Multi-player platforms for three card poker and variants thereof

Abstract

A multi-player platform that provides multiple player positions for live players to engage in an interactive wagering game with a virtual dealer and virtual cards comprising at least two player positions that enable live players to place wagers on the game, a display system for showing a virtual dealer, a display system for showing the virtual cards used in play of the game, and a database that contains the rules of the wagering game, the processor enabling play for each player according to the rules in the database, wherein in one embodiment the game comprises the steps of placing a first wager to participate in a first poker-type game; placing a second wager to participate in a second poker-type game played against a pay table; providing at least a partial hand for the first poker-type game consisting of multiple cards to each player who placed a first wager, the at least a partial hand for the first poker-type game being a complete hand for the second poker-type game; and resolving each player's first wager according to the rules of the first poker-type game and resolving the second poker-type game according to a predetermined hierarchy of poker hands in a pay table.

1 . A multi-player platform that provides multiple player positions for live players to engage in an interactive wagering game with a virtual dealer and virtual cards comprising at least two player positions that enable live players to place wagers on the game, a display system for showing a virtual dealer, a display system for showing the virtual cards used in play of the game, and a database that contains the rules of the wagering game, the processor enabling play for each player according to the rules in the database, wherein the game comprises the steps of: 
 placing a first wager to participate in a first poker-type game;    placing a second wager to participate in a second poker-type game played against a pay table;    providing at least a partial hand for the first poker-type game consisting of multiple cards to each player who placed a first wager, the at least a partial hand for the first poker-type game being a complete hand for the second poker-type game; and    resolving each player's first wager according to the rules of the first poker-type game and resolving the second wager according to a predetermined hierarchy of poker hands in a pay table.    
     
     
         2 . The multi-player platform of  claim 1 , wherein a payout is made to the player on the second wager in the second poker-type game for one of a plurality of predetermined winning outcomes.  
     
     
         3 . The multi-player platform of  claim 1 , wherein the partial hand comprises three cards, and a complete hand in the first poker-type game is three cards.  
     
     
         4 . The multi-player platform of  claim 1 , wherein the partial hand of a player is completed with at least one community card.  
     
     
         5 . The multi-player platform of  claim 1 , wherein the pay table for resolving the second wager is as follows:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   40 to 1  
                 
                     
                   Three of a Kind 
                   30 to 1  
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                   6 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                   4 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Pair 
                    1 to 1. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The multi-player platform of  claim 1 , wherein the game further comprises the step of placing a third wager upon the player reviewing the at least a partial hand.  
     
     
         7 . The multi-player platform of  claim 6 , wherein the player forfeits the first wager if the third wager is not placed.  
     
     
         8 . A multi-player platform that provides multiple player positions for live players to engage in an interactive wagering game with a virtual dealer and virtual cards comprising at least two player positions that enable live players to place wagers on the game, a display system for showing a virtual dealer, a display system for showing the virtual cards used in play of the game, and a database that contains the rules of the wagering game, the processor enabling play for each player according to the rules in the database, wherein the game comprises the steps of: 
 receiving an ante wager that a player's three-card hand will exceed a dealer's three card hand;    providing three cards each to the player and to the dealer;    receiving an optional play wager from the player, wherein if the play wager is not received, the player forfeits the ante wager;    determining whether the dealer's three-card hand is at least a predetermined qualifying rank if the play wager is received;    comparing the dealer's three-card hand with the player's three-card hand if the dealer's three-card hand is at least the predetermined qualifying rank;    awarding the player an amount based on both the first and third wagers if the player's three-card hand is of a higher rank than the dealer's three-card hand and the dealer's three-card hand is at least the predetermined qualifying rank; and    awarding the player an amount based on the first wager and returning the third wager if the dealer's three-card hand is of a rank which is less than the predetermined qualifying rank.    
     
     
         9 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , wherein the player forfeits the ante and the play wagers if the player's three-card hand is of a lower rank than the dealer's three-card hand.  
     
     
         10 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 receiving an optional side bet wager that said player's three-card hand will be at least a predetermined side bet rank; and    awarding the player an amount based on the side bet wager if the side bet wager is received and the player's three-card hand is at least the predetermined side bet rank.    
     
     
         11 . The multi-player platform of  claim 10 , wherein the side bet wager is a wager that the player will receive a hand of at least a pair.  
     
     
         12 . The multi-player platform of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined side bet rank includes a plurality of winning hand ranks with a pair as the lowest ranked winning hand.  
     
     
         13 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , wherein at least some of the indicia of the cards which form said dealer's three-card hand are initially concealed and wherein the player decides whether to place the play wager after viewing the player's card indicia, but before viewing the dealer's concealed card indicia.  
     
     
         14 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined qualifying rank comprises a high card hand containing a Queen or better.  
     
