Card game enabling separate evaluations for multiple game outcome combinations

• US 7,862,417 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US12/569,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 463 11- 13, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/13
• 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 card game and method of playing the card game is disclosed. The card game involves placing cards into pre-defined card positions in the form of grids or matrices. For example, a 3×3 grid is filled with nine cards. Game outcome combinations are defined by three horizontal, three vertical and two diagonal pay lines. Another grid arrangement includes a 3×3 grid with each row and column having an extra card position at each end thereof. Accordingly, after the 3×3 grid is filled with random cards, a player may select one or more pay lines after which the two extra card positions are filled. The player is paid for any winning hands formed of the five card defined by the selected pay lines. Countless grid arrangements and pay lines are conceivable. In other versions, the player may replace one or more initially dealt, displayed or otherwise provided cards. The card game and method disclosed herein may be played through an electronic gaming device, over the Internet or at a live gaming table with a dealer.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores;

(i) data representing;

(a) a plurality of playing cards configured to fill a three by three matrix of card positions; and

(b) a plurality of different wager options, each one of the wager options corresponding to a position set of at least three of the card positions; and

(ii) a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device, for each play of a game, to;

(a) receive a first input from a player corresponding to a single wager for the play of the game;

(b) activate a plurality of the position sets based on the first input;

(c) display one of the playing cards at each one of the card positions of the activated position sets;

(d) receive a second input from the player corresponding to a replacement of one of the displayed playing cards;

(e) limit the replacement to a single one of the displayed playing cards during the play, thereby only enabling the player to pick a single one of the displayed playing cards for replacement during the play of the game;

(f) display one of the playing cards in place of the replaced playing card;

(g) determine whether a plurality of the displayed playing cards at one of the position sets corresponds to a winning combination; and

(h) indicate an award in response to an occurrence of the winning combination.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a quantity of the position sets, and wherein the memory device stores instructions which are executable by the processor to allocate a portion of the single wager to each one of the position sets, the portion being equal to the single wager divided by the quantity of position sets.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores instructions which are executable by the processor to activate all of the position sets based on the first input.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores instructions which are executable by the processor to cause the display device to display the three by three matrix of card positions.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each one of the position sets corresponds to a payline.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the winning combination is based on at least one of:

(a) three of the displayed playing cards at one of the position sets; and

(b) four or more of the displayed playing cards at a plurality of the position sets.

7. A method of operating a gaming device including a memory device, a processor, an input device and a display device,

said memory device storing data representing:

(i) a plurality of playing cards configured to fill a three by three matrix of card positions, and

(ii) a plurality of different wagering options, each one of the wagering options corresponding to a position set of at least three of the card positions;

said method, for each play of a game, comprising;

(a) receiving via the input device a first input from a player corresponding to a single wager for the play of the game;

(b) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to activate a plurality of the position sets based on the first input;

(c) causing the display device to display one of the playing cards at each one of the card positions of the activated position sets;

(d) receiving via the input device a second input from the player corresponding to a replacement of one of the displayed playing cards;

(e) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to limit the replacement to a single one of the displayed playing cards during the play of the game, thereby only enabling the player to pick a single one of the displayed playing cards for replacement during the play of the game;

(f) causing the display device to display one of the playing cards in place of the replaced playing card;

(g) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a plurality of the displayed playing cards at one of the position sets corresponds to a winning combination; and

(h) causing the display device to indicate an award in response to an occurrence of the winning combination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the memory device to stores data representing a quantity of the position sets;

and which includes causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to allocate a portion of the single wager to each one of the position sets, the portion being equal to the single wager divided by the quantity of position sets.

9. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to activate all of the position sets based on the first input.

10. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the display device to display the three by three matrix of card positions.

11. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to associate each one of the position sets with a payline.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the winning combination is based on at least one of:

(a) three of the displayed playing cards at one of the position sets; and

(b) four or more of the displayed playing cards at a plurality of the position sets.