Abstract:
Proposed is a poker tetris computer game to be played on a computer, wherein a plurality of game cards of different ranks and different suits fall in an arbitrary sequence from the top to the floor of the game frame. During the fall, a formation of cards can be manipulated as cubes in a conventional falling block game and can disintegrate once it is partially blocked by the laying cards. In this case, the unblocked portion separates from the rest of the formation and resumes the fall until blocked by other formations or by the floor of the game frame. During the fall of the falling formation, the player may navigate the formation so as to form hands that correspond winning combinations for obtaining the maximum possible number of winning points.

Description:
RELEVANT PATENT PUBLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application is based on Provisional Patent Application No. 61/517,251 filed Apr. 18, 2011 and entitled: CARD TETRO. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a card game and, more particularly, to a card game that incorporates card game features into a computer game known as Tetris. More specifically, several cards are combined into a card formation. The Card Tetro allows a player to move and/or turn the card formations and to stack the formations to form hands. Cards are used to make hands by stacking card formations on top of each other or next to each other. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Poker is a family of card games involving betting and individualistic play whereby the winner is determined by the ranks and combinations of their cards, some of which remain hidden until the end of the game. Poker games vary in the number of cards dealt, the number of shared, or “community” cards and the number of cards that remain hidden. The betting procedures vary amongst different poker games in such ways as betting limits and splitting the pot between a high hand and a low hand. 
         [0004]    Poker has gained in popularity since the beginning of the twentieth century, and has gone from being primarily a recreational activity confined to small groups of mostly male enthusiasts, to a widely popular spectator activity with international audiences and multi-million dollar tournament prizes, with women being a constantly growing part of that audience. 
         [0005]    Whether played in a gaming environment, or in a non-wagering environment such as a computer game, the appeal of card games and other gaming activities is unfaltering. 
         [0006]    Known in the art is a variety of poker games that may differ from each other by specific game rules. One particular poker genre involves poker games having a “draw,” where replacement cards may be dealt or otherwise provided to the player during play of a hand. For example, in a common variation of draw poker, the player is dealt a number of cards, such as five cards. The player looks at the cards in this initial hand, and decides which cards to hold and which to discard based on the likelihood of achieving a winning hand based on a predetermined pay table. The cards that are discarded are replaced with new cards for use with the held cards to create the resulting hand. 
         [0007]    Traditionally, these and other poker games including such a “draw” typically involve the dealer providing the player with the number of cards required to replace the player&#39;s discarded cards. In electronic embodiments, a computer-based system such as a video poker machine electronically provides the player with the replacement cards. The ability to receive dealer-furnished replacement cards allows the player to experience additional anticipation and optimism in achieving a winning hand, over non-draw poker games such as stud poker games. 
         [0008]    However, such conventional draw poker games are limited in the ability to provide additional excitement and anticipation during play of a poker hand. The player has no control over the draw hand with perhaps the exception of the number of replacement cards that will be provided, which is typically based on the number of cards discarded by the player. With the ongoing need to attract and entertain casino patrons, particularly in today&#39;s electronic casino environments, new alluring gaming activities are essential. 
         [0009]    An attempt to add excitement over existing gaming activities was made in a poker game described in US Patent Application Publication No. 20120004022 (Inventors: Bradley Berman, et al.) published Jan. 5, 2012. In accordance with one embodiment of this game, a method for facilitating play in a card game is provided. A starting hand of cards is presented, and the player is allowed to select a number (including zero) of cards to hold from the starting hand. Multiple replacement hands (i.e., multiple sets of one or more replacement cards) are presented to the player, where the player is allowed to select a replacement hand(s). A resulting hand(s) is created using the held cards and the replacement hand(s) selected by the player. In more particular embodiments of such a method, conditions may be set such that the player is allowed to select from the multiple replacement hands if the condition has been met. The conditions may include any desired conditions, such as conditions based on the poker rank (i.e. card face values and/or suits) of the held cards. In one embodiment, the player is simply provided with replacement cards if the condition is not met. In another embodiment, the condition may be whether the player needs any replacement cards—e.g., the player may hold all cards and may not need any replacement cards. 
         [0010]    There are many other examples of card computer games, including poker. However, for some advanced players the conventional poker games played on computers may not provide enough fun and thrill since they do not possess sufficient complexity and variants of the game rules. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to create a new game that combines features of a poker with a computer falling blocks game. Hereinafter this computer poker game will be referred to as a Poker Tetro™. 
         [0012]    The goal of the Poker Tetro™ is to score as many points as possible by forming poker hands from square blocks, e.g., playing cards, comprising formations. More specifically, several cards are combined into a card formation. The Card Tetro allows a player to move and/or turn the card formations and to stack the formations to form hands. Cards are used to make hands by stacking card formations on top of each other or next to each other. A card may be displayed by letter designations and images of card suits on top of each block. The formations are dropped from the top of the game container and placed by the player on top of other formations or on the floor of the game container. Formations can be rotated using the navigation keys or the touch screen clockwise or counterclockwise. Cards within the tetramino formation can be moved around in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Formations can disintegrate during the fall once the falling formation is partially blocked by the laying cards. The unblocked portion of the formation separates from the rest of the formation and resumes the fall to the lowest point of the container until blocked or stopped by other formations or the floor. 
         [0013]    It is understood that the Poker Tetro™ may have a variety of rules resulting from combinations of the Poker and Tetris rules. Therefore some rules given below should be considered only as an example and do not limit the scope of the game application. 
         [0014]    Here are some exemplary rules:
       1. Formations contain two or more cards.   2. Each formation is placed on top of the other formation or next to each other to create a Card hand.   3. The hand comprises five blocks or cards.   4. The game can be played by one or more people, one on one, or many on many.   5. Formations can be placed intact next to each other, on top of each other, or broken into pieces upon contact with other formations.   6. The falling tetramino card formations can rotate in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.   7. PokerTetro™ can be played on the internet or downloaded and played on a device.   8. The game can be played with one or more decks of cards.   9. Decks may or may not include special cards.   10. The cards that form a winning combination can disappear only within the hand a part of which these cards constitute.       
 
