Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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APPARATUS FOR BETTING-TYPE CARD GAME
OR SIMULATED CARD GAME
This application claims priority on US Provisional Patent Application No.
61/532,748 filed September 9, 2011, incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] This invention relates to betting-type card game apparatus or
machine for one or more players to play an actual card game or a
simulated card game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] A variety of betting-type card games are known in the gaming
industry, including the internet gaming industry. In particular, a variety of
poker-type games are known and are quite popular with gamblers,
including those that play at casinos. A particularly popular poker game is
commonly known as Texas Holdem and this game has expanded into
many different variations of play (Rush/Matrix) over the years and around
the world. There is continued interest in new variations on the basic table
version of this game and also in video game versions. In a standard game
of Texas Holdem played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards, each
player is dealt two cards face down, which are referred to as hole cards or
pocket cards. There is then a round of betting, this round being referred to
as the preflop betting round and players can call, raise or fold during this
round. After the betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the
deck which is called the burn card. The dealer then flips the next three
cards face up on the table, this step being referred to as the flop. These
are communal or community cards that anyone can use in combination
with their two pocket cards to form a poker hand. The player to the left of
the dealer then starts another betting round and after this betting round
concludes, the dealer burns again and flips another communal card onto
the table. This is called the turn. The player to the left of the dealer then
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begins another round of betting after which the dealer burns a card and
places a final card faceup on the table which is called the river. Players can
then use any of the five cards on the table or the two cards in their pocket
to form a five card poker hand. There is then a final round of betting
starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
[003] Another form of popular betting game, particular in casinos, is
roulette. In this game, players may choose to place bets on either a single
number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the
number is odd or even. To determine the winning number and color, the
person running the game, commonly called a croupier, spins a roulette
wheel. A ball spins in the opposite direction around a track which is
circular and tilted and extends around the circumference of the wheel. The
ball eventually falls onto the wheel and into one of the 37 or 38 colored
and numbered pockets on the wheel which determines the winning bets.
[004] Another well known card game that can be played by two to eight
people is the game of Rummoli, which requires a Rummoli board, a
standard deck of playing cards and chips or coins to play. The board is in
the shape of an octagon, with eight different pots surrounding a center pot
called Rummoli. The eight surrounding pots are the poker pot, ten of
spades, jack of diamonds, queen of clubs, king of hearts, ace of spades,
the ace and king of diamonds, and finally, the sequence 7-8-9 of any suit.
In this game, before the cards are dealt, each player pays one chip to each
pot on the Rummoli board and then the dealer deals around the table to
every player, plus an extra hand which can be referred to as the widow. All
cards of the deck are dealt out. If the dealer does not exchange his deal
hand for the widow hand, the widow hand is auctioned off to the highest
bidder who pays the bid to the dealer. The game then proceeds to a poker
phase with the player to the left of the dealer starting the betting, which
continues in a regular poker fashion. The player with the best poker hand
wins the poker pot and then the game proceeds to a Rummoli phase.
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[0051 There is a need for an improved, interesting betting-type card
game or simulated card game that can be played in casinos and elsewhere
by one or more players. A game played with the betting-type card game
apparatus or machine described herein is interesting and fun to play and
can include features of both the poker game known as Texas Holdem and
roulette. An exemplary version of the card game or simulated card game
played with the described apparatus or machine can provide a significant
house or casino advantage for the operator of the card game or machine.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0061 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,
a betting-type card game apparatus for one or more players to play a card
game comprises a playing surface having (a) a first set of defined betting
areas, each displaying a different representation of a predetermined two
card combination from a standard deck of playing cards having four suits,
each with 13 cards, including numerical cards from 2 to 10, a jack, a
queen, a king and an ace and (b) a second set of defined betting areas,
each displaying a different representation of a predetermined two card
combination from a standard deck of cards, each two card combination of
the first and second sets being different than any of the other two card
combinations. The game apparatus also includes a deck of playing cards
containing all of the cards of the standard deck of playing cards, except
the cards in the first and second sets represented on the playing surface.
This deck of playing cards is used during play of the card game to deal
communal or community cards for the one or more players in the card
game. There are also sets of betting chips for the one or more players to
place bets on the defined betting areas. Each set of betting chips has
means for distinguishing each betting chip of the set from betting chips of
the other sets so that each betting chip indicates the player to whom it
belongs during play of the game.
