Patent Publication Number: US-2004053656-A1

Title: Hi - lo poker game method and device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
     [0001] This application is a conversion application of a commonly owned, prior filed provisional patent application serial No. 60/393,294 filed Jul. 1, 2003 and titled “HI-LO POKER GAME METHOD AND DEVICE” 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to methods for playing Poker-type card games.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003] Poker games using playing cards are popular and well known. In most of the live table games, the play includes using five or more playing cards to from a hand. In player-banked games, rounds of player wagering are provided to form a pot for the hand. The player(s) with the highest Poker ranked hands win the pot, less any commission for the house.  
       [0004] There are also house-banked Poker-type games such as the poker game described in Suttle et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 titled POKER GAME the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. This game also provides for a jackpot side wager and payment of jackpots for certain player Poker ranked holdings.  
       [0005] Another game is known as Pai Gow Poker played in many casinos and card clubs. To play the game the players each make a wager to play a hand. Seven cards are dealt to each player and the dealer. From the seven cards, each player makes a two card low hand and a five card high hand. The high hand must have a Poker ranking higher than that of the low hand. In my patent JACKPOT PAI GOW POKER, U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,486 issued Dec. 17, 1996, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, the game of Pai Gow Poker is described.  
       [0006] It has also been known to convert traditionally live Poker games into electronic games. For example, it has been known to provide an electronic version of the poker game of Suttle et al identified above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] Accordingly there is set forth according to the present invention a game method and device which provides a new Poker game.  
       [0008] There is set forth a method for playing a Poker game using a 52 card deck of playing cards. The method includes the player making a wager to participate in the game. A hand ranking schedule is set forth for play, the ranking being the traditional Poker rankings excluding straights, flushes, four-of-a-kinds and three-of-a-kinds. Three cards are dealt to a player and three cards to a dealer face down. Each of the player and dealer cards are assembled into making a one card low hand and a two card high hand, said high hand having a higher schedule ranking than the low hand. The rankings of the corresponding player and dealer low and high hands are compared and (a) if both of the piayer&#39;s hands outrank the dealer&#39;s hands awarding the player based upon the wager, (b) if both of the dealer&#39;s hands outrank the player&#39;s hands, collecting the player&#39;s wager and (c) if the one of the dealer&#39;s hands outranks the corresponding player hand and the other of the dealer&#39;s hands is outranked by the corresponding player hand, the player neither wins or loses the wager.  
       [0009] Thus the hands are easy and simple to assemble and compare. Further the game moves quickly since only three cards per hand are involved.  
       [0010] The device of the present invention includes a computer processor and an electronic display controlled by the processor. At least one data structure is provided for storing data corresponding to each card of at least a fifty-two card deck of playing cards and a ranking schedule, said schedule being the traditional Poker ranking hierarchy of poker hands excluding straights, flushes, four-of-a-kind and three-of-a-kind. The device has an apparatus for a player to make a wager and prompt play such as a toke acceptor, credit device or the like. The processor is configured to, upon prompting of play, randomly select and display at the display three player cards face up and three dealer cards face down. Input apparatus is configured for the player to arrange the player cards into a one card low hand and a two card high hand, the high hand having a higher schedule ranking than the low hand. The processor is configured to (a) arrange and display face up the dealer cards into a one card low hand and a two card high hand, the high hand having a higher ranking than the low hand, (b) to compare the corresponding player and dealer low and high hands and (c) if both of the player&#39;s hands outrank the dealer&#39;s issue an award to the player based upon the wager, (d) if both of the dealer&#39;s hands outrank the player&#39;s, collect the player&#39;s wager and (e) if the one of the dealer&#39;s hands outranks the corresponding player hand and the other of the dealer&#39;s hands is outranked by the corresponding player hand, neither collect the wager or issue an award. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011]FIG. 1 shows a lay out for live play of the game according to the method of the present invention; and  
     [0012]FIG. 2 shows a device fo electronic play of the game according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION  
     [0013] Turning to the drawings, at FIG. 1 there is shown a layout  10  for a gaming table  12  for the play of the game method of the present invention in a live game format. Disposed about the layout  10  are a number of player positions  14  to be occupied by players. Opposite the player positions  14  is a dealer position  16 .  
     [0014] Proximate the dealer position  16  is a chip tray  18  to hold chips exchanged between the dealer and player during the play of the game.  
     [0015] To play the game, at least one standard deck of fifty-two cards is used. Each player participating in the game makes a wager by placing the same, as is known in the art, on the layout at their respective player position  14 . After all participating players have made their wager, the dealer deals three cards (face up or face down) to each participating player and three cards (face down) to himself. The dealer&#39;s three cards are placed on the layout  10  in front of the tray  18 . Each player then arranges their three cards into a one card low hand and a two card high hand. In assessing the rankings of hands according to the method of the present invention, the standard Poker rankings are used except that straights or flushes are not considered. Further, since only two cards are included in any hand (the high hand) threes-of-a-kind, fours-of-a-kind, two pairs, Straight Flushes and Royal Flushes are also not included in the ranking schedule. Thus the hierarchy of rankings according to the present invention are as shown in Table 1 below.  
                           TABLE 1                                   Low Hand   High Hand                          Card Value,   Pair           Ace high   Card Values, Ace high                      
 