         [0025]    The game contains multiple levels. The player moves up from level to level by accumulating the required number of points at each level. The game accelerates with each level and formations start falling faster. The game ends once the user can no longer navigate a falling tetramino form around existing formations and/or runs of room. 
         [0026]    Winning combinations are created by placing the appropriate cards next to each other in a straight line either horizontally or vertically and within the hands of five cards. 
         [0027]    The hands which when formed generate points are described below. It is understood that this set of the winning hands consisting of five blocks is given only as an example and that other block/card combinations can be selected for winning the points of the game. 
         [0028]    Royal Flush: An Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit. 
         [0029]    Straight Flush Five cards in sequence, of the same suit. 
         [0030]    Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, and one side card. 
         [0031]    Full House Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. 
         [0032]    Flush: Five cards of the same suit. 
         [0033]    Straight: Five cards in sequence. 
         [0034]    Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. 
         [0035]    Two Pair Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. 
         [0036]    One Pair: Two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. 
         [0037]    Three of the same Suit: Three cards of the same suit and two unrelated side cards. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0038]      FIGS. 1.0  through  1 . 2  illustrate a Poker Tetro™ card drop scenario with no “matches” or hands created by the combination of the cards that are dropping and the cards that sit in the foundation on the floor of the game container. 
           [0039]      FIGS. 2.0  through  2 . 3  illustrate a vertical match scenario that corresponds to the Flush with five cards of the same suit. 
           [0040]      FIGS. 3.0  through  3 . 2  illustrate a horizontal row match that corresponds to the Flush. 
           [0041]    FIGS.  4 . 0 - 4 . 3  illustrates a Wild Joker Scenario. 
           [0042]      FIGS. 5.1  to  5 . 10  illustrate match scenarios of Table 1. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0043]    In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to create a new game that combines features of a poker with a computer falling blocks game. Hereinafter this computer poker will be referred to as a Poker Tetro™. 
         [0044]    The goal of the Poker Tetro™ is to score as many points as possible by forming poker hands from square blocks, e.g., playing cards, comprising formations. More specifically, several cards are combined into a card formation. The Card Tetro allows a player to move and/or turn the card formations and to stack the formations to form hands. Cards are used to make hands by stacking card formations on top of each other or next to each other. A card may be displayed by letter designations and images of card suits on top of each block. The formations are dropped from the top of the game container and placed by the player on top of other formations or on the floor of the game container. Formations can be rotated using the navigation keys or the touch screen clockwise or counterclockwise. Cards within the tetramino formation can be rotated around either clockwise or counterclockwise. Formations can disassemble during the fall once the falling formation is partially blocked by the laying cards. The unblocked portion of the formation separates from the rest of the formation and resumes the fall to the lowest point of the container until blocked or stopped by other formations or the floor. 
         [0045]    It is understood that the Poker Tetro™ may have a variety of rules resulting from combinations of the Poker and Tetris rules. Therefore some rules given below should be considered only as an example and do not limit the scope of the game application. 
         [0046]    Here are some exemplary rules:
       1. Formations contain two or more cards.   2. Each formation is placed on top of the other formation or next to each other to create a Card hand.   3. The hand comprises five blocks or cards.   4. The game can be played by one or more people, one on one, or many on many.   5. Formations can be placed intact next to each other, on top of each other, or broken into pieces upon contact with other formations.   6. Formations can be rotated.   7. PokerTetro™ can be played on the internet or downloaded and played on a device.   8. The game can be played with one or more decks of cards.   9. Decks may or may not include special cards.   10. The cards that form a winning combination can disappear only within the hand a part of which these cards constitute.       
 
