Abstract:
The method of the present invention involves a poker game in which a player is dealt a plurality of cards from which he makes a plurality, N, of starting hands. Each starting hand has a wager associated with it. After the player sets his starting hands, an opposing house starting hand is created, preferably from a number of cards capable of creating a plurality of starting hands. The player&#39;s first starting hand is completed as is the opposing house hand. If the player&#39;s first completed hand beats the opposing hand, the player receives an award and the player&#39;s next completed hand is compared to the opposing hand. If the player&#39;s first completed hand loses to the opposing hand, all wagers are lost and the game is over. This process continues until all N starting hands have been completed and evaluated or until the player loses the nth starting hand resulting in all nth to N wagers being lost.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is an improved poker game. There are a number of variations of poker games. In some variations, such as Hold &#39;Em and Omaha, each player is dealt an initial starting hand of two or four cards respectively. In both Hold &#39;Em and Omaha, after each player is dealt an initial starting hand, five community cards (or a board) is dealt and each player makes the best possible five-card hand using a combination of the starting hands and the board cards. In other poker games such as Seven-Card Stud and Razz, each player&#39;s starting hand consists of three cards and then each player receives four additional cards to complete the individual&#39;s hand. In a typical poker game, once an individual&#39;s hand is completed it is compared against the hands of one or more opponents and the winner receives an award. In other poker games, such as video poker, the player&#39;s completed hand is compared against a pay table to determine if any award will be made. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is ideally suited for Hold &#39;Em, but may be applied to other poker variations. It may be played either in a live format or on an electronic gaming machine. The invention is characterized by a player receiving a plurality of cards from which he makes a plurality of starting hands. For instance, in the preferred embodiment using Hold &#39;Em, the player receives six cards from which he makes three starting hands. In the preferred embodiment, each starting hand will have a separate wager associated with it. Preferably, each wager will be equal and will be determined prior to the player receiving his initial cards and will remain constant throughout the game. The player&#39;s opponent, typically a house or bank, also may receive a number of cards capable of making a plurality of starting hands. However, in the preferred embodiment, the house will only make a single starting hand and the excess cards will be discarded. The number of cards the house receives may be the same as the player or may be different. 
         [0003]    Once the player has set his plurality of starting hands and the house has set its starting hand, the hands are completed. In the preferred Hold &#39;Em embodiment, this is done by dealing a board of five community cards and the same five community cards are used to complete all of the player&#39;s starting hands as well as the house&#39;s starting hand. After the hands have been completed, the house&#39;s hand and player&#39;s hands are compared. If the player&#39;s first hand is of higher value than the house&#39;s hand, the player receives an award based upon the wager associated with the first hand. If the player wins the first hand, his second hand is compared to the house&#39;s hand and an award paid if it is of higher value than the house&#39;s hand. However, if the player loses the first hand, the wagers associated with the first hand, the second hand—and any subsequent hand—is forfeited. 
         [0004]    Similarly, the third hand (and any other subsequent hand) is only eligible for an award if the player wins the prior hand. As used herein, “win” may mean anything as defined by the house rules for the game. But typically, “win” will mean any hand having a higher poker value than the player&#39;s opponent. It may also mean a tie, such as when the community cards form a straight and neither the house nor the player can make a higher straight or flush. Alternatively, ties may be counted as a loss. In the preferred embodiment, a tie will be treated as “no action” and the player&#39;s wager associated with the hand will not be forfeited and the subsequent hand will be evaluated. 
         [0005]    The amount the player is awarded for a win is preferably determined by a pay table. Preferably the pay table amounts will increase for subsequent hands, such that the player generally receives larger awards for winning a subsequent hand than for winning a prior hand. The pay table may be simple such that the player&#39;s award is the same regardless of the rank of hand he makes, or the pay table may be complex such that the rank of the player&#39;s hand determines the amount of the award. In the preferred embodiment, a simple pay table is used for all three hands—the first hand pays even money for a win, the second hand pays three times the wager and the third hand pays ten times the wager. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0006]    Traditional poker played in a casino is a game where the players bet against each other and the house takes a percentage of the bets. However, other poker variants have become popular where a player or multiple players may play a game against the house. 
