U.S. patent application number 11/608567 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-12 for play four poker.
This patent application is currently assigned to KINGS GAMING, INC.. Invention is credited to Larry Kekempanos, James T. Kenny.
Application Number | 20070080497 11/608567 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36911851 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070080497 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kenny; James T. ; et
al. |
April 12, 2007 |
Play Four Poker
Abstract
A method of playing a four-card poker game by at least one
player and a banker who is preferably also the dealer. The player
has the option to wager against the dealer, wager against a
predetermined payout schedule, or both. Additional options of a
progressive wager and/or a bad beat wager are also possible with
the present game.
Inventors: |
Kenny; James T.; (Shorewood,
IL) ; Kekempanos; Larry; (Oak Lawn, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF
1001 G STREET N W
SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Assignee: |
KINGS GAMING, INC.
10444 So. Keating Ave.
Oak Lawn
IL
60453
|
Family ID: |
36911851 |
Appl. No.: |
11/608567 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10748602 |
Dec 30, 2003 |
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11608567 |
Dec 8, 2006 |
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10100359 |
Mar 18, 2002 |
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10748602 |
Dec 30, 2003 |
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60277018 |
Mar 19, 2001 |
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60314503 |
Aug 23, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00157 20130101;
A63F 2001/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/292 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a wagering game including a dealer and at
least one player comprising the steps of (a) providing a deck of
playing cards comprising at least one standard deck of 52 playing
cards; (b) providing a published ranking of four-card poker hands;
(c) providing a predetermined pay scale for winning hands; (d)
providing a dealer; (e) commencing the game by receiving from at
least one player one or more initial wagers including one or more
of the following: (1) a first wager against the dealer, and (2) a
second wager against the predetermined pay scale; (f) dealing at
least four cards to the at least one player from the deck of
playing cards; (g) dealing at least four cards to the dealer from
the deck of playing cards; (h) receiving a support wager from said
at least one player in support of said player's first wager against
the dealer; (i) comparing the at least one player's best four card
hand against the dealer's best four card hand and excluding all
extra cards dealt to determine a relative ranking therebetween with
respect to the published ranking, as a final outcome of the
wagering game; (j) paying the at least one player's first wager and
support wager based on the comparing step; and (k) paying the at
least one player's second wager based on a comparison of the at
least one player's hand to the predetermined pay scale.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (1) taking the at
least one player's second wager if the at least one player's hand
fails to achieve at least a minimum ranking from said predetermined
pay scale; (m) taking the at least one player's first wager and
support wager if the dealer's hand outranks the at least one
player's hand; and (n) returning the at least one player's first
wager and support wager if said at least one player has the same
ranking hand as the dealer.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (l) providing a
predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands, (m)
permitting the at least one player to place a third wager against
said predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands, and
(n) paying the at least one player said third wager when the at
least one player's hand appears on the predetermined published
ranking of winning bad beat hands and the at least one player loses
the support wager.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein paying the at least one player's
first wager and support wager is further based on the dealer's hand
meeting a predetermined minimum ranking.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deck of cards comprises
physical cards.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the deck of cards comprises
virtual cards on a video gaming device.
7. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable
instructions that when executed, perform a method of playing a
wagering game including a dealer and at least one player, said
method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a deck of playing
cards comprising at least one standard deck of 52 playing cards;
(b) providing a published ranking of four-card poker hands; (c)
providing a predetermined pay scale for winning hands; (d)
providing a dealer; (e) commencing the game by receiving from at
least one player one or more initial wagers including one or more
of the following: (1) a first wager against the dealer, and (2) a
second wager against the predetermined pay scale; (f) dealing at
least four cards to the at least one player from the deck of
playing cards; (g) dealing at least four cards to the dealer from
the deck of playing cards; (h) receiving a support wager from said
at least one player in support of said player's first wager against
the dealer; (i) comparing the at least one player's best four card
hand against the dealer's best four card hand and excluding all
extra cards dealt to determine a relative ranking therebetween with
respect to the published ranking, as a final outcome of the
wagering game; (j) paying the at least one player's first wager and
support wager based on the comparing step; and (k) paying the at
least one player's second wager based on a comparison of the at
least one player's hand to the predetermined pay scale.
8. The computer readable media of claim 7, further comprising (l)
taking the at least one player's second wager if the at least one
player's hand fails to achieve at least a minimum ranking from said
predetermined pay scale; (m) taking the at least one player's first
wager and support wager if the dealer's hand outranks the at least
one player's hand; and (n) returning the at least one player's
first wager and support wager if said at least one player has the
same ranking hand as the dealer.
