Simulated poker with bonus wheel adder

• US 20070060239A1
• Filed: 09/10/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Design Group (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ditchev, Dimo, Nelson, Loren, Marsden, Russ
• Granted Patent: US 7,425,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/13
• 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

A system and method for presenting a player with simulated poker play is disclosed, where the result is actually based on a predetermined outcome. In order to create a realistic play scenario, the present invention never corrects or overrides a player'"'"'s choices during the play of a hand. Rather, a new solution which incorporates a specially indicated bonus wheel or symbol is used. If a player makes choices while playing a hand that precludes the game machine from creating a needed final value corresponding to a predetermined win amount, a bonus is created to make up any difference. In addition, the way in which the apparent bonus is implemented includes seemingly random bonus awards, allowing both good and poor poker players to receive such bonuses. This further increases the realism of the play.

Claims

1. A method for simulating poker play on a game device, where the type of poker to be simulated is known at the start of a play sequence and where said type of poker has a defined set of player interactions, and where a predetermined winning amount having a 0 or greater value is associated with the play sequence and is known at the start of the play sequence, and where the game device provides a wheel comprising segments individually associable with an in-hand card, the method comprising:

(a) showing an initial set of cards comprising an initial hand in accordance with said type of poker game and in accordance with said predetermined winning amount;

(b) allowing player interaction with said game device where said player interactions are in accordance with said type of poker and its defined player interactions;

(c) having said game device not unilaterally change any of said allowed player interactions;

(d) determining a final set of cards in accordance with said initial set of cards and said player interactions, and further having a value less than or equal to said predetermined winning amount, said value being a final hand amount;

(e) calculating a difference between said predetermined winning amount and said final hand amount, said difference being a bonus amount;

(f) making said determined final set of cards visible;

(g) indicating one of said segments; and

(h) associating said segment and said in-hand card where said associating comprises one of;

matching said segment and said in-hand card and showing a value comprising said bonus amount if said bonus amount is not 0;

or, not matching said segment and said in-hand card if said bonus amount is 0.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating said segment with said in-hand card, where said segment and said in-hand card are not matched and where a bonus is one of:

not shown;

or, shown as having no value, if said bonus amount is 0.

3. The method of claim 1 where said poker type is five card draw, and said defined player interactions comprise holding one of:

any, some, or none of said initial set of cards.

4. The method of claim 1 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises having said segment having associated visually moving indicia on a screen in a visible manner where said indicia is stopped in a manner that visually identifies said segment.

5. The method of claim 4 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises enabling the reception of a stop request after said segment'"'"'s indicia is moving and before said indicia stops moving, and where said moving indicia further stops moving as quickly as possible after said game device receives said stop request and in a manner visually associated said segment with said in-hand card consistent with said bonus winning amount.

6. The method of claim 1 where associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises creating a same visual change to both said segment and said in-hand card where said visual change comprising one of:

a color-based change;

an intensity-based change;

a hue-based change;

or, a combination of color, hue and intensity change.

7. The method of claim 6 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises enabling reception of a stop request after said visual change is shown with said segment while a substantially similar visual change is being applied to said in-hand cards, one at a time and moving from either from one segment to another or from one in-hand card to another, before said visual changes stop, and where said visual changes stop as quickly as possible after said game device receives said stop request and in a manner where said visually changed in-hand card and said same visually changed segment are consistent with said bonus winning amount.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising choosing, before said simulated poker game play starts, one of a plurality of choices, said choices comprising different poker games.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising choosing, before said simulated poker game play starts, a number of simultaneous poker hands to play.

10. A method for simulating poker play on a game device, where a type of poker to be simulated is known at the start of a play sequence and where said type of poker has a defined set of player interactions, and where a predetermined winning amount having a 0 or greater value is associated with the play sequence and is known at the start of the play sequence, and where the game device provides a wheel comprising segments associable with an in-hand card, the method comprising:

(a) using at least a portion of said predetermined winning amount for an initial bonus winning amount;

(b) calculating a target winning amount based on a difference between said predetermined winning amount and said initial bonus winning amount;

(c) showing an initial set of cards comprising an initial hand in accordance with said type of poker game and in accordance with said target winning amount;

(d) allowing player interaction with said game device where said player interactions are in accordance with said type of poker and its defined player interactions;

(e) having said game device not unilaterally change any of said allowed player interactions;

(f) determining a final set of cards in accordance with said initial set of cards and said player interactions, and further having a value less than or equal to said target winning amount, said value being a final hand amount;

(g) calculating a difference between said target winning amount and said final hand amount;

(h) making said determined final hand visible; and

,

(i) associating one of said segments with said in-hand card, where said segment and said in-hand card are matching and have a value assigned comprising said difference between said target winning amount and said final hand amount and adding to said difference to said initial bonus award amount.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising associating said segment with said in-hand card, where said segment and said in-hand card are not matched, where a total bonus winning amount comprising said difference between said target winning amount and said final hand winning amount and further comprising adding to said difference said initial award bonus amount, if said total bonus winning amount is 0.

12. The method of claim 10 where said poker type is five card draw, and said defined player interactions comprise holding one of:

any, some, or none of said initial set of cards.

13. The method of claim 10 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises moving an indicia around said wheel and stopping said indicia in a manner that visually identifies said segment.

14. The method of claim 13 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises enabling the reception of a stop request while said indicia is moving, where said indicia stops moving as quickly as possible after said game device detects a stop request in a manner that visually indicates said segment.

15. The method of claim 10 where associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises creating a same visual change both said segment and said in-hand card where said visual change comprising one of:

a color-based change;

an intensity-based change;

a hue-based change;

or, a combination of color, hue and intensity change.

16. The method of claim 15 where said associating said segment with said in-hand card further comprises receiving a stop request after said visual change is shown on said segment and while a similar visual change is being applied to said in-hand cards one at a time and moving from one in-hand card to another, before said visual changes stop, and further where said visual changes stop as quickly as possible after said game device receives said stop request such that said visually changed in-hand card that matches said visually changes segment are consistent with said bonus winning amount.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising choosing, before said simulated poker game play starts, one poker game from a plurality of poker games.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising choosing, before said simulated poker game play starts, a number of simultaneous poker hands to play.

19. A game device having at least one poker style game operably disposed therein and having a connection configured to be operable with at least one source useable to establish a winning amount having a 0 or greater value, comprising:

a display;

a wheel comprised of segments visible on said display and under operable control of said poker style game;

at least one set of in-hand card images displayable on said display and under operable control of said poker style game;

where said poker style game is further configured to enable completion of a play sequence having a first value and further configured to associate one of said segments with one of said in-hand cards images after said play sequence is completed and associated a second value with said associated segment and in-hand card image such that said first value and said second value taken together equal said winning amount.

20. The game device of claim 19 where said at least one poker style game comprises a plurality of poker style games and is enabled to receive an indication of which of said plurality of poker style games to play.