US20110084449A1

US20110084449A1 - Progressive-style card game of six cards split into three component hands

Info

Publication number: US20110084449A1
Application number: US12/587,760
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert K. C. Poon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: LNW Gaming Inc
Priority date: 2009-10-14
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2011-04-14

Abstract

A casino card game played between a banker and from one to seven players, each wagering against the banker, using at least one deck of fifty two standard poker cards with one joker. The game begins with the players placing an overall wager to cover the whole hand, or wagers on three component hands individually. Six cards are dealt to each player and the banker, with four of the banker's cards dealt face up, exposing them for the players to see. Said six cards are to be split into three component hands. The 1^stcomponent hand consists of one card, the 2^ndcomponent hand two cards, and the 3^rdcomponent hand the remaining three cards. The point value of the 1^stcomponent hand must be lower than the point value of the 2^ndcomponent hand and the point value of the 2^ndcomponent hand must be lower than the point value of the 3^rdcomponent hand, or it is a foul hand which is an automatic loser. Certain hands are categorized as “Special Hand” which is an automatic winner. When both the banker and a player have a “Special Hand” it is a tie or push, no one wins or loses. When a player wins on a “Special Hand” said player will be paid one-and-a-half times of his/her original wagers. Either the banker or a player must win on two of the three or all three component hands to become the overall winner of the hand. Each time a player and the banker have the same point value of a card or same combination of cards, regardless of the suit, it is a “copy hand” and the banker wins on those hand or hands. When a player wagered on individual component hands, the bet is settled per each particular component hand.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to casino card games. Specifically, the present invention is a card game in which a player has the options of wagering one single bet to cover all three component hands, or wagering three bets to cover each and every component hands.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Card games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, and Pai Kow Poker are well known types of casino games. To a lesser extent so is Pai Kow, Chinese Dominos. Pai Kow is an ancient Chinese domino game that each player and the dealer is dealt four tiles. Said four tiles are subsequently split into two tiles in the upper hand and two tiles in the lower hand. The lower hand's ranking of cards must be higher than the card-ranking in the upper hand, or the hand is foul, a natural lost hand regardless of any other factors.
Pai Kow Poker was later developed based on the same principles. In Pai Kow Poker, using a standard poker deck of 52-cards plus a joker, up to six players are wagering against the dealer. Each player and the dealer are dealt seven cards, from which two of the cards will form the Low Hand and five cards will form the High Hand. The rankings of the Low Hand are from two Aces, being the highest to 2 & 3, being their point value and the lowest. The five-card High Hand is ranked according to a hierarchy of regular poker rules. The joker in the Pai Kow Poker can be used as the Ace, the highest missing card for a straight flush, the highest missing card for a flush, and the highest missing card for a straight.
Existed long before Pai Kow or Pai Kow Poker, there was this ancient Chinese poker game called “Sap Sam Cheung,” which means 13 Cards. Another name used for 13 Cards is “Good, Better, Best,” referring to the three hands of a player. In 13 Cards, there are four players, each playing for themselves, using a standard 52 card deck. Each player is dealt singly 13 cards. The aim of the game is to arrange your 13 cards into three poker hands—two of five cards and one of three cards—in a way which will beat the corresponding poker hands of your opponents. Each player must divide their 13 cards into a “Back” hand of 5 cards, a “Middle” hand of 5 cards and a “Front” hand of three cards. The “Back” hand must be better than the “Middle” hand, and the “Middle” hand must be better than the “Front” hand. The standard poker ranking is used—so the hand types from high to low are: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, high card (from an Ace down to a deuce). Since the “Front” hand has only 3 cards, only three hand types are possible: three of a kind; one pair; high card. There is no value in having a “Front” hand with three consecutive cards or three cards of the same suit. “Straights” or “Flushes” in the “Front” hand do not count. When everyone finished arranging their three hands then each pair of players compares the corresponding hands. In the embodiment that three players playing against one dealer, each player compares his three hands to the dealer's corresponding three hands. The dealer wins the pushes, where the player's cards are exactly identical to the dealer's cards in a hand. In 13 cards, there are several kinds of “Special Hands,” which include: six pairs plus one odd card; three flushes; three straights; and 13 cards without pairing up. All these “Special Hands” are automatic winners, which mean there is no need to arrange the hands.
