WO1999064128A1

WO1999064128A1 - Seven suns casino poker

Info

Publication number: WO1999064128A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/011846
Authority: WO
Inventors: Larry I. Derycke
Original assignee: Game Master, Acquisitions, Development & Marketing Co., Inc.
Priority date: 1998-06-09
Filing date: 1999-05-28
Publication date: 1999-12-16
Also published as: AU4318399A

Abstract

A method of playing a poker game. Dealer deals two cards to each player, and two cards to the dealer. Players decide to bet and stay in or fold, then three community cards, are dealt face up, at the center of the table (21). Players decide to bet and stay in or fold, based on the player's assessment of the poker hand formed by their two-card hand combined with the community cards. A fourth community card is dealt face up, and players again decide to stay or fold. Dealer deals a fifth community card, and determines the winning hand based on which player (or dealer) holds the best five-card poker hand made from the five community cards and the two-card player hands. The poker table (12) has a card hand area (15), bet area (14) at each player position and at dealer position (17), a chip rack (16), a discard area (20) and a pot area (19).

Description

SEVEN SUNS CASINO POKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to a card game, and is especially directed to a method of playing poker in casino conditions. The invention more particularly concerns a method of dealing and placing wagers on card hands, in which player hands are dealt at respective player positions and community cards, which are used in common with the players' and with the dealer's hands, are dealt to a community card area on the poker table.

2. Background Art

Poker has been, and remains, a popular card game, and is often one of the games offered at casinos and gambling resorts. It has become common in the modern casino to place the poker tables in a room separate form the rest of the games offered. This is necessary to afford the players a less confused atmosphere for playing the game. This practice facilitates playing for the experienced poker players, who have attained a high level of skill in playing poker. Unfortunately, this same practice tends to intimidate the novice or would-be player, and discourages them from sitting in on a poker game. New players often feel that the special treatment given to regular poker players is indicative of a special status or ability, rather than reflecting the need to keep the poker tables free from the distractions of the other games. Thus, the need for separating the poker games from the main casino floor, while permitting concentration and assisting play for the experienced poker player, discourages possible new players.

On the other hand, modern casinos desire to provide even the casual guest with the excitement and challenges of poker. Therefore, it has been desired to provide the new or would-be player with a game that has the flavor of poker, but does not require the skill level that the normal, winner-take-all pot games require. It has also been desired to place a form of poker out on the main floor of the casino, where a player can try a hand, or a few hands, in close proximity to other gaming tables, such as Black Jack, Paigow, Let-it- Ride, Caribbean Stud, and others.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a form of casino poker which has the flavor of regular poker, but does not require immediate skills for the player to have success. It is a related object to provide the inexperienced player with an entertaining casino poker game which does not require the skills of a regular poker player, and which will give the novice player an opportunity to develop poker skills while playing the game. It is another object to provide a casino poker game which can be placed on the main floor of the casino in the vicinity of other popular games, rather than in a separate poker room.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a game of casino poker is provided, wherein a dealer deals cards to player positions on a table for one or more additional players who bet on the value of card hands dealt to them. The game is played according to the following steps:

