FOUR-CARD POKER GAME WITH VARIABLE WAGER

Abstract

A casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player's hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in the resulting player's hands and the resulting dealer's hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer's hand according to predetermined game rules. The initial player's wagers must be at least matched with a Game Bet (or play bet) to remain in the game after players have received their cards. The Game Bet may be multiples of the initial player's wagers, for example, 1? to 5? the initial wager, or more.

Claims

1. A method of operating a table with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the table bearing a layout illustrated to define at least one player position with an Ante area, a Play area, and a Bonus area, the Bonus area labeled for visual association with a reward table posted at the table, the method comprising: operating the table in a round of the method according to a set of rules defining an ordered combination of steps, the ordered combination of steps comprising: receiving at the Ante area at least one physical token for an Ante and to indicate participation in the round of the method; distributing, from at least one deck of intermixed cards and to a card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, five cards to form a complete set of player cards and at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and at least one excess dealer card; receiving a player-made election from an election set consisting of: a fold, and a limited set of ante multipliers comprising consisting of 1?, 2?, and 3? the Ante, and after receiving the player-made election of one of the limited set of ante multipliers in the form of receiving at least one other physical token occupying the Play area to indicate participation in a Play event, resolving the Ante and the Play event according to the set of rules, comprising: forming a final set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards from the complete set of dealer cards; and after forming the final set of dealer cards: upon a determination that the final set of dealer cards is outranked by a final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards from the complete set of player cards, distributing at least one additional physical token to a player position, of the at least one player position, associated with the Ante area occupied by the at least one physical token and associated with the Play area occupied by the at least one other physical token; or upon a determination that the final set of dealer cards outranks the final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards, removing the at least one physical token from the Ante area and removing the at least one other physical token from the Play area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing six additional cards to form the complete set of dealer cards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing five additional cards to form the complete set of dealer cards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises: distributing, from the at least one deck of intermixed cards and to the card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, at least five additional cards to form an initial set of dealer cards; after distributing the at least five additional cards to form the initial set of dealer cards, applying a predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of dealer cards; and after applying the predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of dealer cards: with the initial set of dealer cards not at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing, from the at least one deck of intermixed cards and to the card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, at least five more cards to replace the initial set of dealer cards and to form the complete set of dealer cards; or with the initial set of dealer cards at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing no additional cards from the at least one deck of intermixed cards, the initial set of dealer cards forming the complete set of dealer cards.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before receiving the player-made election, applying a predetermined minimum ranking to the complete set of player cards to identify the complete set of player cards at least meets the predetermined minimum ranking.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the distributing, receiving, in the Bonus area, at least one more physical token designating participation in a Bonus event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, after receiving the player-made election of the one of the limited set of ante multipliers in the form of receiving at least one other physical token occupying the Play area to indicate participation in the Play event, resolving the Bonus event, comprising applying the reward table to the final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards from the complete set of player cards.

