Non-wagering Option-driven Card Game

Abstract

An innovative application to any poker-type card game that is effective in all forums from live hosted-establishment play to electronic venues such as video terminals, standalone video game consoles, computer terminals, and any networked combination thereof which may be centrally served. The X CHIP application to both electronic and live card games in essence replaces the betting round with an option round, which consists of the choice to exercise the option to fold through surrender of one of the X option chips and perhaps stay in the game long enough to win the pot. When optimally applied, the X CHIP application will heighten attraction to the game, increase game rate of play, and effectively increase table revenues.

1 . A process which increases the excitement and rate of play of existing poker games, comprised of the steps for: (a) replacing the betting round of any variant of poker game with an option round; (b) establishing a game table with eight seats; (c) providing for as few as five players by dealing dummy hands to dummy seats to fill out the table; (d) placing the fixed entrance fee from each player into the game pot; (e) giving each player X number of option chips; (f) providing a means for selecting a dealer from the players and assigning the dealer's button to the selected player, which rotates clockwise about the table of players with each subsequent set; (g) dealing (by the dealer) the cards to each player according to the rules of the poker variant being played; (h) querying (by the dealer) each player in turn if that player wishes to exercise the option fold by surrendering one option chip on each turn of the community cards (the flop, turn, and river, if applicable to the variant of poker being played); (i) eliminating the player with the lowest ranking hand that does not or cannot fold; (j) holding players safe from elimination in the active hand on the occurrence of multiple equivalent lowest ranking hands or if all but one player folds; (k) passing the dealer's button to the current dealer's immediate left at the end of each hand; (l) offering the opportunity to any eliminated player or players the chance to re-buy into the game before dealing the second and subsequent hands; (m) depositing the re-buy fees collected into the game pot; (n) repeating the prior sequence from the deal to passing the dealer's button or deposit of the re-buy fees, until all but one player has been eliminated, leaving only the remaining player to claim the pot. 
     
     
         2 . A process as in claim one, further comprising after said step (g) a for: (g1) distributing a dummy chip of a different color to each player that is still in the game but has surrendered all X option chips. 
     
     
         3 . A process as in claim one, further comprising after said step (h) a step for: (h1) wherein the final option round, usually prior to the showdown where players reveal their hands, is removed to add a challenge to the players and increase the rate of play. 
     
     
         4 . A process as in claim one, further comprising after said step (d) a step for: (d1) paying a flat rate amount from said game pot to the host; and also replacing said step (m) with (m1) paying all of said re-buy fees to the host. 
     
     
         5 . A process as in claim four wherein, instead of a seat at a live table, the game is played at a virtual table served from a centralized computer to the networked display device selected from the group consisting of a video terminal, a game console, and a computer terminal. 
     
     
         6 . A process as in claim four, wherein, instead of a seat at a live table in the hosts venue, the game is played at a virtual table served from a game-provider's centralized computer to players' personal computers over the internet; and payment of said flat rate amounts and re-buy fees to the internet-serving game provider is accomplished electronically. 
     
     
         7 . A process to increase host revenue through tournament play of X CHIP POKER, comprised of the steps for: (a) providing a means of choosing the optimum tournament seating and advancement methods according to the number of participants; (b) providing for a lower number of players than optimal by dealing and playing dummy seats to fill out the table; (c) securing payment of a single fixed entrance fee into the tournament pot from each player paying for a place in the tournament, with one entrance fee amount paid to the host; (d) distributing X number of option chips to each player at the onset of each new set, where X is a predetermined number of option exercises available to the player; (e) providing a means for selecting a dealer from the players and assigning the dealer's button to the selected player, which rotates clockwise about the table of players with each subsequent set; (f) dealing (by the dealer) the cards according to the rules of the poker variant being played; (g) offering (by the dealer) each player, in turn and during each option round, the option to fold at a cost of one option chip; (h) eliminating the player with the lowest ranking hand that does not or cannot fold from the set; (i) holding players safe from elimination in the current hand on the occurrence of multiple equivalent lowest ranking hands or if all but one player leaves the game or folds; (j) passing the dealer's button to the prior dealer's immediate left; (k) offering the opportunity to re-buy into the tournament to any eliminated player or players before dealing the second and subsequent hands by payment of another entrance fee to the tournament host and surrendering one option chip, where lack of a chip to surrender precludes re-buy; (l) repeating the prior sequence with a new dealer until either until only the prescribed number of players remains at each table for advancement to the next set, with each player surrendering all remaining option chips before advancing, or only one player remains at the final table to claim the pot. 
     
