Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-19
2002-04-16
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
C273S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371851
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to modified poker card games, and more particularly, to an apparatus, computer tangible medium storing computer-executable instructions, and a method of playing an extended hand modified video poker game.
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. Nevertheless, there is still a strong interest 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, more than one player 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.
The disadvantage of “STUD” poker is that each player must single-handedly ascertain each and every possible winning card combination, not to mention its associated payoff. Also, there is no opportunity to improve on a hand that has been dealt. Further, a poker hand, once it has been played has no bearing on a subsequent poker hand. Consequently, no continuous strategy need be or may be developed across a number of hands.
“DRAW” poker 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 to 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, often the dealer reduces the payoff for any such wining hand by a constant amount.
However, like “STUD” poker, a disadvantage to “DRAW” poker is that the player must single-handedly ascertain each and every possible winning card combination and its associated payoff. Also, any one poker hand has no effect on a subsequent poker hand. Thus, as in “STUD” poker, a “DRAW” poker player need not develop a strategy to be implemented over the play of more than one hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method of playing Hi-Hi-Lo Poker. A player is dealt six cards and must divide them into a one-card high ranking hand, a two-card high ranking hand, and a three-card low ranking hand. The player may submit a wager for each of the three hands. The player's one-card, two-card, and three-card hands are compared against a bank player's respective one-card, two-card, and three-card hands. Like “STUD” poker, the player is not permitted to discard any of the six dealt cards. Like “STUD” poker and “DRAW” poker, any one round of three hands has no relation to the outcome of a subsequent round of three hands.
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
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. 5,382,025 discloses a method of playing a variation of poker. A dealer deals three two-card hands face-up. A player selects one of the three hands. The dealer then deals five communal cards face-up. The three hands are then compared, in conjunction with the five communal cards, to determine the winning hand. The two cards from each hand are used along with the best three of the five communal cards for those two cards to achieve the highest poker hand. The player wins if his selected two-card hand is part of the winning poker hand among the three highest poker hands for the respective originally dealt two-card hands. Little or no strategy can be used to win this game because the player must determine, without seeing the subsequently dealt five communal cards, which of three two-card hands will ultimately develop the winning five card hand. Also, no one poker hand has any impact on a subsequent poker hand. Hence, no continuous strategy can be implemented across more than one round.
Accordingly, we have determined that it would be desirable to provide an improved poker game that creates a higher perceived sense of winning than conventional poker games. The player ought to feel that he is winning more often and that the runs of wins are extended relative to conventional poker games. If this can be achieved, the comparative difference in time between subsequent losses and between subsequent wins makes the losses forgettable to the engrossed player. In an optimal gaming environment, such a perceived sense is precisely what should be felt by the player.
Additionally, we have determined that it would be desirable to provide an improved poker game that enables the player to exhibit some control over the eventual outcome of the total payoffs in a round of poker, based on skillful choices of card combinations having payoffs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a feature and an advantage to the present invention to provide an improved modified poker game that creates a higher perceived sense of winning than conventional poker games.
It is another feature and advantage to the present invention to provide an improved modified poker game that enables the player to exhibit some control over the eventual outcome of the total payoffs in a round of poker, based on skillful and/or risk related choices of payable card combinations in multiple hands in the round.
It is another feature a
Marks Howard M.
Singer Anthony M.
Donner, Esq. Irah H.
Hale and Dorr LLP
O'Neill Michael
PTT LLC
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