Bad beat side bet on house-banked casino card games

Abstract

A playing card wagering game has a player hand compete against a dealer hand according to rank or count of the player hand and dealer hand. At least one player places a first wager on the card wagering game and a second wager on at least one side bet event. The player hand and dealer hand are completed with playing cards. Relative rank or relative count of the player hand and dealer hand are determined. The first wager is resolved based upon the determined relative rank or relative count by determining if the dealer hand wins or the player hand wins, thereby also determining a losing hand. The second wager is resolved according to rules that comprise comparing rank or count of the losing hand to a pay table, preferably only the losing rank of either the player or dealer hand.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a table using at least one physical deck of cards, the table having a surface bearing a layout illustrated at each of a plurality of player positions with a first token area for a main event and a second token area for a side event, the method comprising:
 providing a reward table posted on or proximate the table, the reward table defining side event rewards and a limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings associated with the side event rewards; and   operating the table in a round of the method according to a set of rules defining an ordered combination of steps, the ordered combination of steps comprising:
 receiving, at the first token area and from a player, at least one physical token to indicate participation by the player in the main event of the round; 
 receiving, at the second token area and from the player, at least one other physical token to indicate participation by the player in the side event of the round; 
 distributing onto the surface of the table a set of physical playing cards available for a player hand associated with the player; 
 distributing onto the surface of the table another set of physical playing cards available for a dealer hand; 
 resolving the main event based on a ranking comparison of the player hand and the dealer hand, a losing hand being a lower-ranked hand of the player hand and the dealer hand; and 
 resolving the side event, comprising:
 applying the reward table to the losing hand from the main event regardless of whether the losing hand is the player hand or the dealer hand; and 
 upon a ranking of the losing hand matching any of the limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings defined in the reward table, distributing to the player a side event reward as defined by the reward table. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings defined by the reward table are a limited set of high-ranking losing poker hand rankings; and   resolving the main event based on a ranking comparison of the player hand and the dealer hand comprises resolving the main event based on a poker ranking comparison of the player hand and the dealer hand.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the player hand and the dealer hand each consist of three cards, each consist of four cards, or each consist of five cards. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the player hand consists of four cards and the dealer hand comprises more than four cards; or   the player hand consists of five cards and the dealer hand comprises more than five cards.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising distributing onto the surface of the table at least one community card available for the player hand and for the dealer hand. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising, prior to distributing the set of physical cards and the other set of physical playing cards, operating a shuffling device to intermix the at least one physical deck of cards to form a set of intermixed cards;   wherein distributing onto the surface of the table a set of physical playing cards comprises distributing the set of physical playing cards from the set of intermixed cards; and   wherein distributing onto the surface of the table another set of physical playing cards comprises distributing the other set of physical playing cards from the set of intermixed cards.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 distributing onto the surface of the table a set of physical playing cards available for a player hand associated with the player comprises distributing onto the surface of the table at least two hole cards designated for the player hand; and   distributing onto the surface of the table another set of physical playing cards available for a dealer hand comprises distributing onto the surface of the table at least two other hole cards designated for the dealer hand.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ordered combination of steps further comprises, prior to distributing the set of physical playing cards and prior to distributing the other set of physical playing cards, receiving, at a third token area illustrated by the layout born by the surface of the table, at least one additional token to indicate participation by the player in another side event of the round. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum losing hand ranking of the limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings defined by the reward table is a pair. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum losing hand ranking of the limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings defined by the reward table is two pair. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum losing hand ranking of the limited set of high-ranking losing hand rankings defined by the reward table is three-of-a-kind. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating a table using at least one physical deck of cards, the table comprising a surface with an illustrated layout designating a plurality of player positions each bearing indicia designating a first token area for a main event and a second token area for a side event, the method comprising:
 operating the table in a round of the method according to a combined order of steps, comprising:
 receiving, from a player, a token in the first token area to indicate participation by the player in the main event of the round; 
 receiving, from the player, another token in the second token area to indicate participation by the player in the side event of the round; 
 distributing cards from a resource of intermixed playing cards, the intermixed playing cards comprising the at least one physical deck of cards, the distributing comprising:
 distributing cards available for a player hand associated with the player; and 
 distributing cards available for a dealer hand; 
 
 resolving the main event, comprising identifying a lower-ranking hand of the player hand and the dealer hand; and 
 resolving the side event, comprising:
 applying a side event reward table to the lower-ranking hand of the main event, the side event reward table defining side event rewards for hand rankings of at least a predetermined minimum ranking; and 
 distributing to the player a side event reward, as defined by the side event reward table, for the lower-ranking hand of the main event at least equaling the predetermined minimum ranking, regardless of whether the lower-ranking hand is the player hand or the dealer hand. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein identifying a lower-ranking hand of the player hand and the dealer hand comprises identifying a lower-ranking poker hand of the player hand the dealer hand. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the side event rewards defined by the side event reward table are odds-based rewards. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, before distributing the cards from the resource of intermixed playing cards, operating a shuffling device to form the resource of intermixed playing cards from the at least one physical deck of cards. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein distributing cards available for a dealer hand comprises distributing a number of cards available for the dealer hand equal to a number of cards available for the player hand. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein distributing cards available for a dealer hand comprises distributing more cards available for the dealer hand than a number of cards available for the player hand. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined minimum ranking is one pair, two pair, or a three-of-a-kind. 
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a table using at least one physical deck of cards, the table comprising a surface illustrated to designate a plurality of token areas comprising a main event area and a side event area, the method comprising:
 operating the table in a round of the method according to a combination of steps comprising, in the following order:
 receiving, from a player, at least one token in the main event area and at least one other token in the side event area; 
 distributing, from an intermixed set of cards from the at least one physical deck of cards, cards available for a player hand and cards available for a dealer hand; 
 administering a main event of the round, comprising, for the player hand having a ranking exceeding a ranking of the dealer hand, distributing to the player a main event reward, the dealer hand constituting a losing hand of the main event of the round; and 
 administering a side event of the round, comprising, for a ranking of the losing hand of the main event at least equaling a predetermined minimum losing hand ranking defined by a side event reward table posted at or proximate the table, distributing to the player a side event reward that is in addition to the main event reward. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the side event reward table defines a set of side event rewards for a set of losing hand rankings, a minimum of the set of losing hand rankings being the predetermined minimum losing hand ranking, and a minimum side event reward of the set of side event rewards being a nine-times multiplier associated with the predetermined minimum losing hand ranking.