Strategy support system and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A strategy support system ( 1 ) for a game of video poker includes a gaming facility ( 2 ) operable to deal a poker hand of five initial playing cards to a player, an evaluation facility ( 7 ) operable to predict the chance of obtaining a desirable and an undesirable hand of poker pursuant to substitution of any number of the five initial playing cards with other dealt cards, a goal selector ( 10 ) that can be activated by the player to select a desired goal for the hand of poker; and a controller ( 11 ) capable of automatically effecting a game play decision by causing substitution of any selection of one or more of the five initial playing cards as a function of the selected desired the goal and the chances predicted by the evaluation facility ( 7 ).

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . A strategy support system for a game of video poker, comprising: 
 goal selection means activatable by a player of the game to select a desired goal for a dealt hand of video poker;    a gaming facility operable to deal a hand of poker to the player, the hand of poker having five randomly selected initial playing cards;    an evaluation facility operable to predict the chance of obtaining a desirable and an undesirable hand of poker pursuant to substitution of any one or more of the five initial playing cards in the dealt hand with other corresponding randomly selected dealt cards;    display means selectively operable by the player to display all the possible substitutions and their corresponding predicted chances as predicted by the evaluation facility; and    control means capable of automatically effecting a game play decision by causing substitution of any one ore more of the five initial playing cards as a function of the selected desired the goal and the chances predicted by the evaluation facility.    
   
   
       24 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 23  in which the evaluation facility predicts the chance of obtaining every possible type of desirable hand of playing cards, the types of desirable hand of playing cards including Jacks or better, two pairs, three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush, and a royal flush.  
   
   
       25 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 24  in which the evaluation facility computes, for every possible substitution of playing cards, an expected return on a wager placed on the hand of video poker.  
   
   
       26 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 25  in which the goal selection means enables the player to select any one of a number of predetermined goals as the desired goal for the initial hand of poker.  
   
   
       27 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 26  in which the number of predetermined goals includes a goal to accumulate any particular desirable hand of playing cards.  
   
   
       28 . A strategy support system as claimed in either one of claims  26  or  27  in which the number of predetermined goals includes a goal to maximise the return on the wager.  
   
   
       29 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 26  in which the number of predetermined goals includes a goal to obtain a return on the wager that deviates from the highest expected return by less than a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       30 . A strategy support system as claimed in  claim 25  in which the display means displays all the possible substitutions and their corresponding predicted chances in a ranked order according to the expected return, from highest to lowest.  
   
   
       31 . A method of operation of a strategy support system for a game of video poker, comprising the steps of: 
 selecting a desired goal for a dealt hand of poker;    dealing a hand of poker to a player, the hand of poker having five randomly selected initial playing cards;    predicting the chance of obtaining a desirable and an undesirable hand of poker pursuant to substitution of any one or more of the five initial playing cards in the dealt hand with other corresponding randomly selected dealt cards;    selectively displaying all the possible card substitutions and their corresponding predicted chances to the player; and    automatically substituting any one or more of the five initial playing cards as a function of the selected desired goal and the chances predicted.    
   
   
       32 . A method as claimed in  claim 31  which includes the step of predicting the chance of obtaining every possible type of desirable hand of playing cards the types of desirable hands of playing cards including Jacks or better, two pairs, three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush, and a royal flush.  
   
   
       33 . A method as claimed in  claim 32  that includes the additional step of computing, for every possible substitution of playing cards, an expected return on a wager placed on the hand of video poker.  
   
   
       34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  in which the desired goal for the initial hand of poker is selected to be any one of a number of predetermined goals.  
   
   
       35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  in which the desired goal is selected to be a goal to accumulate any particular desirable combination of playing cards.  
   
   
       36 . A method as claimed in either one of claims  34  or  35  in which the desired goal is selected to be a goal to maximise the return on the wager.  
   
   
       37 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  in which the desired goal is selected to be a goal to obtain a return on the wager that deviates from the highest expected return by less than a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       38 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  in which all the possible substitutions and their corresponding predicted chances are displayed in a ranked order according to the expected return, from highest to lowest.