Methods for conducting play of a wagering game

Abstract

A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows for rules of play of one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.

1 . A method of conducting play of a wagering game, the method comprising:
 receiving at least an Ante wager for play of a hand in the wagering game from at least one player to enable the at least one player to participate in play of the hand;   providing randomly ordered cards to be used by the at least one player in play of the hand;   enabling the at least one player to view the at least one randomly ordered card of the plurality of randomly ordered cards;   the dealer receiving from the at least one player a first election to make a first play wager that places value at risk subsequent to and in addition to the at least an Ante wager after the at least one provided card is visible to the at least one player, or receiving a first check election from the at least one player;   enabling the at least one player to view at least a second randomly ordered card of the randomly ordered cards to be used by the at least one player in play of the hand;   the dealer receiving from the at least one player a second election to make a second play wager that places value at risk subsequent to the dealer receiving a first check election from the at least one player;   wherein an amount wagered in the second play wager are different than an amount wagered in the first play wager;   wherein the dealer may only receive a first play wager or a second play wager from the at least one player; and   resolving all wagers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing randomly ordered cards to be used by the at least one player comprises delivering a plurality of cards to each player position. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing randomly ordered cards to be used by the at least one player comprises delivering a plurality of cards to a community card position. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein delivering a plurality of cards to each player position comprises delivering two player cards. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein delivering a plurality of cards to a community card position comprises delivering five community cards. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a permitted amount of the first play wager by the at least one player is 3-4× the amount of the Ante wager by the at least one player. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a permitted amount of the second play wager by the at least one player is 2× the amount of the Ante wager by the at least one player. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer may receive a second check election from the at least one player instead of a second play wager, and further comprising the dealer receiving from the at least one player either a third election to make a third play wager to place value at risk, or a fold decision from the at least one player, wherein the third play wager is accepted only if a first check election and a second check election was received from the at least one player prior to the third play wager election. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a permitted amount of the third play wager by the at least one player is 1× the amount of the Ante wager by the at least one player. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising dealing five community cards to a community card position. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising dealing a plurality of randomly arranged cards to the dealer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein two cards are dealt to the dealer and two cards are dealt to the at least one player. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the dealer receives the first play wager election or first check election after the at least one player views the two player cards. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the dealer receives the second play wager election after the at least one player views three community cards. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the dealer receives the third play wager election after receiving a first and second check election from the at least one player. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein when the dealer receives a fold decision, the player loses the Ante wager. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising dealing a randomly ordered cards to the dealer, wherein resolving all wagers comprises comparing the at least one player's poker hand ranking to the dealer's poker hand ranking. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one player and the dealer each make a best 5-card poker hand. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dealer must qualify with a pair or better, and if the dealer does not qualify, the Ante is returned to the at least one player. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , and further comprising the dealer receiving a blind wager from the at least one player, wherein the blind wager is won when the at least one player's hand outranks the dealer hand and the at least one player holds a predetermined winning hand. 
     
     
         21 . A method of conducting play of a wagering game, the method comprising:
 receiving at least an Ante wager from at least one player to enable the at least one player to participate in play of the hand;   providing at least one randomly ordered card to the at least one player;   providing at least two randomly ordered community cards to a community card position, face down;   enabling the at least one player to view the at least one provided card;   the dealer receiving a first election from the at least one player to either make a first play wager that places value at risk subsequent to and in addition to the at least an Ante wager, or a first check election after the at least one player views the at least one randomly ordered player card;   the dealer revealing at least one community card;   the dealer receiving a second election from the at least one player to make either a second play wager that places value at risk subsequent to and in addition to the at least an Ante wager, or a second check election, wherein the second play wager is accepted by the dealer only if a first check election is received;   the dealer revealing at least one additional community card;   the dealer receiving a third election from the at least one player to either make a third play wager that places value at risk subsequent to and in addition to the at least an Ante wager, or a fold election, wherein the third play wager is accepted by the dealer only if a first check election and a second check election are received;   wherein amounts of the first, second and third play wagers are different; and   resolving all wagers.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , and further comprising dealing a plurality of cards to the dealer. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , and further comprising the dealer receiving a Blind wager from the at least one player equal to the Ante wager, wherein the Blind wager is won by a player hand outranking a dealer hand, and a player hand composition having a predetermined minimum winning rank or higher. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein three cards are dealt to the dealer and to the at least one player, and five cards are dealt to the community card position. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the dealer makes a best 5-card poker hand from the available cards. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first play wager is between 3-4× the Ante wager, the second play wager is 2× the Ante wager, and the third play wager is 1× the Ante wager. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first play wager is larger than the second play wager, and the second play wager is larger than the third play wager. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the dealer hand must qualify in order for a player to win a payout on the Ante wager. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the Ante wager and a play wager are each paid 1:1 when the player hand outranks the dealer hand. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the Ante wager, a play wager and a Blind wager each push when the dealer and player hands tie. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the Ante wager, a play wager and a Blind wager each lose when the dealer hand outranks the player hand.