Methods of progressive jackpot gaming

• US 4,861,041 A
• Filed: 07/05/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Caribbean Stud Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Daniel A., Suttle, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/214,934
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 CP, 273/274, 273/292, 273/309
• US Class Current: 273/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0017 progressive jackpot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/142 with pay-out or rewarding with a prize
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A method and apparatus for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all of part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter which displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

Claims

1. A method of including a jackpot component in a live casino table game comprising the steps of:

(a) a player wagering a first gaming token to participate in the live casino game,

(b) a player wagering a second gaming token to participate in the jackpot component,

(c) a dealer dealing a hand of playing cards to the player,

(d) if the player'"'"'s hand comprises a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected amount of the jackpot.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of players participate in the jackpot component of the game.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the jackpot component is progressive in that any amount of the jackpot that is not won on the first hand carries over to the next hand.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is five card stud poker.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amounts are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush 10% Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens ______________________________________

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is five card draw poker.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amount are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush 10% Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens ______________________________________

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is seven card stud poker.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amount are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush 10% Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens ______________________________________

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is lo-ball poker.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amounts are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ 5-4-3-2-Ace 100% 6-4-3-2-Ace 10% 6-5-3-2-Ace 100 tokens 7-4-3-2-Ace 25 tokens ______________________________________

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is Caribbean Stud™

poker.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amounts are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush 20% Four of a Kind 1% Full House 50 tokens Flush 25 tokens ______________________________________

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the live casino game is Twenty-One.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the predetermined arrangement of cards and the preselected winning amounts are as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Four 5'"'"'s and an Ace 100% Ace, two, three, four, 4% five and six Six, seven, eight of 100 tokens same suit Three 7'"'"'s 50 tokens ______________________________________

16. A method of including a jackpot component in a live casino table game comprising the steps of:

(a) two players each wagering a first gaming token to participate in the live casino game, which first token is placed in the game pot,

(b) each player wagering a second gaming token to participate in the jackpot component,

(c) a dealer dealing a hand of playing cards to each player,

(d) the player with the higher poker hand winning the game pot,

(e) if the losing player has a poker hand comprising a predetermined arrangement of cards, the losing player wins a preselected amount of the jackpot.

17. A method of including a jackpot component in a live casino table game comprising the steps of:

(a) two players each wagering a first gaming token to participate in the live casino game, which first token is placed in the game pot,

(b) each player wagering a second gaming token to participate in the jackpot component,

(c) a dealer dealing a hand of playing cards to each player,

(d) the player with the higher poker hand winning the game pot,

(e) if the losing player has a poker hand comprising a predetermined arrangement of cards, the losing player wins part of a preselected amount of the jackpot and the winning player wins part of the preselected amount of the jackpot.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the losing player receives a first percentage of the preselected amount and the winning player receives a second percentage of the preselected amount.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the losing player receives 80% of the preselected amount and the winning player receives 20% of the preselected amount.