For Pai Kow, Pai Kow Poker, or 13 Cards, players can usually take turn to bank (as the dealer or the house) for a fee or some percentage to be levied on their winnings, as a commission. In that sense, these games are not really casino games. Since its inception to be played in casinos and card-rooms in the 1980's, Pai Kow has not become too popular. Pai Kow Poker usually only take up a few tables of any casino's space, cannot compare with other casino card games. No casino runs a 13 card game, simply because only four players (including the dealer) can play each hand and it takes a long time for the players to finish arranging them into three component hands.
Over the course of the last two decades, inventors created several types of card games based on the concepts of Pai Kow and Pai Kow Poker. None of these inventors made any references to 13 cards, the mother game of all split-hand games. U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,042 to Lo (1999) discloses a game in which each player is dealt four or five cards, and plays against a banker. There is a primary wager and independent secondary wagers. In the primary wager, four-of-a-kind is an automatic winner for either the player or the banker. If neither the player nor the banker has four-of-a-kind, the play continues by splitting the dealt cards into a high hand and a low hand, similar to Pai Kow. In that game, the third card in a high hand is ignored when comparing hands that consist of pairs of the same value, giving the advantage to the banker that less is worth more. In the low hand combinations, the inventor of this game applies the rules used in the game of Baccarat in adding up points of two cards, i.e. a 9 and a 6 equals 15 points; 10-point counts as zero, so 15 points becomes 5 points. Other rules contained from column 4 line 63 to column 5 line 33; make this game too complicated for people of ordinary skill and intelligence to play.
In the game disclosed per U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,484 to Yuan (2002), the game begins with the player placing a wager on either a first hand or a second hand. Then the player and the banker are dealt three cards to the first hand and three cards to the second hand. If either hand has a predetermined three-card combination, optionally a three-of-a-kind, the first hand is compared to the second hand. The winning hand is the hand with the higher ranking three-card combination. If both hands have three-card combinations of equal rank, a push is declared and the player's wagers are returned. If neither hand has predetermined three-card combination, the hands are divided into a two-card component hand and a single-card component hand. The component hands are compared. A player must win on both of his/her high and low hand to be rewarded his/her wagers. If a player loses either the low or the high hand while the other is a tie, he would lose the wagers on that whole hand. In addition, the dealer of the casino retains a commission on all winning wagers, making the odds too unfavorable to the players. Furthermore, rules described from column 4 line 28 through column 5 line 65, relating to splitting pairs; three deuces beats three Aces; and a K47 beats a pair of five with a 9 kicker, etc., just make this invention complicated and not exciting to play.
The invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128 to Marquez (1994) is basically another copy cat of Pai Kow Poker. Only that instead of splitting seven dealt cards into a two card Low Hand and a five card High Hand in Pai Kow Poker, Marquez's invention involves dividing six dealt cards into three hands, using one card as a High hand on the top; two cards as another High Hand in the middle; then three cards as a Low Hand on the bottom. This game makes no sense and it defies logics when it comes to the rules that point value of one card is worth more than the point value of two cards combined; and the point value of two cards added together are worth more than the point value of three cards combined. The rules of this invention turn the traditional hierarchy of poker upside down, and hence make the game not interesting at all.
Methods used in the inventions published in U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,297, U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,227, US6012720, U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,753, WO2007/021476, WO2007/056446, WO2007/103199, WO2008/076221, WO2008/113126, are more or less similar to Pai Kow Poker. They do not fall too far from the tree. They fail to revolutionize the game of Pai Kow, Pai Kow Poker, or 13 cards, and fail to bring about the excitement and enjoyment that the instant invention can provide the players by exposing some of the dealer's hole cards. None of the inventions disclosed above involve playing a multiple component hands with part of the dealer's hand exposed so the players can contemplate a way in which to arrange their cards and insomuch so that they have a better chance to beat the dealer's hand.
