Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02599111 2011-01-19
76909-361
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ADAPTABLE OPTIONS
FOR ELECTRONIC GAMING
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates to a betting mechanism for wagering
in live or online electronic gaming, and more particularly, to a bet slider or
toolbar
usable by players participating in live or online casinos, poker rooms, and
the like.
A live casino refers to a typical brick-and-mortar casino that includes
various games providing gambling opportunities to visitors. An online casino
refers to a virtual casino where participants can join in various games over
the
Internet. Both types of casinos offer games that allow a player to wager on
the
potential outcome of a game.
As an example, one type of game that may be played in electronic
and non-electronic forms is the game of poker. Poker, which may be played in a
variety of ways, has wagering rules that vary from one game variant to the
next. A
player may prefer to play one type of poker game over another based on the
type
of poker game or the particular wagering rules.
In live poker, where a player is situated at a table, a player places
chips on the table to indicate his wager. On the other hand, in electronic
poker, a
player uses a toolbar to place wagers. In one example, the tool bar comprises
a
bet slider that consists of an infinitely variable slider bar (similar to a
vertical or
horizontal slider bar in a Microsoft window), and an associated text field. A
poker
player may select a wager in a game of online poker either by entering a
numerical value representing the size of the bet directly into the text field,
or by
dragging a pointer along the slider bar until the desired bet size appears in
the text
field. The wager may then be confirmed by selecting or clicking on a bet
button.
However, while such bet sliders are useful tools that speed up
betting in online poker games, there is an ever-present need to improve the
simplicity and convenience of bet sliders, particularly as it is not unheard
of for
experienced poker players to play multiple instances of online poker
simultaneously, sometimes as many as four different instances. The number of
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, 76909-361
simultaneous instances of online poker that a player can play is often limited
by
the complexity and inefficiency of the bet slider used in the game. Thus, an
inefficient bet slider can contribute to a type of cognitive overload, causing
a
player to delegate too much cognitive effort operating the bet slider, and
reducing
the amount of attention that could be directed to the poker game itself.
Adding to
this cognitive overload, are the wagering rules that a player has to keep in
mind
when moving from one-type of poker game to another.
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76909-361
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
comprising: determining that a multiplayer poker game is in a wagering state;
responsive to
the multiplayer poker game being in the wagering state, generating and
displaying, on a client
device, a plurality of selectable short-cut tabs on a graphical toolbar,
wherein each selectable
short-cut tab of the plurality of selectable short-cut tabs shows a respective
wager that is valid
for the wagering state; after displaying the plurality of selectable short-cut
tabs on the
graphical toolbar, determining that the multiplayer poker game is in a new
wagering state; and
in response to determining that the multiplayer poker game is in the new
wagering state, (i)
determining a set of new wagers that are valid for the new wagering state and
(ii) replacing
the displayed plurality of selectable short-cut tabs on the graphical toolbar
that show a set of
wagers that are valid for the wagering state with a new plurality of
selectable short-cut tabs
that show the set of new wagers that are valid for the new wagering state,
wherein each
selectable short-cut tab of the new plurality of selectable short-cut tabs
shows a respective
new wager of the set of new wagers, and wherein at least some of the new
wagers shown by
the short cut tabs in the new plurality of selectable short-cut tabs were not
shown in the
plurality of selectable short-cut tabs.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium,
having stored
thereon program instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause
the computing
device to perform operations comprising: determining that a multiplayer poker
game is in a
wagering state; responsive to the multiplayer poker game being in the wagering
state,
generating and displaying a plurality of selectable short-cut tabs on a
graphical toolbar, and
wherein each selectable short-cut tab of the plurality of selectable short-cut
tabs shows a
respective wager that is valid for the wagering state; after displaying the
plurality of selectable
short-cut tabs on the graphical toolbar, determining that the multiplayer
poker game is in a
new wagering state; and in response to determining that the multiplayer poker
game is in the
new wagering state, (i) determining a set of new wagers that are valid for the
