U.S. patent application number 11/729406 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for insurance wager in no-limit texas hold 'em poker game.
Invention is credited to Harmon Ian Cogert, Mitchell Adams Cogert.
Application Number | 20080237985 11/729406 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39792916 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080237985 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cogert; Mitchell Adams ; et
al. |
October 2, 2008 |
Insurance wager in no-limit Texas Hold 'Em poker game
Abstract
A side bet for the poker card game No Limit Texas Hold'em
referred to as PokerSurance.TM. bet. This method allows players to
place PokerSurance.TM. wagers at respective betting areas. The
wager is available only for the player with the statistically
favorite hand at a stage of the hand where additional cards are
forthcoming. It also may be exercised only when a) one or more
players are "all-in" on a hand, and b) when this player's
PokerSurance.TM. wager is determined to be appropriate for the
player and accepted by the Dealer. A PokerSurance.TM. side bet acts
like an insurance policy on a given hand of poker as it protects
the player with the statistically favorite hand from losing all of
his/her money on a "bad beat."
Inventors: |
Cogert; Mitchell Adams;
(Mill Valley, CA) ; Cogert; Harmon Ian; (Oxnard,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mark A. Litman & Associates, P.A.;York Business Center
Suite 205, 3209 West 76th St.
Edina
MN
55435
US
|
Family ID: |
39792916 |
Appl. No.: |
11/729406 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/292 ;
463/13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2001/005 20130101;
A63F 1/00 20130101; A63F 3/00157 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/292 ;
463/13 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/00 20060101
A63F001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a casino playing card wagering game in which
players compete against players and in which an All-In wager can be
made before all cards in a round of play are dealt and viewed
comprising: providing a partial poker hand to each of at least two
players; the at least two players viewing their respective partial
poker hands; at least one player wagering all game wagerable value
controlled by the at least one player in that round of play as an
all-in wager; at least one second player calling the all-in wager,
and no third player calling the all-in wager such that additional
wagers could be placed by the at least one second player and the
third player as additional cards are provided towards completing
the partial poker hands; exposing all cards of the partial poker
hands of the at least one player and the at least one second
player; determining statistical probability of advantage for the
partial poker hand of the at least one player versus the partial
poker hand of the at least one second player; and a player being
determined to have the best statistical probability of advantage
placing a side bet wager against the casino that at the conclusion
of the round of play, the player with the statistical advantage
will lose the resolution of the round of play after complete poker
hands are formed.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein a first partial poker hand to each
of the at least two players comprises exactly two cards face
down.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein a first partial poker hand to each
of the at least two players comprises exactly four cards face
down.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the all-in wager is made after the
at least two players see only their own two cards face down.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein only two players remain in the
round of play.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the complete poker hands are
formed with five community cards.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the five community cards are
provided as a first set of three cards, a second set of one card,
and a final set of another one card, each set dealt face-up for
viewing.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the all-in wager is placed after
the first set of three community cards is provided.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the all-in wager is placed after
the second set of one community card is provided.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the all-in wager is placed after
the final set of one community card is provided.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the side bet wager is paid at a
1:1 return on the side bet wager.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the side bet wager is always paid
at a 1:1 return on the side bet wager.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the side bet wager is paid at a
1:1 return on the side bet wager for some ranges of statistical
probability of advantage and paid at odds other than 1:1 for other
ranges of statistical probability of advantage.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the statistical probability of
advantage is determined by the casino for each round of play.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the statistical probability of
advantage is determined by a processor for each round of play.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the statistical probability of
advantage is displayed to all players after the all-in wager has
been made and called.
17. An apparatus for the play of the method of claim 1 comprising a
table having wagering positions at multiple player positions for
placement of the side bet wager and a display system for displaying
the statistical probability of advantage of at least one
player.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the display system can
display the statistical probability of advantage for all players
remaining in the round of play after the all-in wager has been made
and all other players have elected to fold or call the all-in
wager.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein a processor is present to
determine the statistical probability of advantage and the
determination is communicated to the display system.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of card games,
particularly wagering card games, particularly poker games in which
players play against each other and not against a single dealer or
house hand, and most particularly to a variation in the game of No
Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker.
[0003] 2. Background of the Art
[0004] The game of Hold 'Em poker or Texas Hold 'Em poker and No
Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker has become extremely popular. A Texas
Hold 'Em poker game may be described as generally progressing
follows. [0005] 1) The betting structure can vary. Sometimes antes
are used, but most games start with two players to the left of the
dealer (going clockwise around the table) placing a predetermined
amount of money so there is an initial amount in the pot to get the
game started and to assure that players must put some money at risk
over the course of a game. The larger wager is referred to as the
"big blind" and a smaller (exactly one-half) wager is termed the
small blind. This is called posting the blinds. [0006] 2) The
dealer shuffles up a standard deck of 52 playing cards. [0007] 3)
Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are called hole or
pocket cards. [0008] 4) There is a round of betting starting with
the player to the left of the two players who posted the blinds.
