Rapid play poker gaming device

• US 10,497,219 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald A
• Application Number:
  US15/924,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Embodiments of this concept are directed to a video poker gaming device that deals five cards to a player and selects five more cards that represent the possible cards used in a later draw. From these ten cards, the gaming device if a winning combination above a threshold amount is possible. If such a winning combination is not possible, in some embodiments, the device automatically ends the game and deals a new hand. If a win over the threshold amount is possible, the gaming device allows the player to hold and draw cards. This increases the speed of play of the poker game and focuses game play on hands where winning combinations are likely.

Claims

1. A method of operating a poker gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving value from a player for wagering on the poker gaming device via at least one of a ticket acceptor, a bill acceptor, and a physical object for engaging the gaming device with a credit or debit account;

displaying credits resulting from the received value on a credit meter associated with the poker gaming device, the credits being available to a player for wagering on the poker gaming device;

receiving a player input via a game actuating button associated with the poker gaming device to activate a poker game on the poker gaming device;

randomly selecting a plurality of cards to be used in the poker game;

displaying on a video display associated with the poker gaming device a first portion of the plurality of cards to the player as a dealt poker hand;

analyzing the plurality of randomly selected cards via a programmed processor associated with the poker gaming device to determine if the plurality of randomly selected cards can result in a minimum winning poker hand;

informing the player of at least one of the possible winning poker hands and allowing the player to draw cards from a second portion of the plurality of cards not used in the dealt poker hand to replace cards used in the dealt poker hand when a minimum winning poker hand is determined to be possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards; and

preventing the player from drawing additional cards from the second portion of the plurality of cards not used in the dealt poker hand when a minimum winning poker hand is determined to not be possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein randomly selecting a plurality of cards to be used in the poker game comprises randomly selecting ten cards.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying on a video display associated with the poker gaming device a first portion of the plurality of cards to the player as a dealt poker hand comprises displaying five cards.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically displaying on the video display associated with the poker gaming device the second portion of the plurality of cards not used in the dealt poker hand before initiating the second poker game when a minimum winning poker hand is determined to not be possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the plurality of randomly selected cards can result in a minimum winning poker hand comprises determining if a poker hand with an associated award above a threshold award amount is possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold award amount is zero.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold award amount is greater than zero.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if the minimum winning poker hand with an associated award less than the threshold award amount is a final poker hand that would be reached using a most favorable poker strategy given only the dealt poker hand; and

automatically awarding the award value of the minimum winning poker hand when it is determined that the minimum winning poker hand is a final poker hand that would be reached using the most favorable poker strategy given only the dealt poker hand.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the most favorable poker strategy given only the first dealt poker hand uses a maximum theoretical advantage in determining which of the portion of the plurality of cards would be held.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold award amount is alterable by the player.

11. A poker gaming device comprising:

a gaming display to display poker games played on the poker gaming device by a player;

a player interface panel including a plurality of gaming buttons and a rapid play game initiating button configured to initiate a rapid play poker gaming session; and

at least one of a ticket acceptor, a bill acceptor, and a physical object for engaging the gaming device with a credit or debit account; and

a game processor configured to operate the rapid play poker gaming session by randomly selecting a plurality of cards to be used in the poker game, displaying on the gaming display a first portion of the plurality of cards to the player as a dealt poker hand, analyzing the plurality of randomly selected cards to determine if the plurality of cards can result in a minimum winning poker hand, informing the player of at least one of the possible winning poker hands and allowing the player to draw cards from a second portion of the plurality of cards not used in the dealt poker hand to replace cards used in the dealt poker hand when a minimum winning poker hand is determined to be possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards, and preventing the player from drawing additional cards from the second portion of the plurality of cards not used in the dealt poker hand when a minimum winning poker hand is determined to not be possible from the plurality of randomly selected cards.

12. The poker gaming device of claim 11, wherein the game processor randomly selects ten cards to be used in the poker game.

13. The poker gaming device of claim 11, wherein the game processor displays five cards as a dealt poker hand.

14. The poker gaming device of claim 13, wherein the player interface panel includes at least five gaming buttons, each of the five gaming buttons corresponding to a respective card in the dealt poker hand.

15. The poker gaming device of claim 11, wherein the player interface panel further includes a single-game initiating button to initiate a single game event.

16. The poker gaming device of claim 15, wherein the game processor is further configured to operate the single game event by determining and displaying on the gaming display the single game event on the gaming display.

17. A method of operating a poker gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving value from a player for wagering on the poker gaming device via at least one of a ticket acceptor, a bill acceptor, and a physical object for engaging the gaming device with a credit or debit account;

receiving an input to initiate a poker game on the poker gaming device via a game actuating button associated with the poker gaming device;

selecting a plurality of cards via a programmed processor associated with the poker gaming device for the poker game, the plurality of cards including a first set of cards and a second set of cards;

analyzing the first and second sets of cards via the programmed processor to evaluate whether the combination of the first and second sets of cards can be combined to create at least one minimum winning poker hand;

displaying the first set of cards and at least one of the possible winning poker hands to the player and waiting for a player input when the first and second sets of cards can be combined to meet a predefined criterion; and

displaying a non-preferred game sequence to end the poker game when the first and second sets of cards cannot be combined to create the at least one minimum winning poker hands.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating if the first and second sets of cards can be combined to meet a predefined criterion includes analyzing via the programmed processor associated with the poker gaming device the first and second sets of cards to evaluate whether a combination of the first and second sets of cards is associated with an award amount greater than a predefined threshold amount.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the analysis is done using a best theoretical poker strategy in holding cards.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving a player input to hold cards from the first set of cards, drawing cards from the second set of cards to replace any card not held from the first set of cards, and displaying a final poker hand when the first and second sets of cards can be combined to meet a predefined criterion.