Gaming system and method for providing a multiple sided card game

• US 9,530,284 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Rollins, Ana, Ferris, Colin, Grime, John, Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US14/506,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 463/11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing a card game that employs multiple-sided playing cards. In various embodiments, the gaming system enables a player to play one or more games which utilize one or more sets or decks of multiple-sided playing cards or multiple-sided tiles. In such embodiments, a first side of each multiple-sided playing card is associated with one of a plurality of playing cards from a first set or deck of playing cards for a first game and a second side of each multiple-sided playing card is associated with one of a plurality of playing cards from a second, different set or deck of playing cards for a second, different game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor,

establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency,

(b) select at least one multi-sided playing card, each multi-sided playing card having at least;

(i) a first side associated with one of a plurality of first playing cards of a first game, and

(ii) a second side associated with one of a plurality of second playing cards of a second, different game,

(c) display at least;

(i) a first partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided first playing card of the first game, and

(B) the at least one first playing card of the first side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card, and

(ii) a second partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game, and

(B) the at least one second playing card of the second side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card,

(d) receive a selection to play one of;

the first partial playing card hand and the second partial playing card hand,

(e) if the selection to play the first partial playing card hand is received;

(i) select at least one of the plurality of first playing cards of the first game,

(ii) display a first complete playing card hand including the at least one selected first playing card and the first partial playing card hand,

(iii) determine if the first complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a first paytable,

(iv) display any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand, and

(v) not display any complete playing card hand for the second partial playing card hand,

(f) if the selection to play the second partial playing card hand is received;

(i) select at least one of the plurality of second playing cards of the second game,

(ii) display a second complete playing card hand including the at least one selected second playing card and the second partial playing card hand,

(iii) determine if the second complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a second paytable,

(iv) display any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand, and

(v) not display any complete playing card hand for the first partial playing card hand, and

(g) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select a plurality of multi-sided playing cards and display:

(i) the first partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided first playing card of the first game and the plurality of first playing cards of the first sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards, and (ii) the second partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game and the plurality of second playing cards of the second sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided first playing cards of the first game, and the second partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided second playing cards of the second, different game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for at least one of the multi-sided playing cards, randomly determine the first playing card of the first game and separately randomly determined the second playing card of the second game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first playing cards of the first game are the same as the plurality of second playing cards of the second, different game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand and any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

7. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) select at least one multi-sided playing card, each multi-sided playing card having at least;

(i) a first side associated with one of a plurality of first playing cards of a first game, and

(ii) a second side associated with one of a plurality of second playing cards of a second, different game,

(b) cause at least one display device to display at least;

(i) a first partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided first playing card of the first game, and

(B) the at least one first playing card of the first side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card, and

(ii) a second partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game, and

(B) the at least one second playing card of the second side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card,

(c) receive data association with a selection of one of;

the first partial playing card hand and the second partial playing card hand,

(d) if data associated with the selection to play the first partial playing card hand is received;

(i) select at least one of the plurality of first playing cards of the first game,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display a first complete playing card hand including the at least one selected first playing card and the first partial playing card hand,

(iii) determine if the first complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a first paytable,

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand, said credit balance is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and said credit balance is decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and

(v) not causing any display of any complete playing card hand for the second partial playing card hand, and (e) if data association with the selection to play the second partial playing card hand is received;

(i) select at least one of the plurality of second playing cards of the second game,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display a second complete playing card hand including the at least one selected second playing card and the second partial playing card hand,

(iii) determine if the second complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a second paytable,

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand, and

(v) not causing any display of any complete playing card hand for the first partial playing card hand.

8. The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select a plurality of multi-sided playing cards and display:

(i) the first partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided first playing card of the first game and the plurality of first playing cards of the first sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards, and (ii) the second partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game and the plurality of second playing cards of the second sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards.

9. The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein the first partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided first playing cards of the first game, and the second partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided second playing cards of the second, different game.

10. The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for at least one of the multi-sided playing cards, randomly determine the first playing card of the first game and separately randomly determined the second playing card of the second game.

11. The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein the plurality of first playing cards of the first game are the same as the plurality of second playing cards of the second, different game.

12. The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein at least one of any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand and any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

13. The gaming system server of claim 7, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

14. The gaming system server of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to select at least one multi-sided playing card, each multi-sided playing card having at least;

(i) a first side associated with one of a plurality of first playing cards of a first game, and

(ii) a second side associated with one of a plurality of second playing cards of a second, different game,

(b) causing at least one display device to display at least;

(i) a first partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided first playing card of the first game, and

(B) the at least one first playing card of the first side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card, and

(ii) a second partial playing card hand including;

(A) at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game, and

(B) the at least one second playing card of the second side of the at least one selected multi-sided playing card,

(c) receiving a selection to play one of;

the first partial playing card hand and the second partial playing card hand,

(d) if the selection to play the first partial playing card hand is received;

(i) causing the at least one processor to select at least one of the plurality of first playing cards of the first game,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display a first complete playing card hand including the at least one selected first playing card and the first partial playing card hand,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to determine if the first complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a first paytable,

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand, said credit balance is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and said credit balance is decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and

(v) not displaying any complete playing card hand for the second partial playing card hand, and

(e) if the selection to play the second partial playing card hand is received;

(i) causing the at least one processor to select at least one of the plurality of second playing cards of the second game,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display a second complete playing card hand including the at least one selected second playing card and the second partial playing card hand,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to determine if the second complete playing card hand is associated with any awards, said determination being based on a second paytable,

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand, and

(v) not displaying any complete playing card hand for the first partial playing card hand.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to select a plurality of multi-sided playing cards and causing the at least one display device to display:

(i) the first partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided first playing card of the first game and the plurality of first playing cards of the first sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards, and (ii) the second partial playing card hand including the at least one single sided second playing card of the second, different game and the plurality of second playing cards of the second sides of the plurality of selected multi-sided playing cards.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided first playing cards of the first game, and the second partial playing card hand includes a plurality of single sided second playing cards of the second, different game.

18. The method of claim 15, which includes, for at least one of the multi-sided playing cards, causing the at least one processor to randomly determine the first playing card of the first game and separately randomly determined the second playing card of the second game.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of first playing cards of the first game are the same as the plurality of second playing cards of the second, different game.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of any awards associated with the first complete playing card hand and any awards associated with the second complete playing card hand is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

21. The method of claim 15 which is provided through a data network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data network is an internet.