new wagering
state and (ii) replacing the displayed plurality of selectable short-cut tabs
on the graphical
toolbar that show a set of wagers that are valid for the wagering state with a
new plurality of
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76909-361
selectable short-cut tabs that show the set of new wagers that are valid for
the new wagering
state, wherein each selectable short-cut tab of the new plurality of
selectable short-cut tabs
shows a respective new wager of the set of new wagers, and wherein at least
some of the new
wagers shown by the short cut tabs in the new plurality of selectable short-
cut tabs were not
shown in the plurality of selectable short-cut tabs.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
gaming station comprising: a display component that displays gameplay of a
multiplayer
poker game, wherein the displayed gameplay includes a graphical toolbar for
selecting a
wager; a processor; and a memory comprising instructions executable by the
processor to:
determine that the multiplayer poker game is in a wagering state, responsive
to the multiplayer
poker game being in the wagering state, generating and displaying a plurality
of selectable
short-cut tabs on the graphical toolbar, wherein each selectable short-cut tab
of the plurality of
selectable short-cut tabs shows a respective wager that is valid for the
wagering state, after
displaying the plurality of selectable short-cut tabs on the graphical
toolbar, determining that
the multiplayer poker game is in a new wagering state, and in response to
determining that the
multiplayer poker game is in the new wagering state, (i) determining a set of
new wagers that
are valid for the new wagering state and (ii) replacing the displayed
plurality of selectable
short-cut tabs on the graphical toolbar that show a set of wagers that are
valid for the wagering
state with a new plurality of selectable short-cut tabs that show the set of
new wagers that are
valid for the new wagering state, wherein each selectable short-cut tab of the
new plurality of
selectable short-cut tabs shows a respective new wager of the set of new
wagers, and wherein
at least some of the new wagers shown by the short cut tabs in the new
plurality of selectable
short-cut tabs were not shown in the plurality of selectable short-cut tabs.
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a graphical interface that include an
adaptable toolbar, referred to, for example, as a "bet slider". The toolbar
may include a
slidebar or other type of graphical input, which allows the user to place a
wager in an
electronic card game such as poker. The toolbar further includes adaptable
short-cut tabs
positioned on the toolbar, enabling a user to quickly place a wager. The
present disclosure is
applicable to conventional video poker games, or any single or multiplayer
game in which
wagers may be placed via a graphical toolbar. Thus, the present disclosure is
applicable to
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76909-361
land-based electronic gaming machines at a typical live casino, such as video
poker machines
connected through a network by a central gaming server, or to online gaming at
an online
casino.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a graphical interface for displaying game
data
corresponding to an electronic poker game is presented. The graphical
interface includes a
toolbar having multiple short-cut tabs positioned on the toolbar. Each short-
cut tab is
configured to responsively adapt to wagering state of the game, so that during
the course of
the game, a user can easily select a desired wager using a particular short-
cut tab. For
example, one wagering state may include a pre-flop state: a state where
community cards have
yet to be played. Another state may include a post-flop state, which
corresponds to a time in
the game after a community card has been played. In one wagering state, the
short-cut tabs
may be configured to adapt to a minimum wager value, or a multiple of the
minimum wager
value. On the other hand, in another wagering state, the short-cut tabs may be
configured to
adapt to a pot value. For example, the short-cut tabs may present to a user
wager values that
are a fraction or a percentage of the pot value.
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The short-cut tabs may also be user-configurable. For example, the graphical
interface
may include an input that allows the user to configure the toolbar to his
preference.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a method for graphically presenting
adaptable wager
amounts associated with a poker game is provided. The method includes
identifying a wagering
state of the game, generating the short-cut tabs based on the identified
wagering state, and
displaying the short-cut tabs on a toolbar. Possible wagering states, for
example, may include
pre-flop and post-flop states; where in each state, the short-cut tabs include
at least one of, a
minimum wager value, a multiple of the minimum wager value, a pot value, or a
fraction or a
percentage of the pot value. In addition, the short-cut tabs may also be
generated according to a
user-configuration.
