IP Library Granted Patent US 12,354,447
Granted Patent B2
US 12,354,447 · App. 18/657,244 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Selective re-deals for draw poker no-hold initial hands

Inventors: Kera Skillings (Hornell, NY); Benjamin R. Holsclaw (Sparks, NV); Christopher John Richardson (Reno, NV); Bradley James Fredella (Henderson, NV)
Assignee: IGT
G07F17/3293G07F17/3262
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,354,447
App. No.
18/657,244
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The gaming systems and methods provide selective re-deals for no-hold initial hands for plays of a draw poker game, wherein each of the no-hold initial hands includes no pairs of Jacks or better, no two pairs, no three-of-a-kinds, no four-of-a-kinds, no straights, no flushes, no full houses, no straight flushes, no matching pairs of 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, or 10s, no combinations of cards that are missing one card from forming a straight, a flush, or a straight flush, and no royal cards.

Claims (46)

1. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for a play of a draw poker game that comprises one of a plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to:

cause a display, by a display device, of an indication of a no-hold hand meter that indicates a replacement of a no-hold initial hand is available to be employed for the play of the draw poker game;

cause a display, by the display device, of the no-hold initial hand comprising a first plurality of cards;

cause a display, by the display device, of an indication that the no-hold initial hand is a no-hold hand;

cause a display, by the display device, of an activatable replace no-hold initial hand input button and an indication of activation of the replace no-hold initial hand input button;

cause a display, by the display device, of a second initial hand comprising a second plurality of cards;

cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the draw poker game; and

cause a display, by the display device, for each card of the second initial hand that is not held for the play of the draw poker game, of a replacement card in place of that card, such that the second initial hand is displayed in a completed form.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the draw poker game is a multi-hand draw poker game.

3. The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game in each of a plurality of additional hands of the multi-hand draw poker game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand replacing the display of the no-hold initial hand.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand replacing the display of the no-hold initial hand after the activatable replace no-hold initial hand input button is activated.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each of the no-hold initial hands comprises a plurality of cards of a deck of cards, and wherein based on the deck of cards and a paytable for the draw poker game, the expected value of the play of the draw poker game is maximized by holding none of the cards of that initial hand for the play of the draw poker game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each of the no-hold initial hands comprises: no winning card combinations based on a paytable for the draw poker game, no matching pairs of cards, no combinations of cards that are missing one card from forming a straight, a flush, or a straight flush, and no royal cards.

8. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for a play of a draw poker game that comprises one of a plurality of different initial hands that has an expected below a designated expected value to

cause a display, by a display device, of the initial hand comprising a first plurality of cards;

cause a display, by the display device, of an indication that the initial hand can be replaced with an alternative initial hand;

cause a display, by the display device, of a second initial hand comprising a second plurality of cards replacing the display of the initial hand;

cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the draw poker game; and

cause a display, by the display device, for each card of the second initial hand that is not held for the play of the draw poker game, of a replacement card in place of that card, such that the second initial hand is displayed in a completed form.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the draw poker game is a multi-hand draw poker game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game in each of a plurality of additional hands of the multi-hand draw poker game.

11. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand replacing the display of the first initial hand.

12. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein an expected value of the play of the draw poker game is maximized by holding none of the cards of that initial hand for the play of the draw poker game.

13. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the initial hand comprises: no winning card combinations based on a paytable for the draw poker game;

no matching pairs of cards; no combinations of cards that are missing one card from forming a straight, a flush, or a straight flush, and no royal cards.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for a play of a draw poker game that comprises one of a plurality of different no-hold initial hands:

cause a display, by a display device, of the no-hold initial hand comprising a first plurality of cards,

cause a display, by the display device, of an indication that the no-hold initial hand is a no-hold hand,

cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of information regarding a second initial hand;

cause a display, by the display device, of an activatable replace no-hold initial hand input button and an indication of activation of the replace no-hold initial hand input button,

cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand comprising a second plurality of cards,

cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the draw poker game, and

cause a display, by the display device, for each card of the second initial hand that is not held for the play of the draw poker game, a replacement card in place of that card, such that the second initial hand is displayed in a completed form.

15. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein the draw poker game is a multi-hand draw poker game, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the second initial hand that are held for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game in each of a plurality of additional hands of the multi-hand draw poker game.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for a play of the multi-hand draw poker game that does not comprise one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of any cards of the initial hand that are held for the play of the multi-hand draw poker game in each of a plurality of additional hands of the multi-hand draw poker game.

17. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand replacing the display of the no-hold initial hand.

18. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, for the play of the draw poker game that comprises one of the plurality of different no-hold initial hands, to: cause a display, by the display device, of the second initial hand replacing the display of the first initial hand after the activatable replace no-hold initial hand input button is activated.

19. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein each of the no-hold initial hands comprises a plurality of cards of a deck of cards, and wherein based on the deck of cards and a paytable for the draw poker game, the expected value of the play of the draw poker game is maximized by holding none of the cards of that initial hand for the play of the draw poker game.

20. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein each of the no-hold initial hands comprises: no pairs of Jacks or better, no two pairs, no three-of-a-kinds, no four-of-a-kinds, no straights, no flushes, no full houses, no straight flushes, no matching pairs of 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, or 10s, no combinations of cards that are missing one card from forming a straight, a flush, or a straight flush, and no royal cards.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2025
From: IGT
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071817/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2024
From: SKILLINGS, KERA; HOLSCLAW, BENJAMIN R.; RICHARDSON, CHRISTOPHER JOHN, DR.; FREDELLA, BRADLEY JAMES
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 067351/0379 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17662703 · May 10, 2022
Related Publication 20240290181A1 · Aug 29, 2024
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