Patent Grant
11138831
Different variants of poker use poker chips to allow players to make wagers based on the hand they are dealt. Poker chips have a numerical value and the value of each chip is typically discerned by the player based on the color, pattern, or number on the chip. Due to the size and shape of the typical poker chip, players tend to stack their chips in front of themselves on the poker table. The stack of chips allows the player to organize their chips and also allows other players at the table to evaluate their position in the game relative to the other players.
Traditionally, stacks of poker chips have been used as organizational tools for players rather than having particular in game purpose. In some examples, however, multiple stacks have been utilized as part of the in game experience. For example, the multi-action poker game contemplated by U.S. Pat. No. 8,936,246 (Frazin) uses two distinct stacks of chips. Frazin's use of two stacks of chips is based on a poker variation that deals two independent poker hands each dedicated to a different game, played simultaneously so each stack is dedicated to one of these independent games.
Another example of the use of multiple poker stacks is that in some tournament structures, players may receive their initial stack in the form of two or more separable stacks and then the players can choose to use those stacks all at once or bring the stacks into the game one by one at later stages of the game. In both of the examples mentioned, multiple stacks are not in play at the same time in the same game, if the stacks are used at the same time, then they work as one functional stack and the stacks neither visually nor functionally have any difference. In those examples therefore, the game plays like a single stack game.
In the present invention, it is possible to play poker with multiple stacks in which a single game can be played with a primary stack of chips plus additional higher number orders of stacks of chips that may be distinguishable visually or functionally, plus a signaling device that is meant to communicate the functionality status of stacks of players to other players and dealers. It is also possible for players to start with a single stack, and then use their signaling devices with or without certain preconditions as the game progresses, to differentiate the functioning of all or part of the remaining chips in their starting stack, which is tantamount to creating multiple stacks of chips with distinct functions out of a single starting stack.
The present invention is a device and method for playing poker allowing a player to hedge their risk and manipulate the degrees of exposure of each of their stacks by utilizing physical or virtual communication signals and utilizing multiple stacks of chips wherein each stack of chips may serve distinct purposes at different times during a hand of cards.
In one embodiment of the invention a physical or virtual object or signal device is used by a player to signal to other players and dealers whether any particular stack of chips belonging to that player is in play, and more specifically how is it in play; that is whether the player has the ability to utilize any of the following wagering actions including but not limited to betting, folding, checking, calling, or raising at any given moment in a particular hand with a particular stack of chips. In other types of signals, when a player plays a signal the player may affect multiple stacks of the player, or the player may affect one or more stacks of other players, or the player may prevent and block other players from playing certain signals or he may nullify certain signals that other players may have already played.
In a general game of poker, all chips on the table can be used by their respective owners to place wagers within the game. In the method presented, players may divide their poker chips into separate chip stacks and either use all of their chips to make wagers in each hand, or only use chips from a designated stack to make wagers, by playing certain signals, players may also limit the set of available wagering actions. A physical signal, signal device, or virtual signal can be used to indicate which stacks a player has in play and what wager actions are available for the stacks that are in play.
The present invention allows players to manage their judgmental overconfidence and hedge their risks while playing poker by limiting wager options while allowing players to move forward with the dealt hand. Players play with at least one independent stack of chips. The player may have a number of distinct signals for each of his stacks that he can use at the beginning of the hand or during the hand before the player makes a wager action to indicate what wager actions, if any, will be available thereafter in that hand for him to do with each particular stack. The signals may also be associated with players instead of being associated with each stack of a player, hence limiting the actions that a player can do with all his stacks. Different category of signals may also be designed to affect other players including or excluding the player who plays the signal. Another category of signals can be used to affect (e.g block or nullify) other signals instead of affecting the possible plays with chips. Signals may be used in either an unlimited and repeatable fashion or a player may have a limited number of opportunities to play each signal. Signals may have monetary value associated with them, meaning that players need to pay to buy them or they may have no monetary value associated with them. At the end of each hand, played signals if any, may be distributed in different ways, for example a played signal may be returned to the player who played it, or to the dealer, or to the winner of that hand.
