GB2146539A - Card game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises at least four regular polygon "key" cards 2 having markings of different play value, eg King, Queen, adjacent each side and a plurality of like shaped playing cards 16, 18, including one side which is substantially the same length as the sides of the key cards. The playing cards 16, 18 are shaped so that they can be assembled contiguously around the key cards to define a regular polygon with a key card at the centre thereof, the playing cards being marked with a suit and marked to correspond with the playing values on the key cards. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Card game This invention relates to card games.

Card games which use conventional playing cards marked to define cards of the four suits, hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades, are naturally very well known but such card games tend to lack a certain element of novelty which is appealing in games.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a card game which is completely novel and yet which preserves some of the traditional appeal associated with conventional playing cards.

According to the present invention a card game comprises at least four key cards each shaped to define a similar regular polygon, at least one face of each key card being marked so that each side of the polygon is associated with a different playing value, and a number of playing cards of similar shape including one side which is substantially the same length as the sides of the key cards and which playing cards are shaped so that they can be assembled contiguously around the key cards to define a regular polygon with a key card at the centre thereof, the playing cards being marked to define a suit and marked also to correspond with the playing values on the key cards, one playing value to each playing card, whereby each of the key cards can be contiguously surrounded by playing cards of the same suit which bear markings which correspond to the markings on that key card.

The suit markings on the playing cards may comprise markings on juxtaposed edges which comprise half of a suit mark, and which in play match with corresponding markings on adjacent cards surrounding a key card thereby to define complete suit marks.

The key cards may be shaped to define a regular hexagon.

The playing cards may be shaped so as to form a hexagon when assembled around a key card.

Each key card may have its sides marked to correspond with one of the following playing values nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace, and the playing cards may be marked correspondingly so that there are enough appropriately marked playing cards to surround each key card.

Four similar key cards may be provided each of which is hexagonal and at least six playing cards may be provided for each suit.

The key cards and the playing cards may be made of cardboard, a plastics material, wood or any combination of these materials.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure l is a plan view of a key card and two playing cards which form a part of a card game; Figure 2 is a plan view of a key card and six playing cards correctly assembled with the key card and apertaining to the suit of hearts; Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 but apertaining to the suit of clubs; Figure 4 is a plan view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but apertaining to the suit of diamonds; and Figure 5 is a plan view similar to the plan view of Figures 2,3 and 4 but apertaining to the suit of spades.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, a card game comprises a key card 2 which is generally hexagonal and which comprises six sides 4,6,8,10,12 and 14 marked with the playing values ace, king, queen, jack, ten and nine respectively. The key card 2 is used during play with playing cards such as the playing cards 16 and 18 which correspond to the playing values king and queen respectively. The playing cards 16 and 18 have one side each 20 and 22 respectively, which is the same length as the sides of the key card 2, and the playing cards are shaped so that they can be assembled contiguously around a key card to form a regular hexagon.Thus as shown in Figure 1, the playing card 16 represents the playing value king and the side 20 of the playing card 16 is aligned contiguously with the side 6 of the key card so that a king symbol on the playing card 16 and a king symbol on the key card 2 are aligned.

The playing card 18 is similarly aligned so that the side 22 aligns contiguously with the side 8 of the key card 2.

Juxtaposed sides 24 and 26 of the playing card 16 are provided with half of a heart suit symbol and sides 28 and 30 of the playing card 18 are similarly provided with half heart suit symbols. Thus it will be appreciated that when the playing cards 16 and 18 are properly positioned as shown in Figure 2, six heart symbols defining the heart suit are fully formed which surround the key card. Thus as shown in Figure 2 a key card 32 can be surrounded with playing cards 34,36,38,40,42 and 44 so that the playing card value symbols on the playing cards align with corresponding symbol on the key card 32 and so that six symbols defining the heart suit are formed.

As shown in Figure 3 six similar cards are provided apertaining to the club suit. As shown in Figure 4 six similar cards are provided apertaining to the diamond suit. As shown in Figure 5 six similar cards are provided apertaining to the spade suit. In Figures 3,4 and 5 the six similar cards are arranged in each case to surround a similar key card. The arrangement of the cards around a key card in the Figures 4,5 and 6 is similar to the arrangement for hearts described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and so further explanation of the arrangement of the cards is not believed to be necessary.

Using the key cards and playing cards as just before described a card game may be played in accordance with the following rules using four key cards and twenty four playing cards.

(A)(i) All four key cards are shuffled and each player receives one.

(ii) If only three or less players then each player may have more than one key card.

e.g. two players = two key cards each three players = only three suits used two players = only two suits used.

(iii) A player can look at his or her key card or key cards and at any time replace them (face down) (values not showing) on the table.

(iv) A player can also place them (face up) showing the others. In this case his or her total score for each set or game is doubled for whatever points he scores.

(B)(i) Next, the playing cards are shuffled and each player is dealt six in a rotation of one-at-atime which are placed (face down) (values not showing) on the table or kept in the hand.

(ii) To start, one player puts an incorrect playing card (one of the suits he does not want) (face down) (values not showing) in the centre. The next player must exchange one of his or her playing cards or replace the one first laid down.

(C)(i) The object of game is to match a correct suit of playing cards to their key card or key cards.

(ii) The first player to complete his or her suit is the winner of the set or game. He or she scores six points for playing (face down) (values not showing), or twelve points if the playing cards and key card are played (face up) (values showing) before four playing cards are matched in suit to their correct key card. He or she can also try to score more by carrying on to match other suit key cards if players are using more than one each.

(iii) Players with less correct, score a point for each playing card to match their key cards.

(D)(i) Total points for a match are decided before play, e.g. the first player to twenty four points.

(ii) The game can be played for money. Each player may put an agreed sum in the 'kitty' to start.

Then, they bet stakes on their key cards after each round of play or when play reaches each player in turn.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the key cards and the playing cards could be provided entirely with suit numbers so that numbers would take the place of the jack, queen, king and ace. Further, one key card and one playing card could be combined together to produce the shape shown by the key card 2 and the playing card 16 in Figure 1 and this combined shape could be used as a modified key card.

Claims (7)

1. A card game comprising at least four key cards each shaped to define a similar regular polygon, at least one face of each key card being marked so that each side of the polygon is associated with a different playing value, and a number of playing cards of similar shape including one side which is substantially the same length as the sides of the key cards and which playing cards are shaped so that they can be assembled contiguously around the key cards to define a regular polygon with a key card at the centre thereof, the playing cards being marked to define a suit and marked also to correspond with the playing values on the key cards, one playing value to each playing card'whereby each of the key cards can be contiguously surrounded by playing cards of the same suit which bear markings which correspond to the markings on that key card.

2. A card game according to Claim 1 in which the suit markings on the playing cards comprise markings on juxtaposed edges which comprise half of a suit mark, and which in play match with corresponding markings on adjacent cards surrounding a key card thereby to define complete suit marks.

3. A card game according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the key cards are shaped to define a regular hexagon.

4. A card game according to any one of the preceeding claims in which the playing cards are shaped so as to form a hexagon when assembled around a key card.

5. A card game according to any one of the preceeding claims in which each key card has its sides marked to correspond with one of the following playing values nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace, and in which the playing cards are marked correspondingly so that there are enough appropriately marked playing cards to surround each key card.

6. A card game according to Claim 3, Claim 4 and Claim 5 in which there are four similar key cards each of which is hexagonal and in which there are at least six playing cards for each suit.

7. A card game substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.