Progressive Games, Inc.

Caribbean Stud Enterprises, Inc.

Other

Tru Odds Poker, LLC

D & D Gaming Patents, Inc.

Progessive Games, Inc.

James P Suttle

Daniel A Jones

Jon Rosenberg

Terry Allen Adams

Yosef Har-Nov

Mark W Duron

John Stitt

A method of allocating poker pots based on the true odds of winning the hand. The pot allocation is at the election of the two or more players involved in the hand after no more bets are possible (i.e., one or more players all in). Once no more bets are possible, the two or more players may elect to allocate the pot based on the true odds of each player winning the pot. The house or game operator may charge a fee in order for players to utilize the pot allocation option. In one version, players may allocate a percentage of the pot and play the hand out for the remaining percentage. In yet another version, if one player declines the pot allocation option, the house or operator may buy the player's hand and play it out. In yet another version, the pot allocation option may be offered to players multiple times during a poker game with the true odds changing based on newly displayed/dealt cards.

Poker system and method for allocating pots prior to an end of the poker game based on true odds at the time of allocation

A draw out point system and method. Points may be derived from odds associated with a player winning a hand when the player is subjected to a draw out. For example, if a first player has an 80% chance of winning a hand against a second player once no bets are possible, the first player is awarded 80 points corresponding to the 80% chance of winning responsive to a draw out by the second player. Alternatively, points are based on a value of a pot at the time of the draw out. After the tournament, players may be awarded payouts commensurate with earned points until a draw out pool is exhausted. To fund the draw out pool, players pay an extra tournament fee or portion of the tournament fee may be allocated to a draw out pool. Operators retain a portion of the draw out pool to increase operator revenue.

Poker system and method involving draw out protection

A bad beat or best hand system/method generates a bad beat or best hand pool from buy-in fees or designated bad beat or best hand tournament fees. The bad beat pool is paid to a player suffering a most significant or worst bad beat during the poker tournament. The best hand pool is paid to the player obtaining the highest ranking winning hand during the poker tournament. With both the bad beat pool and best hand pool, the system/method may incorporate minimum thresholds or hand ranks, which if not met, result in the bad beat or best hand pool being carried over to a next tournament creating larger and more attractive pools. Rather than awarding the bad beat or best hand pool to a single player, multiple players may also share in the bad beat or best hand pool based on a distribution scheme.

Poker system and method involving bad beat and/or best hand pools

The method of the present invention generally involves a typical casino or cardroom game modified to include a progressive jackpot component. During the play of a Twenty-One game, for example, in addition to this normal wager, a player will have the option of making an additional wager that becomes part of, and makes the player eligible to win, the progressive jackpot. If the player's Twenty-One hand comprises a particular, predetermined arrangement of cards, the player will win all, or part of, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot. This progressive jackpot feature is also adaptable to any other casino or cardroom game such as Draw Poker, Stud Poker, Lo-Ball Poker or Caribbean Stud&trade; Poker. The apparatus used to practice the present invention comprises a gaming table, such as those used for Twenty-One or poker, modified with the addition of a coin acceptor that is electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter. When a player drops a coin into the coin acceptor, a light is activated at the player's location indicating that he is participating in the progressive jackpot component of the game during that hand. At the same time, a signal from the coin acceptor is sent to the progressive meter to increment the amount shown on the progressive meter. At the conclusion of the play of each hand, the coin acceptor is reset for the next hand. When a player wins all or part of the progressive jackpot, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot meter is reduced by the amount won by the player. Any number of gaming tables can be connected to a single progressive jackpot meter.

Method for progressive jackpot gaming

An apparatus including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. The apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component. An electronic sensor is operated to sense each wagered gaming token, and an indicator is operated in response to the sensor to produce a signal indicating whether each wagered gaming token was received. The apparatus is also provided to increment the jackpot meter which displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

Apparatus for progressive jackpot gaming

The method of the present invention generally involves a typical casino or cardroom game modified to include a progressive jackpot component. During the play of a Twenty-One game, for example, in addition to this normal wager, a player will have the option of making an additional wager that becomes part of, and makes the player eligible to win, the progressive jackpot. If the player's Twenty-One hand comprises a particular, predetermined arrangement of cards, the player will win all, or part of, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot. This progressive jackpot feature is also adaptable to any other casino or cardroom game such as Draw Poker, Stud Poker, Lo-Ball Poker or Caribbean Stud&trade; Poker. The apparatus used to practice the present invention comprises a gaming table, such as those used for Twenty-One or poker, modified with the addition of a coin acceptor that is electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter. When player drops a coin into the coin acceptor, a light is activated at the player's location indicating that he is participating in the progressive jackpot component of the game during that hand. AT the same time, a signal from the coin acceptor is sent to the progressive meter to increment the amount shown on the progressive meter. At the conclusion of the play of each hand, the coin acceptor is reset for the next hand. When a player wins all or part of the progressive jackpot, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot meter is reduced by the amount won by the player. Any number of gaming tables can be connected to a single progressive jackpot meter.

A method for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes the player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter whcih displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

Methods of progressive jackpot gaming

A method for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter whcih displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

A method and apparatus for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in the unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter whcih displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

A method and apparatus for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter which displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

A method and apparatus for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter whcih displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

A coin acceptor for use in accepting coins, paper currency, tokens, or magnetic cards includes a multi-state visual display for indicating the condition of the coin acceptor or an attached device. The coin acceptor finds application in connection with gambling devices including video poker games and slot machines, as well as with vending machines, arcade games, automated teller machines, and other similarly actuated devices and machines. In a preferred embodiment, the coin acceptor finds application in connection with a progressive jackpot component for a live casino table game and includes a visual display having three different states. In a first state, corresponding to jackpot wager attract or invitation, a plurality of LEDs surrounding a token slot flash sequentially to form a traveling pattern around the slot. In a second state, corresponding to jackpot wager placement, the LEDs flash simultaneously. In a third state, corresponding to jackpot wager acceptance, the LEDs remain continuously illuminated.

Growing community of inventors

Las Vegas, NV, United States of America

James P Suttle