TOURNAMENT VIDEO POKER

• US 20090088238A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ernest Moody Revocable Trust
• Original Assignee: Ernest Moody Revocable Trust
• Inventors: MOODY, ERNEST W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,671 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Each player who is participating in the video poker tournament plays a designated group of video poker hands. The designated group of video poker hands comprises preselected starting hands so that each tournament participant plays the same starting hands. After the group of video poker hands has been completed, the player with the highest score or highest amount of accrued credits is awarded a prize. Besides awarding a prize to the player with the highest score, other lesser prizes could be awarded to other players who have high scores. Prizes could also be awarded to players who achieve a final score of at least a certain level.

Claims

1. A method of playing a video poker tournament comprising:

a) designating a group of initial hands as the starting hands to be used in the tournament;

b) at least two players entering the tournament;

c) each player in the tournament playing out, according to the conventional manner of play of video poker, the group of initial hands and achieving a group of final hands;

d) giving each final hand of the group of final hands a score based on the poker hand ranking of each final hand;

e) determining a final score for each player based on the player'"'"'s group of final hands;

f) ranking each player according the final score of the player; and

g) making an award to the player with the highest rank.

2. The method of claim 1 including making an award to each player who achieves a high rank.

3. The method of claim 1 including making an award to each player who achieves at least a rank of a certain level.

4. A method of playing a video poker tournament comprising:

a) designating a group of initial hands as the starting hands to be used in the tournament;

b) at least two players entering the tournament;

c) allocating to each player a fixed number of credits to be used to play in the tournament;

d) each player in the tournament playing out, according to the conventional manner of play of video poker, by using his credits the group of initial hands and achieving a group of final hands;

e) giving each final hand of the group of final hands a score based on the poker hand ranking of each final hand;

f) determining a final score for each player based on the player'"'"'s group of final hands;

g) ranking each player according the final score of the player; and

h) making an award to the player with the highest rank.

5. The method of claim 4 including making an award to each player who achieves a high rank.

6. The method of claim 4 including making an award to each player who achieves at least a rank of a certain level.

7. The method of claim 4 including allowing each player to vary a number of credits used on each initial hand.

8. The method of claim 7 including providing that a player receives a final score of zero if the player has no credits remaining before the player has played out all of the initial hands.

9. A method of playing a video poker tournament comprising:

a) providing at least two levels of play for the tournament;

b) at least two players entering the tournament;

c) designating a first level group of initial hands as the starting hands to be used in a first level of the tournament;

d) each player in the tournament playing out, according to the conventional manner of play of video poker, the first level group of initial hands and achieving a first level group of final hands;

e) giving each final hand of the first level group of final hands a score based on the poker hand ranking of each final hand;

f) determining a first level score for each player based on the player'"'"'s first level group of final hands;

g) ranking each player according to the first level score of the player;

h) advancing a number of players with the highest first level scores to a second level of the tournament;

i) designating a second level group of initial hands as the starting hands to be used in the second level of the tournament;

j) each player in the second level of the tournament playing out, according to the conventional manner of play of video poker, the second level group of initial hands and achieving a second level group of final hands;

k) giving each final hand of the second level group of final hands a score based on the poker hand ranking of each final hand;

l) determining a second level score for each player based on the player'"'"'s second level group of final hands;

m) ranking each player according to the second level score of the player; and

n) making an award to the player with the highest rank.

10. The method of claim 9 including making an award to each player who achieves a high rank.

11. The method of claim 9 including making an award to each player who achieves at least a rank of a certain level.

12. The method of claim 9 including allowing each player to vary a number of credits used on each initial hand.

13. The method of claim 12 including providing that a player receives a final score of zero if the player has no credits remaining before the player has played out all of the initial hands.