9. The computer readable media of claim 7, further comprising: (l)
providing a predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat
hands, (m) permitting the at least one player to place a third
wager against said predetermined published ranking of winning bad
beat hands, and (n) paying the at least one player said third wager
when the at least one player's hand appears on the predetermined
published ranking,of winning bad beat hands and the at least one
player loses the support wager.
10. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein paying, the at
least one player's first wager and support wager is further based
on the dealer's hand meeting a predetermined minimum ranking.
11. A method of playing a wagering game including a dealer and at
least one player, said method comprising: providing a ranking of
four card poker hands; dealing at least four cards to a player;
dealing at least four cards to the dealer; paying a first wager to
the player based on a comparison of a best four card hand of the
player to a best four card hand of the dealer with respect to the
ranking of four card poker hands.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a support
wager from the player after the player has reviewed its at least
four cards; and paying the support wager to the player when the
best four card hand of the player is higher ranked with respect to
the ranking of winning four card poker hands than the best four
card hand of the dealer.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a support
wager from the player after the player has reviewed its at least
four cards; and paying the support wager to the player when the
best four card hand of the player is higher ranked with respect to
the ranking of winning four card poker hands than the best four
card hand of the dealer, and the dealer's hand is at least a
predetermined minimum ranking.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a second
wager from the player; and paying the second wager based only on a
comparison of the best four card hand of the player to the ranking
of winning four card poker hands and a pay scale corresponding
thereto.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a bad
beat wager from the player; and paying the bad beat wager to the
player when the best four card hand of the player is lower ranked
with respect to the ranking of winning four card poker hands than
the best four card hand of the dealer, and the best four card hand
of the player is at least a minimum rank with respect to a
published ranking bad beat hands.
16. A method of playing a wagering game utilizing playing cards,
the game comprising the steps of receiving an ante wager from one
or more players to participate in at least a portion of a round of
the wagering game; dealing at least four playing cards to form a
dealer's hand; dealing at least four playing cards to each of the
one or more players to form one or more respective player's hands;
receiving a play wager from each of the players after each of the
players is permitted to view their respective player's hand,
wherein any of the players not placing the play wager forfeits
their respective ante wager; determining the best poker rank of the
dealer's hand, wherein the best poker rank is the highest possible
rank achievable using four cards from the cards forming the final
dealer's hand; determining the best poker rank of the player's
hand, wherein the best poker rank is the highest possible rank
achievable using four cards from the cards forming the final
players hand; and resolving each of the final player's hands of
four cards against the final dealer's hand of four cards according
to predetermined game rules.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein physical cards are provided to
each of the participating players and the dealer.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: receiving a bonus
wager prior to dealing the cards to the players, wherein the bonus
wager is an optional wager that may be placed by each of the one or
more players; and resolving the bonus wager for each of the
participating players placing the bonus wager by comparing the best
poker rank of the player's hand with one or more predetermined
poker ranks.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the published ranking of
four-card poker hands comprises a four-card flush, a four-card
straight, and a four-card straight flush.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the ranking of four card poker
hands comprises a four-card flush, a four-card straight and a
four-card straight flush.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the support wager is
proportionate to the first wager.
22. The method of claim 11, wherein the support wager is
proportionate to the first wager.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/748,602,
filed December 30, 2003, which is a continuation in part of
application Ser. No. 10/100359 filed on Mar. 18, 2002 identifying
James Thomas Kenny and Larry E. Kekempanos as co-inventors, which
is in turn filed in connection with and claiming the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/277,018 filed on Mar. 19, 2001
and U.S. Provisional No. 60/314,503 filed on Aug. 23, 2001
identifying James Thomas Kenny and Larry E. Kekempanos as
co-inventors, each of which is incorporated by reference herein for
all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to gaming and to card games.
More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method of
playing a new type of poker game especially adapted for casino
gaming, both in live table and electronic video formats.
[0003] Gaming establishments continually require new games to offer
their players. Casinos are also in need of games which are easy to
play and easy to deal. Such games are generally required to enable
each player to play against a banker (who usually also acts a
dealer) provided by a casino, rather than against other players.
This type of Casino Poker can provide more revenue to the casino
than traditional poker because Casino Poker is invariably
structured to give the casino an advantage. Exemplary of Casino
Poker are the casino games of "Caribbean Stud Poker", "Let It
Ride", and "Three Card Poker". These type games require less space
than the traditionally larger tables found in poker rooms and are
dealt much faster.