The dealer, standing at a dealer position at the table, deals cards from a standard poker deck, one card at a time, face up, to each player position and deals two cards to dealer, until the players and dealer have two cards, laying face up, as their respective card hands. (Preferably, Dealer's cards are initially lying face down, and are turned over at the next phase.) The players then decide to stay or fold based on each player's estimate of the potential value of the player's card hand relative to the card hands of the other players. The players should stay or fold in turn. The dealer then deals three cards face up as community cards to a community card area in view of all players and dealer. Here the dealer turns over his or her two cards so that they now lie face up. Again, the players each decide, in turn, to stay or fold, based on each player's estimate of the value of the player's two card hand when combined with the three community cards, relative to the card hands of the other players and dealer combined with the same community cards. The dealer then deals a fourth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card, after which the players again decide to stay or fold. The dealer now deals a fifth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card. After this, the winning hand is determined, as among the dealer and players who have not folded, based on the respective card hands and five community cards, according to a pre-established poker ranking system. Normally, the game would be played using a straight deck of 52 cards, i.e., two through ace in each of four suits, with no Joker and no wild cards, and with traditional poker ranking, i.e., high card, one pair, two pair, three-of-a-kind, straight, flush, full house, straight flush, four-of-a kind, and royal flush, in ascending order. However, the game could also be played with a Joker, or with certain cards wild, such as deuces, one-eyed jacks, etc., if desired. In a preferred mode of play, the dealer removes one burn card from the deck prior to each distribution of cards, and the burn card is placed, unseen and facedown, in the discard area. Generally, the players all ante by placing a bet, e.g., a chip or other wager token, on the table at the commencement of play. After the two cards are dealt to each player and dealer, the players in turn place another ante, i.e., another wager token, in the betting area or in the pot, if they decide to stay. A player deciding to fold will forfeit any ante or wagers previously made during the round of play. Then after the three community cards are dealt out, and also after the fourth card is dealt out, the players who elect to stay will place another wager token on the table.

At the end of play, the player with the best hand, formed from the five best cards made up of the player's (or dealer's) two card hand and the five community cards, wins the entire pot, minus a small commission for the house.

The game can be played on a table of a typical half moon shape, i.e., with one round side for the players and a flat side for the dealer. The dealer's position has a rack for storing the chips, a dealer card area, a dealer bet area, the pot, and the discard area. The round side has a number of player position, seven positions in a preferred embodiment. At each position there is a bet area where the respective player places his or her ante and any subsequent bets, and a card area where the player's two-card hand is dealt. There is a community card area in a center part of the table, about half-way between the flat and round sides of the table, where the community cards are placed. Preferably, the bet areas are in the form of sunbursts. Alternatively, the deck can be computer-generated and the cards may appear on a video screen which may form a part of the table.

The players do not pick up any of the cards, and there are no cards in play that are not in plain view of all the players and the dealer. There is no raising, and all players place a bet of the same size at each stage of each round of play, e.g., one dollar, two dollars, five dollars, etc., as determined in advance of play.

The above and many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying Drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The sole drawing Figure is a plan view of a table on which the game is played. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the Drawing, a Seven Suns Stud Poker table 10 is provided in a half-moon or semi-circular shape, with a flat side 11 at which Dealer or Dealer/Player is positioned, and a round or semi-circular side 12, at which the guest players stand. In this position there are seven player positions 13, each of which has a sunburst shaped betting area 14, to which the player places his or her antes and other bets, and a rectangular player card hand area 15, in which the player's two card hand is dealt. The flat side 11 defines a dealer position at which Dealer stands or sits. Here is formed a rack 16, where Dealer holds the house betting chips, and there is a dealer's betting area 17, also sunburst in shape, and a dealer's card hand area 18. To the left of the rack is a pot holding area 19, in which the pot, i.e., bets made during a particular game, are held until the winning hand is decided. To the right of the rack 16 is a discard area 20. Here Dealer places burn cards plus the cards for any players that have folded.

In the center of the table, i.e., just past the rack 16 and the dealer's betting and card hand areas 17, 18, there is a community card area 21, where Dealer places the five community cards. In this embodiment, the community card area 21 is made up of five card-size rectangles, one for each of the community cards.

The game is played on a winner-take-all basis, with the best hand taking the pot. The game is based on the rules of stud poker, with a structured betting format, and no raises. In a preferred mode, a standard 52-card poker deck is used, without the joker, and with no cards wild.

In the description and in the ensuing claims of this application, the following definitions will apply.

"Game" means the play from the point when the ante is placed and the first two cards are dealt out, until the point when the pot is awarded to the winning hand.

"Commission" means a percentage, allowed under the applicable local gaming laws for each casino, that is calculated from the total Pot and removed to the rack for the benefit of the casino.