         [0057]    The game contains multiple levels. The player moves up from level to level by accumulating the required number of points at each level. The game accelerates with each level and formations start falling faster. The game ends once the user can no longer navigate a falling tetramino card formation falling around existing formations and/or runs of room. 
         [0058]    Winning combinations are created by placing the appropriate cards next to each other in a straight line either horizontally or vertically and within the hands of five cards. The hand-forming combination of five cards may be linear or may be L-shaped. 
         [0059]    The hands which when formed generate points are shown in Table 1 below. It is understood that this set of the winning hands consisting of five blocks is given only as an example and that other block/card combinations can be selected for winning the points of the game. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Royal Flush 
                 Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit 
               
               
                 Straight Flush 
                 Five cards in sequence, of the same suit 
               
               
                 Four of a Kind 
                 Four cards of the same rank, and one side card 
               
               
                 Full House 
                 Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a 
               
               
                   
                 different, matching rank 
               
               
                 Flush 
                 Five cards of the same suit 
               
               
                 Straight 
                 Five cards in sequence 
               
               
                 Three of a Kind 
                 Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated 
               
               
                   
                 side cards 
               
               
                 Two Pair 
                 Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a 
               
               
                   
                 different matching rank, and one side card 
               
               
                 One Pair 
                 Two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated 
               
               
                   
                 side cards 
               
               
                 Three of the 
                 Three cards of the same suit and two unrelated side 
               
