Method and apparatus for selecting joker card in poker game

• US 6,220,960 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandr Alexandrovich Kryzhanovsky
• Original Assignee: Alexandr Alexandrovich Kryzhanovsky
• Inventors: Kryzhanovsky, Alexandr Alexandrovich
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, DOLORES R
• Application Number:
  US09/438,546
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/13, 463/9, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators

Abstract

The present invention relates to poker game and discloses a method of selecting a joker card after each player makes an ante and is dealt five cards. A joker card is selected at random from a plurality of elements, each corresponding to one of the cards of the deck. Players view their hands and then decide whether to continue playing or to fold, basing their judgments on the available game combinations and on the random-selected joker card intended to increase the rank of a game combination. If the game is continued, the players'"'"' game combinations are compared with one another in accordance with the rank order of winning poker hands, account being taken of the possibility of getting the highest winning hand of five cards of the same suit. The invention makes it possible to modify the traditional five-card stud poker game by introducing, without jeopardizing the poker game protection, one of the already available 52 cards as a wild card (joker) which is changed with every new hand. A random symbol, e.g. a picture of the selected card, is presented to the players on an electronic display.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a joker card for a poker game comprising the steps of:

all players anteing a first bet means;

a croupier dealing a certain number of physically tangible cards to the players;

one of the players selecting a joker card for a given hand by picking out at random one of the elements from a plurality of elements, each corresponding to one of the physically tangible cards in the deck to thereby identify a sole, randomly-selected joker for that hand;

each player viewing his hand and deciding whether to continue playing or to fold depending on the game combination available to him and the possibility of the randomly-selected joker card to increase the rank of his game combination;

each player either folding or remaining to continue the game;

each remaining player assessing game combinations on the basis of the established priority or rank order of winning poker hands;

each remaining player estimating his gain in the case of a winning hand, assessing the possibility of getting a new game combination of the highest rank comprising five of a kind, and paying his bet in the case of a losing hand.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a joker card is performed by electronic means and consists of the following substeps:

formation of a plurality of (N+M) elements consisting of subplurality N of elements n_ij where N=52, i=1 . . . 13, j=1 . . . 4, and subplurality M of additional elements, where M is an integral number equal to or exceeding zero, each element n_ij of subplurality N representing the code of a definite card of a 52-card deck said code being characterized by sign (i) corresponding to one of the nominal values of 13 cards, and sign (j) corresponding to one of the four card suits, each additional element of subplurality M representing the code of the textual data block assuring personal priority of the croupier or any of the players;

random selection of one of the elements of plurality (N+M); and

presentation on the display of the result of said selection for a given hand.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the joker card selected for a given hand is presented to the players on an electronic indicator in the form of a graphic image of the card symbol corresponding to random-selected code n_ij, or in the form of a textual data block corresponding to one of the deck cards.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of the assessment of the players'"'"' game combinations is based on the use of the following priority or rank order of winning poker hands as a criterion:

Five of a Kind, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of the assessment of the players'"'"' game combinations includes transformation of the “

Joker+One Pair”

game combination into the “

Three of a Kind”

combination for a pair of cards from two twos to two sevens, and into the Two Pair game combination for a pair of cards from two eights and higher, where the joker card forms a second pair with the higher card of the remaining two cards.

6. An apparatus for selection of a joker in a power game, comprising:

a gaming table having a plurality of playing locations at which players may be seated and onto which physical cards are dealt;

an electronic selection device arranged on the gaming table;

a stop button designed for inserting an instruction into the electronic selection device to indicate a newly selected card to be used as a sole, randomly-selected joker;

a start button designed for inserting an instruction into the electronic selection device to clear an indication of a previously selected card and initiate selection of a new card to be used as a sole, randomly-selected joker.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim in claim 6 wherein the electronic selection device comprises:

a master clock pulse oscillator;

a counter with switchable feedbacks, said counter being connected through its clock pulse input to the master clock pulse oscillator output;

an address register whose digit inputs are connected respectively to the digit outputs of the counter with switchable feedbacks;

a read-only memory for storage of codes corresponding to deck cards, the inputs of said read-only memory being connected to the address register digit outputs;

a receiving register whose digit inputs are connected to the read-only memory data outputs;

a code conversion and indication unit whose inputs are connected to the receiving register digit outputs;

a counter scaling factor selector switch with switchable feedbacks;

a control code shaping circuit whose inputs are connected to the scaling factor selector switch of the counter with switchable feedbacks and whose outputs are connected to the setting inputs of the counter with switchable feedbacks; and

a control unit whose clock pulse input is connected to the master clock pulse oscillator output and whose outputs are connected respectively to the address register write control input, the read-only memory address-storage input, the receiving register write control input and the control input of the code conversion and indication unit, said first and said second control inputs of the control unit being connected respectively to the Start button and to the Stop button.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the Start button is arranged on the gaming table next to the croupier'"'"'s location.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the Stop button is mounted on a remote control console arranged on the gaming table next to one of the players'"'"' locations.

10. A method of conducting a poker hand in which physical cards are used, comprising the steps of:

providing a deck of physical cards;

accepting an ante from each of a plurality of players;

dealing a predetermined number of physical cards to each of said plurality of players;

identifying a card within the deck of physical cards to serve as a sole randomly-selected joker for that particular hand, said card being identified by an electronic device which substantially randomly selects one of said cards to be the sole randomly-selected joker; and

determining a winner of that poker hand with said identified card representing any card that a holder of that identified card wishes it to represent.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of identifying entails pressing at least one button on the electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of identifying entails pressing, by a croupier, a start button on the electronic device to initiate selection of the sole randomly-selected joker.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of identifying entails pressing, by a player, a stop button on the electronic device to terminate selection of the sole randomly-selected joker and identify a particular card to be that joker.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of identifying entails pressing, by a player, a stop button on the electronic device to terminate selection of the sole randomly-selected joker and identify a particular card to be that joker.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of accepting a bet from at least one of the players, after the sole randomly-selected joker has been identified and before the winner is determined.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the deck of physical cards comprises only 52 cars and no physical joker cards.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of identifying takes place before the step of dealing.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device displays on image of the identified card.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device displays text uniquely associated with the identified card.