Patent Publication Number: US-7909327-B1

Title: Poker game

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     a) Field of the Embodiments 
     This concept generally relates to card games and methods for playing card games, and more particularly to poker style card games. 
     b) Background Art 
     A brief description of the background art including standard play for a Texas Hold&#39;em Poker Game will now be provided. A standard Texas Hold&#39;em Poker Game will be played according to the following general rules or guidelines: 
     Before cards are even dealt in a game of Texas Hold&#39;em, it is important to have some initial money on the table. Two ways to start the initial money on the table is to provide either antes or blinds. An ante is a set amount put in the pot by every player in the game prior to the cards being dealt. This amount does not count toward the bet on the first round of betting. Blinds, however, do count towards betting but will be described further below. The simple method of using antes is provided generally in home games. It is not very common to use antes with Texas Hold&#39;em specifically, antes are more often found in games like five-card stud or draw. Antes can be used in conjunction with blinds in later stages of say for example a tournament. 
     The second way to get money on the table is through the use of blinds. Based on the limit of the game, the player to the left of the dealer and the second player to the left of the dealer are both required to put up mandatory bets before the cards are dealt. These blind placements count toward the total investment in the first round of betting. For example, if the pot is not raised in a pre-flop position, the small blind which is the blind or bet placed by the first player to the left of the dealer, will only have to put in another one-half of a bet to call. Likewise the big blind, or the bet placed by the player in second position from the left of the dealer, won&#39;t have to put any more money into the pot although the big blind will have the availability to raise his own blind. In an unraised pre-flop pot, this is referred to as the ‘option’. 
     Of course the amount that is put out by the blinds depends on the limit. In fixed limit poker, the big blind puts up a bet equal to the small limits. The small blind puts up half that amount. So if the limit is $5/$10, the big blind is $5.00 and the small blind is $2.50. This is unlike a no-limit or pot limit poker game. In a $5/$10 no-limit Hold&#39;em Game, the small blind would be $5.00 and the big blind would be $10.00. 
     Still briefly discussing blinds and antes as they occur in tournaments, the way that Texas Hold&#39;em tournaments are structured, the blind and/or antes go up after a set period of time, called the ‘escalation’. Each group of time for the blinds/antes stay the same is called a ‘level’. Usually when players go up a level, the blinds double or are less than double. If the antes are introduced, they usually do not double every level. To sometimes start a tournament, the big and small blinds are the same amount at the next level of the big doubles. 
     After the blinds or antes are submitted, the dealer shuffles up to a standard deck of 52 playing cards. If a House is providing the dealer, a deeper deck may be provided up to say for example six decks which have been preshuffled. 
     Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are called the hole or pocket cards. There is then a round of betting starting with the player to the left of the first two posted blinds players. This round is usually referred to as the pre-flop round. 
     The amount a player can bet depends on what kind of game is being played. During a betting round, similar to most games of poker, players can check, raise, or fold. After the betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn card which is done to prevent cheating and the like. 
     The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These common cards are called the ‘flop’. The cards can be used by any player in combination with the two pocket cards to form a poker hand. After the ‘flop’ has occurred, there is another round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer. After the round of betting concludes, the dealer burns one more card and flips another card onto the table. This card is called the ‘turn card’. Players can use this sixth card to now form a five-card poker hand. 
     Again, the player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. Finally, the dealer burns a card and places a final card face up on the table. This final card is called the ‘river’. The players can now use any of the five cards on the table or the two cards in their pocket to form a five-card poker hand. 
     There is one final round of betting after the ‘river’ card has been placed which is again started with the player to the left of the dealer. After this final round of betting, all players remaining in the game begin to reveal their hands which resolves the bets. This reveal begins with the player to the left of the last player to call. This resolving of the bets is called the ‘showdown’. Players use a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards to form a poker hand. The player who shows the best hand wins. In some cases players with equal hands share the winnings. In this case the pot is split between the two winners. 
