GAME AND GAME APPARATUS
A game method wherein values of same-suited cards are aggregated to determine a hand value. A player and/or dealer holding a highest hand value is declared the winner. The game method may be used with dealing and wagering rules associated with known games of chance. For example, a Hold'em game may be played in a traditional manner except that the winner is determined by aggregating hand values for each player holding three or more same-suited cards with the winner holding the hand with the highest valued hand. Blackjack or Baccarat scoring systems may be used to determine hand values.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/571,237 filed Mar. 8, 2006, which is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application PCT/AU2004/001219 filed on Sep. 9, 2004 which claims priority from AU Provisional Application No. 2003 904910 filed Sep. 9, 2003 and AU Application No. 2004 901035 filed Mar. 2, 2004. The entire teachings of the referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of games, card games, wagering card games and electronic games, especially casino wagering games.
Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.
BACKGROUNDAs a leisure time activity poker and other card games have been popular for many years. The capital requirements for playing poker and other table card games are very low. All that are needed are one or more decks of cards, a playing surface and a few participants. Five card poker is a game that most people know how to play and many games have been developed using the same basic priority or rank order of winning poker hands: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full House, Straight, Three of a kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card (s) in hand.
For some time, it had been difficult to adapt the rules of poker into a casino table game in which each player plays against the house, rather than against other players. Although club-type games with players wagering against each other have been popular, it was desirable for a game to be played where the house received a more direct payback from the game. In a conventional poker game, a number of players (greater than one) are each dealt a poker hand by one player (or the house dealer who does not play in the game) who acts as the dealer. The player with the highest ranking hand based on the established priority ranking of poker hands wins. Each player in turn deals a hand as the game continues. It is usually essential to have wagering steps in the game to maintain the interest and excitement of the game. In the absence of wagering, there is little to commend the play of poker.
Many places, both within and without Australia, have legalized gaming. Poker is one of the games of chance offered in both casinos and gaming venues. In a conventional house poker game, the house provides a dealer, the playing cards, the table and chairs, but the house does not play a hand. The house collects a nominal percentage of each players bet (house percentage) that compensates the house for providing the facilities to the players. Alternatively, the house may charge each player a set amount per hand or for a specified length of time of play. Each player is competing not against the house, but against all the other players with the highest hand winning the total of all the wagers made on that hand.
Many people do not like to play house poker because each player is competing against his fellow players, not against the house. Many people would rather attempt to win money from an impersonal source, the house or the casino, rather than from their fellow players with whom they may be acquainted. House poker also tends to not offer any bonus payments for particularly good hands, although bonuses are sometimes paid for highest hands in tournaments or for specific combinations of hands at poker tables (e.g., a losing hand of at least a full house).
While a Royal Flush is a rare occurrence and generates a thrill for any poker player, the player collects the same total wager that he would have collected if the hand was won with a Three of a Kind.
In the past fifteen years, a number of card games have been introduced to provide poker type card games as house-banked casino table games. These games have focused on a number of elements in providing excitement and staying power for the games. The games must be quickly understood by players.
The rules must be simple and clear. The resolution of wagers by the dealer must be easily accomplished. The reading of hands by a dealer must not be complex.
In addition, the games must provide a high enough win frequency to appeal to players, yet allow the house to retain a profitable portion of the wagers. These needs have limited the number of successful games that have been designed and successfully introduced into the casino gaming market.
Among the successful games are Let It Ride Bonus. RTM. Poker, Three Card Poker. RTM. Game and Caribbean Stud. RTM. Poker. These games have each achieved a level of commercial success with different formats and attributes.
In Caribbean Stud. RTM. Poker, a player makes an initial ante wager, and five cards are dealt to each player and to a dealer. The dealer exposes one of the five cards to influence the player. The player decides if the dealt player hand is of sufficient rank to compete against the dealer's hand. The player may fold the player's hand at that time, or continue the game by placing an additional wager (referred to as the “Bet”) that is usually required to be twice the value of the ante.
The dealer's hand qualities for active play against the bet with a rank of at least Ace-King. If the dealer qualifies, the rank of the player's hands are compared with the rank of the dealer's hand. Players with hands of higher rank than the dealer's hand win both the ante and the bet. Players with hands of lower rank than the dealers hand lose both the ante and the bet. If an initial side bet (often referred to as the jackpot side bet) has been made by the player, ranked hands of particularly high values (eg, at least a flush) are paid absolute bonus amounts or may be paid out of a progressive jackpot. This bonus side bet is paid whether or not the player's hand rank exceeds the rank of the dealer's hand.
