System and Method For Playing On-Line Poker Augmented With Dynamic and Situational Information

• US 20080318651A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Z. Lando, Gross E. Mark
• Original Assignee: Brian Z. Lando, Gross E. Mark
• Inventors: Lando, Brian Z., Stankowski, Leon, Gross, E. Mark, Aronoff, Avram Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A computer-controlled system and method for providing information to selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players, the selected players typically paying a fee for the service. A database of information is maintained pertaining to the play styles of all players, the database containing information gathered during both play in previous poker games even with different players and play in the poker game in progress. The poker game in progress is continuously analyzed with respect to both the cards as they are dealt and play of the players. Information is provided on the display unit of a selected player that pertains to predicted continued play of a hand as it develops, predicted betting of the other players, and advantageous betting by the selected player, the information provided being derived from the database that includes updates that are made as the game progresses. The kind of information that is provided when closed cards are dealt to the players before community cards are exposed is different from the kind of information provided when community cards are subsequently exposed. Typical information includes the most likely outcomes for the hand given the exposed community cards. Much of the information provided is in the form of icons, the icons being associated with successive game stages and the icons varying in relative importance from stage to stage. Because the display of all desired icons may require more space than is available, rankings are assigned to respective icons for each of the stages, the relative rankings varying from stage to stage, and the top ranked icons are displayed in the order of their rankings until the display space has been filled with icons.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled method of providing information to each of a plurality of selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players observe table play on display units and make bets by operating data entry devices comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a database of information pertaining to the play styles of players, the database containing information gathered during both play in previous poker games and play in the poker game in progress,

(b) continuously analyzing during the poker game in progress both cards as they are dealt and play of the players, and continuously updating the database as the game progresses, and

(c) providing information for display on the display unit of a selected player that pertains to predicted continued play of the hands in the poker game in progress as they develop, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by said selected player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table, the information provided being derived from the database that includes updates that are made as the game progresses.

2. A computer-controlled method of providing information to a selected player participating in an on-line poker game in accordance with claim 1 wherein said database of information pertains to the ways players at the table have played both at the table at which they are now playing and tables at which they played in the past with other players.

3. A computer-controlled method of providing information to a selected player participating in an on-line poker game in accordance with claim 2 wherein the game in progress is analyzed and information is provided both when closed cards are dealt to the players before community cards are exposed, and when community cards are subsequently exposed.

4. A computer-controlled method of providing information to a selected player participating in an on-line poker game in accordance with claim 2 wherein the selected player to whom information is provided is a player who has paid a subscription fee to obtain the information.

5. A computer-controlled method of providing information to a selected player participating in an on-line poker game in accordance with claim 1 wherein some of the information provided pertains only to the cards dealt and is independent of player play styles.

12. A computer-controlled method of providing information to a selected player participating in an on-line poker game in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least some of the exposed cards displayed on the monitor of said selected player are arranged in ascending order even if they were not dealt in that order.

87. A computer-controlled method of providing information to each of a plurality of selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in accordance with claim 1 wherein the information that is displayed is changed automatically as the game situation changes without intervention by a selected player.

6-11. -11. (canceled)

13-86. -86. (canceled)

88-89. -89. (canceled)

90. A computer-controlled method of providing information to each of a plurality of selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players observe table play on display units and make bets by operating data entry devices comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information pertaining to the ways players at the table previously played even when they played at tables at which no selected player was playing,

(b) continuously analyzing during the poker game in progress both cards as they are dealt and the play of the players, and

(c) providing information for display on a selected player'"'"'s display unit that pertains to predicted continued play of the poker game in progress, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by a selected player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table, the information provided being derived from the database that includes updates that are made as the game progresses.

91. A computer-controlled method of providing information to each of a plurality of selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players observe table play on display units and make bets by operating data entry devices comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games,

(b) continuously analyzing during the poker game in progress both cards as they are dealt and the play of the players, and

(c) providing advantageous betting recommendations for display on the display unit of a selected player that are based on cards dealt in the game in progress and playing habits of other players at the table as represented by information in the database.

92-96. -96. (canceled)

97. A computer-controlled method of providing information to each of a plurality of selected players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players observe table play on display units and make bets by operating data entry devices comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games,

(b) continuously analyzing during the poker game in progress both cards as they are dealt and the play of the players, and

(c) providing for display on the display unit of a selected player information that is indicative of how at least one other player at the table played a number of times in the past when the games in which said other player was playing had situations similar to the current situation at the table.

