, or it might contain several removable areas. In addition, some games may have more than one way of winning on a single ticket. One such example of this type of game is shown in Fienberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,090. In these variations, the games are only single play games; therefore, once the game card has been opened the game is over. 
     Manufactures have built upon prior paper-based small games of chance to maintain a player&#39;s interest. One such game is the multi-level, or advanced play game. These games use the traditional single play game cards wherein some of the players are instant winners, while others qualify for advanced play. For additional or advanced play, the games use a special type of game card called a seal card. A seal card typically has a place for the qualified players to identify themselves and one or more concealed areas on the card. Once all of the qualifying players have been identified, the concealed areas are revealed to show a predetermined indicator of the game winner. After the winner is known, the game is completed. One such example of this type of game is shown in Quinlan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,921, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. 
     The present game system is a perpetual game of chance. The game system provides the player with a novel level of entertainment wherein the winner of the game is automatically entitled to play subsequent games without having to purchase another game card. This type of game system also benefits the game operator because it encourages the players to continue playing after the initial game has ended. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present game system, a quantity of individual play cards is sold to players for a predetermined price. The individual play cards contain indicia that are initially concealed from and subsequently revealed by the players. The indicia can be symbols, letters, or numbers, or any combination thereof. Some of the indicia indicate that the player is an instant winner and entitled to receive a predetermined prize. Other indicia indicate the player is a qualified challenging contestant and is qualified for a chance to defeat the prior game&#39;s winning player. Still other cards contain indicia that do not indicate any winning combination and, therefore, these players have lost the game. 
     One or more challenger seal cards are provided with one or more concealed areas under which is predetermined challenger indicia, identifying the player or players who will become the challenging players and will attempt to defeat the prior game&#39;s winning player. The challenger seal card may also contain a qualified challenger contestant identification area where the qualified challenging contestants can identify themselves. The indictor can be any identifying mark such as the player&#39;s name or other symbol to represent themselves. Once all of the qualified challenging contestants are identified, the concealed areas are revealed to show who will be the challenging players to challenge the prior game&#39;s winner. The challenging players also receive a prize. 
     One or more winning seal cards are provided with one or more concealed areas. The areas contain predetermined winning indicia that indicate each of the challenging players and the previous game&#39;s winning player. One of the concealed areas is reveal to show the chosen predetermined winning indicia. Based on the revealed indicia, one of the challenging players is the winning player to be defeated in the next game, or the current winning player continues as the winner. Whoever is the winning player of the current game receives a prize and is automatically entered into the next game. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an individual play card; 
     FIG. 2 is a back elevation view of an individual play card; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a seal card used to select the challenger of the prior game&#39;s winner; and 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a seal card used to determine if the challenger defeated the prior game&#39;s winner. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     1. Game System Set 
     The following disclosure of the preferred embodiments is illustrative of the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, therein is illustrated the individual play card  10  typically provided with the game system of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the individual play card  10  is constructed from a lamination of two plies of material; the front ply  20  and the back ply  30 . 
     One side of the front ply  20  of the individual play card  10  may contain promotional information such as the name of the game  40 , indicia of predetermined winning groups  50 , the value for the predetermined winning groups  55 , the total game value  60 , or other graphic information. On the reverse side of the front ply  20  of the individual play card  10 , opposite from the promotional information, are imprinted one or more indicia  70 . The indicia  70  can be symbols, letters, numbers, or any combination thereof. This side of the front ply  20  is affixed to the back ply  30 . 
     The back ply  30  of the individual play card  10  contains one or more selectively removable areas  80  created by perforations along three sides. Other methods for selectively removable areas are well known in the art. The selectively removable areas  80  are aligned with the indicia  70  on one side of the front ply  20  and conceal the contents of the individual play card  10  until a player removes the selectively removable area  80 . This type of individual play card  10  is also known as a pull tab card. 
     Some individual play cards  10  contain combinations of indicia  70  imprinted on one side of the front ply  20  corresponding to the predetermined winning groups  50  on the opposite side of the front ply  20 . The predetermined winning groups  50  represent predetermined prize values  55 . Some other individual play cards  10  contain indicia  70  imprinted on one side of the front ply  20  that are predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130 . These indicia identify qualified challenging contestants. Still other individual play cards  10  contain indicia  70  that do not indicate the player is a game winner or qualified challenging contestant. 
     The challenger seal card  90  (see FIG. 3) is composed of a lamination of an upper ply  100  and a lower ply  110 . The upper ply  100  contains a qualified challenger contestant identification area  120 , which is capable of listing every qualified challenging contestant. The area  120  has a list of all predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130  that identifies the qualified challenging contestant. Next to each predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130  is a line for qualified challenging contestants to identify themselves. The upper ply  100  also contains a challenger selection area  125  that has selectively removable covers  140 , which conceal predetermined challenger indicia  150 . The selectively removable covers  140  are created by perforations around at least three sides and can be removed to reveal the lower ply  110 . In addition, other promotional information may be imprinted on the upper ply  100 . 
     The lower ply  110  of the challenger seal card  90  contains predetermined challenger indicia  150 . The two plies are laminated together such that the predetermined challenger indicia  150  on the lower ply  110  is aligned with the selectively removable covers  140  on the upper ply  100 . Initially, the selectively removable covers  140  conceal the predetermined challenger indicia  150 . Once the selectively removable covers  140  are removed, the predetermined challenger indicia  150  is revealed. 