8. A method of operating a table game with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the method comprising: providing a physical layout designating a plurality of player positions each bearing indicia designating an Ante area, a Play area, and a Bonus area, each of the player positions imprinted with a Bonus award table, wherein the Bonus area, the Ante area, the Play area, and the Bonus award table are arranged vertically, from nearest a player seat to nearest a dealer position, in the order of the Bonus award table, the Play area, the Ante area, and the Bonus area, respectively; and operating the table game in a round of the method according to a set of rules, the round comprising: receiving, from a player, a token in the Ante area as an Ante and to indicate participation by the player in the round; receiving, from the player, another token in the Bonus area to indicate participation by the player in a Bonus feature of the round; distributing cards from a resource of intermixed playing cards, the intermixed playing cards comprising at least one physical deck of cards, the distributing comprising: distributing five cards to form a complete set of player cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card; and distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and at least one excess dealer card; receiving a player-made election from an election set consisting of: a fold, and a limited set of ante multipliers consisting of 1?, 2?, and 3? the Ante; and after receiving the player-made election, resolving at least the Ante based at least in part on a rank comparison of the four playable player cards to the four playable dealer cards.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing six cards to form the complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards and two excess dealer cards.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing five cards to form the complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards and one excess dealer card.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising resolving the Bonus feature, comprising applying the Bonus award table to the four playable player cards.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a physical layout comprises providing the physical layout designating the plurality of player positions each bearing the indicia, the indicia further comprising a Super Bonus area, each of the player positions further imprinted with a Super Bonus award table laterally disposed to the Ante area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, from the player, an additional token in the Super Bonus area to indicate participation by the player in a Super Bonus feature.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after receiving the player-made election, resolving the Super Bonus feature, comprising distributing an award to the player for the four playable player cards meeting an hand ranking defined in the Super Bonus award table.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises: distributing, from the resource of intermixed playing cards, an initial set of at least five cards; after distributing the initial set of at least five cards, applying a predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of at least five cards; and after applying the predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of at least five cards: with the initial set of at least five cards at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, forming the complete set of dealer cards from only the initial set of at least five cards; or with the initial set of at least five cards not at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing, from the resource of intermixed playing cards, another set of at least five cards to replace the initial set of at least five cards and to form the complete set of dealer cards.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising, after distributing the cards from the resource of intermixed playing cards and before receiving the player-made election, applying a predetermined minimum ranking to the complete set of player cards to identify the complete set of player cards at least meets the predetermined minimum ranking.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising, after distributing the five cards to form the complete set of player cards, resolving the Bonus feature, comprising applying the Bonus award table to the four playable player cards.

18. A method of operating a token collecting game with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the method comprising: providing a physical game layout designating player positions and a dealer position, each of the player positions visually defining an Ante area and a Play area; and operating the token collecting game in a round of the method according to a rules set, the round comprising: receiving, from a player and at the Ante area, one or more physical tokens as an Ante and to indicate participation in the round, dealing, on the layout and from an inventory of intermixed, physical, playing cards, a complete set of player cards and a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and two excess dealer cards; accepting from the player an election selected during administration of the round from an election set consisting of: a fold, leaving the Play area unoccupied, and a limited set of ante multipliers consisting of 1? to 3? the Ante designated in the form of at least one additional physical token occupying the Play area; and after accepting from the player the election, resolving the round based at least in part on a comparison of a ranking of the four playable player cards to a ranking of the four playable dealer cards.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gaming table layout suitable for play of the game of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] A casino table card game is played on a table by at least one player and a dealer. The dealer usually represents the house or the casino in the play of the game. As shown in FIG. 1, wagering areas 10 are provided for each player, and card-receiving areas 12 are available for each of the players and the dealer. The wagering areas 10 may include three distinct wagering zones for each player comprising a Bonus wager area 14 (e.g., the Aces-Up wager), an Ante area 16, and a Bet area 18. To initiate play of the game, at least one (and usually only one) deck of standard or variant playing cards is provided. In other forms of the game, multiple intermixed decks of cards, decks with wild cards, or special decks (i.e., decks with certain cards removed) are used. Each player who wishes to enter the play of the game makes at least one wager selected from the Bonus Bet (or Aces-Up wager) and the Ante. One or both of these wagers may be made. The player may also play the hand blind (also referred to as the House Way) by placing both an Ante and an additional Game Bet (referred to in FIG. 1 as the Play Bet). After placement of the at least one wager, each player who has made an at least one wager is provided with a number of cards, preferably five, from which to select a best four-card poker hand. The cards may be dealt as a complete set of five cards or in portions of one or more cards. At about the same time, the dealer is dealt a number of cards exceeding four. In one example of the invention, six cards are dealt. One or more additional cards can be dealt to the player, the dealer or both.

[0018] Although in one example of the invention the dealer receives one more card than each player, the number of cards dealt can be equal. What is important is that enough cards are dealt so that at least one discard can be made.

