Method and apparatus for playing card games

• US 6,237,916 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Shuffle Master Gaming
• Inventors: Webb, Derek J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US09/170,092
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 463/12, 463/13, 463/46, 463/17, 273/292
• US Class Current: 273/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Card games that combine the play of a Poker-variant card game (e.g., three-, four-, and five-card Poker) with a side wager (e.g., Pair Plus). Players wagering against a dealer'"'"'s hand, optionally wager against a predetermined ranking of winning hands, and may place additional wagers. According to another aspect, players are provided with a wild card which is retained and used repeatedly by each player with each hand.

Claims

1. A method of playing only three-card poker card game, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first wager that a player'"'"'s three-card hand will exceed a dealer'"'"'s three-card hand;

receiving an optional second wager that said player'"'"'s three-card hand will be at least a first predetermined rank;

dealing only three cards each to said player and to said dealer;

receiving an optional third wager from said player, wherein if said third wager is not received, said player forfeits said first wager and any said second wager;

determining whether said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is at least a second predetermined rank,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is not at least said second predetermined rank, paying said player an amount based on said first wager and returning said third wager to said player,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said second predetermined rank, comparing said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand with said player'"'"'s three-card hand;

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is higher, paying said player an amount based on both said first and third wagers, and

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is lower, said player forfeiting both said first and third wagers; and

paying said player an amount in accordance with a predetermined scale when said second and third wagers are received and said player'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said first predetermined rank.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first, second, and third wagers are an ante wager, a wager that the player will receive a hand of at least a pair, and a wager on the play of the three card poker game, respectively.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first predetermined rank includes a plurality of winning hand ranks with a Pair as the lowest ranked winning hand.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the indicia of said cards which form said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand are initially concealed and wherein said player decides whether to place said third wager after viewing said player'"'"'s card indicia, but before viewing said dealer'"'"'s concealed card indicia.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second predetermined rank comprises a high card hand containing a Queen or better.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said hands are ranked according to a scale, wherein A=Ace, K=King, Q=Queen, J=Jack and numbers 10 to 2 designate the other cards:

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a payout on said wager is made in accordance with a scale:

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of paying a fixed payout wager when said player'"'"'s hand exceeds said first predetermined rank.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said player is paid one to one on said first and third wagers when said player'"'"'s hand exceeds said dealer'"'"'s hand.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said player'"'"'s hand includes two indicia of standard playing cards and indicia of a wild card.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said player with indicia of a wild card which is used with said player'"'"'s hand.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said dealer with indicia of a wild card which is used with said dealer'"'"'s hand.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an additional bonus payout when said first and third wagers are received and said player'"'"'s hand is any whole integer number of specified high ranking hands.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said additional bonus payout is based on the amount of said first wager.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said additional bonus payout is made in accordance with a scale:

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said player with at least one additional wagering option.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said at least one additional wagering option provides that:

said player'"'"'s three-card hand of a third predetermined ranking is an automatic winner and said player receives a winning payout even if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds said player'"'"'s rank of three-card hand;

at least a portion of said player'"'"'s wagers are returned if said player'"'"'s three-card hand achieves a fourth predetermined ranking even if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds said player'"'"'s three-card hand; and

said player receives a winning payout if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand has a ranking below a predetermined minimum ranking.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a jackpot wager.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said jackpot is a variable jackpot.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said jackpot is paid when said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds said player'"'"'s three-card hand of a number of premium ranked hands.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said jackpot is made in accordance with a scale:

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein said premium ranked three-card hands include Royal Flush, Ace, King, and Queen suited.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said jackpot is made in accordance with a scale:

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a numerical hand value wager.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a video machine.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said video machine is a multi-player slot video machine.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by an electronic game.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a lottery terminal.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed in conjunction with the Internet.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is implemented in software.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is a casino card game.