This round is usually referred to by the term pre-flop. [0009] 5)
The amount a player can bet depends on what kind of game rules have
been established. [0010] 6) As in most games of poker, players can
call, raise, or fold when it is their turn to place a wager. [0011]
7) After the first betting round ends, the dealer discards the top
card of the deck. This is called a burn card. This is done to
prevent cheating or eliminate any appearance of cheating. [0012] 8)
The dealer then reveals the next three cards from the deck face up
onto the table. These cards are called the flop. These cards are
communal or community cards that each player can use in combination
with their two pocket cards to form a poker hand. [0013] 9) After
revealing the flop, there is another, second round of betting
starting with the remaining player immediately to the left of the
dealer. [0014] 10) After the second round of betting concludes, the
dealer burns another card and reveals one more playing card onto
the table. This is called the turn card. Players can use this sixth
card, in addition to the previous five cards that were available
(the three flop cards and the two hole cards) to form a five card
poker hand. [0015] 11) The remaining player immediately to the left
of the dealer begins another round of betting. In many types of
games, this is where the bet size doubles. [0016] 12) Finally, the
dealer burns a card and places a final card face up on the table.
This is called the river. Players can now use any of the five cards
on the table or the two cards in their pocket to form a five card
poker hand. [0017] 13) There is one final round of betting starting
with the player to the left of the dealer. [0018] 14) After that,
all of the players remaining in the game begin to reveal their
hands. This begins with the player to the left of the last player
to call. It's called the showdown. Players use a combination of
their pocket cards and the community cards to form a best five of
seven cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards) poker
hand. [0019] 15) The player who shows the best hand wins. There are
cases where players with equal hands share the winnings. There can
be significant tension and disappointment in the play of the game,
especially as the winds of fortune change, not only from hand to
hand, but also within the play of a single hand as different
community cards are revealed. The occurrence of such vagaries in
the play of the game can turn players away from the game and
eventually reduce casino profits. It would be advantageous for
rules and wagers to be developed that can reduce player stress or
anxiety and yet provide additional profits for the house.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] During play of No Limit Hold 'Em, situations arise where at
least one player will go "all-in" and this may occur sometimes when
there are some community cards to be dealt. At this stage of the
game, the hole cards of all players remaining in the game are
exposed, and the remaining community cards dealt out, sometimes in
dramatic fashion. When the hole cards of the remaining players are
revealed, the relative advantage of each player compared to the
other players can be and has been exactly analyzed. This
mathematical analysis can be determined at any stage and expressed
in specific probabilities. Skilled players and sophisticated
software can evaluate the relative probabilities of hands winning
to exact percentages. In televised poker games, these percentages
are often displayed and these displays are sometimes provided for
view by players.
[0021] When one player has been identified or recognized as the
statistical leader in an exposed (all hole cards exposed, but
community card(s) yet to be dealt), all-in situation, that player,
and only that player (the advantaged player), is allowed to place a
special even money wager protecting a portion of the advantaged
player's all-in wager. This wager guarantees that at the end of the
hand, whatever the outcome, the advantaged player will still have
some money, even if a bad beat occurs and the advantaged player
loses. The amount of the PokerSurance.TM. wager must be less than
the advantaged player's all-in wager to give an appearance or
perception to the player that the wager is beneficial to the
player.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a table layout for play of No Limit Hold 'Em
with a PokerSurance.TM. wager.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The underlying play of the game of No Limit Hold 'Em poker
does not change in the play of the game. There are specific events
that occur in the play of the game where the use of the described
PokerSurance.TM. wager may be used. Those situations will be
detailed and explained.
[0024] In the game of No Limit Hold'em poker, the card game is
played with a conventional deck of fifty-two playing cards. There
are a series of steps involving:
[0025] a) at least one player places a wager indication of the
PokerSurance side bet;
[0026] b) two cards are dealt face down to one or more players in a
hand;
[0027] c) a first round of betting is conducted after the two cards
have been dealt; wherein one or more players can wager all money at
that player's position and be an "all-in" player;
[0028] d) if after the first round of betting there is no more
betting possible by any player remaining in the game (it is assumed
that if one player has funds remaining and the only other players
in the game are All-In, that the funded player will not make
spurious wagers, such as betting more when there are no other
players remaining with additional funds to wager), then the one or
more or usually all players in the hand must or will expose their
two face down cards;
[0029] e) the player with the statistically favorite hand may then
make a PokerSurance.TM. wager, and the Dealer must decide whether
or not to accept the bet. The Dealer continues to deal the five
community cards to determine which player has the ultimate winning
five card poker hand. If the player with the statistically favorite
hand (at the time the PokerSurance.TM. wager was made and usually a
marker placed at that player's position or the PokerSurance.TM.
wager amount in an appropriate location serves as an identifier)
losses the hand, the player wins the amount of the PokerSurance.TM.
side bet and is paid by the Dealer.
