Poker-type card game and method therefor

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/745,380, filed May 7, 2007 in the name of the Applicant, and further to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/015,921 filed Dec. 20, 2004 in the name of the Applicant, to which priority is claimed.

This invention relates generally to card games and methods therefor and, more particularly, to a poker-type card game in which participants compete against a dealer in hands whose number of cards progressively increase.

Poker is one of the most popular card games and continues to grow in popularity. Poker is usually played at a table against other players with a dealer employed by the casino. In standard poker, the dealer is not a participant, but merely deals the cards to the other players. Several versions of poker that involve multiple players playing against a dealer or the house, as opposed to each other, have been developed over the years. Games such as “Carribean Stud” (U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553), “Double Down Stud” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,413), “Let It Ride” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081) and “Three Card Poker” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774) all involve multiple players against a dealer/the house.

While many of these games involve either standard five-card poker hands, or three cards (as in “Three Card Poker”), a need existed for a poker game that allows players to compete against a dealer in two-card, three-card, four-card and standard five-card hands all within a single hand against a dealer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new poker-type card game and method therefor in which players compete against a dealer in a hand whose number of cards builds progressively.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing a poker-type card game is disclosed, comprising, in combination the steps of receiving an ante wager from at least one player, dealing two cards to each at least one player, dealing two cards to a dealer, comparing a poker hand value of the two-card dealer hand with a poker hand value of each at least one two-card player hand, selecting as a superior hand whichever of the two-card dealer hand and each at least one two-card player hand having a higher poker value, assigning the ante wager of each at least one player to a transitional wagering area when the dealer having a superior two-card hand, the dealer placing in the transitional wagering area an amount equal to the ante wager of the at least one player when the at least one player having a superior two-card hand, permitting each at least one player to forfeit any wagers in the transitional wagering area and terminate their play, permitting each at least one player to place a second wager in order to continue their play, the second wager being an amount selected by the at least one player and in a range of one to two times the ante wager, dealing a first community card, revealing the first community card, comparing a poker hand value of the three-card dealer hand comprised of a combination of the two-card dealer hand and the first community card with a poker hand value of each at least one three-card player hand comprised of a combination of the two-card player hand and the first community card, selecting as a superior hand whichever of the three-card dealer hand and each at least one three-card player hand having a higher poker value, assigning the second wager of each at least one player to the transitional wagering area when the dealer having a superior three-card hand, the dealer placing in the transitional wagering area an amount equal to the second wager of the at least one player when the at least one player having a superior three-card hand, permitting each at least one player to forfeit any wagers in the transitional wagering area and terminate their play, permitting each at least one player to place a third wager equal to one of the ante wager and the second wager in order to continue their play, dealing a second community card, revealing the second community card, comparing a poker hand value of the four-card dealer hand comprised of a combination of the two-card dealer hand and the first community card and the second community card with a poker hand value of each at least one four-card player hand comprised of a combination of the two-card player hand and the first community card and the second community card, selecting as a superior hand whichever of the four-card dealer hand and each at least one four-card player hand having a higher poker value, assigning the third wager of each at least one player to the transitional wagering area when the dealer having a superior four-card hand, the dealer placing in the transitional wagering area an amount equal to the third wager of the at least one player when the at least one player having a superior four-card hand, permitting each at least one player to forfeit any wagers in the transitional wagering area and terminate their play, permitting each at least one player to place a fourth wager equal to one of the ante wager and the second wager and the third wager in order to continue their play, dealing a third community card, revealing the third community card, comparing a poker hand value of the five-card dealer hand comprised of a combination of the two-card dealer hand and the first community card and the second community card and the third community card with a poker hand value of each at least one five-card player hand comprised of a combination of the two-card player hand and the first community card and the second community card and the third community card, selecting as a winning hand whichever of the five-card dealer hand and each at least one five-card player hand having a higher poker value, collecting the fourth wager and all other wagers placed in the transitional wagering area of each at least one player when the dealer having a winning five-card hand, and the dealer paying an amount equal to the fourth wager and all other wagers placed in the transitional wagering area of each at least one player when the at least one player having a winning five-card hand.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing a poker-type card game is disclosed, comprising, in combination the steps of dealing two cards to each at least one player, dealing two cards to a dealer, comparing a poker hand value of the two-card dealer hand with a poker hand value of each at least one two-card player hand, selecting as a superior hand whichever of the two-card dealer hand and each at least one two-card player hand having a higher poker value, assigning the ante wager of each at least one player to a transitional wagering area when the dealer having a superior two-card hand, the dealer placing in the transitional wagering area an amount equal to the ante wager of the at least one player when the at least one player having a superior two-card hand, permitting each at least one player to forfeit any wagers in the transitional wagering area and terminate their play, permitting each at least one player to place a second wager in order to continue their play, the second wager being an amount selected by the at least one player and in a range of one to two times the ante wager, dealing at least three community cards, comparing a poker hand value of the five-card dealer hand comprised of a combination of the two-card dealer hand and the at least three community cards with a poker hand value of each at least one five-card player hand comprised of a combination of the two-card player hand and the at least three community cards, selecting as a winning hand whichever of the five-card dealer hand and each at least one five-card player hand having a higher poker value, collecting the second wager and all other wagers placed in the transitional wagering area of each at least one player when the dealer having a winning five-card hand, and the dealer paying an amount equal to the second wager and all other wagers placed in the transitional wagering area of each at least one player when the at least one player having a winning five-card hand.