"Community Cards" are the five cards placed in the center of the table 10, and in front of the dealer/player's two cards. These are used by all players and the dealer/player to determine each card hand's ranking.

"Dealer" is the casino employee responsible for the cards, rack, deciding the winning hand and awarding the Pot to the winning player. "Dealer/Player" is normally the same as Dealer. The Dealer/Player plays the hand that represents the casino's interest in the game.

"Fold" means to resign from play during a game, forfeiting any ante or bet that was previously made, which remains in the Pot. "Player" means each person who chooses to stay and places antes or bets, and does not fold.

"Pot" means the chips or tokens that are placed as bets by the players and the Dealer/Player. These are placed in the Pot Holding Area, and are awarded to the player with the best hand at the end of the game. "Pot Holding Area" means the place on the table, next to the Dealer, where the player bets are placed, keeping them separate from the Rack.

"Rack" means the place on the table where the casino provides chips for dispensing change to players, and where the Dealer/Player takes his or her chips during play.

"Round of Play" is the play from the point when the first ante or bet is placed, or a hand is folded, until the next occasion to place a bet or to fold.

"Stand" means to continue play, normally by placing a bet or ante, which is contributed to the Pot and, at the end of the game, is awarded to the winning player.

"Table Limit" means the amount, usually set by the casino, that each bet must be at the table. Normally, there are no raises permitted. Hand Ranking will normally follow the customary five-card poker rules, generally as follows:

High Card: In descending order ~ Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three or Tray, and Two or Deuce. Normally, the four suits have equal value, but if desired, the suits can also be ranked, i.e., Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts.

One Pair: Two cards of the same rank, and the pairs being ranked in the same descending order as High Card.

Two Pairs: Four cards containing two sets of cards considered pairs as defined above. These are ranked in the same descending order as described for High Card. Three-of-a Kind: Three cards of the same rank, with the three-of-a-kind being ranked in the same descending order as High Card.

Straight: Five cards in sequential order, as described above for High Card, but not all in the same suit, with A, K, Q, J, 10 being the highest, and 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 being lowest. According to some local casino rules, Ace can be used both as a high and a low card, in which case the lowest straight would be 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

Flush: Five cards, all in one suit, but not in sequence.

Full House: Five cards including one three-of-a-kind and one pair, as described above. (Note, that since only five of the seven cards are counted, there is no possibility of any player's hand holding two threes-of-a-kind)

Straight Flush: Five cards in sequential order, as described above under Straight, and also all of the same suit, as described above under Flush, but only up to King high.

Four-of-a-Kind: All four cards of the same rank. Royal Straight Flush: A straight flush, with Ace, and King high, i.e., A, K, Q, J,

10.

The play of the game is as follows:

Up to seven players (in this example) and Dealer/Player may play. At the beginning of the game, all the players and Dealer place their antes into their respective betting areas 14 and 17. Then Dealer deals the cards out so that there are two cards, lying face up, in each of the player card hand areas 15 and the dealer card hand area 18. Dealer then deals out five community cards, face up, to the community card area 21 in the center of the table. These community cards are used by all players and Dealer/Player as a part of their hand. In that the players and Dealer all have hands that rely on two-card hands plus the five community cards, the players and the house or casino all have the ability to win the Pot at the same odds. The winning odds depend inversely with the number of hands dealt. That is, if there are seven players and Dealer/Player, then the odds of winning are one in eight. There is a winner with each game played.

In the event of a tie, either the tie is decided on the basis of a ranking by suits, or the Pot is divided between the tying hands. Only five of the cards are used for each player's or dealer's hands. The other two cards are disregarded. For a tie, the hands must be of identical ranking. If even one card of the primary five cards is ranked higher than the other player's hand, then there would be no tie.