The occasion of playing a signal can be at some or all of the same times that a player makes an action with his chips (e.g. bet, check, call, raise) in some or all of the standard streets of action, like preflop, flop, turn, and river, or any additional streets of action, or alternatively new streets of action can be added to the signal poker game, during which only signal play can be done. For example one variety of signal poker can be designed such that players have another street of action called “overflop” after the flop and before the turn, in which only signals and not chips can be played. Furthermore, the opportunity of playing signals can be limited to some streets of action, for example signals may be allowed to be played only on the flop and the turn, or certain signals for example the red signal can be played only after the flop and or only with a certain size of bet or raise, like minimum $200 bet or raise, or 50 big blinds raise, or a minimum pot size bet. Playing some or all signals can be done as optional or mandatory, with or without conditions on when and how to play each signal.
An additional embodiment of the present invention relates to a gaming machine system comprising a housing and computing components such as a power supply, microprocessor, memory, storage, an electronic display and external connectivity such as but not limited to Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or cellular modem connectivity and an electronic input device such as an input controller like a touch screen or physical buttons. The gaming machine is configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the card-based wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal. The electronic data signal is processed by the gaming machine and returns a randomly generated hand as a visual indicator to the display as well as randomly generated hands of additional networked players, or artificial players. The player may then wager according to the signal method described above and below and use a visual signal or virtual signals in place of physical signals.
In an additional embodiment, the player may arrange the chips into stacks that represent wager actions. In this embodiment, the player for example may sort a set of chips into a “call only” stack, or an “initial bet” or “raise stack.” In this embodiment, the players wagering actions may be limited by the chips available in a particular wagering action stack.
The signal method can be applied to any game of poker whether the game is played live or online, cash game or tournament with or without reentry option, heads up (two players) or any number of players, regardless of the limit structure (no limit, pot limit, spread limit, limit, . . . ), whether the game is played high, low, or any version of split hi-lo, whether the game is played between individual players or between teams of players, whether players play one game or simultaneous games, and whether the game is played with standard 52 cards decks or any other modified decks of cards, regardless of the ranking of hands (e.g. flush beats straight, etc.), and regardless of the number of streets of action (e.g. 4 streets as in the standard Texas hold'em game including preflop, flop, turn, river or less or more than 4 streets of actions), whether the game is a draw poker, stud poker or any other format, and whether one specific game is played or there are mixed games that may or may not be played round by round.
A person of skill in the art would understand that, in some instances, the terms “wager” and “bet” be used in an interchangeable fashion. The term wager is intended in its broadest meaning to refer to any physical or virtual movement of chips from a player's stack to the pot, regardless of whether such movement of chips and contribution to the pot is being done during a “call”, a “bet”, or a “raise”. A “raise” is also intended in its broadest meaning, and refers to both a “raise”, and a “re-raise”. Wherever the term “dips” have been used as opposed to “chips”, the latter is intended to refer to the “chips of the primary stack”, while the former refers to the “chips of the secondary stack”.
The methods, systems, and apparatuses are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be learned by practice of the methods, apparatuses, and systems. The advantages of the methods, apparatuses, and systems will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the methods, apparatuses, and systems, as claimed.
In the accompanying figures, like elements are identified by like reference numerals among the several preferred embodiments of the present invention.
The Role of “Signal” in “Signal” Games
Poker signals are physical objects or indicators in live games or representations of physical objects or indicators in online games. In one embodiment of signals, referred to as “private single stack” signals, each signal is associated with a certain stack of chips of a certain player, each stack of chips its own set of discrete signals identifying wagering actions for that particular stack. Each signal communicates to other players a different set of limitations that the player self-imposes in terms of how the player can use the stack associated with that played signal.