         [0007]    These games are played in the pit, alongside other traditional casino games such as black jack. One such game is Three Card Poker. In Three Card Poker the player makes an ante and then the player and house each receive three cards. The player then determines if he wishes to play or forfeit his ante. If he does not wish to play on, he folds and forfeits his ante. If he wishes to play on he places another wager matching the ante. Then the dealer reveals the house hand and if it is a Queen high or better hand (i.e., a qualifying hand) the house plays against the player(s). If the house doesn&#39;t qualify, all players that elected to play on receive a matching wager on their ante, but there is no action on the second wager. If the house qualifies, the house hand is compared to the player&#39;s hand or players&#39; hands, and if the player(s) wins( ), both wagers are paid a matching award. The game also offers a third wager option where the rank of the player&#39;s hand is evaluated against a complex pay table to determine if an award is paid, and of what size the award would be. 
         [0008]    Another such house game is Pai Gow Poker. In Pai Gow Poker the player places a single wager and receives seven cards. The dealer also receives seven cards. The player separates his cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The dealer does the same. The hands are then revealed and if the player&#39;s five-card hand beats the dealer&#39;s five-card hand and the player&#39;s two-card hand beats the dealer&#39;s two-card hand the player wins an award matching his wager. If the player loses both hands, the player loses his wager. If the player loses one hand and wins one hand, the game is a push. The house has an edge in the game by requiring the player to pay a five percent commission on all winning wagers. 
         [0009]    Poker games may also be played on an electronic gaming machine. Electronic gaming machines, also generally referred to as slot machines, have long been a mainstay of the gaming industry. The most popular form of video poker is five-card draw. In five-card draw, the player places a wager before receiving a starting hand of five cards. The player may discard none to all of the cards in the starting hand to receive replacement cards. The five card hand formed by the held cards and the replacement cards is then compared to a complex pay table to determine a pay out, if any, to be given to the player. Another variation of the standard five-card draw video poker game is Multi-Strike Poker. This game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,927. 
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new type of poker game that offers players a new and stimulating type of strategic decision. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a table layout for playing the preferred embodiment with a dealer. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a gaming machine that may be used for playing the present invention electronically. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is schematic of the internal components of a gaming machine such as the one shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    One embodiment of the present invention may be played on a table  50  as shown in  FIG. 1 . A dealer employed by the casino stands behind the table  50  with access to a tray  55 . The tray  55  holds chips of various denominations used to pay out players&#39; winning wagers. Each player sits at the table  50  behind a player position  60 . In the preferred embodiment, each player position has a first hand position  62   a , a second hand position  62   b  and a third hand position  62   c . Each hand position  62  also has an associated wager circle  64  located directly in front of the hand position  62  where players place their wagers on the hand. Preferably, the table  50  also has at least one legend  66  showing the pay table associated with each hand. In the preferred embodiment as illustrated by the legend  66  on the table  50  shown in  FIG. 1 , the first wager pays even money for a win, the second wager pays three to one for a win and the third wager pays ten to one for a win. 
         [0015]    Play of the game begins by each player placing a wager in the wager circles  64  of their player position  60 . In the preferred embodiment, a wager must be placed in each wager circle  64  of each occupied player position  60  and each wager must be of equal value. Once all of the wagers have been placed, the dealer deals a number of cards to each occupied player position  60  and to the dealer from a randomly shuffled deck of cards. Preferably it is a standard fifty-two card deck. In the preferred embodiment, the dealer deals six cards to each player as well as six cards to the dealer. The player then examines his number of cards and divides them into the required number of starting hands and places each starting hand in its respective hand position  62 . In the preferred embodiment, each player makes three starting hands consisting of two cards. The first starting hand is placed in the first position  62   a . The second starting hand is placed in the second position  62   b . The third starting hand is placed in the third position  62   c . Preferably, the cards are dealt face down and players are not permitted to look at the cards of the other players. Each hand is placed face down in its hand position  62 . 
         [0016]    Once each player has placed his hands in the desired hand positions  62 , the dealer turns his cards face up and forms one starting hand. In the preferred embodiment, this will involve making one two-card starting hand from six cards. The dealer will preferably use pre-defined rules to create the house starting hand. In the preferred embodiment, the rules dictate that the dealer plays the highest pair in his six cards and if no pairs are present, the dealer plays his two highest cards in rank. Other rules for setting the house hand may be used. These rules may result in either a statistically superior or inferior starting hand for the house, as desired. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that adjusting the rules to arrive at a statistically superior starting band will lower the player&#39;s expected return on his wager, while a statistically inferior hand will raise the player&#39;s expected return. Once the dealer has determined the “house-way” to set his starting hand, the remaining cards from the dealer&#39;s hand are discarded and the house&#39;s starting hand is placed face up in a house starting hand position  68 . 
