Method of playing a game of chance and system for facilitating the play thereof

• US 7,901,279 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT Rhode Island LLC (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Finocchio, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgamer; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US10/382,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 463/19, 463/20, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A method for playing a game of chance and system for facilitating the play of the game are disclosed. The method of playing the game of chance includes receiving a ticket containing a set of playing cards. The method of playing the game of chance further includes viewing a display screen that displays a second set of playing cards. The method of playing the game further includes receiving a prize if the combination of the playing cards on the ticket and the playing cards on the display matches a predetermined pattern.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the play of a game of chance, comprising;

responsive to a request by a player to enter the game, selecting an outcome for the game chosen from a plurality of possible outcomes by a processor;

after the outcome is selected, determining a first set of symbols and a second set of symbols by said processor, each set of symbols representing a set of playing cards, wherein the first and second sets of symbols form a poker hand, and wherein the value of the poker hand represents a prize associated with the outcome;

after determining the first set of symbols and the second set of symbols, printing the first set of symbols on a ticket, and providing the ticket to the player;

after providing the ticket, displaying the second set of symbols on a display terminal; and

responsive to the ticket being tendered for redemption, paying the prize associated with the game outcome, the prize being indicated by the value of the poker hand formed from the combination of the first and second sets of symbols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to providing the ticket to the player, determining whether the ticket is a winner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of symbols is determined prior to the first set of symbols, the method further comprising:

determining the first set of symbols based on the prize associated with the ticket and the second set of symbols.

4. The method of playing a game of chance of claim 3, wherein

the prize associated with the ticket is selected by randomly sampling from a prize pool without replacement.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein

the prize associated with the ticket is selected by randomly sampling from a prize pool with replacement after each sample.

6. The method claim 1, further comprising:

when the ticket is provided, providing an indication of a future time when the second set of symbols will be displayed, the displaying the second set of symbols occurring at the indicated future time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication of the future time is provided on the ticket.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket includes a third set of symbols for an additional game, the third set of symbols representing a set of playing cards, the method further comprising:

after providing the ticket, displaying a fourth set of symbols on the display terminal, the fourth set of symbols representing a set of playing cards; and

responsive to the ticket being tendered for redemption paying an additional prize associated with the ticket, the additional prize based on the value of an additional poker hand formed from the combination of the third and fourth sets of symbols.

9. The method claim 8, further comprising:

when the ticket is provided, providing an indication of a first future time when the second set of symbols will be displayed and a second future time when the fourth set of symbols will be displayed, the displaying the second set of symbols occurring at the indicated first future time and the displaying of the fourth set of symbols occurring at the indicated second future time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of the first and second future times is provided on the ticket.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

prior to providing the ticket to the player, determining the fourth set of symbols;

prior to providing the ticket to the player, selecting the additional prize; and

prior to providing the ticket to the player, determining the third set of symbols based on the additional prize and the fourth set of symbols.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket contains an authentication code, the method further comprising:

validating the ticket using the authentication code prior to redeeming the ticket for the prize.

13. A non-transitory article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a procedure, the procedure comprising:

responsive to a request by a player to enter a game, selecting an outcome for the game chosen from a plurality of possible outcomes;

after the outcome is selected, determining a first set of symbols and a second set of symbols, each set of symbols representing a set of playing cards, wherein the first and second sets of symbols form a poker hand, and wherein the value of the poker hand represents a prize associated with the outcome;

after determining the first set of symbols and the second set of symbols, printing the first set of symbols on a ticket, and providing the ticket to the player;

after providing the ticket, displaying the second set of symbols on a display terminal; and

responsive to the ticket being tendered for redemption, paying the prize associated with the game outcome, the prize being indicated by the value of the poker hand formed from the combination of the first and second sets of symbols.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the ticket includes a third set of symbols for an additional game, the third set of symbols representing a set of playing cards, wherein the procedure further comprises:

after providing the ticket, displaying a fourth set of symbols on the display terminal, the fourth set of symbols representing a set of playing cards; and

responsive to the ticket being tendered for redemption, paying an additional prize associated with the ticket, the additional prize based on the value of an additional poker hand formed from the combination of the third and fourth sets of symbols.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the procedure further comprises:

prior to providing the ticket to the player, determining the fourth set of symbols;

prior to providing the ticket to the player, selecting the additional prize; and

prior to providing the ticket to the player, determining the third set of symbols based on the additional prize and the fourth set of symbols.

16. A method of playing a game of chance, comprising:

receiving a ticket including a first set of symbols, said first set of symbols representing a set of playing cards, the first set of symbols having been determined based on a game outcome selected by a first processor prior to receiving the ticket;

after receiving the ticket, viewing on a display terminal a second set of symbols which were determined by the first processor prior to the receiving of the ticket based on the game outcome selected by the first processor prior to receiving the ticket, the second set of symbols representing a set of playing cards;

determining if the ticket is a winning ticket by the first processor or by a second processor, based on the value of a poker hand formed from the combination of the first and second sets of symbols; and

receiving a prize based on the value of the poker hand.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

tendering the winning ticket for the prize.

18. The method of playing a game of chance of claim 16, wherein the ticket contains an authentication code, and the prize is received responsive to the authentication code being validated.

19. The method claim 16, further comprising:

when the ticket is received, receiving an indication of a future time when the second set of symbols will be displayed, the viewing the second set of symbols occurring at the indicated future time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication of the future time is provided on the ticket.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the ticket includes a third set of symbols each representing a playing card, the method further comprising:

viewing a fourth set of symbols on the display terminal, the fourth set of symbols representing a set of playing cards;

determining if the ticket is a wining ticket based on the valued of a second poker hand formed from the combination of the third and fourth sets of symbols; and

receiving a prize based on the second poker hand.

22. The method claim 21, further comprising:

when the ticket is received, receiving an indication of a first future time when the second set of symbols will be displayed and a second future time when the fourth set of symbols will be displayed, the viewing the second set of symbols occurring at the indicated first future time and the viewing the fourth set of symbols occurring at the indicated second future time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication of the first and second future times is provided on the ticket.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a payout table, the payout table mapping the value of poker hand ranks to prizes, wherein the value of prize received is associated with the rank of the poker hand in the payout table.

25. A system for a game, comprising:

a processor configured to select a plurality of first sets of symbols and a plurality of second sets of symbols, each first set of symbols representing a partial poker hand for a respective round of the game, each of the second set of symbols representing a remaining poker hand for the respective round of the game;

a ticket comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising;

the plurality of first sets of symbols, the plurality of first sets of symbols having been determined based on a game outcome selected prior to printing the symbols on the substrate, the plurality of second sets of symbols being absent from the ticket; and

an authentication code;

wherein each of the plurality of first and second sets of symbols is configured to indicate a respective game outcome selected by the processor before the generation of the ticket for the respective round of the game, the respective game outcome being indicated by the value of a poker hand formed by combining the respective first set of symbols with the respective second set of symbols determined by the processor for the respective round of the game before the generation of the ticket and after the selection of the outcome for the respective round of the game.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a respective drawing display time associated with each of the plurality of first sets of symbols.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a respective drawing number associated with each of the plurality of first sets of symbols.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a payout table on the substrate, the payout table visually indicating the value of prizes associated with different poker hand ranks.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

an instruction on the substrate indicating to the player that the player should combine one of the partial poker hands with one of the remaining poker hands on a display screen to determine a game outcome.