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[007] In an exemplary version of this game apparatus, the playing
surface also has low and high card betting areas for side bets by the one
or more players who have made initial bets on one or both of the first and
second sets of defined betting areas.
[008] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic
game machine for a simulated card game for one or more players suitable for
betting includes an electronic display system for showing a simulated playing
surface having (a) a first set of defined betting areas, each displaying a
different
representation of a predetermined two card combination from a standard deck of
playing cards having four suits, each with thirteen cards, including numerical
cards from 2 to 10, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace and (b) a second set of
defined betting areas, each displaying a different representation of a
predetermined two card combination from the standard deck of cards. Each two
card combination of the first and second sets is different for any of the
other two
card combinations. The game machine also includes electronic means for
randomly generating and displaying simulated community cards from a group of
possible card simulations corresponding to a deck of playing cards containing
all of
the cards of a standard deck of playing cards, except the cards in the first
and
second sets represented on the simulated playing surface. There are also means
for placing bets by one or more players on one or more of the two card
combinations, the bet placing means including means for distinguishing bets
placed by one player from bets placed by any other players in the simulated
card
game.
[009] In the exemplary version of the aforementioned electronic game
machine, the electronic display system includes electronic means for
showing both low and high card betting areas for side bets by the one or
more players who have made one or more initial bets on one or more of
the displayed two card combinations.
[0010] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a
betting-type game apparatus for one or more players to play a real or
simulated card game comprises means for providing a real or simulated
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playing surface displaying (a) a first set of five predetermined betting
indicia, each indicating a two card combination from a standard deck of
playing cards having four suits, each with thirteen cards, including
numerical cards from 2 to 10, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace and (b) a
second set of five predetermined betting indicia, each indicating a two card
combination from the standard deck of playing cards. Each two card
combination of the first and second sets is different than any of the other
two card combinations. This game apparatus also has means for randomly
providing real or simulated community playing cards corresponding to any
of the cards of the standard deck not including any cards indicated in the
two card combinations of the first and second sets. There are also means
for placing bets on one or more of the two card combinations of the first
and second sets.
[0011] In an exemplary version of the aforementioned game apparatus,
the means for providing a real or simulated playing surface provides a
playing surface that displays card color betting indicia divided equally
between red card indicia and black card indicia. Each of the card color
betting indicia specifies a number of dealt or displayed community playing
cards in a complete hand of the card game that will be from the two red
suits or that will be from the two black suits. The bet placing mechanism
of the apparatus includes means for making a bet or bets on the actual
number of dealt or displayed community playing cards being from the two
red suits in the complete hand or the actual number of these community
playing cards being from the black suits in the complete hand.
[0012] These and other aspects of the disclosed apparatus, machines,
systems and methods of playing card games or simulated card games will
become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art
from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] So those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present
disclosure pertains will more readily understand how to make and use the
subject invention, exemplary embodiments thereof will be described in
detail here and below with reference to the drawings, wherein:
[0014] Figure 1 is a top view of a playing surface for a betting-type card
game
apparatus constructed in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0015] Figure 2 is a detail view of sections of the playing surface of Figure
1, this
view showing card color betting areas;
[0016] Figure 3 is a detail view of two further sections of the playing
surface of
Figure 1, this view showing two sets of defined betting areas;
[0017] Figure 4 is a view showing two additional sections of the playing
surface
of Figure 1, this view showing a low card betting area and a high card betting
area
for side bets;
[0018] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a table having a top with the playing
surface of Figure 1;
[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating how a card game can be played
with the playing surface of Figure 1, a deck of playing cards and betting
chips of
different colors; and
[0020] Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the front and one side of an
electronic game machine.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0021] An exemplary playing surface 10 for a betting-type card game for
one or more players is illustrated in Figures 1 and 5. As illustrated in
Figure 5, this playing surface can be painted, drawn or otherwise formed
on a top 12 of a playing table 14 which can be supported on legs or posts
16. The illustrated table top has side and end areas 18 and 20 which can,
for example be used to hold betting chips suitable for the game. A few of
these chips 22 are illustrated in Figure 1 where they are drawn to indicate
different colors. The card game can be played with sets of these betting
chips 22 for the players to place bets on the playing surface as described
hereinafter. Each set of these betting chips has means for distinguishing
each betting chip of one set from betting chips of the other sets so that
each betting chip indicates the player to whom it belongs during play of
the game. For example each set of chips can have a different color
including red, white, blue, purple, etc. However instead of or in addition
to different colours, each set of chips can bear different indicia to identify
the player who has placed the bet. The indicia might comprise different
letters, symbols or pictures.
