Gaming device having a predetermined result poker game

• US 8,100,748 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Montross, John M., Mason, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, William
• Application Number:
  US12/882,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20110003625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/21, 463/22, 463/26
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

An interactive poker game which provides a predetermined outcome to a player. The gaming device initially displays a plurality of individual sets or hands of face down playing cards. The gaming device determines, based on the obtained predetermined game outcome, one or more playing cards to display to the player for one or more of the individual hands of playing cards. The gaming device then enables the player to select one of the individual poker hands to play as the player'"'"'s active poker hand. The gaming device determines which playing cards must be provided to the actively played poker hand to provide the player the selected predetermined game outcome. The active poker hand is provided any determined cards which when combined with any previously revealed playing cards in the player selected poker hands results in a poker hand with an associated payout equal to the payout associated with the predetermined game outcome. The gaming device determines, preferably randomly, and displays one or more playing cards for each of the non-selected hands of playing cards and provides the predetermined game outcome to the player.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display a play of an interactive poker game upon a placement of a wager by a player, said play of the interactive poker game having a plurality of playing cards and a predetermined game outcome prior to displaying a face of any of said playing cards, said predetermined game outcome being one of;

(i) a losing game outcome having a value of zero, or

(ii) one of a plurality of different winning game outcomes, each having a value greater than zero, and

(b) for each play of the interactive poker game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with, at least one input device to enable the player to place the wager;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to, after the placement of the wager, display a plurality of separate hands of playing cards to the player, each of said hands of playing cards including a plurality of said playing cards, wherein at least one of said playing cards of at least one of said hands of playing cards is determined and displayed to the player based on said predetermined game outcome and at least one of said playing cards of at least one of said hands of playing cards is masked from the player;

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one input device to, after displaying the plurality of hands of playing cards, enable the player to select less than all of said plurality of hands of playing cards, wherein the selection of less than all of said plurality of hands of playing cards occurs distinct from the placement of the wager, and wherein the value of the predetermined game outcome will be provided to the player regardless of which of said plurality of hands of playing cards the player selects;

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on said predetermined game outcome, which of the playing cards to reveal for any masked playing cards in said selected hand of playing cards, such that said playing cards determined to be revealed in combination with any playing cards displayed in the selected hand of playing cards correspond to an award having a value equal to the value of said predetermined game outcome;

(v) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to reveal said playing cards determined to be revealed in said selected hand of playing cards;

(vi) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, after the selection of less than all of said plurality of hands of playing cards, randomly determine, regardless of the predetermined game outcome, which of the playing cards to reveal for at least one masked playing card in at least one non-player selected hand of playing cards;

(vii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display said at least one playing card determined to be revealed in said non-player selected hand of playing cards; and

(viii) providing the player the award having the value equal to the value of said predetermined game outcome after the playing cards of the selected hand of playing cards are revealed, said value of said predetermine game outcome being provided to the player regardless of which hand of playing cards is selected.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to:

determine which of the playing cards to reveal for any remaining masked playing cards for at least one non-player selected hand of playing cards and

reveal said playing cards determined to be revealed in said non-player selected hand of playing cards.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to:

determine which of the playing cards to reveal for any remaining masked playing cards for said at least one non-player selected hand of playing cards and

reveal said playing cards determined to be revealed in said non-player selected hand of playing cards.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to determine and display at least one of said playing cards for a plurality of said hands of playing cards, wherein said displayed playing cards are based on said predetermined game outcome.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to determine and display at least one of said playing cards for each of said hands of playing cards, wherein said displayed playing cards are based on said predetermined game outcome.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to determine and display a plurality of said playing cards for at least one of said hands of playing cards, wherein said displayed playing cards are based on said predetermined game outcome.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to determine and display a plurality of said playing cards for a plurality of said hands of playing cards, wherein said displayed playing cards are based on said predetermined game outcome.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said play of the interactive poker game includes at least three separate hands of playing cards and which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to determine and display each of said playing cards for at least one of said hands of playing cards, wherein said displayed playing cards are based on said predetermined game outcome.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to utilize a look-up table to determine which playing cards to reveal in said selected hand of playing cards.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select said predetermined game outcome from a plurality of predetermined game outcomes.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause one of the plurality of predetermined game outcomes to have a value of zero.

12. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select said predetermined game outcome from a memory device.

13. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to receive said predetermined game outcome from a central controller.