32. A method of playing an only three-card card game involving one or more persons acting as a dealer and a banker, and at least one player, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a first wager that a player'"'"'s three-card hand will exceed a dealer'"'"'s three-card hand;

placing an optional second wager that said player'"'"'s three-card hand will be at least a first predetermined rank;

dealing only three cards each to the player and the dealer;

placing a third wager or forfeiting said first and any said second wager; and

determining whether said dealer'"'"'s hand is at least a second predetermined rank,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is not at least said second predetermined rank, the banker paying the player an amount based on said first wager and returning said third wager to the player,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said second predetermined rank, comparing said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand with that of the player,

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is higher, the banker paying the player an amount based on both said first and third wagers, and

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is lower, the player forfeiting both said first and third wagers to the banker.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of paying the player an amount in accordance with a predetermined scale when said player'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said first predetermined rank and when said second and third wagers were received.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein said first, second, and third wagers are an ante wager, a wager that the player will receive a hand of at least a pair, and a wager on the play of the three card poker game, respectively.

35. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an additional bonus payout if said first and third wagers are received and said player'"'"'s three-card hand is any of a number of specified high ranking three-card hands.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said additional bonus payout is based on the amount of said first wager.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein said additional bonus payout is made in accordance with a scale:

38. A method of playing an only three-card card game, the method embodied in a computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for performing the steps of the method, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first wager that a player'"'"'s three-card hand will exceed a dealer'"'"'s three-card hand;

receiving an optional second wager that said player'"'"'s three-card hand be at least a first predetermined rank;

dealing only three cards each to said player and said dealer;

receiving an optional third wager from said player, wherein if said third wager is not received said player forfeiting said first wager and any said second wager;

determining whether said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is at least a second predetermined rank,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is not at least said second predetermined rank, paying said player an amount based on said first wager and returning said third wager to the player,

if said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said second predetermined rank, comparing said dealer'"'"'s three-card hand with said player'"'"'s three-card hand,

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is higher, paying said player an amount based on both said first and third wagers, and

if said player'"'"'s three-card hand is lower, said player forfeiting both said first and third wagers; and

paying said player an amount in accordance with a predetermined scale when said second and third wagers are received and said player'"'"'s three-card hand is at least said first predetermined rank.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein said first, second, and third wagers are an ante wager, a wager that the player will receive a hand of at least a pair, and a wager on the play of the three card poker game, respectively.

40. The method according to claim 38, further comprising an additional bonus payout when said first and third wagers are received and said player'"'"'s three-card hand is any of a number of specified high ranking three-card hands.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said additional bonus payout is based on the amount of said first wager.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein said additional bonus payout is made in accordance with a scale:

43. A method of playing an only three-card card game, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first wager from a player that a first outcome will occur;

(b) receiving a second wager from the player that a second outcome will occur, wherein both the first wager and the second wager must be received to play the game;

(c) dealing only three-card hands of cards to h the player and to a dealer;

(d) receiving an optional third wager from the player, wherein if the third wager is not received, the player forfeiting at least one of the first wager and the second wager;

(e) comparing the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand with the player'"'"'s three-card hand,

(e1) if the player'"'"'s hand is higher than the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand, paying the player an amount based on the third wager and one of the first wager and the second wager, and

(e2) if the player'"'"'s three-card hand is lower than the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand, the player forfeiting the third wager and the one of the first wager and the second wager; and

(f) determining whether the player'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds a first predetermined rank,

(f1) if the player'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds the first predetermined rank, paying the player an amount based on the other of the first wager and the second wager, and

(f2) if the player'"'"'s three-card hand does not exceed the first predetermined rank, the player forfeiting the other of the first wager and the second wager.

44. The method according to claim 43, further comprising between steps (d) and (e) the step of determining whether the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand exceeds a second predetermined rank, wherein if the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand does not exceed the second predetermined rank, paying the player an amount based on the one of the first wager and the second wager, returning the third wager to the player, and proceeding to step (f).

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein step (f1) is practiced by paying the player in accordance with a pay scale.

46. The method according to claim 43, wherein the first outcome is the player'"'"'s three-card hand exceeding the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand, and wherein the second outcome is the player'"'"'s three-card hand being at least the first predetermined rank, such that the one of the first wager and the second wager is the first wager and the other of the first wager and the second wager is the second wager.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein step (b) is practiced by requiring the second wager to have a prescribed relationship with the first wager.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein a maximum for the second wager is double the first wager.

49. The method according to claim 43, wherein the player'"'"'s three-card hand and the dealer'"'"'s three-card hand are three-card Poker hands.

50. The method according to claim 43, wherein step (b) is practiced by requiring the second wager to have a prescribed relationship with the first wager.

51. The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of providing the player with at least one additional wagering option.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the at least one additional wagering option is a jackpot wager.