Six-card poker game

• US 7,264,243 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Philip S., Snow, Roger M., Yoseloff, Mark L., Dunn, R. Brooke
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/938,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20050082760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/274, 273/309, 463/13, 463/12
• US Class Current: 273/292
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A live casino operated tables, games, video games, automated games with live players, or by having a dealer or banker provided with a casino table poker game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer as a banker'"'"'s hand, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the banker'"'"'s hand; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card from the banker'"'"'s hand to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player'"'"'s hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in resulting player'"'"'s hands and the resulting banker'"'"'s hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the banker'"'"'s hand according to predetermined game rules. The initial player'"'"'s wagers must be at least matched with a Game Bet (or play bet of 1× or more of the Ante) to remain in the game after players have received their cards. The Game Bet multiple is selected by the player. The game may be a live table game or part of an interactive gaming system.

Claims

1. A casino game play method utilizing at least one deck of playing cards, the method comprising:

each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game;

dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, said first number of cards consisting of 7 cards and five cards from the 7 cards are used to make a dealer or banker 5-card hand;

dealing a second number of cards to each player, said second number of cards consisting of 6 cards and being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a 5-card poker rank band for each player, wherein each player forms a 5-card poker hand rank; and

resolving each player hand against the dealer'"'"'s hand according to predetermined game rules.

2. The casino game of claim 1 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

3. The casino game play method of claim 1 wherein the game is implemented on a multiple player gaming platform.

4. The casino game of claim 1 wherein the player makes an Ante wager prior to review of that player'"'"'s second number of cards.

5. The casino game of claim 4 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player must place a wager of at least 1×

the Ante wager to stay in the game.

6. The casino game of claim 4 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player must place a wager of at least 1×

to stay in the game and may place a wager of greater then 1×

the Ante wager when the player'"'"'s resulting number of cards'"'"' hand exceeds at least a predetermined minimum poker ranking for a player'"'"'s hand.

7. The casino game of claim 6 wherein the wager of greater than 1×

is an amount equal to a multiple of the Ante wager up to 25×

the amount of the Ante wager.

8. The casino game of claim 7 wherein the multiple of the Ante wager may be selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4×

, 5× and

each full integer multiple up to 25×

.

9. The casino game of claim 1, wherein each player places at least one of an Ante and a Bonus Bet, and when a bonus bet is placed, paying the player a payout for achieving a predetermined winning card combination.

10. The casino game of claim 9, wherein multiple winning combinations are predetermined, and payouts and combinations are displayed on a pay table.

11. The casino game of claim 9 further comprising an automatic bonus paid on the ante for at least one predetermined winning combination.

12. The method of claim 1, and further including a mandatory Super Bonus bet, wherein payouts are made on the Super Bonus bet for predetermined hand ranks.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the Super Bonus bet pays odds for predetermined winning hands.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the players are paid an automatic bonus amount for a number of predetermined high-ranking hands.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the multiple is between 1×

and 25×

the Ante.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the Super Bonus and Ante bets are equal.

17. A casino game play method utilizing at least one deck of playing cards, the method comprising:

each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game;

dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, said first number of cards being 7 and wherein five cards are used to make a dealer or banker 5-card hand;

dealing a second number of cards to each player, said second number of cards being 6, wherein 5 cards are used to make each player a 5-card poker rank hand; and

resolving each player hand against the dealer'"'"'s hand according to predetermined game rules, and

wherein, if the dealer'"'"'s or banker'"'"'s hand does not have at least a minimum predetermined rank of poker hand, the banker'"'"'s hand is provided with one more additional card.

18. The casino game of claim 17 wherein the player makes an Ante wager prior to review of tat player'"'"'s second number of cards.

19. The casino game of claim 18 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player must place a wager of at least 1×

the Ante wager to remain in the game.

20. The casino game of claim 19 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player may place a wager of greater then 1×

the Ante wager if the player'"'"'s resulting number of cards'"'"' band exceeds at least a predetermined minimum poker rank for a player'"'"'s hand.

21. The casino game of claim 20 wherein the wager of greater than 1×

may be an amount equal to a multiple of the Ante wager.

22. The casino game of claim 20 wherein the multiple of the Ante wager may be selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4×

, 5× and

each full integer multiple up to 25×

.

23. The casino game of claim 22 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

24. The casino game of claim 18 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

25. The casino game of claim 17 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

26. A live player-banked casino game play betting method comprising the steps of:

each player placing a first wager to participate in a live casino game;

a dealer dealing a first number of cards to each player, said first number of cards consisting of six cards to each player;

the dealer dealing a second number of cards to a banker hand, said second number of cards consisting of seven cards to the banker'"'"'s hand;

each player optionally folding or making an additional bet that is a multiple of the first wager, wherein the multiplication factor is at least 1 and selected by the player;

wherein both the dealer excludes two cards from determining a 5-card hand to be ranked and each player excludes one card from each player'"'"'s hand to form a 5-card hand to be ranked against the banker'"'"'s hand; and

resolving the wager according to predetermined game rules.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the dealer is initially dealt seven cards and the players are initially dealt exactly six cards and resolution of game rules is based upon ranking of five card hands.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least a first wager is an Ante and the player must make the additional wager to stay in the game, and the additional wager may be a multiple selected from values between 1×

and 20×

.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the dealer is provided with one additional card to make the seven card initial hand for the banker'"'"'s hand after receiving a dealer'"'"'s initial six cards.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the player may make an additional wager before the dealer receives the additional card for the banker'"'"'s hand.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the player may make the additional wager after the dealer has determined that the 5-card poker rank of the banker'"'"'s hand in the initial cards dealt does not meet at least the rank of a banker'"'"'s predetermined minimum 5-card poker rank.

