U.S. patent application number 11/745011 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-06 for casino game with player choice (u-pik).
This patent application is currently assigned to Prime Table Games LLC. Invention is credited to Shenli Ko, Derek J. Webb.
Application Number | 20070205559 11/745011 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46327854 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070205559 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Webb; Derek J. ; et
al. |
September 6, 2007 |
Casino Game with Player Choice (U-PIK)
Abstract
In a wagering game, after receiving an initial wager from the
players, at least one card is dealt to each player. At least two
community cards are dealt to a community card area Subsequently,
each player places a Pick wager to select among the at least two
community cards. A player hand includes the at least one dealt card
and the selected community card or cards, wherein the initial wager
and the Pick wager are resolved based on the player hand according
to game rules.
Inventors: |
Webb; Derek J.; (Derby,
GB) ; Ko; Shenli; (Las Vegas, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
901 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, 11TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22203
US
|
Assignee: |
Prime Table Games LLC
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
46327854 |
Appl. No.: |
11/745011 |
Filed: |
May 7, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11317306 |
Dec 27, 2005 |
|
|
|
11745011 |
May 7, 2007 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3293 20130101;
A63F 3/00157 20130101; A63F 1/00 20130101; G07F 17/322 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/3276 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/292 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising: (a)
a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing at least one card to
the player; (c) dealing a first community hand including at least a
first community card and a second community hand including at least
a second community card, at least one card of the first and second
community hands being exposed; (d) the player placing a Pick wager
to select one of the first and second community hands; (e) forming
a player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the
player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community
hand and the second community hand; and (f) resolving the initial
wager and the Pick wager based on a hand rank of the player hand
according to game rules.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the Pick wager must be
equal to the initial wager.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to step
(b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the method
further comprises resolving the proposition wager according to a
hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition hand
consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step
(b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the
second community hand.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the hand rank is based on
Poker rankings, and wherein the proposition wager is resolved by
paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand
and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank.
5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the player is provided an
option to wager different amounts for the initial wager and the
proposition wager.
6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the initial wager and the
proposition wager are compulsory.
7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said hand rank is
determined based on one of Poker rankings, Pai Gow tiles rankings,
a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting system,
and dice values.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first community hand
comprises two cards and an initially concealed card, and wherein
the second community hand comprises two cards and the initially
concealed card.
9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the initially concealed
card is revealed after step (d).
10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising, prior to
step (c), dealing two cards to a dealer, wherein step (b) is
practiced by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein the
method comprises, after revealing the initially concealed card,
forming a dealer hand consisting of the two cards dealt to the
dealer and the one of the first community hand and the second
community that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best
dealer hand rank.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (f) is practiced
by comparing the player hand rank with the dealer hand rank.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein if the player hand rank
exceeds the dealer hand rank, the player wins a payout on the
initial wager and the Pick wager.
13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising, prior to
step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the
method further comprises resolving the proposition wager according
to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition
hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in
step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand
and the second community hand.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the hand rank is based
on Poker rankings, and wherein the proposition wager is resolved by
paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand
and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined hand
rank is Two Pair.
16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the payout on the
proposition wager is resolved according to a payscale for hand
ranks including, in no particular order, Two Pair, Straight, Flush,
Three of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind.
17. A method according to claim 8, further comprising providing the
player an option to surrender the initial wager prior to placing
the Pick wager and prior to revealing the concealed card.
18. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) is practiced by
providing the player an option to pick both the first community
hand and the second community hand.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein in order to pick both
the first community hand and the second community hand, the player
places a Pick Both wager along with two Pick wagers, wherein the
initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each of the Pick wagers are
equal.
20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to
step (c), dealing at least one card to a dealer, and after step
(e), forming a dealer hand including the at least one card dealt to
the dealer and one of the first community hand and the second
community hand, wherein step (c) is practiced by comparing a value
of the dealer hand with the value of the player hand.
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein hand values comprise at
least one of a hand rank and a numerical value.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein hand ranks are
determined based on one of Poker rankings and Pai Gow tiles
rankings, and wherein hand numerical values are determined based on
one of a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting
system, and dice values.
23. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hand rank in step
(f) is determined based on one of Poker rankings, Pai Gow tiles
rankings, a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack
counting system, and dice values.
24. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first community hand
and the second community hand share at least one card.
