Card Game

Abstract

The invention is a six-card-stud poker game, played with at least one but preferably one standard poker deck of 52 cards, plus at least one but preferably four Jokers. Two or more but preferably 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 eight 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 six cards; the Players and the Banker each then selects and keeps his best 5-card poker hand from his own six cards and discards one card. 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 wins 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 eight side-bet wagers are 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 cards plus at least one Joker;    (b) each Player placing at least one wager of Poker Bet, Specified Pair Or Better Bet, Pair Of Kings 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) dealing cards into enough dealt hands of six cards to provide a dealt hand for each Player and for the Banker;    (d) determining which dealt hand is assigned to each Player and which dealt hand is assigned to the Banker;    (e) from their own six-card dealt hand, each Player and the Banker selecting their own best 5-card poker hand and discarding one other card;    (f) determining whether each Player's side-bet wager or wagers win or lose, if any;    (g) settling any side-bet wagers of each Player against the Banker;    (h) comparing each Player's best 5-card poker hand to the Banker's best 5-card poker hand according to the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, 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 plus four Jokers.  
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 1 , wherein the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game further provides that A2345 is the second highest Straight and that when it is suited, A2345 is the second highest Straight Flush.  
     
     
         4 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 1 , wherein the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game further provides that A2345 is the lowest Straight and that when it is suited, A2345 is the lowest Straight Flush.  
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 1 , wherein each Joker may be used as an Ace, or to form a Straight or Flush.  
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 1 , wherein a Player's Specified Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         7 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 6 , wherein Specified Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money, namely 1 to 1, on a hand of the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.  
     
     
         8 . 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         9 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 10 , 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.  
     
     
         10 . 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.  
     
     
         11 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 12 , 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.  
     
     
         12 . 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and 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 14 , wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 4 to 1 on a hand of Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.  
     
     
         14 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 14 , wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of 5 Aces, 80 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 50 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 4 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.  
     
     
         15 . 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, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; 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 17 , wherein Flush Or Better Bet wager pays 8 to 1 on a hand of Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.  
     
     
         17 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 17 , wherein Flush Or Better Bet wager pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of 5 Aces, 80 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 50 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 6 to 1 on a hand of Full House, and 3 to 1 on a hand of Flush.  
     
     
         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, this 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 best 5-card poker hand, 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 either is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player's winning hand one half of the wager, or is paid one half of the wager, namely 1 to 2, if the Banker's losing hand is one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player winning hand one half of the wager.  
     
     
         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 Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, this wager is a tie. 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 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 5card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1.  
     
     
         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 predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid one half of the wager. 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 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.