Gaming system, gaming device, and method providing poker game with awards based on odds of winning

• US 8,449,363 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US12/014,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A gaming device includes a poker game where two cards are dealt face-up to at least one player and to a dealer. The gaming device enables the player to place an optional wager based on the initially dealt two card hand. A pay out for the optional wager is determined based on the probability that the final player hand will outrank the final dealer hand. The pay out is inversely proportional to the probability that the player will win. Therefore, if the player has a high probability of winning, the associated pay out will be relatively small. Also, if the player has a low probability of winning, the associated pay out will be relatively large. The gaming device enables the player to place multiple wagers after each of a plurality of community cards are dealt, where the associated pay out changes according to a revised probability of winning.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising, for a play of a card game:

(a) enabling an ante wager to be placed for said play of the card game;

(b) dealing a first two-card player hand, a two-card dealer hand, and at least one other two-card player hand;

(c) determining a probability of a first final player hand associated with the first two-card player hand winning against all other final player hands associated with the at least one other two-card player hand, the probability based on the first two-card player hand, the two-card dealer hand, the at least one other two-card player hand, any community cards previously dealt, and at least one community card to be dealt;

(d) determining a pay out ratio based on the determined probability of the first final player hand winning against all of the other final player hands and displaying the pay out ratio;

(e) enabling an optional play wager to be placed that is associated with said displayed pay out ratio and determining if said play wager has been placed;

(f) dealing at least one additional card that is a community card;

(g) repeating (c) to (f) at least once;

(h) determining it the first final player hand wins against a final dealer hand associated with the two-card dealer hand for the play of the card game;

(i) determining if the first final player hand wins against all of the other final player hands for the play of the card game;

(j) displaying an ante award if the first final player hand wins against the final dealer hand; and

(k) displaying a play award if the first final player hand wins against all of the other final player hands, said play award including a sum of each play wager placed multiplied by the pay out ratio associated with said play wager.

2. The method of claim 1, further including dealing virtual cards to form the first two-card player hand and the two-card dealer hand.

3. The method of claim 1, further including dealing physical cards from one or more physical decks of cards to form the first two-card player hand, the two-card dealer hand, and the community cards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a total number of community cards is three and the community cards include a single flop card, a single turn card, and a single river card, and wherein (c) to (f) are repeated twice.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flop card is dealt as a first community card after the play wager based on the first two-card player hand is optionally placed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the turn card is dealt as a second community card after the play wager based on the first two-card player hand and the flop card is optionally placed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the river card is dealt as a third community card after play wagers based on the first two-card player hand, the flop card, and the turn card have been optionally placed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the community cards include three flop cards, a single turn card, and a single river card.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pay out ratio is inversely proportional to the probability of the first final player hand winning against all of the other final player hands.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of players is designated to receive the dealer hand.

11. The method of claim 1, further including dealing, for each of at least two players, a plurality of two-card player bands for a play of the card game.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the card game is a seven card Texas Hold'"'"'em poker game including five community cards, said five community cards including three flop cards, a single turn card, and a single river card, and wherein the final player hands and the final dealer hand each include five cards selected from the respective two-card hands and the community cards.

13. The method of claim 1, further including dealing the two-card dealer hand with one card face-up and one card face-down.

14. The method of claim 1, further including dealing the two-card dealer hand with both cards face-up.

15. The method of claim 1, further including dealing the two-card dealer hand with both cards face-down.

16. The method of claim 1, further including enabling an optional insurance wager to be placed prior to dealing the first two-card player hand and the two-card dealer hand.

17. The method of claim 16, further including refunding at least a portion of the wagers placed if the first final player hand loses against the final dealer hand and the insurance wager was placed.

18. The method of claim 1, further including providing a plurality of display devices, wherein at least one display device is associated with each of a plurality of players.

19. The method of claim 1, further including causing a display device to display a pay out amount associated with each of the determined pay out ratios.

20. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) determining and displaying a partial outcome of a play of a game upon placement of an ante wager;

(b) determining a probability that a final outcome of the game will be a first one of a plurality of winning outcomes, said probability based on the partial outcome of the game;

(c) determining and displaying a pay out ratio based on said probability;

(d) enabling a distinct optional wager to be placed that is associated with the partial outcome of the game and determining if said distinct optional wager has been placed;

(e) modifying the partial outcome of game;

(f) repeating (b) to (e) at least once;

(g) determining the final outcome of the game;

(h) displaying a first award if the final outcome of the game is the firs winning outcome, said first award including a sum of each distinct optional wager placed multiplied by the pay out ratio associated with said distinct optional wager; and

(i) displaying a second award if the final outcome of the game is a second one of the winning outcomes, said second award based on the ante wager.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the game is a poker game and the partial outcome of the poker game is based on at least one initial two-card player hand and an initial two-card dealer hand.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the final outcome of the poker game is further based on three community cards.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second one of the winning outcomes includes a final five card player hand outranking a final five card dealer hand.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the three community cards include a flop card, a turn card, and a river card.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a different distinct optional wager can be placed after the initial two-card player and dealer hands are dealt, after the flop card is dealt, and after the turn card is dealt.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first award includes a pay out associated with any distinct optional wader placed after the initial two-card player hand is dealt, a pay out associated with any distinct optional wager placed after the flop and is dealt, and a pay out associated with any distinct wager placed after the turn card is dealt.

27. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising, for a play of a card game:

(a) enabling an ante wager to be placed on said play of the card game;

(b) dealing a first two-card player hand, a two-card dealer hand, and at least one other two-card player hand;

(c) determining a first probability that a first final player hand associated with the first two-card player hand will win against all other final player hands associated with the at least one other two-card player hand, said first probability based on the cards in the first two-card player hand, the cards in the two-card dealer hand, a number of community cards to be dealt, and the cards in the at least one other two-card player hand;

(d) determining and displaying a first pay out ratio based on said first probability, the first pay out ratio being inversely related to said first probability;

(e) enabling a first play wager to optionally be placed that is associated with said displayed first pay out ratio, and determining if said first play wager has been placed;

(f) dealing a first community card;

(g) determining a second probability that the first final player hand will win against all of the other final player hands, said second probability based on the cards in the first two-card player hand, the cards in the two-card dealer hand, the first community card, at least one community card to be dealt, and the cards in the at least one other two-card player hand;

(h) determining and displaying a second pay out ratio based on the second probability, the second pay out ratio being inversely proportional to said second probability;

(i) enabling a second play wager to optionally be placed that is associated with said displayed second pay out ratio, and determining if said second play wager has been placed;

(j) dealing a second community card;

(k) determining a third probability that the first final player hand will win against all of the other final player hands;

said third probability based on the cards in the first two-card player hand, the cards in the two-card dealer hand, the first community card, the second community card, at least one community card to be dealt, and the cards in the at least one other two-card player hand;

(l) determining and displaying a third pay out ratio based on the third probability, the third pay out ratio being inversely proportional to said third probability;

(m) enabling a third play wager to optionally be placed that is associated with said displayed third pay out ratio, and determining if said third play wager has been placed;

(n) dealing a third community card and determining if the final player hand wins against a final dealer hand for the play of the card game;

(o) determining if the final player hand wins against all of the other final player hands for the play of the card game;

(p) displaying an ante award if the final player hand wins against the final dealer hand; and

(q) displaying a play award if the final player hand wins against all of the other final player hands, said play award based on;

(1) the first play wager, if placed, and the first pay out ratio associated with said first play wager;

(2) the second play wager, if placed, and the second pay out ratio associated with said second play wager; and

(3) the third play wager, if placed, and the third pay out ratio associated with said third play wager.