Patent Publication Number: US-7216869-B1

Title: Suits and ladders game

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/053,563, filed Feb. 9, 2005. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to wagering games involving a dealer, one or more players, and one or more decks of cards having a plurality of suits. 
   Many card games have been developed and some are particularly adapted for gambling. One class of such games includes a dealer who deals cards and a plurality of players who place wagers based on the cards that the dealer deals. Various progressive jackpot wagering games have also been developed. Other games also disclose the concept of adding additional wagers when cards are dealt. 
   There is a demand for new card games, particularly by casinos, which are, at the same time, innovative and interesting, but simple enough for players to easily learn. It has been found that many potential players are discouraged from playing because they do not understand the complexity of the game and are self-conscious about showing their lack of expertise. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wagering game, which is innovative and interesting. 
   It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved wagering game for casinos which is simple enough for most persons to understand without complicated instructions. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with these objects, there is provided, according to one aspect of the invention, a wagering game between a dealer and one or more players involving one or more decks of cards, a plurality of betting boards and player markers. Each betting board has four betting places, each place corresponding to one of four card suits, said betting places being arranged near the bottom of the betting board. A ladder presenting progressively increasing designated odds payoff is represented above the betting places. Each player makes a bet by selecting a betting place with a marker. A dealer deals one card. If the betting place matches the suit of the card dealt, the player is a winner. The winner may accept the designated odds payoff or may continue play during the next iteration at a higher designated odds payoff. If the player&#39;s betting place does not match the suit of the card dealt, the player loses and the dealer is the winner. Players may make side bets on the value of the card dealt as agreed to between player and dealer. 
   These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a betting board used in the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a marker used in play. 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a table layout with multiple betting boards for multiple players. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a generally rectangular, flat, player&#39;s betting board  10  having a top  11 , bottom  12 , two opposite side edges  13  and a playing surface  14 . The playing surface  14  has a plurality of betting spaces  18  arranged into a horizontal row near the bottom  12  of the betting board  10 , said betting spaces  18  representing the four suits of a standard deck of playing cards. Immediately above the row of betting spaces  18  is a representation of a ladder  15 . The ladder has a plurality of rungs  16  representing progressively increasing designated odds payoff, with the rung closest to the betting board bottom  12  being set at the lowest odds. The odds progress as the rungs move toward the betting board top  11 , with the rung  16  closest to the betting board top  11  having the greatest odds. In this embodiment of the invention, the row odds progress as follows: 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, 8:1, and 25:1. Other embodiments may have different odds. 
     FIG. 2  represents a typical betting marker  5  used in the game.  FIG. 3  illustrates a typical betting board table layout  20  for the game, including a chip rack area  21  and a dealer ladder area  22 . There is also a plurality of betting areas  23 , each area having a betting board  10  imprinted thereon. 
   A player places a wager (bet) on any one, two, three or four of the four suit positions  18  on the bottom of the individual player&#39;s betting board  10  by placing his marker(s)  5  on a desired betting space(s)  18 . The player then lays his bet amount on the ladder  15  above the row of betting spaces  18 . The dealer places his own marker  5  on an odds position  24  in the dealer ladder area  22  which indicates to all players the odds of the bet. The odds position  24  corresponds to the ladder rungs  16  on the betting board  10 . The dealer starts a round of play by placing his marker  5  in the lowest odds position  24 . The dealer then flips a single card for play in the designated dealer ladder odds position  24 . Those players who have placed their markers on a betting space  18  matching the suit of the card flipped by the dealer win. All other players lose. The dealer then collects any unsuccessfully selected (mismatched) wagers. 
   If the player or player&#39;s wager has successfully selected (matched) the suit on the dealt card, the dealer then moves the wager up into the ladder climb area and pays the appropriate odds, e.g., 2-1, designated for that rung. The game of the present invention revolves around bets on specific card suits. A player placed a wager on any one or two of the four betting spaces on the player&#39;s field area or card. The dealer flipped a single card for play. If the player had successfully selected (matched) the suit on the dealt card, the dealer is required to pay the appropriate odds designated for that row. The player, at his option, can collect his winnings or now continue to play at the increased odds of the next dealer ladder area odds position  24 . If the player elects to continue play, the round continues and the winning players wager is placed on the ladder  15  and ready to climb. This round of play is now closed to any player that has failed to match a suit with their wager. 
   The dealer then instructs any player or players with a wager in the ladder climb area to use their suit marker  5  and select any one of the suits indicated in the betting spaces  18 . The dealer then flips a single card for play on the next rung  24  of the odds designated ladder  22 . 
   If the player has successfully selected (matched) the suit of the flipped card with his suit marker  5 , the dealer then pays the appropriate odds designed by the odds position  24 . If a player is unsuccessful in matching the dealt suit, the dealer then collects the wager from the player&#39;s ladder climb area  15  and that player is dropped from the present round. The player must wait and begin again at the bottom of the player&#39;s betting board when the next round begins. 
   The game becomes open again for the whole table to wager when there are no more bets left in the ladder climb area. A round of game play continues until a player or players reach the top rung of the ladder matching all suits successfully or failing to match a suit on a ladder rung. 
   In this embodiment of the invention, an ace pays double. If the dealer flips an ace, and a player has correctly selected the proper suit, the dealer then pays the player double the appropriate odds designated for that play. 
   In another embodiment of the invention, a player may make optional side bets. In this embodiment of the invention, the player places an additional marker on the space  17  designated “top Rung Bonus.” The side bet may be $1.00. If the player reached and successfully matches the suit on the second last rung, the dealer pays a $50.00 bonus. If the player reaches and successfully matches the suit on the last rung, the dealer pays a $500.00 bonus. Other bet amounts and bonus amounts may be made in other embodiments of the game. 
   It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. The house or casino may have the option for a single deck deal or multiple deck deal. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.