Card game

Abstract

A method of playing a card game against the house. Optionally, before the cards are dealt, each player may place a bet. Then, a predetermined number of cards are dealt to each player. After the cards are dealt, each player decides whether to “Play” or “Surrender.” A surrendering player forfeits at least a portion of his/her bet, if one was placed. The game terminates for each surrendering player; however, the game continues for the other players. Optionally, each remaining player may bet a raise amount. Then, a hit card is selected from the deck and displayed to the remaining players. A player is a winner, if the player has a card with the same suit as the hit card and with a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card. Winning players who placed bets are paid a winning amount while losing players who bet forfeit a lose amount.

1 . A method of playing a card game comprising:
 dealing a predetermined number of cards to at least one player, each of the predetermined number of cards having a suit and a value;   displaying a hit card to the at least one player, the hit card having a suit and a value;   if one of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and has a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card, determining the at least one player has won; and   if none of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and has the selected relationship with respect to the hit card, determining the at least one player has lost.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 before dealing the predetermined number of cards to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   allowing the at least one player to surrender; and   if the at least one player surrenders, returning a portion of the bet amount to the at least one player.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player; and   if the at least one player has won, returning the bet amount and paying the at least one player a winning amount.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player; and   if the at least one player has won, returning the bet amount and paying the at least one player a winning amount.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   after the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a raise amount from the at least one player; and   if the at least one player has won,
 returning the bet amount and the raise amount to the at least one player, and 
 paying the at least one player a winning amount. 
   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, before the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet from the at least one player and if the at least one player has lost, retaining at least a portion of the bet amount. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet from the at least one player and if the at least one player has lost, retaining at least a portion of the bet amount. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   after the predetermined number of cards are dealt to the at least one player, receiving a raise amount from the at least one player;   allowing the at least one player to surrender;   if the at least one player surrenders, returning a portion of the bet amount to the at least one player;   if the at least one player has lost, retaining at least a portion of the bet amount and the raise amount; and   if the at least one player has won, returning the bet amount and the raise amount to the at least one player, and paying the at least one player a winning amount.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the winning amount is greater than or equal to a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein if the at least one player surrenders, the portion of the bet amount returned to the at least one player comprises at least half of the bet amount. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the winning amount is greater than or equal to the bet amount. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein if the at least one player loses, the portion of the bet amount retained is greater than the portion of the bet amount that would have been returned to the at least one player if the at least one player had surrendered. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein if the at least one player loses, the portion of the bet amount retained is greater than or equal to a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount. 
   
   
       14 . A method of playing a card game against a house, the method comprising:
 betting a bet amount;   receiving a predetermined number of cards, each of the predetermined number of cards having a suit and a value;   based on the predetermined number of cards received,
 betting a raise amount, or 
 surrendering a portion of the bet amount to the house; 
   if one of the predetermined number of cards received has the same suit as a hit card and has a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card, receiving a win amount from the house; and   if none of the predetermined number of cards received has the same suit as a hit card and has the selected relationship, forfeiting a portion of a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount to the house.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the win amount is greater than or equal to a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of the bet amount surrendered to the house comprises at least half of the bet amount. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount forfeited to the house is less than or equal to a sum of the bet amount and the raise amount. 
   
   
       18 . A computer readable medium comprising a game module having computer-executable instructions for:
 dealing a predetermined number of cards to at least one player, each card having a suit and a value;   displaying to the at least one player the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player;   selecting a hit card having a suit and a value;   displaying the hit card to the at least one player; and   determining whether at least one of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and has a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card.   
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
 receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   if none of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and one of the predetermined relationships, retaining the bet amount; and   if one of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and one of the predetermined relationships, paying a winning amount to the at least one player.   
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for
 maintaining an account storing an amount available for betting by the at least one player;   subtracting the bet amount from the amount available for betting by the at least one player; and   adding the winning amount to the amount available for betting by the at least one player.   
   
   
       21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
 receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   before displaying the hit card to the at least one player, determining whether the at least one player has surrendered; and   if the at least one player has surrendered, returning a portion of the bet amount to the at least one player.   
   
   
       22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
 before dealing the predetermined number of cards to the at least one player, receiving a bet amount from the at least one player;   after dealing the predetermined number of cards to the at least one player and before displaying the hit card to the at least one player, receiving a raise amount from the at least one player;   if none of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and has a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card, determining a lose amount as a function of the bet amount and the raise amount; and   if one of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the at least one player has the same suit as the hit card and has the selected relationship, determining a winning amount as a function of the bet amount and the raise amount.   
   
   
       23 . A system comprising:
 a user interface;   a memory;   a data structure stored in the memory, the data structure representing a deck of cards, each card having a suit and a value;   a processor coupled to the user interface and the memory, the processor being configured to:
 select a predetermined number of cards randomly from the data structure representing the deck of cards, 
 display the predetermined number of cards to a user using the user interface, 
 select a hit card randomly from the data structure representing the deck of cards, 
 display the hit card to the user using the user interface, 
 determine the user has won by determining at least one of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the user has the same suit as the hit card and has a relationship with respect to the hit card, the relationship selected before the game as one selection from the following two choices: a value greater than the value of the hit card and a value less than the value of the hit card, 
 determine the user has lost by determining none of the predetermined number of cards dealt to the user has the same suit as the hit card and has the selected relationship, and 
 use the user interface to communicate to the user whether the user has won or lost. 
   
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive an indication of a bet amount from the user before displaying the hit card to the user, if the user has lost, to calculate a lose amount as a function of the bet amount, and if the user has won, to calculate a winning amount as a function of the bet amount, the system further comprising an account stored in the memory, the account comprising an amount available to the user to bet, the processor being configured to add the win amount to the amount available to the user to bet and subtract the lose amount from the amount available to the user to bet. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request from the user to surrender before the hit card is displayed to the user, and if the processor receives a request to surrender from the user, to calculate a surrender amount as a function of the bet amount, and to subtract the surrender amount from the amount available to the user to bet.