[0004] In games like Caribbean Stud and Let It Ride, the five card
poker hands that the player must make to get a larger payoff are
hard to get thus the larger payoffs are infrequent. The player is
frustrated because many times they will get four cards to a
straight or a flush but not have a good hand. In a three-card game
like Three Card Poker, the higher hands are made more easily but
therefore the payouts are comparatively low. Therefore, there is a
need for a game, which would bridge the gap in ease of making a
hand with higher payouts to the player.
[0005] In addition, as will be more apparent from the following
specification, and as was more fully delineated in our provisional
application filed Aug. 23, 2001, it has been determined that the
player interest is increased when the odds of the player being able
to achieve a winning hand are increased. This, of course, must be
balanced against the player/dealer/casino having good odds in
winning as well. It is clear that with five card poker games, the
odds of achieving a good hand are more difficult than in a lessor
number card game. As has been indicated above, in a three-card
poker game, the ability to achieve a good hand is enhanced and
therefore the payoffs are less. The present invention seeks to
provide a card game, which now focus's on a four-card poker game
and as will be demonstrated hereinafter, improves the odds for the
player to win, while still maintaining good odds for the casino as
well. It will also be appreciated that the over all odds for a
player winning in a four card game are easier than the odds for a
player to win any five card poker game.
[0006] Insofar as the prior art is concerned, the art is
particularly void of any disclosures or showings of a four card
poker game. Similar games are disclosed, but they relate to either
a three card game, or a five card game. Furthermore, some of the
games disclosed in the prior art are played with in excess of 52
cards and hence, have a different basis for play and a different
statistical odds for the player being able to achieve a winning
hand. For example, the patent to Goldman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,002
discloses a poker style casino card game which uses a 52 card
standard playing deck plus an additional five jokers for a total of
57 cards. Play consists of dealing 5 cards to each player, and in
the preferred embodiment, are dealt face down. The game is played
by the dealer revealing a first card, and a player revealing a
first card, then deciding on additional wagers. The sequence of the
game terminates when all five cards are displayed, assuming each
player has stayed in the game, comparing the best five card hand of
the dealer against each players five cards. Goldman also reveals
that jokers which are part of the deck are never wild and hence, a
player receiving a joker ends up in a poor position since one of
the five cards cannot count towards the making of a poker hand.
Goldman fails to reveal any capability to make a four card flush or
straight.
[0007] Another prior art patent discloses a poker game which
indicates a game for either a three card or five card poker hand.
The patent to Webb U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774 discloses a card game
which may be played in either a three card variation, or a five
card variation. While the patent mentions a four card version of
the game, in the four card version each player will receive a wild
card which the player may place with the four card hand in order to
make a five card poker hand. Hence, the wagering system is
dependent upon a five card hand or a three card hand, and is not
dependent on the best hand with four cards. Again, Webb fails to
disclose a four card capability to make a four card flush or
straight.
[0008] The patent to Scott U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,402 describes still
another variation of a poker game which is played as a five card
face down game. The players five card hand is compared to the
dealers five card hand to determine the wagering outcome. Once
again, Scott fails to disclose or appreciate a four card poker
game.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
enjoyable new card game.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
game that is easy to learn and deal.
[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
game that makes it easier for a player to make a hand than in a
five-card game, and hence enhances the odds of the player being
able to win a four-card game versus a five-card game.
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
game that has higher payoffs than a three-card poker game since the
odds are harder in any four-card game than they are in a three-card
game at least for the top hands, but nevertheless still maintains
the player interest due to enhanced ability to obtain a winning
hand versus a five-card poker game.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention discloses a poker game variation in
which one or more players play against the casino. Broadly, the
invention is directed to a poker game variant in which a player has
a choice between several wagers among the following; a wager
against a dealer, a wager against a pre-determined payscale, a bad
beat wager, or a progressive wager.
[0014] In one preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more
players initially place a wager(s) and then five cards are dealt to
the player and five cards are dealt to the dealer. Players would
inspect their hands and decide whether to fold or to continue to
play. If the player was playing a wager against the dealer and
wanted to continue to play, they would place another wager in
support of their first wager in the appropriate betting area. The
dealer would inspect his/her hand to see if they qualified. If the
dealer did not qualify with a pre-determined rank of cards, the
dealer would pay the first wager of the player and return the
supporting wager. If the dealer had a qualifying hand, then the
player and the dealer would compare their best four-card hand to
determine the winner. Tie hands would be a push. If the player had
also made a wager against the dealer and had supported that wager,
and the player's outranks the dealer, they would be eligible for a
payoff for achieving a winning hand. If the player had also made
any wagers against achieving a predetermined rank, and achieves
such a rank, the player would win that wager accordingly.
