Poker game with dealer disqualifying hand

• US 7,575,237 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/484,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/274, 273/309, 463/12, 463/13
• US Class Current: 273/292
• 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: A63F 2003/00167 with a jackpot
• 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 method of playing a poker-type wagering game is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: a) placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand; b) placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands; c) a dealer dealing at least two hands of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game; d) and when the dealer'"'"'s first hand meets or exceeds a predetermined high ranking hand value, discarding the first hand and playing the second hand; e) each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player'"'"'s hand of cards to stay in the game; f) resolving each player hand against the dealer hand; g) paying the player on the Ante and Bet if the player'"'"'s hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer; and h) paying the player on the Super Bonus bet if the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands. The game is preferably played with three cards in a hand, and has additional features such as an optional side bet on the occurrence of a predetermined winning poker hand.

Claims

1. A method of playing a poker-type wagering game, comprising:

providing a physical deck of playing cards;

placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand;

placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands;

a dealer dealing at least two hands of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game;

each of the at least two dealer hands and the player hand having an equal number of playing cards; and

when the dealer'"'"'s first hand meets or exceeds a predetermined high ranking hand value, discarding the first hand and playing the second hand;

each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player'"'"'s hand of cards to stay in the game;

resolving each player hand against the dealer hand;

paying the player on the Ante and Bet if the player'"'"'s hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer; and

paying the player on the Super Bonus bet if the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of cards in each hand is selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, five, six or seven cards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of cards in each hand is three cards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dealer deals both of the at least two hands to the dealer position prior to the start of the game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dealer'"'"'s hand must qualify to play with a predetermined minimum hand ranking.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein if the dealer does not qualify, and the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Super Bonus bet is a push.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined high ranking hand value is a flush.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Super Bonus bet is collected by the house if the player'"'"'s hand is lower ranking than the dealer'"'"'s hand.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the player is paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, regardless of the ranking of the dealer'"'"'s hand.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the player is only paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, providing that the dealer'"'"'s hand meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum qualifying ranking.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the Ante and Bet are equal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the Ante and Super Bonus bets are equal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the Ante, Bet and Super Bonus bets are unequal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the Super Bonus bet is resolved against a pay table.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the Super Bonus bet is paid according a payment method from the group consisting of:

a fixed payout amount, a pay table with predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds, and at least a portion of a progressive payout amount.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of placing an optional wager on the occurrence of one of a predetermined number of winning card combinations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the player is paid odds on the optional wager for one of a predetermined winning poker hand combinations.

18. A method of playing a poker-type wagering game, comprising:

providing a physical deck of playing cards;

placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand;

placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands;

a dealer dealing at least one hand of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game;

each of the at least one dealer hands and the player hand having an equal number of playing cards;

each player qualifying to play with a minimum predetermined poker ranking;

each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player'"'"'s hand of cards to stay in the game;

resolving each player hand against the dealer hand;

when the player'"'"'s hand qualifies with a minimum predetermined poker ranking, paying the player on the Ante and Bet when the player'"'"'s hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer;

when the player'"'"'s hand does not qualify but the player hand beats the dealer hand, returning the Super Bonus bet to the player; and

paying the player on the Super Bonus bet when the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a number of cards in each hand is selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, five, six or seven cards.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a number of cards in each hand is three cards.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the dealer deals two hands to the dealer position, and the dealer plays with the first hand unless the ranking meets or exceeds a preselected hand ranking, wherein the dealer discards the first hand and plays the second hand.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the preselected high ranking hand value is a flush.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the dealer'"'"'s hand must qualify to play with a predetermined minimum hand ranking.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein if the dealer does not qualify, and the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Super Bonus bet is a push.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the Super Bonus bet is collected by the house if the player'"'"'s hand is lower ranking than the dealer'"'"'s hand.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the player is paid on the Super Bonus bet for obtaining one of a predetermined number of winning poker hands, regardless of the ranking of the dealer'"'"'s hand.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the player is only paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, providing that the dealer'"'"'s hand meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum qualifying ranking.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the Ante and Bet are equal.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the Ante and Super Bonus bets are equal.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein at least two of the Ante, Bet and Super Bonus bets are unequal.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the Super Bonus bet is resolved against a pay table.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the Super Bonus bet is paid according a payment method from the group consisting of:

a fixed payout amount, a pay table with predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds, and at least a portion of a progressive payout amount.

33. The method of claim 18, and further comprising the step of placing an optional wager on the occurrence of one of a predetermined number of winning card combinations.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the player is paid odds on the optional wager for one of a predetermined winning poker hand combinations.