The number of players that can play in a given game may be as high as seven, plus the dealer/player, allowing for the five community cards and the burn cards that are removed during each round of play. This leaves 27 cards remaining unused in the deck for each game. Less than seven players can play, down to a minimum of a single player going head-to-head with Dealer. To begin a game, Dealer (i.e., Dealer/Player) shuffles the deck as per casino policy, then using a cut card, cuts the deck in the middle, so the cut card goes to the bottom of the deck. Holding the cards in one hand, in the method prescribed by the casino, Dealer burns the top card and places it in the discard holding area. Dealer does not show the burn card to any player, nor is Dealer permitted to look at it.

Each player and Dealer place an ante. This is placed in the betting area 14 or 17 before any cards are dealt out. The amount of the ante is in the discretion of the casino, and is at the table limit amount. On a $100 table, the ante may be $5.00 or $10.00. There will be bets placed at three more occasions, where the players decide to stay or fold.

A marker 22 is used to determine the position where the first hand will be dealt. With each proceeding game, the marker is moved clockwise by one player position. The marker is never placed in front of the dealer, and the dealer never deals the first card to himself. Dealer places a card in front of each player, starting with the player where the marker 22 lies, and then deals clockwise around the table including the dealer position. This continues until all players and Dealer have two cards. At no time do the players touch any card. Dealer maintains complete control over play. The two-card hands for each player lie face up, which removes any advantage of any player over any other players or dealer. All players can see one another's cards, and can evaluate the possibilities of their hand relative to that of all other players. Dealer's two cards are placed face down, and Dealer cannot look at these cards until the next round.

Dealer must stay on the first two rounds, and so has to ante plus make the first bet. Other players can fold after the first two cards, thus forfeiting only the ante, i.e., the $5.00 in this example.

At this phase, each player, other than Dealer, decides whether to stay or fold. Dealer then starts with the player having the marker, and inquires of each player in turn, going clockwise. The players decide in turn, and in no case should a player decide to stay or fold out of turn. The marker is never in front of Dealer. Dealer must stay in on this first round, and in subsequent rounds will stay or fold after inquiring of all other players.

If a player decides to fold, then Dealer removes the cards in front of that player, and places them face down in the discard holding area 19. If the player decides to stay, then that player must place another bet, i.e., a chip or other token, in the betting area 14 in front of him. After all players have made their bets or have folded, and Dealer has made his or her bet, Dealer removes all the bets to the Pot Holding Area 20.

At that time, if all players have folded, leaving only Dealer, the pot is taken by Dealer and is placed in the rack 16. The game is ended, and a new game can begin. Here, Dealer is considered winner of that game.

At this stage, Dealer burns the top card, then deals the next three cards, face up, into the community card area in the middle of the table, in view of all players. Dealer should sort these three community cards according to rank or face value, so as to make it easier for the players and Dealer to read. Dealer then turns over his or her two-card hand, which has been lying face down, so that the cards now lie face up.

All players and Dealer, using the poker value of their two-card hand combined with the three community cards, decide whether to stay or fold. Here Dealer inquires each player, in turn, starting with the player designated with the marker, whether the players are staying or folding. Each player who stays in the game places a bet of a predetermined amount, e.g., $5.00, into the respective bet holding area 14. Dealer announces last whether he or she is staying in or folding, and if staying places a similar bet amount into the dealer bet holding area 17. After this, Dealer takes the bets from the areas 14 and 17 and places them into the Pot in the pot holding area 19. Again, everyone staying in places the same wager, and no raises are permitted. Dealer removes the cards from the player card hand area 14 for any players that fold, and places these cards, face down, into discard area 20. If Dealer folds, then Dealer places his or her two-card hand into discard area 20.

Dealer then burns the top card, and turns up a fourth card, as a community card, and places it alongside the other three cards in the community card area 21. Dealer should sort all four of the community cards into rank order. Then Dealer inquires of the players remaining, in order as before, whether they are deciding to stay or fold, and the players who decide to stay place a predetermined bet amount, e.g., one $5.00 chip, into their bet holding area 14. After all players, if Dealer has not previously folded, Dealer decides to stay or fold, and places the $5.00 chip, if staying in, into the bet holding area 17. Then, as before, Dealer removes all the bets from the areas 14 and 17 to the pot holding area 19, and removes the cards from folding players to the discard area 20, where they are placed face down.