[0015] In a second embodiment of the invention, one or more players
initially place bets and then five cards are dealt to the player
and six cards are dealt to the dealer. Players would inspect their
hands and decide whether to fold or to continue to play. If the
player was playing a wager against the dealer and wanted to
continue to play, they would place another wager in support of
their first wager in the appropriate betting area. In games against
the dealer, the player would play their best four-cards out of five
and compare that to the dealer's best four cards out of six to
determine the winner. Tie hands would be a push. In this version
the dealer would not have to have a qualifying hand to continue
play. If the player had made any optional wagers against achieving
a pre-determined rank, the dealer would pay or take the wagers
accordingly.
[0016] In a third embodiment of the invention, one or more players
initially place bets and then four cards are dealt to the player
and four cards are dealt to the dealer. Players would inspect their
hands and decide whether to fold or to continue to play. If the
player was playing a wager against the dealer and wanted to
continue to play, they would place another wager in support of
their first wager in the appropriate betting area. In games against
the dealer, the player would play their four cards against the four
cards of the dealer. The dealer would have to achieve a qualifying
hand to continue play against the player. If the player had made
any bets against achieving a pre-determined rank, the dealer would
pay or take the bets accordingly.
[0017] It is contemplated that in the game of the present
invention, for the game to begin, either the player or the dealer
must have at least a minimum hand ranking for the game to proceed.
The casino or house may vary the rules by requiring the dealer to
have a qualifying hand, if he doesn't, he loses the initial bet to
the player, or on the other hand, if the house requires that the
player must have a qualifying hand, and the player fails to achieve
a qualifying hand, he loses his initial bet. The game may, of
course, be played without requiring any of the participants to have
a qualifying hand in order for the game to commence.
[0018] A novel gaming layout for use in the casino version of the
game is also disclosed.
[0019] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated. There are of course, additional features of the
invention that will be described hereafter and which will form the
subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect,
before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and to the
arrangements of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out
in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description
and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in
the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this
disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the
designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying
out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,
therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent
construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a playing surface for use in playing a card
game of one embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a chart indicating winning poker hands and their
payouts in one example of a wager against a predetermined payscale
of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a chart indicating winning poker hands and their
payout in another variation of a wager against a predetermined
payscale of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a chart indicating the winning hands and their
payouts for the Ante Reward of one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates one player area of the playing surface
shown in FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a chart indicating payoffs for the Ante and Play
wagers;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a chart indicating payoffs for the bad beat hand
as one variation;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a chart indicating payoffs for a bad beat hand as
to an alternate variation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, players play against a casino. However, in jurisdictions
where such games are not legal, such as in California, one player
may be designated "Player-Dealer" and all the other players would
play against the Player-Dealer. The option to act as Player-Dealer
would be offered to each player in turn. In this specification, the
term "Dealer" is intended to refer to either a casino dealer, or a
Player-Dealer, whichever is appropriate for the circumstances under
which the game of the present invention is played.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a playing surface or table layout 25 on which
one embodiment of the present invention may be played. The layout
25 may be marked or placed on any suitable surface such as a gaming
table. For example, the layout may be in the form of a layout cloth
supported on a supporting surface. The layout provides a playing
area 30 for a plurality of players, for example seven players, and
a separate area 35 for a banker who also preferably acts as the
dealer. Each playing area 30 has a number of marked sections or
zones 12, 14, 16 for the placing of various wagers by a player as
will be described hereinafter.
[0030] Each player takes a place at one of the playing areas 30.
The game is played in a number of rounds as will be described. In
each round, each player has the option of playing against the
dealer, or wagering on the rank of his/her hand or playing a
combination of these two options. In other variations of the game a
player may have additional betting options. The presently preferred
embodiment of the present invention is played with a standard deck
of 52 playing cards, each deck having 13 cards in each of four
suits.