In one embodiment, players may play with one stack and one signal for that stack. In additional embodiments however, there is no maximum number of stacks nor is there a maximum number of signals that may be associated with each stack. For example, one signal poker embodiment can be played with one stack that comes with 5 signals representing 5 wagering actions, or another signal poker embodiment can be played with 2 stacks where stack 1 comes with 2 signals representing 2 wagering actions and stack 2 comes with 6 signals representing 6 wagering actions. An additional embodiment of signal poker can be played with four stacks where stacks 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively come with zero, 2, 5, and 3 signals. Not every player on the same signal poker table necessarily has to opt for the same number of stacks or the same number of signals on each stack. What each embodiment in this example holds common is that the wagering action available for each particular stack, whether played with 1 stack or an infinite number of stacks is controlled by the number of signals each stack has available, and what signal is displayed at a given moment for the respective stack.
Signals allow a player to communicate to other players and dealers information about which of the player's chip stacks and under what constraints (or limitations over available choices of action) “wagering actions” the player may wager in any particular stage of a hand. A player who intends to play a particular signal associated with a particular stack can do so by displaying a signal of the player's intended chip stack such that all players and dealers can see it properly. In virtual games this may be implemented by means of clicking on a button associated with a particular signal which results in other players seeing that signal being played or activated by that player.
Each hand of a signal game may start with no signal of any player being played while players may be capable of playing their signals later on during the hand in some or all streets of action. Alternatively, players may have the option to play their signals even before the cards are dealt or the hand begins, or there can be arrangements that certain signals of certain stacks may be mandatorily played for some period or the whole period of the game.
Representation of Signals
Each signal may be embodied by a distinct physical object like a flat button in live games or a representation of physical objects in online games. For example if a live signal poker variant utilizes 6 signals, the signals may be embodied by 6 unique signal objects like 6 different flat buttons.
In an additional embodiment, it is also possible to use one single object to represent multiple different signals; so in the aforementioned example, the 6 signal objects can be replaced with one single signal object like a cube with 6 sides. When instead of using multiple objects the single object approach is adopted, each side of the multi-faceted signal object can represent a different signal and hence in such a multi-faceted signal object, a signal is referred to one side of an object and not the whole object. A different form of multifaceted signals can also be used in which on each face of the multi-faceted signal object, the number of stacks in play are written or embossed. The number of signals theoretically can be unlimited. Each signal can be represented by a number, a color coding, or other graphical or verbal demonstrations or any combination of these.
When a player intends to play a signal, the player does so by placing the signal in front, around the betting line or in some embodiments turning on an indicator light of a particular color representing a signal. Therefore absence of any signal in front of a player indicates that the player has not played any signal yet. The absence of a signal in some embodiments may be the default status of a player.
In one embodiment of the signal poker game includes a variation where the signals only indicate which stacks are actually in play as opposed to the available wagering actions. A single button with no distinct design on either side, each side represented by
Another example could be the use of a two sided coin as represented with a distinct design or color on each side, each side represented by
An additional embodiment of a signal may be identified as a standard polygonal drink coaster as represented by
An additional embodiment may be a multifaceted object such as a cube as represented in
One embodiment as further described below comprises a system of signal poker, where each signal is represented by a distinct object or visualization. Instead of having each face of a single signal object representing each mode, single objects can be adopted to represent each signal. For example, as represented in
In another embodiment the signal may be a device or a virtual representation of a device with multiple colored lights such as a box with a power source and an embedded multicolored LED and switch. The user may use a switch or a software selection option to change the color of the LED. Each color light represents a different signal for an individual stack. Each stack may have its own device, but additionally the device may be built to have multiple light indicators to represent multiple stacks. It is understood that a person of skill in the art may use any type of light or colored light filter in the device, or any type of multi-status indicator to represent the plurality of discrete signals.
The Distinction Between Signals of Different Stacks of Each Player:
The signals of different stacks should be distinguishable such that players can ascertain exactly which stacks and with which constraints are in play. Some of the examples of such distinctions include the size, shape, numerical coding, and relative location of the signal objects. A game operator may also choose different and specific styles of signal objects, allowing player to choose a set of signals based on personal preferences.
