METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PLAYING A POKER MATRIX GAME

• US 20060264251A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gaming Realms, PLC
• Original Assignee: Sal Falciglia Sr
• Inventors: Falciglia, Sal Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,883 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/13
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A method and system for playing a poker matrix game is described. The game is configured for playing via a casino-type gaming machine in which a player selects at least one betting line, such as, for example horizontal, vertical, and/or diagonal betting lines, to place a wager on. The player activates the spinners causing a random matrix of cards to be displayed. The random cards are evaluated for determining if the at least one selected betting line includes a winning poker hand.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game, said method comprising:

accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;

dealing cards so that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer;

determining whether a first event occurred, wherein the first event is whether at least one wild card is at least one of the dealt cards in the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, replacing each of said at least one wild card with another card, where said at least one wild card is selected from the group consisting of a first wild card corresponding to a first multiplier and a second wild card corresponding to a second multiplier greater than the first multiplier; and

determining whether a second event occurred, wherein the second event is whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, calculating a score using none of the first and second multipliers if the first event did not occur (at least one wild card was not one of the dealt cards to the at least one selected betting line), and calculating the score using a multiplier if the first and second events occurred (at least one wild card was dealt to the at least one selected betting line and a winning poker hand is displayed by the at least one selected betting line).

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a free spin card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, repeating said dealing step and determining steps.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating the score only if the winning poker hand is displayed by the at least one selected betting line.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiplier is said first or second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first or second wild card, respectively, and the multiplier is a third multiplier greater than the first and second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first and second wild cards.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of calculating comprises referring to a scoring table correlating each of a plurality of poker hand combinations with a respective number of credits.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of calculating further comprises multiplying the number of credits corresponding to the winning poker hand according to the scoring table by an amount of credits bet by said player for the at least one selected betting line.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of betting lines are selected from the group consisting of horizontal lines equal to the number of rows of the matrix, vertical lines equal to the number of columns of the matrix, and two diagonal lines of the matrix.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the at least one selected betting line is dealt a predetermined set of cards.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein if yes, initiating a bonus game comprising:

requesting said player to select a game to play;

wherein if a first game is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;

wherein if a second game is selected, said player selects a dealer'"'"'s card and a player'"'"'s card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player'"'"'s card has a greater value than said dealer'"'"'s card;

wherein if a third game is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.

10. A gaming system for playing a game, said system comprising:

means for accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;

means for dealing cards so that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer;

means for determining whether a first event occurred, wherein the first event is whether at least one wild card is at least one of the dealt cards in the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, replacing each of said at least one wild card with another card, where said at least one wild card is selected from the group consisting of a first wild card corresponding to a first multiplier and a second wild card corresponding to a second multiplier greater than the first multiplier; and

means for determining whether a second event occurred, wherein the second event is whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, calculating a score using none of the first and second multipliers if the first event did not occur (at least one wild card was not one of the dealt cards to the at least one selected betting line), and calculating the score using a multiplier if the first and second events occurred (at least one wild card was dealt to the at least one selected betting line and a winning poker hand is displayed by the at least one selected betting line).

11. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising means for calculating a score based on whether a winning poker hand is displayed by the at least one selected betting line.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the multiplier is said first or second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first or second wild card, respectively, and the multiplier is a third multiplier greater than the first and second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first and second wild cards.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the second means for determining comprises means for referring to a scoring table correlating each of a plurality of poker hand combinations with a respective number of credits.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the second means for determining comprises means for multiplying the number of credits corresponding to the winning poker hand according to the scoring table by an amount of credits bet by said player for the at least one selected betting line.

15. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein said plurality of betting lines are selected from the group consisting of horizontal lines equal to the number of rows of the matrix, vertical lines equal to the number of columns of the matrix, and two diagonal lines of the matrix.

16. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising means for determining whether the at least one selected betting line is dealt a predetermined set of cards.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for displaying icons each corresponding to a game, wherein selection by said player of a displayed icon enables play of said corresponding game:

wherein if a first icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;

wherein if a second icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player selects a dealer'"'"'s card and a player'"'"'s card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player'"'"'s card has a greater value than said dealer'"'"'s card;

wherein if a third icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.

18. A computer readable medium comprising a set of computer readable instructions capable of being executed by at least one processor for playing a game comprising:

accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;

dealing cards so that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer;

determining whether a first event occurred, wherein the first event is whether at least one wild card is at least one of the dealt cards in the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, replacing each of said at least one wild card with another card, where said at least one wild card is selected from the group consisting of a first wild card corresponding to a first multiplier and a second wild card corresponding to a second multiplier greater than the first multiplier; and

determining whether a second event occurred, wherein the second event is whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, and if yes, calculating a score using none of the first and second multipliers if the first event did not occur (at least one wild card was not one of the dealt cards to the at least one selected betting line), and calculating the score using a multiplier if the first and second events occurred (at least one wild card was dealt to the at least one selected betting line and a winning poker hand is displayed by the at least one selected betting line).

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the multiplier is said first or second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first or second wild card, respectively, and the multiplier is a third multiplier greater than the first and second multiplier if said winning poker hand includes said first and second wild cards.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the game further comprises the step of determining whether the at least one selected betting line is dealt a predetermined set of cards, and if yes, initiating a bonus game comprising:

requesting said player to select a game to play;

wherein if a first game is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;

wherein if a second game is selected, said player selects a dealer'"'"'s card and a player'"'"'s card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player'"'"'s card has a greater value than said dealer'"'"'s card;

wherein if a third game is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.