Even though 13 cards has been played for longer than people can remember, but it never gained popularity outside Southeast Asia. No casino will run the game because the number of players is limited to four (including the dealer) and the time it takes for a player to arrange 13 cards into a variety of hands is enormous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of playing a card game which overcomes the problems mentioned above and is attractive to players at all skill levels.
The present invention provides a six-card game split into three component hands; the first component hand consists of one card; the second component hand consists of two cards; and the third component hand consists of the remaining three cards. Since it is a method of playing [pro]gressive po[ker] with 1, 2, and 3 cards as component hands, the present invention is offered under the trademark ProKer123.
A player or the dealer [hereinafter a dealer refers to a casino employee who deals the cards and also acting as the Banker] must, by comparison of the rankings of their hands, win on two of the three or all three component hands to become the overall winner, or vice versa. When a player wagers on three components hands individually, scores are settled according to that particular component hand. For example: if a player wagers $10 on his/her 1^stcomponent hand; $20 on his/her 2^ndcomponent hand; and $30 on his/her 3^rdcomponent hand, and he wins the 1^stand the 2^ndcomponent hand but loses the 3^rdcomponent hand. This player would win $10 on his/her 1^stcomponent hand, $20 on his/her 2^ndcomponent hand and lose $30 on his/her 3^rdcomponent hand. In this scenario, both the dealer and the player break even.
The present invention is a card game to be played with at least one but preferably one standard deck of fifty-two cards, plus one joker. Up to seven players can play in one round of hand, each wagers against the hand of the dealer's. Each player has the options of placing one wager to cover all three component hands, or wagering on every single component hands in his/her hand. If a player wagers one bet to cover his/her whole hand, he/she should place his/her bet in the indicia marked with 1, 2, 3 encircled. If a player chooses to wager on all three component hands, he/she must place the respective bets on the indicia marked with 1, 2, and 3 individually, as illustrated in FIG. 1 a. A player may wager up to twice as much of his/her bet on the 1^stcomponent hand on the 2^ndcomponent hand, and up to thrice as much of his/her bet on the 1^stcomponent hand on the 3^rdcomponent hand. Players must place all their wagers before the dealer starts dealing the cards.
After all bets are down. The dealer will start dealing the cards singly from the first occupied player's spot to each player who has placed a wager or wagers and the dealer him/herself, continuing in a clockwise fashion and ending with the dealer. As the dealer deals the card to him/herself, the first four of the six cards he/she receives are to be dealt face up, exposing the value of each of the four cards in the boxes in front of him/her (FIG. 1 b). The dealer's remaining two cards are to be kept face down in the boxes (FIG. 1 c) until all players has finished arranging their hands and it is the dealer's turn to look at and arrange his/her hand. The players have the options of picking up and look at the cards as they are being dealt to him/her, or wait until all six cards have been dealt before he/she picks them up, to arrange their respective hands in the formation of 1, 2, and 3 cards. When a player plays multiple hands, he/she must arrange one hand at a time. Once he/she finished arranging his/her hand(s), and then proceed to arrange another hand, he/she may not go back to review or re-arrange the other hand(s) that he/she has already previously arranged.
If a player picks up a “Special Hand,” it is not necessary for him/her to arrange his/her hand in the formation of 1, 2, and 3 cards. He/she should have all of his/her six cards one atop of another and turn the top card face up in the appropriate area where his/her hand should be. “Special Hand” include: (1) three-of-a-kind+one pair+one odd card; (2) three-of-a-kind×2; (3) three pair; (4) four-of-a-kind+any two cards; (5) six cards [straight] in consecutive numerical order; (6) six cards [flush] of the same suit; and (7) six cards straight flush [all six cards in consecutive numerical order and are of the same suit]. The joker can be used as a wild card to make up any of the above-mentioned “Special Hand.”
When a player does not have a “Special Hand,” he/she needs to arrange his/her six cards in the formation of 1, 2, and 3 cards, and place them at the area where appropriate, in the way as illustrated in FIG. 2 b or 2 c. The point value of his/her single card must be lower than the value of his/her two card portion of the hand. And the point value of his/her remaining three cards must be higher than the point value of his/her two cards combination. Or the hand is foul, an automatic loser, regardless of what the dealer has.
HANDS ARE RANKED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER [>Symbolizes higher than]