[0019] In a preferred form of the invention, a four-card poker hand is played. The player reviews the five cards received at that player position and determines what best four-card poker hand can be made from the five cards. If the player believes that the cards cannot form a four-card poker rank of sufficiently high rank to warrant competition against the dealer's hand (even without that hand or any portion of that hand having been displayed), the player may fold the hand, refusing to place an additional wager. At this time, or, usually, a later time, the Ante would be collected by the dealer. In one example of the invention, if the player made the Aces-Up bet and the Ante bet and decides to fold, the Aces-Up bet is swept along with the Ante. In another form of the invention, if the player remains in the game by making the Play Bet and the player's hand does not contain a hand ranking of a pair of aces or higher, and a bet was made on the Ace-Up wager, the Ace-Up wager may be now or later collected by the dealer. If the player determines that the rank of the best four-card poker hand that can be made from the five cards dealt to the player is sufficiently high so as to warrant competition against the dealer (or if the player wants to bluff against the dealer, particularly if the dealer must qualify), the player may make an additional wager, referred to as a Play Bet or Game Bet. That additional wager may be multiples of the Ante, such as 1?, 2?, 3?, 4? or 5? the amount of the original Ante, at the option of the player. In some examples of the invention, the game bet is 1? the ante unless the player has a qualifying hand, such as a pair of kings or better, for example. If the player's hand qualifies, he has the option of increasing his bet.

[0020] Fractional amounts or larger amounts may be allowed, but they may complicate the payout or alter the hold for the house, so such changes are at the discretion of the casino.

[0021] After discarding excess cards and placing the Game Bet, or placing the fifth card face down, or merely leaving the fifth card in the hand so that the hand may be arranged and ranked by the dealer or player when exposed, the player's hand is placed on the table for display. The dealer's hand is then revealed after each and every player has determined whether or not the Game Bet is to be made. The dealer compares the value or rank of his hand against the value or rank of each player's hand, usually in succession around the table, and each series of wagers (the Aces-Up wager, the Ante and the Game Bet) is resolved. Ties on the rank of player's hands and the dealer's hands may be either paid to the player, called a push, or collected by the dealer, depending upon the desired house advantage the casino wants to build into the game. The dealer may either always qualify (a preferred method of play), or a level of qualification may be built into the game (such as, at least queen high, at least king high, at least queen-jack, at least king-jack, at least ace-king, or at least one pair).

[0022] Resolution on the wagers may be based upon pay tables for the Aces-Up wager, pay tables on the Ante, and/or the Game Bet. Preferred play of the game provides pay tables for one or more of the Aces-Up wager, the Ante and an automatic bonus payout on the ante. The Game Bet pays one-to-one with a player win. This differentiation is based upon the fact that with certain very high-ranking hands, the player would be at an extreme advantage in placing a 5? Game Bet, assuring a very high multiple payout, with essentially no risk or little risk involved in the placement of the 5? Game Bet wager. The payout of wagers may be tailored by the casino by selecting pay tables designed for greater player payouts or greater casino earnings.

[0023] Although a four-card poker game is a preferred form of the invention, the game could also be played with three, five or seven cards, with necessary adjustments to the pay tables.

[0024] For example, in a four-card game, the hierarchy of hands is as follows: [0025] Four of a Kind [0026] Straight Flush [0027] Three of a Kind [0028] Flush [0029] Straight [0030] Two Pair [0031] Pair [0032] High Card.
A three- or five-card game would require a different hierarchy of hand rankings.

[0033] There are many variations of the game that may be played within the scope of the present invention. The following variations on the format described above shall be described in a manner that should enable those skilled in the art to appreciate the expanded scope of play available, rather than considering any single described method as limiting the intended scope of the game.

