Multivariate poker

Abstract

A multivariate poker game is provided. In an implementation, a multiplayer card game offers player-selectable sequences of play, including optional 3-card plays and 5-card plays, all within a single round of the card game. A player's choice can determine how the action branches into different subsequent plays. Each 3-card play and each 5-card play within a single round may give rise to corresponding wagers from a player. Real or virtual cards are dealt facedown to form a 5-card dealer hand and 5-card player hands for each participating player. In one example, play begins with optional 3-card hands blindly selected by each player from the player's facedown cards and resolved against a 3-card pay table.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A processor-executable method, comprising:
 storing game instructions on a nonvolatile data storage medium;   loading the game instructions into a computer memory to create a virtual game engine when the game instructions are executed by the processor;   running the virtual game engine to perform the following operations with input and output implemented at least on video display hardware:   accepting an ante wager and a full hand wager from each participating player in a card game implemented by the virtual game engine;   dealing cards facedown from a playing card deck to form a five-card dealer facedown hand and a five-card player facedown hand for each participating player;   accepting a selection of a 3-card blind hand from each player from the corresponding five-card player facedown hand of each player;   paying each 3-card blind hand according to a first pay table;   revealing the remaining two cards of the dealer five-card facedown hand and of each player five-card facedown hand;   paying each revealed five-card hand of each player according to a second pay table based on the full hand wager;   offering each player a selection to play a 3-card poker round or a 5-card poker round against the dealer;   paying each 3-card poker round result according to a third pay table; and   paying each 5-card poker round result according to a fourth pay table.   
     
     
         14 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The processor-executable method of  claim 13 , wherein the first pay table comprises one of:
 a three card royal flush pays 200 times the ante wager, a three-card straight-flush pays 40 times the ante wager, a three of a kind pays 30 times the ante wager, a straight pays 6 times the ante wager, a flush pays 3 times the ante wager and a pair pays 1 times the ante wager;   a three card royal flush pays 100 times the ante wager, a three-card straight-flush pays 50 times the ante wager, a three of a kind pays 30 times the ante wager, a straight pays 6 times the ante wager, a flush pays 3 times the ante wager and a pair pays 1 times the ante wager; or   a three card royal flush pays 50 times the ante wager, a three-card straight-flush pays 40 times the ante wager, a three of a kind pays 30 times the ante wager, a straight pays 6 times the ante wager, a flush pays 4 times the ante wager and a pair pays 1 times the ante wager.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The processor-executable method of  claim 13 , wherein the accepting a selection of a 3-card blind hand from each player from the corresponding five-card player facedown hand of each player;
 and the paying each 3-card blind hand according to a first pay table are optional.   
     
     
         22 . The processor-executable method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 accepting a 3-card blind hand wager; and   paying each 3-card blind hand according to the first pay table, wherein the first pay table is based on the 3-card blind hand wager.   
     
     
         23 . The processor-executable method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 accepting a 3-card poker round wager when a player selects the 3-card poker round; and   paying each 3-card poker round result according to the third pay table based on each 3-card poker round wager.   
     
     
         24 . The processor-executable method of  claim 23 , further comprising paying each 3-card poker round result according to the third pay table based on each 3-card poker round wager and on the respective ante wager of a player. 
     
     
         25 . The processor-executable method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 accepting a 5-card poker round wager when a player selects the 5-card poker round; and   paying each 5-card poker round result according to the fourth pay table based on each 5-card poker round wager.   
     
     
         26 . The processor-executable method of  claim 25 , further comprising paying each 5-card poker round result according to the fourth pay table based on each 5-card poker round wager and on the respective ante wager of a player.