Poker-based wagering game for multiple players

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for providing, operating, hosting and conducting wagering games for at least two participating players including distributing randomly generated playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players, providing a community group of at least three playing cards, conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are known to the participating players, determining the winner of the game as one of either the participating player remaining if no other players continue as participating players in the game or the participating player achieving a final hand of the highest poker rank when compared with the final hands of the participating players, transferring a portion of the wagers received to a game host, and transferring the remaining portion of the wagers received to the determined winner.

1 . A method of hosting a wagering game for at least two participating players at a gaming table, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards;   receiving an ante wager from each of the participating players;   distributing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players, wherein the cards are distributed face down so that each participating player is unable to view the partial hands distributed to any other participating players;   providing a community group of at least three playing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards, wherein the cards in the community group are provided face down so that the values of the playing cards remain unknown to the participating players;   conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are known to the participating players, the wagering events including revealing the value of a playing card from the community group, and providing an opportunity for each participating player to enter an optional wager, wherein upon receiving the optional wager from any of the participating players, the wager becomes mandatory requiring receiving matching wagers from all participating players thereafter to continue as participating player in the game and to prevent forfeiting all of the player's respective prior wagers;   determining the winner of the game as one of either the participating player remaining if no other players continue as participating players in the game or the participating player achieving a final hand of the highest poker rank when compared with the final hands of the participating players, wherein each of the participating player's final hands are formed from the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the at least three known community cards;   transferring a portion of the wagers received to a game host; and   transferring the remaining portion of the wagers received to the determined winner of the game.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of distributing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players further comprises distributing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards to form a partial hand of five playing cards for each of the participating players. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a community group of at least three playing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards further comprises providing a community group of five playing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , further comprising the step of discarding two cards. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are known to the participating players further comprises conducting three wagering events until the values of three of the playing cards in the community group are known to the participating players. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the wagering events include revealing the value of a single playing card from the community group. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of conducting an initial wagering event subsequent to the step of distributing cards from the set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players and prior to revealing the value of a playing card from the community group. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-facilitated method of operating a wagering game for at least two participating players, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving an ante wager from each of the participating players using a player interface;   randomly generating virtual playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players, wherein the cards in each of the partial hands are viewable only at the respective player interfaces of the participating players associated with the partial hands;   providing a randomly generated community group of at least three virtual playing cards, wherein the values of the playing cards in the community group are not displayed to the participating players;   conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are displayed to the participating players, the wagering events including displaying the value of a playing card from the community group, and providing an opportunity for each participating player to enter an optional wager, wherein upon receiving the optional wager from any of the participating players, the wager becomes mandatory requiring receiving matching wagers from all participating players thereafter to continue as participating player in the game and to prevent forfeiting all of the player's respective prior wagers;   determining the winner of the game as one of either the participating player remaining if no other players continue as participating players in the game or the participating player achieving a final hand of the highest poker rank when compared with the final hands of the participating players, wherein each of the participating player's final hands are formed from the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the at least three known community cards;   transferring a portion of the wagers received to a game host; and   transferring the remaining portion of the wagers received to the determined winner of the game.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-facilitated method according to  claim 8 , wherein the partial hand includes five playing cards for each of the participating players. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-facilitated method according to  claim 8 , wherein the community group includes three virtual playing cards. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-facilitated method according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the wagering events include displaying the value of a single playing card from the community group. 
     
     
         12 . A system for providing a wagering game associated with the underlying game of Blackjack, comprising:
 a) means for randomly generating playing cards to form partial hands of at least four cards for each participating player and a community group of at least three playing cards;   b) a processor configured for:
 (i) conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are revealed to the participating players, the wagering events including revealing the value of a playing card from the community group, and providing an opportunity for each participating player to enter an optional wager, wherein upon receiving the optional wager from any of the participating players, the wager becomes mandatory requiring receiving matching wagers from all participating players thereafter to continue as participating player in the game and to prevent forfeiting all of the player's respective prior wagers; 
 (ii) determining the winner of the game as one of either the participating player remaining if no other players continue as participating players in the game or the participating player achieving a final hand of the highest poker rank when compared with the final hands of the participating players, wherein each of the participating player's final hands are formed from the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the at least three known community cards; 
   c) a communication device configured for:
 (i) transmitting the values of playing cards revealed in the game to participating players; and 
 (ii) facilitating the transfer of a portion of the wagers received to the determined winner of the game. 
   
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein means for randomly generating a random initial hand of playing cards in the underlying game comprises a random number generator. 
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein means for generating a random initial hand of playing cards in the underlying game is at least one deck of randomly ordered playing cards. 
     
     
         15 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a display device in communication with the communication device and configured for displaying the values of playing cards revealed in the game. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor is remotely located from the display device. 
     
     
         17 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the communication device and processor are mounted in a unitary housing. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 12 , wherein the processor is remotely located from the communication device.