     A brief discussion of additional prior art poker games will now be provided. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 discloses a poker game. In the background of the invention section beginning in col. 2 at line 67, “it is an object of the present invention to provide a game of chance in which each player plays his poker hand against a poker hand held by the House or a banker and in which a player receives a bonus payment based on the type of poker hand that a player holds.” Further in the brief summary of the invention section, in col. 2 at line 13, “a modification of a conventional five card stud poker game particularly adapted for casino play is provided in which a dealer plays against each of a plurality of players. In the preferred method of play, each player places an ante in a designated location; the dealer deals five cards to each player and himself. All cards are dealt face down except the dealers. Each player views his hand and decides to continue by making an additional bet or twofold or drop, in which case he loses his ante. The dealer then reveals his entire hand; if the dealer&#39;s hand does not have a poker value of at least ace/king, then the dealer is not permitted to continue play. If this is the case, the dealer pays even money on the remaining player&#39;s antes, and returns their best to them. If the dealer&#39;s hand has poker value of ace/king or better, the dealer compares his hand to each player, paying or collecting the bets as appropriate.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081 discloses a method of playing a wagering game. According to the summary of the invention in col. 2 around line 1, the present invention is played with a single typical 52 card poker deck and broadly involves the generally well-recognized and accepted set of rules of five card poker”. Referring to line 7, “the game method comprises each player placing an initial three-part wager to participate in the game. Cards are dealt by a dealer, 3 down to each player and 2 down to the dealer. Players inspect their cards, and the dealer asks ‘take it or leave it or let it ride’, with regard to the first part of the initial bet. 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 3 cards in hand. The dealer turns over one of the dealer cards and the query is repeated. Players choose to retrieve or remove from play the second part of their initial bet or leave in play at risk, based on the value of the 4 cards consisting of the 3 cards in the players hand and the exposed dealer card. Players have no option with the third part of the bet. Lastly, all cards are shown and payouts and collections are resolved according to the ranking of the poker hands of each player.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,374 discloses methods of playing poker games, referring to the summary of the invention as seen in column 2 at line 17, “the present invention relates to methods for playing seven card stud and five card draw poker variants including an optional progressive jackpot feature, and more particularly relates to particular variations of the Caribbean stud registered trademark poker variant disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 and including an optional progressive jackpot component as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,405.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,433 discloses a card game. In the summary of the invention section, at col. 3 line 1, “the card game of the present invention is played by a player first placing a bet, preferably in a betting spot using chips. Next, the dealer deals a predetermined number of cards to each player face down onto an area on the table called a ‘pot’ designated for the player and afterwards deals the same preset designated number of cards to another area on the table called the ‘dealer&#39;s pot’ in a location of the table designated for the dealer&#39;s pot. One play in a series includes the dealer turning up a player&#39;s top card and turning up the dealer&#39;s top card: high wins at even odds of 1 to 1; equal cards are a draw or ‘push’ and neither wins except if a player has a deuce in which case the player&#39;s deuce loses 1 to 1 odds; a player&#39;s ace wins at odds of 3 to 2. After one play, a player may place a new bet before cards are next turned over.” Referring to col. 4 around line 13, “an advantage of the card game of the present invention over prior art card games is that it is substantially less complex, thereby enabling the game to move quickly which decreases the associated operational overhead.”Further down col. 4 at line 22, “a still further advantage of the present invention is the simplicity of betting wherein a winning bet is easily recognized.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,049 discloses crazy stud poker. In the summary of the invention section in col. 1 at line 22, “the present invention provides an improved means of playing stud poker using wild-card variations with an all 4 ace suites, all for 7 suites, all for 2 suites and both red and black jokers. The present card game invention has 54 cards therein. There are 14 cards used in the present invention to create the wild-card variations within the card game of crazy stud poker.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,265 discloses casino flop poker. In the background section in col. 3 at line 25, “it is an object of the present invention to provide a casino variation of five card stud which allows players to bet against the House hand and each other while quickly revealing results of each game.” In the brief summary, in col. 3 at line 66, “the method includes one or more players making wagers against the House and against other players. Players are given the opportunity to increase their initial wager against the House. The player&#39;s hand is a designated winning outcome, the player receives a payoff based upon his wagers against the House and if the outcome is a losing outcome, the player&#39;s wagers against the House are lost. At the same time the player&#39;s hand is compared against all other hands in the game and the best hand wins all wagers against the other players. In flop poker the object of the game is 2-fold: a) to make a good poker hand and b) to win various bets.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,928 discloses a poker type card game method. According to the summary of the invention in col. 5 beginning at line 51, “the basic game is showdown poker between at least one player&#39;s hand and a dealer&#39;s hand. Early in the game this new method always gives the dealer&#39;s hand preferred treatment; consequently, a dealer&#39;s initial/partial hand is always more valuable than the player&#39;s initial/partial hand. Later in the game, the dealer&#39;s advantage is partially or totally offset by a second specific game action that always favors the player&#39;s hand. This second action gives the player&#39;s hand the reasonable opportunity to beat the dealer&#39;s hand in a showdown. These two actions provide reciprocal advantages initially only to the dealer, then finally only to the player.” 