[0030] The payment on the unique insurance wager is made by the
house, usually at a rate of 1:1 (even money) on the amount of the
wager. The economic advantage to the house can be readily seen.
Even if the statistical analysis of cards shows (with two players
in the hand) that one player has a 51% likelihood of winning and
the other player has a 49% likelihood of winning, the house
percentage is about 1-2% on the wager. As the likelihood
differentiates or separates a greater amount (e.g., 75% to 25%),
the house retention increases significantly, rising to about 50%.
Although the simplest format is always requiring a 1:1 payback, the
house may impose payback odds at different determined probabilities
for events, such as requiring a player to bet 6 units for a payback
of 5 units if the percentage likelihood of the advantaged player is
between 51-55%, even money for all other probability ranges, or
even positive odds (well within the controlled house retention
targets) for wagers in other probability ranges. For example, the
1:1 range may begin and end at 52-60% probability, a 6:5 return may
be used for PokerSurance.TM. wagers at 60-67% likelihood of winning
and 3:2 returns may be used for Pokersurance.TM. wagers at 68%
likelihood and above. These odds would still provide for
significant house retention rates on the wager and increase the
overall return to the house for the wager.
[0031] If the player with the statistically favorite hand wins the
hand, the player losses the PokerSurance.TM. side bet to the
Dealer. The advantage to the player can be viewed as follows. The
All-In player can increase the comfort level by assuring
himself/herself that no matter what happens, some money may be
retained. For example, if a player has $1,000.00 at risk on the
final hand and has a 55% likelihood of winning, it must also be
recognized that the player has a 45% chance of losing everything.
It would provide that player some comfort to place a (for example)
$200.00 (from private funding, credit card funding, house credit
funding or borrowed funds) PokerSurance.TM. wager so that if the
45% final event occurs, the player will finish the hand with a
minimum of $400.00 in a worst case scenario, and only reduce the
total amount of winning by $200.00 if the player wins the hand.
[0032] It must be remembered that the PokerSurance.TM. bet will not
necessarily be available every time that a first player goes
All-In. If there are two additional players active in the round of
play at the time that the All-In bet is made and the first player
All-In wager does not bring all but no more than one of the two
other players into the round of play in an all-in situation for
them, then there can be No PokerSurance.TM. wager. This is because
the PokerSurance.TM. wager requires an open view of all hole cards
at the table to be able to determine probabilities for ultimate
events at the table. If there are two players remaining at the
table with funds for which additional wagers can be made, then
their hands would not be exposed. It is possible to provide a rule
that if one player goes All-In and requests a PokerSurance.TM.
wager that, before or after all players have made a call bet with
respect to the All-In bet, that all hole cards must be exposed.
This is not a preferred method of play as it is unfair to other
players with funds remaining to wager, but is a possible
alternative.
[0033] The PokerSurance.TM. wager can be designed for availability
or play access in many different ways. For example, a player may be
required or allowed to make the PokerSurance.TM. wager before
receiving any cards, the wager being returned if that player is not
involved in an all-in wager with the advantaged hand. The
PokerSurance.TM. wager may also be limited to after a player has
received at least some cards (e.g., the two hole cards) and again
the wager will be fully returned if that player is not involved in
an all-in wager with the advantaged hand. Additionally, and in a
preferred mode, a player may make or offer to make the
PokerSurance.TM. wager when making an all-in wager, and then events
will determine if the dealer will accept it (e.g., only one other
player remains, no players other than the bettor can make an
additional wager, and if the offering player has the advantaged
hand.) The use of the probability indicator is useful in this
regard as the device can automatically identify a situation when a
player is an advantaged hand and the player is then offered an
opportunity to make the wager. The processor can determine this by
the automatic reading of playing cards delivered to each player
position, the community cards, and software enabling analysis of
the card patterns and probabilities.
[0034] If no All-In wager is made that removes all but two players
from the round of play before the flop is displayed and before the
flop is wagered on, more betting is possible after the first round
of betting. This is done by dealing three community cards face up,
wherein each community card is usable by the one or more players in
the hand to form a five card poker hand. At this point a second
round of betting is continued, and an All-In wager is again
possible, with a PokerSurance.TM. wager possible, also under the
same conditions described above. One or more players can wager all
his money and be an "all-in" player. If after the second round of
betting there is no more betting possible, then the one or more
players in the hand must expose their two face down cards. If the
player with the statistically favorite hand has made or makes a
PokerSurance.TM. wager, and the Dealer decides to accept the bet,
the Dealer continues to deal the last two community cards to
determine which player has the winning five card poker hand. If the
player with the statistically favorite hand losses the hand, the
player wins any PokerSurance.TM. side bet placed by him/her and is
paid by the Dealer. If the player with the statistically favorite
hand wins the hand, the player losses the PokerSurance.TM. side bet
to the Dealer. If more betting is possible after the second round
of betting, the game continues by dealing one community card face
up, wherein each community card is usable by the one or more
players in the hand to form a five card poker hand. A third round
of betting may be allowed after the fourth community card has been
dealt; wherein one or more players can wager all his money and be
an "all-in" player and a PokerSurance.TM. wager again is possible
under the conditions described above. If after the third round of
betting there is no more betting possible, then the one or more
players in the hand must expose their two face down cards. If the
player with the statistically favorite hand has a PokerSurance.TM.
