Poker game with bonus payouts
View Patent ↗A method of playing a card game is performed by a player making at least an ante wager and a wager on a bonus event to enter the card game. An initial hand of X cards is dealt to the player making the at least an ante wager and the wager on a bonus event. A hand of X cards is dealt to the dealer. The player decides to continue or end play of the game, the decision exercised by making a play wager to continue the game or forfeiting the ante and wager on a bonus event, ending a round of play of the game for that player. If a play wager is made by the player, at least one more card is dealt to the player; the player forming a best hand of X cards; comparing the player's best hand of X cards of the player against a best hand for the dealer with the dealer's X cards. The ante, wager on the bonus event and play wager are resolved based upon ranking rules of the card game, wherein X is an integer of 2-7 cards, especially, 4, 5 or 6 cards, and a preferred number of additional cards dealt to each player who makes the play wager is 1. It is a particularly useful format where the dealer does not receive any cards beyond X cards, and X is 5. The method is best practiced when a bonus wager is made, and the bonus wager is always paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager exceeds a predetermined bonus rank. The method also is best practiced where the rank of a player's hand must exceed a predetermined game rank for the player to qualify to win on the ante and the play wager. A desirable predetermined game rank is at least a pair, especially a pair of 3's, 4's, 5's, 6's or 7's. A preferred predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
1. A method of playing a card game comprising:
a player making at least an ante to enter the playing card game;
dealing an initial hand of X cards to at least one player and a hand of X cards to a dealer;
the player deciding if the player wants to continue play of the game, the decision exercised by making a play wager to continue the game and otherwise folding the player's hand and losing the ante and ending a round of play of the game for that player;
if a play wager is made by the player, dealing at least one more card to the player;
the player forming a best hand of X cards from the X+cards;
comparing the best hand of the player against a best hand for the dealer with the dealer's X cards; and
resolving the ante and play wager based upon ranking rules of the card game,
wherein X is a single integer selected from the group consisting an integer of 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 .
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dealer does not receive any cards beyond X cards.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein X is 5.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein a bonus wager is made, the bonus wager always being paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager exceeds a predetermined bonus rank.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein a bonus wager is made, the bonus wager always being paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum bonus rank.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the rank of a player's hand must be at least a minimum predetermined game rank for the player to qualify to win on the ante and the play wager.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the rank of a player's hand must be at least a predetermined minimum game rank for the player to qualify to win on the ante and the play wager.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the predetermined minimum game rank is at least a pair.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the predetermined minimum game rank is at least a pair of 4's.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
11. The method of claim 5 where the pay table for the bonus wager is
ROYAL FLUSH
At least 200 TO 1
STRAIGHT FLUSH
At least 50 TO 1
FOUR OF A KIND
At least 20 TO 1
FULL HOUSE
At least 6 TO 1
FLUSH
At least 5 TO 1
STRAIGHT
At least 4 TO 1
THREE OF A KIND
At least 3 TO 1
TWO PAIR
At least 1 TO 1.
12. The method of claim 5 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined minimum game rank is at least a pair.
14. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined minimum game rank is at least a pair of 4's.
15. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
17. The method of claim 7 where the pay table for the bonus wager is
ROYAL FLUSH
At least 200 TO 1
STRAIGHT FLUSH
At least 50 TO 1
FOUR OF A KIND
At least 20 TO 1
FULL HOUSE
At least 6 TO 1
FLUSH
At least 5 TO 1
STRAIGHT
At least 4 TO 1
THREE OF A KIND
At least 3 TO 1
TWO PAIR
At least 1 TO 1.
18. The method of claim 7 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
19. The method of claim 8 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
20. The method of claim 19 where the pay table for the bonus wager is
ROYAL FLUSH
At least 200 TO 1
STRAIGHT FLUSH
At least 50 TO 1
FOUR OF A KIND
At least 20 TO 1
FULL HOUSE
At least 6 TO 1
FLUSH
At least 5 TO 1
STRAIGHT
At least 4 TO 1
THREE OF A KIND
At least 3 TO 1
TWO PAIR
At least 1 TO 1.
21. The method of claim 8 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
22. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
23. The method of claim 9 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
24. The method of claim 22 where the pay table for the bonus wager is
ROYAL FLUSH
At least 200 TO 1
STRAIGHT FLUSH
At least 50 TO 1
FOUR OF A KIND
At least 20 TO 1
FULL HOUSE
At least 6 TO 1
FLUSH
At least 5 TO 1
STRAIGHT
At least 4 TO 1
THREE OF A KIND
At least 3 TO 1
TWO PAIR
At least 1 TO 1.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
26. The method of claim 1 wherein X is 5, and the number of additional cards dealt to each player is 1.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein a bonus wager is made, the bonus wager always being paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager exceeds a predetermined bonus rank.
28. The method of claim 1 wherein a bonus wager is made, the bonus wager always being paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager meets or exceeds a predetermined minimum bonus rank.
29. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
31. The method of claim 28 wherein both the ante and the bonus wager must be made by a player to enter the card game.
32. The method of claim 1 wherein the rank of a player's hand must be at least a minimum predetermined game rank for the player to qualify to win on the ante and the play wager.
33. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of making a bonus wager, wherein if the player obtains a qualifying bonus hand, the player is paid a payout, and wherein if the player does not obtain a qualifying hand, but beats the dealer hand, the wager is returned to the player, and if the hand does not qualify and is lower in rank than the dealer's hand, the bonus bet is taken by the house.
34. The method of claim 1 , wherein standard five-card poker rankings are used in comparing hands.
35. A method of playing a card game comprising:
a player making at least an ante wager and a wager on a bonus event to enter the card game;
dealing a) an initial hand of exactly X cards to the player making the at least an ante wager and the wager on a bonus event and b) a hand of exactly X cards to a dealer;
the player deciding to continue or end play of the game, the decision exercised by making a play wager to continue the game or forfeiting the ante and wager on a bonus event, ending a round of play of the game for that player;
if a play wager is made by the player, dealing at least one more card to the player;
the player forming a best hand of X cards from the X+1 cards;
comparing the best hand of X cards of the player against a best hand for the dealer with the dealer's X cards; and
resolving the ante, wager on a bonus event and play wager based upon rules of the card game,
wherein X is a single integer selected from the group consisting of 4, 5 and 6.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein the dealer does not receive any cards beyond X cards, and X is 5.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein a bonus wager is made, the bonus wager always being paid if the rank of a player's hand making the wager exceeds a predetermined minimum bonus rank.
38. The method of claim 36 wherein the rank of a player's hand must exceed a predetermined minimum game rank for the player to qualify to win on the ante and the play wager.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the predetermined game rank is at least a pair.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein the predetermined game rank is at least a pair of 4's.
41. The method of claim 40 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
42. The method of claim 39 wherein the predetermined bonus rank is at least two pair.
43. The method of claim 35 , wherein the bonus bet is a push if a rank of the player's hand does not meet a minimum ranking to qualify for a bonus payout and the hand exceeds a rank of the dealer's hand.
44. The method of claim 35 , wherein the rules of the card game comprise standard five card poker hand ranking rules.
45. The method of claim 35 , wherein each player receives one additional card when the play wager is made.