     In addition to the above prior art patents, there are number of poker games which focus on community cards players can combine with personal cards to form a five card hand. The following are variants of the popular Texas hold&#39;em poker game as seen on the following web site http://www.texasholdem-poker.com/variants.php, they include: 
     “Pineapple”—Instead of two cards, each player is dealt three cards and immediately discards one of those three pocket cards face-down before pre-flop betting begins. This game is best played straight with no high/low option. Limit or no limit is preferable to pot limit. 
     “Crazy Pineapple”—Instead of two cards, each player is dealt three cards. Before the turn card is dealt (after the post-flop betting), each player discards one of those three pocket cards face-down. If a player does not discard a card, his or her hand is dead after the turn is dealt. This game is best played high/low, 8 or better. Limit and pot limit are common, with no limit being fairly rare. 
     “Double Flop Hold&#39;em”—Whenever communal cards are dealt there are two different boards dealt. Players can use their two cards in combination with either of these two separate boards, one OR the other. So if you had JT and with boards of AJ533 and Q9855, you would have two pair, jacks and threes, ace kicker on the top board and a queen-high straight on the other. So your hand is a queen-high straight. You could NOT make a hand like a full house, fives full of jacks using both boards. This game is best straight without a high/low option with structured limits or no limit. Optionally it can be a split pot game where the winner of each of the two boards gets half the pot, which is often played pot limit. 
     “Super Hold&#39;em”—Players are dealt three hole cards. Players may use all 3 in combination with 5 board cards to form a five card poker hand. Like Hold&#39;em plus a card. 
     “Tahoe Poker”—Players are dealt three hole cards. Players must use exactly 2 of their hole cards in combination with 5 board cards to form a five card poker hand. Like Omaha minus a card. 
     “Omaha”—Players are dealt four cards instead of two. Players must use exactly two of their hole cards in combination with three of the five board cards to make a five card hand. Omaha is often played high/low, either fixed limit or pot limit. 
     “Chowaha”—Players get two hole cards but there are three flops (all dealt at the same time), two turns (dealt at once), and one river. Players form combinations of boards using their hole cards and specific board lines, of which there are four. The top flop can&#39;t be used with the bottom turn and the bottom flop can&#39;t be used with the top turn. Often this is played Eight or Better and different board lines can be used to make a high or a low hand. 
     “Blind Man&#39;s Bluff”—When each player is dealt their two pocket cards, they do not look at them. Instead they hold them against their forehead so that every other player can see them. If you look at your cards before the showdown, your hand is ruled dead. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the combat poker game; 
         FIG. 2  is a detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2A  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2B  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2C  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2D  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2E  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 2F  is an alternative detail plan view of the combat correlation table; 
         FIG. 3  is an over all schematic flow diagram of the combative poker game; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the first deal round; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of the attack round; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of the second deal round; 
         FIG. 7  is an environmental view of the poker game system; 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view of a tournament casino environment; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of the combative poker game system architecture. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present system can be implemented either by using a physical poker game environment such as a poker table, chairs, a deck of cards, players, and various rules which the players are exposed to during and prior to the game play, and also the system can be implemented through a software game application which generally will utilize in some form game database, client computer, game application, various game objects, and may even be implemented or hosted on a server which can be implemented to host the application for access by authorized clients. Furthermore, additional variants of the current system can include implementation in formats which mix the physical poker game environment with the software application game. 