wager, and the Dealer decides to accept the bet, the Dealer deals
the last community card to determine which player has the winning
five card poker hand. If the player with the statistically favorite
hand losses the hand, the player wins the PokerSurance.TM. side bet
and is paid by the Dealer. If the player with the statistically
favorite hand wins the hand, the player losses the PokerSurance.TM.
side bet to the Dealer. The last community card is dealt, wherein
the last round of betting takes place, the players expose their two
face down cards to determine which player has a winning hand. No
PokerSurance.TM. wager may be made at this time, as the ultimate
event can be finally determined at this point since all cards have
been dealt. The above steps are conducted sequentially.
[0035] It is important to the play of the game that the house is
able to appreciate and understand the probabilities during each
round for one hand to succeed against all remaining hands. Most
skilled dealers and players know these odds within acceptable
percentage ranges, so it is possible that the house Dealer is given
the authority to accept a single PokerSurance.TM. wager from a
table after the cards have been revealed. If there is a dispute by
one or more players, a Pit Boss or Director may be consulted.
Ideally, a processor contains software that calculates the odds and
percentages and a screen or printout is available to display the
percentages or absolute finding (e.g., Player X has the highest
probability of winning) to the players and dealer. Such software
and displays are presently used commercially, especially in
television broadcasts of games, and so no unique software or
hardware technology is required, although systems may be designed
for use with this particular bet using the known technology. The
house may or may not allow a PokerSurance.TM. wager when there are
more than two players remaining in a game. This is because the most
advantaged player may have a likelihood of winning that is less
than 50% and the house, without offering a wager with a house
percentage, would not want to accept a 1:1 insurance wager on an
event with greater than a 50% probability. For example, if there
are three players in a game and one player goes All-In, the
probabilities of each player winning may be 40%, 35% and 25%. The
likelihood of the most advantaged player winning the
PokerSurance.TM. wager (by losing the hand) is 60/40. The house
would not want to have to accept a wager on that event unless the
payback is less than 40/60. If the house establishes such odds, a
PokerSurance.TM. bet might be accepted. Furthermore, if the
probability for losing the wager exceeded 50%, players, could make
a large PokerSurance.TM. wager and fold. It might therefore be a
rule that no player may fold once a PokerSurance.TM. wager has been
made by that player. A display may be provided as viewable by the
entire field at the same time, individual panel displays may be
provided to each player, or a signal (e.g., light or display panel)
at each player position may be used to indicate which player has
the highest probability of winning and is therefore eligible for
the PokerSurance.TM. wager. Either the advantaged player may have a
light lit at his position, or all ineligible players may have their
lights light or darkened. The basis of the percentages calculated
may be based on various available information, with each set of
information being important to the house. For example, the simplest
probability determination can be made solely by calculations based
on exposed player hands and displayed community cards. These are
not necessarily actual probabilities because of the fact that some
cards that affect probabilities may have already been used in the
round of play. As an extreme example, consider a round where the
hand of Player X is K, J, 10, 9 (in suit) and the hand of Player Y
is K, Q, 10, 9 out of suit. Player X may appear to have an
advantage because of the possibility of a flush. However, if the
actual hole cards or other players and Player Y reduces the number
of cards in that suit of Player X significantly, and the real
probabilities for Player X winning are significantly reduced to
where Player Y actually has the advantage. By the use of card
reading technology in which all cards dealt to players are known to
casino controlled processors, real probabilities can be determined
and used in the play of the PokerSuance.TM. wager to determine a
player with an actual advantage based on the true available card
probabilities.
[0036] It is possible that once a first player has made the
PokerSurance.TM. wager and further community cards are provided,
the likelihood of a second player becoming a more advantaged player
may occur. Rules can be provided for allowing the first player to
surrender part of the first PokerSurance.TM. wager (e.g., if the
player is not reduced to a 0% chance of winning or less than, for
example 15% chance of winning), or the second player may be allowed
to place a PokerSurance.TM. wager. The latter would be advantageous
to the house, as with equal first and second PokerSurance.TM.
wagers, the house would then be guaranteed a no loss situation,
while if the odds had shifted in favor of the first player winning
the PokerSurance.TM. wager, the house was in an unfavorable
position for a loss. Limits on the amounts of the PokerSurance.TM.
wager may be placed by the club or casino, as by a fixed limit
(e.g., no more than $500.00) or by a percentage limit (e.g., no
more than 50% of the last wager made by the player or no more than
25% of the entry amount for the game).