[0022] Turning to the configuration of the playing surface 10 shown in
Figure 1 the surface includes first and second sets of defined betting areas
each displaying a different representation of a predetermined two card
combination of a standard deck of playing cards. The first set is indicated
at 26 and extends across the top of the playing surface as shown in Figure
1. A second set 28 can extend either across the center of the playing
surface as shown in Figure 1 or across the bottom of the playing surface
as shown in Figure 5. The two sets 26, 28 are shown separately in Figure
2. Figure 3 shows only indicia in the form of names of the cards rather
than a full representation of each card of each two card combination. As
illustrated, each of the two sets comprises five different combinations of
two playing cards with the total number of cards in the combined two sets
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being twenty. It will be understood that a standard deck of playing cards
has four suits which comprise clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. Each
suit in a standard deck has thirteen cards including numerical cards from 2
to 10, a jack, one of which is indicated at 30 in Figure 1, a queen, one of
which is indicated at 32, a king, one of which is indicated at 34, and an
ace, one of which is indicated at 36. An exemplary version of a card game
apparatus of the present disclosure includes, in addition to the playing
surface 10, a deck of playing cards containing all of the cards of the
aforementioned standard deck of playing cards except the cards in the first
and second sets 26, 28 represented on the playing surface. This deck of
playing cards is used during play of the card game to deal community or
communal cards to the one or more players in the card game. The chosen
ten combinations of two cards are identified by references 40 to 49 in
Figure 3. These ten two card combinations are selected on a
mathematical basis to equalize approximately each of the hands on the
probability to win taking into account the various bets that can be made
during one hand of the card game. Table 1 set out below indicates the
odds of obtaining various poker hand combinations for each of the two
card combinations. The total number of these poker combinations for
each two card combination is indicated in the right hand column.
Table 1
Royal Straight 4 of a Full Flush Straight 3 of a 2 Pair 1 pair Total
Flush Flush Kind House Kind
A-D/10-H 28 108 0 2219 1335 2033 958 1566 296 8543
(A-H/5-D) 0 1 404 3607 1258 2891 1914 1618 0 11693
K-C/K-S 0 1 4057 14849 2539 503 13653 0 922 36524
C J-S 0 1 0 2091 0 5940 1198 2033 0 11263
(Q-S/10-S) 0 1 0 1886 10568 6121 0 1182 0 19758
J-C 9-C 0 436 405 3867 10552 4920 1864 1059 0 23103
8-D 6-D 0 28 808 5514 10643 6023 3107 1792 0 27915
(7-S/7-D) 0 84 3997 10873 1 1837 7461 0 0 24252
4-H 2-H 0 23 807 3700 10472 3707 3386 1694 0 23789
(3-C/3-H) 0 82 3997 8046 0 1253 5798 0 0 19176
ALL HANDS 0 1 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 19
TOTALS 28 765 14475 56652 47367 35228 39339 10944 1218 206016
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[00231 The ten two card combinations 40-49 are permanent combinations
displayed on the playing surface. It will be understood that in the case of
an electronic video game machine 100 (see Figure 7) or one played using
a computer screen, these combinations can be displayed electronically on
a screen 101 during the play of game. The combination 40 comprises the
ace of diamonds and 10 of hearts while the combination 41 comprises the
king of clubs and king of spades. The combination 42 comprises the
queen of clubs and the jack of spades while the combination 43 comprises
the queen of spades and the 10 of spades. The final two card combination
of the first set is the combination 44 which comprises the jack of clubs and
the 9 of clubs. In the second set the first combination 45 on the left
comprises the 8 of diamonds and the 6 of diamonds while the combination
46 comprises the 7 of diamonds and the 7 of spades. The combination 47
comprises the 4 of hearts and the 2 of hearts while the next combination
48 comprises the 3 of clubs and the 3 of spades. The fifth combination 49
of the second set comprises the ace of spades and the 5 of diamonds. It
will be seen that four of the two card combinations comprise cards of the
same suit. The combination 43 comprises two spades while the
combination 44 comprises two clubs. The combination 45 comprises two
diamonds while the combination 47 comprises two hearts. It will be
understood that these four two card combinations represent all four suits.