Terminal or Non-Terminal Signals
Some signals are considered “terminal” signals. This means that once a terminal signal is played by a player, that signal cannot be taken back or changed either for the rest of that hand, for a certain period of the game or for the whole period of the game. When playing non-terminal signals however, the signal may be taken back or changed to other terminal or non-terminal signals based on the player's strategy. For example, a player may have the option to retract his non-terminal “orange” signal and play the terminal “yellow” signal instead, but the player cannot switch “yellow” signal to any other signal as the “yellow” is a terminal signal. Some signals may be considered terminal in games with certain other signals being available and non-terminal with others. For example, the “green” signal may be considered terminal in one embodiment of a 2 signal game with only “red” and “green” as “green” cannot turn to “red”, but in another embodiment of a 6 signal game, “green” can be non-terminal as it can be turned to other signals like “black” or “yellow”.
While in some signal poker varieties, some or all signals may be optional to play and playable without any condition; in other signal poker varieties, playing some or all signals may become possible or impossible if certain conditions have happened, or playing some or all signals may become mandatory if certain conditions happen. As an example of a mandatory condition for playing signals, if in a 4 stack game, a player plays the red signal of his second stack, playing the red signals of higher order stacks (stacks 3 and 4) may be defined as mandatory. Or as an example of a condition that needs to be met before a signal can be played, the red signal of a higher order stack can be played only if all the lower order stacks have been completely wagered or are being wagered.
Signal Varieties
Each stack is governed by wagering actions further described below. A particular wager action chosen by a player can be represented by a plurality of discrete signals emanating a signaling device. Each stack can have multiple discrete signals which may be differentiated by color coding but may also be differentiated by other means like size, shape, or verbal explanation, etc. While the number of signals for each stack is theoretically unlimited, the game operator may adopt a limited number of signals. The following is a non-exhaustive list of wager action limitations that may be instituted by a player:
A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the use of colors to describe discrete signals is an example, and that any suitable designation may be substituted for the colors. Below is a non-exhaustive list of example wager actions represented by color signals and a brief description of their meaning, followed by detailed descriptions of some of the signals.
The Default Signal:
In one embodiment, the default signal represents the initial situation where the players have not played any of their other (non-default) signals yet. While many different signals may be used as the default/initial signal at the beginning of each hand or at the beginning of some or whole period of a game, the default signal in this embodiment of the signal poker is the “white” signal. The “white” signal is a non-terminal signal which like the “green” signal imposes no limitations on the set of actions that the player can choose, but unlike the “green”, the “white” signal can turn to any other signal.
If adopted, the white/default signal can be implemented in different ways. One method of implementing the white/default signal is communicated by the absence of any signals. In that case the game starts with no signal played and the player's stack is considered in the white/default signal until a non-default signal is played in the upcoming rounds of action by the player. Alternatively separate white signal objects in multi object signals or a white side of a multi-faceted signal object can be used to represent the white signal. So long as the signal of a stack is still white/default, all options are still available to the player in terms of how the player can use the stack associated with that signal in any future round of action.
Signals Organization
Other than the default signals, as indicated above, there can be a number of other signals that can be used for each stack of chips. A signal poker game can be played with single, double, triple or higher number of stacks, and with any number of signals for each stack. For example a game operator can adopt a single stack game with red signal only where the red signal can be played only after the flop, and only with a minimum of 50 big blinds bet or raise. Another example can be a triple stack signal poker variety in which the first stack comes with no signals, the second stack comes with five signals and the third stack comes with four signals.
Because each signal can be considered a tool to communicate to other players a set of constraints defined over the wagering options of player, there can be unlimited numbers of combinations of constraints to define over at least one stack of chips of at least one player and therefore it is possible to design an unlimited number of signals. While the number of potential signals that can be designed and used is not limited, in the interest of brevity, this document explains five basic versions of five signal examples in more details (these five signals are referred to as “green”, “red”, “yellow”, “orange”, “black”) in addition to the already discussed “white” signal. Obviously, a game operator will have the choice to use different varieties of any number of these five signals with or without other signals that can be designed similar to the way these five signals are designed and explained in this document.