25. A method of playing a casino Poker game, the method comprising:
(a) a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing two cards to the
player; (c) dealing two cards to a dealer; (d) dealing five
community cards including a concealed card and four exposed cards,
wherein a first community hand includes a first two of the four
exposed cards and the concealed card, and wherein a second
community hand includes a second two of the four exposed cards and
the concealed card; (e) the player placing a Pick wager to select
one of the first and second community hands; (f) forming a player
hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the player in step
(b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the
second community hand; (g) revealing the concealed card and
establishing a player hand Poker rank; (h) after step (g), the
dealer forming a dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt
to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first community
hand and the second community hand that when combined with the two
dealer cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank; and (i) resolving
the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the
player hand rank and the dealer hand rank.
26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising, prior to
step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the
method further comprises resolving the proposition wager according
to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition
hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the player in step
(b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the
second community hand.
27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the proposition wager
is resolved by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of
the player hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined
hand rank.
28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the player is provided
an option to wager different amounts for the initial wager and the
proposition wager.
29. A method according to claim 26, wherein the initial wager and
the proposition wager are compulsory.
30. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing
the player an option to surrender the initial wager prior to
placing the Pick wager and prior to revealing the concealed
card.
31. A method according to claim 25, wherein step (e) is practiced
by providing the player an option to pick both the first community
hand and the second community hand.
32. A method according to claim 31, wherein in order to pick both
the first community hand and the second community hand, the player
places a Pick Both wager along with two Pick wagers, wherein the
initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each of the Pick wagers are
equal.
33. A method according to claim 25, wherein the step of
establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using at
least three cards in the player hand.
34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of
establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using four
cards in the player hand.
35. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of
establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using all
five cards in the player hand.
36. A method of playing a casino card game with a player having a
player hand and a dealer having a dealer hand, wherein the player
selects one of a first community hand and a second community hand
as part of the player hand, the first and second community hands
including at least one shared concealed card, the dealer exposing
the at least one concealed card, the dealer subsequently selecting
one of the first and second community hands as part of the dealer
hand, and resolving the game based on a comparison of the player
hand and the dealer hand.
37. A method of playing a casino card game with a player having a
player hand, the method including the player placing an initial
wager, the player selecting one of a first community hand and a
second community hand as part of the player hand by placing a Pick
wager in a designated location, and resolving the initial wager and
the Pick wager based on the player hand according to game
rules.
38. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium, the
computer program effecting a computer to carry out a method of
playing a casino card game, the method comprising: (a) a player
placing an initial wager; (b) dealing at least one card to the
player; (c) dealing a first community hand including at least a
first community card and a second community hand including at least
a second community card, at least one of the first and second
community hands being exposed; (d) the player placing a Pick wager
to select one of the first and second community hands; (e) forming
a player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the
player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community
hand and the second community hand; and (f) resolving the initial
wager and the Pick wager based on the player hand according to game
rules.
39. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising: (a)
a player placing an initial wager corresponding to a player first
hand; (b) dealing at least one card to the player; (c) dealing at
least one card to a dealer; (d) dealing three concealed community
hands, wherein each community hand consists of at least one card;
(e) revealing a first of the three concealed community hands; (f)
the player electing to check or place a first Pick wager to select
the first community hand; (g) revealing a second of the three
concealed community hands; (h) the player electing to check or
place a second Pick wager to select the second community hand; (i)
revealing a third of the three concealed community hands; (j)
forming the first player hand consisting of (1) the at least one
card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the third community
hand; (k) if the player placed the first Pick wager, forming a
second player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to
the player in step (b), and (2) the first community hand; (l) if
the player placed the second Pick wager, forming a third player
hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in
step (b), and (2) the second community hand; (m) after step (1),
the dealer forming a dealer hand comprising (1) the at least one
card dealt to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first,
second, and third community hands that when combined with the at
least one dealer card makes a best dealer hand rank; and (n)
resolving the initial wager and the Pick wagers if placed based on
a comparison of the hand ranks of each of the player hands and the
dealer hand.
40. A method according to claim 39, wherein step (m) is practiced
by forming the dealer hand using any combination of the at least
one card dealt to the dealer in step (c) and the first, second and
third community hands.
41. A method according to claim 39, further comprising requiring
the player to place at least one of the first Pick wager and the
second Pick wager.
42. A method according to claim 39, further comprising providing an
option for the player to place a proposition wager.