Moreover, there are five cards of each of the four suits represented on the
first and second sets and in addition every card denomination is displayed
at least once amongst the cards of the two sets. It will also be understood
that the first set 26 displays high cards with the lowest card being the
numerical card 9 while the second set 28 displays low cards (since the ace
in combination 49 can be either high or low in poker). It will be
understood that the deck of thirty-two cards, none of which are
represented on the playing surface, is generally kept in a dealer's
possession and the cards are dealt when required during the play of the
game by the dealer. This is particularly true of a card game played in a
casino where the dealer is an employee of the casino. In a non-casino
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game, such as a private game or game played at home, it is possible for
one of the players to be a dealer as well.
[0024] An exemplary version of the playing surface 10 includes card color
betting areas indicated generally by reference 55. In the illustrated
exemplary playing surface there are six of these betting areas which are
shown separately in Figure 2 and identified separately by references 56-
61. These betting areas are divided equally between red card areas 56-58
and black card areas 59-61. In the playing surface shown in Figures 1 and
5, the six red and black card areas are on the lower half of the playing
surface. Each of the card color betting areas in the illustrated embodiment
specifies the number of dealt community cards in a complete hand that will
be from the two red suits in the deck (diamonds and hearts) or that will be
from the two black suits in the deck (clubs and spades). As indicated in
Figure 6, the player or players cannot only place bets at the beginning of
play on the first and second sets of defined betting areas 26, 28 but can
also place a bet or bets on the card color betting areas 56-61 prior to the
dealing of any community cards for a particular hand.
[0025] Table 2 set out below is an odds table showing the number of
possible hands that can satisfy the three red cards requirement of area 56,
the four red cards requirement of area 57, the five red cards requirement
of area 58, the three black cards requirement of betting area 59, the four
black cards requirement of betting area 60 and the five black cards
requirement of betting area 61. The number of possible hands meeting
each color requirement are listed horizontally beside the ten two-card
combinations of the first and second sets 26, 28 on the playing surface.
These ten two-card combinations are listed in the left hand column of
Table 2.
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Table 2
3 RED 4 RED 5 RED 3 BLACK 4 BLACK 5 BLACK TOTALS
A-D/10-H 1510 1349 522 2006 902 77 6366
(A-H/5-D) 2765 1158 439 4404 1981 267 11014
(K-C/K-S) 14747 6307 747 10463 3415 826 36505
C/3-S 3942 1463 176 2877 475 0 8933
-S/10-S 3000 899 36 6994 4957 967 16853
(J-C/9-C) 4802 1681 140 8925 5581 1032 22161
(8-D/6-D) 10315 5805 1067 7455 2959 295 27896
(7-S/7-D) 8470 2332 82 9429 3530 390 24233
(4-H/2-H) 8887 5508 1072 5853 2256 194 23770
(3-C/3-H) 6787 1887 62 7438 2706 277 19157
A/10 & A/5 136 66 0 237 179 42 660
A/10 & Q/10) 688 177 0 505 128 0 1498
/1 & /10 690 292 17 363 26 0 1388
J & 3/9 449 190 8 250 26 0 923
ALL HANDS 12 6 0 0 0 1 19
TOTALS 67200 29120 4368 67199 29121 4368 201376
Of the 5 community cards revealed during the course of a hand (see
Figure 6 which explains the steps involved in playing a hand), there can
only be six combinations of color which are as follows:
Combinations of color amongst five community cards
0 Red and 5 black
1 Red and 4 black
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2 red and 3 black
3 red and 2 black
4 red and 1 black
red and 0 black
[0026] This sequence is used to resolve the roulette type bets in which
players placed wagers on 3 red, 4 red, or 5 red amongst the 5 community
cards to be dealt by the dealer. In the event that all community cards are
the same color red, each of these wagers would win and pay out based on
a pay table. This pay table is set out below as Table 3.
