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  Method of playing a card gameRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Card Or Tile Games, Cards Or Tiles ThereforThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070126181. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/741,248 filed on Dec. 1, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention generally relates to a card game. More specifically, the present invention relates to a card game played by sorting cards into a plurality of smaller groups of cards. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] The general principle of comparing hands based on a poker ranking is not new. There is a game called "Pai Gow Poker" or "Chinese Poker." Chinese poker is a blend of the Chinese game of Pai Gow and the American game of poker. Pai Gow is played as a casino game either against a dealer or where the players pay a fee to the casino to compete against one another. In Pai Gow, tiles having a point value are compared. In poker, card groups are ranked and compared. A common form of Chinese poker has each player dealt a thirteen-card hand from a standard fifty-two card deck of cards. Each player divides their thirteen cards into two groups of five cards each and one group of three cards. Each hand is arranged with the three-card group in front and one of the five-card hands in the middle, and the other five-card hand in the back. The back hand must be more valuable than the middle hand. Each group is ranked and compared against all of the other corresponding groups based on poker rankings. Winning a group match-up is worth one point, with a bonus point for a sweep of all three hands winning. Therefore, each of the three groups is worth one point with a bonus point, i.e., fourth point, being awarded to a player if they also won the other three points on that hand. The game is sometimes played with an option to surrender. Surrendering allows the player to concede and get a possible reduction in the amount owed, while giving up the change to win the hand. Chinese Poker can be played socially and is sometimes available in California card rooms as a time-charge game where players compete against each other. Chinese Poker has achieved some popularity in the poker world, and has been used as a "World Series of Poker" event, even though it is not considered to be true poker. [0006] Poker hand rankings for card games that use comparisons between groups, or hands of cards, are based on the principle that the rarer a hand, i.e., lower the probability, the higher the hand's ranking. In practice there are a few minor exceptions made for one reason or another. At Chinese Poker, the rankings for each five-card hand are the same as for a regular game of poker, which uses the best five cards. The rankings for the three-card hand uses only three-of-a-kind, pair, and high card (flushes and straights are not used). There are some three-card games that use straights and flushes in their rankings, along with the other hand classes mentioned. For example, a game played in India and Nepal called "Flush" incorporates these rankings. There are games patented under the name "Four-card Poker" and "Three-card Poker," which are gambling games that use the element of comparing four-card poker hands and three-card poker hands against a casino dealer's hand in a specified manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES [0007] The present invention is a method for playing a card game with a plurality of players using a deck of cards. The method includes the steps of determining a first rule for playing the game and determining an integer value associated with each card in the deck of cards to define a second rule for playing the game. A plurality of cards are dealt to each player to define a starting hand for each player. Each starting hand is sorted into a first card group and a second card group for each player. The cards are analyzed in each of the first card groups, based on the first rule, to determine a first rank for each player. The first ranks are compared between each of the players to determine at least one highest first rank and to define at least one winner for the first card group. The integer values of the cards are totaled in each of the second card groups, based on the second rule, to determine a hand score for each player. The hand scores are compared between each of the players to determine at least one highest hand score and to define at least one winner for the second card group. [0008] Accordingly, the players are provided with a unique and exciting gaming experience that is not achieved with other card games. By assigning integer values to the cards where the totaled integer values of the cards in the second card group are ranked against the other players, a new and exciting game is achieved. This game employs a unique strategy not otherwise employed for card games where players sort their starting hand into multiple groups of cards. Additionally, by allowing players to place any card in any hand, instead of stipulating that one hand must be stronger than another, the players are provided with the ability to employ additional unique strategies of playing the game. These allow the players to focus on achieving the highest possible hands, when ranked against other players. Additionally, more flexibility in play of the game is achieved for the players by allowing the players to place the groups of cards onto the table in any desired order. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: [0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a card game for play by four players showing each player having twelve cards sorted into a first card group, a second card group, and a third card group of cards and a discarded card in a discard pile; [0011] FIG. 2 illustrates the card game for play by four players showing each player having nine cards sorted into the three groups of cards and the discarded card in the discard pile; [0012] FIG. 3 illustrates twelve cards sorted into the three groups of cards; and [0013] FIG. 4 illustrates nine cards sorted into the three groups of cards. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0014] The present invention is a game that is played by a plurality of players. Typically, the card game is played with a standard single deck of 52 cards 10. However, it should be appreciated that the card game is not limited to a standard single deck of 52 cards as the deck of cards may be modified in some desired manner. For example, a plurality of jokers, or other wild cards, may be used in addition to the cards in the deck of 52 cards. Each joker, or wild cards, may be chosen to selectively represent any desired card in the deck of cards. Additionally, multiple decks of cards may also be used. [0015] The card game is played with two or more players or between one or more players and a computer. Each player is dealt a plurality of cards 10, which establish a starting hand 12 for each player. Therefore, the total number of cards 10 dealt to the players of the game may vary. For example, if the players are more advanced, thirteen cards 10 are dealt to each player. As another example, if the players are less skilled, only ten cards 10 are dealt to each player. However, any number of cards 10 may be dealt to the players so long as there are a sufficient number of cards 10 available to be dealt to each player. It is considered a deal each time a starting hand 12 is dealt. Typically, a plurality of deals are played before play ends. A plurality of deals equals a game. Points are awarded to the players at the end of each deal. The object of the game is to be the player who accumulates the most points. [0016] A. Sorting [0017] Following the deal, each player preferably sorts their cards 10 into a plurality of smaller hands, or groups, of cards 10. Preferably, the cards 10 are sorted into three smaller card groups 14, 16, 18, i.e., a first card group 14, a second card group, and a third card group. The number of required cards 10 in the card groups 14, 16, 18 can be set to be any desired number. Therefore, the first card group 14 totals m cards 10, the second card group 16 totals n cards 10, and the third card group 18 totals p cards 10. The player may place any of the cards 10 into any of the card groups 14, 16, 18 as desired. [0018] Typically, each player discards one of their cards 10 into a discard pile 20 to signal the end of the sorting. Each player may continue to sort their cards 10 into the card groups 14, 16, 18 until the discard is completed. Therefore, when the players are required to discard one of their cards 10 when playing the game, the number of cards 10 dealt to each player is equal to the total of the m cards 10, the n cards 10, the p cards 10, and the discarded card. If the players are not required to discard when playing the game, only the total of the m cards 10, the n cards 10, and the p cards 10 equal the number of cards 10 dealt to each player. It should be appreciated that the discard is not limited to being one card, but may be any desired number of cards 10. [0019] When sorting is complete, the sorted card groups 14, 16, 18 are placed in front of each player, either face up or face down. Each of the card groups 14, 16, 18 of cards 10 are preferably sorted into sequentially smaller card groups 14, 16, 18 of cards 10. Therefore, the total number of n cards 10 for the second card group 16 would be equal to m-1 cards 10 and the number of p cards 10 for the third card group 18 would be equal to m-2 cards 10. However, the cards 10 in the second and third card groups 18 are not limited to being a sequentially smaller number of cards 10 than the first card group 14 and can be any desired number of cards 10. As an example, in a game where thirteen cards 10 are dealt to each player, and a discard is used to signal the end of sorting, m equals five cards 10, n equals four cards 10, and p equals three cards 10. Alternatively, in a game where ten cards 10 are dealt to each player, and a discard is used to signal the end of sorting, m equals four cards 10, n equals three cards 10, and p equals two cards 10. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method of playing a card game Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method of playing a card game patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method of playing a card game or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method for playing draw poker Next Patent Application: Playing cards and method for playing card games therewith Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method of playing a card game patent info. 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