Now, Dealer burns the top card from the deck, placing the burn card in the discard area 20, and then places the next card, face up, as a fifth community card in the community card area 21. Dealer sorts the five community cards according to rank, and places the unused cards of the deck into the discard area 20, taking care not to reveal those cards to any player.

At this time Dealer determines the winning hand, based on the best poker hand using the best five cards of the seven cards for each player, made up of the two-card hand plus the five community cards. The losing cards are removed to the discard area 20, and then Dealer awards the Pot to the winning player. Where the winner is a player other than Dealer, Dealer removes a the commission, e.g., 5% commission, and places the commission in the rack. Dealer then awards the balance of the Pot to the winner. Where Dealer holds the best or winning hand, the entire Pot is placed into the rack.

After distributing the Pot, the game is over, and Dealer combines the winning cards with the rest of the cards in the discard area 20, shuffles, and begins a new game. This is repeated with the same players, or with new players who can enter at the start of any new game. The following rules may be used at the discretion of the house or casino. The purpose of the rules is to protect the casino's investment, and to give the Dealer/Player a set of conditions when to fold and when to stay. The rules can be expanded upon or modified by the casino, at the desire of the casino. Round #1 : First Two Cards — It is Dealer's responsibility to check all card hands, determine the highest ranking hand, and then inform all players. Normally Dealer cannot fold at his point, but in a Dealer' s-Cards-Up version, this may be permitted. In that case, Dealer/Player also needs to decide whether to stay in or fold. The following should be taken into consideration.

If the highest ranking hand is a pair of tens or better, then the Dealer/Player has to evaluate his or her hand in relation to it. If Dealer/Player also has any pair, regardless of rank, Dealer/Player should probably stay. If Dealer/Player has a two cards of the same suit (a two-card flush), Dealer/Player should probably stay. If any other two-card hand against a pair of tens or higher, Dealer/Player should probably fold. This will reduce the risk for the casino against a player's unusually strong initial hand. If the highest ranking player hand is anything less than a pair of tens, then

Dealer/Player should stay if his or her hand includes any face card, ace or ten; a two-card flush; or two card with a potential of forming a straight (two cards within five of each other). With a lesser value initial hand, Dealer should probably fold. Round #2: First Three Community Cards ~

Again, Dealer would determine the potential highest ranking hand, and voice this to the players. Dealer then also should point out any hands that have a reasonable potential of beating the highest ranking hand. With five of the seven cards now showing, Dealer/Player can determine with some confidence how his or her hand stacks up against the hands of the other players. Unless Dealer/Player's hand at this point is at least one pair, or a four-card flush (four of the five cards all one suit), or a four-card potential straight (four of the five cards within a span of five in rank), Dealer/Player should fold. However, if Dealer/Player's hand is the highest hand showing, Dealer/Player should stay. Round #3: Fourth Community Card ~

Here, Dealer/Player should only stay if he or she has a reasonable chance, with the turn over of the fifth community card, of beating all other remaining hands. The same qualifications of hand ranking should be used as in the Round #2 determination.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a preferred embodiment, it should be recognized that there are many alternative embodiments that would become apparent to persons of skill in the art. For example, there can be more or fewer players. A double deck can be used to increase the possibility of some winning hands. The first two cards may be dealt face down initially, and then turned face up prior to the initial stay/hold determination. The three community cards can be dealt out one at a time, to afford more opportunities for betting. The bet or house limit at each stage can be the same amount, or can vary from the initial ante to the final round.

It is also possible to employ a computer generated set of cards, which would be "dealt" according to these rules of play and appear on a video screen or screens at the playing table, rather than using a standard card deck. In that case, the computer can be the "Dealer/Player" and can automatically calculate payoffs and commissions. The computer could also announce to the players the potentials of the various card hands at each stage of play.