43. A method according to claim 42, wherein step (b) is practiced
by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein each of the first,
second and third community hands consists of one card, the step of
providing the proposition wager option being practiced by providing
the option for the player to wager on at least the first player
hand against a predetermined pay scale.
44. A method according to claim 42, wherein step (b) is practiced
by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein each of the first,
second and third community hands consists of one card, the step of
providing the proposition wager option being practiced by providing
the option for the player to wager on a 5-card hand against a
predetermined pay scale, the 5-card hand consisting of the two
cards dealt to the player and each of the first, second and third
community hands.
45. A method according to claim 39, wherein step (b) is practiced
by dealing three cards to the player, wherein step (c) is practiced
by dealing three cards to the dealer, and wherein each of the
first, second and third community hands consists of one card.
46. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising: (a)
a player placing first and second initial wagers in respective
first and second wager areas corresponding to first and second
player hands; (b) dealing at least one card to the player; (c)
dealing at least one card to a dealer; (d) dealing three concealed
community hands, wherein each community hand consists of at least
one card; (e) revealing a first of the three concealed community
hands; (f) the player electing to check or shift one of the first
and second initial wagers to a third wager area corresponding to a
third player hand; (g) revealing a second and a third of the three
concealed community hands; (h) forming the first and second player
hands each consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the
player in step (b), and (2) the respective community hand
designated by the wager area in which the first and second initial
wagers are placed; (i) after step (h), the dealer forming a dealer
hand comprising (1) the at least one card dealt to the dealer in
step (c), and (2) the one of the first, seconds and third community
hands that when combined with the at least one dealer card makes a
best dealer hand rank; and (j) resolving the initial wagers based
on a comparison of the hand ranks of each of the player hands and
the dealer hand.
47. A method according to claim 46, wherein step (f) is practiced
by providing an option for the player to place a Pick wager
corresponding to a third player hand consisting of (1) the at least
one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the respective
community hand designated by the wager area in which the Pick wager
is placed, and wherein step (j) is practiced by resolving the Pick
wager based on a comparison of the third player hand rank and the
dealer hand rank.
48. A method according to claim 46, wherein step (b) is practiced
by dealing three cards to the player, wherein step (c) is practiced
by dealing three cards to the dealer, and wherein each of the
first, second and third community hands consists of one card.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/317,306, filed Dec. 27, 2005,
pending, the contents of which are herein incorporated by
reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] (Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to casino games and, more
particularly, to casino games utilizing community cards where a
player chooses between different community card hands by placing a
`pick` wager.
[0004] Casino operators are continually searching for ways to make
casino table games more attractive and player friendly. New Poker
derivatives such as Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and
Three Card Poker have made a significant contribution. To
facilitate the success of a casino game, it is important that the
casino advantage is reasonable, that the game is relatively easy to
understand for both players and dealers, and that there is at least
a player perception of a reasonable chance for a player premium
hand to defeat the dealer in a competition mode or win an increased
payout in a proposition mode or both.
[0005] With respect to types of Poker, conventional established
terms are draw and stud. These terms have become out-of-date as
community card games have been established. Community card games
such as Hold 'Em and Omaha could be regarded as combining aspects
of both draw and stud. In typical community card games, players are
dealt player cards, and one or more community cards are shared by
all the players. The players can then use the community cards
together with the player cards to achieve a hand ranking.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present description encompasses a variety of casino
games where players are provided a choice between multiple
community hands. After making an initial wager, the players receive
one or more cards, and subsequently a pair of community hands,
which may include only one card each, are dealt by the dealer. The
player then places a Pick wager, which serves to designate the
player's community hand choice. One or more additional cards may be
dealt, and the player forms a player hand with the original player
card(s) and the selected community hand or cards. By permitting
players to choose between community hands/cards, players appreciate
that premium hands are more easily attained.
[0007] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of
playing a wagering game includes the steps of (a) a player placing
an initial wager; (b) dealing at least one card to the player; (c)
dealing a first community hand including at least a first community
card and a second community hand including at least a second
community card, at least one card of the first and second community
hands being exposed; (d) the player placing a Pick wager to select
one of the first or second community hands; (e) forming a player
hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in
step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and
the second community hand; and (f) resolving the initial wager and
the Pick wager based on a hand rank of the player hand according to
game rules. In one operating mode, the Pick wager must be equal to
the initial wager.