One embodiment of a signal poker game utilizes only one signal for a stack. This single signal can be implemented by a physical object like a flat button. For example if a single signal game with only red signals is intended, a red flat button can be used as the red signal.
Another embodiment of a signal poker game can use two different signals, for example red and green signals. In that case in a live game, the game operator can either adopt separate red and green objects or instead they can use a two sided object with green color on one side and red color on the other.
When “n” signals are intended, in a live casino the signals can be implemented either by “n” separate objects, one object for each signal, or by using a multi-faceted object that may have “n” sides that embodies multiple signals, one signal on each side of the signal object.
If “n” number of signals is intended to be used in an online casino, the signal indicator must have “n” statuses, like “n” different indicators or lights or one indicator/light that can turn to “n” different colors or statuses. The signals in online game can also be represented with verbal, numerical, or graphical indicators or any other method that can communicate to players the signals played by each player.
Distinction Between the Chips of Different Stacks (in Multi-Stack Signal Games)
The distinction between the stacks is both functional and visual. The visual distinction between primary stack and additional stack(s) can be done in different ways, such as: chip color, chip denomination, chip shape, chip thickness, chip location, holding or separating devices for chips, or a system to visually distinguish chip stacks from one another.
Stack Size Determination (Dividing Stacks and Transferring Chips Between Stacks)
In signal poker, dividing a stack into two or more stacks or converting chips from one stack to the other can be done in different ways. In one embodiment, the division of stacks or conversion between stacks has to be done in advance, i.e. prior to the beginning of a new hand. This is to make sure that before a hand starts, all players know the sizes of each stack of each player. In another embodiment, players can divide their stacks to separate stacks or converts chips between their already separated stacks at some or all times during the hand with or without conditions, or while playing certain signals. Splitting, or merging the stacks or moving chips between stacks may also be mandatory under certain conditions or they may be impossible after a player has already started the game.
There can also be limitations and conditions on the times that merging, splitting or chips movements between stacks can be done (e.g. movement possible on certain streets of action like the turn or during certain levels or certain breaks of a tournament). Other conditions can be enforced on the amount of chips that can be moved, the relative and absolute stack sizes, the number of times chips can be moved, movement possible only from some stacks to the others, or only while or after playing certain signals. Such conditions are discussed below.
Playing the Signal
Each player at the beginning of the game receives distinguishable sets of signals. When not played, the signals can be kept behind, on the side, or under the chip stacks, but when played they should be placed on the table in a place visible to all players, for example on or beyond the betting line in front of the player who is playing them. In live games if one object is used for each signal, the player can simply place the object on the table, but when one signal object is used for all signals together, the player should place the signal object with the intended side of the signal facing up. The upside face indicates the intention of the player playing the signal which can be to obligate himself or other players to play certain stacks with certain constraints.
Reusable Vs Non-Reusable Signals
In some embodiments of the signal poker, the signals can be played in an unlimited number of times by each player, therefore in such embodiments, the player who has played a signal, may take back the signal that he has used and reuse it in future rounds of actions or future hands. In other embodiments of the signal poker, however, the number of times that certain signals can be played may be limited. For example, during a whole game session, some tournament levels, or for certain periods of the game, a player may be allowed to play the red signal only four times, in that case, instead of having one reusable red signal, it is suggested that each player receives four one-time-use red signals, and after each time a player uses these non-reusable signals, dealer keeps them instead of returning them to the player.
Conditions for Playing Signals:
Signals may be played with or without conditions. Conditions, if any, can be the same or different for different signals of different stacks or players. A group of conditions called “qualifying” conditions are conditions that make it possible to play certain signals. In other words a qualifying condition is necessary to be met so that a player can play a signal. For example a qualifying condition for playing the red signal can be that all chips of lower order stacks must have been wagered before or are being wagered at the time that the red signal is played.
