IP Library Granted Patent US 7,331,579
Granted Patent B2
US 7,331,579 · App. 10/437,726 · Granted Feb 19, 2008

Poker game with dealer disqualifying hand

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,331,579
App. No.
10/437,726
Granted
Feb 19, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of playing a poker-type wagering game is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: a) placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand; b) placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands; c) a dealer dealing at least two hands of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game; d) and when the dealer's first hand meets or exceeds a predetermined high ranking hand value, discarding the first hand and playing the second hand; e) each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player's hand of cards to stay in the game; f) resolving each player hand against the dealer hand; g) paying the player on the Ante and Bet if the player's hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer; and h) paying the player on the Super Bonus bet if the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands. The game is preferably played with three cards in a hand, and has additional features such as an optional side bet on the occurrence of a predetermined winning poker hand.

Claims (51)

1. A method of playing a poker-type wagering game, comprising:

placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand;

placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands;

a dealer dealing at least two hands of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game;

and when the dealer's first hand meets or exceeds a predetermined high ranking hand value, discarding the first hand and playing the second hand;

each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player's hand of cards to stay in the game;

resolving each player hand against the dealer hand;

paying the player on the Ante and Bet if the player's hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer; and

paying the player on the Super Bonus bet if the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of cards in each hand is selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, five, six or seven cards.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of cards in each hand is three cards.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dealer deals both of the at least two hands to the dealer position prior to the start of the game.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dealer's hand must qualify to play with a predetermined minimum hand ranking.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined high ranking hand value is a flush.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is collected by the house if the player's hand is lower ranking than the dealer's hand.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein if the dealer does not qualify, and the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Super Bonus bet is a push.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the player is paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, regardless of the ranking of the dealer's hand.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the player is only paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, providing that the dealer's hand meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum qualifying ranking.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ante and Bet are equal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ante and Super Bonus bets are equal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the Ante, Bet and Super Bonus bets are unequal.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is resolved against a pay table.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is paid according a payment method from the group consisting of: a fixed payout amount, a pay table with predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds, and at least a portion of a progressive payout amount.

16. A method of playing a poker-type wagering game, comprising:

placing a mandatory Ante bet to participate in a poker-type card game against a dealer hand;

placing a mandatory Super Bonus bet on the occurrence of one of a predetermined plurality of winning poker hands;

a dealer dealing at least one hand of cards to the dealer position and a hand of cards to each player participating in the game;

each player qualifying to play with a minimum predetermined poker ranking;

each player placing an additional mandatory Bet after viewing at least the player's hand of cards to stay in the game;

resolving each player hand against the dealer hand;

when the player's hand qualifies with a minimum predetermined poker ranking, paying the player on the Ante Bet when the player's hand ranking exceeds that of the dealer;

when the player's hand does not qualify but the player hand beats the dealer hand, returning the Super Bonus bet to the player; and

paying the player on the Super Bonus bet when the player hand is one of a plurality of predetermined winning poker hands.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a number of cards in each hand is selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, five, six or seven cards.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a number of cards in each hand is three cards.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the dealer deals two hands to the dealer position, and the dealer plays with the first hand unless the ranking meets or exceeds a preselected hand ranking, wherein the dealer discards the first hand and plays the second hand.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the dealer's hand must qualify to play with a predetermined minimum hand ranking.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the preselected high ranking hand value is a flush.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is collected by the house if the player's hand is lower ranking than the dealer's hand.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein if the dealer does not qualify, and the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Super Bonus bet is a push.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the player is paid on the Super Bonus bet for obtaining one of a predetermined number of winning poker hands, regardless of the ranking of the dealer's hand.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the player is only paid for obtaining one of a predetermined winning poker hands, providing that the dealer's hand meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum qualifying ranking.

26. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Ante and Bet are equal.

27. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Ante and Super Bonus bets must be equal.

28. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least two of the Ante, Bet and Super Bonus bets are unequal.

29. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is resolved against a pay table.

30. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Super Bonus bet is paid according a payment method from the group consisting of: a fixed payout amount, a pay table with predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds, and at least a portion of a progressive payout amount.

31. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising the step of placing an optional wager on the occurrence of one of a predetermined number of winning card combinations.

32. The method of claim 16 , and further comprising the step of placing an optional wager on the occurrence of one of a predetermined number of winning card combinations.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the player is paid odds on the optional wager for one of a predetermined winning poker hand combinations.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the player is paid odds on the optional wager for one of a predetermined winning poker hand combinations.

Assignments (18)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 9076307 AND THE OTHER 19 PROPERTIES LISTED ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE ATTACHMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051643 FRAME: 0044. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Mar 21, 2023
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 063122/0655 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; DON BEST SPORTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059756/0397 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 19, 2020
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051643/0044 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (RELEASES REEL/FRAME 034530/0318) Recorded Nov 5, 2018
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
Reel/Frame 047924/0701 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045909/0513 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044889/0662 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (RELEASES RF 031744/0825) Recorded Jul 25, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.,FORMERLY KNOWN AS SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 043326/0668 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 4, 2014
From: BALLY GAMING, INC; SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC; WMS GAMING INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034530/0318 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 3, 2014
From: BALLY GAMING, INC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034535/0094 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2014
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC; ARCADE PLANET, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC; BALLY GAMING INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SIERRA DESIGN GROUP
Reel/Frame 034501/0049 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 18, 2014
From: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
To: BALLY GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 033766/0248 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 20, 2014
From: SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
To: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Reel/Frame 032092/0407 →
AMENDED AND RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2013
From: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 031744/0825 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 25314/0772 Recorded Nov 25, 2013
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: SHFL ENTERTAINMENT, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 031721/0715 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2011
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 025941/0313 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NA, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 025314/0772 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 19, 2006
From: SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 018645/0715 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2003
From: SNOW, ROGER M.
To: SHUFFLE MASTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 014469/0826 →