[0034] Version IEach player receives five cards, and the dealer receives six cards. The players and the dealer identify their best four-card poker hands, and the players may rely upon the house for assistance, if needed. The dealer always qualifies; that is, the dealer's hand and any players' hands are always in play if the ante bet is made. Players have the choice of placing one or both of the Ante Bet and a Bonus Bet (i.e., the Aces-Up wager). House rules may require the player to make the Ante Bet, the Bonus Bet, or both the Ante Bet and Bonus Bet. The Ante Bet is a wager directly against the rank of the dealer's hand, and the Aces-Up Bonus Bet is a bet against a pay table. If after viewing his/her hand, a player chooses to stay in the game against the dealer (keeping the Ante wager in play), the player must make an additional Game Bet to stay in the game. This Game Bet may be, for example, between one and five (or between one and four, or between one and three) times the amount of the initial Ante wager at the opinion of the player. In other forms of the game, the player's Game Bet must be 1? the Ante unless the player holds a qualifying hand of a pair of aces or better. If the player has a qualifying hand, he can bet up to 3? the Ante. Preferably, the player must hold a pair of aces or better to win on the Bonus Bet (hence the name Aces-Up). The Bonus Bet preferably pays a maximum return of 50:1, but payouts may theoretically be as high as 500:1 for certain hands, such as for four aces.

[0035] The Bonus Bet side bet game may or may not be present in the rules of the game. In this example of the invention, the game pays an automatic bonus for certain high-ranking hands according to a payout schedule. This bonus is paid on the Ante wager, and does not require the player to make a separate bet to qualify for this payout. For example, automatic bonuses are paid on three of a kind, straight flushes, and four of a kind.

[0036] Version IIEach player and the dealer get five cards to make the best four-card poker hand. If the dealer's hand does not equal or exceed a certain rank (e.g., a pair of twos or better), he discards all cards and draws a new five-card hand, and then makes a four-card poker hand from the five cards. The player must make the Ante wager to be in the game against the dealer. The dealer always qualifies to play against the player. It is possible to allow the player or require the player to make the Ante wager 1) before the deal of cards, 2) after the deal of cards but before any cards are revealed, 3) after the deal of cards and after the players have reviewed their cards but before the dealer has exposed cards, 4) after the deal of cards and a partial or complete revelation of the dealer's five cards (but before review of the players' cards), or 5) after the deal of cards and a review of the players' cards and a partial revelation or complete revelation of the dealer's five cards, which play might be restricted to where the dealer has not qualified (but not after revelation of any sixth card). The player's hand may be required to exceed a minimum rank to bet more than 1? the Ante. For example, if the player has a qualifying hand of a pair of kings or better, the player can make a Game Bet of 1?, 2? or 3? the Ante. As with Version I, the rules can provide that the Bonus Bet (side bet) is mandatory or that both initial bets (the Ante and the Bonus Bet) are mandatory. The automatic bonus against a pay table on the Ante bet may or may not be present in the rules of the game. The Bonus Bet game may or may not be present in the rules of the game. In this example, a pair of aces or better qualifies the player for an Aces-Up payout of 1:1. The automatic bonus pays even if the player's hand is lower in rank than the dealer's hand.

[0037] Version IIIThe players and dealer each receive five cards to make their best four-card poker hand. The betting/wagering rules and procedures are the same as in the previous versions, except for those listed below. Either the Ante is mandatory, the Ante or the Bonus Bet is mandatory, or both initial wagers are mandatory. The dealer must qualify to play (for example, with a hand of Ace high or better, King-Queen or higher, Ace-King or higher, pair of deuces or higher, etc.). The automatic bonus side bet game against a pay table is present in the rules of this example of the game.

[0038] If the player stays in the game, the player can bet 1? to 3? the Ante if the player has a qualifying hand of a pair of Kings or better. Otherwise, the maximum Game Bet is 1? the Ante. The lowest ranking hand that qualifies for the bonus payout is a pair of Aces or better.

[0039] Version IVFour-Card Poker with Super BonusThe dealer and each player are dealt five cards each. The cards are used to make the best four-card poker hand by the players and the dealer. The hands are ranked according to the following four-card poker ranking schedule:

[0040] Four of a Kind

[0041] Straight Flush

[0042] Three of a Kind

[0043] Flush

[0044] Straight

[0045] Two Pair

[0046] Pair

[0047] High Card.