(Three-Card Hand)

AAA>KKK>QQQ>JJJ>101010>999>888>777>666>555>444>333>222>Mini-Straight-Flush ([or Straight Flush] [three cards in consecutive numerical order and of the same suit])>Mini-Flush ([or Flush] [three cards of the same suit])>Mini-Straight ([or Straight] [three cards in consecutive numerical order])>AA^?[hereinafter a superscripted? represents any odd card]>KK^?>QQ^?>JJ^?>1010^?>99^?>88^?>77^?>66^?>55^?>44^?>33^?>22^?. Hand with no pair is compared with the highest card first, then the next and then the last card, i.e. A98 beats A97, and KJ2 beats K10 9.

(Two-Card Hand)

AA>KK>QQ>JJ>1010>99>88>77>66>55>44>33>22>A^?>K^?>Q^?>J^?>10^?>9^?>8^?>7^?>6^?>5^?>4^?>3^?>2^?. Hands with no pair is first compared with the highest card of the two, then its kicker, i.e. A9 beats A8 and J5 beats J4.

(One-Card Hand)

A>K>Q>J>10>9>8>7>6>5>4>3>2

[When an Ace is used to make a straight or a Mini-Straight, such as AKQ, the Ace is a high card. But if it is A23, then the Ace is a low card, lower than the deuce. In any other events, the Ace is the highest card in the deck].
The same six cards in the present invention (ProKer123), could be made into various combinations. A random sample hand consisting of, say: [hereinafter superscripted s=spade; h=heart; c=club; and d=diamond] 2^s, 3^d, 3^c, 4^h, 6^s, K^s(FIG. 3 a). The arrangements of this hand including but not limited, to: (1) 6^s, K ^s3^c; 2^s3^d4^h(FIG. 3 b) (Since 6^sis lower than K ^s3^cwhich is lower than 2^s3^d4^h[a mini-straight], this arrangement is not foul); (2) 6^s; K^s4^h; 2^s3^d3^c(FIG. 3 c); and/or (3) 4^h; 3^d3^c; K^s6^s2^s[a mini-flush] (FIG. 3 d). Of all these three arrangements, option 3 is the best choice, because although the top part of the hand drop by two point (from 6^sto 4^h), it is well compensated by a much stronger middle part of the hand (from a K high point value to a pair of threes) and a yet still much stronger bottom part of the hand (from a pair of threes, or a mini-straight, to a King high mini-flush).
A hand that includes a joker has even more variety in the way of arranging it into a 1, 2, 3 formation. As another example, J^o(means joker), 2^h, 2^d, 8^s, J^d, K^dis used (FIG. 4 a). The alternatives of making this hand into a 1, 2, 3 component hands, including but not limited to: (1) K^d; 2^d2^h; 8^sJ^dJ^o(making it a pair of Jacks with an 8 kicker, or a pair of Eights with a Jack kicker) (FIG. 4 b); (2) 8^s; 2^hJ^o(making it a pair of deuces); K^dJ^d2^d(a mini-flush) (FIG. 4 c); (3) 2^h; 8^sJ^o(since 8^s[as in option #2] at the top of the hand is not that strong and a pair of Eights here makes it a better choice than option #2) (FIG. 4 d); and/or (4) 8^s; 2^h2^d; K^dJ^oJ^d(the joker substitutes for the missing Q^d, thus making it a King high mini-straight-flush) (FIG. 4 e).
As long as the arrangement of a hand does not result in a foul hand, a player achieves the goal of splitting the hand into a 1, 2, 3 formation properly and correctly. It is important though for a player to observe what the dealer's exposed cards are and guess what his/her hand(s) final arrangement may be, so as to figure out a way to beat the dealer's hand(s).
After all players finished arranging their hands, the dealer turns his/her two unexposed cards face up to see if, in combination with the four exposed cards, he/she has a “Special Hand” first. When a dealer does have a “Special Hand” he/she should check those hands also claimed as “Special Hand” by a player. If a player also has a “special Hand” then that round is a tie, the player's wager is returned. For all those hands that are not “special Hand” the dealer needs not to compare them, but just scoop in all the wagers. The dealer wins the overall bet if a single bet was wagered and all three bets if a player wagered on all three component hands.
When the dealer does not have a “Special Hand,” he/she would arrange his/her hands into the 1, 2, 3 formation, in accordance with the house-way rules (as illustrated in [0024]) but not at his/her own discretions. And upon completion the dealer would place his/her hand in formation of 1, 2, 3, with the single card nearest him/her and the three cards farthest, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thereafter, starting from his/her left in clockwise direction, the dealer examines and compares the players' hands. Whenever and wherever the dealer's and the player's card(s) in the corresponding component hand is/are identical, the player's hand(s) is/are copied and the player loses that component hand. In the instant invention the term for this is: “Dealer Takes All Pushes,” or “DTAP.” (A complete listings of Terms and Trademarks associated with the present invention is provided under [0025]) The dealer and a player must win on two of the three or all three component hands to win the overall wager placed in FIG. 1 a. For those hands that players placed three wagers on three component hands, scores are settled with that particular component hand accordingly. The dealer pays the player if the player wins, and collects the wagers if the player loses. Once a hand is compared and settled the dealer must place all that hand's cards in the discard rack. Upon comparing a hand that the dealer finds that hand to be a foul hand, the dealer would scoop in all the wagers on that hand regardless. When the dealer comes to a hand which the player has declared a “Special Hand” by turning his/her top card face up. The dealer should check to ensure it is a legitimate “Special Hand.” If so, the dealer must pay such player one-and-a-half times of his/her original wagers. If the player has betted on all three component hands he wins all three.
House-Way Rules

