Personal game device and method

US20070225067A1Inactive Publication Date: 2007-09-27OLSON ERIK
23 Cites 10 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2007-09-27
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a portable electronic game device programmed for playing poker, particularly “No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em” against a plurality of virtual opponents or players that each have predefined characteristics, the device having a personal computer interface, a memory accumulator for cumulatively storing earned points, and a means of communication with a hosted website or remote server computer that tracks unique identifiers for the game device and its associated player and allows the player to compete with other players for prizes based on the total accumulated points earned by the individual player or to obtain universal rankings. The invention also relates to methods of using such a portable game device.
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Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60 / 785,743, filed Mar. 24, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a portable electronic game device programmed for playing poker, particularly “No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em” against a plurality of virtual opponents or players that each have predefined characteristics, the device having a personal computer interface, a memory accumulator for cumulatively storing earned points, and a means of communication with a hosted website or remote server computer that tracks unique identifiers for the game device and its associated player and allows the player to compete with other players for prizes based on the total accumulated points earned by the individual player or to obtain universal rankings. In another embodiment, invention also relates to methods of using such...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0015]Referring to FIG. 1, an example game device 4 is shaped like a map of the State of Texas, and it is configured to allow the player to play Texas No-Limit Hold 'Em poker, although in principle the device could be configured to allow play of any of a variety of poker games. Such poker varieties, which are within the scope of the present invention, are described in detail in Robert's Rules of Poker, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0016]In Texas Hold 'Em, each player is dealt two hole cards face down. Five community cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table, which also may be called the board. The player who makes the best five-card poker hand with any combination of his hole cards and the five community cards wins the round. In a conventional Texas Hold 'Em game, a disc or other marker is used to indicate which player is the dealer for the round. In electronic game device 4 of the invention the dealer is similarly identified.

[0017]Before the cards are dealt, t...