U.S. patent application number 10/821216 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for video poker game.
Invention is credited to Moody, Ernest W..
Application Number | 20040214624 10/821216 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33303082 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040214624 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moody, Ernest W. |
October 28, 2004 |
Video poker game
Abstract
The player makes a wager for a first hand and a wager for a
second hand and the player then has displayed to him a first hand.
The player selects which cards to hold and the unheld cards are
discarded from the first hand and placed as the starting cards in
the second hand. Replacement cards are displayed into the first
hand to create a final first hand. Additional cards are displayed
into the second hand to create a final second hand. The poker hand
ranking of each hand is determined and the player receives a payout
for any winning hand combination that is achieved in the final
first hand and in the final second hand. The amount of the payout
is based on a pay table and the amount wagered by the player.
Inventors: |
Moody, Ernest W.; (Las
Vegas, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN EDWARD ROETHEL
2290 S. JONES BLVD. #100
LAS VEGAS
NV
89146
US
|
Family ID: |
33303082 |
Appl. No.: |
10/821216 |
Filed: |
April 7, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60462360 |
Apr 11, 2003 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00157 20130101;
A63F 2001/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/013 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of playing a card game comprising: a) displaying a
first hand of at least five cards all face up; b) a player
selecting which cards of the initial hand are to be held in the
first hand and which cards are to be discarded from the first hand;
c) displaying the discarded cards from the first hand in a second
hand; d) displaying additional cards in the first hand resulting in
a first final hand and determining the poker hand ranking of the
first final hand; e) displaying additional cards in the second hand
to form a final second hand determining the poker hand ranking of
the resulting cards of the final second hand.
2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: a) the
player making a first wager that is applied to the first hand and a
second wager that is applied to the second hand; b) paying the
player a pre-established amount based on the amount of the first
wager if the resulting cards of the final first hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking; and c) paying the player a
pre-established amount based on the amount of the second wager if
the resulting cards of the final second hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking.
3. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: a) the
player making a wager that is allocated between the first hand and
the second hand; b) paying the player a pre-established amount
based on the amount of the wager allocated to the first hand if the
resulting cards of the final first hand comprise a predetermined
poker hand ranking; and c) paying the player a pre-established
amount based on the amount of the wager allocated to the second
hand if the resulting cards of the final second hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the final first hand has five
cards and the final second has five cards.
5. A method of playing a card game comprising: a) displaying a
first hand of a plurality of cards all face up; b) a player
selecting which cards of the initial hand are to be held in the
first hand and which cards are to be discarded from the first hand;
c) displaying the discarded cards from the first hand in a second
hand; d) displaying additional cards in the first hand resulting in
a first final hand and determining the poker hand ranking of the
first final hand; e) displaying additional cards in the second hand
to form a final second hand determining the poker hand ranking of
the resulting cards of the final second hand.
6. The method of claim 5 further including the steps of: a) the
player making a first wager that is applied to the first hand and a
second wager that is applied to the second hand; b) paying the
player a pre-established amount based on the amount of the first
wager if the resulting cards of the final first hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking; and c) paying the player a
pre-established amount based on the amount of the second wager if
the resulting cards of the final second hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking.
7. The method of claim 5 further including the steps of: a) the
player making a wager that is allocated between the first hand and
the second hand; b) paying the player a pre-established amount
based on the amount of the wager allocated to the first hand if the
resulting cards of the final first hand comprise a predetermined
poker hand ranking; and c) paying the player a pre-established
amount based on the amount of the wager allocated to the second
hand if the resulting cards of the final second hand comprise a
predetermined poker hand ranking.
8. The method of claim 5 in which the first hand has at least three
cards.
9. The method of claim 5 in which the final first hand has at least
three cards and the final second has at least three cards.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on Provisional Application, Serial
No. 60/462,360, filed Apr. 11, 2003, entitled "Video Poker
Game."
[0002] This invention relates primarily to video poker games, and
more particularly to video poker games in which the cards that are
discarded from the initial hand are used in a second hand.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Video poker that is played on an electronic video poker
gaming machine is designed to replicate the play of a hand of
poker. Typically, the player is not playing against any other
player's hands or against a dealer's hand; the player is simply
attempting to achieve the highest ranking poker hand possible from
the cards displayed to the player. The higher the ranking of the
poker hand achieved by the player, the greater the player's
winnings based on the number of coins, tokens or credits wagered by
the player. Typically, a payout schedule is posted on the gaming
machine to advise the player of the payoffs available for certain
winning card combinations.
