Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2001-11-27
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game requiring strategy or problem solving by a...
C463S012000, C273S293000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322445
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to a method and apparatus providing a multi-line poker game in a video gaming device. More specifically, the present invention relates providing a plurality of paylines that enable multiple poker hands to be wagered upon and played by a player within a single play of a poker game on a computer-based video gaming device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computer-based, video gaming machines are becoming increasing common place to construct gaming devices such as slot machines, video poker games, and video roulette wheels. These automated video games utilize computing systems containing software modules to implement gaming logic. These computing systems also utilize computer video display devices to present gaming players with images of the various gaming apparatus being implemented.
These computer-based gaming systems replace mechanical systems such as slot machines comprising a plurality of rotating wheels and associated mechanical logic. The computing systems utilize a random number generator to determine a game outcome that statistically appears to be random in nature. The random numbers obtained from a random number-generating module are used to determine which symbols on the wheels of a slot machine are to be displayed when the game concludes a play. Similarly, these random numbers are used to shuffle standard decks of playing cards used in other games of chance such as poker.
These computer-based gaming machines also comprise software modules which when working together implement the rules of a particular game of chance. For a poker gaming machine, these rules include the pay-out tables used to determine any winnings paid to a player for a particular combination of winning combinations of cards found within on a particular hand. These hands may be constructed from any arrangement of cards that can form a hand of poker.
Gaming machines that accept wagers and provide winning payouts as part of their operation. In order to attract players, the gaming machines need to entice players to want to play a given machine. Additionally, the excitement from a given play of a gaming machine increases, and thus the corresponding desire of a player to place wagers, as the number of ways a player may win increases.
At the same time, the gaming establishment operators desire for players to increase the amount of wagers placed within a given time period as the games are programmed to statistically return a predetermined amount of funds wagered. As the amount wagered increases, the amount of profit to the establishment operators. statistically increases as well. Thus gaming machines are successful when they provide numerous ways for a player to win as well as increases the incentives for players to place an increased number of wagers on a given play. The present invention provides a software architecture for implementing computer-based gaming machines to address the above problems in prior systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is a method of playing a multi-line poker game of cards having a game hand line and a plurality of bonus lines that are combined to create a game array having a plurality of paylines on a computer-based video gaming device, the method comprises determining a set of game parameters from a set of input signals from a player, randomly dealing a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to fill the game hand line; determining the cards from the within the game hand that are to be held and the cards that are to be discarded, randomly dealing cards from the deck of cards to replace all of the cards discarded from within the game hand, duplicating each card within the game hand and randomly placing the duplicated cards within the plurality of bonus lines until all of the locations within the game array are filled with cards, determining whether any of the paylines contain winning combinations of poker hands, and determining an award amount for all winning combinations found within paylines based upon the winning combination, the identity of the payline, and the amount of any wager placed on the payline containing the winning combination.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of playing a multi-line poker game of cards having a game hand line and a plurality of bonus lines that are combined to create a game array having a plurality of paylines on a computer-based video gaming device, the method comprises determining a set of game parameters from a set of input signals from a player, randomly dealing a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to fill the game hand line; determining the cards from the within the game hand that are to be held and the cards that are to be discarded, randomly dealing cards from the deck of cards to replace all of the cards discarded from within the game hand within the game hand, duplicating each card held within the game hand and randomly placing the duplicated cards within the plurality of bonus lines, randomly dealing additional cards to fill the game array until all of the locations within the game array are filled with cards, determining whether any of the paylines contain winning combinations of poker hands, and determining an award amount for all winning combinations found within paylines based upon the winning combination, the identity of the payline, and the amount of any wager placed on the payline containing the winning combination.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of playing a multi-line poker game of cards having a game hand line and a plurality of bonus lines that are combined to create a game array having a plurality of paylines on a computer-based video gaming device, the method comprises determining a set of game parameters from a set of input signals from a player, randomly dealing a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to fill the game hand line; determining the cards from the within the game hand that are to be held and the cards that are to be discarded, randomly dealing cards from the deck of cards to replace all of the cards discarded from within the game hand, randomly dealing cards from the deck of cards and randomly placing the duplicated cards within the plurality of bonus lines until all of the locations within the game array are filled with cards, determining whether any of the paylines contain winning combinations of poker hands, and determining an award amount for all winning combinations found within paylines based upon the winning combination, the identity of the payline, and the amount of any wager placed on the payline containing the winning combination.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5807172 (1998-09-01), Piechowiak
patent: 5823873 (1998-10-01), Moody
patent: 5971849 (1999-10-01), Falciglia
patent: 6007066 (1999-12-01), Moody
Innovative Gaming Corporation of America
Kasick Julie
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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