Game Cards

Abstract

A gaming apparatus that can be used to play poker card and Hwatu card games includes a deck of cards that has at least 52 cards, in which each card has standard markings denoting one of 13 ranks and one of 4 suits in a standard deck of cards, and has at least one specialty symbol denoting at least one of 5 types of a corresponding card in a Hwatu deck of cards and is positioned near the standard markings. Additionally, a set of 4 cards of one of the 13 ranks in the standard deck corresponds to a set of 4 matching cards for one of 12 months in the Hwatu deck. Further, 4 cards of one of the 13 ranks, such as the rank of Kings, in the standard deck corresponds to additional Double Junk type of cards for use in Hwatu card games.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gaming apparatus that can be used to play poker card games and Hwatu card games, the gaming apparatus comprising:
 a deck of cards including at least 52 cards, wherein each of the at least 52 cards has standard markings denoting one of 13 ranks and one of 4 suits in a standard deck of cards, and further wherein each of the at least 52 cards has at least one specialty symbol denoting at least one of 5 types of a corresponding card in a Hwatu deck of cards.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol denoting the at least one type of corresponding Hwatu card is positioned near the standard markings denoting the one of 13 ranks and the one of 4 suits in the standard deck of cards. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a set of 4 cards of one of the 13 ranks in the standard deck of cards corresponds to a set of 4 matching cards for one of 12 months in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , where 4 cards of one of the 13 ranks in the standard deck of cards corresponds to additional Double Junk type of cards for use in Hwatu card games. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 4 , where the 4 cards of the rank of Kings in the standard deck of cards corresponds to the additional Double Junk cards for use in Hwatu card games. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a Kwang symbol denoting a Bright type of card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a Kwang symbol of a first color denoting a first Bright card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a Kwang symbol of a second color denoting a second Bright card in the Hwatu deck of cards, wherein cards having Kwang symbols of the first color earn different points from cards having the Kwang symbol of the second color. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is an animal or object symbol denoting an Animal type of card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is an animal symbol of a first color denoting a first Animal card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is an animal symbol of a second color denoting a second Animal card in the Hwatu deck of cards, wherein cards having animal symbols of the first color earn different points from cards having the animal symbol of the second color. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a ribbon symbol denoting a Ribbon type of card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a ribbon symbol of a first color denoting a first Ribbon card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a ribbon symbol of a second color denoting a second Ribbon card in the Hwatu deck of cards, wherein cards having ribbon symbols of the first color earn different points from cards having the ribbon symbol of the second color. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a letter symbol denoting a Junk type of card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol is a double-letter symbol denoting a Double Junk type of card in the Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the deck of cards includes at least 53 cards, and at least one of the cards is a Joker card in the standard deck of cards, and further wherein the Joker card corresponds to a Double Junk type of card for use in Hwatu card games. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one specialty symbol includes two specialty symbols denoting two types of a corresponding card in a Hwatu deck of cards. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the two specialty symbols denote an Animal type and a Double Junk type of the corresponding card in the Hwatu deck of cards.