June Board and Card Game Patents

Method and system to incorporate game play into product transactions - A method of playing a game at the supermarket checkout, where if you win the game you get the product for the entry fee, and if you lose you simply get the product for it's usual price. Supposedly, this type of game of chance will not be considered "gambling" in those places that disallow gambling.

Method, apparatus and article for random sequence generation and playing card distribution - Card shufflers were invented to speed up and more thoroughly implement card shuffling at casino tables. This patent thinks they're not fast enough, and wants to simply generate a pseudo-random deck arrangement via computer and then either sort the cards to this arrangement, or print a brand spanking new deck in this arrangement.

But it doesn't stop there. I said pseudo-random, right? That's because the patent also specifies that the arrangement can be created with a house advantage.

Method of playing a card game involving a dealer - Place a bet. Deal one card. Pay out rewards. Place another bet. Deal another card. Pay out rewards. Repeat up to five times, depending on results.

Casino card game having Mahjong attributes - A card game with Mah-Jong symbols and a poker-like game to go with it.

Dice board game - You conceal point markers on your side of the board. Then a die is rolled, and each player moves a pawn according to the game's markings. When you reach the far end, you get the concealed point value. You win when you get a predetermined number of points. If the value is "Game Over" you win, regardless of the current point score.



Player-banked four card poker game - A four player poker game, where each player and the dealer gets an additional card and discards it, and then you have to beat the dealer. I'm unsure how the odds are kept in the dealer's favor this way.

Method for providing a blackjack double down wager - Probably the worst excuse for a patent I've yet seen this year.

You already have the option of splitting cards in a blackjack game, if the cards are below a certain value or are doubles. This patent lets you split your cards in other situations and for additional ante.

Modified method of playing blackjack - Blackjack, where an additonal bet is placed that your hand will be the highest valued hand at the table. I must admit, this one comes close to the last one in terms of an absurd excuse for a patent.

Marble board game - A Pachisi game, where the board is a track for marbles and the movement is played with a hand of five standard playing cards.