In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a gaming station is provided. The
gaming station
includes a monitor, a processor, and a memory. The monitor presents to a user
a display of
game-play corresponding to a poker game. In addition, the display also
presents to the user a
graphical toolbar that includes multiple short-cut tabs. The memory includes
processing
instructions that are executable by the processor to adapt the short-cut tabs
to a wagering state of
the game. The processing instructions, for example, may be included in a
client interface
program or downloaded game software. The memory may also include process
instructions that
allow the user to configure the short-cut tabs. In another example, the gaming
station may be
coupled through a network to a server, where the server sets up or facilitates
an on-line game that
includes multiple on-line players.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the
following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate, by way of
example, certain principles of described embodiments.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a gaming station
coupled to a
server through a communication network.
Figure 2 is an example of a graphical interface display that includes
adaptable short-cut
tabs.
Figure 3 is another example of adaptable short-cut tabs.
Figure 4 is a flowchart depicting one example of a method of graphically
displaying
adaptable wager amounts.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure includes a toolbar for selecting a wager in an
electronic poker
game, where the toolbar includes context-sensitive short-cut tabs. Thus, by
adapting to the
context, the toolbar may allow users to rapidly determine and select a wager
in a poker game. In
one scenario, the toolbar may adapt to a wagering state of the poker game. For
instance, in one
wagering state, the short-cut tabs may be based on a minimum wager value or a
multiple of the
minimum wager value. On the other hand, at a different state of the game, the
short-cut tabs may
be based on a pot value or a fraction or a percentage of the pot-value, for
example. In an
alternative or additional scenario, a user may configure the short-cut tabs so
that the tabs
conform to the user's preferences.
Referring now to Figure 1, one example of a gaming station 100 for providing a
graphical
toolbar to a user is illustrated. The gaming station includes a monitor 101
and a CPU 102. The
CPU 102 is coupled to a server 104 through a communication network 106. The
CPU 102 may
receive user input and transmit the user input through the communication
network 106 (such as
the Internet) to the server 104 via a wireline or wireless interface, for
example. Thus, the gaming
station 100 may be an electronic poker game at a live casino, for example, or
a personal
computer allowing a user to participate in online poker gaming.
In the form of online gaming, the electronic gaming device 102 is a client
workstation
and the server 106 is a gaming server remote from the electronic gaming device
102, but linked
thereto by the communication network 106, such as the Internet. One or more
poker games are
then executable by selection from a user. Each poker game offered by an online
gaming
provider includes a server process, which is executable in the gaming server,
and a client
process, which is executable in the client workstation. The server process,
upon request of the
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CA 02599111 2007-08-28
client process, generates one or more random events upon which an outcome of
the poker game
depends. Such random events can correspond, for example, to the deal of a
playing card. The
number or rules governing how a particular card or series of cards is played
may depend on
which particular poker game is being played by the user. The client process,
on the other hand,
presents to the user a simulation of the poker game being played. The client
process also enables
the player to place wagers on, and to control the progress of, the poker game,
and displays to the
player the outcome of the game as a function of the random events generated by
the server
process.
In order to communicate with the gaming server of the online gaming provider,
the client
workstation operates under control of a client interface program 108. The
client interface
program 108 may cause the monitor 101 to display to a user a variety of game
selection options.
The user is then able to select any one of the games that he wishes to play.
When selecting a
particular game for the first time, the casino client interface program 108
downloads a game
software program from the gaming server. The downloaded game software, for
example, may be
stored in a memory location on a local storage device, such as a hard disk
drive. Once
downloaded, the user can then install the game software on the CPU 102. Once
the client
process for a poker game has been downloaded and installed in this manner, the
poker game can
be played without the necessity for a further download. It should be
understood that a variety of
poker games may be downloaded, examples of which include Hold' em, Omaha, and
5-card and
7-card Stud.
