US20150314191A1

US20150314191A1 - Casino Carnival Card Game and Electronic Version Thereof

Info

Publication number: US20150314191A1
Application number: US14/510,748
Authority: US
Inventors: Larry Thomas Mial, JR.
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-05-01
Filing date: 2014-10-09
Publication date: 2015-11-05

Abstract

A method of playing a game is disclosed which includes playing with a single deck of 52 cards and a game board. The method is initiated by a player placing a wager on an ante area of the board. A dealer then hands out cards in a pre-determined face up/face down arrangement allowing the players to bet as additional cards are placed. After all cards are dealt and a player places a wager or folds, the dealer turns up a last card and pays the player if the player's hand is higher. If the player's hand is lower, the dealer takes the money. There is a bonus area and a side bet area for a player to place bets in another aspect of the game, in accordance with a bonus table and side bet table through which a player can win irrespective of winning or losing to the dealer.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a two element casino carnival card game which combines either a War element or a Three Card Poker element with a five-card poker hand that uses community cards available on a playing surface which gives a player the opportunity to either maximize his winnings or minimize his losses based on the rules of the game.

BACKGROUND

There currently exist several casino games, including Texas Hold'em, Flop Poker, Four Card Poker and others. While these games are known, there is still a need and a desire for additional variations of known games to enhance the pleasure of players, and increase the profits of casinos and game development companies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,827 is illustrative of one of those types of games. The card game uses one or more standard decks of playing cards. Participants include a dealer and up to seven players, wherein each player is playing his hand against the dealer's hand. During play, the players pit the game value of their cards against the game value of the dealer's cards. Each player is given an opportunity to divide his dealt holding into two new holdings, and each of the resulting new holdings is pitted independently against corresponding holdings of the dealer. In order to provide variations, the value of the cards may be varied by varying the number of wagering steps in the hand and the value of tokens wagered. The option to divide the holding and to pursue a stake with fewer than the originally dealt cards, and the option to utilize another's cards provide different options to the players of the game. Notwithstanding these variations, the game described therein is still a simple poker game with alternative features to attempt to increase interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,580 discloses a card game to be played by at least one player and a dealer using at least one standard deck of 52 cards. The card game described therein is played by a player first placing a bet in a betting spot using chips. The dealer deals a predetermined number of cards to each player face down onto an area on the table, designated for that player, and afterwards deals the same number of cards to another area on the table called a dealer's pot. Play in a series includes the dealer turning up a player top card and turning up the dealer's top card where the high card wins at even odds of one-to-one. Equal cards are a draw or push and neither wins except if a player has a deuce in which case the player's deuce loses at one-to-one odds. A player's ace wins at odds of three-to-two. After one play, a player may place a new bet before cards are next turned over. While attempting to provide an innovative and different type of game, the game described therein the noted U.S. patent is very simple and one soon may tire of playing it after a short amount of time.
U.S. Patent Publication 2010/0123288 describes a card game played between a dealer and one or more players. Community cards are dealt and, in succession, compared to each player's card according to the rules of War. Wagers can be placed and resolved against each of the rounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,313,366 discloses a card game played on an electronic gaming machine between a game machine/dealer and one or more players. Each player is dealt one card. Three community cards (flop cards) are dealt and, in succession compared to each player's card, according to the rules of War. A fourth community card (turn card) is revealed, along with a single dealer card. The player's final hand must outrank the dealer's final hand and achieve at least a preset poker ranking in order to win a mandatory wager. Other than for the concept of describing an electronic implementation of a card game, this patent merely teaches a conventional War game implementation not much different from existing casino games and adds nothing to the state of the art.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the problem with the prior art's games are overcome by providing a War-like casino poker game played with a standard 52-card deck which pits a player against the house or bank. The game also includes the option of having side bets in which the player is paid in accordance with predetermined tables irrespective of whether the player wins or loses against the dealer. This combination of the invention gives a player the opportunity to either maximize his winnings or minimize his losses based on the rules of the game.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect the invention is directed to a method of playing a two-element casino wagering game. A first element is comprised of at least one of a Five-Card Stud Poker game and Seven-Card Stud Poker game. A player plays against the dealer in the first element. A second element comprises the player playing a side bet based on at least one of the card game War or Three Card Poker. The player is compensated on one of three different pay tables for the side bet game, corresponding to the version of the two-element casino game being played. The two-element casino wagering game is played on a specifically designed playing board, using either a standard deck of 52 physical playing cards, or a deck of 52 virtual electronic playing cards to play the two-element casino wagering game.
In an alternative embodiment, a method of playing a casino wagering game comprises at least one player initiating the game by placing a wager on an ante area of a specifically designed game board. After the player has completed wagering, a dealer hands out one card from a deck of cards to the player face down and two cards to the dealer with one of the two cards facing up. The player is then allowed to place an additional bet or to pass. Three community cards are placed face up by the dealer in a space between the dealer and the player or multiple players. The player or multiple players are then allowed to place a wager or pass. An additional three community cards are placed by the dealer in the space with two being placed face up and one face down. The player or multiple players place a wager or fold. If the player or multiple players have wagered, the dealer turns up the last card and the dealer pays the player or multiple players if the player's hand is higher, and for the players whose hands are lower, the dealer takes the money.
Another aspect involves side bets based on playing a Three Card Poker hand or one of two variations of the game War.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having briefly described the invention, the same will become better understood from the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top-plan view of the complete board used in the method of the invention to play a casino wagering game;

