Apparatus and method for memorization poker

• US 20050037834A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Michaelson, Richard E., Stern, Kenneth O., Wishart, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/638,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/02 Cards; Special shapes of cards card-printing methods B41K, B41M
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/005 Poker
• 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

New apparatuses and methods for introducing varying levels of skill into wagering games that have historically been games of luck or strategy are provided. A card value and suit is invisible to the player initially and associated with a value and suit dealt to the player. The game enables the player to elect to display the associated value and suit. If the player exercises the option, the associated value and suit is displayed and a poker or blackjack evaluation is made based on the displayed associated value and suit. In various embodiments, the same associations are maintained for a single hand or play, multiple hands or plays or on a long term fixed basis. Associated symbols are also implemented with the game of slot.

Claims

1. A deck of cards for playing poker, the deck comprising:

a plurality of playing cards, each playing card having a first value and suit combination drawn from a first set of value and suit combinations and a second different value and suit combination associated with the first combination, the second combination drawn from a second set of value and suit combinations.

2. The deck of claim 1, which is a virtual deck of playing cards.

3. The deck of claim 1, which is a physical deck of playing cards.

4. The deck of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(i) the plurality of playing cards;

(ii) the first set of value and suit combinations; and

(iii) the second set of value and suit combinations includes fifty-two different value and suit combinations or a multiple thereof.

5. The deck of claim 1, which includes a third value and suit combination associated with the first combination, the third combination drawn from a third set of value and suit combinations.

6. The deck of claim 1, which includes a third value and suit combination associated with the second combination, the third combination drawn from a third set of value and suit combinations.

7. The deck of claim 1, wherein the association between the first value and suit combination and the second value and suit combination has a duration selected from the group consisting of:

(i) randomly determined upon each play of the cards;

(ii) fixed for a predetermined number of plays of the cards;

(iii) fixed until an event occurs; and

(iv) fixed permanently.

8. A card for playing poker, the card comprising:

a first value and suit combination drawn from a first set of value and suit combinations; and

a second different value and suit combination drawn from a second set of value and suit combinations associated with the first value and suit combination over a duration of play of a game using the card.

9. The card of claim 8, wherein the duration of play is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a single play;

(ii) a predetermined plurality of plays;

(iii) a randomly determined plurality of plays;

(iv) play until an event occurs; and

(v) fixed for all plays using the card.

10. The card of claim 9, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of:

a cashout, an elapse of a given amount of time after the cashout, and a removal of a player tracking card from a gaming device employing the poker card.

11. A card for playing poker, the card comprising;

a first value and suit combination; and

a second different value and suit combination, the second combination associated with the first combination over a duration of play of a game using the card.

12. The card of claim 11, wherein the first and second combinations are drawn from different sets of value and suit combinations.

13. The card of claim 11, wherein the duration of play is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a single play;

(ii) a predetermined plurality of plays;

(iii) a randomly determined plurality of plays;

(iv) play until an event occurs; and

(v) fixed for all plays using the card.

14. The card of claim 13, wherein the duration of play is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a single play;

(ii) a predetermined plurality of plays;

(iii) a randomly determined plurality of plays;

(iv) play until an event occurs; and

(v) fixed for all plays using the card.

15. The card of claim 11, which is used in a game played via a computer network or via a computer storage device.

16. A poker game comprising:

at least one playing card of a deck of cards that are either dealt to a player with face showing or dealt face down and later revealed to show face, the face having a first value and suit combination selected from a first set of value and suit combinations;

an option provided to the player for the card to select to activate a second value and suit combination that is associated with the first value and suit combination over a duration of play of the poker game; and

a poker evaluation using the second value and suit combination.

17. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the poker evaluation is made in lieu of an evaluation based on the first value and suit combination.

18. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the poker evaluation is based additionally on the first combination.

19. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the poker evaluation is for a poker game selected from the group consisting of:

draw poker, stud poker, Caribbean poker and multi-hand poker.

20. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the duration lasts for at least one hand of poker.

21. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the duration lasts until the player cashes out or depletes the player'"'"'s credits, until a period of time elapses after the player cashes out or until the player removes a player tracking card from a gaming device employing the game.

22. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the duration is permanent.

23. The poker game of claim 16, wherein the option is a first option and which includes a second option for the player to pay to see the second value and suit combination without activating the second combination.

24. The poker game of claim 16, which is provided via a format selected from the group consisting of:

a video machine, a table game, a database, a computer storage device, a computer network and an internet.

25. The poker game of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of combinations is a deck of playing cards.

26. The poker game of claim 16, which includes at least one hint concerning the association between the first and second combinations provided to the player.

27. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a plurality of symbols including a first symbol displayed to a player, the first symbol part of a first combination of symbols that can be evaluated to determine whether the first combination yields a win for the player;

the plurality of symbols also including a second symbol predetermined to be associated with the first symbol, the second symbol not displayed initially to the player when the first symbol is generated;

an option for the player to select to activate the second symbol to produce a second combination of symbols; and

a game evaluation based on the second combination of symbols.

28. The wagering game of claim 27, which is selected from the group consisting of:

poker, blackjack and slot.

29. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the first symbol is part of a set of symbols, and wherein at least one other symbol in the set has an associated symbol that is not displayed initially when the other symbol is generated.

30. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the game evaluation using the second set of symbols is made in lieu of an evaluation based on the first set of symbols.

31. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the second symbol is associated with the first symbol for a number of game plays selected from the group consisting of:

a single game play, multiple game plays and all game plays.

32. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the first combination of symbols includes a plurality of first symbols having initially hidden associated second symbols, the option enabling the player to select to display up to each of the associated second symbols.

33. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the first combination of symbols includes a plurality of first symbols having initially hidden associated second symbols, the option enabling the player to select to display less than all of the associated second symbols.

34. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the first symbol is displayed on a video monitor that operates with a touch screen so that the player can touch the first symbol to display the second symbol.

35. The wagering game of claim 27, wherein the first symbol is displayed on a slot machine reel, the option provided when the first symbol appears on an active payline.

36. The wagering game of claim 27, which is a blackjack game in which the game evaluation includes a value of the second symbol being added to a player'"'"'s blackjack total in combination with a value of the associated first symbol.

37. The wagering game of claim 27, which is a blackjack game in which the game evaluation includes a value of the second symbol being added to a player'"'"'s blackjack total instead of a value of the associated first symbol.

38. The wagering game of claim 37, wherein the option is contingent upon whether the value of the first symbol causes the blackjack total to exceed twenty-one.

39. The wagering game of claim 27, which is a poker game in which the player competes against a gaming establishment.

40. The wagering game of claim 27, which is a poker game in which the player competes against at least one other player.

41. The wagering game of claim 40, wherein the option is a first option and which includes a second option for the player to pay to see the second symbol without activating the second symbol or second combination.

42. The wagering game of claim 27, which is provided via a format selected from the group consisting of:

a video machine, a table game, a database, a computer storage device, a computer network and an internet.

43. A poker game comprising:

a first set including a plurality of different cards, each card having a value and suit;

a second set of cards, at least one card of the second set having a first value and suit displayed on one side and a second value and suit displayed on the other side of the card; and

an option in which a player who is dealt one of the cards from the first set having a value and suit corresponding to the first value and suit of the card of the second set can select to activate the second value and suit of the card of the second set.

44. The poker game of claim 43, which includes a poker evaluation based on at least one of the first value and suit and the second value and suit when the player exercises the option.

45. The poker game of claim 47, wherein the second set of cards is used for a duration selected from the group consisting of:

a single hand, a plurality of hands, until the player cashes out or stops playing, and for all hands.

46. The poker game of claim 45, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of:

a cashout, an elapse of a given amount of time after the cashout, and a removal of a player tracking card from a gaming device employing the poker game.

47. The poker game of claim 43, wherein the first value and suit of the card of the second set is the same as the second value and suit.

48. The poker game of claim 43, wherein each of the cards of the second set of cards includes first and second value and suit combinations.

49. The poker game of claim 43, which includes a third set of cards, used in place of the second set of cards, the third set of cards including at least one card having a first value and suit combination on one side and a second value and suit combination on the other side of the card.

50. The poker game of claim 43, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of cards is a physical set of cards.

51. A method of operating a wagering game comprising the steps of:

generating a first symbol for a player;

providing an opportunity for the player to remember that the first symbol is predetermined to be associated with a second symbol for at least a number of game plays; and

providing an option to the player to have the second symbol used in a decision for the wagering game.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein generating the first symbol includes performing an action selected from the group consisting of:

spinning at least one slot machine reel and dealing at least one playing card.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the option includes using the second symbol instead of the first symbol in the gaming decision.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the gaming decision includes determining if the second symbol alone or in combination with at least one other symbol yields an award to the player.

55. The method of claim 51, which is provided via a data network.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the date network includes an internet.

57. The method of claim 51, which is provided on a memory storage device.

58. A gaming device comprising:

a processor utilizing an outcome determination scheme, wherein an outcome including a first symbol is predetermined and then symbols to illustrate the outcome are displayed;

a game involving a player'"'"'s selection between at least two of the symbols; and

at least two sets of symbols, at least one of the symbols of each of the sets being a first symbol, wherein one of the first symbols from one of the sets can be generated and displayed to illustrate the predetermined outcome after the player selects to discard another one of the first symbols from another one of the sets.

59. The gaming device of claim 58, which includes a poker game, wherein the sets are decks of cards and the first symbol is a first card and wherein multiple first cards from multiple decks are generated to illustrate a predetermined poker outcome.

60. The gaming device of claim 59, wherein the poker game is a draw poker game, wherein each of the cards of the predetermined outcome, including the first card, is displayed to the player prior to the player'"'"'s input to keep or discard one or more of the cards.

61. The gaming device of claim 58, which is provided via a format selected from the group consisting of:

a video machine, a table game, a database, a computer storage device, a computer network and an internet.

62. A gaming device comprising:

a processor utilizing an outcome determination scheme, wherein a predetermined outcome is generated and then symbols to illustrate the outcome are displayed;

a game involving a player'"'"'s selection between at least two of the symbols; and

at least two sets of symbols, wherein one or more symbols from two or more of the sets of symbols are used to illustrate the predetermined outcome.

63. The gaming device of claim 62, wherein two of the same symbols from two or more of the sets of symbols are used to illustrate the predetermined outcome.

64. The gaming device of claim 62, which includes a poker game, wherein the sets are decks of cards, and wherein one or more card from two or more of the decks is used to illustrate the predetermined outcome.

65. The gaming device of claim 64, wherein the poker game is a draw poker game, wherein each of the cards of the predetermined outcome is generated from one of the decks and displayed to the player prior to the player'"'"'s input to keep or discard one or more of the cards, and wherein at least one card from another one of the decks is used to illustrate the outcome when the player discards for a draw card, at least one initially displayed card belonging to the predetermined outcome.