[0037] An apparatus for a PokerSurance.TM. bet when playing the
poker card game of No Limit Texas Hold may comprise of a Poker
table layout having designated PokerSurance.TM. bet areas, with or
without automatic bet reading, as by cameras, optical readers,
scanners, RFID systems and the like. FIG. 1 shows a table layout 2
for play of No Limit Hold 'Em with a PokerSurance.TM. wager. The
table layout 2 is shown with eight player positions 4 demarked by
either a button position marker, card receiving target, betting
position or the like indicated by the circle 4. An odds indicator,
screen or 7-segment display 6 is provided to identify the odds at
the various positions or to identify the player position that is
the most advantaged according to the output of a processor. A bet
position 8 is shown for the placement of the PokerSurance.TM.
wager. This structure is merely an example of the structure that
can be used for a table layout and is not to be considered as a
limitation of the practice of the invention. For example, it is not
necessary to display the percentages to the field or even to the
dealer, although this places a burden on the skill of the dealer
and can lead to debate at a table over the availability of the
wager.
[0038] The PokerSurance.TM. wager is a method of limiting a
player's financial loss when playing No Limit Texas Hold'em. The
wager enables the player with the statistically favorite hand in an
"all-in" situation to buy a form of poker insurance ("bad beat"
protection) called PokerSurance.TM. wager. Application of the
invention thereby reduces the potential for catastrophic financial
loss to the player holding the favorite hand at the time the wager
is made--which can be substantial in "all-in" No Limit Hold'em
poker hands.
[0039] A PokerSurance.TM. bet is a "side bet;" meaning it is a bet
that does not effect the bets that are in the pot. A
PokerSurance.TM. bet is in play only when one or more players are
"all-in" and no more betting is possible; specifically:
[0040] a) after dealing the first two cards face down to one or
more players in a hand;
[0041] b) after dealing the first two cards face down and the three
community cards face up, wherein each community card is usable by
the one or more players to form a five card poker hand; or
[0042] c) after dealing the first two face cards face down, and the
first four community cards face up, wherein each community card is
usable by the one or more players to form a five-card poker
hand.
[0043] When one or more players are said to be "all-in," the
players in the hand must expose their two down cards if no two
remaining players may still make bets against each other. The
player with the statistically favorite hand, who has a
PokerSurance.TM. side bet and whose bet is accepted by the Dealer
is protected from losing all his money on a "bad beat." The dealer
may be authorized to refuse a PokerSurance.TM. wager, although this
is unlikely to happen, unless there is uncertainty about the
probabilities or the probability of winning does not meet a minimum
pre-established amount (e.g., at least 52%, at least 53%, at least
54%, at least 55%, etc.).
[0044] If the player with the statistically favorite hand loses, he
wins his PokerSurance.TM. side bet from the Dealer. If the same
player has his hand win, he will lose his PokerSurance.TM. side bet
to the Dealer. The player's PokerSurance.TM. bet does not affect
the results of which player holds the winning hand and wins the
bets in the pot.
Glossary of Terms Used. These terms shall have the meaning defined
below in the practice of the present technology:
[0045] "All-In" means a wager by a player all of remaining money or
chips that may be exercised or controlled by that player then
participating in that hand at any of the several rounds of wagering
associated with that hand.
[0046] "Side bet" means a bet that does not effect the total bets
in the pot between the players in a hand.
[0047] "Card" or "Cards" means conventional playing cards, i.e.,
the individual playing cards in at least a single deck of fifty two
cards comprised of four suits (spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds)
of thirteen cards each, with each suit including (in descending
rank) one ace, one king, one queen, one jack, one ten, one nine,
one eight, one seven, one six, one five, one four, one three and
one two.
[0048] "Community Car(d)s" means cards that are dealt face-up and
that may be used by all players then active in any given hand.
[0049] "Down Card(s)" mean cards dealt face-down to each player.
These are also referred to as "hole card(s)."
[0050] "Hand" has multiple meanings in card games and it is often
necessary to distinguish the meanings by context or additional
specificity. One meaning is for a set of cards controlled by a
player or dealer or banker, as in a five-card poker hand. The word
may also mean a round of a game, such as a completion of an event
in poker in which a final determination of results occurs. In Hold
'Em poker, for example, a hand is a completed event in which only
one player remains in the game or in which each player is dealt two
down cards and has the use of the five community cards.
[0051] "Poker" means a class of card game in which a number of
players compete against each other (and/or a paytable) according to
hand ranks to win the pot, a prize which consists of the total
amount wagered by all players in any given round of play. The
winner in each hand is determined based upon a fixed ranking of
individual hands, and may be determined by the highest hand rank,
the lowest hand rank or split between the highest and lowest hand
ranks according to poker rankings.
