Method and Device for Conducting a Multiple-Hand Wagering Game

Abstract

A method of conducting a multiple-hand wagering game. A wager is placed on one of a plurality of hands. Each of the plurality of hands is dealt a number of game pieces. The player will win if the hand he bets has the highest ranking of the plurality of hands. Partial hands may be exposed to allow the player to increase or decrease their wagers. Optionally, predetermined holdings may be defined to govern the formation of the hands.

1 . A method for conducting a wagering game for at least one player at a gaming table or an electronic device using physical game pieces or electronic representations of game pieces, respectively, the method comprising:
 defining a ranking system for hands comprising said game pieces;   defining at least one draw holding based on said ranking system;   receiving a wager from a player and receiving a designation from said player of at least one hand selected from any of a plurality of hands for resolution of said player's wager;   defining at least one exception event based on at least one of said plurality of hands and an exception to said ranking system;   dealing at least one game piece to each of said plurality of hands;   dealing at least one additional game piece to any of said plurality of hands with a draw holding;   determining the rank of each of said plurality of hands and comparing said plurality of hands to one another according to said ranking system;   if said plurality of hands comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said exception to said ranking system rather than said ranking system and terminating said wagering game for each player; and   if said plurality of hands fail to comprise an exception event and one hand outranks any other hand, resolving said wager according to said ranking system by rewarding each player designating the hand with the highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of resolving said wager according to said ranking system further comprises:
 if two or more hands with an equal ranking outrank any other hands, returning said wager for each player designating either hand with said highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; and   collecting said wager from each player designating a hand that is outranked by another hand among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said player is rewarded with even money. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said player is rewarded with less than even money. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 defining at least one no-draw holding; and   if any of said plurality of hands includes said no-draw holding, comparing said plurality of hands without dealing any additional game pieces to any of said plurality of hands without regard to whether any of said plurality of hands includes a draw holding.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of said plurality of hands comprises at least two game pieces, said ranking system includes only hands containing two game pieces, and said step of determining the ranking of each hand comprises determining the highest possible ranking that can be formed from two game pieces selected from two or more game pieces dealt to said hand. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of dealing comprises dealing at least one game piece of each of said plurality of hands is dealt exposed, the method further comprising:
 receiving an election from each player to alter the amount of said player's wager prior to said step of dealing at least one additional game piece to any hand with a draw holding;   if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by increasing said player's wager, receiving from said player an additional wager amount; and   if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by decreasing said player's wager, returning to said player a portion of said wager amount.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said game pieces comprise Pai Gow tiles having pips identifying said Pai Gow tiles, said ranking system comprises in descending order (a) pairs in descending order of Supreme pair, Heaven pair, Earth pair, Man pair, Goose pair, Plum pair, Long pair, Board pair, Hatchet pair, Partition pair, Long Leg  7  pair, Big Head  6  pair, Mixed  9  pair, Mixed  8  pair, Mixed  7  pair, and Mixed  5  pair, (b) Wong, (c) Gong, and (d) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the pips on the Pai Gow tiles of a hand, and said draw holding is a hand with a hand value of five or less. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of seven and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of six, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers without regard to said ranking system. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a value of seven and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of six or five, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers designating said hand having a hand value of six or five and returning said wagers designating said hand having a hand value of seven without regard to said ranking system. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said game pieces comprise Mah Jong tiles including at least one set of numeric tiles having a value of one through nine, said ranking system comprises in descending order (a) pairs in descending order based on the value of the tiles in said pair and (b) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the value of the Mah Jong tiles of said hand, said draw holding is a hand with a hand value of five or less, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of zero and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of one, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers without regard to said ranking system. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile that outranks said numeric tiles. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile that is outranked by said numeric tiles. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile having a value of zero. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile having a value of 0.5. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 receiving a bonus wager from said player prior to said step of dealing game pieces to said plurality of hands; and   resolving said bonus wager based on the rank of at least one of said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, the method further comprising:
 defining a bonus pay table of bonus hands associated with bonus payouts, such that said step of resolving said bonus wager includes comparing said first hand and said second hand to said bonus pay table and issuing a reward to said player based on said bonus wager if both said first hand and second hand are bonus hands.   
   
   
       18 . A method for conducting a wagering game for at least one player at a gaming table or an electronic device using physical game pieces or electronic representations of game pieces, respectively, the method comprising:
 defining a ranking system for hands comprising said game pieces;   defining at least one draw holding based on said ranking system;   receiving a wager from a player and receiving a designation from said player of at least one hand selected from any of a plurality of hands for resolution of said player's wager, said plurality of hands including a first hand and a second hand;   defining at least one exception event based on at least one of said plurality of hands and an exception to said ranking system;   dealing at least one game piece to each of said plurality of hands;   dealing at least one additional game piece to any of said plurality of hands with a draw holding;   determining the rank of each of said plurality of hands and comparing said plurality of hands to one another according to said ranking system;   if said plurality of hands comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said exception to said ranking system rather than said ranking system and terminating said wagering game for each player; and   if said plurality of hands fail to comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said ranking system comprising:
 if one hand outranks any other hand, resolving said wager by rewarding each player designating the hand with the highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; 
 if two or more hands with an equal ranking outrank any other hands, returning said wager for each player designating either hand with said highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; and 
 collecting said wager from each player designating a hand that is outranked by another hand among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system. 
   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 defining at least one no-draw holding; and   if any of said plurality of hands includes said no-draw holding, comparing said plurality of hands without dealing any additional game pieces to any of said plurality of hands without regard to whether any of said plurality of hands includes a draw holding.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein each of said plurality of hands comprises at least two game pieces, said ranking system includes only hands containing two game pieces, and said step of determining the ranking of each hand comprises determining the highest possible ranking that can be formed from two game pieces selected from two or more game pieces dealt to said hand. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said step of dealing comprises dealing at least one game piece of each of said plurality of hands is dealt exposed, the method further comprising:
 receiving an election from each player to alter the amount of said player's wager prior to said step of dealing at least one additional game piece to any hand with a draw holding;   if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by increasing said player's wager, receiving from said player an additional wager amount; and   if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by decreasing said player's wager, returning to said player a portion of said wager amount.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 defining a bonus pay table of bonus hands associated with bonus payouts;   receiving a bonus wager from said player prior to said step of dealing game pieces to said plurality of hands; and   resolving said bonus wager by comparing said first hand and said second hand to said bonus pay table and issuing a reward to said player based on said bonus wager if both said first hand and second hand are bonus hands.