[0031] At the commencement of the game each player decides whether
to play the particular round by wagering against the dealer, i.e.
an "ANTE" wager, by wagering on the value of his/her hand, i.e. a
"Pair of Jacks or Better" wager, or both. To play against the
dealer a player makes an Ante wager by placing an appropriate
wager, such as a token or chip, or where permitted, cash, on the
section 14 of his/her playing area 30. The gaming chips may be of
any conventional kind and available in a number of denominations
such as are well known within the art. If the player wishes
(alternatively or in addition) to make a wager based on the value
of his/her hand, the player places an appropriate token or chip on
"Pair of Jacks or Better" in section 12 of his/her playing area 30.
In the present example, the rules of the game provide that payouts
will be made according to a displayed payout schedule with "Pair of
Jacks or Better" payouts starting at a pair of jacks or better. In
one embodiment of the present invention, hands are preferably
ranked according to the following hierarchy, though other rankings
may be used: TABLE-US-00001 Hand (Highest to Lowest) Description
Royal Flush AKQJ in the same suit (suit has no rank) Four of a Kind
AAAA highest KKKK next highest ranking four of a kind, and so on
until 2222 lowest ranking four of a kind Straight Flush Four of one
suit in sequence. AKQJ highest ranking straight flush KQJ10 next
highest ranking straight flush, and so on until 4, 3, 2, A lowest
ranking straight flush Flush Four of one suit AKQ10 highest
ranking, AKQ9 next highest ranking, and so on, until 532A lowest
ranking straight Straight Four in sequence AKQJ highest ranking
KQJ10 next highest ranking, and so on until 4, 3, 2, A lowest
ranking straight Three of a Kind Three of one rank. AAA highest,
KKK next highest rank, and so on until 222 lowest ranking three of
a kind Two Pair Two different pairs, each card in pair of same
rank. AAKK highest-ranking two pair, AAQQ next highest ranking two
pair, and so on until 3322 lowest ranking pair One Pair Two of one
rank AAKQ highest AAKJ next highest ranking pair, and so on until
4322 lowest ranking pair High Card A hand comprising none of the
above. AKQ10 (of at least two different suits) highest, AKQ9 (of at
least two different suits) next highest ranking high card, and so
on until 532A (of at least two different suits) lowest ranking high
card
[0032] Ace is high, but can be low in 4-3-2-A Sequence.
[0033] The payout schedule may be varied in accordance with the
rules of the game and/or the casino. For example, another version
of the game may eliminate the royal flush hand and have the
following rankings:
[0034] Four of a Kind
[0035] Straight Flush
[0036] Three of a Kind
[0037] Flush
[0038] Straight (A-2-3-4 is the lowest straight)
[0039] Two Pair
[0040] One Pair
[0041] High Card
[0042] One of the wagering options in one embodiment of the present
invention is a "Pair of Jacks or Better". An example of one
preferred payout schedule for that wager is as follows:
TABLE-US-00002 Pair of Jacks or Better Pays Pair of Jacks or Better
1 to 1 Two Pair 2 to 1 Three of a Kind 3 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 Flush
4 to 1 Straight Flush 25 to 1 Four of a Kind 75 to 1 Royal Flush
200 to 1
[0043] Another of the wagering options in a second embodiment of
the present invention is a "Pair of Queens or Better". An example
of one preferred payout schedule for that wagers is as follows:
TABLE-US-00003 Pair of Queens or Better Pays Pair of Queens or
Better 1 to 1 Two Pair 2 to 1 Three of a Kind 4 to 1 Straight 4 to
1 Flush 4 to 1 Straight Flush 40 to 1 Four of a Kind 100 to 1 Royal
Flush 250 to 1
[0044] The payout schedules are preferably displayed in a
convenient manner and location. At times the payscales for
different wagers and any extra reward payouts will be displayed on
the playing layout itself and at other times the payouts will be on
mobile display material.
[0045] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the two wagering options are independent, so that a
player may wager unequal amounts on the ANTE and PAIR OF JACKS OR
BETTER options.
[0046] When the above wagers are in place, the dealer preferably
shuffles the cards (manually or otherwise) and then deals a
five-card hand to each player and him/herself.
[0047] The cards may initially be dealt to the players face up or
face down depending upon casino policy.
[0048] When the cards have been dealt, any player who has placed an
ANTE wager inspects his/her hand and determines whether he/she
wishes either to fold and forfeit the ANTE wager, or to continue.
If the player wishes to continue, according to this illustrated
embodiment, the player must place a PLAY wager, which may be of
proportionate value to and is preferably the same as the ANTE
wager. The PLAY wager is made by placing an appropriate chip on the
section 16 marked "PLAY" on the player's playing area 30. When the
player has made the wager then he/she places the cards in the PLAY
area below the PLAY wager section 30.
