Multihand poker game

Abstract

This invention is a multi-handed poker game where the cards are dealt in in a diamond pattern with four hands formed from five card groups. In one embodiment, a player may swap cards among the four hands before the hands are compared to a paytable.

1 . A method to play video poker comprising the following steps: dealing cards to a player in a four sided, diamond shape, where each side is a separate hand that has five cards, said hand consisting of three interior cards and two corner cards, and where the corner cards are shared with two adjacent hands; the player exchanging cards from one hand to another hand; and after all exchanges, comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable.  
   
   
       2 . The method to play video poker of  claim 1  wherein dealing cards further comprises the following steps: dealing the three interior cards in each hand face up and the corner cards face down; and where the player exchanging cards further comprises exchanging only interior cards; and further comprising the step of revealing the corner cards after all exchanges before comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable after the corner cards are revealed.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  where dealing the cards further comprises dealing the three interior cards face down and dealing the corner cards face up.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  where the player exchanging cards further comprises exchanging corner cards.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  where dealing cards to a player comprises dealing cards to a player in a six-sided shape.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  where dealing cards to a player further comprises dealing an additional card and the player exchanging cards further comprises exchanging the additiona card with one of the corner cards.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  where the additional card is a wild card.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  where dealing cards to a player comprises dealing cards to a player in an eight-sided shape.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  where dealing cards to a player comprises dealing cards to a player in a 10-sided shape.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the player exchanging one or more of the previously exchanged cards with a third or forth hand, prior to comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable.  
   
   
       11 . A method to play a video poker game comprising: 
 dealing to a player one or more pairs of hands with five cards in each hand where each hand consists of three interior cards and two end cards that are common to each pair of hands and the three interior cards are dealt face up;    the player exchanging interior cards between hands; and    after all exchanges, comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 11  where the end cards are dealt face down and further comprising turning the end cards face up after the player has exchanged cards and before comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  where two pairs of hands are dealt so that each hand has three interior cards and all hands share two common end cards.  
   
   
       13 . A method to play a video poker game that comprises the following steps: 
 (a) dealing cards to a player in a four sided diamond shape, consisting of  16  cards, where each side is a separate hand that has five cards consisting of three interior cards and two corner cards, the corner cards are shared with two adjacent hands;    (b) permitting a player to exchange cards from one hand to another hand;    (c) after the exchanges, comparing each of the resulting hands to a paytable; and    (d) paying the player according to amounts set out in the paytable for each hand.    
   
   
       14 .