Table 3
Royal Rush Pays 250-1
Straight Flush Pays 100-1
1 Pair Pays 15-1
2 Pair Pays 8-1
Regular Win Hand Pays 4-1
5 Red or Black 7-1
4 Red or Black 2-1
3 Red or Black 1-1
Low / High 1-1
Regu!anrinn'nq hands are the f l ing
4 Of A Kind
Full house
Fuhh
Straight
3Of A Kind
[0027] In the event that the five community cards when dealt contain only
3 red cards and 2 black cards, then a 3 red wager wins and would pay out
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1-1 in accordance with the pay table. Wagers on 4 red and 5 red would be
taken by the house.
[0028] A similar situation applies in the case of wagers placed on the
black card areas. If the players place wagers on 3 black, 4 black and 5
black and the 5 community cards when dealt are all black cards, then each
of these wagers would win with a payout based on the pay Table 3. On
the other hand, if wagers are placed on all 3 black card areas and the 5
community cards when dealt include only 4 black and 1 red card, then
wagers on 3 black and 4 black would win but wagers on 5 black would be
taken by the house.
[0029] An exemplary version of the playing surface 10 also has a low card
betting area 64 for side bets by the one or more players who have made
initial bets on one or both of the first and second sets of the defined
betting areas (26, 28). There is also a high card betting area 66 for
alternative side bets by the one or more players who have made the initial
bets in the game. Two low card and high card betting areas 64, 66 are
shown separately in Figure 4. If desired, these betting areas can be
placed at each end of the playing surface as shown in Figure 1 and they
can be rectangular, square, circular or another shape such as that shown
in Figure 4. Also as shown in Figure 4, the low card betting area 64
displays the indicia "LOW/2-7" in the center thereof. The high card betting
area 66 displays the indicia "HIGH/8-Ace". Optionally the words "Bet
made at river card" can be shown on each of these areas to remind the
players when these particular bets are to be made during the course of a
hand. In the case of the low card betting area 64, each of the side bets
during play of the game made by placing chips on this area is a bet that
one of the community cards to be dealt from the deck will be one of the
numerical cards in the card deck having a value equal to or less than a
predetermined value. In an exemplary version of the card game the bet is
made at the river card, which is the card in the deck that precedes the
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fifth and last community card. Thus the bets placed on the betting areas
64, 66 in this particular version of the game concern the last community
card to be dealt by the dealer in the hand. Moreover, in an exemplary
version of the card game, a bet on the low card area 64 is a bet that the
last community card will have a value equal to or less than 7 and will not
be an ace which, for purposes of this bet is treated as a high card.
[0030] An alternative bet placed on the high card betting area 66 during
play of the game is a bet that the community card to be dealt will be
higher in assigned value than the aforementioned predetermined value.
Again, in the exemplary version of the card game, the community card on
which this bet is placed is the last or fifth card and in order for a bet to
win
when placed on the betting area 66 the card must have a value of 8 or
higher or, in other words, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, or ace.
[0031] To further explain the side bet option, in order to make either the
low card bet on area 64 or the high card bet on area 66 the player or
players must be current players in the game. When they are required to
place the side bets on area 64, 66 they will have seen the first four
community cards dealt by the dealer. For purposes of the side bet they are
required to predict either that the fifth community card will be a low card
or a high card.
[0032] Table 4 below shows if the indicated cards are in the dealer's hand
(indicated by letter Y) or if they are on the playing board or surface
(indicated by the letter N).
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TABLE 4
Diamonds Hearts Clubs Spades
2 Y N Y Y
3 Y N N Y
4 Y N Y Y
5 N Y Y Y
6 N Y y y
7 N Y Y N
Total (16) Low/Red (3) Low/Red (3) Low/Black (5) Low/Black (5)
Total (16) High/Red (5) High/Red (5) High (3) High (3)
8 N Y Y Y
9 Y Y N Y
10 Y N Y N
J Y Y N N
Q Y Y N N
K Y Y N N
A N N Y Y
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16
J S J J S J
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CA 02752357 2011-09-15
17
[0033] Table 5 shown above is an odds table showing the odds for the
fifth community card to be either low or high.
[0034] To explain these odds further, if the four revealed community
cards are all high cards and if the three discarded cards were actually
three low cards and zero high cards, then the remaining twenty-five cards
in the deck would be thirteen low cards versus twelve high cards. In this
case, the percentage of low versus high for the last card is 52% to 48%.
