Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-20
2004-03-16
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Betting or wagering board
C273S292000, C273S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705613
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,845,906 and 6,113,101, the text of which is incorporated by reference herein, I described methods for playing wagering games which were based, in substantial part, on the rules of poker. As was the case with these earlier disclosures, the present invention relates generally to a playing card wagering game which is particularly applicable to a casino environment in which multiple players compete with themselves and with the house. The game in its variations can also be played in a home environment.
Wagering games, particularly those intended primarily for play in casinos, should provide players with a sense of participation and control, the opportunity to make decisions, and reasonable odds of winning, even though the odds favor the casino, house, dealer or banker. The game must also meet the requirements of regulatory agencies.
Wagering games, including wagering games for casino play with multiple wagering opportunities, are known. In addition to the above-mentioned patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,861,041 and 5,087,405 (both to Jones et al) disclose methods and apparatus for progressive jackpot gaming, respectively. The former patent discloses that a player may make an additional wager at the beginning of a hand, the outcome of the additional wager being determined by a predetermined arrangement of cards in the player's hand. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 (to Suttle and Jones) discloses a modified version of a five card stud poker game.
Additional symbols may be added to the usual means of playing a game to increase wagering opportunities. This is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107 (to Boylan et al). Somewhat similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,757 (to Holmberg) discloses a board game and apparatus, including a way to allow the player to make a choice with respect to several different alternative types of game play and risk-bearing strategies. The alternative play is based on providing cards with additional symbols and therefore, a new set of odds. The game and apparatus disclosed by Holmberg requires new sets of rules, relatively complicated procedures and time for a player to learn the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,429 (to LeVasseur) involves the dealer playing multiple hands against a player's single hand, whereby the number of hands played in the same amount of time is increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,462 (to Breeding) discloses a casino-type poker game wherein players are given an opportunity to withdraw at least a part of their bets before all the cards are dealt. The game employs at least one common card which can be used by all of the players.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card game, in particular to a card game suitable for use in casinos, and to tables for playing the game. The game combines the concepts of draw poker with simultaneous play against a dealer (the house) and play against other players. Players who are dealt premium hands receive bonus payments, depending on the value of the hand. Because the players are not permitted to increase their wagers, the game moves rapidly.
The game follows the rules of stud poker. Each player's poker hand is made from 5 dealt cards with the right to use a common card to improve the dealt hand if the player elects to discard and pay the house for the privilege of using this common card. The dealer has same option as other players, i.e., to make the best five-card hand from six cards; however, the dealer does not pay to use the common card. Each player plays head-to-head against the dealer for one part of the wager, and against the other players or another part of the wager (the “common pot” or “Players' Pot”). A bonus or “premium pot” provides the players with a third opportunity to win.
Premium or bonus pots have become very popular with the gaming public. This game incorporates a premium pot, but unlike conventional games (e.g., Caribbean Stud) where players contribute to the makeup of that pot, the present game has a bonus system which does not require a direct contribution by the players. In the present game, it is envisioned that a player having an extraordinary poker hand (e.g., a straight or higher) will receive a bonus or premium payment from the house, based on the statistical rarity of the hand. Funds to pay the bonus can be generated from the monies paid to the dealer (house) in the course of the game when players buy a card from the dealer. Although the amount or cost of the one card can be determined by the house, the suggested price in this game would be $5.00. Because premium payouts will not be an every-game occurrence, sufficient funds to seed and maintain this bonus pool can easily be obtained from amounts paid for extra cards over the course of many hands. Similarly, the funds required to seed the game as a tournament game can be obtained from amounts paid for extra cards.
The game would proceed as follows. The dealer (house) operates from a table playing station which provides easy access to the players. In addition to the dealer, the game can be played by as many as six players around the table, each operating from a playing station which has a card playing area and a betting area. Each player's betting area contains at least two wager zones: a first Ante zone, and a second zone for wagers which form the “Players' Pot.” A player's playing area might also contain a marked region or regions for placing a discarded card and for paying the dealer for the right to make such a discard. The players' stations also contain regions or zones where cards can be dealt.
The dealer's playing station is somewhat different than that of the players. In addition to a region or zone for placing the five cards dealt to the dealer, the dealer's playing station contains a zone for placement of a common card which can be utilized by any of the players who opt to make a discard. The dealer's playing station also contains a region or zone for maintaining a common Players' Pot.
In a preferred method, play would commence as follows: Each player would place a predetermined amount in a first Ante zone at his/her station on the table. The suggested amount for an ante for this game would be $5.00 per hand in the Ante zone, although this amount is given for purposes of illustration only, and could be higher or lower at house discretion.
Five cards are dealt to each player, preferably all at one time, starting from the dealer's left to right; the dealer being dealt last. The dealer also places a single card in a “common card” zone region of the table. All cards—players', dealer's and the common card—are dealt face down. The players look at their five cards and determine if they are going to play. If a player is going to fold, he or she indicates this by discarding all five cards to the dealer. Dealer then picks up the ante wager in the player's first Ante zone and the five cards dealt to the folding player. The forfeited ante wager belongs to the house.
If a player opts to continue, he or she indicates this by placing a second wager (e.g., five dollars) in the second, “Players' Pot” zone at his/her playing station. At this point, the player has two options: standing pat, or discarding one card in the hopes of improving the hand by use of the as yet undisclosed common card. A player who opts to use the common card must place one of the dealt cards in a discard zone at his/her playing station, together with a payment to the dealer (e.g., $5.00) for the right to make this discard. In the next stage of play, the dealer would pick up the extra card payments and discards from each of the players who have opted to utilize the common card (viz., from all players except those who have opted to stand pat). As was the case with Ante wagers collected from players who have decided not to continue, the extra card payments go to the house. The justification for this situation will be explained below.
All cards returned to the dealer are placed in a discard area on the table. A preferred method would involve placin
Marshall & Gerstein & Borun LLP
Pierce William M.
LandOfFree
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