[0049] If a player forfeits his/her ANTE wager, the dealer takes
the wager and the player's cards are discarded before the game
proceeds.
[0050] "PAIR OF JACKS OR BETTER" wagers are not affected to this
point. However, a player playing "PAIR OF JACKS OR BETTER" only,
places his/her cards in the playing area if they wish to continue
the hand. If the player wishes to forfeit or fold their hand they
would indicate such by tossing their hand towards the dealer. If
the player is also playing against the dealer with an ANTE wager,
he/she must make a PLAY wager if he/she has a winning PAIR OF JACKS
OR BETTER wager.
[0051] The dealer reveals his/her cards and arranges the cards to
show the best four-card poker hand. The dealer then in turn reveals
each other player's cards (if they are not already visible),
compares the player's best four card poker hand to that of the
dealer, and resolves each player's best four card poker hand to
that of the dealer, and resolves each player's wager(s).
[0052] All players with ANTE and PLAY wagers are automatically
winners if the dealer does not have a KING/QUEEN high hand or
better. This rank may be varied in accordance with the rules of the
game or of the casino. Players are preferably paid even money on
the ANTE wager and their PLAY wager is returned.
[0053] If the dealer has a KING/QUEEN high hand or better, each
player's hand is compared with that of the dealer. If the player's
hand is higher, the player is paid even money on both the ANTE and
PLAY wagers. If the player's hand is lower, the player loses
his/her ANTE and PLAY wagers. If the dealer and player have exactly
the same hand, then the hand is a push and the player may either
withdraw his/her wager, leave it, or adjust it for the next
round.
[0054] The present game may also provide for an additional payout
to be made by the dealer, to the player who is in play against the
dealer i.e. who has made an ANTE and PLAY wager, if the player
achieves a hand listed on an additional pay-out schedule. As was
previously indicated, additional wagers may be provided for in the
present game and in this connection, there would be provided a
payout schedule indicating a certain ranking of winning hands and a
payout amount should the player achieve such a hand. The ranks to
which such extra ANTE REWARD payouts are made may be predetermined
by the rules of the game and/or the casino. The payouts would
preferably be based on the ANTE wager amount. These payouts are
independent of the results of the game against the dealer. One
preferred payoff schedule is as follows: TABLE-US-00004 ANTE REWARD
PAYS Straight Flush 3 to 1 Four of a Kind 8 to 1 Roy a Straight
Flush 20 to 1
[0055] Players who have wagered on the value of the hand (i.e. PAIR
of JACKS or BETTER) win if the hand is at least a pair of jacks and
are paid by the dealer according to the posted payscale. These
payouts are independent of the results of the game against the
dealer.
[0056] This procedure completes a single round of the game. Play
then continues in another round, with players commencing by making
ANTE and/or PAIR of JACKS or BETTER wagers.
[0057] The novel methods of the present invention may be played
utilizing playing cards or as an electrical or electromechanical
device such as a slot machine. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that suitable controls can be provided for receiving the
necessary input and therefore will not be described in detail
herein. While the game may be played on a single slot machine, it
is within the scope of the present invention to provide a
multi-unit video format wherein a plurality of players may play
against each other and/or against a dealer.
[0058] From the present description, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that various modifications may be made without departure
from the scope of the present invention. For example, the naming of
the different wagers, the naming and/or ranking of any hand, the
changing of the necessity of qualifying hands for both the dealer
and/or the player, the payout schedules, and predetermined winning
or losing ranks may be varied in accordance with the rules of the
game or the requirements of the casino. The table game layout may
be varied from what is described and shown. The rules may be
varied, or additional rules imposed, within the scope of the
invention. Additional optional bets may be incorporated into the
game with a view toward enhancing the player's interest and ability
to win additional wagers. One such additional optional bet may be
termed a "BAD BEAT SIDE BET". As indicated previously, once the
player has placed a first ANTE wager against the dealer and
supported that with a third support wager know as a PLAY wager, the
player may optionally place a wager on a "BAD BEAT SIDE BET" which
wagers against another predetermined payout schedule. In such an
instance, the player is wagering that the player can achieve a hand
which appears on the payout schedule even if the player's hand is
ultimately outranked by the dealer's hand. For example, if the
player has 2 pair or better and is outranked by the dealer, the
player would receive a bad beat bonus according to the payout
schedule which for example may take the following format:
TABLE-US-00005 Bad Beat Hand Paid (to 1) 4 of a Kind 10,000
Straight Flush 2,000 Flush 250 Straight 100 Three of a Kind 25 Two
Pair 25
[0059] Hence, even if the dealer has a hand which outranks the
player such that the player would lose both the ANTE bet and the
PLAY bet, the player may be able to win the side bonus bad beat bet
if his hand still appears on the predetermined payout schedule.
