Method for playing casino poker game

Abstract

A casino game, based on the rules of poker, wherein each player is dealt five cards, with an option to utilize a sixth card to improve the five-card hand. The game provides a player with three opportunities to win: 1) head-to-head competition against the dealer, with the higher poker hand winning; 2) competition for a common pot among the players, bonus payments for long-odds hands (e.g., straight or better). Because no player has an opportunity to increase his/her initial wager after the cards are dealt, the game proceeds rapidly.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a modified draw poker game comprising the following steps: 
 providing a table having a playing station for a dealer and playing stations for a plurality of players, each player station comprising a card playing area having first and second betting zones;    each player placing an ante wager in said first betting zone and a second wager in said second betting zone, the players' second wagers comprising a players pot;    the dealer dealing an initial, five-card hand, face down, to himself and to each player;    the dealer placing a common card at a location on the table;    providing an opportunity for each player to utilize said common card;    turning all cards to a face up position: 
 (a) the dealer collecting the ante wagers in said first betting zone from each player whose poker hand is lower in value than the dealer's hand;  
 (b) the dealer: i) returning the ante wager, and ii) paying an amount equal to the ante wager in said first betting zone to each player who has a higher poker hand than the dealer's hand;  
 (c) increasing the amount of the dealer's payment to a predetermined multiple of the ante wager for each player whose hand comprises a premium hand, provided that said premium hand comprises a higher poker hand than that of the dealer; and  
 (d) the dealer paying said players pot to the player having the highest poker hand.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a percentage of said players pot is retained by the house.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said percentage is equal to or greater than 2% and less than or equal to 5%.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a player's right to employ said common card requires the player to place a pre-determined payment at a third zone at the player's playing station, and said payments are collected by the dealer upon completion of the hand.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the payment for use of the common card is five dollars.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said common card is dealt facedown.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the initial five card hands are dealt to each player five-at-a-time.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the initial five card hands are dealt to each player one-at-a-time.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said predetermined wager in the second betting zone is five dollars.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ante wager in said first betting zone is a whole-dollar amount in the range of five dollars to twenty-five dollars.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 providing an opportunity for the dealer to utilize said common card.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said premium hand comprises three-of-a-kind or better.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said premium hand comprises a straight or better.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined multiple payment for a premium hand is based on the statistical rarity of said hand.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the multiple applied to the following types of poker hands is:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Three of a Kind 
                    2 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                    3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                    5 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Full House 
                    7 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Four of a Kind 
                    20 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   125 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   250 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the multiple applied to the following types of poker hands is:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                    3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                    5 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Full House 
                    7 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Four of a Kind 
                    20 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   125 to 1 
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   250 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  further providing an optional step which permits a player to participate in a progressive pot, said progressive pot comprising funds contributed by players over a plurality of games, said method comprising: 
 permitting a player to make a separate, one dollar bet at a predetermined region on the table prior to inspection of the player's cards; and  
 awarding the player the accumulated value of said progressive pot if the player's hand consists of a royal flush.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said table comprises a 76 inch black jack table.