Poker game with required dealer discard

• US 7,334,794 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Snow, Roger M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendiratta; Vishu K.
• Application Number:
  US10/824,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/274, 273/139, 463/13
• US Class Current: 273/274
• 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 2001/005 Poker
• 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 poker-type card game comprises at least one player making at least one ante wager in the poker-type game at least against a dealer/banker'"'"'s hand. The player receives a first number of cards and the dealer receives a second number of cards that is at least one card more then the number of cards received by the player. A set of community cards is provided that are used by the dealer and the player. One of the dealer'"'"'s cards is exposed to the table to provide an exposed dealer card. The dealer is compelled to discard the exposed dealer'"'"'s card if the rank of the exposed dealer'"'"'s card is within a first range of values and the dealer is compelled to discard an unexposed dealer'"'"'s card if the exposed dealer'"'"'s card is within a second range of values. After resolving the status of the dealer'"'"'s hand, the player may be allowed to amend the initial one ante wager. The player may also make two separate ante wagers, one of which may be withdrawn upon seeing the dealer'"'"'s up card or the resolution of the discard and retention requirements by the dealer. Different amounts and proportions of Second Ante wagers and/or Play Wagers may be made on the respective ante wagers, such as 1×, 1.5×, 2×, 3× or more with respect to the amount of the first ante wager.

Claims

1. A method of playing a player-banked poker card game comprising:

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

at least one player receiving a first number of cards as a partial player hand and a dealer receiving a second number of unexposed cards as a partial banker hand, the second number of cards having at least one card more then the first number of cards received by the player, the first number of cards and the second number of cards forming partial player hands and a partial banker hand, respectively;

providing a set of community cards that are used by the banker and the at least one player to complete the partial banker hand and partial player hands;

showing one of the banker'"'"'s cards to provide a rank of a shown banker card;

compelling the dealer to discard the shown banker'"'"'s card if the rank of the shown banker'"'"'s card is within a first range of values and compelling the dealer to discard an unexposed banker'"'"'s card if the shown banker'"'"'s card is within a second range of values that is different from the first range of values to determine a rank of the banker'"'"'s band;

resolving the at least one ante wager according to rules of the poker game, with the dealer and the at least one player forming a multiple-card banker poker hand and multiple-card player poker hands from a) the community cards and banker'"'"'s cards and b) the community cards and the at least one player'"'"'s cards, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a predetermined rank, and the dealer must retain the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is above the predetermined rank.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a rank of 9 or a rank of 10.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the player must make a play wager of at least 1×

the ante wager after determining the dealer'"'"'s hand to remain in the game.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the player playing an optional additional Ante wager that may be placed in proportion to the ante.

6. The method of playing a poker game according to claim 1 wherein the at least one player makes at least two independent ante wagers in the poker game:

a player making a first ante wager to participate in the game;

a player making a second ante wager to participate in the same game;

the at least one player receives a first number of cards and a dealer receives a second number of cards, the second number of cards being at least one card more than the first number of cards received by the player, wherein the received cards separately form a part of the player and banker bands;

after the dealer has been compelled to discard the at least one card, allowing the player to withdraw at least one of the at least two ante wagers; and

resolving any ante wager still in play according to rules of the poker game, with the dealer and the at least one player forming multiple-card banker hand and multiple-card player poker hands from a) the community cards and the banker'"'"'s cards and b) the community cards and the at least one player'"'"'s cards, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a predetermined rank, and the dealer must retain the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is above the predetermined rank.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a rank of 9 or a rank of 10.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the player must make a play wager of at least 1×

at least the ante wager after determining the dealer'"'"'s hand to remain in the game.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the player has an option of a range of play wagers that may be placed in proportion to the ante that must be placed on the at least one ante to remain in the game.

11. The method of playing a poker game according to claim 1 wherein:

the at least one player makes at least two independent ante wagers in the poker game;

a dealer receives cards and at least one player receiving cards, the cards representing part of a banker'"'"'s hand and part of a player'"'"'s band, respectively; and

allowing the player under certain conditions to withdraw at least one of the at least two ante wagers, leaving at least one wager remaining in play.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a number of cards provided to the dealer and player is three and two, respectively, and a first one of the dealer'"'"'s cards is shown, wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a predetermined rank, and the dealer must retain the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or above a predetermined rank and discard one of the unexposed cards.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the dealer must discard the shown dealer'"'"'s card when the shown dealer'"'"'s card is at or below a rank of 9 or 10.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the player must make a play wager of at least 1×

the ante wager after determining the dealer'"'"'s hand to remain in the game.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the player has an option of a range of play wagers tat may be placed in proportion to the ante that must be placed on the at least one ante to remain in the game.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the two Ante bets are equal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a second Ante bet is limited to 3×

a first Ante bet.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein when the condition of the dealer'"'"'s shown card is an Ace, the player must play both Antes and the dealer retains all dealer cards to play a best five out of six cards.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein when the player'"'"'s hand is a pair or better, the player is permitted to play both Antes.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein when the dealer'"'"'s shown card is a King, the player must play both Antes, and the dealer must discard a down card.