     In describing the embodiments, discussion of the method of the present embodiment combative poker game play will be provided, followed by discussion of the implementation of the method on various systems. 
     A brief discussion of the present method will be provided followed by a more detailed discussion of the method. To implement the combative poker game  10  (as seen in  FIG. 1 ), three cards are dealt to each player. A betting round occurs. Three common cards are then dealt into the center of the table. Another betting round occurs. Players then choose cards which will act as attack cards. Players after choosing these cards reveal the attack cards. If any of the common cards are attacked and eliminated, they are removed from the common card pool. Another round of betting occurs. Players show their hands and determine the winner. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a combative poker method  41  is shown embodying those previously-mentioned steps. The method includes starting the game at step  40  and performing a first deal round at step  42 . After the first deal round  42  is complete, an attack phase or attack round  44  is implemented. Once the attack round  44  is complete, a second deal round  46  occurs. After the second deal round  46  has completed, a final resolve round  48  takes place. Here the players reveal their hands and make the best hand possible to determine a winner of the pot. 
     During the start game step  40 , the players may wish to ante up, set blinds, or make forced bets. In one sequence embodiment, the first player to the left of the dealer makes a forced bet. The next player makes a forced raise. After this initial bet and raise, the beginning or start game step  40  is generally complete and the first deal around  42  occurs. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , one embodiment of the first deal round includes after entering or initializing the first deal round at step  42  dealing three cards to each player step  54 . It should be noted that the cards (as will be discussed further below) include card components as initialized in a game software application from game objects, or physical playing cards from a standard 52 card deck. After the three cards are dealt to each player at step  54 , a betting round is performed at step  56 . During the betting round, and similar to most games of poker, players can check, raise, or fold. In an alternative embodiment, after each betting round occurs, the dealer can discard the top card of the deck or burn a top card to prevent cheating. 
     After this performed betting round at step  56  occurs, the dealer deals three common cards at step  58 . Another betting round is performed at step  56  again, players checking, raising, or folding out of game. After the first deal round  42  is complete, the game moves into its second phase, the attack phase or attack round  44  (as seen back in  FIG. 3 ). 
     During the attack round  44  as initialized (as seen in  FIG. 5 ), players can choose various cards to eliminate cards held by other players or eliminate cards which were exposed during the first deal round  42  in the common card deal  58  ( FIG. 4 ). 
     Referring back to  FIG. 5 , one embodiment of the attack round  44  includes initializing the attack round  44  and players choosing an attack card  62  from the initial three cards dealt each player during the first deal round  42  ( FIG. 4 ). The players flip attack cards into an attack zone at step  64 . All decisions including betting and choosing attack cards are done in deal order, with the dealer selecting an attack card first and going clockwise around the table. Once each player remaining in the hand has selected an attack card, the attack cards are revealed and moved to the center and the common cards are eliminated at step  66  based on the revealed attack cards. Once the common cards have been eliminated, players perform another betting round  56  again, checking, raising, or folding out of the game. 
     Various options and alternative embodiments are derived from this attack round  44 . For example, in lieu of activating an attack card, a player may choose to discard his chosen attack card in lieu of activating or flipping an attack card into the attack zone at step  64 . A player may wish to discard rather than play the card as an attack card because doing so i.e. playing the card as an attack card, may wipe out their other cards in the player&#39;s hand. The throw or discard is revealed but does not count as an attack card. Thus the other players can see which card was the discard and make their educated assumptions based on that particular play. The discarded card is removed from the play area after it is viewed by all players in the game. 
     It should be noted that the attack cards in various embodiments of the attack round  44  will eliminate common cards but also eliminate player cards held by each player. In the present embodiment, the eliminated player held cards are not revealed until the final resolve round  48  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). Other variations can have the players discarding their eliminated held cards prior to the second deal round  46  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). 
