Patent Publication Number: US-2002013169-A1

Title: Casino and lottery game and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
     [0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 09/599,162 filed Jun. 21, 2000 and titled CASINO AND LOTTERY GAME AND METHOD. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to casino and lottery games using real or computer generated playing cards or other real or computer generated indicia including a value and at least one other characteristic.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Card games such as Poker and the like are widely popular. Recently, with the advent of micro processors, games such as video Poker have become very popular as casino games. As is known, in video Poker an electronic device is provided which includes a processor to control the action of the game. The player makes a wager and prompts play whereupon the processor, using a random number generator (RNG), selects and displays at a video display an initial, five card hand. The player, using buttons or a touch screen, selects the cards to hold, or conversely discard, and for any discards replacements are randomly selected to define a five card, final outcome hand. Based upon the final hand and established pay table for the game, the player either wins or loses.  
       [0004] In regards to electronic gaming machines, it is also known to provide for the play of Blackjack.  
       [0005] A drawback to video Poker and video Blackjack is that some novice players shy away from the games since they do not either understand the game or do not know a winning strategy to be applied. Further, for inexperienced players, play may be slowed as they try to discern how to play a hand. For casinos, slow play typically results in reduced earnings.  
       [0006] It has also been known to provide an electronic game wherein a player can play multiple Poker hands such as the games described in Moody U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,098,985, 5,531,448, 5,732,950, 5,823,873 and 6,007,066. In these games a player wagers to play multiple Poker hands. A primary hand of playing cards is presented and the player holds some or none of the cards. The held cards are replicated into the other Poker hands and the non-held (discarded) cards are discarded. For each hand in play, which may be for example fifty hands, replacements for the discarded are presented from a separate deck depleted of the held cards. That is, the held cards are duplicated into each hand in play and for each hand there is a deck of cards depleted of the held cards. For each hand, the hand is filled to, for example five cards, by cards selected from the hand&#39;s dedicated deck. Thus the held cards are duplicated into each hand. Further each hand is completed from a dedicated deck. Replacement cards may also be duplicated, i.e. an A  may be dealt as a replacement into two or more game hands. It is to be noted that for each hand it&#39;s deck is only depleted of the held cards and not by replacement cards dealt into other hands.  
       [0007] There is a need for a new game which is easy to understand, which can provide the player the stimulation provided by play strategy and which provides for fast play.  
       [0008] It has also been known to provide scratch-off tickets or video lottery games of chance. For scratch-off tickets, a player purchases a ticket having one or more scratch-off windows. By scratching off one or more windows the player determines whether they have won and the prize. For video lottery games, the same technique is used. The basic difference between a lottery game and a casino game is that in a lottery game, the player has no options to exercise choice and the outcome and award is strictly dictated by randomness and chance whereas a casino game may include elements of choice and skill.  
       [0009] There is a need to incorporate into a lottery game, a game which is fun and simple to play. There is a need for a game which can be played in a casino setting where a player can make choices or selections as well as a lottery game where no such choice or selection may be provided.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010] There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention a game method for playing a game which provides for a player to make a wager to play a plurality of game hands. In the casino game version, which may be played using an electronic device or as a table game, after the wagers have been made, at least two and preferably four game cards (player cards) for each game hand are dealt from a deck of cards, each card having its value and a suit as is well known in the art. The dealt cards deplete the deck as they are dealt. An outcome card (house card) is dealt from the deck and its suit and value compared to the suits and value of each game card. A single outcome card may be dealt or an outcome card dealt for each game hand. For the player to win their wager, the outcome card must be of the same suit as at least one of the game hand cards and have a lesser value in that same suit. If the player wins they are paid even money. If the outcome card has a higher value of any same suited game hand cards or is of a different suit than any of the game cards, the player loses their wager for the hand.  
       [0011] In an alternative embodiment, for the player to win their wager, the outcome card must have a higher valuer than any same suited game hand card.  
       [0012] In still another embodiment, for the player to win, the outcome card must be of a suit different from that of any game hand card.  
       [0013] In still a further embodiment the player may be given the option of increasing their wagers prior to selection of the outcome card.  
       [0014] In still another embodiment, cards or other indicia could be used which have value and another characteristic (e.g. color or design) different from suit and value of traditional playing cards such as sets cards having numbers and of different colors.  
       [0015] The foregoing embodiments could be embraced in a lottery game where windows representing the game and outcome cards or indicia. The player would scratch or reveal the outcome card or outcome and game cards as well as a prize.  
       [0016] In yet another embodiment for a casino game, the player, prior to the selection and display of the outcome card, may exercise the option of discarding and replacing one or more game hand cards in an effort to obtain a set of game cards likely to result in the player winning their wager.  
