Amusement devices and games including means for processing electronic data where ultimate outcome of the game is dependent on relative odds of a card combination and/or where chance is a factor: wagering on hands of cards

• US 8,469,785 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P., Plott, Charles, Miller, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre Eddy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal, Shahid
• Application Number:
  US13/184,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 463/11, 463/20, 463/27, 463/47, 273/139, 273/192, 273/193
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may be formulated to exploit biases such as long shot bias and favorite bias. Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may be formulated to exploit biases relating to the Monty Hall paradox. Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may include wagering on hands of cards, e.g., poker wagering games.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, the method comprising:

providing first information about a set of hands of cards to a first user, wherein the first information identifies a first set of cards of a first hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the first hand comprises at least one card of the first hand and less than all cards of the first hand;

providing second information about the set of hands of cards to a second user, wherein the second information identifies a first set of cards of a second hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the second hand comprises at least one card of the second hand but less than all cards of the second hand;

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, providing, by at least one processor, third information to the first and the second users, wherein, for the hand, the third information identifies a respective number of first wagers that the hand will be a winning hand; and

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, updating, by the at least one processor, the third information based on any respective additional first wagers placed after at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information was provided.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing fourth information to the first user and the second user, wherein the fourth information identifies all cards of a third hand of the set of hands.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first information comprises:

providing first information about the set of hands of cards to the first user, wherein the first information identifies all cards of a third hand of the set of hands.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second information comprises:

providing second information about the set of hands of cards to the second user, wherein the second information identifies all cards of a third hand of the set of hands.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each wager of the first wagers and the additional first wagers, assessing a premium for the wager during a round of wagering.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the premium assessed for the wager increases during the round of wagering.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each card of the first hand and the second hand, providing the first user and the second user with fourth information, wherein the fourth information identifies a respective number of users to whom the card was identified.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

for each card of the first hand and the second hand, updating the fourth information so that the fourth information identifies an updated respective number of users to whom the card was identified.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein for each card of the first hand and the second hand, the updated respective number of users is equal to the respective number of users if the card was not identified to a number of users other than the respective number of users.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information also identifies a second set of cards of the second hand, the second set of cards of the second hand comprising at least one card that is different from the first set of cards of the second hand;

and

wherein the second information also identifies a second set of cards of the first hand, the second set of cards of the first hand comprising at least one card that is different from the first set of cards of the first hand.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing fourth information identifying a second set of cards of the first hand to at least one of the second user and a third user, the second set of cards of the first hand comprising at least one card that is different from the first set of cards of the first hand.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first set of cards of the first hand using data regarding biases of at least one of the first user and of other users.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating pseudo-wagers from internal processing;

using the pseudo-wagers to supplement actual wagering by at least the first and the second users to create an appearance of wagering activity in the third information at least somewhat at variance with the actual wagering.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a wager from the first user after updating the third information, the wager being that a first selected hand of the set of hands is the winning hand, the wager comprising one of the additional first wagers;

revealing to the first user, after receiving the wager, that a first subset of hands of the set of hands does not comprise the winning hand, wherein a second subset of hands of the set of hands comprises the winning hand, and wherein the set of hands consists of the first and second subsets of hands; and

providing the first user with an opportunity to change from the wager to a second wager if the second subset of hands comprises the first selected hand, the second subset of hands comprising a second selected hand, the second wager being that the second selected hand is the winning hand.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first set of likelihood values corresponding to the set of hands using the first wagers, wherein each likelihood value of the first set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective hand of the set of hands;

determining at least one second likelihood value responsively to comparing the first set of likelihood values to one or more predetermined values, the one or more predetermined values being derived from data regarding expected biases of users; and

providing the at least one second likelihood value to at least the first user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the expected biases of the users comprise at least one of a long shot bias and a favorite bias.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving fourth information, the fourth information being based on at least the first wagers;

determining a first set of likelihood values corresponding to the set of hands using the fourth information, wherein each likelihood value of the first set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective hand of the set of hands;

determining a second set of likelihood values based at least in part on the first set of likelihood values if one or more likelihood values of the first set of likelihood values are less than a first threshold value or greater than a second threshold value;

associating the second set of likelihood values with at least some hands of the set of hands; and

providing fifth information based on the second set of likelihood values to at least the first user.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory having instructions stored thereon that are configured to cause the at least one processor to;

provide first information about a set of hands of cards to a first user, wherein the first information identifies a first set of cards of a first hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the first hand comprises at least one card of the first hand and less than all cards of the first hand;

provide second information about the set of hands of cards to a second user, wherein the second information identifies a first set of cards of a second hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the second hand comprises at least one card of the second hand but less than all cards of the second hand;

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, provide third information to the first and the second users, wherein, for the hand, the third information identifies a respective number of first wagers that the hand will be a winning hand; and

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, update the third information based on any respective additional first wagers placed after at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information was provided.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are configured to cause at least one processor to:

provide first information about a set of hands of cards to a first user, wherein the first information identifies a first set of cards of a first hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the first hand comprises at least one card of the first hand and less than all cards of the first hand;

provide second information about the set of hands of cards to a second user, wherein the second information identifies a first set of cards of a second hand of the set of hands, wherein the first set of cards of the second hand comprises at least one card of the second hand but less than all cards of the second hand;

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, provide third information to the first and the second users, wherein, for the hand, the third information identifies a respective number of first wagers that the hand will be a winning hand; and

for each hand of cards of the set of hands, update the third information based on any respective additional first wagers placed after at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information was provided.