Poker game system having bad beat pot and method of conducting the same

• US 7,611,404 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pollux, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pollux, LLC
• Inventors: Hilf, Peter M., Esparza, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US12/406,862
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: 463 10- 13, 463 16- 22, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 463 26- 28, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/142.B, 273/142.A, 273/142.J, 273/148.A, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/149.P, 273/149.R, 273/274, 273292-293, 273/304, 273/306, 273/309
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A card game method and system having multiple pots. A first conventional pot is created using wagers placed prior to a final common card or game card and the second pot is created using wagers placed after a final common card or game card is dealt or provided. A player holding a winning poker hand wherein all but the final card is available to form a poker hand wins the first pot. The second pot or at least a portion thereof is won by a player holding a winning hand wherein all common cards are available to form a poker hand. Alternatively, the first and second pots may be paid in the opposite manner or in other designated manners. A jackpot is also conceivable as set forth herein.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a poker game comprising:

providing a deck of playing cards, card table and a dealer;

providing multiple players with one or more concealed cards from said deck of cards;

providing multiple common cards during said game in a manner allowing at least three betting rounds to occur during a hand of poker;

placing bets into a first pot from each betting round occurring prior to a final common card being provided during said hand of poker;

placing bets into a second pot from a betting round occurring after the final common card being provided during said hand of poker;

paying said first pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all but the final common card are available to form a poker hand; and

paying said second pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all common cards are available to form a poker hand.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the poker game is Texas Hold'"'"'em or Omaha.

3. The method of claim 1 facilitated by electronic means.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing both pots only when the game ends heads-up.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining the first and second pot when the winning poker hand using all but the final common card fails to exceed a threshold rank and paying the combined pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all of the common cards are available to form a poker hand.

6. A card game system comprising:

a card table;

a deck of conventional playing cards; and

a dealer,

said dealer instructed to deal multiple players positioned at said card table one or more concealed cards from said deck of conventional playing cards;

deal multiple common cards from said deck of conventional playing cards in a manner allowing at least two betting rounds to occur during a hand of poker;

place bets into a first pot from each betting round occurring prior to a final common card being dealt during said hand of poker;

place bets into a second pot from a betting round occurring after the final common card being dealt during said hand of poker;

pay said first pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all but the final common cards are available to form a poker hand; and

pay said second pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all of the common cards are available to form a poker hand.

7. The card game system of claim 6 wherein said dealer is further instructed to deal Texas Hold'"'"'em or Omaha.

8. The card game system of claim 6 wherein the dealer is further instructed to utilize both pots only when the game ends heads-up.

9. The card game system of claim 6 further instructing the dealer to combine the first and second pot when the winning poker hand using all but the final common card fails to exceed a threshold rank and pay the combined pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all of the common cards are available to form a poker hand.

10. An electronic card game system configured for play over a computer network accessible by player terminals, said terminals including at least a display and user interface, comprising:

computer means programmed to;

randomly select and cause to be displayed from a simulated deck of conventional playing cards one or more hole cards to multiple players accessing said computer network;

cause to be displayed multiple common cards from said simulated deck of conventional playing cards in a manner allowing at least two betting rounds to occur during a hand of poker;

place bets into a first pot from each betting round occurring prior to causing a final common card to be displayed from said simulated deck of cards during said hand of poker;

place bets into a second pot from a betting round occurring after causing the final common card to be displayed during said hand of poker;

pay said first pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all but the final common cards are available to form a poker hand; and

pay said second pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all of the common cards are available to form a poker hand.

11. The electronic card game system of claim 10 wherein said computer means is further programmed to deal Texas Hold'"'"'em or Omaha.

12. The electronic game system of claim 10 wherein said via computer means is further programmed to utilize both pots only when the game ends heads-up.

13. The electronic game system of claim 10 wherein the player terminals are PCs, cellular telephones and PDAs.

14. The card game system of claim 10 wherein said computer means to further programmed to combine the first and second pot when the winning poker hand using all but the final common card fails to exceed a threshold rank and pay the combined pot to a player holding a winning poker hand wherein all of the common cards are available to form a poker hand.

15. The card game system of claim 10 wherein said computer means is a processor.