FIG. 2 is a partial top-plan view of the game board of FIG. 1 showing the board set up for a single player;

FIG. 3 shows a payout table for the second element of the game; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of the game of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-3.
In accordance with the invention there are three variations to the game. In a first variation, the game is initiated by placing one card on side bet cards area 21. In the other two variations, two cards are placed on the side bet cards area 21. From a player's perspective, the goal of the game is to win either a War element or a Three Card Poker element and end up with a higher conventional five card poker hand than the dealer by using the player's cards and community cards available on the playing surface. The game is predicated on a player versus house/bank contest. The player is not in contention with any other players.
There are two different elements to the game. A first element is an initial play determined by one of the following, based on the version of the game being played.

- a) A player wins or loses a Three Card Poker hand based on the rules of Three Card Poker; or
- b) a player wins or loses a version of War where the player's card is tied or higher or lower than a single side card; or
- c) a player wins or loses a version of War where the player's card is higher or lower, or between two single side cards or tied with one of the side cards.

A second element is based on conventional Seven Card Poker game, and with community cards added. In this element, a player wins, loses, or pushes against the house/bank based on having a higher, lower, or equal five card poker hand to the dealer's using the player's card and community cards.
In order to play the game, the player initiates the game by placing a wager on the ante area 25. The player may also enter other bets by electing to place a wager on the poker bonus and/or side bet cards area 21 and/or the poker bet area 23 prior to the dealer handing out any cards. Once the player has completed wagering, the dealer hands out one card face up to the player, one or two cards face up in the side bet cards area 21, and two cards face down to the dealer.
The dealer settles the side bet based on either War or Three Card Poker rules and removes the side bet cards from the playing area 21.
If a first set of War rules are used, War provides the player with a chance to win by either having a higher card than the one in the side bet cards area 21 or by having a card of equal value to the card in the side bet cards area 21 in the single card version of the War game.
If a second set of War rules are used, the player is provided with a chance to win by either having a higher card than the higher of the two in the side bet cards area 21 or by tying either one or both of the cards in the side bet cards area 21 or by having a card whose value lies between the two cards in the two side bet versions.
If Three Card Poker rules are used, the player may win by combining the two cards in the side bet cards area 21 with the single card in the player's possession. In this case, the player must have a pair or higher poker hand in order to win.
As the game is played, the player has the option of adding a wager in the poker bet area 23 of the playing surface that would either match or be a multiple of the ante. The player may also either pass or fold. Continuing, the dealer places three community cards face up onto the playing surface into a space between the dealer and the player. These community cards are to be used by both the player and the dealer in making the best possible conventional five card poker hand. If the player has not already placed a bet into the poker bet area 23, the player may do so by placing a wager equal to, or a defined multiple of, the ante into the poker bet area 23. The player may also elect to pass or fold.
The dealer then places three additional cards adjacent to the original three community cards with the first two cards face up and the third card face down. If the player has not yet placed a wager into the poker bet area 23, the player must place a wager into the poker bet area 23 to proceed. The bet must be an exact amount of the ante. Alternatively, the player may elect to fold. The dealer then turns over the last community card.
The player then makes the best conventional five card poker hand available using the player's card and the community cards. Similarly, the dealer makes the best conventional five card poker hand available using both of the dealer's cards and the community cards.
The dealer pays the player the ante and the poker bet if the player has the better conventional five card poker hand equal to the amount of the bet placed into each area. Alternatively, the dealer collects the ante and the poker bet from the player if the dealer has a better conventional five card poker hand. The dealer then pays the player any bonus money won. In this case, bonus wins are paid to a player regardless of win, lose, or push in the five card poker hand element of the game if the player's hand plus the community cards qualify. A push results when the player and the dealer have equal five card poker hands. In that event, the player retains both the ante and the wager in the poker bet area 23.
Payouts may be made according to the Pay Table of FIG. 3.
To further understand the flow of the game, reference is made to FIG. 4 which illustrates the steps of the game in a self-explanatory manner.
As may be appreciated, while the game can be played on a physical board with conventional cards, it is also possible to implement the game, as will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, in electronic form such as for example through electronic devices known to those of ordinary skill. Examples of such electronic devices include but are not limited to tablets such as those commercially available under the name iPad, conventional computers connected, for example, through a network, in one case the internet, connected to another computer, a server, a mobile phone, all having displays; or any other kind of display device with appropriate processing means and circuitry including a display driver and other conventional devices all readily known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In such an implementation, program code, as is well known and conventional, can be designed to behave like a card dealer, a bet generation prompt and/or a prize award calculator. Conventional probability and statistics rules can be promulgated throughout the code so that when cards are dispensed by the program module emulating a dealer, the cards are dispensed in a manner as they would have been playing with a conventional deck.
Having thus described the invention, the same will become better understood from the appended claims in which the invention is set forth in a non-limiting manner.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of playing a two element casino wagering game, comprising:

