Casino Card Games With One or More Community Cards

Abstract

A poker game that uses a five card hand in making certain determinations related to player payouts is provided. The game has one or more community cards that can be used by each player and, preferably also, by the dealer in deciding the best five card player and dealer hands. The player payouts can include a predetermined hand and higher payout and a bet payout. The predetermined hand and higher payout does not depend on whether the dealer hand is a qualified hand. The bet payout does depend on whether the dealer hand is a qualified hand. The community card by itself can also be used in determining a player payout.

1 . A method for playing a card game, comprising: 
 providing at least two wagering areas including an ante wagering area for making an ante wager and a bet wagering area for making a bet wager;    providing ante/bet water payouts;    making said ante wager by at least a first player;    dealing by the dealer a number of cards that are face down to the first player and a plurality of cards that are face down to the dealer;    dealing by a dealer at least a first community card that is face up;    deciding by the first player, at least after said first community card is dealt face up, whether or not to continue to play and, if so, making a bet wager by the first player in said bet wagering area; and    making determinations related to at least the dealer and the first player; and    wherein said ante/bet wager payouts are determined using at least said first community card and no other community card.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first community card is the only community card that was dealt at the time the first player is deciding whether or not to continue play.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said deciding includes using said first community card as a replacement card for one of said number of cards.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said deciding includes removing one of said number of cards from the first player's hand.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said one of said number of cards is placed in a discard area.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of said number of cards and said plurality of cards is five.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said card game is poker.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further includes ascertaining whether or not the dealer hand is a qualified hand and, if not, paying the first player a first predetermined amount based on said ante wager when the first player makes said bet wager.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said bet wager pushes when the dealer hand is not a qualified hand.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a community card wagering area for making a community card wager.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said making determinations includes paying the first player a second predetermined amount when the first player makes said first community card wager and said first community card is a predetermined card and also paying the first player said second predetermined amount when the first player does not make said bet wager and said first community card is said predetermined card.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said predetermined card is from the group consisting of: an ace, a king, a queen and a jack.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first player is paid said second predetermined amount even if the dealer hand is not a qualified hand.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first player is paid the second predetermined amount even if the dealer hand beats the first player hand.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a 10's or better wagering area for making a 10's or better wage and when the first player makes a 10's or better wager and the first player hand includes 10's or better, paying the first player a third predetermined amount that depends on the first player hand.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  in which the first player locates said bet wager over at least a portion of at least a first card of said number of cards.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said making determinations includes collecting by the dealer at least said ante wager made by the first player when the first player folds and does not make said bet wager.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said making determinations includes collecting by the dealer a discard made by the first player when the first player uses said first community card.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said making determinations includes changing by the dealer said number of cards from face down to face up and said dealer hand is selected by the dealer from said plurality of cards and said first community card.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said making determinations include the dealer announcing whether the dealer hand is a qualified hand and changing at least some of said plurality of cards from face down to face up.  
   
   
       21 . A method for playing a card game, comprising: 
 providing at least three wagering areas including an ante area for making an ante wager, a bet area for making a bet wager and a community card wagering area for making a community card wager;    making said ante wager in said ante wagering area and making said community card wager in said community card wagering area by at least a first player, wherein the first player decides on his own to make said community card wager and the first player is involved in deciding said amount of said community card wager;    dealing by a dealer at least a first community card;    dealing by the dealer a number of cards to the first player and a plurality of cards to the dealer; and    paying the first player a predetermined amount when the first player makes set bet wager and said first community card is a predetermined card and also paying the first player said predetermined amount when the first player does not make said bet wager and said first community card is said predetermined card.    
   
   
       22 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein said providing includes providing ante/bet wager payouts and in which said ante/bet wager payouts are determined using at least said first community card and no other community card.  
   
   
       23 . A method of  claim 21  wherein said first community card is the only community card that was dealt at the time the first player is deciding whether or not to continue to play.  
   
   
       24 . A method of  claim 21  wherein said determining includes paying the first player a predetermined amount when the first player makes said community card wager and said first community card is a predetermined card.  
   
   
       25 . A method of  claim 24  wherein the first player is paid said predetermined amount even if the first player does not make a bet wager.  
   
   
       26 . A method of  claim 21  further including making said bet wager by the first player and in which the first player locates said bet wager over at least a portion of at least a first card of said number of cards.  
   
   
       27 . A method of  claim 25  wherein the first player is paid said predetermined amount even if the dealer hand beats the first player hand.  
   
   
       28 . A method of  claim 21  further includes ascertaining whether or not the dealer hand is a qualified hand and paying the first player a predetermined amount even if the dealer hand is not a qualified hand and said first community card is a predetermined card.  
   
   
       29 . A method of  claim 21  wherein said dealing by the dealer of said one community card is conducted before said dealing by the dealer of said number of cards to the first player and said plurality of cards to the dealer.