Patent Application
20060197283
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to gaming systems, and, more particularly, to a lottery-type gaming system simulating a conventional casino playing card game.
2. Background and the Prior Art
Lottery-type games of chance have exhibited enduring popularity, since such games typically permit a player to make a relatively small “investment” with a chance of winning a significantly larger award. In addition to the entertainment value that such games provide for the players, these types of games typically provide a source of revenue for the operator, be it a municipality, charity, or business establishment.
Another form of game that has exhibited enduring popularity are casino playing card games, and more particularly, casino playing card games in which a winning hand, such as a poker hand, is determined by selecting a subset of the combination of the cards held by an individual player, taken together with community cards shared among a plurality of such individual players, into an overall hand in accordance with the rules of the particular card game being played. Although such card games are commonly referred to as casino card games, they are often played in settings other than casinos.
One of the most popular of such casino card games which include community, or shared cards is a form of poker known as Texas Hold 'Em. Indeed, Texas Hold 'Em has grown so popular in recent years that tournaments for this game are televised, as are games wherein various celebrities are among the players.
According to the rules of Texas Hold 'Em poker, each player is dealt two playing cards from a deck of cards, face down. These two cards, sometimes called “hole” cards, are collectively known as the “hold.” A round of betting typically occurs at this time, in addition to a traditional “ante” by each player prior to the start of the game. Next, a total of five shared, or community cards are dealt face up proximate the center of the table, in three community segments. Each community segment is traditionally associated with an additional round of betting. In the first community segment that is dealt, known as the “flop,” three community cards are dealt face up. Another round of betting among the players then typically occurs. Next, within the second community segment that is dealt, referred to as the “turn,” a single community playing card is dealt face up. A final round of betting traditionally occurs before the last community card is dealt. Finally, in the last community segment that is dealt, called the “river,” a final shared community playing card is dealt face up. Each player is then given the opportunity to construct the best five-card poker hand possible, by selecting any five cards from the group of seven cards created by the combination of the five community cards contained within the flop, turn, and river segments, taken together with the two hold cards dealt to the player.
The present invention enhances the player's enjoyment, as compared to many traditional lottery-type games of chance, by providing a lottery-type game of chance which simulates the play of such traditional casino poker card games, wherein a winning hand is determined by combining the best cards from among a collection of those dealt to an individual player, with community cards, shared among multiple players participating in the overall hand.
Another object of the present invention is to enable the simulated play of a hand of poker, typically limited to three to six players in the conventional game, in a simulated game enabling hundreds or thousands of potential players to participate in a single hand.
Yet another object of the present invention is to enable the simulated play of a hand of poker, wherein repeated, expensive betting rounds are not required.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent in view of the present specification, drawings, and claims.
The present invention comprises a lottery-type gaming system simulating a conventional casino game having predetermined rules of play. A plurality of player cards are provided, wherein each of the player cards including at least one player game symbol indicative of a game symbol in the conventional casino game. One or more master game cards are provided for use in conjunction with the plurality of playing cards. At least one of the master game cards includes at least one community game symbol indicative of a game symbol in the conventional casino game. The player card having the best combination of at least one of its player game symbols when taken together with at least one of the community game symbols and in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino game, is determined to be a winning player card.
In one preferred embodiment, the conventional casino game comprises a conventional casino card game wherein a winning hand is determined by combining a value of at least one hold card dealt to an individual player with a value of at least one community card shared among a plurality of such individual players. In this embodiment, at least one of the player game symbols comprises a hold card symbol indicative of a hold card in the conventional casino card game. At least one of the community card symbols comprises a community card symbol indicative of a community card in the conventional casino card game. The player card having the best combination of at least one of its hold card symbols, forming a complete game hand when taken together with at least one of the community card symbols and in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino card game, is determined to be a winning player card.
The one or more master game cards may include a plurality of community card symbols, with each of the community card symbols being a unique symbol, relative to the other community card symbols.
Moreover. the one or more master game cards may further include a plurality of community playing areas, with each community playing area being associated with at least one community card symbol and being associated with a round of play in the conventional casino card game. At least one of the community playing areas may be associated with a plurality of community card symbols.
In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of community playing areas includes a flop playing area, a turn playing area, and a river playing area, in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino game.
In one such preferred embodiment, the player card includes two hold card symbols, the flop playing area is associated with three community card symbols, the turn playing area is associated with one community card symbol, the river playing area is associated with one community card symbol, and the simulated conventional casino card game is Texas Hold'em.
In another such preferred embodiment, the player card includes four hold card symbols, the flop playing area is associated with three community card symbols, the turn playing area is associated with one community card symbol, the river playing area is associated with one community card symbol, and the simulated conventional casino card game is Omaha Hold'em.