     
         8 . A process as in claim seven, further comprising after said step (g) the step (g1) for: distributing a dummy chip of a different color to each player that is still in the game but has surrendered all X option chips. 
     
     
         9 . A process as in claim seven, further comprising after said step (g) the step (g2) for: removing the final option round, which usually occurs prior to the showdown where players reveal their hands, to challenge the players and increase the rate of play. 
     
     
         10 . A process as in claim seven wherein, instead of a seat at a live table, the game is played at a virtual table served from a centralized computer to the networked display device selected from the group consisting of a video terminal, a game console, and a computer terminal. 
     
     
         11 . A process as in claim seven, wherein, instead of a seat at a live table in the hosts venue, the game is played at a virtual table served from a game-provider's centralized computer to players' personal computers over the internet; and payment of said flat rate amounts and re-buy fees to the internet-serving game provider is accomplished electronically. 
     
     
         12 . An optimal process of applying X CHIP to a poker game variant with a rapid rate of play, comprising the steps for: (a) establishing a game table with eight seats; (b) providing for as few as five players by dealing dummy hands to dummy seats to fill out the table; (c) collecting a fixed entrance fee from each player and depositing it into the game pot; (d) distributing to each player three option chips; (e) providing a means for selecting a dealer from the players and assigning the dealer's button to the selected player, which rotates clockwise about the table of players with each subsequent set; (f) dealing (by the dealer) three pocket cards to each player and dummy seat; (g) querying (by the dealer) each player in turn if that player wishes to exercise the option fold by surrendering one option chip pre-flop; (h) dealing (by the dealer) the three flop community cards; (i) querying (by the dealer) each player in turn if that player wishes to exercise the option fold by surrendering one option chip pre-turn; (j) dealing (by the dealer) the single turn community card; (k) querying (by the dealer) each player in turn if that player wishes to exercise the option fold by surrendering one option chip pre-showdown; (l) eliminating, at the showdown, the player with the lowest ranking hand that does not or cannot fold; (m) holding players safe from elimination in the active hand on the occurrence of multiple equivalent lowest ranking hands or if all but one player folds; (n) passing the dealer's button to the current dealer's immediate left at the end of each hand; (o) offering the opportunity to any eliminated player or players the chance to re-buy into the game before dealing the second and subsequent hands; (p) depositing the re-buy fees collected into the game pot; (q) repeating the prior sequence from the deal to passing the dealer's button or deposit of the re-buy fees, until all but one player has been eliminated, leaving only the remaining player to claim the pot. 
     
     
         13 . A process as in claim twelve, further comprising after said step (d) the step (d1) for: distributing a dummy chip of a different color to each player that is still in the game but has surrendered all three option chips. 
     
     
         14 . A process as in claim twelve, further comprising removal of said step (k), the final option round after the turn card is dealt and prior to the showdown, to add a challenge to the players and increase the rate of game play. 
     
     
         15 . A process as in claim twelve, further comprising after said step (c) a step (c1) for: paying a flat rate amount from said game pot to the venue host; and also replacing said step (p) with (p1) paying all re-buy fees to the venue host. 
     
     
         16 . A process as in claim fifteen wherein, instead of a seat at a live table, the game is played at a virtual table served from a centralized computer to the networked display device selected from the group consisting of a video terminal, a game console, and a computer terminal. 
     
     
         17 . A process as in claim fifteen wherein, instead of a seat at a live table in the hosts venue, the game is played at a virtual table served from a game-provider's centralized computer to players' personal computers over the internet; and payment of said flat rate amounts and re-buy fees to the internet-serving game provider is accomplished electronically.