[0008] The method may further include, prior to step (b), the
player placing a proposition wager, which is resolved according to
a hand rank of at least one of the player hand or a proposition
hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in
step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand
and the second community hand. In one operating mode, the hand rank
is based on Poker rankings, where the proposition wager is resolved
by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player
hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank,
such as Two Pair, with the payout being determined on a payscale.
The player may be provided an option to wager different amounts for
the initial wager and the proposition wager. Moreover, the initial
wager and the proposition wager may be compulsory.
[0009] In one embodiment, the first community hand includes two
cards and an initially concealed card, where the second community
hand comprises two cards and the initially concealed card.
Preferably, the initially concealed card is revealed after step
(d). Prior to step (c), the method may include dealing two cards to
a dealer, where step (b) is practiced by dealing two cards to the
player, and where the method includes, after revealing the
initially concealed card, forming a dealer hand consisting of the
two cards dealt to the dealer and the one of the first community
hand and the second community that when combined with the two
dealer cards make a best dealer hand rank. Step (f) may be
practiced by comparing the player hand ran with the dealer hand
rank. In this context, if the player hand rank exceeds the dealer
hand rank, the player wins a payout on the initial wager and the
Pick wager.
[0010] The method may farther include providing the player an
option to surrender the initial wager prior to placing the Pick
wager and prior to revealing the concealed card. The player may
also be provided an option to pick both the first community hand
and the second community hand. In this context, in order to pick
both the first community hand and the second community hand, the
player may be required to place a Pick Both wager along with two
Pick wagers, where the initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each
of the Pick wagers are equal.
[0011] The method may further include, prior to step (c), dealing
at least one card to a dealer, and after step (e), forming a dealer
hand including the at least one card dealt to the dealer and one of
the first community hand and the second community hand, wherein
step (c) is practiced by comparing a value of the dealer hand with
the value of the player hand. Hand values may comprise at least one
of a hand rank or a numerical value. Hand ranks are preferably
determined based on one of Poker rankings or Pai Gow tiles
rankings, and hand numerical values are preferably determined based
on one of a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack
counting system, or dice values.
[0012] In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method
of playing a casino Poker game includes the steps of (a) a player
placing an initial wager; (b) dealing two cards to the player; (c)
dealing two cards to a dealer; (d) dealing five community cards
including a concealed card and four exposed cards, wherein a first
community hand includes a first two of the four exposed cards and
the concealed card, and wherein a second community hand includes a
second two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card; (e)
the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first or
second community hands; (f) forming a player hand consisting of (1)
the two cards dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected
one of the first community hand and the second community hand; (g)
revealing the concealed card and establishing a player hand Poker
rank using four cards in the player hand; (h) after step (g), the
dealer forming a dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt
to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first community
hand and the second community hand that when combined with the two
dealer cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank; and (i) resolving
the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the
player hand rank and the dealer hand rank.
[0013] In yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a
method of playing a casino card game provides a player with a
player hand and a dealer with a dealer hand, wherein the player
selects one of a first community hand and a second community hand
as part of the player hand, the fist and second community hands
including at least one shared concealed card, the dealer exposing
the at least one concealed card, the dealer subsequently selecting
one of the first and second community hands as part of the dealer
hand, and resolving the game based on a comparison of the player
hand and the dealer hand.
[0014] In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a
method of playing a casino card game provides a player with a
player hand, and includes the player placing an initial wager, the
player selecting one of a first community hand and a second
community hand as part of the player hand by placing a Pick wager
in a designated location, and resolving the initial wager and the
Pick wager based on the player hand according to game rules.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other aspects and advantages of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawing, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary table layout according
to embodiments of the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an exemplary table layout according
to alternative embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In the following detailed description, the method and
apparatus according to the present invention will be described in
conjunction with their application to a casino environment, thus
incorporating wagers, payouts etc. Those of ordinary skill in the
art will readily comprehend alternative applications of the present
invention outside a casino environment, and the invention is not
necessarily meant to be limited to the described application. For
example, the game may be embodied in a video game that is played
for entertainment purposes against a computer or the like.
Alternatively, players may play the game without wagers in a
head-to-head format with one player acting as a dealer, and the
other player simply keeping track of wins and losses.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a game table including a playing area 10 having
a dealer area 12, a plurality of player areas 14, promotional
markings and game rules 16, and a community card area 18. The
dealer area 12 is shown in dashed line as not all playing modes
include a dealer hand. Although FIG. 1 shows five player areas 14,
more players can participate in the game at a time. In preferred
embodiments, the table layout 10 may include between seven and ten
player areas 14, although seven player areas 14 is most
preferred.
