Methods of administering a wagering game

Abstract

A method for administering a card game includes providing a modified deck of 52 playing cards having 28 non-face cards and 24 face cards; receiving from a player an ante wager, a Faces wager, and optionally, a Picture Perfect wager; dealing cards to a dealer hand and a player hand; and receiving from the player an option to fold or to play. Upon election of the fold option, the player may forfeit the ante and Faces wagers. Upon election of the play option, the player may place a play wager. The wagers are resolved by comparing the dealer hand with the player hand and/or by the number and rank of face cards in the player hand. The deck of cards may include two face cards of each rank (K, Q, and J) and suit, and one non-face card of each rank (10 through 4) and suit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for administering a card game, the method comprising:
 providing a modified deck of fifty-two (52) playing cards having fewer non-face cards and more face cards as compared to a standard deck;   receiving from a player an ante wager and a Faces wager;   dealing a plurality of cards each to a dealer hand and a player hand;   receiving from the player an option to fold or to play, wherein upon election of the fold option, the ante and Faces wagers are retained, and wherein upon election of the play option, a play wager is received from the player;   revealing and determining whether the dealer hand has a qualifying holding;   resolving the ante and play wagers on the basis of whether the player hand or the dealer hand holds more face cards; and   resolving the Faces wager by awarding a payout when the player hand beats the dealer hand and the player hand holds at least a predetermined number of face cards.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of the Faces wager is equal to an amount of the ante wager, and wherein an amount of the play wager is equal to the amount of the ante wager. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein resolving the Faces wager comprises paying a payout on the Faces wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Number of Face Cards in Player Hand 
                   Faces Wager Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 
                   25 to 1  
                 
                     
                   5 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   4 
                   1 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accepting a Picture Perfect wager before dealing cards to the player hand, and issuing an award to the player based upon the Picture Perfect wager. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein issuing an award to the player based upon the Picture Perfect wager comprises paying a payout to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Face Cards in Player Hand 
                   Picture Perfect Wager Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 Same Rank Pictures 
                   1,000 to 1    
                 
                     
                   5 Same Rank Pictures 
                   200 to 1  
                 
                     
                   4 Same Rank Pictures 
                   20 to 1  
                 
                     
                   3 Same Rank Pictures 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures 
                   2 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a side wager from a player;   dealing randomized physical cards to a player hand associated with the player and to a dealer hand from a single deck of fifty-two (52) physical playing cards, wherein the deck comprises twenty-four (24) face cards and twenty-eight (28) non-face cards, wherein the face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K;   administering a game play election event comprising:
 providing a set of game play election options comprising accepting a play wager; and 
 accepting from the player a game play election comprising accepting the play wager; and 
   resolving all accepted wagers, acceptance of the play wager being a prerequisite for paying a payout on the ante wager and the Faces wager.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises comparing a total number of face cards in the player hand with a total number of face cards in the dealer hand. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein when the total number of face cards in the player hand equals the total number of face cards in the dealer hand, resolving all accepted wagers comprises comparing a rank of at least one of the face cards in the player hand with a rank of at least one of the face cards in the dealer hand. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises returning the ante wager to the player when a total number of face cards in the dealer hand is below a preselected value. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises returning the ante wager to the player when a highest-ranking face card in the dealer hand is below a preselected rank. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises disregarding any ranks of non-face cards in the dealer hand and the player hand. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the optional side wager defined by a paytable and based at least in part on the total number of face cards of the same rank in the player hand. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein paying a payout on the optional side wager defined by a paytable and based at least in part on the total number of face cards of the same rank in the player hand comprises paying a payout on the side wager when two of the face cards in the player hand have the same rank and suit. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein dealing randomized physical cards to a player hand associated with the player and to a dealer hand comprises dealing six (6) cards each to the player hand and the dealer hand. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the deck of fifty-two physical playing cards comprises eight cards having a rank of K, eight cards having a rank of Q, and eight cards having a rank of J. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the Faces wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Number of Face Cards in Player Hand 
                   Faces Wager Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 
                   25 to 1  
                 
                     
                   5 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   4 
                   1 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the side wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Face Cards in Player Hand 
                   Side Wager Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 Same Rank Pictures 
                   1,000 to 1    
                 
                     
                   5 Same Rank Pictures 
                   200 to 1  
                 
                     
                   4 Same Rank Pictures 
                   20 to 1  
                 
                     
                   3 Same Rank Pictures 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures 
                   2 to 1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein accepting an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a side wager from a player comprises accepting the Faces wager equal in value to the ante wager. 
     
     
         19 . A deck of fifty-two (52) physical playing cards, comprising:
 twenty-four (24) face cards, wherein the face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K; and   twenty-eight (28) non-face cards.   
     
     
         20 . The deck of  claim 19 , wherein the face cards consist of eight (8) cards of each rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K.