Methods and apparatus for playing a poker game

Abstract

Representative embodiments provide a method for playing a poker game, comprising defining a qualifying hand and dealing an initial hand to each of one or more players. The method includes accepting an initial bet into a pot from at least one of the players, dealing at least one additional card to each betting player, and awarding the pot to any betting player who has a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand. In the alternative, if no player has a qualifying hand, the method repeats the dealing of an initial hand, and the accepting an initial bet, and the dealing of at least one additional card, while including in the pot any previously un-awarded pot or pots until the pot is awarded in accordance with a qualifying hand. Also provided are a gaming table and individual gaming machines for playing the poker games of the present invention.

1 . A method for playing a poker game, comprising: 
 defining a qualifying hand;    dealing an initial hand of at least one card to each of one or more players;    accepting an initial bet into a pot from at least one of the players;    dealing at least one additional card to each betting player; and    awarding the pot to any betting player who has a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand, or, if no player has a qualifying hand, repeating the dealing an initial hand and the accepting an initial bet and the dealing at least one additional card, and including in the pot any previously unawarded pot or pots until the pot is awarded.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , and wherein the qualifying hand is defined by a house.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , and further compromising collecting an ante from each player before the initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , and wherein the initial bet is predefined as a minimum initial bet.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising extracting a predefined percentage out of the pot by a house each time the initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising extracting a rake out of the pot by a house each time the initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       7 . The method  claim 1 , and wherein at least one of the players plays the poker game by way of an individual gaming machine.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , and wherein: 
 at least two players play the poker game by way of respective individual gaming machines; and    each of the individual gaming machines are coupled in signal communication.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising: 
 collecting an ante from each player before the initial hand is dealt;    extracting a predefined portion from a sum of the antes;    adding the predefined portion to a progressive jackpot; and    awarding one of the progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot to a player achieving a corresponding predefined hand.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , and wherein the initial hand and the at least one additional card are respectively dealt in a face-up condition.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , and wherein at least two players play the poker game by way of an electronic gaming table.  
   
   
       12 . A method for playing a poker game, comprising: 
 defining a qualifying hand;    dealing an initial hand of at least one card to each of one or more players;    accepting an initial bet into a pot from at least one of the players;    exchanging at least one card between a house and each betting player electing to draw; and    awarding the pot to any betting player who has a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand, or, if no player has a qualifying hand, repeating the dealing an initial hand and the accepting an initial bet and the exchanging at least one card, and including in the pot any previously unawarded pot or pots until the pot is awarded.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , and wherein the qualifying hand is defined by the house.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , and further compromising collecting an ante from each player before the initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , and wherein the initial bet is predefined as a minimum initial bet.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , and further comprising extracting a percentage out of the pot by the house each time the initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , and further comprising extracting a fixed amount out of the pot by the house each time an initial hand is dealt.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12 , and further comprising accepting an additional bet from at least one betting player placing an initial bet.  
   
   
       19 . The method  claim 12 , and wherein at least one of the players plays the poker game by way of an individual gaming machine.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 12 , and wherein: 
 at least two players play the poker game by way of respective individual gaming machines; and    each of the individual gaming machines are coupled in signal communication.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12 , and wherein the initial hand and the exchanging at least one card are respectively dealt in a face-up condition.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 12 , and wherein at least two players play the poker game by way of an electronic gaming table.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 12 , and further comprising: 
 collecting an ante from each player before the initial hand is dealt;    extracting a predefined portion from a sum of the antes;    adding the predefined portion to a progressive jackpot; and    awarding one of the progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot to a player achieving a corresponding predefined hand.    
   
   
       24 . A gaming table, comprising: 
 a plurality of user interfaces; and    an electronic controller coupled in signal communication with each of the user interfaces, the electronic controller configured to: 
 define a qualifying hand;  
 deal an initial hand of at least one card to each of at least two players by way of the user interface corresponding to the player;  
 record an initial bet into a collective pot from each of at least one of the players by way of the corresponding user interface;  
 deal at least one later card to each betting player by way of the corresponding user interface; and  
 award the collective pot to any betting player who has a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand, or, if no player has a qualifying hand, repeating the dealing an initial hand and the recording an initial bet and the dealing at least one later card until at least one player has a qualifying hand and the collective pot is awarded.  
   