The game software also includes instructions that direct a processor (not
shown) within
the CPU 102 to display a game-play environment on the monitor 101. The game
play
environment may include graphical icons, which represent various users and are
commonly
8
CA 02599111 2007-08-28
referred to as avitars, and a graphical representation of a poker table. While
playing a poker
game, for example, the table may display graphical icons representative of
cards that are in play
and/or are in a user's hand. In addition, the client interface program 108
also includes program
instructions that direct the processor to display various input tools on the
monitor. Such input
tools may include a menu bar and a chat window. The menu bar may facilitate
game
administration and the chat window may allow a user to "chat" with other users
and receive
various types of game-play feedback from a dealer, for example. A user may
use, for example, a
mouse, keyboard, or interactive display to interact with such input tools.
In particular, one type of input tool is a graphical toolbar that allows the
user to select and
place a wager. For example, a bet slider is a type of toolbar that allows a
user to select and
confirm a wager that he would like to place during a poker game. Using the bet
slider, a user
may slide a pointer along a slidebar, and correspondingly increase or decrease
his wager
selection, depending on the direction that the pointer slides. The user may
confirm his wager
selection by selecting or clicking on a bet button. In addition, a bet slider
may also include a text
box, which allows a user to manually enter a preferred wager amount.
Figure 2 shows a display 200 that includes a toolbar 202 for receiving wagers
in an
electronic poker game. The display 200 may be displayed on the monitor 101.
The display 200
may include a variety of graphical elements. For example, the display 200 also
shows a table
204, user icons 205-208, a menu bar 210, and a chat window 212. The toolbar
202, as shown,
may be referred to as a bet slider, as the toolbar 202 comprises a slider 214
along with a pointer
216. The toolbar 202 also includes a text box 218 for receiving a text input
and a bet button 220
for confirming a selected wager amount. Both the pointer 216 and the text box
218 allow a user
to enter a particular wager value. For example, a user may use the slidebar
214 to place a wager
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CA 02599111 2007-08-28
of 200 poker chips. Or, for more precision, a user may use the text box 218 to
place a wager of
203 poker chips. However, both the pointer 216 and the text box 218 cannot be
readily used to
select a wager that is defined in terms of various wagering factors, such as
the size of a pot, a
minimum bet, or a maxim bet. For example, the user might want to make a wager
that matches
about 1/3 of the pot in a poker game. If the user uses the pointer 218 or the
text box 220, he will
have to make a calculation as to the current size of the pot, and how many
chips would constitute
a 1/3 of the pot. Unfortunately, such calculation may avert the user's
attention away from the
game.
Thus, to enable a user to quickly select a wager, without averting his
attention, the
toolbar 202 includes adaptable short-cut tabs. The short-cut tabs are tailored
so that when the
user is in a position to select a wager, he can quickly select and then place
a desired wager, such
as, for example, three times the minimum allowable bet, without having to run
through the
calculation himself. For example, in Figure 2, the toolbar 202 presents to the
user 4 short cut
tabs: MIN, 2 x MIN, 3 x MIN, and ALL-IN.
As shown, the display 200 indicates that the users 206-208 have each placed a
bet of 50
chips, and it is the user 205's turn to wager. In lieu of using the pointer
216 or the text box 218,
the user 205 may use the short-cut tabs to place a wager. The short-cut tabs
allow the user to
select a minimum wager of 50 chips, or alternatively a multiple of the minimum
wager or all of
the user 205's chips.
Another aspect of the toolbar 202 is that a user may configure the toolbar 202
to be
context specific. That is, the toolbar 20 may adapt the short-cut tabs
according to a state of the
game, such as a wagering state. For example, in Figure 2, the display 200
reflects a scenario
where the users 205-208 are playing a 7-card Stud poker game in which each of
the users 205-
CA 02599111 2007-08-28
208 will eventually share a group of community cards on the table 204. As
shown in Figure 2,
each of the users 205-208 has two individual cards that remain hidden from the
community of
users. Each of the users 205-208 may view their respective individual cards,
and accordingly
place a wager based on their individual cards. Before the community cards are
played, this state
of the game is commonly referred to as the pre-flop state. During the pre-flop
state, for example,
a user may prefer to place wagers with respect to the minimum allowable wager.