[0060] The player would lose the optional bet in the event that his
hand does not appear on the payout schedule and/or the player folds
his hand and ceases playing.
[0061] It will be appreciated that additional marked zones may be
provided to accommodate the optional additional and/or side bets.
The marking of the betting zone would be noted accordingly so that
the player would know where to position his chips in order to place
a side bet.
[0062] It will therefore be appreciated that the precise wagering
requirements may vary depending upon the casino rules, the nature
of the game will remain the same, that is, a four card poker game
wherein only four cards are used determining a winner or loser. The
precise wagering system can be varied in that any number of
additional and optional side bets may be incorporated into the
game, or indeed, additional forced bets may be incorporated by the
house rules. Surely, the wagering systems may vary dramatically
without changing the nature of the card game described and claimed
herein. Hence, the precise method of wagering is not deemed to be a
critical part of the present invention rather, the criticality of
the present invention resides in the playing of a four card poker
game.
[0063] The importance of the present invention resides in the fact
that by producing and developing a four card poker game, the game
is enhancing the odds of the player in the possibility of obtaining
a winning hand. From a mathematical stand point, following below is
a detailed format showing the odds of a player being able to win a
four card poker game versus a five card game. TABLE-US-00006 Five
Card Stud Compared to Play Four Poker Odds to 1 2,598,960 of making
combinations (Column 1 /) Column 1 Column 2 (Column 2) HAND 5-Card
Poker Play Four Poker Easier to Make Royal Flush 649,740 13,535 48
Straight Flush 72,193 1,382 52 Four of a Kind 4,165 4,165 same Full
House 694 0 (No Full House) Flush 508.8 22.6 22.5 Straight 254.8
25.5 9.9 Three of a Kind 47 44.3 1.06 Two pair 21 21 Same
[0064] Mathematical Analysis
[0065] There are 2,598,960 ways to deal five cards to the player
from a deck of 52 cards and 1,533,939 ways to deal five cards to
the dealer from the remaining 47-card deck. Thus there are
2,598,960.times.1,533,939=3,98-6,646,103,440 ways to deal a
game.
[0066] A computer program was written to deal all unique
player-dealer hand combinations. An arbitrary dealer qualifying
hand was predetermined. The player and dealer hands were then
compared and the results were noted down. The house advantage was
then calculated from the saved results. The dealer qualifying hand
was then adjusted until an ideal house advantage could be attained.
It turned out that a dealer qualifying hand of KQ-high would yield
a house advantage of 3.219%. The hand distributions for both the
player and dealer are shown below: TABLE-US-00007 Player and dealer
final hand distributions (%) Final Hand Probability Royal Flush
0.0074 Four of a Kind 0.0240 Straight Flush 0.0723 Flush 4.4101
Straight 3.9173 Three of a Kind 2.2569 Two Pair 4.7539 One Pair
40.3066 KQ-high 21.4978 Nothing 22.7537
[0067] It can be seen from the above that the dealer should qualify
77.2483% of the time. The player will fold 29.1943% of the time,
thus averaging 1.7081 bets per hand. The house advantage is 3.2190%
per initial wager or 1.8846% per total wager.
[0068] The optimal strategy is to only play any hand better than
A-10-6-3-2 with 113 exceptions as shown in the Appendix.
[0069] It should be noted that although a three-of-a-kind occurs
less often than a flush and a straight, it is still ranked lower
than a flush and a straight in Play Four Poker so that the players
who are familiar with the traditional poker ranking won't get
confused.
