Casino Table Game

Abstract

A casino poker card game played with a conventional deck of cards that provides each player with three face up cards and the house with three face down cards. Each player creates two two-card hands by selecting one of the three cards to be used in both hands. Three community cards are then exposed as well as the house's three cards. The house selects the two of its three cards that form the highest five-card poker hand and discards the third. The house's five card hand is compared to each player's two five card hands to determine if the player wins, loses, or pushes (i.e.: ties).

1 . A method of playing a casino-based poker card game, between a dealer and at least one player and played with conventional playing cards totaling fifty-two cards per deck, the method comprising the steps of: requiring each player to place a bet;
 requiring the dealer to deal three player cards, face-up, to each player; requiring the dealer to deal three dealer cards to the dealer, the dealer cards being concealed from the dealer and each player; requiring each player to select which of their three cards would be used in both of his two-card hands; requiring the dealer to deal the three community cards face up; requiring the dealer to expose the three dealer cards; requiring the dealer to discard one of the three dealer cards, such that the remaining two dealer cards, when combined with the three community cards, form the dealer's best five-card poker hand; requiring determination of the number of winning hands for each player, where a winning hand is one where the rank of a player's two-card hand, when combined with the three community cards to form a five-card hand, exceeds the rank of the dealer's five-card hand; and finally the resolution of each players' bets evaluated using a predetermined payout schedule based on the number of each player's winning hands.   
     
     
         2 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the availability to each player, once dealt his three cards, of one or more of the following options, from which he may select one: a) to surrender his hand and relinquish a pre-defined portion of his bet to the dealer; b) to place an additional bet; and c) to pay a defined replacement fee, which may be $0, to discard one of his cards and receive a replacement card from the dealer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 2 , further comprising the availability to each player, having previously selected the option to replace one of his cards, of one or more of the following options from which he may select one: a) to surrender his hand and relinquish a pre-defined portion of his bet to the dealer; and b) to place an additional bet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of permitting a player to wager a side bet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of permitting a player to wager a side bet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of permitting a player to wager a side bet.