Wager insurance for a No-Limit Texas Hold'Em poker game

Abstract

Wager insurance for a game of No-Limit Texas Hold'Em poker is provided to allow players to “hedge their bets” to limit the downside of losing a large bet through the provision of the ability to purchase, from the house, an insurance policy. The “premium” paid for the insurance policy is calculated by the house taking into account such factors as (a) the amount bet, (b) the strength of the hand, and (c) the status of the game, that is, how far along in the game the insurance is requested, in terms of how many of the sequence of steps in playing the game have occurred. Players may obtain insurance at any step along the way of the playing of the game. This permits a player to limit their potential loss, particularly where the player has the strongest hand to that point in the sequence of steps by which the game is played. In order to avoid undue complication, once a player becomes a policy holder and purchases an insurance policy from the house, that player may not take out another policy during the remainder of the same hand.

1 . In a card game known as No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Poker, conducted by a house, in which a plurality of players play said card game and first, second, third and fourth rounds of betting occur, the improvement comprising the house providing an insurance policy that may be purchased by an eligible player after any betting round, said eligible player having a hand of cards, at a time when an insurance policy purchase is sought, stronger than hands of cards held by other players. 
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein issuance of said insurance policy requires payment of a premium. 
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 2 , wherein strength of a hand is determined with reference to a standard listing of relative strengths of various poker hands. 
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 2 , wherein said premium is calculated based upon strength of a hand of an eligible player. 
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein said premium is also calculated based upon amount of money bet. 
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 5 , wherein said premium is also calculated based upon which round of betting has most recently occurred. 
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 6 , wherein said premium is calculated taking into account, in part, odds of a prospective insurance policy holder succeeding in winning a hand. 
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 7 , wherein a player who has purchased an insurance policy may not purchase another insurance policy during a same card game. 
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 7 , wherein said odds are displayed on a chart of various odds of succeeding in winning a hand for a variety of hands. 
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 9 , wherein said chart is displayed to a player considering purchasing said insurance. 
   
   
       11 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein a further eligible player, having a further hand of cards less strong than said eligible player's hand, may purchase a further insurance policy. 
   
   
       12 . The game of  claim 11 , wherein said further insurance policy has a higher premium commensurate with lesser strength of said further hand as compared to said hand. 
   
   
       13 . In a card game known as No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Poker, conducted by a house, in which a plurality of players play said card game and first, second, third and fourth rounds of betting occur, the improvement comprising the house providing an insurance policy that may be purchased by an eligible player after any betting round through payment of a premium, said eligible player having a hand of cards, at a time when an insurance policy purchase is sought, stronger than hands of cards held by other players, strength of a hand being determined with reference to a standard listing of relative strengths of various poker hands, said premium being calculated based upon strength of a hand of an eligible player. 
   
   
       14 . The game of  claim 13 , wherein said premium is also calculated based upon amount of money bet. 
   
   
       15 . The game of  claim 14 , wherein said premium is also calculated based upon which round of betting has most recently occurred. 
   
   
       16 . The game of  claim 14 , wherein said premium is calculated taking into account, in part, odds of a prospective insurance policy holder succeeding in winning a hand. 
   
   
       17 . The game of  claim 13 , wherein a player who has purchased an insurance policy may not purchase another insurance policy during a same card game. 
   
   
       18 . The game of  claim 13 , wherein said odds are displayed on a chart of various odds of succeeding in winning a hand for a variety of hands, said chart being displayed to a player considering purchasing said insurance. 
   
   
       19 . The game of  claim 18 , wherein a further eligible player, having a further hand of cards less strong than said eligible player's hand, may purchase a further insurance policy. 
   
   
       20 . The game of  claim 19 , wherein said further insurance policy has a higher premium commensurate with lesser strength of said further hand as compared to said hand.