However, after
the pre-flop state, the user may prefer to place wagers with respect to the
pot-size or the
maximum allowable wager, for example.
Figure 3 shows the display 200 after the pre-flop state, which may be referred
to as the
post-flop state. The post-flop state may, in turn, be broken into "flop,"
"turn," and "river"
wagering sub-states. In the "flop" wagering sub-state, three community cards
have been dealt, in
the "turn" wagering sub-state, a fourth community card has been dealt, and in
the "river"
wagering sub-state, all five community cards been dealt. In Figure 3, the game
is in the "flop"
sub-state where the first three community cards have been dealt. The same set
of short-cut tabs
may be used for all post-flop wagering sub-states. Alternatively, the set of
short-cut tabs may
adapt to game wagering sub-state by causing different sets of short-cut tabs
to be used for each
game wagering sub-state.
In the scenario of Figure 3, the toolbar 202 now includes six short cut tabs:
MIN, 1/4
POT, 1/3 POT, 1/2 POT, POT, and ALL-IN. The toolbar 202 allows the user 205 to
wager
directly in terms of the pot-size. So, for example, if the user 205 wants to
place a wager that is
about 33% of the pot size, he can select, or "click" the short cut tab
corresponding to 1/3 POT,
and avoid having to calculate how many chips would constitute a third of the
pot.
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= CA 02599111 2007-08-28
It is to be noted that a particular set of short-cut tabs may adapt to variety
of factors
within a given poker game, and is not limited to adapting only to the wagering
state. For
example, in addition to the wagering state, the display of the short-cut tabs
may also be a factor
of the variant of poker being played, the number of users playing the game,
the pot-size relative
to a user's chip count, the pot-size relative to another player's chip count,
etc. The number of
short-cut tabs provided in a particular wagering state may also vary. For
example, in Figure 2,
during the pre-flop state, the toolbar 202 includes four short-cut tabs. In
Figure 3, however, the
toolbar 202 includes six short-cut tabs.
The number and type of short-cut tabs to display in a specific context or
wagering state
may be attributed to, for example, a survey of wagering preferences taken from
experienced
poker players. It should be understood, however, that a variety of other
considerations may be
used to determine how the short-cut tabs adapt. The following Table 1 shows
some example
configurations that a designer may assign to the short-cut tabs of a toolbar.
Game Type: Hold'em
STATE # of TABS TAB 1 TAB 2 TAB 3 TAB 4
TAB 5
Pre-flop 4 Min. Bet 2 x Min. 3 x Min. All-in
Bet Bet
Post-flop 5 Min. Bet 2 x Min. 1/2 Pot 1/2 of
All-in
Bet High Chip
Count
Table 1
In Table 1, the short-cut tabs are designed to adapt to a Hold'em based
community card
poker game. The tabs adapt to a pre-flop and a post-flop wagering state. The
pre-flop wagering
state is configured to have four short-cut tabs, where TAB 1 represents a
minimum bet, TAB 2
and TAB 3 represent multiples of the minimum bet, and TAB 4 represents all-in.
The post-flop
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CA 02599111 2007-08-28
state has five tabs, where TAB 1 represents a minimum bet, TAB 2 represents a
multiple of the
minimum bet, TAB 3 represents a fraction or a percentage of a pot value, TAB 4
represents half
of the highest player chip count on the table, and TAB 5 represents all-in. It
should be
understood that the wager state is not limited to including only a pre-flop
and a post-flop state.
For example in Hold'em, the post-flop state may be broken into "flop," "turn,"
and "river"
wagering states.
Besides the above configurations, a toolbar may also adapt to particular
wagering rules in
a given poker game. Generally speaking, poker games may be divided into three
broad classes
insofar as wagering is concerned, namely fixed-limit games, pot-limit games
and no-limit games.