(a) a first element comprising playing at least one of a five card stud poker game and a seven card stud poker game between a player and a dealer;

(b) a second element comprising the player playing a side bet game based on at least one of the card game War or Three Card Poker, in which the player is compensated on one of three different pay tables for the side bet game corresponding to the version of the two element casino game being played; and

(c) said two element casino wagering game being played on a specifically designed playing board, using a standard deck of 52 physical playing cards or with a deck of 52 virtual electronic playing cards and played on at least one electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a wager on an ante space of a playing board in order to participate in at least one of the first element and the second element of the game.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising placing an additional wager on a side bet space of a playing board in order to participate in the second element of the game.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising placing an additional wager on a bonus poker space of the playing board for being awarded any winnings based on a bonus poker pay table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing additional wagers during at least one of several rounds on a poker bet space on the playing board in order to win the first element portion of the game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dealer distributes one card face up to each player.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dealer deals one or two cards face up into the space on the playing board designated for one or more side bet cards, depending on which version of the game is being played.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the winning outcome for a version of a side bet is predicated on a player having a higher valued card or matching the value of the single card in a side bet card space and a payout is made according to a pay table for version.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the winning outcome for a version of the side bet is predicated on a player having a higher valued card than the value of the higher of the two cards in a side bet card game, having a card whose value is equal to one or both of the two cards in the side bet card space, or having a card whose value can be placed between the values of the two card; in the side bet card space, and a payout is made according to a pay table for the version.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the winning outcome for a version of a side bet is predicated on a player having at least one pair using the player's card and the two cards in a side bet space according to a Three Card Poker pay table for the version.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the dealer deals two cards face up to the dealer and gives the player an opportunity to place a wager into a poker bet space on the playing board.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dealer places three community cards face up into a space between the dealer and the player on the playing board.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dealer provides an opportunity for the player to place a wager into the poker bet space on the playing board.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the dealer places three more community cards between the dealer and the player on the playing board with the first two cards face up and the third card face down.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the player must either place a wager into the poker bet space or fold prior to the dealer turning the third card face up.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dealer turns the third card face up.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the dealer creates the best five card poker hand using the dealer's cards and the community cards.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dealer determines the best five card poker hand for the player who did not fold using the player's card and the community cards.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dealer settles the poker bet with the player.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the dealer settles the poker bonus bet regardless of the outcome of the player versus dealer portion of the first element as determined by a poker bonus pay table.

21. A method of playing a casino game, comprising:

at least one player placing at least one of a poker ante, and at least one of a poker bonus bet, side card bet, and play bet;

a dealer dealing one card to each of said at least one player face up, one or two cards to the side bet area face up, and two cards to the dealer face down;

settling the side bets and removing the side bet cards;

turning the dealer's cards up, and each of the at least one player betting, passing, or folding;

dealing three community cards face up and each of the at least one player betting, passing or folding;

dealing three community cards, two face up and one face down, and each of the at least one player betting or folding; and

turning the face down card face up and settling the bets with each of said at least one player.