Casino-type wagering game with optional replacement card

Abstract

A poker style wagering game is disclosed wherein a player hand competes against a dealer hand and at the same time, the player hand may optionally compete for a bonus payout. The dealer receives an Ante for play against the dealer hand and an optional Bonus bet to participate in a bonus game. The dealer deals cards to the players and the dealer and to at least one reserve card position. The dealer receives a Play wager from the player, otherwise the dealer folds the hand. If a Play wager is received, the dealer optionally receives an additional fee for the player's use of a reserve card. The dealer makes a best poker hand from the player's available cards. The best hand is used to resolve both the play against the dealer hand and bonus play.

1 . A method of playing a wagering game comprising:
 a dealer providing a deck of cards;   a dealer accepting a mandatory Ante wager from a player on a poker game against a dealer hand;   a dealer accepting an optional bonus wager from a player on at least one predetermined winning poker hand;   a dealer dealing a hand of cards to a player from a standard deck of cards;   a dealer dealing at least one face-down playing card to a reserve card position;   a dealer dealing a hand of playing cards to the dealer;   after a player views the dealt hand, the dealer accepting a Play wager from the player or the dealer collects the Ante wager, ending play for that player, and when the dealer accepts the Play wager, the dealer optionally accepts an additional fee from the player to enable the dealer to use the reserve card as part of the player hand to make a best player poker hand;   the dealer reveals the dealer poker hand;   the dealer determines the player's best poker hand from the initial hand and also from the reserve card when the dealer accepted the additional fee;   paying the player a payout when the player best poker rank exceeds the poker rank of the dealer hand; and   paying the player a payout when the dealer accepted an optional wager and the player holds a predetermined winning hand.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer accepts a mandatory Blind wager at the time the dealer accepts the mandatory Ante wager. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer must hold a qualifying hand in order for the dealer to pay the player a payout when the player poker hand outranks the dealer poker hand. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the qualifying hand is an Ace high or better. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , and when the dealer does not hold a qualifying hand, the dealer refunds the Ante wager to the player. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optional bonus wager is selected from the group consisting of a bonus wager that pays a payout against at least one predetermined winning poker hand combination, wherein the payout is selected from the following types of payouts: a fixed payout amount, an odds payout amount, a progressive payout amount, and a portion of a progressive payout amount. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optional bonus wager payout odds are paid from the following pay table: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Hand 
                   Odds 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   500:1  
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   100:1  
                 
                     
                   Four-of-a-kind 
                   50:1  
                 
                     
                   Full House 
                   30:1  
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                   10:1  
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                   7:1 
                 
                     
                   Three-of-a-kind 
                   5:1 
                 
                     
                   Two Pair 
                   2:1 
                 
                     
                   Tens Up 
                   1:1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein exactly five physical playing cards are dealt to the player as a 5-card poker hand and exactly five physical cards are dealt to the dealer to form a dealer 5-card hand. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a separate reserve card is dealt face down to each player position. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the dealer identifies the best player hand using the player's dealt cards and the separate reserve card. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the dealer pays the player a bonus payout when the best player hand including the reserve cards is a predetermined winning hand. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the payout is selected from the group consisting of a fixed payout amount, an odds payout amount, a progressive payout and a percentage of a progressive payout amount. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Play wager is 1× the Ante wager. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional fee is 1× the Ante wager. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer deals one reserve card to each player. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer deals one reserve card to each reserve card position. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of dealing a reserve card to the dealer position. 
     
     
         18 . A method of playing a wagering game comprising:
 the dealer providing a standard deck of cards;   the dealer accepting a player Ante wager on player poker hand outranking a dealer poker hand;   the dealer accepting an optional Bonus wager on the occurrence of the player poker hand being a predetermined winning hand;   when the optional Bonus wager has been accepted, the dealer accepting an additional optional fee for the use of a reserve card;   the dealer dealing a hand of cards to a player who placed an accepted Ante wager;   the dealer dealing at least one reserve card to be used to better a player's hand when the dealer accepted the additional optional fee;   the dealer accepting a Play wager from each player for play to continue or taking the Ante bet, ending play for the player;   and when the dealer accepts the Play wager, the dealer optionally accepting an additional Fee from the player to enable the use of the reserve card to form a best player hand;   the dealer revealing the dealer hand;   the dealer instructing the player's to reveal the player hand and the reserve card when the additional optional Fee was accepted;   the dealer making a best poker hand from the player cards and the reserve card when the additional optional Fee was accepted; and   resolving both the Ante and Bonus wagers using the best player hand.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dealer deals five cards to each player. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the Bonus wager cannot exceed the Ante. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the Play wager is 1× the Ante. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the additional fee is 1× the Ante. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dealer deals each player and the dealer 5 cards. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein play is resolved by making a best 5 out of 6 card poker hand when the dealer accepted the additional optional fee.