Poker Game Enabling Replacement of Discrete Card Characteristics

Abstract

Techniques involving the enhancement of hand results in poker games involving a draw. One representative method includes presenting a hand(s) of cards, where each of the cards has at least a card value and a card suit. A player may identify the card values and card suits in which to hold in each of the cards. The card values and card suits are replaced for any of the card values/suits that are not held, and a resulting hand(s) that includes the held and replaced card values and card suits is provided.

1 . A method comprising:
 presenting a hand of a plurality of cards on a display, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit;   facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in each of the cards via a user interface;   replacing the card values for any of the card values not held, and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held; and   presenting via the display a resulting hand of the cards that includes the held and replaced card values and card suits.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising presenting a plurality of the hands, wherein each of the cards in each of the plurality of the hands has a card value and a card suit, and wherein:
 facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits comprises facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in each of the cards of each of the plurality of hands;   replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and card suits for any of the card hands and suits not held in each of the cards of each of the plurality of hands; and   presenting a resulting hand of the cards comprises presenting a plurality of the resulting hands of the cards, each of which includes the held and replaced card values and card suits for the respective resulting hand.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the hand of cards comprises enabling user selection of the card values and the card suits in which to retain and not replace. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the hand of cards comprises enabling user selection of the card values and the card suits in which to replace and not retain. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein presenting a hand of a plurality of cards comprises presenting a five-card hand. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein presenting a hand of a plurality of cards comprises presenting an initial number of cards greater than five cards, and wherein presenting a resulting hand of the cards comprises presenting the resulting hand using five of the cards of the initial number of cards that create the highest poker rank after the replacement any of the card values and card suits. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and/or card suits such that no resulting cards of the resulting hand are duplicates. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and/or card suits such that one or more of the resulting cards of the resulting hand are duplicates as a result of the replacement. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the presented hand meets at least one defined criteria; and   enabling the user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in response to the presented hand meeting the at least one defined criteria.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating user identification comprises determining, based on defined play rules, which of the card values and card suits to hold on behalf of the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a paytable of poker ranks, and providing a payout for the resulting hand based on which of the poker ranks in the paytable correspond to the resulting hand. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display configured to present at least one initial hand of a plurality of cards, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit;   a user interface configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain for each of the plurality of cards in the at least one initial hand;   a processor configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained; and   wherein the display is further configured to present at least one resulting hand for each of the at least one initial hands that includes the retained card values, the retained card suits, the replacement card values and the replacement card suits.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain by touching the display proximate the card values and the card suits in which to retain. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain by touching the display proximate the card values and the card suits that are to be replaced. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the processor is further configured to replicate the retained card values and retained card suits into one or more additional hands presented on the display, and to additionally replace the card values and the card suits for cards of the additional one or more additional hands presented on the display; and   the display is further configured to present a plurality of resulting hands corresponding to the at least one initial hand and the one or more additional hands, wherein the cards in each of the plurality of resulting hands includes the retained and replaced card values and card suits.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the display is configured to present the at least one initial hand having an initial number of cards greater than five, and wherein the processor is further configured to identify the at least one resulting hand using five of the cards of the initial number of cards that yield a highest poker rank attainable on a paytable after replacement of any of the card values and card suits. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained by providing resulting cards that conform to a standard fifty-two card virtual deck of cards without duplication. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained by providing resulting cards that conform to cards of a standard fifty-two card virtual deck of cards while allowing duplication of the resulting cards. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the at least one initial hand meets at least one defined criteria, and to enable the user interface to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain for each of the plurality of cards in the at least one initial hand in response to the initial hand meeting the at least one defined criteria. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize play rules to determine which of the card values and card suits to automatically retain on behalf of the player. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 presenting an initial hand of cards having a plurality of cards on a display, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit;   facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the initial hand of cards;   replicating the held card values and held card suits into one or more additional hands presented on the display;   replacing the card values for any of the card values and card suits that are not held for the initial hand and the one or more additional hands; and   presenting via the display resulting hands of the cards corresponding to the initial hand and each of the one or more additional hands, wherein the cards in each of the resulting hands includes the held and replaced card values and card suits.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein replacing the card values and the card suits comprises replacing the card values and the card suits for each corresponding card in the hand and in each of the one or more additional hands with like card values and card suits. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein replacing the card values and the card suits comprises replacing the card values and the card suits for each corresponding card in the hand and in each of the one or more additional hands with different card values and card suits.