In yet another such preferred embodiment, the playing card includes three hold card symbols, the plurality of community playing areas comprises four community playing areas, each associated with one different community card symbol, and the simulated conventional casino card game is Seven Card Stud.
In yet another such preferred embodiment, the simulated conventional casino game is a slot machine. The simulated slot machine may, for example, be a three reel slot machine. In this embodiment, the at least one player game symbol comprises a slot machine symbol, and the at least one community game symbol comprises two slot machine symbols.
At least one of the one or more master game cards may include at least one concealment structure initially concealing at least one associated community game symbol. The concealment structure may include a repositionable flap-like member, initially concealing at least one associated game symbol.
In a preferred embodiment, the player card comprises a first ply of material operably attached to a second ply of material, the concealment structure comprises at least one frangibly removable portion of the second ply of material; and at least one game symbol is revealed when the frangibly removable portion of the second ply of material is removed. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, two game symbols are revealed when one or more frangibly removable portions of the second ply of material is/are removed.
In another preferred embodiment, the concealment structure comprises at least one frangibly movable portion of the second ply of material, and at least one game symbol is revealed when the frangibly movable portion of the second ply of material is moved from a first, concealing position to a second, revealing position. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, two game symbols are revealed when one or more frangibly movable portions of the second ply of material is/are moved from the concealing position to the revealing position.
At least one of the one or more master game cards further may include indicia indicative of a game symbol on the winning player card to facilitate verifying the identity of the winning player card. Moreover, at least one of the one or more master game cards further may include at least one concealment structure initially concealing the indicia indicative of the game symbol on the winning player card. The concealment structure may include a repositionable flap-like member. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the one or more master game cards comprises a single master game card. At least one instant winning game card may also be provided.
The present invention also comprises a method of simulating a conventional casino game having predetermined rules of play. A plurality of player cards are provided. Each of the player cards including at least one player game symbol indicative of a game symbol in the conventional casino card game. One or more master game cards are provided for use in conjunction with the plurality of player cards, at least one master game card including at least one community game symbol indicative of a game symbol in the conventional casino game. At least a portion of the player cards are distributed to a plurality of individual players. The distributed player card that has the best combination of at least one of its player game symbols when taken together with at least one of the community game symbols and in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino game to be a winning playing card is determined.
In a preferred embodiment, the conventional casino game comprises a conventional casino card game wherein a winning hand is determined by combining a value of at least one hold card dealt to an individual player with at least one community card shared among a plurality of such individual players. At least one of the player game symbols comprises a hold card symbol indicative of a hold card in the conventional casino card game. At least one of the community game symbols comprises a community card symbol indicative of a community card in the conventional casino card game. In this preferred embodiment, the distributed player card that has the best combination of at least one of its hold card symbols, forming a complete game hand when taken together with at least one of the community card symbols and in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino card game, to be a winning playing card is determined.
Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the one or more master game cards includes at least two community card symbols indicative of community cards in the conventional casino game, at least two community playing areas, each of the community playing areas being associated with at least one community card symbol and being associated with a round of play in the conventional casino game, and at least one concealment structure associated with at least one community playing area and initially concealing the community card symbols associated therewith. The step of determining is preceded by the step of sequentially revealing the community card symbols of each community playing area in an order specified by the rules of the play of the conventional casino card game. Moreover, the step of determining comprises the step of determining the distributed player card that has the best combination of at least one of its hold card symbols, forming a complete game hand when taken together with at least one of the community card symbols and in accordance with the rules of play of the conventional casino card game, to be a winning playing card.
In one preferred embodiment, the step of distributing at least a portion of the player cards comprises distributing only a portion of the player cards. In another preferred embodiment, the step of distributing at least a portion of the player cards comprises distributing all of the player cards.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail, several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
The present gaming system is shown in
Referring to
As shown in
In particular,
A player card or ticket having indicia indicating that the particular player card or ticket is an instant winning game card is shown in
The payout side of player card or ticket 10 is shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the master game card comprises a lamination of an upper ply and a lower ply of suitable, opaque material, such as heavy paper stock or cardboard. Master game card 30, in its initial state and as typically distributed to game operators, is shown in
Moreover, each symbol 34, and, in turn, each associated flap-like member 35, is associated with a community playing area, corresponding to a community segment, or a subset of the overall collection of community cards associated with the conventional casino card game being simulated. In the embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
Moreover, as shown in
The master game card 30 of
The repositioning of flap-like member 40 reveals indicia imprinted upon lower ply 57 of master game card 10, indicative of the winning player card or ticket. As shown in
Multiple modes of playing, or operating the present invention are contemplated. In a first mode of play, all of the player cards or tickets, which are printed in association with a master game card and collectively with the master game card form a complete game set, are required to be sold or otherwise distributed to players before the master game card is operated. In this mode of operation, the entirety of the outcome of the casino playing card game, with the exception of the identity of the holder of the winning player card or ticket, is predetermined. In particular, not only are all of the community card symbols predetermined in advance and preprinted on the master game card, the particular winning player card or ticket, whose associated hold card symbols form the best poker hand when considered in combination with the community card symbols of the master game card, is also preprinted and predetermined in advance.
