Computer-based, interactive, real-time card selection game

A method for playing the same card game on multiple computing devices each having a display screen, each computing device being programmed for a single actual player to carry out the card game using card representations stored in a memory, the program enabling each actual player to play the card game against at least one virtual player controlled by the same computing device, where the number of virtual players is the same for each of the multiple computing devices, a player remaining in the game being defined as an active player, the method comprising:

• a) displaying to each actual player on that player's display screen the same one or more randomly dealt community cards from the same deck of playing cards, the one or more community cards being usable by all players in forming a card hand, all community cards in the card game being randomly dealt before any cards are dealt to individual players, the deck of playing cards being a representation of a physical deck of playing cards, each actual player's display screen displaying face up the deck of playing cards excluding the community cards;
• b) selecting by each active, actual player using a computer interface a desired card of a particular rank and suit from the displayed deck of playing cards;
• c) selecting by each active, virtual player a card of a particular rank and suit from the displayed deck of playing cards;
• d) for a round where each active player selects a card, if two or more active, actual players either have selected the same sequence of cards for all previous rounds of card selection, or have selected no cards previously, then their respective computing devices insure that for each set of their corresponding active, virtual players, the players for that set select the same card in rank and suit for the round, to maintain a level playing field;
• e) for each active player, determining if the card selected by that player is the same as a card selected by another player in a current round or the same as a card dealt to another player in a previous round, playing on the same computing device;
• f) if a first player chose the same card as another player, as determined in step (e), dealing the first player a null card that has no value in forming a card hand,
• wherein, if the first player is an actual player, the null card is displayed on the first player's display screen along with the rank and suit of the corresponding card the first player selected,
• wherein, if the first player is a virtual player and the null card is dealt face up, the null card is displayed on the display screen of the actual player playing on the same computing device as the first player, with no display of the rank and suit of the corresponding card selected by the virtual player, so that the actual player does not see the identity of the corresponding card selected by the virtual player;
• g) if the first player did not choose the same card as another player, as determined in step (e), dealing the first player the card that the first player selected,
• wherein, each actual player's display screen displays the order and identity of every card selected by that player and the order of every card dealt along with the identity of every card dealt face up to each virtual player controlled by the same computing device;
• h) repeating steps b-g on a computing device having more than one active player playing after a round of play, until the same predetermined number of cards have been dealt to each active player, playing on the computing device, with the cards being dealt face up on at least one round on the computing device;
• and
• i) controlling the display screen to identify the player with the best hand of cards of all the active, actual players, according to predetermined rules of play.

A method for playing the same card game on multiple computing devices each having a display screen, the computing devices being programmed to carry out the card game using card representations stored in a memory, the program enabling an actual player using one of the computing devices to play the card game against at least one other actual player using another one of the computing devices, a player remaining in the game being defined as an active player, the method comprising:

• a) displaying to each actual player on that player's display screen the same one or more randomly dealt community cards from the same deck of playing cards, the one or more community cards being usable by all players in forming a card hand, all community cards in the card game being randomly dealt before any cards are dealt to individual players, the deck of playing cards being a representation of a physical deck of playing cards, each actual player's display screen displaying face up the deck of playing cards excluding the community cards;
• b) selecting by each active player a desired card of a particular rank and suit from the displayed deck of playing cards;
• c) for each active player, determining if the card selected by that player is the same as a card selected by another player in a current round or the same as a card dealt to another player in a previous round;
• d) if a first player chose the same card as another player, as determined in step (c), dealing the first player a null card that has no value in forming a card hand,
• wherein, if the first player is an actual player, the null card is displayed on the first player's display screen along with the rank and suit of the corresponding card the first player selected,
• wherein, if the first player is an actual player and a null card is dealt face up to another player, that null card is displayed on the first player's display screen with no display of the rank and suit of the corresponding card selected by another player, so that the first player does not see the identity of the corresponding card selected by another player;
• e) if the first player did not choose the same card as another player, as determined in step (c), dealing the first player the card that the first player selected,
• wherein, each actual player's display screen displays the order and identity of every card selected by that player and the order of every card dealt to every other player along with the identity of every card dealt face up;
• f) repeating steps b-e if there is more than one active player after a round of play, until the same predetermined number of cards have been dealt to each active player;
• and
• g) controlling the display screen to identify the active player with the best hand of cards, according to predetermined rules of play.