Team poker game

Abstract

A team-poker tournament includes having at least two teams play poker either for a predetermined period of time, a predetermined number of hands, or until the members of one team have no chips remaining. A team captain may call a timeout and implement strategic moves.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . A method of playing a poker tournament online involving teams with multiple members, comprising: 
 having the members of each team play hands of poker online;    selecting a game-ending criterion;    determining the scores of each team when the game-ending criterion is met; and    declaring a winner with the best determined score.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further including, 
 providing virtual chips to the members of each team before playing the hands of poker, and    wherein determining the scores includes    determining the number of virtual chips possessed by the team members when the game-ending criterion is met.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selecting the game-ending criterion includes selecting a game end after a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein declaring a winner includes identifying as the winner the team whose members have the greatest number of virtual chips.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selecting the game-ending criterion includes selecting a game end after a predetermined number of hands.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein declaring a winner includes identifying as the winner the team whose members have the greatest number of virtual chips.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selecting the game-ending criterion includes selecting a game end when none of the members of a team have any virtual chips.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein declaring a winner includes identifying as the winner a team with members that still have at least one virtual chip when none of the members of another team has virtual chips.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 20 , including allowing each of the teams to call a timeout.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 20  including allowing replacement of a member of a team for a hand of poker.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the replacement of a member occurs during a timeout.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 21 , including 
 allowing the cashing out of a member of a team, and    allowing distribution of the virtual chips of the member cashed out to another member of the team.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 20 , including 
 allowing the request of a new deck.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 20 , including 
 allowing each team a preset number of timeouts.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 20 , including 
 allowing each team a preset number of timeouts during a set period of time.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 20 , including 
 allowing each team a first preset number of timeouts during a first set period of time, and    allowing each team a second preset number of timeouts during a second set period of time.    
   
   
       36 . A method of playing a poker tournament online involving teams with multiple members, comprising: 
 having the members of each team play hands of poker online;    selecting a game-ending criterion;    determining the scores of each team when the game-ending criterion is met;    declaring a winner with the best determined score;    allowing each team a first preset number of timeouts during a first period of time; and    allowing each team a second preset number of timeouts during a second period of time.    
   
   
       37 . A method of playing a poker tournament online involving teams with multiple members, comprising: 
 having at least two members of each team play hands of poker online;    selecting a game-ending criterion;    determining the scores of each team when the game-ending criterion is met;    declaring a winner with the best determined score;    allowing a member of a team to cash out and receive virtual chips before the game-ending criterion is met; and    allowing distribution of the virtual chips of the player cashed out to a member of the team.