Card game

Abstract

The invention is an eight-card stud poker game, played with at least one but preferably one standard poker deck of 52 cards. Two or up to seven players may participate in the game. One of the players is the Banker whom other players play against. A Player who is not a Banker may play Poker Bet playing against the Banker's hand and/or one to seven side bets betting on the contents of the Player's own hand. After at least one wager is placed, each Player and the Banker are each dealt seven cards and one community card. From their own seven dealt cards and the community card, every Player and the Banker each selects and keeps his best 5-card poker hand and discards three other cards. To win a Poker Bet wager, a Player's best 5-card poker hand must rank higher than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand. To win a side-bet wager, a Player's best 5-card poker hand must be one of the predetermined winning hands of the type of the side bet he bets on. The Poker Bet wager and seven side-bet wagers are eight independent wagers and are settled separately.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a card game among a plurality of Players and a Banker, each Player wagering against the Banker. The method comprising the following steps: 
 (a) providing and shuffling at least one standard poker deck of 52;    (b) each Player placing at least one wager of Poker Bet, Pair Of Aces Or Better Bet, Two Pair Or Better Bet, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet, Straight Or Better Bet, Flush Or Better Bet, Full House Or Better Bet and Bonus Bet;    (c) each Player and the Banker are each dealt seven cards and one community card;    (d) determining which dealt hand is assigned to each Player and which dealt hand is assigned to the Banker;    (e) from his or her own seven dealt cards and the community card, every Player and the Banker each selecting and keeping his or her own best 5-card poker hand and discarding three other cards;    (f) determining whether each Player's side-bet wager or wagers win or lose, if any;    (g) settling each Player's side-bet wager or wagers against the Banker;    (h) comparing each Player's best 5-card poker hand to the Banker's best 5-card poker hand according traditional poker rankings, wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2;    (i) determining whether each Player's Poker Bet wager wins, loses or ties, if any;    (j) settling each Player's Poker Bet wager against the Banker.    
     
     
         2 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein the card game of the invention uses one standard poker deck of 52 cards.  
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Pair Of Aces Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is a pair of Aces, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         4 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 3   , wherein Pair Of Aces Or Better Bet pays Even Money, namely 1 to 1, on a hand of a pair of Aces, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Two Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, or Royal Flush; this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 5   , wherein Two Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money, namely 1 to 1, on a hand of Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         7 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         8 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 7   , wherein 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet pays 3 to 1 on a hand of 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         9 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Straight Or Better Bet wager wins if a Player's best 5-card poker hand is Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         10 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 9   , wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 3.5 to 1 on a hand of Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         11 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 9   , wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 100 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 20 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 5 to 1 on a hand of Full House, 3 to 1 on a hand of Flush, and 2 to 1 on a hand of Straight.  
     
     
         12 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Flush Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush; this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         13 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 12   , wherein Flush Or Better Bet pays 8 to 1 on a hand of Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         14 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 12   , wherein Flush Or Better Bet pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 100 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 7 to 1 on a hand of Full House, and 3 to 1 on a hand of Flush.  
     
     
         15 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Full House Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         16 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 15   , wherein Full House Or Better Bet pays 20 to 1 on a hand of Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush or Royal Flush.  
     
     
         17 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 15   , wherein Full House Or Better Bet pays 2,000 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 200 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, and 7 to 1 on a hand of Full House.  
     
     
         18 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, less a certain percent commission.  
     
     
         19 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, less a 5% commission.  
     
     
         20 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, this Poker Bet wager loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and either is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, if the Banker's losing hand is one of the predetermined hands that pay the winning Poker Bet wager Even Money, or is paid one half of the wager, namely 1 to 2, if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the predetermined hands that pay the winning Poker wager Even Money.  
     
     
         21 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the predetermined qualifying hands, the Player's Poker Bet wager is a tie and it neither wins nor loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 6-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then this wager loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1.  
     
     
         22 . The method of playing a card game according to    claim 1   , wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the predetermined qualifying hands, the Player's Poker Bet wager automatically wins and is paid one half of the wager, namely 1 to 2; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses; if the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's and the Banker's best 6card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1.