     After the attack round  44 , a second deal round  46  occurs. In the present embodiment, (as seen in  FIG. 6 ), the second deal round  46  is initialized and an optional revive round  70  may be played. If the revive round  70  is not played, the dealer deals two common cards at step  76 . These two common cards are entered into the common pool as previously discussed and added to the deal three common cards pool  58  (as seen in  FIG. 4 ). Because the attack round  44  has already been performed, the deal two common cards  76  may optionally be eliminated at an eliminate dead common cards step  78 . Once this removal has occurred, another betting round is performed at step  56  followed by a resolve round at step  48  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). In the resolve round, the players reveal hands and make the best hand possible. Winner takes the pot and if players tie, the pot is split among the multiple winners. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 6 , if during the second deal round  46  a revive round  70  is begun, then the dealer will deal two revive cards at step  72 . If these revive cards correlate to any of the eliminated dead common cards taken out by the attack round  44 , then these dead cards will be reinstated at step  74 . Regardless of whether the reinstatement occurs, the dead common cards are eliminated at step  78 . 
     A combative correlation table or matrix is required so that the players are aware of the attack conditions and removal conditions during the game play. This combative correlation table or matrix can take various forms such as being resident on the poker table itself such as being imprinted on the felt of the poker table, or it can be resident in a database within the server or within the game application of the software. It may even take a simple form as an Excel spreadsheet which correlates different values of attack elements to different values of removal elements. 
     The number and type of card elements or playing cards will depend on the size of the deck. While a standard 52 card playing deck is utilized, other decks can be utilized having a greater number of cards or a lesser number of cards depending on the desired game play. For discussion purposes a standard 52 card deck will be utilized. As is commonly known, the deck will have four suits, a hearts suit, a diamonds suit, a spades suit, and a clubs suit. Each suit will have a two card, a three card, a four card, a five card, a six card, a seven card, an eight card, a nine card, a ten card, a Jack card, a Queen card, a King card, and an Ace card. Also each deck will have a Joker although it is not generally used in poker. The hearts suit and the diamonds suit are generally red although other colors can be used; the clubs suit and the spades suit are generally black. 
     To determine which card elements in the players hand can be played as attack card elements, the combative correlation table matrix  12  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) will set up in this particular instance, a one-to-one elimination relation link  36  between the individual card element within the attack card element range  30  and the individual removable card elements within the removable card element range  32 . 
     Various combative correlation table matrix conditions can be implemented based on the conditions set up by the game user as will be discussed in  FIGS. 2B through 2F . Referring first to  FIG. 2B , a combative correlation table matrix having a one-to-one relation  300  is provided. Here the attack element range  302  has a first attack element  306  and runs to the last attack element  308  in the nth position. On the removable element side, the removable element range  304  has a first removable element  312  which correlates to the first attack element  306  through a one-to-one element relation  310 . The intermediate follow on elements as well as the last removable element  314  in the nth position all relate on a one-to-one element relation to the elements in the attack element range  302 . 
     This one-to-one element relation table matrix  300  can be utilized for example where a card attack element or playing attack card (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) is a number two attack card element  40  having a 1:1 elimination relation to an Ace removable card element  38 . A further refinement is where the attack card element range (as still seen in  FIG. 2 ) only deals with suits that have a red color such as the hearts suit and the diamonds suit. Furthermore, the elimination relation direction linking components  36  can be controlled by a direction controller or puck  34  which indicates which range is the attack card element range  30 . As seen in  FIG. 2A , the elimination direction linking component  36  is preset in a single direction. Referring back to  FIG. 2 , by providing various indicia on the puck  34 , the players or the dealer can indicate which range will be the attack card element range, as well as which suit may be employed for attack and removal, if any suit is so designated. 
     In addition to having the entire series of 13 cards playable as attack and removable elements in a one-to-one relation, an alternative embodiment includes using only a subset of cards to be playable as attack cards and/or as removable cards. For example, face cards, king queen and jack, may not be played as attack cards leaving only the numbered cards as attack cards and correlating them to numbered removable card elements. 