     [0016] The player must set the low and high hands such that the high hand has a higher ranking, otherwise the player has mis-set the hand and it is a loser.  
     [0017] After each player has arranged their two hands, the dealer exposes their cards and arranges his cards into a corresponding one card low hand and a two card high hand. The dealer may be required to set his hands according to a predetermined strategy.  
     [0018] After the players&#39; and dealer&#39;s hands have been set the dealer compares, with each player, his low and high hands to the corresponding player low and high hands. If both of the player&#39;s hands outrank the dealers corresponding hands, the player wins and is paid based upon their wager. If desired, a commission may be assessed for winning hands. If both of the dealer&#39;s hands outrank the player&#39;s corresponding hands, the dealer is declared the winner and the player&#39;s wager is lost and is collected by the dealer. If the one of the dealer&#39;s hands outranks the corresponding player hand and the other of the dealer&#39;s hands is outranked by the corresponding player hand, the hand is declared a push and the player neither wins or loses the wager. If both the player&#39;s hands outrank the corresponding dealer&#39;s hands, the player wins their wager and is paid even money on their wager.  
     [0019] After settling with each player, the dealer collects the cards of the hands. The players make new wagers and another hand is dealt.  
     [0020] In paying the players for winning hands, players are paid even money on their wager (less a commission if one is assessed).  
     [0021] Further, where the player and dealer tie on a hand, e.g. low hand or high hand, the dealer will be deemed to have the higher ranking Set forth below are some examples of play:  
                                                   Player Hands   Dealer Hands                          Low Hand A   Q           High Hand A, A   K, 4                      
 
     [0022] In this hand the player is the winner has the highest holding available since the card of the Ace of low hand is the highest ranking card (outranks dealer&#39;s Queen) and the pair of Aces is the highest ranking high hand and outranks the dealer&#39;s King and 4.  
                                                   Player Hands   Dealer Hands                          Low Hand 5   3           High Hand K, 4   8,8                      
 
     [0023] The hand is a push since the player wins the low hand and the dealer wins the high hand.  
                                                   Player Hands   Dealer Hands                          Low Hand J   J           High Hand Q, 6   K, 9                      
 
     [0024] The dealer wins since the low hand is a tie (protocol is that dealer is the winner) and the dealer&#39;s high hand outranks the player&#39;s  
     [0025] The game as described above can be embodies into an electronic device as shown in FIG. 2. The device  12  has a housing  22  supporting a video display  24  and containing a game processor  25  configured to control play and the display  24  for the device  20  as hereinafter described.  
     [0026] The device  20  has apparatus for a player to make a wager. For example there may be a cash validator  26  and coin slot  28  to receive cash or tokens, respectively, for wagering. The deposited cash or tokens are converted by the processor  24  into gaming credits, the amount of which may be displayed at a credit meter  30  at the display  20 .  
     [0027] The device  12  also includes a plurality of buttons for the player to control play of the game. At  32  is a cash out button which, if depressed by the player, prompts the processor  25  to dispense to the player the amount of the credit meter  30 . The amount may be dispensed into a tray  34  as tokens or coins or may be dispensed as a ticket or voucher as is known in the art. At  36  is a bet one credit button whereby the player can wager less than a maximum amount for a hand of play. A maximum wager button  38  provides for the player to wager the maximum permitted by the device, e.g. ten credits. There is also a prompt button  40  for the player to prompt play and completion of the game as hereinafter described.  
     [0028] To play the device  12 , at  42  the player enters the desired wager using the control buttons and at  44  prompts play. A bet meter  43  may be provided at the display  24  for the player to confirm the amount of the bet. When prompted the processor  25 , accesses a first data structure  46  to at  48  randomly select and display at the display  24  a dealer&#39;s three card hand  50  (face down) and a face up player three card hand  52 . The player, using for example a touch screen display  24 , mouse or other input device, sets their low hand and high hand at  54  by arranging the cards in the manner described above. The processor  25  may preclude mis-setting of the player&#39;s hand  52  and may initially display the player&#39;s hand  52  in a suggested set for the player. After the player is satisfied with the setting of his hand  52 , the processor  25  is prompted at  56  to complete play as by the player depressing the prompt button  40 . The processor  25  sets and reveals the dealer&#39;s hand  50  at  58  according to a pre-programmed manner and at  60  compares the corresponding dealer low and high hands to that of the player according to the predetermined ranking schedule which may be programmed or stored in a second data structure  62 . If the player has won the hand, as described above by having higher ranking low and high hands, at  64  the processor  25  issues an award to the player, e.g. an even money payback.  
     [0029] While I shown and described the game, it shoudl be understood that it could be player as an Ace-low game, deuces wild, using a Joker to represent an Ace or as a low game where the player wins when his low and high hands are of a lower ranking  
     [0030] While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that it is subject to many modifications without departing from the spirt and scope of the appended claims.