In a second mode of play, all of the player card or symbols of a particular game set need not be sold or otherwise distributed in advance. In this mode of operation, while the community card symbols are predetermined, the winning player card or ticket, as well as the result, or value of the winning, best hand combining hold card symbols from the winning player card or ticket and community card symbols from the master game card, is not predetermined. Instead, this best hand depends upon the values of the hold card symbols contained within the subset of player cards or tickets which are distributed from among the complete set available for distribution within the overall game set.
In operation, master game card 30 is maintained in its initial, concealing state of
In the first mode of game play, the player card or ticket forming the best five-card poker hand, in selective combination with the revealed community cards, is predetermined. In the second mode of game play, actual comparison of such best five-card poker hands corresponding to each distributed player card or ticket is necessary in order to determine the holder of the winning game card.
To aid in determining the overall winning game card in the first mode of play, repositionable flap-like member 40 is moved from the concealing position of
Although the foregoing description has been directed to an embodiment of the present invention which simulates a conventional game of Texas Hold 'Em, other simulations of card games which include a combination of hold cards and shared community cards are also contemplated. In another embodiment contemplated by the present invention, the conventional casino card game of Omaha Hold 'Em is simulated by the lottery-type game. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of player cards or tickets distributed to the individual players includes four hold card symbols, rather than the two hold card symbols of a simulated game of Texas Hold 'Em. The flop community playing area of the master game card again includes three community card symbols, the turn community playing area of the master game card again includes one playing card symbol, and the river playing area of the master game card again includes a single community card symbol. Game play proceeds in a manner similar to that described above. In accordance with the rules of the conventional casino card game Omaha Hold 'Em, a winning game hand is determined as the best hand comprising two hold card symbols, selected from among the four hold card symbols on a player card or ticket, together with any three community card symbols, taken from the five community card symbols revealed upon the master game card.
Another conventional casino card game which may be simulated by an embodiment of the present invention is Seven Card Stud Poker. In this embodiment, each player card or ticket includes three hold card symbols, each indicative of a playing card in a conventional deck of cards. All of these hold card symbols may be initially concealed on the player card or ticket or, in a strict interpretation of the rules of Seven Card Stud, one hold card symbol may always be visible. The master game card includes four community playing areas, each having a single associated community card symbol. These community playing areas are named, respectively, 4th Street, 5th Street, 6th Street, and 7th Street. As in the previously-described simulated games, once all player cards or tickets are distributed, seals, or flap-like members, concealing the community card symbols are opened in sequential order, one community playing area at a time, and in accordance with the rules of the simulated conventional casino game. In the case of Seven Card Stud Poker, the best hand is determined as being the best combination of five cards, according to conventional poker rules, selected from the seven cards comprising the three hold card symbols of the player card or ticket, taken in combination with the four community card symbols of the master game card.
As is known, under the rules of poker as applied to determining the winning game hands of each of the foregoing games, a royal flush, comprising an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, all in the same suit, is the highest possible winning hand; followed by a straight flush, or a combination of five sequential cards of the same suit other than an Ace through Ten; followed by four of a kind; followed by a full house, or a combination of three of a kind and a pair; followed by a flush, or five cards of the same suit; followed by a straight, or five sequential cards, other than of the same suit; followed by three of a kind; followed by two pairs; followed by one pair; followed by the highest valued card in a no pair hand.
As can be seen, the present invention is capable of simulating any conventional community card game, wherein winning hands are determined from a combination of hold cards, dealt to individual players, in combination with shared or community cards. Moreover, variations on these games, such as “High-Low” games, in which both the best and worst hands created by combining the hold and community cards are deemed to be winning hands, may also be simulated. To simulate a particular game, the rules for the game being simulated must first be predetermined, and known to the game operator, and, preferably, the players. The number of hold card symbols imprinted upon each player card or ticket will match the number of individual cards dealt to each player, according to the predetermined rules of the particular game being simulated. Moreover, flap-like members or other concealment structures, together with associated indicia will be arranged on a master game card, such that the number of overall community card symbols, as well as the arrangement of community card symbols into community playing areas, is in accordance with the particular casino card game being simulated. Moreover, the ordering of the community playing areas upon the master game card, and the associated order in which the corresponding flap-like members are opened by the operator to reveal the community game symbols underneath, are also determined in accordance with the particular casino card game under simulation.