Problems with most poker games and especially the above mentioned, occur for the player in the wagering structure whereby players have to place an ante wager and then must place additional wagers at multiple odds to continue to participate in the game.
With the above games, players do have the option to fold their hand and forfeit their ante wager. These games have a fold rate of in excess of 21%. This can make games unattractive to the recreational player as the player will become bored. The player normally folds early in the game, leaving the player lengthy periods of downtime before the commencement of the next game.
It is always desirable to explore alternative games for play in the field of gaming tables to provide players with varied experiences and alternatives to known games.
Disclosure of the Invention One variation of the present invention relates to a card game that can be played in a casino or in a gaming venue. More particularly, it relates to a hybrid version of a poker game.
According to one aspect the invention resides in a game comprising a set of tokens, said set comprising a first number of sub-sets, each sub-set having an equal second number of tokens, each sub-set of tokens having a hierarchical ranking from a lowest value to an upper most value, said game comprising a dealer and at least one player, the game comprising the dealer delivering to each player a collection of tokens comprising a third number of tokens, each player assessing the collection of tokens and declaring the status of the collection as a winning group, where a winning group comprises a selection of tokens which conform to a pre-determined set of tokens, each player discarding some of the tokens to hold a fourth number of tokens, said fourth number being less than the first number, the dealer delivering a final token from the remainder of the set of tokens, the final token being compared with the fourth number of tokens held by each player wherein the player is determined as having won or lost as a result of said comparison.
According to a further aspect the invention resides in a game apparatus for playing a game which uses a set of tokens, said set comprising a first number of sub-sets, each sub-set having an equal second number of tokens, each sub-set of tokens having a hierarchical ranking from a lowest value to an upper most value, said game comprising a dealer and at least one player, the game comprising the dealer delivering to each player a collection of tokens comprising a third number of tokens, each player assessing the collection of tokens and declaring the status of the collection as a winning group, where a winning group comprises a selection of tokens which conform to a predetermined set of tokens, each player discarding some of the tokens to hold a fourth number of tokens, said fourth number being less than the first number, the dealer delivering a final token from the remainder of the set of tokens, the final token being compared with the fourth number of tokens held by each player wherein the player is determined as having won or lost as a result of said comparison, wherein the game apparatus comprises a player display adapted to provide a display representative of the collection of tokens delivered to the player by the dealer and the final token, the apparatus further comprising a player control means which is adapted to be operated by a player and a dealer control means adapted to be controlled by a dealer and which provides the display at the player display representative of the collection of tokens and of the final token and the player control adapted to enable the player to discard the representation of some of the tokens displayed to retain the fourth number of tokens.
According to preferred feature of the invention the player makes a wager prior to the delivery of the collection of tokens and the player is paid out on winning the game. According to preferred feature of the invention additional wagers can be placed by a player at differing stages of the game. According to preferred feature of the invention an additional wager can be placed by a player after discarding tokens to establish the fourth number of tokens.
According to preferred feature of the invention the selection of tokens which conform to a pre-determined set of tokens comprise a number of selections of tokens and the selections are given a ranking according to the nature of the subsets to which each token belongs and the hierarchy of the tokens contained in the sub-set. According to preferred feature of the invention on a player having a winning hand on delivery of the collection of tokens, the player is paid out by the dealer in accordance with the ranking of the winning hand. According to preferred feature of the invention on a player having a winning hand on receipt of the collection of tokens, the player is able to continue with the game. According to preferred feature of the invention on continuing with the game the player is able to submit an additional wager. According to an alternative preferred feature of the invention on a player having a winning hand on receipt of the collection of tokens, the player is withdrawn from the game.
According to preferred feature of the invention the comparison with the final token is conducted in relation to conformity with the subset of tokens to which the final token belongs with the subset or subsets of the tokens held by each player.
According to preferred feature of the invention on the final token being from a different subset to the subset or subsets of the tokens held by the player the dealer is determined as the winner and otherwise the player being determined as the winner. According to preferred feature of the invention the comparison with the final token is also conducted in relation to the subset and hierarchy of the final token having a ranking lower than the token held by the player of the same subset as of the final token the player is determined as the winner and otherwise the dealer being determined as the winner.
According to preferred feature of the invention the game requires a minimum of one player.
According to preferred feature of the invention the first number is the number 4.
According to preferred feature of the invention the second number comprises the number 13. According to preferred feature of the invention the third number comprises the number 5. According to preferred feature of the invention the fourth number comprises the number 3 or less.
According to preferred feature of the invention the tokens comprise a set of conventional playing cards and the sub-sets comprising the suits of a conventional set of playing cards. According to preferred feature of the invention the winning hands are those defined as winning hands according to the rules of the card game Poker or derivatives of the card game Poker.