     While a direct one-to-one equal relationship may be provided based on an equal number of attack card elements correlating to an equal number of removable card elements, a scenario where a predetermined set of lesser attack card elements may eliminate a larger spectrum or range of removable card elements. Referring to  FIG. 2E , such a combative correlation table matrix having an (i):(n) relation  340  where the (n) indication is the largest range spectrum and the (i) indication is a lesser range spectrum is shown. Here the attack element range  344  ranges from a first attack element  346  to a last attack element  348  in the nth position. The (i):(n) element relation  342  correlates to a larger removable element range  304 . Here the first removable element  312  begins the removable element range  304  and ends in the last removable element  314  in the nth position. An example is as follows, where the attack element range  344  would include seven cards, and the removable element range  304  would include a full suit of 13 cards. By playing an attack element, the (i):(n) element relation  342  would indicate that more than one of the removable elements within the removable element range would be eliminated during the attack round  44  (as seen in  FIG. 5 ) by a lesser number of attack elements. 
     At the end of this correlation table matrix where the removable element range  304  has the larger spectrum to the nth position, a combative correlation table matrix in a 1:(n) relation  320  is seen in  FIG. 2C . Here a single element of attack range  322  has a first attack element  324  which will, when played, eliminate the removable elements shown in the removable element range  304  starting from the first removable element  312  to the last removable element  314  in the nth position. 
     A discussion of the removable element range having a lesser spectrum of elements than the attack element range will now be provided. 
     At the end of the spectrum, and referring to  FIG. 2D , a combative correlation table matrix  330  with an (n):(1) relation is provided. Here the attack element range  302  has a series of attack elements starting with a first attack element  306  and ending in a last attack elements  308  in the nth position. As a side note, the nth position will in most cases be 13 cards in a suit, or four suits if suits are played. 
     The single removable element range  334  has a first removable element  336  which will be eliminated in the (n):(1) element relation  332  if any one of the attack elements within the attack element range  32  are played during the attack round  44  (as seen in  FIG. 5 ). 
     As a middle ground and still discussing the larger attack element range  302  correlation to a smaller removable element range  354  (as seen in FIG. F 2 ), a combative correlation table matrix with an (n):(i) relation  350  is provided. Here within the attack element range  302  as previously discussed, the first attack element  306  begins the series and the nth or last attack element  308  ends the series. A smaller spectrum of removable elements can be eliminated through the play of the attack elements within the attack element range as determined by the (n):(1) element relation correlation  352 . The removable element range  354  begins with a first removable element  356  and ends the series at a last removable element  358  in an ith position. The (i)th position as previously discussed is a lesser number than the (n)th position. For example, the attack element range  302  may have 13 cards in its range. The removable element range may have seven card elements within its range. In such a correlation, for example the number two and number three card elements may both eliminate the King removable element within the removable element range. 
     Additional variations of the combative correlation table matrix (as seen in  FIGS. 2B through 2F  are conceived. 
     In order to implement the game play, the combative poker game  10  can be played either in the physical environment about a poker table  14  (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) as well as within a tournament casino environment  104  (as seen in  FIG. 8 ). It can also be played as a software application or game application  150  (as seen in  FIG. 9 ) which can easily be hosted on a server  110  or played locally on a client  114 . Other variations of the implementation of the game play such as a mix between software and hardware which may be implemented in say for example player vs. House games such as slot machines and the like  128  (as seen in  FIG. 8 ) and game stations  126  (as seen in  FIG. 8 ) can be implemented. 
     First, discussion of the implementation of the combative poker game  10  will be provided (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) in the physical environment. Here for example, the combative poker game  10  has four players sitting in player chairs  16  around a circular table  14 . An oval, square, or rectilinear table can be provided based on the number of players as well as the standard table design. A combat correlation table matrix  12  is imprinted on the top felt of the poker table  14 . A standard 52 card playing deck  22  is used and the dealer position rotates after each game. The dealer shuffles the deck and each player receives three cards  18  face down. These are the player hand cards  18 . One of these cards is played as the attack card  20  and the attack card is moved into the attack zone  26  during the attack round  44  ( FIG. 5 ). As previously discussed, attack cards  20  eliminate cards on the table and in all players hands according to the combat correlation table matrix  12 . 
     After the players perform their betting round, the dealer deals three common cards  24  which are placed in the common zone  25 . Another round of betting (as seen in step  56 ,  FIG. 4 ) occurs using the chips  28 . The game play then moves into the attack round  44  (as seen in  FIG. 5 ) where the players choose their attack cards in deal order and place them in the attack zone  26  position in a sideways direction. After all attack cards have been played, the attack card for each player is turned over to reveal which common cards  24  and player hand cards  18  will be eliminated as removable card elements  32  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ). 
