Gaming system with blackjack primary game and poker secondary game

• US 8,157,631 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lancaster, Eric W., Kastner, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/830,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 22, 463/29, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A gaming device having a primary game and a secondary game is provided. The gaming device includes a primary game, such as blackjack or 21 operable on a wager by a player, and an optional secondary game that is operable on a secondary game wager by a player. After placing a secondary game wager and satisfying certain criteria in the primary game, one or more players are provided with a secondary game card to be used in the secondary game. The secondary game is resolved after a player has accumulated a plurality of secondary game cards over the course of several sequentially played rounds of the primary game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a table;

at least one display device;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device; and

an electronic tracking system configured to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one processor, and the at least one memory device to;

(a) for a play of a primary Blackjack game including physical cards dealt at the table and including a primary wager placed on the play of the primary Blackjack game and a side wager placed for a play of a secondary Poker game, designate each of at least one physical card dealt in the play of the primary Blackjack game as a secondary Poker game card, and store in the at least one memory device information related to each said designated secondary Poker game card for said play of the secondary Poker game,

(b) retrieve from said at least one memory device the information related to each said designated secondary Poker game card for said play of the secondary Poker game,

(c) cause the at least one display device to display said retrieved secondary Poker game cards separately from each of the physical cards dealt at the table in the play of the primary Blackjack game,

(d) use the stored information related to the displayed retrieved secondary Poker game cards in a subsequent evaluation of said secondary Poker game cards for said play of the secondary Poker game, and

(e) for said subsequent evaluation of the play of the secondary Poker game, cause the at least one display device to display any secondary Poker game awards associated with the displayed retrieved secondary Poker game cards.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the secondary Poker game awards is a progressive jackpot.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the progressive jackpot is funded, at least in part, from a portion of each side wager.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tracking system is configured to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one processor, and the at least one memory device to designate each of a plurality of cards dealt in the play of the primary Blackjack game as secondary Poker game cards, and store in the at least one memory device information related to each said secondary Poker game card.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein a maximum number of cards dealt in the play of primary Blackjack game that can be designated as secondary Poker game cards is five.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein each of the first five cards dealt to a player in the play of primary Blackjack game are designated as secondary Poker game cards.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein if less than five cards are dealt to the player in the play of the primary Blackjack game, the electronic tracking system is configured to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one processor, and the at least one memory device to designate additional secondary Poker game cards such that the total number of designated secondary Poker game cards is five.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the additional secondary Poker game cards are randomly selected from a virtual deck of fifty-two cards.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the secondary Poker game is performed after a designated number of secondary Poker game cards have been accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one memory device to simultaneously display each of the secondary Poker game cards that have been accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, including at least one input device configured to operate with the at least one processor and the at least one memory device to enable a player to designate one card in each play of the primary Blackjack game as a secondary Poker game card, and to store information related to the player designated secondary Poker game in the at least one memory device.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein a maximum number of player designated secondary Poker game cards can be accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the secondary Poker game includes at least one opportunity for the player to exchange at least one of the previously designated secondary Poker game cards for a different one of the primary Blackjack game cards.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the subsequent evaluation of the secondary Poker game occurs after at least one additional play of the primary Blackjack game has been completed.

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

(a) for a play of a primary Blackjack game including physical cards dealt at a table and including a primary wager placed on the play of a primary Blackjack game and a side wager placed for a play of a secondary Poker game, designating each of at least one physical card dealt in the play of the primary Blackjack game as a secondary Poker game card, and storing in at least one memory device information related to each said designated secondary Poker game card for said play of the secondary Poker game,

(b) retrieving from the at least one memory device the information related to each said designated secondary Poker game card for said play of the secondary Poker game,

(c) causing at least one display device to display said retrieved secondary Poker game cards separately from each of the physical cards dealt at the table in the play of the primary Blackjack game,

(d) using the stored information related to the displayed retrieved secondary Poker game cards in a subsequent evaluation of said play of the secondary Poker game, and

(e) for said subsequent evaluation of a secondary Poker game, causing the at least one display device to display any secondary Poker game awards associated with the displayed retrieved secondary Poker game cards.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the secondary Poker game awards is a progressive jackpot.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the progressive jackpot is funded, at least in part, from a portion of each side wager.

18. The method of claim 15, including designating each of a plurality of cards dealt in the play of the primary Blackjack game as secondary Poker game cards, and storing in at least one memory device information related to each said secondary Poker game card.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a maximum number of cards dealt in the play of the primary Blackjack game that can be designated as secondary Poker game cards is five.

20. The method of claim 18, including designating each of the first five cards dealt to a player in the play of the primary Blackjack game as secondary Poker game cards.

21. The method of claim 20, including, if less than five cards are dealt to the player in the play of the primary Blackjack game, designating additional secondary Poker game cards such that the total number of designated secondary Poker game cards is five.

22. The method of claim 21, including randomly selecting the additional secondary Poker game cards from a virtual deck of fifty-two cards.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the evaluation of the secondary Poker game is performed after a designated number of secondary Poker game cards have been accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

24. The method of claim 15, including simultaneously displaying secondary Poker game cards that have been accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

25. The method of claim 15, including enabling a player to designate one card in each play of the primary Blackjack game as a secondary Poker game card, and storing information related to the player designated secondary Poker game in the at least one memory device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein a maximum number of player designated secondary Poker game cards can be accumulated over a series of plays of the primary Blackjack game.

27. The gaming system of claim 26, wherein the secondary Poker game includes at least one opportunity for the player to exchange at least one of the previously designated secondary Poker game cards for a different one of the primary Blackjack game cards.

28. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the subsequent evaluation of the secondary Poker game occurs after at least one additional play of the primary Blackjack game has been completed.

29. The method of claim 15, which is operated through a data network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.