         [0017]    After the dealer has set the house starting hand, He players&#39; first starting hands located in the first hand positions  62   a  may be turned face up. Alternatively, all of the players&#39; starting hands may be turned face up. The dealer will then complete at least the player&#39;s first starting hand, as well as the dealer&#39;s hand. In the preferred embodiment where the game is Hold &#39;Em, this is done simultaneously by dealing five community cards. The community cards are placed in a community card location  70 . Preferably, these same community cards will be used to complete the player&#39;s other hands as well. Thus, it makes no difference if all of the player&#39;s hands are turned face up at once. After the player&#39;s first hand is completed, the dealer will compare it to the dealer&#39;s completed hand. If the player loses the first hand, the dealer will collect not only the player&#39;s first hand, but also each additional hand along with each wager in the player&#39;s associated wager circles  64 . Thus, losing the first hand costs the player not only his first wager, but all other wagers as well. If the player wins the first hand, the dealer pays the player according to the legend  66 , i.e., an amount equal to one times the amount in the wager circle  64  associated with the first hand position  62   a . When there are more than one occupied player position  60  at the table, the dealer will preferably evaluate the players&#39; hands in an orderly manner. For instance, the dealer may evaluate the left-most player&#39;s first hand first and then move clock-wise around the table evaluating the first hand of any additional players. 
         [0018]    If the player wins the first hand, the dealer will also evaluate the player&#39;s second hand formed by the cards in the player&#39;s second hand position  62   b  and the cards in the community card location  70  and compare the player&#39;s second hand to the dealer&#39;s hand. Again, if the player loses the second hand the dealer will collect the player&#39;s second starting hand and third starting hand and the wagers associated therewith. If the player wins the second hand, the dealer will make the pay out defined by the legend  66  and proceed to evaluate the player&#39;s third hand and make any required pay outs. 
         [0019]    Once all of the players&#39; hands have either been completed and evaluated or have been “killed” by virtue of the player losing a previous hand, the game is completed and play of the game starts over by players replacing wagers in the wager circles  64 . 
         [0020]    In addition to the gaming table  50  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the present invention may also be deployed on a gaming device  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Gaming device  100  has the features of a conventional slot machine. The gaming device  100  shown in  FIG. 2  is what is commonly referred to as an upright slot machine and the player can operate it while standing or sitting. Most often the gaming device  100  is preferably mounted on a stand. (Not shown.) Although an up-right slot machine is shown in  FIG. 2 , it can be appreciated that the gaming device  100  can be any other style of gaming machine known in the art including, but not limited to a pub-style table-top or slant-top game which a player can operate while sitting. The gaming device  100  can be constructed with varying cabinet and display designs. 
         [0021]    Gaming device  100  can incorporate any primary game including, but not limited to the present invention, reel slots, traditional video poker, blackjack, keno or bingo. Gaming device  100  shown in  FIG. 2  has a video display  105  for displaying symbols such as playing cards used in the present invention. 
         [0022]    It should be appreciated that the display devices may display any visual representation or exhibition, including but not limited to video images or movement of physical objects. The display devices can be a video monitor or screen, a liquid crystal display or any other display mechanism. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that these display devices may preferably include touch screens. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , gaming device  100  preferably includes one or more wager accepting mechanisms. The primary wager accepting mechanism on the gaming device  100  shown in  FIG. 2  may be a bill validator  110 . The bill validator  110  may also accept other forms of payment including, but not limited to tickets, smart cards, debit cards and credit cards. Alternatively, some of these forms of payment may be accepted through a card reader  130 . The card reader  130  may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader. The player will insert a card, such as a player tracking card or a credit card into the card reader  130  which will then read data from the card. The card reader  130  may be used to read and/or write from and/or to the inserted card. There may also be a coin slot  120  on the gaming device  100  in which a player can insert coins or tokens. 
         [0024]    After a player inserts money in the gaming device  100 , either via the coin slot  120 , the bill validator  110  or the card reader  130 , a number of credits corresponding to the amount deposited is shown in a credit display  140 . After money is credited to the machine  100  and shown on the credit display  140 , the player then determines the wager amount. The machine  100  may have any number of mechanisms known in the art for allowing a player to determine his wager. As the player is selecting the wager amount, this wager amount is displayed on a bet display  160 . As the bet display  160  amount is incrementing, the credit meter  140  amount is decreasing by the corresponding amount. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the general electronic configuration that may be incorporated in gaming device  100 . The configuration preferably includes a processor  200 . The processor  200  is preferably a microcontroller-based platform or microprocessor which is capable of displaying images, symbols and other indicia such as images of people, characters, places, things and faces of cards. One or more secondary processors may also be employed in conjunction with the primary processor to control certain aspects of the game function. 