[0020] Each player area 14 includes a player card area 20 and
spaces for an initial wager 22, a Both Ways wager 23, a Pick wager
24, and a Pick Both wager 25. The community card area 18 includes
spaces for a first community card hand 18a and a second community
card hand 18b. In a preferred operating mode, a center card is
shared by each of the first and second community card hands.
[0021] Each of the exemplary game variations described below
includes at least a basic premise wherein each player places an
initial wager at area 22, and at least one card is dealt to each
player at card area 20. At least two community hands, which may
each contain only a single card, are dealt to the first and second
community card areas 18a, 18b, after which each player is provided
an opportunity to place a Pick wager at wager area 24 to select
among the at least two community hands. Preferably, the Pick wager
is equal to the initial wager. The player hand thus includes the at
least one dealt card and the selected community hand. The initial
wager and the Pick wager are resolved based on the player hand
according to game rules.
[0022] In an against-dealer mode, a dealer may also be dealt at
least one card at card area 12, in which case the initial wager 22
and the Pick wager 24 may be resolved based on a comparison of the
player hand to the dealer hand. Optionally, the player hand may
additionally or alternatively be resolved according to a player
hand rank against a payout scale. If the dealer does not receive a
hand, the player hand is played against a pay table with
predetermined winning combinations and payouts. The game may
include an option for the player to place a second Pick wager 24 to
select both the first and second community hands, in which case the
Pick Both wager 25 may also be required. In this context, a first
player hand is formed using the at least one card dealt to the
player and the selected one of the first community hand and the
second community hand by the Pick wager. A second player hand
includes the at least one card dealt to the player and the selected
one of the first community hand and the second community hand by
the second Pick wager. The wagers are then resolved based on the
first and second player hands according to game rules. In another
alternative, each player may be allowed to surrender the initial
bet and fold after viewing their dealt cards.
[0023] In an exemplary Poker variation, the dealer hand and the
player hand achieve a Poker ranking, and the wagers are resolved by
comparing a Poker rank of the player hand to a Poker rank of the
dealer hand. As noted, additional wagers or multipliers or the like
may be provided by comparing the Poker rank of the player hand
against a payout scale.
[0024] A preferred exempt operating mode will be described below
with continued reference to FIG. 1. Those of ordinary skill in the
art will appreciate that still additional operating modes may be
viable using the principles of the invention described herein, and
the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to the
described exemplary variation.
[0025] In one exemplary operating mode, a casino-banked game
utilizes Poker rankings and four-card combinations. In order to
participate in the game, players are required to place an initial
wager or Ante wager at area 22 and a proposition wager or a Both
Ways wager at area 23. The amounts of the Ante and Both Ways wagers
may be different or may be required to be equal depending on casino
preference. Two cards are dealt to each player at card area 20, and
two cards are dealt to the dealer at dealer area 12. Five community
cards including a concealed card and four exposed cards are dealt
to the community card area 18. A first community hand 18a includes
a first two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card, and a
second community hand 18b includes a second two of the four exposed
cards and the concealed card.
[0026] After viewing the player cards and the exposed community
cards, each player places a Pick wager in one of the circles at
wager area 24. The placement of the Pick wager serves to designate
which of the first or second community hands 18a, 18b is selected.
For example, if the player places the Pick wager in the left circle
in area 24, the player has selected the first community hand 18a.
On the other hand, if the player places the Pick wager in wager
area 24 in the right circle, the player has selected the second
community hand 18b. Preferably, the Pick wager must be equal to the
Ante wager. A player hand is thus formed consisting of (1) the two
cards initially dealt to the player, and (2) the selected one of
the first community hand and the second community hand
Subsequently, the concealed card, which forms part of both the
first and second community hands, is revealed, and a player hand
Poker rank is established using four cards in the player hand.
[0027] After the concealed card is revealed, the dealer forms a
dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards initially dealt to the
dealer, and (2) the one of the first community hand 18a and the
second community hand 18b that when combined with the two dealer
cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank. The initial wager and the
Pick wager are resolved based on a comparison of the player hand
rank and the dealer hand rank. That is, the higher hand rank wins,
and winning wagers are preferably paid 1 to 1 Tied hands on the
Ante and Pick wagers may also be paid 1 to 1 or alternatively may
be pushed or taken.