(When to Split Three-of-a-Kind)

AAA: when the 2^ndcomponent hand's high card is below a King and the 1^stcomponent hand is below a Queen; or splitting three Aces improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
KKK: when the 2^ndcomponent hand's high card is below a Queen and the 1^stcomponent hand is below a Jack; or splitting three Kings improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
QQQ: when the 2^ndcomponent hand's high card is below a Jack and the 1^stcomponent hand is below a 10; or splitting three Queens improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
JJJ: when the 2^ndcomponent hand's high card is below a 10 and the 1^stcomponent hand is below a 9.
101010 and under: NEVER

(When to Split a Pair)

AA: when the 1^stcomponent hand is below a Queen; or splitting two Aces improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
KK: when the 1^stcomponent hand is below a Jack; or splitting two Kings improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
QQ: when the 1^stcomponent hand is below a 9; or splitting two Queens improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
JJ: when the 1^stcomponent hand is below an 8; or splitting two Jacks improves both the 2^ndand the 1^stcomponent hand.
1010 and under: NEVER

TERMS AND TRADEMARKS

ProKer123™=BRAND NAME OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

DTAP™=DEALER TAKES ALL PUSHES

MINI-STRAIGHT-FLUSH™=THREE CARDS IN CONSECUTIVE NUMERICAL ORDER AND OF THE SAME SUIT

MINI-FLUSH™=THREE CARDS OF THE SAME SUIT

MINI-STRAIGHT™=THREE CARDS IN CONSECUTIVE NUMERICAL ORDER

SIX-CARD-STRAIGHT-FLUSH™=SIX CARDS IN CONSECUTIVE NUMERICAL ORDER AND OF THE SAME SUIT

SIX-CARD-FLUSH™=SIX CARDS OF THE SAME SUIT

SIX-CARD-STRAIGHT™=SIX CARDS IN CONSECUTIVE NUMERICAL ORDER

It is an advantage of the present invention that the using of a joker as a wild card making the game more exciting as there are more variables to form a hand. It is an advantage of the present invention that by exposing four of the dealer's six cards, so players could surmise what the dealer's final hands might be; so they could form a hand to beat it. It is an advantage of the present invention that every hand is either win or loss; there would not be any tie—not wasting either the casino's or players' time. It is an advantage that the present invention is designed that only the casino can bank the game; saving a lot of other Pai Kow Poker type of games that waste a lot of time rotating players as bankers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention, both as to its design and its manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may be best understood by reference to the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred layout of a casino card game table of the present invention. FIG. 1 a shows indicia where players place their wagers; an overall bet [must win or lose on two of the three or all three component hands for either the dealer or a player to win or lose] must be placed within the ring encircling 1, 2, 3. An individual bet wagered on any component hand(s) must be placed where it is marked with that particular component hand(s). FIG. 1 b shows boxes where a dealer places his/her four exposed cards. FIG. 1 c shows where a dealer keeps his/her two unexposed cards.

FIG. 2 shows how and where a player puts his/her arranged hand(s) on the surface of the table. FIG. 2 a shows the front view of the six cards. FIG. 2 b shows the back view of the six cards. FIG. 2 c shows an alternative way for a player to place his/her arranged hand(s).

FIG. 3 shows a randomly selected sample hand [3 a] and the three alternative ways of arrangement of said hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 b, 3 c, and 3 d.

FIG. 4 shows a randomly selected sample hand with a Joker in it [4 a] and the four alternative ways of arrangement of said hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 b, 4 c, 4 d, and 4 e.

