Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Betting or wagering board
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2003-06-10
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Betting or wagering board
C273S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06575464
ABSTRACT:
GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Casino playing-card gambling games are well known. A successful playing-card game, for the casino, is one which, of course, generates revenue to the casino. That, however, requires that the game be interesting enough to potential gamblers that they perceive the game to be worthy of their time and money wagered. The game should be quick and utilize standard and recognizable rules of card playing. The resolution of the wagers should also be quick and easily understood. Large payoffs (in frequency and/or amounts) should lead to increased patron interest. Over time, then, while some players may “win” over the short time they play the game, the casino knows that it will generate revenue, when all players are considered, so long as the “odds” of winning are carefully set by the casino in accordance with well-known card occurrence, probabilities. The present invention is intended to provide an interesting card game for players, allowing them to make decisions on wagering on the possibility of certain three card poker hands being dealt to them and to the dealer. The casino can set the payoffs (in frequency and amounts) to provide the casino with a source of revenue.
The present invention relates to casino gambling by use of a playing-card game with players (one or more) wagering on a three card, stud poker, no draw playing card game. The card game can have one or more players who bet or wager and hope to win money from the casino based on the amount of money wagered on each dealt hand. Before the cards are dealt the dealer calls for all wagers to be made. The players each must place two mandatory bets and can optionally place one or two additional bets on the outcome of the dealt hands. The first mandatory bet by the player is on the possibility that the three cards dealt to the player equals or exceeds a predetermined ranking of three card poker hands. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first bet by the player(s) is whether the dealt cards to the player equals or exceeds the ranking of a pair of threes in a three card poker hand. The next mandatory bet is on the possibility that the player's three card poker hand ranking exceeds or is beaten by the dealer's ranked three card poker hand. An optional wager may be placed on the possibility that the player's ranked hand and that of the dealer are the same, i.e., a tie. Another optional wager which can be placed by the player is on the possibility that the player's hand is an exact ranked hand or an exact three dealt cards.
After wagering by the players, the players and dealer are each dealt (by the dealer) three cards from a shuffled deck or multiple decks of standard playing cards (each deck with 52 cards). The dealer and player then turn over their “hands” of dealt cards and compare the player's hand against the hand of the dealer, “house” or casino and, in addition, against a listing of ranked three-card poker hands. Depending upon the dealt cards to the player(s) and the casino, the dealer (representing the casino) pays off (i.e., resolves the wagers) in proportion to the amount wagered on the mandatory two bets and the one or two optional bets or takes the player's bet, if the casino “wins” the bet.
The game is intended to be interesting to the player in terms of the payoffs and options presented, simple to understand, and, yet, quick in terms of the time required for the placement of bets, cards dealt and bets resolved. The game is intended to captivate the player's interest and the interest of onlookers who may become new players so that the casino can generate funds from casino guests. In addition, the potential payoffs (in frequency and odds) and manner of wagering are sufficiently high and diverse, respectively, that a player's interest will be maintained. Over time, of course, assuming the casino has properly set the payoff amounts, the casino will generate a positive source of revenue from players.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND FURTHER BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to wagering games. In particular, it relates to a method for playing a three card poker-like casino game. To the inventors' knowledge, there are no casino wagering card-based games which allow for a three card hand of stud poker (i.e., no card is replaced by a drawn card) to be played where the player is provided with the option of wagering on the possibility of a tie outcome between the hand of the casino and the player nor are there three card casino, stud poker games where a player may place bets on either his hand or the house having the superior ranked three card poker hand.
There are many wagering games used in casino gambling. Many are based on standard playing cards, i.e., 52 cards—four suits with each suit having 13 cards, 2-10, a Jack, Queen, King and an Ace. Many of these games use multiple decks. All such games, for the benefit of the casino, should be exciting and arouse the player's interest (both with the options to be played and with the payouts compared to the amounts wagered) and relatively uncomplicated so they can be understood easily by a large number of players and onlookers (potential players to the casino). Furthermore, the wagering game should keep a player from switching to another, “hotter” table at the time his dealer seems to be getting a better “luck of the draw.” The present invention by allowing a player to selectively wager on the “dealer” having the superior ranked three-card poker hand in comparison to the dealt hand to the player, satisfies this.
Wagering games, particularly those intended for play in casinos, should provide players with a sense of participation, 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. The present invention satisfies all of these criteria.
The “Three Card Poker” game described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,916 involves dealing three cards to the dealer and to the player and includes a special optional bet for a bonus payout if a player receives a preselected ranking in his hand (pairs or better). Differing from the presently disclosed and inventive game, however, the patented Three Card Poker does not contain the option or equivalent of a bonus payout for a “Tie Bet” or the ability of the player to shift from betting on himself to the dealer or house. Furthermore, in the '916 patented ‘Three Card Poker” game, the player's second bet of pairs or better is optional rather than mandatory.
Even more significantly, however, the description and claims of the '916 patent recite that the player is provided with the ability to place an additional wager (a third wager) after looking at his hand such that the hands are compared (player to dealer) only if the third “Play” wager is placed (and the house or dealer wins depending on which hand is better) or the player forfeits at least his ante if the third “Play” bet is not placed. The present invention does not provide for the possibility of the player increasing the amount wagered after the player views his hand. Elimination of this optional bet should promote speed of the game. That, of course, is desirable to casino and to players.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774 entitled: Method of Playing Card Games allows the player to place an optional ranking type bet (pairs or better, for example) and after looking at his cards placing an optional “Play” bet against the dealer which, if not placed, forfeits the Player's ante bet. The patent states: “each player who places the second bet (the ante bet) deciding, based on the player's hand, either to forfeit the second bet to the banker or to place a third bet” (the Play bet against the Dealer's hand). The present invention does not provide this optional Play wager, after the cards are viewed by the player. While the present game is a three card poker-based casino game, it does not allow the player to wager after receiving his
Fertitta Dominick
Fertitta, Jr. Salvatore
Levisohn, Lerner, Berger & Langsam LLP
Pierce William M.
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