[0052] "Texas Hold 'Em" means the type of poker game in which each
player is initially dealt two down cards. There are sequential
wagering events before and after receiving additional cards, as
explained in detail above. There are sequential rounds of wagering
after each event (including after the first two down cards are
dealt, after the first three community cards (the flop) are dealt,
after the fourth community card is dealt (fourth street), and after
the fifth community card (the river) is dealt). These community
cards are dealt in sets of three, then one, then a final community
card. The winner is based on the highest possible five-card poker
hand from the seven cards available to make a hand for that player.
Texas Hold 'Em games that incorporate the all-in variants of
wagering are referred to as "No Limit Texas Hold 'Em" or just "No
Limit Hold 'Em."
[0053] "Bad beat" means an event when a player who has a
statistical advantage over an opponent eventually loses after all
five community cards are dealt.
[0054] The most popular poker game is Texas Hold 'Em, a game which
awards a pot to the player having the highest five-card poker hand,
ranked in standard poker fashion, i.e., royal flush, straight
flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a
kind, two pair, one pair, and high card, in descending order. Texas
Hold 'Em is played sequentially through about eleven separate
steps, as follows: [0055] 1) appropriate initial wagers, antes or
blinds are placed according to local rules; [0056] 2) two cards are
dealt, face down, to each player; [0057] 3) after players view
their cards, a first round of wagering occurs. It should be noted
that a player is entitled to check (if there were no blinds
placed), rather than wager; however, if a player checks and another
player wagers, the player who checked must match the wager, raise
the wager or fold. [0058] 4) three community cards (the flop) are
dealt, face up; [0059] 5) a round of wagering occurs after the flop
is viewed; [0060] 6) the next-to-last "community" card (fourth
street) is dealt, face up; [0061] 7) a round of wagering occurs
after the fourth community card is viewed; [0062] 8) the last
community card (the river) is dealt, face up; [0063] 9) a final
round of wagering occurs; [0064] 10) each remaining player exposes
his/her down cards; and [0065] 11) the winner is declared on the
basis of highest five-card poker ranks and the pot is distributed.
Each player is entitled to combine one, two or none of the down
cards (hole cards) with any or all of the five community cards to
form the highest possible five-card poker hand. Most often a player
will combine three of the community cards with both of down cards
to form a contesting five-card poker hand.
[0066] All wagers made during a hand are held in the pot pending
distribution to the eventual winner(s). In any round, any player
may elect not to wager (or not match another player's wager), in
which case that player folds and is no longer eligible to play in
the hand. The exception to this rule is the first round of
wagering, in which some players are required to wager a
pre-determined amount, and each player must match or call he
maximum required predetermined amount.
[0067] Generally speaking, a game's sponsor will prescribe the
minimum and maximum size of any given wager, including raises,
antes and blinds. However, in games of Texas Hold 'Em that
incorporates the all-in wagering variant, there is no pre-set limit
to the maximum amount a player may wager (or raise); the maximum
amount a player may wager (or raise) is limited only by the amount
of money or chips a player has available at that moment in time.
Games of Texas Hold 'Em that incorporate the all-in wagering
variant are known as No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, or just No Limit Hold
'Em. The technology described herein may be generally described as
a method of playing a casino playing card wagering game in which
players compete against players and in which an All-In wager can be
made before all cards in a round of play are dealt and viewed. The
method may include, at least:
[0068] providing a partial poker hand to each of at least two
players;
[0069] the at least two players viewing their respective partial
poker hands;
[0070] at least one player wagering all game wagerable value
controlled by the at least one player in that round of play as an
all-in wager (that is, any chips remaining on the table for that
player);
[0071] at least one second player calling the all-in wager, and no
third player calling the all-in wager such that additional wagers
could be placed by the at least one second player and the third
player as additional cards are provided towards completing the
partial poker hands;
[0072] exposing all cards of the partial poker hands of the at
least one player and the at least one second player;
[0073] determining statistical probability of advantage for the
partial poker hand of the at least one player versus the partial
poker hand of the at least one second player; and
[0074] a player being determined to have the best statistical
probability of advantage placing a side bet wager against the
casino that at the conclusion of the round of play, the player with
the statistical advantage will lose the resolution of the round of
play after complete poker hands are formed.
[0075] In the play of No Limit Hold 'Em poker, a first partial
poker hand to each of the at least two players comprises exactly
two cards face down. In the play of No Limit Omaha poker, a first
partial poker hand to each of the at least two players comprises
exactly four cards face down. The first time that an all-in wager
may be made is after the at least two players see only their own
two cards face down. As described elsewhere herein, a preferred
time for execution of the PokerSurance.TM. wager is where only two
players remain in the round of play. In No Limit Hold 'Em, the
complete poker hands are formed with five community cards. The five
community cards are provided as a first set of three cards, a
second set of one card, and a final set of another one card, each
set dealt face-up for viewing. The all-in wager may be placed after
the first set of three community cards is provided, after the
second set of one card is provided or after the final set of one
card is provided. A preferred method is wherein the side bet wager
is paid at a 1:1 return on the side bet wager, or where the side
bet wager is always paid at a 1:1 return on the side bet wager. As
noted elsewhere, the side bet wager is paid at a 1:1 return on the
side bet wager for some ranges of statistical probability of
advantage and paid at odds other than 1:1 for other ranges of
statistical probability of advantage. The statistical probability
of advantage is determined by the casino or by a casino processor
for each round of play. The statistical probability of advantage is
displayed to all players after the all-in wager has been made and
called so that an advantaged player can be identified. An apparatus
for the play of this method would contain a table (virtual or real)
having wagering positions at multiple player positions for
placement of the side bet wager and a display system for displaying
the statistical probability of advantage of at least one player.