     As previously mentioned, the dealer will choose optionally which suit or element range will act as the attack card elements by indicating the puck location  34  in relation to the various element ranges. 
     As an option or alternative embodiment to the combative correlation table matrix  12  being resident on the table  14 , the cards within the deck  22  can have resident on their face, the removable card elements  32  which can be eliminated by that particular playing card when the card is used as an attack card. For example, on a number “two” card, there would be a symbol of the letter “A” with a red circle and a diagonal line through the “A” indicating that the “two” card will eliminate Aces. 
     With regard to scoring rules, at the end of the game during the showdown phase, players may have utilized an attack card element and also may have in hand a removable card element, eliminated from another player&#39;s attack card element, leaving them with less than five cards. In such a situation, it is still possible to have the showdown phase where neither player has a full hand of five cards. For instance, one player may have an AJ44, while the other player has AJ433. In this example, the pair of 4s would win the hand despite the fact that the player does not have a “full” hand of 5 playable cards due to elimination. Note that it is not possible to get flushes, straights, or a full house with a playable hand of less than 5 cards. A hand with only 4 playable cards of which all are diamonds would not count as a flush. 
     In the above example where players have less than five cards, a sequence is provided for determining the winner of the high card hands. In his sequence, the top playable card of each hand is compared. The comparison is not the time, player having the higher card winds hand. For example, playable hand consisting of A43 would win against a playable hand of KQ43. If the top card comparison is a tie, repeat the comparison for the next highest cards in each hand. If all comparable cards are ties and one player has a longer length, that player wins the hand. For example, in a hand where one player has AK8 and the other player in the showdown has AK84, the AK84 player wins the hand. If both playable hands are equivalent, the hand is a tie. IE K64 versus K64. 
     While the above combative poker game  10  can be played in the physical table environment  14 , it can also be implemented over a poker game system  100  (as seen in  FIG. 7 ). Here the poker game system  100  is implemented through the use of the Internet  101  where the game application  150  (as seen in  FIG. 9 ) is hosted on the server  110  (as seen in both  FIGS. 7 and 9 ). To connect to the game application  150 , one embodiment enables various client applications to run resident poker game applications  150  and play in a networked environment. This can be accomplished through the use of wireless communications connecting to the Internet  101  or other types of landline communications such as a local area cable network, and the like. PDAs  112 , cell phones  108 , client computers  114 , and casinos  104  can access the game server  110  in various means through the Internet  101 . 
     In order to implement the poker game system  100 , one embodiment of the game application  150  utilizes a game database  152  which holds the game objects  154 . The game objects are initialized and run on the game application  150  depending on the game play and the type of game being played. Various game objects  154  are held within the game database  152 . They include physical objects  156  such as table objects  158 , attack zone objects  160 , combat indicators  162 , chip objects  164 , combat direction  166 , combat correlation tables  168 , deck objects  170 , card components  172 , player objects  174 , chair objects  176 , player accounts  178 , a pots object  180 , a dealer object  182 , and a player BOT object  184 . Various game play objects  186  are also initialized in the game application  150  depending on the sequence. These game objects  186  correlate to the previously-mentioned game play in  FIGS. 3-6 . They include a first deal round object  188  which corresponds to the first step in the game play at first deal round  42  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). An attack round object  190  (as seen in  FIG. 9 ) correlates to the attack round step  44  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). A second deal round object  192  correlates to the second deal round  46  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). The resolve round object  194  resolves the hands, as seen in the resolve round step  48  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). 
     As previously-mentioned, the game application  150  can be run say for example within a tournament casino environment  104 . Here we see both the physical embodiment of the combative poker game  10  as being played on various casino game tables  120  by the player&#39;s  122 . Additionally, the digital or software game application  150  is played in various formats either on the game stations  126  or on the player vs. the House games  128  connected either through the landline connection  132  or through a wireless type of router scenario  130  connecting directly to the server  110 .