FIG. 5 shows the proper way a dealer places his/her hand(s) with the one card nearest him/her and the three cards farthest.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the operation of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a six-card game with one standard poker deck of fifty-two cards and one joker. A dealer and up to seven players can play in one round of hands. Each player and the dealer are dealt six cards apiece. Said six cards are split into three component hands. The 1^stcomponent hand consists of one card; the 2^ndcomponent hand consists of two cards; and the 3^rdcomponent hand consists of the remaining three cards. Players have the options of wagering one single bet to cover the overall hand, wherein they must win or lose on two of the three or all three component hands to win or lose their wagers. Or they can wager on the component hands individually, in which cases, win or lose wagers are settled correspondingly to each particular component hand. The first four of the dealer's six cards are dealt face up. A player must arrange his/her hand in the manner that the ranking of the 2^ndcomponent hand must be higher than that of the 1^stcomponent hand, but lower than that of the 3^rdcomponent hand, or it is a foul hand—an automatic loser. Each time when a dealer and a player have the same ranking of cards in any component hand, it is called a “copy hand,” which the dealer wins. There are seven types of hands categorized as “Special Hand,” which is an automatic winner. (as described in [0016]) If both the dealer and a player have a “Special Hand” at the same time, it is a tie or a push. When a player wins on a “Special Hand,” he/she wins one-and-a-half times of his/her original wagers.
Other embodiments of the present invention contemplate a version which would be played with (1) multiple fifty two cards poker deck, each containing one joker in it; and (2) poker cards that have no numbers on them, like those popularly used in Europe and Latin America, with or without a joker.
Additional embodiments of the present invention also contemplate a version which would be played with poker cards generated by computer images on computer screens installed on a gaming table, or a machine or device performing the same functions.
A alternative embodiment allows a casino: (1) to play with a standard fifty two poker deck without a joker; (2) to expose less than four of the dealer's six cards, or not exposing any of the dealer's cards at all; (3) to let a player wager on the component hands on averaged amounts only, but not progressively as described in [0013]; (4) to let a player, if he/she so wishes, wager on one or two, and not all, of the component hands, providing said player can bet on the 1^stcomponent hand but skip the 2^ndand 3^rdcomponent hands, but he/she cannot skip the lower component hands and bet only on the higher component hands; and (5) to pay one-to-one instead of one-and-a-half times when a player wins on a “Special Hand.”
While the above description contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teaching of the invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. A method of playing a card game among a Banker and a plurality of Players, each Player wagering against the Banker, the method comprising:

(a) providing and shuffling one conventional poker decks of 52 cards and one joker;

(b) each of said Players placing at least one overall wager on three component hands, or on each component hand individually;

(c) dealing six cards into each Player's and the Banker's hand providing them a dealt hand for them to split said six cards into three component hands;

(d) each Player and the Banker arranging their dealt hands into a 1^stcomponent hand of one card, a 2^ndcomponent hand of two cards, and a 3^rdcomponent hand of three cards.

(e) comparing each Player's hand against the Banker's, wherein hands are compared in descending ranking order as follows:

a hand containing three-of-a-kind beats another hand containing a lower ranked three-of-a-kind;

a hand containing the lowest ranked three-of-a-kind beats the hand containing the highest ranked straight flush;

a hand containing a higher ranked straight flush beats the hand containing a lower ranked straight flush;

a hand containing the lowest ranked straight flush beats the hand containing the highest flush;

a hand containing a higher ranked flush beats the hand containing the lower ranked flush;

a hand containing the lowest ranked flush beats the hand containing the highest ranked straight;

a hand containing a higher ranked straight beats a hand containing a lower ranked straight;

a hand containing the lowest ranked straight beats a hand containing the highest ranked pair;

a hand containing a higher ranked pair beats a hand containing a lower ranked pair;

a hand containing the lowest ranked pair beats a hand containing no pair;

a three-card hand containing none of the above is compared by the highest card of the three, then the second highest, and lastly the third card, according to the hierarchy rules of traditional poker, i.e. A98 beats A97, KJ4 beats a K98;

a two-card hand containing no pair is compared by the hierarchy of traditional poker rules, wherein an AK beats an AQ, a KQ beats a KJ, an A8 beats an A7, etc.;

a one-card hand is compared as: An Ace beats a King; a King beats a Queen; a Queen beats a Jack; a Jack beats a 10; a 10 beats a 9; a 9 beats an 8; an 8 beats a 7; a 7 beats a 6; a 6 beats a 5; a 5 beats a 4; a 4 beats a 3; and a 3 beats a deuce; etc.;

a Banker's hand beats a Player's hand if their hands are made up of the same rankings or same point value, regardless of the suit;