[0070] Bonus Bet TABLE-US-00008 Payout Schedule 1 Final Hand
Probability in % Pays (to 1) Return % Royal Flush 0.007388 200
1.4775 Four of a Kind 0.024010 75 1.8007 Straight Flush 0.072337 25
1.8084 Flush 4.410072 4 17.6403 Straight 3.917259 4 15.6690 Three
of a Kind 2.256903 3 6.7707 Two Pair 4.753902 2 9.5078 Pair Jacks
or Better 12.438360 1 12.4384 Total 27.880229 67.1128
[0071] The house advantage is 100%-27.8802%-67.1128%=5.0069%. About
once every 3.8 hands the player will win the bet. TABLE-US-00009
Payout Schedule 2 Final Hand Probability in % Pays (to 1) Return %
Royal Flush 0.007388 250 1.8469 Four of a Kind 0.024010 100 2.4010
Straight Flush 0.072337 40 2.8935 Flush 4.410072 4 17.6403 Straight
3.917259 4 15.6690 Three of a Kind 2.256903 4 9.0276 Two Pair
4.753902 2 9.5076 Pair Queens or Better 9.346662 1 9.3467 Total
24.788531 68.3327
[0072] The house advantage is 100%-24.7885%-68.3327%=6.8788%. About
once every 4 hands the player will win the bet. TABLE-US-00010
Payout Schedule 3 Final Hand Probability Pays (to 1) Return % Royal
Flush 0.007388 1000 7.3880 Four of a Kind 0.024010 250 6.0024
Straight Flush 0.072337 100 7.2337 Flush 4.410072 5 22.0504
Straight 3.917259 5 19.5863 Three of a Kind 2.256903 5 11.2845
Total 10.6879699 73.5453
[0073] The house advantage is 100%-10.6880%-73.8225%=15.4896%.
About 1 in 9.4 hands the player will win the bet.
[0074] Bad Beat Side Bet
[0075] The computer analysis indicated that the player would be bad
beat by the dealer as follows: TABLE-US-00011 Player Hand Dealer
Hand Probability (%) Four of a Kind Royal Flush 0.00000171 Four of
a Kind Four of a Kind 0.00000370 Straight Flush Royal Flush
0.00000668 Straight Flush Four of a Kind 0.00001674 Straight Flush
Straight Flush 0.00002831 Flush Royal Flush 0.00035505 Flush Four
of a Kind 0.00102545 Flush Straight Flush 0.00347447 Flush Flush
0.10496533 Straight Royal Flush 0.00031685 Straight Four of a Kind
0.00089614 Straight Straight Flush 0.00286725 Straight Flush
0.17225544 Straight Straight 0.07533523 Three of a Kind Royal Flush
0.00016402 Three of a Kind Four of a Kind 0.00063670 Three of a
Kind Straight Flush 0.00160643 Three of a Kind Flush 0.09813261
Three of a Kind Straight 0.08657776 Three of a Kind Three of a Kind
0.02804452 Two Pair Royal Flush 0.00034807 Two Pair Four of a Kind
0.00133263 Two Pair Straight Flush 0.00340865 Two Pair Flush
0.20802501 Two Pair Straight 0.18413489 Two Pair Three of a Kind
0.11487296 Two Pair Two Pair 0.11707336
[0076] (This line intentionally left blank) TABLE-US-00012 A
Summary of Bad Beat Hands Bad Beat Hand Probability % Odds Against
Pays Return % Four of a Kind 0.00000541 18483392:1 10000 0.0541
Straight Flush 0.00005174 1932888:1 2000 0.1035 Flush 0.10982030
910:1 250 27.4551 Straight 0.25167090 396:1 100 25.1671 Three of a
0.21516203 464:1 75 16.1372 Kind Two Pair 0.62919555 158:1 25
15.7299 Total 1.20590593 82:1 84.6468
[0077] Approximately once every 83 hands the player will be bad
beat. The house advantage is 100%-84.6468%-1.2059%=14. 1473%.
[0078] A computer simulation of 800 million hands was run to verify
the accuracy of the analysis. TABLE-US-00013 Summary of House
Advantages Primary Bet 3.2190% (1.8848% per total wager) Bonus Bet
(1) 5.0069% Bonus Bet (2) 6.8788% Bad Beat Side Bet 14.1473%
[0079] The mathematical analysis for five card poker games, as well
as three card poker games are known in the art. It will be
appreciated, therefore, that by comparing a players odds of winning
a four card game against a five card game shows that the player
odds of winning are enhanced by a significant margin. In the same
light, the players odds of winning in a four card game are more
difficult than any three card game, and in this manner, higher
payouts are justified in a four card game, over a three card game.
However, in view of the fact that the players odds of winning a
four card game are enhanced, there is greater interest in such a
game and will therefore entice more players to play a four card
game than a five card game.
[0080] While there has been described what is considered to be a
preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that
various modifications may be made therein and it is intended to
cover in the intended claims all such obvious modifications and
variations.
* * * * *