32. A live player-banked casino game play betting method comprising the steps of:

each player placing a first wager to participate in a live casino game;

a dealer dealing six cards to each player;

the dealer dealing seven cards to the dealer as a banker'"'"'s hand;

each player optionally folding or making an additional bet that is a multiple of the first wager, wherein the multiplication factor is at least 1 and selected by the player; and

resolving the wager according to predetermined game rules wherein the dealer is initially dealt six cards and the players are initially dealt exactly six cards and resolution of game rules is based upon ranking of 5-card hands, and the dealer is dealt a seventh card for the banker'"'"'s hand only if the dealer'"'"'s best 5-card poker hand rank with the initial six cards in the banker'"'"'s hand does not at least equal a predetermined banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank is at least a rank selected from the group consisting of less than one pair and a specific pair.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank is at least a rank of one pair of twos.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the at least a first wager is an Ante and the player must make the additional wager to stay in the game, and the additional wager may be a multiple selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4×

, 5× and

each full integer multiple up to 29×

.

36. A live player-banked casino game play betting method comprising the steps of:

each player placing a first wager to participate in a live casino game;

a dealer dealing six cards to each player;

the dealer dealing seven cards to the dealer as a banker'"'"'s hand;

each player optionally folding or making an additional bet tat is a multiple of the first wager, wherein the multiplication factor is at least 1 and selected by the player; and

resolving the wager according to predetermined game rules;

wherein the dealer is initially dealt six cards and the players are initially dealt exactly six cards and resolution of game rules is based upon ranking of 5-card hands, and the dealer is dealt a seventh card for the banker'"'"'s hand only if the dealer'"'"'s 5-card poker hand rank with the initial six cards in the banker'"'"'s hand does not at least equal a predetermined banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank;

wherein the at least a first wager is an Ante and the player must make the additional wager to stay in the game, and the additional wager may be a multiple selected from values between 1× and

20×

; and

wherein the multiple wager may exceed 1×

only if the player'"'"'s 5-card poker rank exceeds a predetermined players s minimum 5-card poker rank.

37. A live player-banked casino game play betting method comprising the steps of:

each player placing a first wager to participate in a live casino game;

a dealer dealing six cards to each player;

the dealer dealing seven cards to the dealer as a banker'"'"'s hand;

each player optionally folding or making an additional bet that is a multiple of the first wager, wherein to multiplication factor is at least 1 and selected by the player; and

resolving the wager according to predetermined game rules;

wherein the dealer is initially dealt six cards and the players are initially dealt exactly six cards and resolution of game rules is based upon ranking of 5-card hands, and the dealer is dealt a seventh card for the banker'"'"'s hand only if the dealer'"'"'s 5-card poker hand rank with the initial six cards in the banker'"'"'s hand does not at least equal a predetermined banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank;

wherein the multiple wager may exceed 1×

only if the player'"'"'s 5-card poker rank exceeds a predetermined player'"'"'s minimum 5-card poker rank.

38. A live player-banked casino game betting method comprising the steps of:

each player placing a first Ante wager to participate in a live casino game;

a dealer dealing a first number of cards to each player, said first number of cards consisting of six cards to each player;

the dealer dealing a second number of cards to the dealer, said second number of cards consisting of seven cards to the dealer as a banker'"'"'s hand;

each player optionally folding or making an additional bet that is a multiple of the Ante wager, at the option of the player, but not necessarily equal to the Ante wager;

wherein both the dealer excludes two cards from determining a 5-card hand to be ranked and each player excludes one card from each player'"'"'s hand to form a 5-card hand to be ranked against the banker'"'"'s hand; and

resolving the wager according to predetermined game rules.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the dealer combines the Ante and additional bet after placement of the additional bet.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the player is paid according to a pay table when the player'"'"'s hand ranking exceeds the dealer'"'"'s hand ranking.

41. A method of playing a wagering game, wherein each player competes against a dealer and/or banker hand, the method comprising:

each player making an Ante bet to participate in the game;

dealing a first number of cards comprising at least a part of a first hand to each player;

dealing a second number of cards comprising at least part of a second hand to the dealer,

dealing an additional card or cards, if necessary to complete the player and dealer hands;

each players'"'"' complete hand consisting of a first number of cards, and the dealer'"'"'s complete hand consisting of one more card than the first number of cards;

after viewing his cards, each player either folding or making a play bet that is a multiple of at least 1×

the Ante, the multiple selected by the player from a range of multiples offered in the wagering game;

each player complete discarding at least one card from the player hand;

the dealer complete discarding two cards from the dealer hand;

comparing the hand values using poker rank as a criteria;

and awarding all players whose hand is of a higher rank than the dealer and banker hand a payout.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the first and second number of at least part of a first hand of cards are not equal.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the number of cards in the dealer hand is seven and the number of cards in the player'"'"'s hands is 6, and each player and the dealer play with a best five card hand for a highest ranking five card poker hand.

44. The method of claim 41 and further comprising dealing at least one community card that is used to complete dealer and player hands.