However, in the same situation where there are four high community cards
shown, the percentages will change if the three discarded cards were two
low cards and one high card. In this case, of the remaining twenty-five
cards in the deck, there would be fourteen low cards versus eleven high
cards, so that the percentage for a low community card is 56% versus
44% for a high card.
[0035] To consider one further example, take the situation if the four
community cards include only one high card and three low cards. Then, if
one assumes that the three discarded cards contained two low cards and
one high card, the chances of the remaining community card being low is
44% while the chances of this card being high is 56%.
METHOD OF PLAYING THE CARD GAME
[0036] Figure 6 illustrates how an exemplary betting-type card game can
be played using the above described game apparatus. It will be
understood that in the case of a corresponding electronic game machine,
such as the machine 100 shown in Figure 7, there can and will be some
differences in the manner in which the electronic version of the game is
played as will be explained hereinafter. Normally, the first step in the
manual game played with an actual set of playing cards is the shuffling of
the deck of thirty-two cards by a dealer. This first step is indicated at 78.
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The dealer starts with an open, clear table with no bets on the playing
surface. The deck of cards can be shuffled either manually or with the use
of a mechanical device prior to wagers being placed on the playing surface
10.
[0037] The next step 80 involves the player or players placing at least one
bet by placing wagers in the form of betting chips on the designated
betting areas of the playing surface, these being the first and second sets
26, 28 of defined betting areas and the card color betting areas 56 to 61.
In order that the bets of the players can be distinguished during the
course of play, each player is given and assigned a separate individual
color for his betting chips. The card game can be played by as few as one
player up to a maximum of ten players at a single time. This does not limit
any changes to the number of participants per gaming table over the
course of time. After the wagers are completed, the dealer deals the so-
called flop which comprises the first three community cards. These cards
are dealt normally after the top card of the deck is discarded, without
revealing the card's value. At all times while dealing the deck of cards is
held so that the cards are face down. The first, second and third
community cards comprising the flop are dealt face up onto the table or
playing surface. The dealer calls out the card values to the players and will
indicate the current winning hand. For example, if the first community card
is the ace of clubs, the second community card is the 6 of hearts and the
third community card is the queen of diamonds, the current winning hand
at the time (chosen between the ten two-card combinations) would be the
ace of Diamonds and ten of Hearts, this hand having a pair of aces. After
this procedure and in accordance with the rules of Texas Holdem, the
dealer can optionally discard the second card from the top of the deck
without revealing the card's value. After this discard, the dealer draws the
fourth community card face-up onto the table and announces its card
value to the players. He again indicates the current winning hand.
Assuming that the fourth community card is an 8 of hearts and the other
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three community cards are as indicated above, the current winning hand
would be the hand which includes the two card combination having the 8
of diamonds since a hand of five cards would have two pairs. Also, at this
stage, there would be one black community card and three community red
cards indicating that a bet on the three red betting areas is already
guaranteed a payoff.
[00381 In the next step 84 of the game, the player or players currently
participating in the game play by having made initial bets have an option
of betting side bets in the high/low betting areas 64, 66. In an exemplary
version of the game, the maximum allowed bet for each player is equal to
the current individual bet in play by that player. The minimum bet is
whatever amount has been set by the house as a minimum. In an
exemplary version of the game, the dealer will announce the number of
high community cards and the number of low community cards showing.
Then, each player participating in the game must decide on whether or not
to make the side bet as to whether the fifth community card will be in the
low numerical range of two to seven or the high range being eight to ace.
Also, players have the opportunity at this time to see, on the basis of the
community cards showing, whether they have no chance of winning or
currently winning, and they may wish to place a side bet in order to break
even by doubling up and correctly predicting the outcome of the fifth
community card. The player will, of course, lose or bust if he or she does
not correctly predict the outcome of the fifth community card.
[00391 As an example, a first player in the game may see that he is
currently winning on the two card combination 8 of diamonds and 6 of
diamonds with two pairs and he sees that the odds are in the low card's
favour with the possibility of 48% to 60% compared to the win percentage
of 40-52% for the high cards. This player may then choose to wager
$10.00 if this is the current maximum that the player can wager on low.