Another group of conditions called “disqualifying” conditions are conditions that if met will make it impossible to play certain signals. For example, a disqualifying condition for playing the red signal can be that if the signal of a higher order stack has been already set to green, red signal cannot be played for a lower order stack.
Another group of conditions called “forcing” conditions are conditions that if happen, make it mandatory and not optional to play a signal. For example, a forcing condition for playing the red signal of a higher order stack can be playing the red signals of a lower order stack. This means that if a red signal is played for example for the stack number 2, the red signals of all (if any) higher order stacks like stack 3, 4, . . . must also be played at the same time.
An example of a set of general preconditions of playing signals can be seen in the flow chart of
Two Components of Each Action (Chip Action Followed by an Optional Signal Action)
In signal poker, a player action may consist of two different components: actions that are done with chips (the same actions seen in standard games of poker, which may be for example fold, check, call, bet, raise as in no limit Texas hold'em or pot limit Omaha games) and signal action, i.e. playing a signal, which may be optional or mandatory at different occasions. In the preferred embodiment of the signal action where the default signal is “white”, the set of possible chip actions for a player in every hand at the beginning of a hand starts with all choices being available to the player. For example in a double stack no limit Texas hold'em signal poker, all standard actions of the standard (non-signal) Texas hold'em chip actions like fold, check, call, bet, raise, re-raise are initially available to all players, but as the hand progresses, depending on the possible choices of signal actions that a player may make, the set of the player's future possible chip actions in that hand may become limited to a subset of the original set of all possible actions.
Sequence for Performing the Components of an Action
There can be at least 3 sets of rules for the sequence in which a player can play his signal action as opposed to his standard action with chips (i.e. check, call, bet, and raise). The 3 sets of sequence rules can be implemented as follows:
Occasion of Playing Signals
The occasion and the time for a player to play a signal can be implemented in different ways as follows:
Different rules can be adopted in terms of the signals effectiveness starting moment. When a player plays a signal, the effect of that signal can be realized at different times. The signals can take effect instantly, at the beginning of the next round of action, or the beginning of the next street of action after being played.
Double Signal Double Stack Game (Using Red and Green Signals)
In the double signal game, the default mode is indicated by the absence of any signal in front of the player in live games, while in online games, the indicator may actually have three different statuses including the white/default mode. Therefore in the double signal in live games, white/default is not considered a signal or a status, but rather an absence of any signal or status. Two signals, designated hereafter as “Red” and “Green,” may be implemented in the aforementioned double signal game, and are described in detail below.
Playing Red
A general flow chart describing how a player can play red can be seen in
In one embodiment of multi stack signal poker, red signal can be played for a stack only when all the possible lower order stacks have either been already wagered in previous actions or are about to be wagered during the current action by the player. For example, in a double stack game, the player can play the player's red signal of his second stack only if he has either previously exhausted all the chips of his first stack or is exhausting them in his current wagering action. In this embodiment, the player cannot play Red for his second stack and then after the end of his current action still have chips left in his first stack.
In the alternative format of playing the Red, the Red signal can be played with no precondition, as shown in
In the preferred embodiment, when a player plays a Red Signal for one of his stacks, it means that the associated stack with that signal will simply become “out of the play” for the rest of that hand, as if that stack no longer exists.
“Call for Less” Option
If call for less is allowed by a game operator, for players the use of “call for less” is optional and not mandatory, however if the player chooses to use “call for less”, then turning the signal to Red will be mandatory and not optional. When a player faces a bet and the player doesn't want to fold, and in the player's primary stack the player doesn't have enough chips to make a (complete) call, i.e. the player's primary stack is not enough to match the size of the bet, if this player wants to turn signal of the player's second stack to Red, the player can do it in one of two ways: either by making a raise or complete call (for a complete call the player will need to use some chips from the player's second stack as the player's first stack did not have enough chip to match the bet), or the player can make an incomplete call with whatever chips the player has in the his primary stack which makes the player's action essentially a “call for less” or like an all-in with only the player's primary stack while the player will still have chips left in his second stack after the end of the player's action. If the player chooses the latter option, the “Call for less” option, the player will be required to turn the signal of his higher order stack to Red which makes that stack out of the game and unusable for the rest of that hand.