       [0017] Also set forth is an electronic device for playing the casino or lottery game of the method.  
       [0018] The game and device of the present invention provides for fast and easy play, fun and excitement. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0019] These and other features and advantages will become appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to the description, claims and drawings wherein:  
     [0020]FIG. 1 shows a device and display for the play of the game; and  
     [0021]FIG. 2 shows a display for playing a plurality of game hands 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0022] Turning to FIG. 1 a device  10  is shown for playing the game according to the present invention. While the device  10  is shown, it is to be understood that the game could be played as live table game or as a lottery game using an electronic device or scratch-off lottery tickets. The device  10  has a closed housing  12  which contains, as is known in the art, a computer processor to control play in the manner described below and a hopper for receiving and dispensing coins or tokens used in the play of the game. The housing  12  also mounts a video display  14  which may include a touch screen for the player to make selections as hereinafter set forth.  
     [0023] To control the play and operation of the device  10 , the touch screen display  14  or buttons  6   a - h  may be used. Button  16   a , if depressed will send a signal to the processor to control the hopper to dispense accumulated game credits to the player, the coins, as is well known, dispensed into a tray. Button  16   b  enables the player to wager accumulated credits in one credit increments to play the game. Buttons  16   c - f  are tied to each of four game cards  18   a - d  and are used to hold/discard any selected game card during play of the game in a manner similar to that of video Poker. Button  16   g  if depressed enables the player to wager for the play of a hand the maximum amount permitted by the device  10 , e.g. 5 units. Finally button  16   h  is a deal/draw button to prompt play of the game.  
     [0024] The display  14  is controlled by the processor to display the game cards  18   a - d,  an outcome card  20 , a wager meter  22  which displays and confirms the amount of the wager, a win meter  24  to display the amount won by the player and a credit meter  26  to display the current amount of credits available for wagering.  
     [0025] The display also, below each game card  18   a - d,  has a hold/discard indicator  28   a - d  which confirms which game card  18   a - d  is held/discarded.  
     [0026] While not shown, the device  10  also includes means for the player to make a wager and accumulate credits. These means, as is well known in the art, may include a coin slot and coin tester by which the player can insert coins or tokens as wagers. The inserted coins or tokens are routed to the hopper for storage thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the device  10  may include a cash validator to accept cash and accumulate a corresponding value of credits shown at the credit meter  26  for play. A card reader may also be provided by which the player using a debit or credit card can enter wagers for play.  
     [0027] To play the game, the player enters a wager to play a hand of the game. Where the player makes a maximum wager, play is automatically prompted. Where less than a maximum wager is made, the player depresses the deal draw button  16   h  to prompt play. Upon prompting of play, the processor from a data structure or memory storing data representing each card of a deck of cards including their suit and value, randomly arranges (shuffles) all the cards into a sequence defining the deck, selects cards in order from the arranged deck and controls the display  14  to display each selected game card  18   a - d.  As but an example, the processor may initially select and display game cards as below.  
                                                               Game Card   18a   18b   18c   18d                              Q     4     8     7⋄                      
 
     [0028] According to the preferred embodiment of the game, the player has the option of discarding and receiving replacement cards for two of the initially dealt game cards  18   a - d.  The non-discarded cards (held cards) are not duplicated and since all cards dealt are unique from the deck there are no duplicates for any hand. For example, the player may select, using the touch screen display  14  or button  16   d , to discard the 4 . The processor selects for any discarded cards the next cards in order from the arranged deck (depleted of data representing the initially dealt cards) a replacement card. Thus, if the replacement card  18   b  is a K the game cards  18   a - d  are now as below.  
                                                               Game Card   18a   18b   18c   18d                              Q     K     8     7⋄                      
 
     [0029] Upon replacement of any game cards  18   a - d,  the processor selects from the arranged deck (depleted of data representing the initially dealt game cards  18   a - d  and any replacements) the next card in order representing an outcome card  20  which is displayed at the display as shown in FIG. 1. The processor also compares the outcome card  20  to determine if the outcome card  20  has a lesser value than any suited game cards  18   a - d . For example, if the outcome card selected and displayed is a 10 , the player, according to this embodiment of the game, wins their wager since the value of the outcome card  20  is less than that of the suited (Spade suit) game card  18   b  (K ). The processor for a winning outcome issues a reward to the player, shows the reward issued at the win meter  24  and controls the hopper to dispense coins or token or increases the amount shown on the credit meter  26  by the amount of the win. For wins the player is paid even money.  