[0048] Players can make a bet against the dealer (Ante), a bet against the pay table (Aces-Up Bonus Bet) or both. House rules may require one or both bets to be mandatory. In addition, the players are required to make a Super Bonus bet in an amount equal to the Ante in this example of the invention.

[0049] Players place equal bets on the Ante and/or Super Bonus and/or Bonus spots on the layout. After viewing the cards, the player must fold or place an additional Bet (play wager). If the player's hand does not qualify with a pair of kings or better, the player must bet 1? the Ante to stay in the game. With a qualifying hand of a pair of kings or better, the player can bet an amount equal to or in multiples of the Ante, such as 1?, 2?, or 3? the Ante.

[0050] If the player has a higher-ranking hand than the dealer's hand, the player is paid 1:1 on the Ante and the Play Bet. If the dealer's hand outranks the player's hand, the player loses the Ante and the Play Bet.

[0051] The player has the option (or may be required) at the beginning of the game to place an Aces-Up bonus bet. In this example of the invention, the player wins a bonus payout for a pair of Aces or better. If the player makes the Ante and Play bets and beats the dealer, but does not have a pair of Aces or better, the player pushes on the bonus bet. The player is always paid on the Aces-Up bonus bet, regardless of whether or not the player's hand beats the dealer's hand.

[0052] In addition, this example of the invention includes a mandatory Super Bonus bet that is made in an amount equal to the ante. The player wins a payout for certain high ranking hands such as a straight flush or four of a kind. A pay table is provided on the layout to identify winning hands and payout amounts.

[0053] A failure to obtain a Super Bonus hand does not result in an automatic loss of the bet.

[0054] For example, when the player's hand against the dealer does not qualify with a pair of kings or a straight flush or better, but the hand still beats the dealer, the Super Bonus bet pushes. But, if the player folds on the Ante or loses the Ante and the Play Bets against the dealer, the Super Bonus bet is also lost.

[0055] The Super Bonus bet is desirable in some instances where it is desired to provide the house with a greater advantage. In this example of the game, removing the mandatory Super Bonus bet causes the game to favor the player. However, other rule changes, such as requiring the dealer to qualify, or raising the minimum qualification hand ranking when making the Play Bet are other means to shift the odds to favor the house.

[0056] There are a number of advantages in the game of the present invention. The fold rate on this game is approximately 21%, which is lower than the fold rate in other known games, such as THREE CARD POKER?. This feature is believed to attract and retain players, making the game more appealing to casinos.

[0057] Players win this game approximately 48% of the time, which exceeds the expectation of many players, and increases player appeal.

[0058] In some situations, e.g., when the player has a qualifying hand, additional betting opportunities are available, such as tripling down on the Ante, increasing player appeal.

[0059] By varying the number of cards made available to the dealer and/or players, in forming the hands, by requiring the dealer's hand to qualify or by eliminating dealer qualification, by modifying the payouts and winning hand combinations possible on the Bonus Bet, by adding the Super Bonus bet, etc., the payouts can be made to pay as high as 500:1, e.g., for four of a kind hands. This feature is believed to attract and retain more poker players.

[0060] The play of the game may be completed manually on a non-electronic game table, with the dealer using a physical deck (or decks) of cards, visually identifying the amounts and positions of wagers, manually collecting and paying out wagers, etc. It is possible to incorporate some degree or nearly an entire electronic system into the game table or into the play of the game. Such partial or complete electronic systems may perform such tasks as identifying the existence of a wager (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,299,534; 5,377,973; and 5,377,994), or providing virtual cards from an electronically stored deck of cards (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,255,915 and 5,897,436). The capabilities of technology are constantly expanding, and the improvements in technology should not be considered to avoid the underlying invention of the play of this game. For example, player-monitoring systems, security systems, integrated systems whereby shufflers identify the number of cards and/or identify the specific cards and their positions in the play of the game are contemplated in the practice of the present invention.