     The winning seal card  160  (see FIG. 4) is also composed of a lamination of an upper ply  170  and a lower ply  180 , and contains a winning selection area  210 . The winning selection area  210  of the upper ply  170  contains two selectively removable covers  190 , each created by perforations on at least three sides of the selectively removable covers  190 . The lower ply  180  contains predetermined winning indicia  200  indicating the game&#39;s winning player. The predetermined winning indicia  200  are composed of one indicator for every challenging player and one indicator for the previous game&#39;s winning player. The predetermined winning indicia  200  align with the selectively removable covers  190  such that the predetermined winning indicia  200  are initially concealed. When one of the selectively removable covers  190  is taken away, the predetermined winning indicia  200  is revealed identifying the game&#39;s winning player. In addition to the winning selection area  210 , the upper ply  170  of the winning seal card  160  can contain promotional information about the game. 
     2. Game System Play 
     In the preferred embodiment, the game is played with a plurality of individual play cards  10 , a challenger seal card  90 , and a winning seal card  160 . The number of individual play cards  10  is dependent on several factors such as gaming regulations, the duration of the game, the player&#39;s purchase price of individual play cards  10 , and the value of the prizes. It is preferable that all of the individual play cards  10  have been purchased before the game continues. 
     The individual play cards  10  contain indicia  70  under the selectively removable areas  80  on the card back  30 . One or more—typically five—such selectively removable areas  80  are on the back  30  of each individual play card  10 . The player removes the selectively removable areas  80  to reveal the indicia  70 . Some of the cards contain predetermined winning groups of indicia  50 . The player who reveals these predetermined winning groups  50  is an instant winner, and receives a prize corresponding to the value for the predetermined winning groups  55 . As soon as the predetermined winning group  50  is revealed, the instant winner is done playing the game. In the illustrated embodiment the predetermined combination value  55  ranges from $1 to $150. Other cards contain indicia corresponding to a series of predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130 . If a player removes the selectively removable area  80  of his card and reveals one of the predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130 , he becomes a qualified challenging contestant and entitled to continue the game. Still other cards contain indicia  70  that do not correspond to predetermined winning groups  50  or predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130 . Players with these cards are done playing the game. 
     Those players, who have received cards with predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130  and are qualified challenging contestants, identify themselves in the qualified challenger contestant identification area  120  on the challenger seal card  90 . To identify themselves the qualified challenging contestants can write their name, or other identifying mark on the line next to the list of predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130  corresponding to the predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130  revealed on their individual play card  10 . Once the qualified challenger contestant identification area  120  is completely filled, thereby identifying all qualified challenging contestants, the selectively removable cover  140  in the challenger selection area  125  of the challenger seal card  90  is removed to reveal the predetermined challenger indicia  150 . The predetermined challenger indicia  150  is one of the predetermined qualifying challenger indicia  130 . The player who has an individual play card  10  with a number that corresponds to the predetermined challenger indicia  150  becomes the challenging player and is qualified to challenge the prior game&#39;s winning player. The challenging player also receives a prize for becoming the challenging player, while the other qualified challenger contestants are done playing the game. 
     If the present game is the first time the game is played, or the previous game&#39;s winning player is not available to play the present game, the challenging player becomes the winning player. If a winning player exists from the immediately proceeding game, the challenging player will attempt to defeat the prior game&#39;s winning player. One of the selectively removable covers  190  from the winning selection area  210  is removed to reveal predetermined winning indicia  200  indicating whether the challenging player is the winner, or whether the prior game&#39;s winning player continues as the winner. 
     The game&#39;s winning player is awarded a prize. In the illustrated embodiment, the winner is entitled to $199. If the challenging player is the winner, this prize is in addition to the prize the challenging player was awarded for becoming the challenging player. The game then repeats itself with the game&#39;s winning player automatically continuing on to the next game. 
     Optionally, a winning insignia, such as a badge, medal, pin, crown or robe, may be included. When the game&#39;s winning player is identified, he is crowned the “Emperor” and entitled to wear the winner insignia until he is dethroned. The challenger in the next game attempts to overthrow the Emperor. This type of theme increases the friendly competition and, therefore, increases the entertainment value of the game. 
     The game has considerable entertainment value because of the perpetual nature of the game. Since the game will generally be played where the players know each other, such as a fraternal or civic organization or a neighborhood tavern, a friendly competition will normally exist between the players. Because the field of players is reduced in a graduated way, the competitive character of the game is enhanced. Once a player is selected as the winner, there will be a natural desire to challenge the new winner. The entertainment value is further enhanced because the prior game&#39;s winner will have a 50% chance of winning another prize without being required to purchase additional individual play cards  10  or needing to qualify as a challenging player. The increased entertainment value of the present game system will consequently improve the value of the game for the game operator. As the game progresses, the operator will be able to sell more individual play cards  10 , thereby increasing the game operator&#39;s profit. 
     In yet another embodiment of the present game system, the selectively removable areas and covers of the individual play cards and seal cards are replaced with a removable material. The removable material is scratched or rubbed off revealing the contents under the removable material. This type of removable material is well known in the art. 
     Whereas the present game system has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art, and it is intended that the invention encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.