Poker video game terminal

Abstract

A method of playing a poker game using a video game terminal includes one player using the video game terminal and three or more terminal generated and controlled players to play against. Each player has a starting point value used for play and scoring in the poker game. The poker game includes a series of elimination rounds where each elimination round comprises two or more hands and eliminating the player with the lowest score at the end of an elimination round. Each hand in an elimination round includes two down cards provided to each player and five common cards provided face up for use by all players in combination with their respective two down cards for forming of the best five card poker hand and thereby determining a winner of a “win” pool associated with the hand. Each hand in an elimination round includes one or more player wagering steps where players wager points from their starting points with said wagered points accumulating in the “win” pool or a player withdrawing from the hand. The game terminal for each hand initially provides two down cards for each player and three face up cards of said five common cards followed by a wagering step and a wagering step follows the fifth card. After each round, the player with the lowest score is eliminated. This poker game method is relatively fast to play and involves similar strategy and expertise used in traditional poker games. The method also has an interconnected terminal mode allowing direct competition between players having a connected terminal.

1 . A method of playing a video game terminal poker game comprising one player using the video game terminal and three or more terminal generated and controlled players with each player having a starting point value used for play and scoring in the poker game;
 the poker game including a series of elimination rounds where each elimination round comprises two or more hands and eliminating the player with the lowest score at the end of an elimination round;   each hand in an elimination round including two down cards provided to each player and five common cards provided face up for use by all players in combination with their respective two down cards for forming of the best poker hand and thereby determining a winner of a pool associated with the hand;   each hand in an elimination round including one or more player wagering steps where players wager points from said starting points of said players with said wagered points accumulating in a win pool or a player withdrawing from the hand;   the game terminal for each hand initially providing two down cards for each player and three face up cards of said five common cards followed by one of said wagering steps; the game terminal subsequently displaying a fourth common card followed by a further wagering step for remaining players; the game terminal thereafter displaying the fifth common card; and   thereafter determining the winner of the hand based on the player that forms the best poker hand using any of the 5 common cards and the player's two down cards and awarding the winning player the win pool that is added to the player's point value;   playing at least two hands for each elimination round and eliminating the player with the lowest point value at the end of each elimination round.   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the elimination rounds include initial elimination rounds and final elimination rounds and the number of hands forming a final elimination round is greater than the number of hands forming an initial elimination round. 
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein each initial elimination round has at least three hands. 
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  including a further wagering step after the display of the fifth common card and prior to determining the winner of the hand. 
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4  including an initial step executed by the player of selecting a character from a group of characters displayed by the game terminal with said terminal using the selected character to identify the player on any game screens displayed by the terminal during the poker game. 
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 3  including at least three initial elimination rounds. 
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6  including two final elimination rounds. 
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7  wherein each final elimination round includes at least five hands. 
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said terminal includes a player actuated step to automatically complete a hand for the remaining terminal generated players if said one player withdraws from a hand. 
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the terminal stops the game if said one player is eliminated. 
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 3  including five generated and controlled players. 
   
   
       12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein three initial elimination rounds are followed by two final elimination rounds. 
   
   
       13 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the best poker hand is the best five card poker hand. 
   
   
       14 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  including an interconnected terminal mode allowing direct competition between actual players each providing their game input through a respective terminal. 
   
   
       15 . A method as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said method in said interconnected terminal mode reduces the terminal generated and controlled players with each additional interconnected terminal having an actual player. 
   
   
       16 . A method of playing a video game terminal poker game comprising one player using the video game terminal and at least three further players with each player having a starting point value used for play and scoring in the poker game; said further players including players at connected video game terminals and video game terminal generated and controlled players;
 the poker game including a series of elimination rounds where each elimination round comprises two or more hands and eliminating the player with the lowest score at the end of an elimination round;   each hand in an elimination round including two down cards provided to each player and five common cards provided face up for use by all players in combination with their respective two down cards for forming of the best poker hand and thereby determining a winner of a pool associated with the hand;   each hand in an elimination round including one or more player wagering steps where players wager points from said starting points of said players with said wagered points accumulating in a win pool or a player withdrawing from the hand;   the game terminal for each hand initially providing two down cards for each player and three face up cards of said five common cards followed by one of said wagering steps; the game terminal subsequently displaying a fourth common card followed by a further wagering step for remaining players; the game terminal thereafter displaying the fifth common card; and thereafter determining the winner of the hand based on the player that forms the best poker hand using any of the 5 common cards and the player's two down cards and awarding the winning player the win pool that is added to the player's point value;   playing at least two hands for each elimination round and eliminating the player with the lowest point value at the end of each elimination round.   
   
   
       17 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said poker game includes two or more players with each player using a connected video game terminal to participate in said game. 
   
   
       18 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said further players are all computer generated and controlled players. 
   
   
       19 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein each hand in an elimination round including one or more player wagering steps where players wager points from said starting points of said players with said wagered points accumulating in a win pool; and wherein said method including determining a winning hand for each round and awarding the win pool to the player associated with the winning hand. 
   
   
       20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein each hand is an elimination round initially includes two down cards for each player and three fact up cards of said five common cards followed by a wagering step.