Method and system for playing a poker matrix game

Abstract

A method and system for playing a poker matrix game is described. The game is configured for playing via a casino-type gaming machine in which a player selects at least one betting line, such as, for example horizontal, vertical, and/or diagonal betting lines, to place a wager on. The player activates the spinners causing a random matrix of cards to be displayed. The random cards are evaluated for determining if the at least one selected betting line includes a winning poker hand.

1 . A method for playing a game, said method comprising: 
 accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;    dealing cards from a deck, where the deck includes a plurality of standard poker cards and a plurality of wild cards, such that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer;    determining whether at least one wild card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, replacing said at least one wild card with at least one other card;    determining whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line;    if a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, determining whether at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line;    if at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line, determining whether the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card; and    if the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card, calculating a score for said winning poker hand using a non-user determined multiplier.    
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining whether a free spin card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, repeating said dealing step and determining steps.  
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wild cards includes two wild cards each corresponding to a different non-user determined multiplier.  
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of calculating said score includes multiplying said score by the non-user determined multiplier corresponding to a first wild card of said at least one wild card, to a second wild card of said at least one wild card, and to an occurrence which includes the display of said first wild card and said second wild card by the at least one selected betting line.  
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of calculating the score comprises referring to a scoring table correlating each of a plurality of poker hand combinations with a respective number of credits.  
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the step of calculating the score further comprises multiplying the number of credits corresponding to the winning poker hand according to the scoring table by an amount of credits bet by said player for the at least one selected betting line.  
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of betting lines are selected from the group consisting of horizontal lines equal to the number of rows of the matrix, vertical lines equal to the number of columns of the matrix, and two diagonal lines of the matrix.  
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining whether the at least one selected betting line is dealt a predetermined set of cards.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein if yes, initiating a bonus game comprising: 
 requesting said player to select a game to play;    wherein if a first game is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;    wherein if a second game is selected, said player selects a dealer's card and a player's card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player's card has a greater value than said dealer's card;    wherein if a third game is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.    
   
   
       10 . A gaming system for playing a game, said system comprising: 
 means for accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;    means for dealing cards from a deck, where the deck includes a plurality of standard poker cards and a plurality of wild cards, such that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer; and    means for performing the steps of: 
 determining whether at least one wild card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, replacing said at least one wild card with at least one other card;  
 determining whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line;  
 if a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, determining whether at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line;  
 if at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line, determining whether the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card; and  
 if the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card, calculating a score for said winning poker hand using a non-user determined multiplier.  
   
   
   
       11 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of calculating said score includes multiplying said score by the non-user determined multiplier corresponding to a first wild card of said at least one wild card, to a second wild card of said at least one wild card, and to an occurrence which includes the display of said first wild card and said second wild card by the at least one selected betting line.  
   
   
       12 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of calculating the score comprises referring to a scoring table correlating each of a plurality of poker hand combinations with a respective number of credits.  
   
   
       13 . The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the step of calculating the score further comprises multiplying the number of credits corresponding to the winning poker hand according to the scoring table by an amount of credits bet by said player for the at least one selected betting line.  
   
   
       14 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of betting lines are selected from the group consisting of horizontal lines equal to the number of rows of the matrix, vertical lines equal to the number of columns of the matrix, and two diagonal lines of the matrix.  
   
   
       15 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising means for playing a bonus game by displaying icons each corresponding to a bonus game, wherein selection by said player of a displayed icon enables play of said corresponding bonus game: 
 wherein if a first icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;    wherein if a second icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player selects a dealer's card and a player's card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player's card has a greater value than said dealer's card;    wherein if a third icon of said displayed icons is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.    
   
   
       16 . A computer readable medium comprising a set of computer readable instructions capable of being executed by at least one processor for playing a game comprising: 
 accepting a selection from a player of at least one betting line of a plurality of betting lines defined by a matrix;    dealing cards from a deck, where the deck includes a plurality of standard poker cards and a plurality of wild cards, such that the plurality of betting lines have n cards each, where n is an integer;    determining whether at least one wild card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, replacing said at least one wild card with at least one other card;    determining whether a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line;    if a winning poker hand is displayed on the at least one selected betting line, determining whether at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line;    if at least one wild card was dealt to said at least one selected betting line, determining whether the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card; and    if the winning poker hand includes the at least one other card used to replace said at least one wild card, calculating a score for said winning poker hand using a non-user determined multiplier.    
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising the step of determining whether a free spin card is one of the dealt cards, and if yes, repeating said dealing step and determining steps.  
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the step of calculating said score includes multiplying said score by the non-user determined multiplier corresponding to a first wild card of said at least one wild card, to a second wild card of said at least one wild card, and to an occurrence which includes the display of said first wild card and said second wild card by the at least one selected betting line.  
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the step of calculating the score comprises: 
 referring to a scoring table correlating each of a plurality of poker hand combinations with a respective number of credits; and    multiplying the number of credits corresponding to the winning poker hand according to the scoring table by an amount of credits bet by said player for the at least one selected betting line.    
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising the step of determining whether the at least one selected betting line is dealt a predetermined set of cards, and, if yes, initiating a bonus game comprising: 
 requesting said player to select a game to play;    wherein if a first game is selected, said player guesses whether a face down card has a greater or lesser value than a face up card, wherein said player is awarded credits for a correct guess;    wherein if a second game is selected, said player selects a dealer's card and a player's card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits if said player's card has a greater value than said dealer's card;    wherein if a third game is selected, said player selects at least one card from a plurality of face down cards, wherein said player is awarded credits equal to the value of the at least one selected card.