In fixed-limit games, bets or raises are pre-set, but may vary with the round
of betting in the
game. In pot-limit poker, bets or raises have a maximum. The minimum allowable
raise amount
must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round of
betting. The maximum
allowable raise is the size of the pot, which is defined as the total of all
wagers made on the hand
plus the amount that a betting user must first call before raising. In no
limit poker, bets or raises
have no maximum. A player is allowed to raise by any amount he has funds to
cover. The
minimum allowable raise must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise
in the same round,
whereas the maximum wager is limited by the balance of the user's chip or
credit account.
Generally speaking, a toolbar along with the adaptable short-cut tabs are
preferably used in pot-
limit and no-limit poker games. Thus, short-cut tabs may be further adaptable
to the wagering
rules of a particular poker game.
Alternatively, a user may be allowed to configure the short-cut tabs on a
toolbar at any
point before, after, or during a game, which may assist the user in adapting
his game-play
strategy to a particular poker game and/or to a particular group of poker
players. To configure a
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CA 02599111 2007-08-28
toolbar, a user may, for example, use a pull-down menu, a separate program
window, or a special
button that brings toolbar configuration options to the visible focus of the
user. Figures 2 and 3,
for instance, show a TOOLBAR CONFIGURE option in the pull-down menu 210. By
customizing a toolbar to display wagering options, a user may optimize his
wagering strategy
and thus play more effectively.
It is also to be noted that short-cut tabs could be displayed in intelligent
manner so as to
prevent the display of any tabs that represent wagers which are not feasible.
For example, in pot-
limit games, the toolbar will not display an all-in short-cut tab when the pot
size is less than the
balance of a user's credit account. Further, if the user's credit balance is
less than the pot size,
the client software will display the all-in tab, but not any tab that
corresponds to bet sizes greater
than the user's credit balance.
In addition, when a short-cut tab is selected, the value of a text field, such
as the text
box 218 may be updated. Altet natively, the bet button 220 may
automatically display the value
of the selected wager. Also, after selection of a short-cut tab, the pointer
216 may automatically
move to a position correlative with a value of the wager with respect to a
user's total chip count.
Figure 4 is a flowchart depicting one example of a method for graphically
presenting
adaptable wager amounts in a poker game. Initially, as shown at block 302,
configuration data
based on a user wagering preference is received. For example, a game designer
may program the
factors that the toolbar is to adapt to. Alternatively, client software may
provide a user with
various short-cut configuration options within a pull-down menu. The user may
use the pull-
down menu to set up and then confirm these options by selecting or clicking an
OK button. In
either scenario, the configuration data may be received in a memory of the
gaming station and
stored therein until the poker game is completed.
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=
Next, the short-cut tab configuration data is used to generate the short-cut
tabs, shown at
block 304. During the short-cut tab generation, the client software may run a
routine that
establishes a formula or a template within each tab, using for example,
variables and constants
that relate to a user's chips, a minimum bet, a pot size, etc. At block 306,
the short-cut tabs are
displayed along with a toolbar, preferably positioned on or adjacent to a
toolbar.
Also included in the flowchart is block 308, which corresponds to a
determination of a
wagering state of the game. If, for example, the wagering state of a poker
game changes, the
short-cut tabs are updated to reflect a user's desired configuration that is
based on the wagering
state. Thus, for example, if a community card is first played in a game, the
wagering state may
change to a post-flop state. However, if the wagering state remains the same,
the short-cut tabs
may retain the same configuration.
While present embodiments have been described as they relate to a user
configuration, it
should be understood that the term user may refer in one sense to a "player"
that is playing the
game. And in another sense, the term user may refer to a program designer or
an administrator
of a gaming server. For example, the gaming station may receive user
configuration data from
the gaming server. The user configuration data may be created by an
administrator to create
default short-cut tabs within a poker game. These default tabs may serve as a
template that may
be modified or adapted by a player at a later time. For example, an
administrator may set up
default short-cut tabs and include program instruction relating to these tabs
in the downloadable
game software. When a player downloads and installs the game software, he may
use these
generic tabs, or configure the default tabs to his own preferences.
Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the
described
embodiments, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and
shown in the
CA 02599111 2007-08-28
accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting
sense. Further, it is
intended to be understood that the following clauses further describe aspects
of the present
application.
(1). A graphical interface for an electronic poker game, comprising:
a toolbar for selecting a wager; and
a plurality of short-cut tabs positioned on the toolbar, wherein each of the
short-cut tabs
represents a wager value, and wherein the short-cut tabs responsively adapt to
a wagering state of
the game.
(2). The interface as in clause (1), wherein the short-cut tabs responsively
adapt to a pot
value.
(3). The interface as in clause (1) or (2), wherein the short-cut tabs
comprise a wager
value representative of at least one of a percentage of a pot value and a
fraction of the pot value.
(4). The interface as in clause (1), (2), or (3), wherein the short-cut tabs
responsively
adapt to a multiple of a minimum wager value.
(5). The interface as in clause (1), (2), (3), or (4), wherein the wagering
state comprises a
pre-flop state and a post-flop state.
(6). The interface as in clause (5), wherein in the pre-flop state, the short-
cut tabs
comprise a short-cut tab representative of a minimum wager value and a short-
cut tab
representative of a multiple of the minimum wager value.
(7.) The interface as in clause (6), wherein the short-cut tab representative
of the multiple
of the minimum wager value comprises an integer multiple of the minimum wager
value.
(8). The interface as in clause (5), (6), or (7) wherein in the post-flop
state, the short-cut
tabs comprise a short-cut tab representative of a fraction of a pot value.
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(9). The interface as in clause (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8),
wherein the user-
configured tabs responsively adapt to at least one of a number of players in a
game and a player's
chip count.
(10). The interface as in clause (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), or
(9), wherein the
short-cut tabs are user-configured.
(11). A method for graphically presenting selectable wager amounts associated
with a
poker game that provides a toolbar to a user for selecting wagers, the method
comprising:
identifying a wagering state associated with the game;
generating the short-cut tabs based on the identified wagering state; and
displaying the plurality of short-cut tabs on the toolbar.
(12). The method as in clause (11), wherein the short-cut tabs are user-
configured.
(13). The method as in clause (11) or (12), wherein the identified wagering
state is
selected from the group consisting of a pre-flop state and a post-flop state.
(14). The method as in clause (11), (12), or (13), further comprising:
generating a short-cut tab associated with a minimum wager value; and
generating a short-cut tab associated with a multiple of the minimum wager
value.
(15). The method as in clause (14), wherein the short-cut tab associated with
a minimum
wager value comprises an integer multiple of the minimum wager value.
(16). The method as in clause (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), further comprising
generating a
short-cut tab associated with a fraction of a pot value.
(17). The method as in clause (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), or (16), further
comprising
generating a short-cut tab associated with at least one of a number of players
in a game and a
player's chip count.
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76909-361
(18). A gaming station comprising:
a monitor that presents to a user a display of game-play corresponding to a
poker game,
wherein the display further includes a graphical toolbar for selecting a
wager, and wherein the
toolbar comprises a plurality of short-cut tabs each of which represent a
wager value;
a processor; and
a memory comprising processing instructions executable by the processor to
adapt the
short-cut tabs to a wagering state of the game
(19). The station as in clause (18), wherein the short-cut tabs are user-
configured.
(20). The station as in clause (18) or (19), wherein the wagering state
comprises at least
one of a pre-flop state and a post-flop state.
(21). The station as in clause (20), wherein the short-cut tabs in the pre-
flop state include
a minimum wager value and a multiple of the minimum wager value, and wherein
the short-cut
tabs in the post-flop state include at least one of a percentage of a pot
value and a fraction of the
pot value
(22). The station as in clause (18), (19), (20), or (21), wherein gaming
server is coupled
to a server via a communication network.
Various embodiments have been described. Those skilled in the art will
understand,
however, that changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments
described without
departing from the true scope of the present invention, which is defined by
the ed by the
following claims.
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