Four card poker and associated games

• US 7,584,966 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• 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:
  US11/589,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 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 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, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; 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 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 dealer'"'"'s hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer'"'"'s hand according to predetermined game rules. The initial player'"'"'s wagers must be at least matched with a Game Bet (or play bet) to remain in the game after players have received their cards. The Game Bet may be multiples of the initial player'"'"'s wagers, for example, 1× to 5× the initial wager, or more.

Claims

1. A method of playing a wagering game utilizing at least one deck of standard playing cards, the game comprising the steps of:

providing a physical deck of playing cards;

receiving both an ante wager and a mandatory super bonus wager from each player in order to participate in the wagering game;

dealing at least a first number of cards to each player who placed the ante and mandatory super bonus wagers to form a player hand;

dealing at least a second number of cards to the dealer to form a dealer hand;

receiving a play wager from each player after the player views the cards in the player hand, wherein any players not placing the play wager forfeits the ante wager and forfeits the mandatory super bonus wagers;

determining a rank of each player hand and the dealer hand, the dealer hand remaining in the game only with a predetermined minimum qualifying rank of the dealer hand;

paying each player on the ante and play wagers when the player hand outranks the dealer hand and paying each player on the mandatory super bonus wager when the player hand rank is at least equal to a minimum winning super bonus hand ranking; and

wherein the mandatory super bonus wager is paid on the at least minimum winning super bonus hand ranking whether or not the dealer remains in the game.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising a dealer qualifying with a minimum hand ranking in order for the player to win on the ante and play wagers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dealer qualifies with a King-high or better.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each player and the dealer receives 5 cards and further comprising the step of the players and the dealer discarding one card in order to form a best four card poker hand.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the player making an optional wager on a hand having one of a plurality of winning poker rankings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the winning poker rankings and associated payout odds on a four-card poker hand are:

Hand Odds

Four of a Kind 50;

1

Straight Flush 40;

1

Three of a Kind 8;

1

Flush 4;

1

Straight 3;

1

Two Pair 2;

1

Pair of Queens or better 1;

1

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the super bonus bet pays on a minimum poker ranking of at least a straight.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the winning poker rankings and associated payout odds on a four-card poker hand are:

Hand Odds

Four Aces 200;

1

Four of a Kind 30;

1

Straight Plush 15;

1

Three of a Kind 2;

1

Flush 3;

2

Straight 1;

1

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the play bet is a multiple of the ante wager.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the play bet is between 1×

and 3×

the ante wager, at the option of the player.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the player may make a play wager up to 3×

the ante wager only when the player holds a pair of Aces or better.

12. A method of playing a wagering game utilizing at least one deck of standard playing cards, the game comprising the steps of:

providing a physical deck of p1aying cards;

receiving an ante wager and a mandatory super bonus wager wherein the super bonus wager pays only fixed amounts against a payable from each player in order to participate in the wagering game;

dealing at least a first number of cards to each player who placed the ante and mandatory super bonus wagers to form a four-card poker player hand, the first number being greater than four;

dealing at least a second number of cards to the dealer to form a dealer four-card poker hand, the second number being greater than four;

receiving a play wager from each player after the player views the cards in the player hand, wherein any players not placing the play wager forfeits the ante wager and forfeits the mandatory super bonus wagers;

determining a four-card poker rank of each player hand and the dealer hand, the dealer hand remaining in the game only when the rank of the dealer hand exceeds a minimum rank that can be determined by at least a single card rank;

paying each player on the ante and play wagers when the player four-card poker hand outranks the dealer four-card poker hand and always paying each player on the mandatory super bonus when the player four-card poker hand rank is at least equal to a minimum winning super bonus hand ranking; and

collecting the ante wager and the play wager when the player four-card poker hand loses to the dealer four-card poker hand, but paying the mandatory super bonus wager when the player four-card poker hand rank is at least equal to a minimum winning super bonus hand ranking, even if the player hand rank is lower than the dealer hand rank.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first number is exactly five.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first number is exactly five.