Game of chance using patterns of symbols having at least two defining criteria

Abstract

A casino game of chance utilizes a short deck of cards having only Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces from a conventional deck of cards. After receiving a wager from a player, a five-card hand is dealt to the player from the short deck of cards. The player is permitted to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards. The wager is then resolved according to the five-card hand. In one playing mode, multiple short decks of cards are configured from multiple conventional decks of cards, where each of the multiple short decks of cards has at least one distinguishing characteristic. In this context, the payout may be multiplied if the five-card hand includes cards with matching distinguishing characteristics.

1 . A method of playing a game of chance comprising: 
 (a) configuring a short deck of cards using only Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces from a conventional deck of cards;    (b) receiving a wager from a player;    (c) dealing a five-card hand to the player from the short deck of cards;    (d) enabling the player to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards; and    (e) resolving the wager according to the five-card hand.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (e) is practiced by taking the wager or paying a payout based on a poker ranking of the five-card hand.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein step (e) is further practiced by taking the wager when the poker ranking is less than a predetermined ranking.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined poker ranking is a Straight.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein step (a) is practiced by configuring multiple short decks of cards from multiple conventional decks of cards, wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has at least one distinguishing characteristic, and wherein step (e) is practiced by multiplying the payout by a first multiplier if the five-card hand comprises cards with matching distinguishing characteristics.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has two distinguishing characteristics, and wherein step (e) is further practiced by: 
 multiplying the payout by the first multiplier if the five-card hand comprises cards matching a first of the two distinguishing characteristics,    multiplying the payout by a second multiplier if the five-card hand comprises cards matching a second of the two distinguishing characteristics, and    multiplying the payout by a third multiplier if the five-card hand comprises cards matching both of the two distinguishing characteristics.    
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the third multiplier is a combination of the first multiplier and the second multiplier.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the two distinguishing characteristics comprise card color and card shape.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one distinguishing characteristic is at least one of card color and card shape.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the payout increases with higher poker rankings.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (b) is practiced by accruing funds for a progressive jackpot component, and wherein step (e) is practiced by paying a progressive jackpot if the five-card hand has a poker ranking higher than a predetermined jackpot ranking.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of accruing funds is practiced by allocating a portion of the wager.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of accruing funds is practiced by receiving a separate jackpot wager from the player.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined jackpot ranking is at least one of Royal Flush or Five of a Kind.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein step (a) is practiced by configuring multiple short decks of cards from multiple conventional decks of cards, wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has at least one distinguishing characteristic, and wherein the predetermined jackpot ranking is Royal Flush with cards having matching distinguishing characteristics.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined jackpot ranking is at least one of Royal Flush with cards of a specific deck determined according to its distinguishing characteristic and Five of a Kind of a specific rank.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the specific rank is Ace.  
     
     
         18 . A method of playing a poker game using at least one short deck of cards, the short deck of cards being configured from a conventional deck of cards using only N different cards in each suit, the method comprising: 
 (a) receiving a wager from a player;    (b) dealing a player hand from the short deck of cards, the player hand having N cards;    (c) enabling the player to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards; and    (d) resolving the wager according to the player hand.    
     
     
         19 . An apparatus configured for playing a game of chance comprising a display, a player interface for receiving player input, and a processor configured to effect game play, the processor enabling: 
 (a) configuring a short deck of cards using only Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces from a conventional deck of cards;    (b) receiving a wager from a player;    (c) dealing a five-card hand to the player from the short deck of cards;    (d) enabling the player to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards; and    (e) resolving the wager according to the five-card hand.    
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 19 , configured for play over a global network.  
     
     
         21 . A game of chance comprising: 
 means for configuring a short deck of cards using only Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces from a conventional deck of cards;    means for receiving a wager from a player;    means for dealing a five-card hand to the player from the short deck of cards;    means for enabling the player to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards; and    means for resolving the wager according to the five-card hand.    
     
     
         22 . A method of playing a game of chance comprising: 
 (a) configuring a short deck of cards using only N different cards in each suit from a conventional deck of cards;    (b) receiving a wager from a player;    (c) dealing a player hand from the short deck of cards, the player hand having N cards;    (d) resolving the wager according to the player hand.    
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein step (d) is practiced by taking the wager or paying a payout based on a poker ranking of the player hand.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23 , wherein step (a) is practiced by configuring multiple short decks of cards from multiple conventional decks of cards, wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has at least one distinguishing characteristic, and wherein step (d) is practiced by multiplying the payout by a first multiplier if the player hand comprises cards with matching distinguishing characteristics.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has two distinguishing characteristics, and wherein step (d) is further practiced by: 
 multiplying the payout by the first multiplier if the player hand comprises cards matching a first of the two distinguishing characteristics,    multiplying the payout by a second multiplier if the player hand comprises cards matching a second of the two distinguishing characteristics, and    multiplying the payout by a third multiplier if the player hand comprises cards matching both of the two distinguishing characteristics.    
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the third multiplier is a combination of the first multiplier and the second multiplier.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the two distinguishing characteristics comprise card color and card shape.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one distinguishing characteristic is at least one of card color and card shape.  
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein step (a) is practiced by configuring multiple short decks of cards from multiple conventional decks of cards, wherein each of the multiple short decks of cards has at least one distinguishing characteristic.  
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising, after step (c) and before step (d), enabling the player to discard at least one card and draw a corresponding number of additional cards.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein step (c) is practiced by dealing a matrix of cards.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein step (a) is practiced by dealing an N×N matrix of cards.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein N equals five.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the player hand comprises multiple hands defined according to lines of the matrix, and wherein step (d) is practiced for each of the multiple hands.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the player hand comprises multiple hands defined according to lines of the matrix, and wherein step (d) is practiced for each of the multiple hands.