   
   
       25 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured such that dealing the at least one later card to each betting player is defined by exchanging a respectively selected number of cards between the electronic controller and each betting player electing to draw by way of the corresponding user interface.  
   
   
       26 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to record an additional bet into the collective pot from each betting player by way of the corresponding user interface before dealing the at least one later card to each betting player.  
   
   
       27 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to record an ante from each of the at least two players by way of the corresponding user interface before dealing the initial hand.  
   
   
       28 . The gaming table of  claim 27 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to: 
 add a predefined portion of a sum of the antes to a progressive jackpot; and    award one of the progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot to an anteing player achieving a corresponding predefined hand.    
   
   
       29 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to extract a rake from the collective pot for a house.  
   
   
       30 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to extract a predefined fixed amount from the collective pot for a house.  
   
   
       31 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured such that the initial hand and the at least one later card are respectively dealt in a face-up condition.  
   
   
       32 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein each of the user interfaces comprise a display screen configured to display graphical images of the cards.  
   
   
       33 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and wherein each of the user interfaces further comprise a chip sensor.  
   
   
       34 . The gaming table of  claim 24 , and further comprising a display configured to display a current amount of the collective pot.  
   
   
       35 . A computer-accessible storage media including an executable program code, the executable program code configured to cause a processor to: 
 define a qualifying hand;    deal an initial hand of at least one card to each of one or more players by way of a respective user interface coupled to the processor;    record an initial bet into a collective pot from at least one of the players;    deal at least one later card to each betting player by way of the respective user interface; and    award the collective pot to any betting player who has a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand, or, if none of the betting players has a qualifying hand, repeating the dealing an initial hand and the recording an initial bet and the dealing at least one later card until at least one player has a qualifying hand and the collective pot is awarded.    
   
   
       36 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 35 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to exchange a respectively selected number of cards between the processor and each betting player electing to draw during the dealing at least one later card.  
   
   
       37 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 35 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to record an additional bet into the collective pot from each of the betting players before dealing the at least one later card to each betting player.  
   
   
       38 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 35 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to record an ante from each of the one or more players before dealing the initial hand.  
   
   
       39 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 38 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to: 
 add a predefined portion of a sum of the antes to a progressive jackpot; and    award one of the progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot to an anteing player achieving a corresponding predefined hand.    
   
   
       40 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 35 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to deal the initial hand and the at least one later card in a face-up condition.  
   
   
       41 . The computer-accessible storage media of  claim 35 , and wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the processor to extract a rake from the collective pot for a house.  
   
   
       42 . An individual gaming machine, comprising: 
 a user interface; and    an electronic controller coupled in signal communication with the user interface, the electronic controller configured to be coupled in signal communication with at least one other electronic controller of another individual gaming machine, the electronic controller configured to: 
 define a qualifying hand;  
 deal an initial hand of at least one card to a player by way of the user interface;  
 record an initial bet from the player into a collective pot by way of the user interface, the collective pot including an initial bet from at least one of the player or one or more other players;  
 deal at least one later card to the player by way of the user interface; and  
 award the pot to the player upon achieving a best hand that comprises a qualifying hand as compared to the one or more other players, or, if none of the player or the one or more other players has a qualifying hand, repeating the dealing an initial hand and the recording an initial bet and the dealing at least one later card until at least one player has a qualifying hand and the collective pot is awarded.  
   
   
   
       43 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein: 
 each of the one or more other players are associated with respective other individual gaming machines; and    each of the other individual gaming machines and the individual gaming machine are coupled in mutual signal communication.    
   
   
       44 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to record an ante from the player into an ante pool before dealing the initial hand.  
   
   
       45 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 44 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to: 
 add a predefined portion of the ante pool to a progressive jackpot; and    award one of the progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot to the player upon achieving a corresponding predefined hand.    
   
   
       46 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to exchange a respectively selected number of cards with the player upon electing to draw during the dealing at least one later card.  
   
   
       47 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to record an additional bet into the collective pot from the player before dealing the at least one later card to the player.  
   
   
       48 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to extract a rake from the collective pot for a house.  
   
   
       49 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein: 
 the user interface includes a display; and    the electronic controller is further configured to indicate a current amount of the collective pot by way of the display.    
   
   
       50 . The individual gaming machine of  claim 42 , and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to deal the initial hand and the at least one later card in a face-up condition.