     [0030] To play another hand the player inputs a new wager and prompts play. The selection of the game cards  18   a - d  and outcome cards  20  from the arranged deck for play of sequential hands continues to deplete the arranged deck until there are insufficient cards left for play at which time the processor randomly arranges i.e. shuffles, the deck into a new sequential order. If desired, the device  10  may include at the touch screen display  14  or have a button where the player can control the processor to re-shuffle the deck before play of the next hand regardless of the number of cards left in the virtual deck.  
     [0031] In the preferred embodiment, the player only has the option to replace two game cards  18   a - b.    
     [0032] Some examples of play further illustrate the method of the present invention.  
     EXAMPLE 1  
     [0033]                                                                      Initial Deal of Game Cards   10      A     2     10                 Discard           2     10                 With Replacements       10     A      5     5             Outcome Card    2⋄                        
     [0034] This hand is a loss to the player since there is no game card  18   a - d  having the same suit (Diamond) as the outcome card  20 .  
     EXAMPLE 2  
     [0035]                                                                  Initial Deal of Game Cards   10⋄   Q      J     5             Discard            J                 With Replacements   10⋄   Q     10     2⋄           Outcome Card    9                          
     [0036] This hand is a win to the player since the outcome card  20  has a lower value than any matching suit card of the game cards  18   a - d , e.g. the 9 is lower than the Q or 10 .  
     EXAMPLE 3  
     [0037]                                                                  Initial Deal of Game Cards   K     10     Q     10             No Replacements           Outcome Card   9                          
     [0038] This hand is a win to the player since the outcome card  20 , in comparison to any game cards  18   a - d  of the same suit, has lower value.  
     [0039] The game may be played where, to obtain a reward, the outcome card  20  must have a greater value than same suited game cards  18   a - d.    
     [0040] As can be appreciated the game according to the various embodiments of the present invention differs from games like video Poker since the player is playing to obtain one of a pre-selected schedule of hands. Further the game differs from games such as Baccarat and Blackjack since the player is not attempting to produce a hand value close to a pre-selected target value, i.e. nine for Baccarat and twenty-one for Blackjack. Each hand according to the present invention is unique and is not determined to be a winner based on some pre-selected schedule of winning outcomes or in relation to a pre-set target value.  
     [0041] The game can also be played in a Stud version where the player has no opportunity to discard and receive replacements and can be played where the player can only discard one game card  18   a - d  and receive a replacement therefor. Still further, the game according to the method may be played using more or fewer game cards  18   a - d  such as two, three or five. Still further, the game may provide a jackpot bonus if the game cards  18   a - d  alone or in combination with the outcome card  30  form any specific one of a plurality of card combinations such as Poker ranked hands or one of a pre-selected schedule of bonus hands such as suited Kings and Nines, e.g. K 9 K⋄9⋄. For example, if the game cards  18   a - d  represent four cards to a Straight and the outcome card  20  fills a five card straight and is the a winning hand, i.e. the outcome card  20 , depending upon the version of the game being played, is the lowest or highest card of the Straight, the player may be entitled to a bonus because the outcome card (5th card) fills a winning combination through the normal play of the game.  
     [0042] In an alternative embodiment, the player may have the option of increasing their wager upon exposure of the game cards but prior to exposure of the outcome card.  
     [0043] In another embodiment, the player&#39;s hand instead of being represented by the game cards, may be represented by the outcome card and the house represented by the game cards. Thus, in this embodiment of the game, for the player to win all suited game cards must be lower than the outcome card or no game cards are of the same suit as the outcome card. In this embodiment the player may be given the option to replace one or more game cards with the objective of lowering the values of the game cards or eliminating one or more suits so as to improve the player&#39;s chances of winning.  
     [0044] Still further, it should be understood that more than one deck could be used and that indicia other than playing cards could be used instead of playing cards such as sets cards numbered 1-13, each set having a different color, e.g. red, green, blue and yellow. Thus each indicia card has an assigned value and set characteristic which may be color, design or the like.  
     [0045] Further the game could be played where the outcome card, for the player to win their wager, must match in suit, value or sequence with the game cards.  
     [0046] In the lottery version of the game, the player has no option to replace game cards. For example, the player would purchase a scratch-off card having four scratch-off windows for the game cards, one scratch-off window for the outcome card and one scratch-off window for the prize. The player would scratch-off the windows to determine if the card is a wining card and the prize. Thus the lottery version can be played as a stud version as described above.  
     [0047] Electronic lottery may also be played in the same manner.  
     [0048] Turning to FIG. 2, a display  100  is shown for a device  10  for playing a multiple hand version of the game. According to this version the display  14  is controlled to display a plurality of game hands  102   a - c  each of the type described above. Preferably for this embodiment the display  102  incorporates touch screen technology. It should be understood that there may be only two game hands or as many as ten hands (if the game is played in a stud version) where data representing a single deck of cards is to be used. Where the player may discard and receive a replacement for one card of each game hand  102   a - c,  there may be as many as up to eight game hands and where the player may discard and receive replacements up to two cards, as man as seven hands. More hands may be played if two or more decks are used.  
