Blackjack team play

Abstract

A blackjack game is modified to include an auxiliary wager that is based on whether any of the hands at the blackjack table will beat the dealer's hand. A player may thus place an auxiliary wager on whether his hand or a second player's hand will beat the dealer. Alternate expressions of the concept allow variations in which player's hand or how many hands may be included in the comparison.

1 . A method comprising:
 dealing a first hand of cards to a first blackjack player at a blackjack table;   dealing a second hand of cards to a second blackjack player at the blackjack table;   dealing a third hand of cards to a dealer at the blackjack table;   receiving an auxiliary wager from a player that at least one of the first hand and second hand beats the third hand, wherein the auxiliary wager is distinct from a conventional blackjack wager;   determining whether either the first hand of cards or the second hand of cards beats the third hand of cards; and   providing a payout for the auxiliary wager to the player based on the determining.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein dealing any of the hands of cards comprises dealing physical cards. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining whether either the first hand of cards or the second hand of cards beats the third hand of cards comprises determining that only one of the first hand of cards and the second hand of cards beats the third hand of cards. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the player comprises the first blackjack player. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining whether both the first hand of cards and the second hand of cards beat the third hand of cards. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising providing a second payout to the player if both the first hand of cards and the second hands of cards beats the third hand of cards. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first blackjack player is not also the second blackjack player. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing a hit to at least one of the first hand of cards, the second hand of cards, or the third hand of cards. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining the payout based on which hand beat the third hand. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining the payout based on a margin of victory over the third hand. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second blackjack player comprises a community card position. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising resolving the community card position using perfect strategy. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising resolving the community card position based on input from the first blackjack player. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising varying conventional blackjack rules when determining whether either the first hand of cards or the second hand of cards beats the third hand of cards so as to preserve a desired house edge while offering a 1:1 payout on the auxiliary wager. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising receiving a primary wager from the first blackjack player, wherein the primary wager is the conventional blackjack wager relating to a primary comparison of the first hand of cards to the third hand of cards pursuant to conventional blackjack rules. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the primary wager is larger than the auxiliary wager. 
   
   
       17 - 53 . (canceled) 
   
   
       54 . A method comprising:
 receiving a primary wager from a player indicating a wager on whether a hand of cards dealt to the player will beat a hand of cards dealt to a dealer in a blackjack game;   receiving an auxiliary wager from the player indicating that at least one hand of all hands dealt to any player at the table will beat the dealer hand;   determining if at least one hand at the table beat the dealer hand; and   providing a payout for the auxiliary wager.   
   
   
       55 . A method comprising:
 receiving a primary wager from a player indicating a wager on whether a hand of cards dealt to the player will beat a hand of cards dealt to a dealer in a blackjack game;   receiving an auxiliary wager from the player indicating that a worst hand of a plurality of player hands will beat the dealer hand;   determining if the worst hand of the plurality of player hands beats the dealer hand; and   providing a payout for the auxiliary wager if the worst hand beats the dealer hand.   
   
   
       56 . A method comprising:
 receiving a primary wager from a player indicating a wager on whether a hand of cards dealt to the player will beat a hands of cards dealt to a dealer in a blackjack game;   receiving an auxiliary wager from the player that a second hand assembled from amongst all hands dealt to players of the blackjack game will beat the hand of cards dealt to the dealer;   dealing a plurality of hands of cards to a plurality of players at a blackjack table;   assembling the second hand from the plurality of hands;   comparing the second hand to the dealer hand; and   providing a payout for the auxiliary wager if the second hand beats the dealer hand.   
   
   
       57 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first primary wager from a first player indicating a wager on whether a hand of cards dealt to the player will beat a hand of cards dealt to a dealer in a blackjack game;   receiving a first auxiliary wager from the first player indicating that at least one hand of a first plurality of hands dealt to other players at the table will beat the dealer hand;   receiving a second primary wager from a second player; and   receiving a second auxiliary wager from the second player indicating that at least one other hand of a second plurality of hands dealt to different players at the table will beat the dealer hand.