     
         15 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , wherein the hands are ranked according to a scale, wherein A=Ace, K=King, Q=Queen, J=Jack and numbers 10 to 2 designate the other cards:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                     
                 
                   Highest: 
                   Straight Flush: 
                   Three of one suit in sequence 
                 
                     
                     
                   AKQ highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   KQJ next highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   QJ10 next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   32A lowest 
                 
                     
                   Three of a Kind: 
                   Three of one rank 
                 
                     
                     
                   AAA highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   KKK next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   222 lowest 
                 
                     
                   Straight: 
                   Three of mixed suits in sequence 
                 
                     
                     
                   AKQ highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   KQJ next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   32A lowest 
                 
                     
                   Flush: 
                   Three of one suit 
                 
                     
                     
                   AKJ highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   AK10 next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   532 lowest 
                 
                     
                   Pair: 
                   Two of same rank 
                 
                     
                     
                   AAK highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   AAQ next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   223 lowest 
                 
                   Lowest: 
                   High card: 
                   A hand comprising none of the above 
                 
                     
                     
                   AKJ highest 
                 
                     
                     
                   AK10 next highest, 
                 
                     
                     
                   and so on, until 
                 
                     
                     
                   532 lowest 
                 
                     
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . The multi-player platform of  claim 10 , wherein the amount awarded on the side bet wager is made in accordance with a predetermined scale based on the rank of the player's hand.  
     
     
         17 . The multi-player platform of  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined scale is as follows:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   40 to 1  
                 
                     
                   Three of a Kind 
                   30 to 1  
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                   6 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                   4 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Pair 
                    1 to 1. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The multi-player platform of  claim 10 , wherein the player is awarded an additional bonus payout amount if the ante and the side bet wagers are received, the amount of the bonus payout being in accordance with a predetermined scale based on the rank of the player's hand.  
     
     
         18 . The multi-player platform of  claim 17 , wherein the scale is as follows:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   5 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Three of a Kind 
                   4 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                    1 to 1. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         19 . The multi-player platform of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of awarding a fixed payout amount when the player's hand exceeds the predetermined side bet rank.  
     
     
         20 . The multi-player platform of  claim 8 , wherein the player is awarded a payout of one to one on the ante and play wagers when the player's hand is of a rank which exceeds the rank of the dealer's hand.  
     
     
         21 . A system for playing a wagering game comprising: 
 a) a database for storing game data relating to rules of a poker-type game, a first predetermined hierarchy of poker hands and a pay table relating thereto, a second predetermined hierarchy of poker hands and a pay table relating thereto;    b) a processor for: 
 i) receiving a first wager that a player's three-card hand will exceed a dealer's three card hand;  
 ii) receiving an optional second wager that said player's three-card hand will be at least a first predetermined rank based on the first predetermined hierarchy of poker hands stored in the database;  
 ii) providing three cards each to the player and to the dealer;  
 iv) receiving an optional third wager from the player, wherein if the third wager is not received, the player forfeits at least the first wager;  
 v) determining whether the dealer's three-card hand is at least a second predetermined rank based on the second predetermined hierarchy of poker hands stored in the database;  
 vi) comparing the dealer's three-card hand with the player's three-card hand if the dealer's three-card hand is at least the second predetermined rank;  
 vii) awarding the player an amount based on both the first and third wagers if the player's three-card hand is of a higher rank than the dealer's three-card hand;  
 viii) awarding the player an amount based on the second wager if the second wager is received and the player's three-card hand is at least the first predetermined rank; and  
   c) a user interface for receiving wagers, communicating game activity and distributing awards payouts to the player.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the user interface is configured to operate over the world wide web to provide the player with access to the game using the world wide web.  
     
     
         23 . A machine readable media for facilitating a method of playing a wagering game, comprising: 
 a) a data segment for, 
 i) storing game data relating to rules of a first poker-type game;  
 ii) storing rules of a second poker-type game;  
 iii) storing a predetermined hierarchy of poker hands in a pay table relating to the second poker-type game;  
   b) a code segment for, 
 i) receiving a first wager that a player's three-card hand will exceed a dealer's three card hand;  
 ii) receiving an optional second wager that said player's three-card hand will be at least a first predetermined rank;  
 ii) providing three cards each to the player and to the dealer;  
 iv) receiving an optional third wager from the player, wherein if the third wager is not received, the player forfeits at least the first wager;  
 v) determining whether the dealer's three-card hand is at least a second predetermined rank;  
 vi) comparing the dealer's three-card hand with the player's three-card hand if the dealer's three-card hand is at least the second predetermined rank;  
 vii) awarding the player an amount based on both the first and third wagers if the player's three-card hand is of a higher rank than the dealer's three-card hand; and  
 viii) awarding the player an amount based on the second wager if the second wager is received and the player's three-card hand is at least the first predetermined rank.