The display system can display the statistical probability of
advantage for all players remaining in the round of play after the
all-in wager has been made and all other players have elected to
fold or call the all-in wager. The processor is present to
determine the statistical probability of advantage and the
determination is communicated to the display system.
[0076] In games of No Limit Hold 'Em, any player may move all-in at
any round of wagering once the hole cards have been delivered to
all of the players. Once a player has moved all-in, every other
player who wishes to remain in the hand must either match the
amount wagered by the player who has moved all-in or fold and lose
what he/she had bet to that point. After an All-In wager, if there
is only one or no remaining player that is not all-in, (i) each
remaining player exposes the down cards, (ii) all remaining
community cards are dealt, face up and (iii) the winner is declared
based on the cards revealed. Note that the nomenclature "all-in" is
somewhat of a misnomer: a player who moves all-in does, indeed,
place all of his remaining money or chips into the pot, however his
potential loss is limited to the maximum amount bet by any other
player. Thus, for example, if Player A with 50 chips moves all-in
and Player B has only 30 chips but chooses to match the bet and
move all-in, Player A's maximum potential loss is 30, rather than
50, chips. It should be noted that when there are more than two
players remaining in a game and one player has moved All-In, only
one, exactly two, or more players may actually have all their money
at risk in the hand. Only in circumstances where there are no or
exactly one remaining players that do not have all their money at
risk may the PokerSurance.TM. wager be made. This restriction is
placed because if there were more players with available money with
which to pressure an opponent, all hole cards would be exposed
while additional wagering opportunities are still available. Even
if automated reading of hands were available without all hole cards
exposed, the advantaged player would have to be identified as only
the advantaged player can make the PokerSurance.TM. wager.
[0077] A player who elects to be all-in can no longer make any
further decisions about his hand; as a result, a player who may
have superior skill or a statistically significant advantage at an
intermediate time in the play of a hand (with respect to the other
opponent(s)) can still lose through the luck of the draw. Thus, an
all-in decision that may be the correct decision for a player to
make from the perspective of statistic or skill (i.e., the superior
player will often be able to assess with reasonable accuracy the
odds of winning or losing a given hand based on his down cards, the
community cards and the relative statistical probability of an
opponent having a superior hand) can result in a catastrophic
monetary loss.
[0078] Decades ago at the biggest money games of No Limit Hold 'Em
poker, there might be an "insurance man" at the table who made a
business of selling insurance to any player who was "all in" on a
hand. However, this did not work since the deals he offered the
players were never in a player's best interest. The more desperate
the player, the worse were the terms exacted by the seller of the
insurance. There were no house regulations on the rates or amounts
for the independent insurance.
[0079] More recently at the biggest money games, players who are
all in on a hand may agree to the idea of "Run it twice." What this
means is that the dealer will split the pot into two equal parts.
The dealer will deal the rest of the community cards and determine
the winning hand the first time. And then repeat the deal a second
time. The player who wins the first deal wins the first pot, and
the player who wins the second deal will win the second pot.
Sometimes one player will win both pots, and sometimes it will be
split evenly. Today, players do not have "insurance men" at poker
tables and the concept of "Run it twice" has not been widely
accepted. It is therefore possible for a player who is all in with
the statistically favorite hand, to lose all his/her money on one
hand of poker due to a bad beat.
[0080] Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the
following description of the invention is illustrative only and not
in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will
readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons. As described
above, one significant problem with No Limit Hold 'Em is that a
player who is "all-in" can suffer significant financial loss even
though he/she is holding the statistically favorite hand. Thus, a
superior player can lose all of his/her money in an all-in game. A
PokerSurance.TM. bet will: [0081] (i) provide an insurance feature
of hedging one's potential loss in any given hand and [0082] (ii)
enable more players to remain in a game after losing a particular
hand. When all remaining players up to a maximum number of one more
player (making two players only in the game) have moved all-in and
no more wagering is possible, and all hole cards are exposed, the
player with the statistically favorite hand, has an available
PokerSurance.TM. bet, and whose bet is confirmed and accepted by
the Dealer, will have his PokerSurance.TM. bet activated.