The “call for less” may also be allowed in a “free range” format, hence named “free range call for less”, meaning that for example if a player faced an $80 bet and he has only $50 in his first stack and $200 in his second stack and he intended to play the red signal on his second stack, not only can the player call for less with only the $50 in the first stack, but he can choose any other size for the player's wagered contribution, for example the player may choose to call $54, with $50 from stack 1 and $4 from stack 2, or the player may choose to call $79 with $50 from stack 1 and $29 from the stack 2 or the player may call the whole $80 bet too which then will be a complete call.
“Stay” Option
If “stay” is allowed by a game operator, for players, the use of the “stay” is optional and not mandatory, but if “stay” is chosen by a player, then turning the signal to Red will be mandatory and not optional. “Stay” may be considered as a specially case of a “call for less” with zero chips contribution. A player who already meets any precondition of playing the red signal, and is facing a bet, but doesn't want to contribute any more chips to the pot, has the option to announce “stay” which means the player's cards remain live in that hand without the player needing to contribute any more chips to the pot, but all the player's higher order stacks will be required to turn to Red signal.
How to Play “Green” Signal?
A general flowchart explaining how a player can play the green signal can be seen in
Precondition for playing Green: In the preferred game mode no specific condition has to be met for playing green, in non-preferred modes, green may be played with different preconditions.
Consequence of playing Green: When a player plays/sets Green Signal for one of the player's stacks, (in a signal game where signals are associated with individual stacks), for example the player's stack number 2, it means that as long as the signal is green, the stack associated with that signal (in this case the player's 2nd stack) will function no different than the player's lower order stack (in this player's case the player's primary stack). This player's essentially makes the player's primary stack and 2nd stack serve as one big merged stack with all the rules applying to the primary stack to be applied to the functionally combined/merged stack in spite of the fact that the two stacks still remain visually distinct. Another way to interpret the effect of the green signal is that playing green essentially precluded playing red.
Playing Green and the “Lock Buster” Option
The standard way of playing Green is described in the flowchart of
Combinations of the 3 Optional Features:
None, one, any two or all three of the 3 optional features (add-on's) of “Call for less”, “Stay”, and “Lock Buster” can be adopted and allowed by the operator of the game in a format which creates the following 8 possible game formats:
I) Standard game with no added optional feature (preferred embodiment)
II) Lock Buster game(s)
III) Lock Buster+Stay game(s)
IV) Lock Buster+Stay+“Call for less” game(s)
V) Lock Buster+“Call for less” game(s)
VI) Stay game
VII) Stay+“Call for less” game
VIII) “Call for less” game
As discussed before, lock buster itself can be implemented in 7 ways, that is why in the above 8 formats whenever lock buster is present we have game(s) and not game. Because formats II, III, IV, and V each expand to 7 kinds of lock busters, total number of formats can be 32 formats.
An Example of a Six Signal Game
As a more advanced example of signal poker, one embodiment of a game with six signals in which six signals of White (default), Red, Green, and three additional signals Yellow, Orange, and Black are adopted is shown in the flowchart in
Playing Yellow
The standard way of playing Yellow is described in the flowchart of
Playing Orange
The standard way of playing Orange is described in the flowchart of
Playing Black
The standard way of playing Black is described in the flowchart of
Playing black makes a stack “aggressive & exposed” as the most passive action, fold, is no longer an option, and the player has committed his black stack to be exposed/unprotected, as the player will have to make at least a call if the player ever faces a bet.