[0004] The forerunner of all electronic video poker gaming machines
is the video Draw Poker machine that deals cards from a standard
fifty-two card poker deck and displays a single five card hand to
the player. The player then selects which of the five cards he
wishes to hold (or discard depending on the format of the gaming
machine). The draw poker machine then displays replacement cards
for the cards the player has discarded. The player wins or loses
based on conventional poker hand rankings for the resulting five
card hand. In video Draw Poker, the conventional poker hand
rankings that are winning combinations are a Royal Flush, a
Straight Flush, a Four of a Kind, a Full House, a Flush, a
Straight, a Three of a Kind, a Two Pair and a Pair of Jacks or
Better. A payout table is established based on the number of coins
wagered by the player and the type of poker hand achieved.
[0005] The classic draw poker machine has been modified to use
Jokers as wild cards or to use Deuces (or even other cards) as wild
cards. "Jokers Wild" and "Deuces Wild" draw poker still display to
the player a single five card hand and allow the player to discard
unwanted cards and receive replacement cards. The payout table is
modified to recognize the differing odds for achieving various
poker hands when wild cards are involved. Furthermore, different
poker hand rankings are used in the pay table to recognize
different winning combinations that can be achieved using wild
cards.
[0006] There are many poker formats used in video poker. The poker
formats can be used in both draw poker games and stud poker games.
These poker game formats include Jacks (or even Tens) or Better
Draw Poker, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus
Poker, Super Double Bonus Poker, Triple Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild
Poker, Jokers Wild Poker, Deuces and Jokers Wild Poker, etc. Many
electronic video poker gaming machines are provided with a menu so
that the player can indicate his choice of the poker game format
that the player wishes to play and the player then makes his wager
based on upon that choice of poker game format. Each poker format
has its own pay table associated therewith and each poker format
can be adapted to both video stud poker games and video draw poker
games.
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
electronic video poker game that provides the player with two hands
of draw poker--each hand having its own wager allocated thereto.
The discards from the first hand are used as the starting cards for
the second hand.
[0008] It is a feature of the present invention to provide a draw
poker game with an initial first hand and a second hand. The player
makes a first wager that applies to the first hand and the player
makes a second wager that applies to the second hand. An initial
first hand is displayed to the player. The player selects which
cards to discard from the first hand and receives replacement cards
for the discarded cards to form a final first hand. The discarded
cards are used as the starting cards in the second hand and
additional cards are displayed to the second hand to form a final
second hand. Winning card combinations in the first hand and the
second hand receives awards based on a pay table and the amount
wagered by the player on each hand.
[0009] It is an advantage of the present invention that the player
is provided with multiple hands and multiple chances to win
awards.
[0010] Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from a consideration of the
following detailed description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The game of the present invention is a modification to a
conventional video poker game. The player makes a wager for a first
hand and a wager for a second hand and the player then has
displayed to him an initial first hand. Alternatively, the player
may make only a single wager at the start of the play of the hand,
which wager will apply to both hands and is allocated between both
hands. The player selects which cards to hold and the unheld cards
are discarded from the first hand and placed as the starting cards
in the second hand.
[0012] Replacement cards are displayed into the first hand to
create a final first hand. Additional cards are displayed into the
second hand to create a final second hand. The poker hand ranking
of each hand is determined and the player receives a payout for any
winning hand combination that is achieved in the final first hand
and in the final second hand. The amount of the payout is based on
a pay table and the amount wagered by the player.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a representative electronic video gaming
machine of the present invention including a typical screen display
used in the method of play of the present invention after the
initial deal of the cards.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a representative electronic video gaming
machine of the present invention including a typical screen display
used in the method of play of the present invention after the draw
step and the dealing of replacement and additional cards.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The method of the present invention can be applied to any
poker format used for video draw poker. FIG. 1 shows generally at
10 a typical electronic video gaming machine that is configured to
provide to the player the method of the present invention. The
electronic video gaming machine 10 includes a conventional coin
head 50 into which the player can insert coins or gaming tokens and
a slot 52 which leads to a conventional bill acceptor mounted on
the interior of the gaming machine and into which the player can
insert paper currency. The use of coins, tokens or paper currency
is the mechanism by which the player wagers on the poker hands the
player wishes to play. As is also conventional in electronic video
gaming machines, a credit meter display 22 is provided to show the
amount of credits that the player has accrued on the gaming machine
10--either by inserting coins, tokens or paper currency or from
winning plays achieved by the player. Whenever the player makes a
wager, the amount of the wager is decremented from the credit meter
display 22. Whenever the player achieves a winning play during the
play of the game, the amount of the winning play is incremented on
the credit meter display 22.