               
                 same Suit 
                 cards 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0060]    Thus, during the fall of the falling formation, the player can move the falling formation linearly in the vertical and horizontal direction or can rotate the falling formation within the game frame under control of the navigation keys of the computer in order to stack a falling formation on top of the preceding formation that lays on the frame floor to form a hand. Each hand comprises a predetermined number of cards, five in the examples illustrated below, that can be arranged linearly or in an L-shaped configuration. The specified combinations of cards in a hand provide the player with a winning points and the purpose of the game is to obtain the maximum possible number of winning points. 
         [0061]    The invention will be further described in more detail with reference to specific examples that illustrate several possible scenarios. It is understood that the example do not limit the scope of the invention application. 
         [0062]    FIGS.  1 . 0 - 1 . 2  No Match Scenario 
         [0063]      FIGS. 1.0  through  1 . 2  illustrate a Poker Tetro™ card drop scenario with no “matches” or hands created by the combination of the cards that are dropping and the cards that sit in the foundation on the floor  20  of the game container  22 . 
         [0064]      FIG. 1.0  illustrates a scenario where a formation  24  of four blocks, or “cards”  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c , and  24   d  drop over a base  26  of cards  26   a ,  26   b ,  26   c ,  26   d , and  26   e  on the game floor  20 . In  FIG. 1.0 , reference numeral  24 ′ designate the initial position of the formation  24  when it appears in the game frame  22 , and reference numeral  24 ″ designate an intermediate position of the formation  24  after it was turned by 90° in the counterclockwise direction during falling. 
         [0065]      FIG. 1.1  illustrates how the four-card formation  24  will land atop the base formation  26 . In these and other drawings, arrow A shows the falling direction.  FIG. 1.2  illustrates how the four-card formation  24  will separate and the cards will continue to fall into the open gaps and spaces left in the base. The cards will settle on top of the next lower card. There is no hand, or match, created, given the example in  FIG. 1.2 , for forming a winning combination. The Ten of Clubs  24   d  settles on top of the Ace of Club  26   e , as well as next to the Jack of Clubs  24   d , no hand or match is created to satisfy the hands of Table 1. 
         [0066]    FIG.  2 . 0 - 2 . 3  Vertical Row Match Scenario 
         [0067]      FIGS. 2.0  through  2 . 3  illustrate one of two types of match scenarios. For simplicity of the drawings and explanation, here and hereinafter the intermediate positions of the formations are now shown but it can assumed that prior to the falling position that may lead to a winning situation of  FIG. 2.2  that is described below, the falling formation  28  could be rotated and/or moved linearly. The scenario of  FIGS. 2.0  to  2 . 3  illustrate the case of a vertical match where a wining hand is created between the formation  28  of the falling cards  28   a ,  28   b ,  28   c , and  28   d  and the card base formation  30  of the cards  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c ,  30   d , and  30   e  that are settled in the base floor  20  of the game frame  22 .  FIG. 2.0  presents a scene with a four-card dropping formation  28 . The four-card formation  28  will land on top of the base formation  30  ( FIG. 2.1 ) and will separate as the cards  28   a  and  28   b  that do not land immediately on the base, will settle into any open gaps or spaces, such as the space  29  ( FIG. 2.1 ) provided in the base of the cards. The cards then settle on top of the base ( FIG. 2.2 ), and in this case,  FIG. 2.3  illustrates how a match, or hand, is activated. The settles on top of the Nine of Clubs  30   a , with the Jack of Clubs  28   a  stacked on top of the Ten of Clubs  28   b . In the illustrated case the five-card hand has an L-shaped configuration and consists of Jack  28   b , Nine  28   c , Jack  28   a , Ten  28   b , and Nine  30   a . This corresponds to the Flush with five cards of the same suit. The hand is activated due to the fact that all the cards, i.e., the Nine  30   a , Ten  28   b , Jack  28   a  and a pair of horizontally arranged cards Jack  28   d  and None  28   c  are Clubs. These cards then disappear leaving an open space or gap, into which nearby cards (not shown) will fall and settle into. 
         [0068]    FIGS.  3 . 0 - 3 . 2  Horizontal Row Match Scenario 
         [0069]      FIGS. 3.0  through  3 . 3  illustrate a horizontal row match, or hand created.  FIG. 3.0  shows a four-card formation  32  in a drop. The formation  32  that consists of a King of Diamonds  32   a , a Jack of Clubs  32   b , a Nine of Clubs  32   c , and a Ten of Clubs  32   d  drops and settles on the first formation  34  of cards  34   a ,  34   b ,  34   c ,  34   d ,  34   e , and  34   f , on the floor  20  of the game play frame  22 .  FIG. 3.1  illustrates that the cards  32   c  and  32   d  do not initially land on top of the cards  34   b  and  34   c  and that an open space  35  is formed between these two sets of the cards.  FIG. 3.2  shows the two cards  32   c  and  32   d  in the formation  32  settle and then activate a hand. The hand in this example is comprised of a flush of Nine  32   c , Ten  32   d , and Jack of Clubs  34   e . The blocks, or cards  32   c ,  32   d , and  34   e  are aligned horizontally.  FIG. 3.3  illustrates that once a match is created the cards  32   c ,  32   d , and  34   e  involved in the action disappear. The remaining cards King  34   f  and Ten  24   a  of the five-card hand will remain. 
         [0070]    FIGS.  4 . 0 - 4 . 3  Wild Joker Scenario 
         [0071]      FIGS. 4.0  through  4 . 3  illustrate the scenario of a wild joker cube or card  40 . The wild joker card  40  will change values according to the hand that the card is played in. In this case the example scenario involves two jacks  38   a ,  42   c , and the joker  40  ( FIG. 4.1 ). The cards  42   c  and  40  in the formation  42  that settle in the open space  39  fall and land next to a Jack  38   a , whereby a five-card hand of the same suite is formed by the cards  42   b ,  38   b ,  38   a ,  42   c , and the Joker  40 . This is the condition of a strait flush (five cards in sequence, of the same suit). After activation, a picture shown in  FIG. 4.3  remains. It can be seen that only the King of Diamonds  24   a , the King of Diamonds  38   c , and the Nine  38   d  remain for engagement with the next falling formation (not shown). 
         [0072]      FIGS. 5.1  to  5 . 10  illustrate match scenarios of Table 1. 
         [0073]    Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples and drawings, it is understood that these examples and drawings should not be construed as limiting the application of the invention and that any changes and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the attached patent claims. For example, the matching rules that give winning points to a player are shown in Table 1 and in  FIGS. 5.1  to  5 . 6  only as preferable examples and may be different from those in Table 1 and the respective drawings. For example, one of the winning scenarios may comprise four cards in sequence and any Ace, or three Aces and any two cards of the same suit, etc. The cards can be represented by images, numbers, or by combination of images and numbers. Formations may contain as a minimum three cards instead of two. The hand may comprise a number of cards different from five.