98. (canceled)

99. An apparatus that provides information to players participating in an on-line poker game with other players comprising a display, a data processor, a data entry device and a communication line over which data representing poker play by said player and entered on said entry device is transmitted to a remote server that controls the on-line poker game, said data processor operating to process information received from said remote server over said communication line and to form an information-conveying screen on said display, said information being derived from a database pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing data gathered during both play in previous poker games and play in the poker game in progress, the database being continuously updated during the poker game in progress as a function of both cards as they are dealt and the play of the players, the apparatus providing information for display on the display of said player that pertains to predicted continued play of the poker game in progress, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by said player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table.

100-105. -105. (canceled)

106. An apparatus that provides information to players participating in an on-line poker game with other players comprising a monitor, a data processor, a data entry device and a communication line over which data representing poker play by said selected player and entered on said entry device is transmitted to a remote server that controls the on-line poker game, said data processor operating to process information received from said remote server over said communication line and to form an information-conveying display on said monitor, said information being derived from a database pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing data pertaining to the ways players at the table previously played even when they played at tables at which no selected player was playing, the database being continuously updated during the poker game in progress as a function of both cards as they are dealt and the play of the players, the apparatus providing information for display on the display of the player that pertains to predicted continued play of the poker game in progress, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by said player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table.

107. An apparatus that provides information to players participating in an on-line poker game with other players comprising a monitor, a data processor, a data entry device and a communication line over which data representing poker play by said player and entered on said entry device is transmitted to a remote server that controls the on-line poker game, said data processor operating to process information received from said remote server over said communication line and to form an information-conveying display on said monitor, said information being derived from a database pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games, the apparatus displaying on the display advantageous betting recommendations for said player that are based on cards dealt in the game in progress and playing habits of other players at the table as represented by information in the database.

108-112. -112. (canceled)

113. An apparatus that provides information to players participating in an on-line poker game with other players comprising a monitor, a data processor, a data entry device and a communication line over which data representing poker play by player and entered on said entry device is transmitted to a remote server that controls the on-line poker game, said data processor operating to process information received from said remote server over said communication line and to form an information-conveying display on said monitor, said information being derived from a database pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games, the apparatus displaying on the display information that is indicative of how at least one other player at the table played a number of times in the past when the games in which said other player was playing had situations similar to the current situation at the table.

114. (canceled)

115. A data stream containing information for players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players observe table play on displays and make bets by operating data entry devices, the data stream being derived from a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during both play in previous poker games and play in the poker game in progress and the database being continuously updated during the poker game in progress in accordance with an analysis of both cards that are dealt and play of the players, said data stream containing information for display on the display of a player that pertains to predicted continued play of the poker game in progress, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by said player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table.

116-121. -121. (canceled)

122. A data stream containing information for players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players participate in table play on displays and make bets by operating data entry devices, the data stream being derived from a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information pertaining to the ways players at the table previously played even when they played at tables at which no selected player was playing, the database being continuously updated during the poker game in progress in accordance with an analysis of both cards that are dealt and play of the players, said data stream containing information for display on the display of the player that pertains to predicted continued play of the poker game in progress, predicted betting of the other players in the poker game in progress, advantageous betting by the player in the poker game in progress, on-going play of the poker game in progress, or on-going successive poker games played at the table.

123. A data stream containing information for players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players participate in table play on displays and make bets by operating data entry devices, the data stream being derived from a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games, said data stream containing information for display on the display of player that pertains to advantageous betting recommendations that are based on cards dealt in the game in progress and playing habits of other players at the table as represented by information in the database.

124-128. -128. (canceled)

129. A data stream containing information for players participating in an on-line poker game with other players in which the players participate in table play on displays and make bets by operating data entry devices, the data stream being derived from a database of information pertaining to the playing habits of players, the database containing information gathered during play in at least previous poker games and being continuously updated during the poker game in progress in accordance with an analysis of both cards that are dealt and play of the players, said data stream containing information for display on the display of player that is indicative of how at least one other player at the table played a number of times in the past when the games in which said other player was playing had situations similar to the current situation at the table.

130. (canceled)

131. A method to be practiced on a data processor for determining which of a plurality of display elements that it is desired to display on a display device should be displayed when the display of all such desired elements would require more space than is available, the display elements being associated with an on-going process having multiple stages and the display elements varying in relative importance from stage to stage, comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning ranks to respective display elements for each of said stages, the relative ranks varying from stage to stage, and

(b) examining the relative ranks for the current stage of the process and displaying the top ranked elements in the order of their ranks until the display space has been filled with display elements.

132. (canceled)

133. A method to be practiced on a data processor for determining which of a plurality of display elements that it is desired to display on a display device should be displayed when the display of all such desired elements would require more space than is available, the display elements being associated with an on-going process having multiple stages and the display elements varying in relative importance from stage to stage, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing for each stage of the process a hierarchical structure for the display elements, and

(b) using the applicable hierarchical structure at each stage of the process to determine which desired display elements should be displayed.