Concepts for playing slot machine games

Abstract

Concepts for playing slot machine games, with the participant having an opportunity to “hold” selected elements. The slot machine deals a FLOP, and the player establishes the COMMUNITY ELEMENTS for each slot, based on the number of elements of the designated game. The remaining number of elements in the slot is dealt, to be combined with the COMMUNITY ELEMENTS; and participants with a winning combination are paid in accordance with a selected ranking winning combination.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Method of conducting a slot machine game, comprising 
 (A) providing a set of contest elements for said game in which said set includes a plurality of contest elements having a surface area with playing indicia on said surface area, said contest elements;    (B) designating a version of a showdown card game in the poker family to be utilized in play of a round of the slot machine game;    (C) identifying the number of elements for forming a FLOP;    (D) displaying the identified number of elements for such FLOP;    (E) selecting COMMUNITY ELEMENTS from such FLOP to be used for play of the game, with the number of such COMMUNITY ELEMENTS, which can be established based on the number of elements in a slot of the designated slot machine, game;    (F) removing such COMMUNITY CARDS from each individual deck to be used by such a participant;    (G) displaying a predetermined number of elements to each participant from remaining elements, for each slot being played; with 
 (i) the same number of elements being dealt from individual decks,  
 (ii) such number of elements being established as the number necessary for combining with such COMMUNITY ELEMENTS, to form  
 a slot capable of being played in such selected version of a slot machine game; and  
 (H) evaluating the combination of elements in each slot for such round.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including the steps of permitting a participant to make a wager to participate when the version of the game to be played in the round has been designated, and 
 paying such a participant a preestablished amount, based on the amount of such wager, if a slot of such participant in such round comprises a predetermined winning combination of elements.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , in which such predetermined winning combinations are based on an accepted standard for poker hand rankings.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said combinations are determined for five card poker hands.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , in which said combinations are selected using a separate deck for each card in said five card poker hand.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said game is played on a device selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) electronic video game machines;    b) computers;    c) hand-held mechanical devices; and    d) hand-held video devices.    
     
     
         7 . A slot machine comprising: 
 (A) game initiating means to initiate a game on the machine;    (B) display means disposed to display the game being played on the machine wherein said display means is arranged to display a plurality of elements; and    (C) game control means responsive to the initiating means to control the playing of the game, wherein the control means displays a first combination of elements to be used as a FLOP, wherein the number of elements in such first combination corresponds to a selected game of chance, said control means permits a player to select at least one element, from said first combination, to be used as COMMUNITY ELEMENTS, said control means displays a second combination of COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS, wherein the number of COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS in such second combination when combined with said COMMUNITY ELEMENTS correspond to said selected game of chance, said control means compares the combination of COMMUNITY ELEMENTS and COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and awarding a prize to the player in the event that said combination matches a winning combination.    
     
     
         8 . The slot machine of  claim 7 , further comprising means for a player to wager on the displayed combination of elements.