Signal and Stack Management Rules in Multi-Stack Signal Poker Games
The ordered stack method is described in the flowchart of
Order of Using Chips from Different Stacks
When using chips from different stacks, there are a number of methods that may be implemented. The following are some examples of such methods:
Alternative I) no rule: a player who is going to use $80 of the player's chips for a bet, call, or raise, can provide that $80 from any combination of the player's different stacks as the player wishes, for instance the player may choose to bring $30 from stack 1, $5 from stack 2, zero from stack 3, and $45 from stack 4
II) Lower stack first: a player can use the player's chips from higher order stacks only after the lower order stacks have been already exhausted.
III) Higher stack first: a player can use the player's chips from lower order stacks only after the higher order stacks have been already exhausted.
IV) Predefined contribution: a player should use a predefined formula of using the player's stacks, for example players may be required to use equal amount of contributions from their different stacks, or they may have to use their stack 1 and 2 at a 60%-40% ratio.
Rules of Conversion from Lower Order to Higher Order Stacks:
When converting stacks from lower order to higher order, the operator of the game may implement a number of rules dictating such conversions. One method is to prohibit the conversions altogether. Another method may be, for example, to specify conversion rules if the size of the lower order stack or the ratio of lower order to higher order stacks ever exceeded a threshold, the player can request that the dealer convert some of the player's lower order stack to higher order stack. Such conversion can be done either for a certain amount of chips or percentage of lower stack or to bring the ratio of stacks to a specific ratio or within a range of admissible ratios.
Rules of Conversion from Higher Order to Lower Order Stacks:
When converting stacks from lower order to higher order, the operator of the game may implement a number of rules dictating such conversions. One method may be to always allow conversion from higher order to lower order stacks upon player request. Another may be to institute mandatory conversions enforced by the dealer to prevent absence of money on lower order stacks and an overabundance of money on higher order stacks. For example, if a player loses all the player's chips in the primary stack and the player is unable or unwilling to rebuy more chips for the player's primary stack, but still has chips left in the player's second stack, then dealer can perform a mandatory conversion from the player's second stack to the primary stack to bring the size of the player's primary stack up from zero to the lesser of the min-buy in or the total size of chips player has left. An alternative method may be to disallow any conversions.
When instituting mandatory conversions, the operator of the game may use some or all of the following methods:
Rules Specific to Tournaments:
In tournaments, either based on the choice of each individual player or based on the choice of the tournament director players may play in any of the following formats:
Gaming Machine
An additional embodiment of the present invention is a gaming machine comprising a housing and computing components such as a microprocessor, memory, storage, an electronic display and external connectivity such as, but not limited to Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or cellular modem connectivity and an input controller such as a touch screen or physical buttons. One embodiment of the gaming machine may be configured to use the external connectivity to play peer-to-peer, internal network, or internet or online games. The gaming machine is configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the card-based wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal. The electronic data signal is processed by a software component configured to return a randomly generated hand to the display as well as randomly generated hands of additional networked players, or artificial players. The player then may use the input controller to send the input to another electronic data signal to be processed by the software component additionally configured to divide the player's total number of credits or chips into stacks and return the stack configuration data to the display for the player, artificial players, or networked players to view. The player then may use the input controller to play signals according to the rules mentioned above. When a player uses the input controller to play the signals, an electronic data signal is sent through the input controller to the software component additionally configured to interpret the signal selection and return the signal selection to the display for the player, artificial players, or networked players to view. The electronic data signal resulting from a player playing a signal will be processed by the processor, such that the future actions of that player may be affected and limited by the rules associated with the played signal.
While the invention has been described in connection with various embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as, within the known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/364,731, filed Jul. 20, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7794324 | White | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| 20050258597 | Soltys | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20080153597 | Oliveras | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20080315521 | Reabe, Jr. | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20090124337 | Lyons | May 2009 | A1 |
| 20090143141 | Wells | Jun 2009 | A1 |
| 20160093168 | Hall | Mar 2016 | A1 |
| 20170124810 | Fraser | May 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180025581 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62364731 | Jul 2016 | US |