[0028] The Both Ways wager is resolved based on the best of the
picked hand and the non-picked hand according to a payscale. That
is, if the hand rank of either the player hand or a proposition
hand using the unselected community hand exceeds predetermined hand
rank such as two pair or the like, the Both Ways wager wins a
payout according to a payscale. An exemplary payscale for the Both
Ways wager is set forth below. TABLE-US-00001 Player Hand Payoff
Two Pair 2 to 1 Straight 2 to 1 Flush 2 to 1 Three of a Kind 4 to 1
Straight Flush 30 to 1 Four of a Kind 50 to 1
[0029] After viewing the player initial two cards and the community
cards, prior to exposing the concealed card, players may be
provided an option to surrender the Ante wager and thereby save the
Pick wager. Preferably, in the event a player elects the surrender
option, the Both Ways wager remains in play.
[0030] The players may be provided an option to place both Pick
wagers (i.e., placing wagers in both circles at wager area 24) and
play both hands. To enable this option, the player is also required
to place a Pick Both wager at wager area 25, which is preferably
also equal to the Ante wager. In this event, if both player hands
have Poker ranks that exceed the dealer hand Poker rank, each of
the Ante wager, Pick wagers and Pick Both wager is paid 1 to 1. If
both player hands lose, all four wagers are taken, and if one hand
wins and the other hand loses, then wagers push. As noted, tied
hands may also be paid 1 to 1 or alternatively may be pushed or
taken.
[0031] Although the preferred game mode described above references
"cards," the use of such a term is not intended to be limited to
playing cards; rather, the term "cards" used herein is intended to
encompass any suitable insignia such as conventional playing cards,
dice, tiles or the like. Moreover, values may be numerical or
combinatorial. In the preferred operating mode, hand values are
determined according to combinatorial Poker rankings, but the
invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to such rankings.
Other ranking and scoring methodologies such as in Blackjack
convention and Chinese Mah Jong and the modulo-10 Baccarat scoring
system may alternatively be utilized. Still further, the number of
wagers, player cards, dealer cards, community cards and the like
may be altered without departing from the scope of the present
invention. Furthermore, the two community hands need not be
revealed at the same time; one can be revealed some time after the
other is revealed. Thus the player can be given the option to vary
his bet or change his pick before the other community hand is
revealed.
[0032] In a Baccarat variation, the method of playing the game
includes (a) a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing one
card to the player; (c) dealing one card face down to a dealer; (d)
dealing three community cards including a concealed card and two
exposed cards, wherein a first community hand includes a first of
the two exposed cards and the concealed card, and wherein a second
community hand includes a second of the two exposed cards and the
concealed card; (e) the player placing a Pick wager to select one
of the first or second community hands; (f) forming a player hand
consisting of (1) the one card dealt to the player in step (b), and
(2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second
community hand; (g) revealing the concealed card and establishing a
player Baccarat hand rank; (h) after step (g), the dealer forming a
dealer hand consisting of (1) the one card dealt to the dealer in
step (c), (2) the one of the first community hand and the second
community hand, and (3) the revealed concealed card according to
predetermined house way rules; and (i) resolving the initial wager
and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the player hand rank
and the dealer hand rank. In this embodiment, the house way rules
preferably require the dealer hand to stand if his two-card hand
value is 6 or greater and to use the center community card if his
hand is not at least 6. After determining the dealer's first and
second hand values, the dealer shall use the better of the two
hands. In determining the player hand value, the dealer shall use
the revealed concealed card for the player if it can improve the
player hand. The dealer hand will lose automatically if it is 0.
Also, if the first community and second community cards are of the
same rank, the player has the option to place a Pick wager on both
hands.
[0033] In another variation, a method of playing a Pat Gow tile
game provides a player an option to pick one of two community
hands. The player makes a wager. The dealer and the player each get
one `card,` which is a tile in this operating mode. Three community
tiles are dealt to the center of the table. The left and right
tiles are revealed. The player places a Pick wager equal to the
initial wager on the betting circle corresponding to the community
tile he picks. The player and dealer hand will consist of the tile
he is dealt the tile he picks and the center concealed tile. The
dealer reveals his tile and then picks the better of the two
community tiles to make the dealer's best Pai Gow hand. The hands
will be settled based on traditional Pai Gow tile ranking by using
the best two of the three tiles or all three tiles if a straight
can be formed.