According to a further aspect the invention resides in a game apparatus for playing a game of the form as described above wherein the game apparatus comprises a player display adapted to provide a display representative of the tokens delivered to the player by the dealer and the final token, the apparatus further comprising a player control means which is adapted to be operated by a player and a dealer control means adapted to be controlled by a dealer to provide the display at the player display representative of the collection of tokens and of the final token and the player control adapted to enable the player to discard the representation of some of the tokens displayed.
According to preferred feature of the invention the game the control means includes an insertion means capable of accepting a value token wherein the game is activated by a player inserting a value token into the insertion means which shall be taken as the wager. According to preferred feature of the invention the value token comprises an element of representative of monetary currency. According to preferred feature of the invention the game apparatus comprises a plurality of player stations each having a player display. According to preferred feature of the invention a second display is provided at each player station at which the player can display the magnitude of the wager. According to preferred feature of the invention the dealer station is controlled by a dealer.
According to preferred feature of the invention the assessment of the success of the player on receiving the collection of tokens and/or on the final token being displayed is assessed by the dealer. According to preferred feature of the invention the assessment of the success of the player on receiving the collection of tokens and/or on the final token being displayed is assessed by the dealer control means.
According to preferred feature of the invention the game apparatus is operated electronically and incorporates a processing means. According to preferred feature of the invention the dealer station is controlled by a computer program.
The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments.
Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments
The first embodiment of the card game described is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. A table (200) is provided which includes a dealer location (202) and a plurality of player locations (204). In front of each of the player locations (204) is provided a card placement area (206) and a wager area (208). Each hand of the card game is initiated by each player placing an initial wager into the wager area (208). The amount of the initial wager will be set between a predefined minimum and maximum for the table. The embodiment of the game described is based on poker and therefore following placement of the initial wager, the dealer deals each of the players 5 cards, which are placed face down in the card placement areas (206). Each player examines their hand and determines if the hand is either a winning hand, a non-winning hand or an unplayable hand.
A winning hand is defined to be one of a plurality of predefined hands. As the embodiment described is based on poker, the predefined hands are known poker hands.
In this case a winning hand is a poker hand of Two Pair or higher. If the player determines that their hand is a winning hand, that player declares their hand a winning hand and places the hand face down in the card placement area (206).
An unplayable hand is defined to be a hand which comprises a Two, a Three, a Four, a Five (all of the same suit) and another Two. This hand is defined as. unplayable as there is no possibility of winning with these cards, as will become evident. The player declares their hand an unplayable hand and places the hand face down in the card placement area (206).
A non-winning hand is defined to be any hand which is not a winning or unplayable hand.
Any player that declares their hand to be a non-winning hand now discards 2, 3 or 4 cards from their hand so that they retain no more than one card from any one suit. That is, no more than 3 cards can be held. The discarded cards are placed faced down on the table (210). The cards that have been held will be referred to as the hold hand. The hold hand is placed in the card placement area (206).
The dealer then exposes any declared winning hand and pays the player, based on their initial wager, according to predefined odds for each winning hand. The following table sets out predefined odds for winning hands which would be suitable for playing the game. Type of Hand Odds for Payout Two Pair 1 to 1 Three of a Kind 1 to 1 Straight 2 to 1 Flush 4 to 1 Full House 5 to 1 Four of a Kind 20 to 1 Straight Flush 50 to 1 Royal Flush 200 to 1 Variations to the above odds or predefined payout amounts are deemed appropriate.
The dealer then exposes any declared unplayable hand and returns the player's initial wager.
If any player declares a winning hand that is not a winning hand or an unplayable hand that is not an unplayable hand, that player forfeits their initial wager.
The dealer then exposes the hand of any player who has a hold hand and deals a sixth card to each of those players. If the sixth card is the same suit as one of the cards of the player's hold hand and less in value than that card, then the dealer pays that player an amount based on their initial wager and predefined odds for the held hand. In one embodiment, the player is simply paid an amount equal to the initial wager. In a further embodiment, the player is paid at odds based on the number of cards in the hold hand.
The player loses their initial wager if the sixth card is either of a different suit to the cards of the hold hand, or of the same suit as one of the cards of the hold hand but higher in value than said card. It will be appreciated that while the dealer may deal a separate card to each player which acts as the sixth card for that player, the dealer may also deal a single card which is to act as the sixth card for every player.
If at any point, the dealer deals cards incorrectly or exposes dealt cards, the dealer will declare the hands void and the round will be cancelled.
There are many variation of games that may be played within the scope of the present invention. The following variations shall be described in a manner that should enable those skilled in the art to appreciate the expanded scope of play available, rather than considering any single described method as limiting the intended scope of the game.