[0016] A conventional payout hopper is also located on the interior
of the gaming machine and is used to dispense coins or tokens to
the player into a payout tray 56 when the player wishes to collect
any winning amounts the player has accrued. Other suitable and
conventional payout mechanisms can be used, such as a ticket
printer or other cashless payout devices.
[0017] The gaming machine 10 also includes a video screen display
20 of any suitable type upon which representations of playing cards
are displayed. As shown in FIG. 1, an initial first hand 60 is
shown. The first hand would preferably have five card locations
preferably from left to right in a horizontal row, although other
manners of displaying the first hand can be used. The video screen
display 20 also contains a location at which the amount wagered on
the hand is shown, for example, "Bet per Hand" 24.
[0018] A button panel 40 is also provided on the gaming machine 10
and the buttons mounted on the button panel 40 are used by the
player to control the operation of the gaming machine 10. Any
suitable configuration of the buttons on the button panel can be
used and, alternatively, conventional touch screen technology can
be used in place of any or all of the buttons mounted on the button
panel.
[0019] A typical button arrangement is shown on the button panel 30
in FIG. 1. A "BET ONE" button 42 is provided to allow the player to
wager one credit at a time. A "BET MAX" button 44 is provided to
allow the player to wager the maximum amount of credits permitted
by the configuration of the gaming machine 10. Any number of
credits can be set as the maximum amount that it is possible to
wager on each hand and, typically, five credits will be the maximum
number of credits for any particular hand. Alternatively, a BET
location 26 and a BET MAX location 28 can be provided on the video
screen 20 to allow the player to wager by using conventional touch
screen technology.
[0020] A conventional "DEAL/DRAW" button 46 is also provided on the
button panel 40 which is used by the player to activate the initial
deal of the cards at the deal stage of the method of play or the
dealing of replacement cards at the draw stage of the method of
play as is appropriate. Similarly, a DEAL/DRAW location 47 can be
provided on the video screen 20 to allow the player to effect
either the deal step or the draw step by using conventional touch
screen technology.
[0021] The button panel 40 is also provided with five "CARD"
buttons 48A, 48B, 48C, 48D and 48E associated with each horizontal
card location on the video screen display: card button 48A is
associated with the left most card location, card button 48B is
associated with the second from the left card location, card button
48C is associated with the middle card location, card button 48D is
associated with the second from the right card location and card
button 48E is associated with the right most card location. Each
card button is preferably aligned below the card locations so that
the player can easily associate the appropriate card button with
the appropriate card location.
[0022] The method of play of the present invention will now be
described. After the player has inserted an appropriate amount of
coins, tokens or paper currency to add a sufficient amount of
credits on the credit display meter 22, the player makes his
initial wager. The player may press the BET ONE button 42 one or
more times to bet in single increments or the player may merely
press the "BET MAX" button 44 and the maximum number of credits are
applied, for example, ten credits would be wagered. The player can
also use the touch screen locations to make his wager as described
above.
[0023] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is played
using a standard fifty-two card deck of playing cards. The player
makes two wagers to participate in the method of play with the fist
wager being allocated to an initial first hand and the second wager
being allocated to a second hand. These wagers may be of the same
amount or of different amounts.
[0024] Alternatively, the player may only make one wager which is
applied to the both of the hands and is allocated between both
hands. For example, if the player makes a single wager of ten
credits, each hand will be treated as if there was a five credit
wager on that hand.
[0025] Another alternative involves the player making only one
wager which is applied to the both of the hands. For example, if
the player makes a single wager of five credits, each hand will be
treated as if there was a five credit wager on that hand. Any
suitable pay table may be used in the event the player only makes
one wager which is applied to both of the hands.
