Electronic poker game

• US 4,948,134 A
• Filed: 11/27/1989
• Issued: 08/14/1990
• 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): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/443,884
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 CP, 273/85 G, 273/274, 273/237, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/13
• 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 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

An electronic device is used to play a card game in which a player and a dealer are each dealt five cards. If the dealer has a poker hand having a value less than an Ace-King combination or better, the player automatically wins. If the dealer has a poker hand having a value of an Ace-King combination or better, then the higher of the player'"'"'s or the dealer'"'"'s hand wins. If the player wins, he receives a bonus payment depending on the poker rank of his hand. By making an additional wager, a player can also participate in a progressive jackpot component of the card game.

Claims

1. A method of playing a poker game on an electronic device comprising the steps of:

(a) a player anteing a first bet means,

(b) electronically displaying a predetermined number of cards representing a player'"'"'s hand and a dealer'"'"'s hand,

(c) the player either folding in which case the player loses his first bet means, or betting a second bet means,

(d) electronically comparing the player'"'"'s hand to the dealer'"'"'s hand using poker rank as the criterion for comparison,

(e) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is not at least a predetermined rank, the player wins a preselected amount based on the player'"'"'s first bet means and the player keeps his second bet means,

(f) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is at least a predetermined rank, and the dealer'"'"'s hand is higher than the player'"'"'s hand, the player loses both his first bet means and his second bet means,

(g) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is at least a predetermined rank, and the player'"'"'s hand is higher than the dealer'"'"'s hand, then the player wins a first predetermined amount on his first bet means and the player wins a second predetermined amount on his second bet means based on the type of poker hand combination that the player has.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of cards is five.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the player'"'"'s cards are displayed face up.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein some of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face up and the remainder of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the dealer'"'"'s cards is initially displayed face up and the rest of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein two of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face up and the rest of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second bet means is a multiple of the first bet means.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second bet means is double the first bet means.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the cards that are electronically displayed are standard playing cards.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined rank is an Ace-King combination.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the preselected amount that a player wins on the player'"'"'s first bet means is one-to-one odds.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined amount that a player wins on his first bet means is one-to-one odds.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined amount that a player wins on his second bet means is according to the following schedule:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Poker Hand Odds ______________________________________ Royal Flush 250-to-1 Straight Flush 50-to-1 Four of a Kind 20-to-1 Full House 7-to-1 Flush 5-to-1 Straight 4-to-1 Three of a Kind 3-to-1 Two Pair 2-to-1 Any other hand 1-to-1 ______________________________________

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the player antes his first bet means by placing a gaming token into a coin acceptor.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the player antes his first bet means by activating a button that deducts a unit from a credit LED display and registers the ante as being made on an ante LED display.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the player bets his second bet means by placing a gaming token into a coin acceptor.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the player bets his second bet means by activating a button that deducts a unit from a credit LED display and registers the bet as being made on a bet LED display.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the player'"'"'s winning amount is automatically displayed on a credit LED display.

19. The method of claim 1 further including the step of dispensing the amount the player wins into a tray mounted on the electronic device.

20. A method of playing a poker game on an electronic device comprising the steps of:

(a) a player anteing a first bet means,

(b) electronically displaying a predetermined number of cards representing a player'"'"'s hand and a dealer'"'"'s hand,

(c) the player either folding in which case the player loses his first bet means, or betting a second bet means,

(d) electronically comparing the player'"'"'s hand to the dealer'"'"'s hand using poker rank as the criterion for comparison,

(e) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is not at least a predetermined rank, the player wins a preselected amount based on the player'"'"'s first bet means and the player keeps his second bet means,

(f) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is at least a predetermined rank, and the dealer'"'"'s hand is higher than the player'"'"'s hand, the player loses both his first bet means and his second bet means,

(g) if the dealer'"'"'s hand is at least a predetermined rank, and the player'"'"'s hand is higher than the dealer'"'"'s hand, then the player wins a first predetermined amount on his first bet means and the player wins a second predetermined amount on his second bet means based on the type of poker hand combination that the player has, said second predetermined amount having a potential return of at least twenty times the amount of the second bet means.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the predetermined number of cards is five.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the player'"'"'s cards are displayed face up.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein some of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face up and the remainder of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein one of the dealer'"'"'s cards is initially displayed face up and the rest of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein two of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face up and the rest of the dealer'"'"'s cards are initially displayed face down.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the second bet means is a multiple of the first bet means.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the second bet means is double the first bet means.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the cards that are electronically displayed are standard playing cards.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the predetermined rank is an Ace-King combination.

30. The method of claim 20 wherein the preselected amount that a player wins on the player'"'"'s first bet means is one-to-one odds.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein the first predetermined amount that a player wins on his first bet means is one-to-one odds.

32. The method of claim 20 wherein the second predetermined amount that a player wins on his second bet means is according to the following schedule:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Poker Hand Odds ______________________________________ Royal Flush 250-to-1 Straight Flush 50-to-1 Four of a Kind 20-to-1 Full House 7-to-1 Flush 5-to-1 Straight 4-to-1 Three of a Kind 3-to-1 Two Pair 2-to-1 Any other hand 1-to-1 ______________________________________

33. The method of claim 20 wherein the player antes his first bet means by placing a gaming token into a coin acceptor.

34. The method of claim 20 wherein the player antes his first bet means by activating a button that deducts a unit from a credit LED display and registers the ante as being made of an ante LED display.

35. The method of claim 20 wherein the player bets his second bet means by placing a gaming token into a coin acceptor.

36. The method of claim 20 wherein the player bets his second bet means by activating a button that deducts a unit from a credit LED display and registers the bet as being made on a bet LED display.

37. The method of claim 20 wherein the player'"'"'s winning amount is automatically displayed on a credit LED display.

38. The method of claim 20 further including the step of dispensing the amount the player wins into a tray mounted on the electronic device.