METHODS USING AN INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAMING PLATFORM
A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows for rules of play of one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
1 . A method of operating an interactive video gaming platform, the interactive video gaming platform comprising a participant bank structure and an adjacent display cabinet, the participant bank structure comprising multiple participant stations about a first common video display area in a surface of the participant bank structure, the video gaming platform further comprising at least one processor programmed to execute instructions according to a set of rules defining an ordered combination of steps, the ordered combination of steps, in a round of the method, comprising:
the at least one processor receiving an ante instruction input at one participant station of the multiple participant stations, the ante instruction designating an ante amount to be resolved based on relative rank of a participant hand to a dealer hand;
the at least one processor instructing the first common video display area to display, face down, two cards for the participant hand and to display, face down, two other cards for the dealer hand;
after instructing the first common video display area to display the two cards for the participant hand and the two other cards for the dealer hand, the at least one processor receiving an initial election instruction input at the one participant station, the initial election instruction selected during the round at the one participant station between initial options provided at the one participant station, the initial options consisting of both of:
an initial check instruction, and
at least one initial play instruction, each of the at least one play instruction being at least 3× the ante amount and designated to also be resolved based on the relative rank of the participant hand to the dealer hand;
after receiving the initial election instruction, the at least one processor instructing the first common video display area to display, face up, three additional cards for a group of community cards;
after display of the three additional cards and absent prior receipt of the at least one initial play instruction, the at least one processor receiving an interim election instruction input at the one participant station, the interim election instruction selected during the round at the one participant station between interim option provided at the one participant station, the interim options consisting of both of:
an interim check instruction, and
an interim play instruction of 2× the ante amount and designated to also be resolved based on the relative rank of the participant hand to the dealer hand;
after receiving the interim election instruction, the at least one processor instructing the first common video display area to display, face up, two final cards for the group of community cards; and
after display of the two final cards and after all cards for the participant hand have been displayed, the at least one processor receiving a final election instruction input at the one participant station, the final election instruction selected during the round at the one participant station between final options provided at the one participant station, the final options consisting both of:
a fold instruction, and
a final play instruction of 1× the ante amount and designated to also be resolved based on the relative rank of the participant hand to the dealer hand,
the at least one processor being programmed to receive, during the round and input at the one participant station, no more than one of:
the at least one initial play instruction,
the interim play instruction, and
the final play instruction.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, before the display of the two cards for the participant hand and the two other cards for the dealer hand, the at least one processor receiving a side event instruction input at the one participant station, the side event instruction designated to be resolved based on application of a predefined side event pay table to a rank of the participant hand.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined side event pay table defines a set of odds payouts applicable to the rank of the participant hand.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of community cards consists of five cards consisting of the three additional cards and the two final cards.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, after the receipt of the final election instruction, the at least one processor identifying the rank of the participant hand, the participant hand consisting of five cards selected from the two cards for the participant hand and the five cards from the group of community cards.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, after the receipt of the final election instruction, the at least one processor identifying the rank of the dealer hand, the dealer hand consisting of five cards selected from the two other cards for the dealer hand and the five cards from the group of community cards.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, before the display of the two cards for the participant hand and the two other cards for the dealer hand, the at least one processor receiving a blind instruction designating a blind amount equal to the ante amount.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, after the receipt of the final election instruction, the at least one processor applying a predefined blind event pay table to a rank of the participant hand for the rank of the participant hand outranking a rank of the dealer hand.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the predefined blind event pay table defines a set of hand ranks qualifying for blind event payouts.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the set of hand ranks qualifying for the blind event payouts does not include a rank of a pair.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the set of hand ranks qualifying for the blind event payouts does not include a rank of a three-of-a-kind.
12 . A method of operating an interactive video gaming platform, the interactive video gaming platform comprising a participant bank structure and an adjacent display cabinet, the participant bank structure comprising multiple participant stations about a first common display area in a surface of the participant bank structure, the video gaming platform further comprising at least one processor programmed to execute instructions, according to a combination of steps, comprising, in the following order:
receive an ante instruction and a blind instruction input at a participant station of the multiple participant stations;
instruct the first common video display area to display two cards for a participant hand;
receive an initial election instruction input at the participant station and selected during the round at the participant station from initial options consisting of:
a check instruction, and
a play instruction from a range defining a minimum multiple of the ante instruction;
instruct the first common video display area to display rank and suit of three community cards;
receive an interim election instruction input at the participant station and selected during the round at the participant station from interim options consisting of:
another check instruction, and
another play instruction of an interim multiple of the ante instruction less than the minimum multiple of the initial options;
instruct the first common display area to display rank and suit of two other community cards, the two other community cards being final cards displayed during the round;
receive a final election instruction input at the participant station and selected during the round at the participant station from final options consisting of:
a fold instruction, and
a final play instruction of a final multiple less than the interim multiple of the interim options; and
resolve each of:
the ante instruction,
the blind instruction, and
only one of the play instruction from the initial options, the another play instruction of the interim options, and the final play instruction of the final options.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the minimum multiple of the range of the initial options is 3× the ante instruction.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the range of the initial options further defines a maximum multiple of 4× the ante instruction.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the interim multiple is 2× the ante instruction.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the final multiple is 1× the ante instruction.
17 . A method of operating an interactive video gaming platform, the interactive video gaming platform comprising a plurality of participant stations about a common display and comprising at least one processor programmed to, during a round of the method, execute a combined order of steps, the combined order of steps comprising:
receiving an ante instruction and a blind instruction input at a participant station of the plurality of participant stations;
instruct the common display to display, over a series of at least two card dealing events, two cards designated for a participant hand, two cards designated for a dealer hand, and five cards designated as community cards available for both the participant hand and the dealer hand; and
until a play instruction is received, execute a play election event after each of the card dealing events, executing the play election event comprising receiving an election input at the participant station from a limited set of options, the limited set of options consisting of:
in each executed play election event, the play instruction limited to a predefined multiple or a predefined range of multiples of the ante instruction that lowers with each executed play election event,
in each executed play election event prior to a final play election event, a check instruction, and
in only the final play election event, a fold instruction,
wherein the final play election event follows a final card dealing event of the at least two card dealing events.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the series of at least two card dealing events comprises at least two card dealing events, comprising:
an initial card dealing event comprising the at least one processor instructing the common display to display the two cards designated for the participant hand and the cards designated for the dealer hand; and
at least one subsequent card dealing event comprising the at least one processor instructing the common display to display the five cards designated as the community cards.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one subsequent card dealing event comprises:
a second card dealing event comprising the at least one processor instructing the common display to display three of the five cards designated as the community cards; and
a third card dealing event comprising the at least one processor instructing the common display to display a final two of the five cards designated as the community cards.