(f) determining whether each Player wins or loses said Player's wager as follows:

(I) if the Player has a “Special Hand” whilst the Banker does not, determining the Player to be the winner;

(II) if all three of the Player's component hands beats all three component hands of the Banker's, determining the Player to be the winner;

(III) if the Player's 1^stcomponent hand beats the Banker's 1^stcomponent hand; if the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand beats the Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Player loses the 3^rdcomponent hand to the Banker, determining the Player to be the winner;

(IV) if the Player's 1^stcomponent hand beats the Banker's 1^stcomponent hand; if the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand loses to Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Player's 3^rdcomponent hand beats the Banker's 3^rdcomponent hand, determining the Player to be the winner;

(V) if the Player loses the 1^stcomponent hand to the Banker; if the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand beats the Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Player's 3^rdcomponent hand beats the Banker's 3^rdcomponent hand, determining the Player to be the winner;

(VI) if the Banker has a “Special Hand” whilst the Player does not, determining the Banker to be the winner;

(VII) if all three of the Banker's component hands beats all three component hands of the Player's, determining the Banker to be the winner;

(VIII) if the Banker's 1^stcomponent hand beats the Player's 1^stcomponent hand; if the Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand beats the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Banker loses the 3^rdcomponent hand to the Player, determining the Banker to be the winner;

(IX) if the Banker's 1^stcomponent hand beats the Player's 1^stcomponent hand; if the Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand loses to the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Banker's 3^rdcomponent hand beats the Player's 3^rdcomponent hand, determining the Banker to be the winner;

(X) if the Banker loses the 1^stcomponent to the Player; if the Banker's 2^ndcomponent hand beats the Player's 2^ndcomponent hand; and if the Banker's 3^rdcomponent hand beats the Player's 3^rdcomponent hand, determining the Banker to be the winner;

(XI) if the Banker's and the Player's hand or hands are made up of the same card or cards, regardless of the suit, it is a tie or a push, and the Banker wins;

2. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(a) including the use of multiple fifty two cards poker deck, each deck containing one joker.

3. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(a) also including the use of poker cards that have no numbers on them, like those popularly used in Europe and Latin America, with or without a joker.

4. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(a) further including the use of poker cards generated by computer images on computer screens installed on a gaming table, or a machine or device performing the same functions.

5. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(b), further comprising an initial step of providing a playing surface marked and configured to facilitate the setting of hands and the placing of wagers.

6. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(b) providing letting a player wager on one or two, but not all, of the component hands, said player can bet on the 1^stcomponent hand but skip the 2^ndand 3^rdcomponent hands, but he/she cannot skip the lower component hands and bet only on the higher component hands.

7. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(c) providing splitting said six dealt cards into: a 1^stcomponent hand that consists of one card; a 2^ndcomponent hand that consists of two cards; and a 3^rdcomponent hand that consists of the remaining three cards.

8. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1(d) requiring each Player and the Banker to arrange their hands that the point value of the 1^stcomponent hand is lower than the point value of the 2^ndcomponent hand, and the point value of the 2^ndcomponent hand is lower than the point value of the 3^rdcomponent hand.

9. A method of playing a card game among a Banker and a plurality of Players, each Player wagering against the Banker, comprising the Banker dealing the first four of his/her six cards face up, exposing them for the Players to see.

10. The method of playing a card game according to claim 9 providing the options for a Banker to expose less than four of his/her six cards, or not exposing any of his/her cards at all.

11. A method of playing a card game among a Banker and a plurality of Players, each Player wagering against the Banker, the method comprising using special terms for certain hands such as follows:

a hand made up of three cards in consecutive numerical order is called a Mini-Straight;

a hand made up of three cards of the same suit is called a Mini-Flush;

a hand made up of three card in consecutive numerical order and of the same suit is called a Mini-Straight-Flush;

a hand made up of six cards in consecutive order is called a Straight;

a hand made up of six cards of the same suit is called a Flush;

a hand made up of six cards in consecutive order and of the same suit is called a Straight Flush.