         [0026]    The gaming device  100  also includes a memory device  210  for storing program code or other data. This memory device  210  can include both read only memory (ROM)  205  and random access memory (RAM)  207 . One of the functions performed by a program or sub-program in the processor  200  may be a random number generator (RNG) using any of several methods known to those skilled in the art. In addition to the memory device  210 , the electronic configuration of the gaming device  100  may also include one or more input devices  220 , one or more display devices  230 , a sound card  240 , and one or more speakers  250 . 
         [0027]    The input devices  220  may include but are not limited to a deal/draw button  145 , a bet one credit button  170 , a max bet button  150  and a cash out button  180 . Initiating the cash out button  180  may result in the player&#39;s balance from the credit meter  140  being deposited into a tray  190  in the form of coin, cash, a ticket or any other suitable media. Additional buttons  171 ,  172 ,  173 ,  174 ,  175  and  176  may be provided for arranging the player&#39;s starting hands. In situations where a touch screen  260  is used, a touch screen controller  265  and touch screen  260  are connected to a video controller  270  and the processor  200 . 
         [0028]    Although  FIG. 3  shows the processor  200  and memory device  210  residing on the gaming device  100 , it should be appreciated that it is possible for both the processor  200  and memory device  210  to reside at a central location instead of at the gaming device  100 . In such a situation, a network server may be used to communicate to the gaming device over an Internet connection, local area network (LAN), or wide area network (WAN). The processor  200  and memory device  210  are generally referred to herein as the controller. 
         [0029]    In addition to the pay outs already discussed, the present invention may offer a payout for what is commonly known as a “Bad Beat.” Bad Beat jackpots have been offered to poker players in live card rooms for sometime. Typically these jackpots are progressive in nature (although they may be of a predetermined fixed amount) and are awarded to a player that loses with a very powerful poker hand (for instance Four of a Kind or a Straight Flush). In some situations, a percentage of the progressive amount is also awarded to the player that had the better hand and another percentage may be awarded to the other players at the table or in the card room. (For instance, a Bad Beat may award the player with the losing hand 50% of the jackpot, the player with the winning hand 30% of the jackpot, the other players at the table may split 10% of the jackpot and the other players in the card room at different tables may split the remaining 10% of the jackpot.) In games like Hold &#39;Em where the players all use common community cards, there may also be requirements that one or both of the player&#39;s starting cards must play. Because the player of the present invention is playing against a house hand, it would be quite simple to add a Bad Beat jackpot to a game employing the present invention. Preferably, this jackpot would be a progressive amount that increases as the play on the game continues and multiple tables  50  or gaming devices  100  could be linked in a manner well known in the art to provide for even larger and faster growing jackpots. Like the Bad Beats offered in card rooms, the player may either win the entire jackpot when he has a hand of a given rank that is beaten or he may win a portion of the jackpot for either having his hand beaten, beating a powerful hand, or playing at the same table  60 —or in the case where multiple gaming machines  100  or tables  60  have been linked—being involved in a game when another player on another gaming machine  100  or table  60  experiences a Bad Beat. It should be appreciated that the initial jackpot amount of the Bad Beat and the rate at which any progressive amount is increased can be adjusted to adjust the total expected payback percentage to the player. The addition of the Bad Beat may also change the optimal strategy involved for any given game and the strategy will likely change as the progressive amount increases. 
         [0030]    In addition to the wagers placed in the wager circles  64 , players may also place what are known as “side wagers.” These wagers may result in a pay out in addition to the standard pay out indicated by the legend  66  or the pay table if the player&#39;s hand is of a specified ranking, e.g., a royal flush. The side wager may be associated with a single specific starting hand or all of the starting hands. Additionally, the player may be awarded a pay out for a side wager even if the player lost the associated starting hand. For instance, the player may receive an award for a side wager if he makes a straight flush even though the house beat his hand with a higher straight flush. 
         [0031]    Other combinations, orders of operation, additions and modifications to the foregoing may also be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the foregoing should be considered illustrative rather than limiting the invention, which is defined only by the following claims.