CA 02752357 2011-09-15
[00401 After all of the players in the game have decided on and placed
their side bets, the dealer then deals the river card at step 86, the river
card being a discard. Then at step 88 the dealer deals the fifth and last
community card and determines the outcome of the roulette type bets,
that is, the bets made on the red and black card color betting areas 56 to
61. At step 89, all bets are resolved with the dealer announcing all winning
hands. Assuming that the fifth community card which was dealt face-up
onto the table was a queen of hearts, then the best card hand (assuming
the other community are as indicated above) is the two card combination
comprising the 4 of hearts and the 2 of hearts, this hand winning with a
flush comprising five heart cards. Also, as there are three red cards
showing, both the card color betting area 56 (three red cards) and the
color card betting area 57 (four red cards) constitute winning bets. In the
case of the side or optional bet on the denomination of the fifth community
card, bets placed on the high card betting area 66 win, in this example. As
indicated by block 90, the winning players will get paid based on the pay
table chart (see Table 3). The final step 92 to complete the hand is that all
losing bets placed by the players are taken by the dealer and go to the
house. It has been calculated that the casino's average rate in the
exemplary version of the game will be 32.5% straight from the table and
without paying from house funds.
[00411 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the construction of
electronic game machines which simulate card games suitable for betting
that the above described betting-type card game can readily be
implemented by means of an electronic game machine such as video
machine 100 shown in Figure 7, with a video display or screen 101. This
video display can be provided by an electronic display system capable of
showing a simulated playing surface 103 which includes in electronic form
of the above described first and second sets 26, 28 of defined betting
areas, each displaying a different representation of a predetermined two
card combination. Also, instead of providing a deck of actual cards for the
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play of the game as described above, there can be provided electronic
means for randomly generating and displaying simulated community cards
from a group of possible card simulations that corresponds to a deck of
playing cards containing all of the cards of the standard deck of playing
cards, except the cards in the first and second sets represented on the
simulated playing surface. The electronic game machine can also include
means for placing bets by one or more players on one or more of the
displayed two card combinations. The bet placing mechanism can be a
button or touch screen 109 arranged on the front of the machine. This bet
placing system includes means for distinguishing the bets placed by one
player from any bets placed by other players in the simulated card game.
Figure 7 shows one or more buttons or touch screen areas 110,111 for a
player to indicate the amount of the bet being placed. For example, the
button 110 can be used to make one dollar ($1) bet while the button 111
could be pressed to bet five dollars ($5).
[00421 If desired, the aforementioned electronic display system in an
electronic game machine can include electronic means for showing both a
low card betting area for side bets by one or more of the players as well as
a high card betting area for alternative side bets by these players who
have made initial bets in the game. These low and high card betting areas
can be for the same type of side bets as the physical playing surface areas
64, 66 illustrated in Figure 1. It is also possible to provide separate
button(s) or touch screen(s) (not shown) for selecting and placing a low
card bet or a high card bet in accordance with this betting option.
[00431 Furthermore, the electronic display system of this electronic game
machine can, in an exemplary version of the machine, have means for
showing simulated card color betting areas divided equally between red
card areas and black card areas, these areas corresponding to the physical
card color betting areas 56 to 61 shown in Figure 3. The electronic game
machine would offer the player or players the same opportunity to place a
CA 02752357 2011-09-15
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bet or bets that correspond to the bets placed in the above described
betting areas 56 to 61.
[00441 Additional exemplary features of the video machine 100 shown in
Figure 7 include electronic means 102 for displaying credits to which the
player or players are entitled, electronic means 104 for displaying the total
bet in play, and electronic means 105 for displaying the next wager. The
illustrated machine 100 can also be equipped with a cash out ticket slot
106, a money slot 107 for receiving cash to play the game, and a cash out
button 108 for use at the end of game play. Such features are well known
in the video game industry and therefore are not described in detail
herein. An additional button 112 can be provided on the machine for use
in starting game play. Simulated community cards generated by the
electronic means for randomly generating and displaying the simulated
cards can be displayed on the screen as well (not shown).
[00451 While the present invention has been illustrated and described as
embodied in various exemplary embodiments, i.e., embodiments having
particular utility for playing a betting-type card game or simulated card
game, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the
details shown herein, since it will be understood that various omissions,
modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the
disclosed apparatus, machine and methods of use may be made by those
skilled in this art without departing in any way from the scope of the
present invention. For example, those of ordinary skill in the art will
readily adapt the present disclosure for various other applications, without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
