Patent ID: 8282459
Filing Date: 2012-10-09
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A method for playing a card game on a computing device having a display screen, the computing device being programmed to carry out the card game using card representations stored in a memory, the program enabling an actual player to play the card game against at least one virtual player controlled by the computing device, a player remaining in the game being defined as an active player, the method comprising: a) displaying to the actual player on the display screen one or more randomly dealt community cards from a deck of playing cards, the one or more community cards being usable by all players in forming a card hand, all community cards in the card game being randomly dealt before any cards are dealt to individual players, the deck of playing cards being a representation of a physical deck of playing cards, the display screen displaying face up the deck of playing cards excluding the community cards; b) if the actual player is active, selecting by the actual player using a computer interface a desired card of a particular rank and suit from the displayed deck of playing cards; c) selecting by each active, virtual player a card of a particular rank and suit from the displayed deck of playing cards; d) for each active player, determining if the card selected by that player is the same as a card selected by another player in a current round or the same as a card dealt to another player in a previous round; e) if a first player chose the same card as another player, as determined in step (d), dealing the first player a null card that has no value in forming a card hand, wherein, if the first player is an actual player, the null card is displayed on the display screen along with the rank and suit of the corresponding card the first player selected, wherein, if the first player is a virtual player and the null card is dealt face up, the null card is displayed on the display screen with no display of the rank and suit of the corresponding card selected by the virtual player, so that the actual player does not see the identity of the corresponding card selected by the virtual player; f) if the first player did not choose the same card as another player, as determined in step (d), dealing the first player the card that the first player selected, wherein, the display screen displays the order and identity of every card selected by the actual player and the order of every card dealt to every virtual player along with the identity of every card dealt face up; g) repeating steps b-f if there is more than one active player after a round of play, until the same predetermined number of cards have been dealt to each active player, with the cards being dealt face up on at least one round; and h) controlling the display screen to identify the active player with the best hand of cards, according to predetermined rules of play.