[0034] Still further exemplary embodiments will be described with
reference to FIG. 2. Each player area 14 includes a betting area 30
including three betting circles labeled, from left to right, 1, 2
and 3, respectively. The three betting circles represent three
three-card Poker hands for each player.
[0035] Each player places a wager in betting circle 1. Each player
and the dealer are dealt two cards face down, and three communal
cards 18a, 18b , 18c are dealt to the community card area 18. The
rightmost community card 18c, which corresponds to each player's
betting circle 3, is revealed. After seeing the third community
card 18c and the player two-card hand, the player can bet or check.
Players who want to bet the third three-card Poker hand must place
a wager in betting circle 3, preferably equal to the initial wager
placed in betting circle 1.
[0036] After all players have made their decisions concerning
betting circle 3, the center community card 18b, which is
corresponding to each player's betting circle 2, is revealed.
Again, each player can bet or check. Players who want to play the
second three-card Poker hand must place a preferably equal wager in
betting circle 2.
[0037] The final community card 18a, which corresponds to each
player's betting circle 1, is revealed. At this point, no more
wagers can be added. In other words, the first wager in betting
circle 1 is always in action. Each player has up to three
three-card Poker hands, depending on the number of wagers
placed.
[0038] The dealer then reveals the two face-down dealer cards. The
dealer forms a dealer hand using the community card 18a, 18b, 18c
that makes the highest ranking three-card Poker hand. The dealer
announces the dealer hand ranking and compares the dealer hand with
each player hand, where the highest ranking hand wins. Winning
hands are paid even money.
[0039] In order to increase a house advantage, if necessary or
desirable, the dealer may additionally be permitted to use the
three community cards 18a, 18b, 18c to make the dealer hand.
Alternatively or additionally, players may be required to play at
least one of the second or third hands.
[0040] This operating mode may also include optional proposition
wagers, including one or both of a 3-card Poker wager 32 and a
5-card Poker wager 34. In this context, the players can place a
wager at wager area 32 on the player first hand to play against a
3-card Poker pay table. The player can alternatively or
additionally place a 5-card Poker wager at wager area 34 based on a
Poker ranking of a 5-card hand including the two cards initially
dealt to the player combined with the three community cards 18a,
18b, 18c.
[0041] In another variation, with continued reference to FIG. 2,
each player places two equal wagers in betting circles 1 and 2.
Each player and the dealer are dealt two cards face down, and three
communal cards are dealt to the community card area 18. The
leftmost community card 18a, which corresponds to each player's
betting circle 1, is revealed.
[0042] After seeing the first community card 18a and the player's
two-card hand, the player must pick at least two hands to bet by
keeping or rearranging the initial wagers to the betting circles
corresponding to the hands the player wishes to play. For example,
if the player dislikes the first community card 18a, the player can
move the wager in betting circle 1 to betting circle 3. In a
preferred embodiment, the player may also play all three hands by
placing a third wager in the empty betting circle.
[0043] After all players have made their decisions concerning the
three hands, the remaining two community cards are revealed. Each
player thus has up to three 3-card Poker hands, depending on the
number of wagers placed. The dealer then reveals the two face-down
cards initially dealt to the dealer, and the dealer forms a dealer
hand using the community card 18a, 18b, 18c that makes the highest
ranking three-card Poker hand.
[0044] The dealer announces the dealer hand ranking and compares
the dealer hand with each player's hand where a wager has been
placed. The higher ranking hand wins, and winning hands are paid
even money.
[0045] Each of the embodiments described in conjunction with FIG. 2
can be played as 4-card Poker, where each player and the dealer
will be dealt three initial cards instead. The game may also
include optional proposition wagers based on various card
combinations.
[0046] As would be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art,
the embodiments described above can be embodied in a wide variety
of forms and media including, but not limited to, single player
slot video machines, multi-player slot video machines, electronic
games and devices, lottery terminals, scratch-card formats,
software as well as in-flight, home and Internet entertainment. In
addition, the described embodiments can also be readily implemented
as a computer program product (e.g., floppy disks, compact disks,
etc.) comprising a computer readable medium having control logic
reported therein to implement the features of the invention as
described in relation to the other preferred embodiments. The
control logic can be loaded into the memory of a computer and
executed by a central processing unit (CPU) to perform the
operations described herein.
[0047] While the invention has been described in connection with
what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be
limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is
intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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