Electronic video poker games

• US 9,105,158 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Moody, Ernest W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/622,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/274, 273/309, 273/138.2, 463/13, 463/12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/005 Poker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A video poker machine configured to allow a player to play a card game includes at least one display device, at least one input device, and at least one computer configured to display at least a first hand and a second hand of at least five cards all face up, each hand including the same five cards. A player is provided an option to play a hand by selecting none, one or more than one of the face up cards from the first hand and the second hand and any additional hands as cards to be held. Each of the cards not selected to be held are discarded from each hand and replaced with a face up card. The player is provided a pre-established amount based on the amount of a wager made on the hand if the resulting cards of the hand comprise a predetermined poker hand ranking.

Claims

1. An electronic video poker gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including a physical item acceptor and at least one of;

a touch screen and at least one button; and

an electronic processing device supported by the housing, said electronic processing device configured to operate with the display device and the plurality of input devices to, for a single play of a video poker card game;

(a) receive a unit of currency via the physical item acceptor, the unit of currency having a monetary value,

(b) receive, via at least one of the plurality of input devices, a wager based at least in part on the monetary value,

(c) randomly select, via the electronic processing device, a first hand of five cards from a first virtual deck of at least fifty-two cards,

(d) display, via the display device, the randomly selected first hand of five cards face up in a first row,

(e) receive any inputs indicating which, if any, of the five displayed face up cards of the first hand to hold, wherein, for each displayed face up card of the first hand, at least one of the plurality of input devices enables a player to hold that displayed face up card,

(f) for each of a quantity of additional rows, display, via the display device, a quantity of additional hands in that additional row, said quantity of additional rows being at least two, said quantity of additional hands in each of the quantity of additional rows being at least two, and each displayed additional hand in each additional row including each held card of the first hand,

(g) discard, via the electronic processing device, each displayed face up card of the first hand not held,

(h) complete the first hand by, for each discarded card of the first hand;

(i) randomly selecting, via the electronic processing device, one of the remaining cards from the first virtual deck of at least fifty-two cards, and

(ii) displaying, via the display device, that randomly selected card in the first hand such that the first hand has five displayed cards including each of the held displayed face up cards of the first hand,

(i) complete each additional hand in each additional row via the electronic processing device such that each additional hand has five displayed cards including each of the held displayed face up cards of the first hand,

(j) evaluate, via the electronic processing device, the completed first hand for any winning card combinations of a paytable,

(k) evaluate, via the electronic processing device, each of the completed additional hands in each of the additional rows for any winning card combinations of the paytable, and

(l) display, via the display device, any awards associated with any completed winning card combinations.

2. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 1, wherein separate virtual decks of cards are used to complete each additional hand.

3. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 1, wherein the displayed cards in each additional hand are smaller than the displayed cards in the first hand.

4. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 1, wherein the randomly selected first hand of five cards is formed by randomly selecting, via the electronic processing device, each of five cards from the first virtual deck of at least fifty-two different cards.

5. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 1, wherein for each completed hand which forms any one of the winning card combinations of the paytable, the electronic processing device is configured to operate with the display device to display, in association with that completed hand, an award associated with the formed winning card combination.

6. An electronic video poker gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including a physical item acceptor and at least one of;

a touch screen and at least one button; and

an electronic processing device supported by the housing, said electronic processing device configured to operate with the display device and the plurality of input devices to, for a single play of a video poker card game;

(a) receive a unit of currency via the physical item acceptor, the unit of currency having a monetary value,

(b) receive, via at least one of the plurality of input devices, a wager based at least in part on the monetary value,

(c) randomly select, via the electronic processing device, a first hand of five cards from a first virtual deck of at least fifty-two cards,

(d) display, via the display device, the randomly selected first hand of five cards face up in a first row,

(e) receive any inputs indicating which, if any, of the five displayed face up cards of the first hand to hold, wherein for each displayed face up card of the first hand, at least one of the plurality of input devices enables a player to hold that displayed face up card,

(f) display, via the display device, at least two additional hands in a second row, each displayed additional hand in the second row including each held displayed face up card of the first hand,

(g) display, via the display device, at least two additional hands in a third row, each displayed additional hand in the third row including each held displayed face up card of the first hand,

(h) discard, via the electronic processing device, each displayed face up card of the first hand which is not held,

(i) complete the first hand by, for each discarded card of the first hand;

(i) randomly selecting, via the electronic processing device, one of the remaining cards from the first virtual deck of at least fifty-two cards, and

(ii) displaying, via the display device, that randomly selected card in the first hand such that the first hand has five displayed cards including each of the held displayed face up cards of the first hand,

(j) complete each additional hand in the second row via the electronic processing device such that each additional hand in the second row has five displayed cards including each of the held displayed face up cards of the first hand,

(k) complete each additional hand in the third row via the electronic processing device such that each additional hand in the third row has five displayed cards including each of the held displayed face up cards of the first hand,

(l) evaluate, via the electronic processing device, the completed first hand for any winning card combinations of a paytable,

(m) evaluate, via the electronic processing device, each of the completed additional hands in the second row for any winning card combinations of the paytable,

(n) evaluate, via the electronic processing device, each of the completed additional hands in the third row for any winning card combinations of the paytable, and

(o) display, via the display device, any awards associated with any completed winning card combinations.

7. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 6, wherein separate decks of cards are used to complete each additional hand.

8. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 6, wherein the displayed cards in each additional hand are smaller than the displayed cards in the first hand.

9. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 6, wherein the randomly selected first hand of five cards is formed by randomly selecting, via the electronic processing device, each of five cards from the first virtual deck of at least fifty-two different cards.

10. The electronic video poker gaming device of claim 6, wherein for each completed hand which forms any one of the winning card combinations of the paytable, the electronic processing device is configured to operate with the display device to display, in association with that completed hand, an award associated with the formed winning card combination.