Although, in the illustrated embodiment above and as shown in
Moreover, although flap-like members are illustrated as the concealment structure for the master game card, other concealing structures are also contemplated. For example, a completely removable portion of a two ply laminated structure can be used, rather than a repositionable structure. Alternatively, a single ply construction may be used for the master game card, and the concealment structure may comprise peelable stickers applied to the surface of the game card, so as to initially conceal the community symbols underneath. Moreover, a scratch-off material may be applied to a single-ply master game card, concealing each community game symbol until the scratch-off material is removed.
Similarly, alternative concealment structures may also be used for initially concealing the playing card symbols of the individual player cards or tickets. Again, a single-ply construction, rather than the illustrated two-ply construction may be used for these cards with peelable stickers, scratch-off material, or other concealment mechanisms employed to initially conceal the playing card symbols.
Moreover, although, in the illustrated embodiment of
While the foregoing embodiments of the present invention describe a lottery-type gaming system which simulates conventional casino playing card games, other casino games may also be simulated, using game symbols other than symbols indicative of playing cards. For example, a conventional casino slot machine may also be simulated in accordance with the present invention.
A conventional casino slot machine typically includes three or more reels, each having a plurality of game symbols, such as bars, cherries and the numeral seven, displayed on the outer surface of each reel. Prior to beginning game play, a player typically deposits one or more coins, bills, tokens or other equivalent substitutes for currency into the slot machine. The player then begins game play, typically by pulling a handle of the slot machine. Once the handle is pulled, the reels, each containing a plurality of game symbols, are spun in motion. In a traditional slot machine, physical reels are mechanically set in motion, In many modern machines, these physical reels are replaced by simulated reels on a computer-controlled graphics display. In either event, the physical or computer-generated reels eventually slow, and then stop in sequence left to right, and a randomly or pseudo-randomly generated resultant sequence of game symbols is finally displayed.
Each slot machine has a predetermined hierarchy of winning combinations of game symbols. In the example of a three reel slot machine, the highest winning combination of game symbols, yielding the highest payout from the machine, is traditionally three sevens. The next highest winning combination, with the next highest payout value, is typically three bar symbols. The lowest winning combination of game symbols, with the lowest payout value, is traditionally three cherry symbols.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the game play of casino games, such as slot machines, which typically employ game symbols other than those from a deck of conventional playing cards, is simulated in the environment of a combination of shared and individual game symbols. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the player cards or tickets that is distributed includes a single game symbol, in this case a slot machine symbol, such as the numeral seven, a bar symbol, or a cherry symbol, displayed thereon. Additional indicia, such as “reel one”, may be employed on the player card or ticket to indicate that the first reel of a slot machine is simulated on the player card or ticket. A concealment structure, such as a pull tab, initially conceals the slot machine game symbol. The master game card includes two community segments. The first community segment comprises a single, slot machine game symbol, shared among all of the game players and initially concealed by an associated concealment structure. This community segment may be labeled, for example, “reel two”. Likewise, the second community segment comprises another single slot machine game symbol, also shared among all of the game players and also initially concealed by an associated concealment structure. This community segment may be labeled, for example, “reel three”.
In the operation of this embodiment, the player cards or tickets are distributed to the game players. Each game player typically operates the “reel one” concealment structure of their player cards or tickets, to reveal the slot machine game symbol on each card. Next, the game operator reveals the slot machine symbol within the first, “reel two” community segment. Finally, the game operator reveals the slot machine symbol within the second, “reel three” community segment. In this manner, the sequential slowing and stopping of the motion of the reels of a conventional slot machine is simulated by the sequential revelation of the slot machine game symbols on the player card or ticket and the master game card. The winning game card, comprising the player card or ticket having a slot machine game symbol which, in combination with the slot machine game symbols of the master game card, is then determined.
While the forgoing embodiment simulating the play of a conventional casino slot machine includes only one game symbol on the player card or ticket, an alternative embodiment is also contemplated, wherein a three reel slot machine is simulated using player cards or tickets having two slot machine game symbols displayed thereon, simulating reels one and two, and with a third and final, shared slot machine game symbol associated with a single “reel three” community segment on the master game card. Moreover, it is also contemplated that slot machines employing additional and/or different game symbols, as well as slot machines with more than three reels, may also be simulated by an embodiment of the present invention.
The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited as those skilled in the art having the present disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