[0083] While the player with the favorite hand will not be able to
avoid "bad beats," the player will be able to get paid if he places
a PokerSurance.TM. bet that is accepted by the Dealer. There are
many different conditions or variations in how to play No Limit
Hold'em using a PokerSurance.TM. side bet. Here are a few
examples:
[0084] Each player may place a PokerSurance.TM. bet before a hand
is played to buy poker insurance. A PokerSurance.TM. bet is
activated only for the player with the statistically favorite hand,
where one or more players are all in, and the bet is accepted by
the Dealer. If the bet is not accepted, the bet can stay in the
PokerSurance.TM. designated area for as long as desired by the
player without any loss to the player.
[0085] Each player may place a PokerSurance.TM. bet before a hand
is played to buy poker insurance. A PokerSurance.TM. bet is
activated only for the player with the statistically favorite hand,
where one or more players are all in, and the bet is accepted by
the Dealer. If the player wins his PokerSurance.TM., he will get
paid by the Dealer by some multiplier of his bet. The other players
who have made a PokerSurance.TM. bet will lose this side bet to the
Dealer.
[0086] When players are all in on a hand, the player with the
statistically favorite hand has the option to make a
PokerSurance.TM. bet in the designated area. If the player places
this side bet, the Dealer has the option to accept or reject this
bet, or may have no option under other house rules.
[0087] The following example is instructional. For convenience, the
referenced game will be described with a "Dealer" and six position
players, denoted Players A through F. The Dealer is not a player in
either manual (i.e., games dealt in a casino or gaming room) or
electronic (either console or on-line) games of No Limit Hold 'Em.
A hand of No Limit Hold 'Em is described in which an all-in
decision is made after the two down cards have been dealt to each
player and where one player wins his/her PokerSurance.TM. wager.
There are six players (Players A through F) and the hand proceeds
according to the following steps. Step No. 1: Player E makes a
PokerSurance.TM. bet for 50 chips. Step No. 2: The two down cards
are dealt to each player. Each player is permitted to look at his
two down cards, but not the down cards of any other player. Step
No. 3: A first round of wagering takes place, with the following
results: Player A (the small blind) wagers; Player B (the big
blind) wagers; Player C folds; Player D folds; Player E moves
all-in for 100 chips; Player F moves all-in for 100 chips; Player A
folds and Player B folds. At this point in the hand, two players
have moved all-in and they reveal their down cards. As only players
who have moved all-in are still in the game, the hole cards of each
of those players may now be revealed without affecting further play
of the game. Player E reveals a pair of Aces. Player F reveals a
pair of Kings. Player E has a statistically favorite hand and has
placed a PokerSurance.TM. side bet of 50 chips. The Dealer decides
to accept this wager because Player E is clearly the advantaged
hand. Step No. 4: The five community cards are dealt, face up (with
the traditional cards burned during provision of the remaining
community cards) and Player F holds the winning hand with three
Kings. Step No. 5: Player F wins the 200 chips in the pot. Player E
wins the 50 chips for the PokerSurance.TM. bet and is paid by the
Dealer.
[0088] In another hand of No Limit Hold 'Em, an all-in decision is
made after the two down cards have been dealt to each player and
where one player losses his PokerSurance.TM. wager. There are six
players (Players A through F) and the hand proceeds according to
the following steps. Step No. 1: Player E makes a PokerSurance.TM.
bet for 50 chips. Step No. 2: The two down cards are dealt to each
player. Each player is permitted to look at his two down cards, but
not the down cards of any other player. Step No. 3: A first round
of wagering takes place, with the following results: Player A (the
small blind) wagers; Player B (the big blind) wagers; Player C
folds; Player D folds; Player E moves all-in for 100 chips; Player
F moves all-in for 100 chips; Player A folds and Player B folds. At
this point in the hand, two players have moved all-in and they
reveal their down cards. Player E reveals a pair of Aces. Player F
reveals a pair of Kings. Player E has a statistically leading hand
and makes a PokerSurance.TM. side bet of 50 chips. The Dealer
decides to accept this wager as Player E clearly has an advantaged
hand. Step No. 4: The five community cards are dealt, face up and
Player E holds the winning hand with the pair of Aces. Step No. 5:
Player E wins the 200 chips in the pot. Player E loses the 50 chips
for the PokerSurance.TM. bet to the Dealer.
[0089] The new PokerSurance.TM. side bet (i.e., a No Limit Hold Em
game utilizing the invention) compares favorably with the current
game. The invention allows players that have a statistical
advantage over their opponents to get paid in case of "bad beats."
Further, the invention allows for a significant revenue enhancement
to casinos, on-line poker sites and console poker sponsors.
Although Texas Hold 'Em has been emphasized in this description,
any other player-versus-player game with or without community cards
and in which additional cards are to be provided to players
(individually or as community cards or as replacement cards after
discarding) in which an All-In wager may be made, such as Omaha
poker, seven-card stud, five-card draw and the like.
* * * * *