[0026] The first five card hand 60 shown in FIG. 1 is displayed to
the player. For example, the player may be dealt the Jack of
Diamonds, Jack of Spades, Ace of Spades, Seven of Diamonds and Four
of Clubs.
[0027] The player then decides which cards he wishes to hold from
HAND 60. For example as shown in FIG. 1, the player would probably
hold the Jack of Diamonds and the Jack of Spades.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the discarded cards are displayed into
the second hand 70 and become the starting cards for the second
hand which now has an Ace of Spades, Seven of Diamonds and Four of
Clubs.
[0029] After the player has made the selection of which cards the
player wishes to hold, if any, replacement cards are displayed for
the discarded cards. In FIG. 2, final first hand 61 shows the
replacement cards that have been added to the held cards--the Ace
of Hearts, Seven of Hearts and Jack of Hearts.
[0030] The replacement cards are dealt from the depleted
forty-seven card deck which comprises the original fifty-two card
deck minus the five initially dealt cards. The player is paid for
any winning poker hand ranking achieved in final first hand 61
based on a pay table as is conventional in video poker.
[0031] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the player has improved his
hand after the draw step and final first hand 61 comprises a
Three-of-a-Kind. This would be a winning poker hand ranking using a
conventional Draw Poker game format. Table 1 shows a suitable pay
table that can be used for a Draw Poker game format.
1TABLE 1 JACKS OR BETTER DRAW POKER NUMBER OF COINS WAGERED POKER
HAND RANKING 1 2 3 4 5 ROYAL FLUSH 250 500 750 1000 4000 STRAIGHT
FLUSH 50 100 150 200 250 FOUR-OF-A-KIND 25 50 75 100 125 FULL HOUSE
8 16 24 32 40 FLUSH 5 10 15 20 25 STRAIGHT 4 8 12 16 20
THREE-OF-A-KIND 3 6 9 12 15 TWO PAIR 2 4 6 8 10 JACKS OR BETTER 1 2
3 4 5
[0032] Assuming the player wagered five credits on the hand, the
player would be awarded fifteen credits for achieving a
Three-of-a-Kind.
[0033] The second hand 70 is now completed by displaying additional
cards into second hand 70 so that this hand now has five cards.
These additional cards are dealt from the depleted card deck which
comprises the original fifty-two card deck minus the five initially
dealt cards and minus whatever replacement cards were displayed
into the final first hand 61. The player is paid for any winning
poker hand ranking achieved in final second hand 70 based on a pay
table as is conventional in video poker.
[0034] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the player has displayed
into the second hand 70 as additional cards the Four of Hearts and
the Seven of Clubs which results in a final second hand having a
poker hand ranking of Two Pair.
[0035] This would be a winning poker hand ranking using a
conventional Draw Poker game format. Using Table 1 as a suitable
pay table the player would receive a payout of ten credits if the
second wager was five credits.
[0036] While the example of the method of play described above is
shown in conjunction with a regular Draw Poker format, the method
of play of the present invention can also be applied to any other
variation of draw poker, such as Tens or Better Draw Poker, Bonus
Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus Poker, Super Double
Bonus Poker, Triple Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild Poker, Jokers Wild
Poker, Deuces and Jokers Wild Poker, etc. Each of these video poker
variations uses various arrangements of poker hand rankings as
winning combinations. In the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a standard fifty-two card deck of playing cards is used.
One or more cards may also be designated as wild cards for the
various wild card poker formats and, additionally, one or more
Jokers may be added to the deck of cards and the Jokers may then be
used as wild cards for the Joker poker formats.
[0037] The method of play of the present invention may be applied
to other poker variations such as three card poker, four card
poker, six card poker, seven card poker or an even higher number of
cards in a poker hand. Winning hand combinations are provided for
each type of poker hand and a suitable pay table is presented to
the player depending on how many cards will be in the final
hand.
[0038] Any suitable pay table may be used and would be associated
with the poker format being used by the player. As is known to
those skilled in the art, pay tables are calculated based on the
probability of the various winning card combinations occurring and
the desired overall game return to be offered by the gaming
establishment to the player.
[0039] While the invention has been illustrated with respect to
several specific embodiments thereof, these embodiments should be
considered as illustrative rather than limiting. Various
modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention should not be
limited by the foregoing description, but rather should be defined
only by the following claims.
* * * * *