Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-31
2002-01-01
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
C273S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334614
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to multi-tiered wagering games. In particular, it relates to a method and apparatus for playing a game to determine the winner of a super jackpot, wherein the game may be played in conjunction with other wagering games, such as poker games.
BACKGROUND ART
There are many wagering games used for gambling. Such games should be exciting to arouse players' interest and uncomplicated so they can be understood easily by a large number of players. Ideally, the games should include more than one wagering opportunity during the course of the game, yet be able to be played rapidly to a wager resolving outcome. Exciting play, the opportunity to make more than one wager and rapid wager resolution enhance players' interest and enjoyment because the frequency of betting opportunities and bet resolutions is increased.
Wagering games (e.g., roulette, craps, slots, video poker, table card games, and game machines or computers using gaming software), including 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. 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 of 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.
The desired attributes of wagering games outlined above are in large measure provided by the method and apparatus for a wagering game in accordance with the present invention. The game is uncomplicated, exciting and provides the opportunity for players to make multiple wagers, choices regarding those wagers and a separate wager and entry fee for a bonus pay-off and a super jackpot pay-off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A multi-tiered wagering method and game is provided. The multi-tiered game and method involves placing a first wager and an optional second wager and/or entry fee to participate in the multi-tiered game, playing a first wagering game, the initial or basic game, to resolve the first wager and the second wager and to select a qualified player, or a group of qualified players or finalists, and playing a second game or additional games to select a winner or winners of a super jackpot. The second game or games occurs at a time measured by the occurrence of a selected event: after a predetermined number of qualifiers or finalists is determined, when the jackpot reaches a predetermined amount, or after a predetermined time period. When the occurrence of the second game or games is based on a predetermined number of qualifiers or finalists (e.g., one to one hundred), the frequency of play of the second game or games can be predicted based on mathematical hit frequencies. In card games such as poker, mathematical hit frequency or statistical hit frequency refers to a statistical relationship between the number of hands played and the random occurrence of a specific arrangement of cards (e.g., a royal flush). For example, the mathematical hit frequency for obtaining a royal flush in poker using a 52 card deck is 1:649,740. It should be understood that the concept of mathematical hit frequency is applicable to all games of chance. The second wagering game or additional games of the multi-tiered method and game includes one or more super jackpot pay-offs.
The present invention encompasses a series of games and a plurality of players participating alone or simultaneously with other players in a game or in games in the series. Games being played at a single gaming table in a single casino, at other gaming tables in a casino and at other gaming tables in other casinos in the same and in distant locations are interconnected by a computer network to determine winners and eligible participants to enter and complete tournament play to win super jackpot pay-offs. Players participating at gaming tables managed by a dealer and those participating on video equipment designed and programmed to accept bets, deal cards and register winning hands automatically can be interconnected to form a series of games played by a plurality of players leading to a final tournament with one or more super jackpot pay-offs.
The terms “predetermined” and “preselected” are intended to have their customary meaning, i.e., respectively, to determine beforehand and to choose in advance. More specifically, in the context of the present invention, they are intended to mean a determination of a pay-off or a selection of the arrangement of cards that constitutes a pay-off winning hand before a player begins to play. Thus, a predetermined pay-off or preselected arrangement(s) of cards will be determined or established by a casino or other game governing entity, by agreement among players or by the traditional rules of the game before any particular game or hand begins and remain fixed or constant for a plurality of bet resolutions. A predetermined pay-off may include a specific amount (e.g., $1,000,000) and it may include a specific multiple of the amount bet (e.g., 1,000:1). Whether including a specific amount or multiple of the amount bet, the predetermined pay-off remains constant for a duration of play or a plurality of bets, and does not increase or decrease as play continues or as each bet is resolved.
One wagering game, identified by the registered trademark LET IT RIDE® owned by the assignee of the present invention, for use with the multi-tiered wagering method and game of the present invention is played with a single, typical fifty-two card poker deck and broadly involves the generally well recognized and accepted set of rules, procedures and wager-resolving relationships and rankings of poker. The game method comprises each player placing an initial, three-part game wager to participate in the basic game. Each player may place an optional wager, of a fixed amount, and/or an entry fee to become eligible for bonus payouts and to become eligible to participate in a second game to determine the winner a super jackpot, respectively.
After wagers are placed, cards are dealt by a dealer, three down to each player and two down to the dealer. Players inspect or “sweat” their cards, and the dealer asks “take it or leave it?” with regard to a first part of the initial, three-part game wager to participate in the basic game. Players can choose to retrieve or remove from play the first part of their initial bet, or leave the first part in play or at risk, based on the value of the three cards in their hand. The dealer then turns over one of the dealer's cards and the dealer's query is repeated with regard to a second part of the initial bet. Players can choose to retrieve or remove from play the secon
Layno Benjamin H.
Mark A. Litman & Assoc. P.A.
LandOfFree
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