# US 2018/0025581 A1 · Method and appratus for playing poker

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- Number: US 2018/0025581 A1
- Document ID: US20180025581A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/654,336
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20
- Inventors: Amir Hossein Marmarchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025581A1

## CPC

- G07F 17/3248: {involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value}
- G07F 17/3209: {Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen}
- G07F 17/3262: {Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played}
- G07F 17/3293: {Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack}
- A63F 2001/005: {Poker}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A device, gaming machine and method for playing poker allowing players to hedge their risk by utilizing communication signals and or utilizing multiple stacks of chips wherein each stack of chips may serve a distinct purpose. A physical object or virtual object is used to signal to other players and/or dealers which part of a single stack or which particular stacks of chips are in play at any given moment in a particular hand and or what wager actions are available to players. There may also be additional preconditions, for example regarding in which streets of action, or with what size of what wager actions a signal can be played. The gaming machine embodies a virtual device and method allowing a player to hedge their risk utilizing communication signals and or utilizing multiple stacks of chips wherein each stack of chips may serve distinct purposes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of playing poker using a signal device comprising the steps of:
a) arranging all players' poker chips into at least one stack of chips;
b) dealing a hand of cards to all players; and
c) a player using the signal device to send at least one of a plurality of discrete signals, to all other players and or a dealer, representing a wager action limitation that the player will be confined to when making a wager action from the at least one stack of chips during the dealt hand.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the signal device includes sending a signal of the plurality of discrete signals representing at least one of the following wager action limitations:
a) the stack of chips is out of play;
b) the stack of chips is in play and cannot be made out of play;
c) the stack of chips is usable only for a call action and cannot be used for a bet or a raise action;
d) the player commits not fold the dealt hand;
e) the player commits not to check;
f) the stack of chips is usable only for a call or a raise, but unusable for betting;
g) the stack of chips is usable only for a call or a bet, but unusable for raising;
h) the player commits to bet if the wager action is checked to the player, or raise if the player faces a bet;
i) the player commits to only bet or raise;
j) the player commits to use the stack only for betting;
k) the player commits to use the stack only for raising;
l) a default mode before any other signal is played signifying that all actions are still possible using the stack;
m) the player remains in the dealt hand by wagering less than a current table wager and without making any additional wagers throughout a remainder of the dealt hand;
n) the player blocks at least one additional player from playing a wager action or at least one signal; and
o) the player cancels at least one wager action limitation from at least one additional player.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the signal device comprises a power source, a housing, a multicolored LED or a multi-status indicator, and a switch configured to change a color of the multicolored LED or a status of the multi-status indicator; further wherein each color of the multicolor LED, or each status of the multi-status indicator represent one of the plurality of discrete signals; and wherein a separate set of signals is used for each of the at least one stack.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal device is a multifaceted object wherein a number of facets is equal to a number of stacks of chips and wherein a facet of the multifaceted object indicates the number of stacks of chips available to wager for the player who displays the facet during the dealt hand.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal device is a multifaceted object, further wherein a facet of the multifaceted object represents one of the plurality of discrete signals and wherein a separate signal device is used for each stack of each player.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the signal device comprises separate physical objects;
further wherein each physical object represents one of the plurality of discrete signals; and
wherein a separate set of signal devices are used for each stack of each player.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a set of conditions for signaling at least one wager action limitation comprises at least one of the following:
a) no conditions, wherein some or all signals can be played without any condition;
b) qualifying conditions, wherein a condition must be met in order for a player to signal the at least one wager action limitation;
c) disqualifying conditions, wherein at least one condition exists that disqualifies a player from signaling the at least one wager action limitation; and
d) forcing conditions, wherein at least one condition exists such that a player must play the at least one wager action limitation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a frequency with which at least one wager action limitation may be played comprises at least one of the following:
a) unlimited or reusable, wherein the player may use some or all wager action limitation without limitation; and
b) limited, wherein a player is limited to the use of some or wager action limitation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete signals further represent a wager action limitation for at least one of the following:
a) a single stack of a single player;
b) all stacks of a single player;
c) a single stack of all players; and
d) all stacks of all players.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the poker chips are arranged into multiple stacks of chips and the wager action limitation of a stack is controlled by a separate set of signals.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein each of the multiple stacks comprise the signal device and further represent distinct wager action limitations; further wherein the wager action limitation is represented by at least one of the following: a shape, color, and or size of the chips, and or text, or shapes written or embossed on the chips, a distinct location on a table or surface, or a distinct location in a chip holder in which each stack is kept on the table.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the wager action limitation is further defined as terminal such that once the wager action limitation has been signaled, the wager action limitation cannot be changed; or the wager action limitation is further defined as non-terminal such that once the wager action limitation has been signaled, the wager action limitation may be changed to at least one new wager action limitation.

