Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-11
2003-08-12
Nguyen, Kim (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
C463S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604998
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to modified poker card games, and more into particularly, to a method, an apparatus, and a computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for playing a combination of modified poker games, in a local and/or global network environment.
BACKGROUND ART
The state gaming control boards of Nevada and New Jersey (which have traditionally been slow to approve any new games or gambling concepts) have changed their philosophy so dramatically that, today, they actively encourage the trial and acceptance of new games and gambling concepts. The problem with introducing new games has always been the basic criteria for mass-market gambling:
Game rules must be easy to learn.
Strategies must be easy to master and not favor “the expert” disproportionately.
Games must have a short duration between the start (the bet) and the finish (the payoff).
The payoff structure, that is, what can be won by a lucky player, must be enticing.
The game must be fair; the casino should not have an unreasonable advantage.
The game must be “secure, ” that is, protected from cheating and tampering.
The casino's “win” must be demonstrated to be worthwhile, that is, the “win per machine per month” must at least compare favorably to that of the “slots. ”
Over the years, there have been many different types of games that have attempted to satisfy the demands of the gaming industry. These games have ranged the gamut from those involving great mental prowess to games involving merely chance. Obviously, a strong interest lies in games that create real excitement.
One such game is poker, a mainstay in the gambling world. Traditional five or seven card poker often uses the following rank order of winning hands from highest to lowest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, and “Jacks or better. ” Typically, one or more players are each dealt a poker hand by one player who acts as the dealer. The player with the highest hand according to the established rank order wins.
“STUD” poker, one variation of five card poker, provides each player with five cards, forming a hand. If the players are separately playing against the dealer, naturally, each player attempts to beat the dealer or to obtain one of a predetermined collection of winning hands, such as those in the above-mentioned rank order. Often, a payoff for a given winning hand is inversely proportional to the probability of attaining that hand.
One disadvantage of “STUD” poker is that a player must single-handedly ascertain each and every possible winning card combination and its associated payoff. To the novice poker player, this myriad of winning combinations can seem intimidating and even overwhelming, and, to the detriment of the game owner, serve to discourage beginning players from playing.
Perhaps an even greater disadvantage of “STUD” poker is that a player has no opportunity to improve on a hand that has been dealt. As such, the outcome of a “STUD” poker game is based only on the initially dealt hand. Absolutely no control or decision making is required on the part of the player. Hence, a “STUD” poker player is often left with the helpless feeling that the outcome of the game depends only upon luck.
“DRAW” poker, on the other hand, permits a player to make a single discard, whereby one or more of the cards selected by the player are replaced by the dealer. A discard provides an opportunity for the player to increase the value of his hand. Typically, only one discard per round is permitted. Plainly, “DRAW” poker increases the probability of obtaining a winning hand. To offset the probability of an improved hand and the better chances of winning, often the dealer reduces the payoff for any such winning hand by a constant amount.
However, like “STUD” poker, a disadvantage of “DRAW” poker is that the player must single-handedly ascertain each and every possible winning card combination and its associated payoff. Thus, although a “DRAW” poker player is afforded an opportunity to exercise some control over the fate of the game, the complexity and large number of winning combinations is oftentimes enough to drive a beginning player away from the game, thus adversely affecting a game owner's business.
Also, conventional “DRAW” poker does not provide the benefit of awarding multiple payouts for a single hand. The effects of this drawback become apparent in the case of an exceptional poker hand, for example, four aces. In this instance, it would be advantageous to present a player with the opportunity to win multiple high-return payouts for obtaining this relatively rare hand. However, in conventional “DRAW” poker, a player has the opportunity to be rewarded only once, namely, after the draw, for achieving this exceptional hand.
Another disadvantage associated with conventional “DRAW” poker is its lack of incentive to pursue rare hands. To illustrate, on an initial deal of a 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10, the player is one card, namely a 7, short of a straight flush. On the draw, one strategy available to the player is to replace the 10 in hopes of completing the straight flush and receiving its relatively high payout. On the other hand, the player may wish to “play it safe” and replace multiple cards in hopes of receiving a lesser but more common hand, say a pair of 10's, in an attempt to return at least a portion of the ante. However, in conventional “DRAW” poker, a player may pursue only one of the two options. That is, the player is limited to pursuing either the rare hand and its exceptional payout or the common hand and its relatively smaller payout. The strategy of pursuing a rare hand while still maintaining an opportunity to return at least a portion of the ante is simply not an option in conventional “DRAW” poker.
Recently, electronic video poker gaming devices have been developed, placing traditional “STUD” poker and “DRAW” poker in an exciting multimedia environment. Various attempts have been made to enhance play of poker in the new environment over the years. Examples of such attempts are described in the following U.S. patent references, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,022; Wood
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,134; Suttle et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,049; Tomaszewski
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,137; Fulton
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,109; Gumina
U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,915; Miller
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128; Marquez
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,194; Wolf
U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,025; Sklansky et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,199; Gumina
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,404; Joshi et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,407; Hofberg et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,451; Fulton
U.S. Pat. No. 15,882,259; Holmes, Jr.
Yet, these attempts suffer from flaws similar to those of traditional poker games. That is, heretofore, the gaming environment has frustrated poker players. Seemingly frequent losing hands, and, in turn, seemingly frequent lost wagers, detract from the optimal gaming environment. Worse still, depending on the type of poker, players have little or no control over the eventual outcome of a hand.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,259 discloses a method of playing a variation of an electronic video poker game. This modified poker game basically modifies the traditional manner of playing electronic video draw poker by adding a payout based on the initial five card hand that is displayed to the player when the player activates a “Deal” button on the electronic gaming machine. Thus, the player plays a single game and has the opportunity to win an additional reward or payout. Specifically, the player is initially dealt a first hand of cards. With this first hand of cards, a first winning amount or extra payout is made according to whether the first hand of cards matches generally a single or limited predesignated hand or arrangement of cards. After awarding this first winning amount, if one is due, the game continues as a standard “DRAW” poker game. Namely, the player discards any number of cards in an attempt to obtain a winning poker hand or to improve an already winni
Marks Howard M.
Singer Anthony M.
Nguyen Kim
PTT LLC
LandOfFree
Modified poker system with combination of multiple games... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Modified poker system with combination of multiple games..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modified poker system with combination of multiple games... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3093185