A second embodiment of the card game according to the invention is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Each hand of the card game is initiated by each player placing an initial wager. The dealer deals each of the players 5 cards, which the player examines to determine if that hand is a winning hand.
A winning hand is defined to be one of a plurality of predefined hands, the following hands would be deemed appropriate.
5 cards same suit.
5 cards same suit in numerical order.
5 cards same suit Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.
5 cards-Unplayable (that is 5 cards that have no chance of winning within this embodiment of the present invention).
If the player determines that their hand is a winning hand, that player declares their hand a winning hand and places the hand face down in the card placement area.
A non-winning hand is defined to be any hand which is not a winning hand.
Any player that determines their hand to be a non-winning hand, now discards 2, 3, or 4 cards from their hand so they retain no more than one card from any one suit. That is no more than 3 cards can be held. The discarded cards would be removed from the table by the dealer.
The dealer then exposes any declared winning hands and pays the player based on the following chart. Same Suit $100.00 Unplayable $1000.00 Same Suit/Numerical Order $10,000.00 Same Suit/Ten, Jack, Queen, King, $100,000.00 Ace Variations to the above set amounts or predefined payouts at odds are deemed appropriate.
After payment, players with winning hands will be given the option to continue or stand off their initial wager. Any winning hand would become a special 5 card hold hand.
In the embodiment, players with non-winning hands will have the option of placing an additional wager equal to the amount of their initial wager before their hold hand is exposed.
The dealer then exposes the hand of any player who has a hold hand and deals a sixth card to each of those players. If the sixth card is the same suit as one of the cards of the players hold hand and less in value than that card, then the dealer pays that player an amount based on their initial wager and predefined odds for the held hand.
One Suitable set of payout odds is as follows, Hold hand of 5 cards—5 to 1.
Hold hand of 3 cards—1 to 1.
Hold hand of 2 cards—3 to 2.
Hold hand of 1 card—2 to 1.
Any additional wagers would be paid at the same odds as the initial wagers.
The player loses their initial wager and any additional wager if the sixth card is either of a different suit to the cards of the hold hand, or of the same suit as one of the cards of the hold hand but higher in value than said card.
A third embodiment of the invention comprises a card game played with 2 or more mixed standard decks of cards preferably 4 decks of standard 52 cards.
Each hand of the card game is initiated by each player placing an initial wager.
The dealer deals each of the players 3 cards face up with the player being able to declare their 3 card hand a winning hand.
A winning hand is defined to be one of a plurality of predefined hands. As the embodiment described is based on poker, the predefined hands are known poker hands.
In this case a winning hand is a poker hand of one pair or higher. According to the hierarchy of 3 card poker hand rankings, payout at odds would be paid for the different standing of the ranked hands.
After payment of winning hands, all players would still be participating in the game. Players would now have the option of placing an additional wager equal to the initial wager.
The dealer deals a fourth card face up to each player. If the fourth card is the same suit as one of the cards of the players hand and less in value than that card, then the dealer pays that player an amount equal to the initial wager and any additional wager.
The player loses their initial wager and any additional wager if the fourth card is either of a different suit to the cards of the player's hand, or of the same suit as one of the cards of the player's hand but higher in value than said card.
With 4 decks of cards the fourth card dealt by the dealer to the player's hand, may be of the same suit and value as one of the cards of the players' hand. In this event the dealer would pay the player an amount according to predefined odds and based on the player's initial wager and any additional wager.
A fourth embodiment comprises a electronic game version of the present invention wherein the tokens claimed are represented by a standard deck of playing cards with reference to
On placement of a wager (117) varying values are optional by engaging the wager button (118) the display screen (105) will display the initial amount wagered (113) by the player.
The display screen (105) will display the five cards (106, 107, 108, 109, 110) dealt as the players hand, face up and the one card (111) dealt as the dealers card, face down.
The initial players cards constitutes one of a predetermined automatic winning predefined hand (102) as displayed on the payout chart (102), the internal controller (101) will execute an automatic payout at the odds displayed on the predefined hands payout chart (102) and the game will be over.
The initial players cards constitutes a non-winning hand the internal controller (101) will automatically hold one, two or three cards of the players cards to maximize the advantage for the player.
The player has the option to alter any decision by engaging the hold buttons (120, 121, 122, 123, 124).
The player has the option of an additional wager by engaging the additional wager button (118) equal to the value of the initial wager (113). The additional wager will be displayed (114).
The player engages the deal button (119) whereby the players hold hand of one, two or three cards will remain displayed on the display screen (105). The dealers card (111) is revealed resolving the result of a win or loss for the players hand as determined by the present invention.