### Claim 13

A gaming machine system primarily dedicated to playing a card-based wagering game comprising:
a power supply, a housing, a microprocessor, memory, storage, a networking means configured to communicate to the internet or additional gaming machine, a display, and an electronic input device;
the electronic input device configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the card-based wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal;
a software component configured to interpret the electronic data signal and return randomly generated poker hands to the display for each player;
the electronic input device additionally configured to receive the physical input from a player to divide a player's chips into a determined number of stacks of determined chip values and transform the input into a second electronic data signal;
the software component additionally configured to interpret the second electronic data signal and return a visual indicator displaying the number of stacks and the determined chip values to the display for each player;
the electronic input device additionally configured to receive a physical input from a player to select a visual signal for each stack that determines a wager action limitation for the player and transform the input into a third electronic data signal; and
the software component additionally configured to interpret the third electronic data signal and return the visual indicator displaying the visual signal for each stack that determines a wager action for the player to the display for each player.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method of using the gaming machine system of claim 13 for playing poker using visual signals comprising the steps of:
a. using the electronic input device to initiate the card based wagering game;
b. using the electronic input device to arrange all players' poker chips into at least one stack of chips;
c. using the software component to deal a hand of cards to all players;
d. each player using the electronic input device to select a separate visual signal to signal to all other players a wager action limitation that at least one single player will be confined to when making a wager action from the at least one stack of chips during a dealt hand; and
e. wherein the absence of a signal from a player indicates that all of the stacks are available to wager in a call, bet, or raise action during the dealt hand.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein a visual signal represents at least one of the following wager action limitations:
a. the stack of chips is out of play;
b. the stack of chips is in play and cannot be made out of play;
c. the chips in the stack are usable only for a call action and cannot be used for a bet or a raise action;
d. the player commits not fold the dealt hand;
e. the player commits not to check;
f. the stack of chips is usable only for a call or a raise, but unusable for betting;
g. the stack of chips is usable only for a call or a bet, but unusable for raising;
h. the player commits to bet if the wager action is checked to the player, or raise if the player faces a bet;
i. the player commits to use only bet or raise;
j. the player commits to use the stack only for betting;
k. the player commits to use the stack only for raising;
l. a default mode before any other signal is played signifying that all actions are still possible using the stack;
m. the player remains in the dealt hand by wagering less than a current table wager and without making any additional wagers throughout a remainder of the dealt hand;
n. the player blocks at least one additional player from playing a wager action and or at least one signal; and
o. the player cancels at least one wager action limitation from at least one additional player.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein each of the at least one stack comprise the visual signal and further represent distinct wager action limitations; further wherein the wager action limitations are communicated through at least one of the following: a shape, color, and or size of the chips, and or text, or shapes written or embossed on the chips, a distinct location on a table or surface, or a distinct location in a chip holder in which each stack is kept on the table.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein a set of conditions for signaling a wager action limitation comprises at least one of the following:
a) no conditions, wherein some or all signals may be played without any condition;
b) qualifying conditions, wherein a condition must be met in order for a player to signal a wager action limitation;
c) disqualifying conditions, wherein at least one condition exists that disqualifies a player from signaling at least one wager action limitation; and
d) forcing conditions, wherein a condition exists such that a player must play at least one wager action limitation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein a frequency with which wager action limitation can be played comprises at least one of the following:
a) Unlimited or reusable, wherein the player may use some or all wager action limitation without limitation; and
b) Limited, wherein a player is limited to the use of some or wager action limitation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the visual signal further represents a wager action limitation for at least one of the following:
a) a single stack of a single player;
b) all stacks of a single player;
c) a single stack of all players; and
d) all stacks of all players.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein the wager action limitation is further defined as terminal such that once the wager action limitation has been signaled, the wager action limitation cannot be changed; or the wager action limitation is further defined as non-terminal such that once the wager action limitation has been signaled, the wager action limitation may be changed to at least one new wager action limitation.