     [0049] To play the game the player enters a wager to play each game hand  102   a - c.  For example, where three game hands  102   a - c  are played the player may wager to play two or all three of the game hands  102   a - c  by entering wagers in the manner described above. If the maximum wager permitted for each game hand  102   a - c  is five units, the player can wager up to fifteen units, with the wagers allocated as five units for each hand. The player may wager a lesser amount with the wagers allocated to the game hands  102   a - c  in a preselected manner.  
     [0050] After the player has made their wager, play is prompted and the game processor from the data structure storing data representing each card of a deck of cards including their suit and value which is randomly arranged into a sequence defining the deck, selects cards in order from the arranged deck and controls the display  14  to display each selected game card  18   a - d  for each game hand  102   a - c . As cards are selected the virtual deck is depleted of those cards. As but an example, the cards for the game hands  102   a - c  as shown at the display  14  may be as shown below.  
                                                           18a   18b   18c   18d                          10      A     2     10             10⋄    Q     J      5              K     10     Q      8                        
 
     [0051] Inasmuch as the cards for each game hand  102   a - c  are drawn from the same virtual deck, no cards are duplicated in the game hand  102   a - c  matrix. The virtual deck, by dealing the matrix of cards is depleted of the twelve cards of the matrix.  
     [0052] According to the preferred embodiment of the game, the player has the option of discarding and receiving replacement cards for up to two of the initially dealt game cards  18   a - d  for each game hand  102   a - c  as discussed above with reference to a single hand version of the game. To make their selection of discards, the player may touch the cards of each game hand  102   a - c  they wish to replace. For example, and where the game version is where for a player win the outcome card  20  must be of the same suit but of a lesser value, the player may opt to discard the cards of: 10 , 8 (game hand  102   a ), J , 5 (game hand  102   b ) and 2 (game hand  102   b ) and receive replacements therefor. Upon selecting the replacements, also selected in sequence from the randomly shuffled virtual deck now also depleted of the replacement cards, the outcome card  20  for each game hand  102   a - c  is also selected and compared to the corresponding game hand cards  18   a - d  to determine, in the manner described above, whether the player has won any game hand  102   a - c . Each game hand  102   a - c  is separately evaluated to determine if the outcome card  20  is of the same suit as but of a lower value than any game hand  102   a - c  card  18   a - d.    
     [0053] The game can also be played in a Stud version where the player has no opportunity to discard and receive replacements and can be played where the player can only discard one game card  18   a - d  for any game hand  102   a - c  and receive a replacement therefor. Still further, the game according to the method may be played using more or fewer game cards  18   a - d  such as two, three or five in each game hand  102   a - c . Still further, the game may provide a jackpot bonus if the game hand cards  18   a - d  alone or in combination with the outcome card  30  in any game hand  102   a - c  form any specific one of a plurality of card combinations such as Poker ranked hands or one of a pre-selected schedule of bonus hands such as suited Kings and Nines, e.g. K 9 K 9 . For example, if the game cards  18   a - d  of any game hand  102   a - c  represent four cards to a Straight and the outcome card  20  fills a five card straight and is the a winning hand, i.e. the outcome card  20 , depending upon the version of the game being played, is the lowest or highest card of the Straight, the player may be entitled to a bonus because the outcome card (5th card) fills a winning combination through the normal play of the game.  
     [0054] In an alternative embodiment, the player may have the option of increasing their wager for any game hand  102   a - c  upon exposure of the game cards but prior to exposure of the outcome card.  
     [0055] In still another version, there may be only a single outcome card  20  selected for all game hands  102   a - c.    
     [0056] In another embodiment, the player&#39;s hands instead of being represented by the game cards, may be represented by the outcome cards and the house represented by the game cards. Thus, in this embodiment of the game, for the player to win a game hand  102   a - c  all suited game cards must be lower than the outcome card or no game cards are of the same suit as the outcome card. In this embodiment the player may be given the option to replace one or more game cards with the objective of lowering the values of the game cards or eliminating one or more suits so as to improve the player&#39;s chances of winning.  
     [0057] Still further, it should be understood that more than one deck could be used and that an inventory of indicia other than playing cards could be used instead of playing cards such as sets cards numbered 1-13, each set having a different color, e.g. red, green, blue and yellow. Thus each indicia card has a valuing characteristic such as an assigned numerical and set characteristic which may be color, design or the like.  
     [0058] Further the game could be played where the outcome card, for the player to win their wager for any game hand  102   a - c , must match in suit, value or sequence with the game cards.  
     [0059] While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that it is subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.