Many other modifications and variations are possible which would not depart from the scope and spirit of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What I claim is: 1. A method of playing poker, wherein a dealer deals cards to player positions on a table for one or more additional players who bet on the value of card hands dealt to them, comprising the steps of: dealing cards from a standard poker deck, one card at a time, face up, to each player position and dealing to the dealer, until the players and the dealer have two cards, with the cards at the player positions lying face up, as their respective card hands; permitting the players to stay or fold based on each player's estimate of the potential value of the player's card hand relative to the card hands of the other players; dealing three cards face up as community cards to a community card area in view of all players and the dealer; again permitting the players to stay or fold, based on each player's estimate of the value of the player's two card hand when combined with the three community cards, relative to the card hands of the other players and the dealer combined with the same community cards; dealing a fourth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card; again permitting the players to stay or fold; dealing a fifth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card; and deciding the winning hand as among the dealer and players who have not folded, based on the respective card hands and five community cards, according to a pre- established poker ranking system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two card hand of the dealer is dealt with the two cards lying face down, and including, after the step of dealing three cards as community cards, turning over the two cards of the dealer so that they lie face up.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to each step of dealing, removing a topmost card of the deck as a burn card, and placing same face down in a discard area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of permitting the players to stay or fold includes accepting a wager token from each player who decides to stay and placing the wager tokens for any players who have decided to fold in a pot holding area of the table.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of permitting the players to stay or fold includes removing from the respective player position the card hand for any player who decides to fold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said poker deck includes 52 cards divided into four suits, each of said suits containing 13 cards having rankings 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, respectively.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said poker deck has 53 cards, with 52 in four suits containing 13 cards each ranking 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace; and a Joker.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said poker deck comprises a computer generated set of playing cards which appear on a viewing screen at said table.

9. A method of playing poker, wherein a dealer deals cards to player positions on a table for the dealer and one or more additional players who bet on the value of card hands dealt to them, comprising the steps of dealing cards from a standard poker deck, one card at a time face up to each player position, commencing with a player position designated by a marker, until the players and the dealer each have two cards as their respective card hands, with the cards at the player positions lying face up; permitting players to stay or fold based on each player's estimate of the potential value of the player's card hand relative to the card hands of the other players and the dealer; dealing three cards face up as community cards to a community card area in view of all players and the dealer; again permitting the players to stay or fold based on each player's estimate of the value of the player's two-card hand when combined with the three community cards, relative to the card hands of the other players and the dealer combined with the same commumty cards; ^* dealing a fourth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card; again permitting the players to stay or fold; dealing a fifth card, face up, to the community card area as a community card; deciding the winning hand as among the dealer and the players who have not folded based on the respective card hands and five community cards according to a pre-established poker ranking system; and moving the marker to another player position before commencing a successive round of play.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising, prior to each step of dealing, removing a topmost card of the deck as a bum card, and placing same face down in a discard area.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein each said step of permitting the players to stay or fold includes accepting a wager token from each player who decides to stay, and for each player who decides to fold placing any wager tokens of such player in a pot holding area of the table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of permitting the players to stay or fold includes removing from the respective player position the card hand for any player who decides to fold.

13. A card table for playing a casino poker game in which two cards are first dealt face up to each player, the players place wager tokens on the table to remain in the game, and cards are dealt face up to a community area on the table; the table having a semicircular surface having a flat side and a round side; a plurality of player positions along the round side of the table, each said player position having a bet placement area on which the respective player can place a wager token or tokens, and a player card placement area in which the player is dealt two cards, face up; a dealer position at the flat side of the table, with a rack area at the center of the flat side in which wager tokens are stored by the dealer, a dealer bet placement area, a dealer card placement area in which the dealer places two cards, face up; a community card placement area at a center part of the table between the flat side and the round side, and visible to players at all the player positions; a pot holding area on the table adjacent the dealer position; and a card discard holding area on the table adjacent the dealer position, in which cards taken out of play are placed, face down.

14. The card table of claim 13, wherein each of said player and dealer bet placement areas is in the form of a sunburst.