Player-banked four card poker game

• US 7,387,300 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• 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: Snow, Roger M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/864,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/274, 273/309, 463/13, 463/12
• US Class Current: 273/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/005 Poker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082

Abstract

A player-banked casino 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 multiplier is selected by the player.

Claims

1. A player-banked 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 as a banker hand, said first number of cards being greater than four cards to be used in determination of a four-card poker rank hand for the banker hand;

dealing a second number of cards to each player, said second number of cards being less than the first number of cards and greater than the four cards to be used in determination of a four-card poker rank hand for each player;

the player making a second wager to remain in the game or folding;

the dealer utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting single banker four-card hand;

each player utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting player'"'"'s four-card hand for each player, wherein the number of cards utilized in the resulting player'"'"'s hands and the resulting banker'"'"'s hand are four cards; and

resolving each player hand against the banker'"'"'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 of claim 1 wherein the first number of cards is six cards and the second number of cards is five cards and the resulting number of dealer'"'"'s cards in the banker'"'"'s hand and the resulting number of player cards are both four cards.

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

5. The casino game of claim 1 wherein the player makes a Play wager prior to review of that player'"'"'s second number of cards.

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

the Ante wager to stay in the game.

7. The casino game of claim 5 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player may place the Play wager of greater then 1×

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

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

is an amount equal to a multiple of the Ante wager.

9. The casino genie of claim 8 wherein the multiple of the Ante wager may be selected by the player from en available group of wagers selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4× and

5×

.

10. The casino game of claim 1 wherein the first number of cards exceeds the second number of cards by at least one card.

11. 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.

12. The casino game of claim 11, wherein multiple winning combinations are predetermined, and payouts and combinations are displayed on a pay table.

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

14. The method of claim 1, and further including a mandatory Super Bonus bet which must be made prior to the player receiving the second number of cards, wherein payouts are made on the Super Bonus bet for predetermined hand ranks.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the Super Bonus bet pays odds for predetermined winning hands.

16. A player-banked casino game play method utilizing at least one deck of playing cards, the method comprising:

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

dealing a first number of cards to a dealer as a banker hand, said first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the banker hand;

dealing a second number of cards to each player, said 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 utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting single banker hand;

each player utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting player'"'"'s hand for each player, wherein the number of cards utilized in the 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,

wherein the first number of cards and the second number of cards are both five cards and the resulting number of dealer'"'"'s cards in the banker'"'"'s hand and the resulting number of player cards are both four cards wherein, if the 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.

17. The casino game of claim 16 wherein the player makes another Play wager prior to review of that player'"'"'s second number of cards.

18. The casino game of claim 17 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player may place another Play wager of at least 1×

the Ante wager.

19. The casino game of claim 17 wherein after the player reviews that player'"'"'s second number of cards, that player may place another Play wager of greater then 1×

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

20. The casino game of claim 19 wherein the multiple of the Ante wager may be selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4× and

5×

.

21. The casino game of claim 20 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

22. The casino game of claim 20 wherein the first number of cards exceeds the second number of cards by at least one card.

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

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

25. The casino game of claim 17 wherein the first number of cards exceeds the second number of cards by at least one card.

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

27. The casino game of claim 16 wherein physical cards are provided to each player and the dealer.

28. The casino game of claim 16 wherein the first number of cards exceeds the second number of cards by at least one card.

29. 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 plurality of cards to each player;

the dealer dealing a plurality of 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; and

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

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

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank is at least a rank less than one pair.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the banker'"'"'s minimum hand rank is at least a rank of one pair.

32. The method of claim 29 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 is a multiple selected by the player from values between 1×

and 5×

.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the multiple wager may exceed 1×

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

34. The method of claim 29 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 is a multiple selected by the player from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4× and

5×

.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the multiple wager may exceed 1×

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

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the dealer is provided with one additional card for the banker'"'"'s hand after receiving the dealer'"'"'s initial plurality of cards.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the player may make an additional wager before the dealer receives the additional card for the banker'"'"'s hand.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the player may make the additional wager after the dealer has determined that a four-card poker rank of the banker'"'"'s hand in the initial cards dealt does not meet at least a rank of a banker'"'"'s predetermined minimum four-card poker rank.

39. A player-banked 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 and an additional mandatory or optional side bet wager that pays odds for predetermined winning hand ranks;

dealing a first number of cards to a dealer as a banker hand, said first number of cards being greater than a second number of four cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the banker hand, which second number is four cards;

dealing a third number of cards to each player, said third number of cards being less than the first number of cards and greater than the second number of four cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player;

the player making a second wager to remain in the game or folding;

the dealer utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting single banker four-card hand;

each player utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to form a resulting player'"'"'s four-card hand for each player, wherein the number of cards utilized in the 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.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the at least one wager is an Ante and the player must make the additional wager to stay in the game, and the additional wager may be a player selectable multiple of the Ante selected at the election of the player.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the at least one 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 of the Ante selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4× and

5×

at the election of the player.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the first number is 6 and the third number is 5.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein the first number is 6 and the third number is 5.

44. 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 and an additional mandatory or optional side bet wager that pays odds for predetermined winning hand ranks;

dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, said first number of cards being greater than four cards to be used in determination of a four-card poker rank hand for the dealer hand;

dealing a second number of cards to each player, said second number of cards being less than the first number of cards dealt to the dealer and greater than the four cards to be used in determination of a four-card poker rank hand for each player;

the player making a second wager to remain in the game or folding;

the dealer utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to the dealer to form a resulting single dealer four-card hand;

each player utilizing fewer than all of the cards dealt to each player to form a resulting player'"'"'s four-card hand for each player, wherein the number of cards utilized in the resulting player'"'"'s hands and the resulting dealer'"'"'s hand are four cards; and

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

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the at least one wager is an Ante and the player must make the additional wager to stay in the game, and the additional wager may be a player selectable multiple of the Ante selected at the election of the player.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the at least one 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 of the Ante selected from the group consisting of 1×

, 2×

, 3×

, 4× and

5×

at the election of the player.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the first number is 6 and the third number is 5.

48. The method of claim 44 wherein the first number is 6 and the third number is 5.