Credits will be paid out (116) to the players credits (115) at the odds as indicated (103) by the internal controller (101) then the game will be over.
On activation of the cash out button (125) the internal controller will dispense into a tray (126) monetary value equal to the players credits (115) There are a number of advantages of the present invention. The wagering structure of singular wagers with additional wagers when the player is in a commanding position is most attractive to all players. Players participate most of the time to the end of each game thereby keeping their interest and participation concentrated on the game.
A fifth embodiment comprises a game whereby cards having the same suit are added to generate a hand total which is then compared to other players or dealer depending on the game type. Cards of other suits are not considered. Thus, rather than the method described above, in this embodiment, players are seeking cards of the same suit which, assuming the player, is able to collect three cards of the same suit, the values of the same-suited cards are added together to determine a total. It is the value totals which are compared between the players in a player v. player embodiment or between players and dealer in a player v. dealer embodiment. In one embodiment, card values are synonymous with values used in the popular game of blackjack wherein Aces are valued at 11, face cards are valued at 10 and all other cards are valued at their numerical rank. In another embodiment, a Baccarat scoring system is used to value hands. In one embodiment, at least three cards in the players' hand and dealer's hand must be of the same suit in order for the hand to be playable. If three or more of the cards are of the same suit, the values of the cards are aggregated to reach a hand total. In a player v. player embodiment, the player with the highest hand total wins the game. In a player v. dealer embodiment, each player's hand total is compared to the dealer's hand total to determine individual winners. If a player does not collect at least three cards of the same suit, the player loses his or her wager(s).
In one specific embodiment utilizing the card aggregation of values, a Hold'em type game is played.
Such an embodiment of the game may also be played as a side or bonus game in any card game utilizing three or more cards (whether hole cards or common cards) whereby any players obtaining two or more cards of the same suit add the values with the player having the highest value with the side or bonus bet.
Casinos who install games with reasonable house percentages and high hand win rates find increasing player appeal and participation.
It will be appreciated that the games could also be played by other means, such as electronic gaming machines or via an on-line gaming websites.
The capabilities of technology are constantly expanding, and the improvements in technology should not be considered to avoid the underlining invention. For example player monitoring systems, security systems, integrated systems where shuffles identify the number of cards and/or identify the specific cards and their positions in the play of the game are contemplated in the practice of the present invention. It is possible to incorporate some degree or nearly an entire electronic system into the game table or into the play of the game. Such partial or complete electronic systems may perform such tasks as identifying the existence of a wager and/or may provide virtual cards from an electronically stored deck of cards.
It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above and in particular need not be limited to circumstances where the tokens used in the game comprise conventional playing cards or representations of conventional playing cards. All the examples, modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method of conducting a card game comprising:
- providing each player with one or more hole cards from one or more standard decks of playing cards;
- providing one or more common cards;
- allowing one or more wagers to be placed;
- comparing a hand, formed of said hole cards and common cards, for each player and/or a dealer wherein said comparison comprises aggregating a value associated with multiple same-suited cards in each player's and/or a dealer's hand; and
- declaring a winner as the player and/or dealer holding a hand with the highest aggregate hand value.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing two hole cards.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing five common cards.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing multiple wagering rounds after each one or more sets of common cards is provided.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing each player's hands to a dealer hand.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising each player's hand to each other player's hand.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing a hand, formed of said hole cards and common cards, for each player and/or a dealer wherein said comparison comprises aggregating a value associated with three or more same-suited cards in each player's and/or a dealer's hand.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating hand values using a Blackjack card value system.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating hand values using a Baccarat card value system.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing a live dealer.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing an electronic gaming device.
12. A method of conducting a card game comprising:
- providing each player with two playing cards from one or more standard decks of playing cards;
- conducting a first wagering round;
- providing a set of common flop cards;
- conducting a second wagering round;
- providing a common turn card;
- conducting a third wagering round;
- providing a common river card;
- conducting a fourth wagering round;
- comparing a hand, formed of said hole cards and common cards, for each player to other player hands wherein said comparison comprises aggregating a value associated with three or more same-suited cards in each player's hand; and
- declaring a winner as the player holding a hand with the highest aggregate hand value.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating hand values using a Blackjack card value system.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating hand values using a Baccarat card value system.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising utilizing a live dealer.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising utilizing an electronic gaming device.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 12, 2010
Publication Date: Oct 28, 2010
Inventor: Gregory A. Petty (Bentley WA)
Application Number: 12/758,691
International Classification: A63F 1/00 (20060101); A63F 9/24 (20060101);
