FOUR-CARD POKER GAME WITH VARIABLE WAGER
A casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player's hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in the resulting player's hands and the resulting dealer's hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer's hand according to predetermined game rules. The initial player's wagers must be at least matched with a Game Bet (or play bet) to remain in the game after players have received their cards. The Game Bet may be multiples of the initial player's wagers, for example, 1× to 5× the initial wager, or more.
1 . A method of operating a table with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the table bearing a layout illustrated to define at least one player position with an Ante area, a Play area, and a Bonus area, the Bonus area labeled for visual association with a reward table posted at the table, the method comprising:
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 Ante area at least one physical token for an Ante and to indicate participation in the round of the method;
distributing, from at least one deck of intermixed cards and to a card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, five cards to form a complete set of player cards and at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and at least one excess dealer card;
receiving a player-made election from an election set consisting of:
a fold, and
a limited set of ante multipliers comprising consisting of 1×, 2×, and 3× the Ante, and
after receiving the player-made election of one of the limited set of ante multipliers in the form of receiving at least one other physical token occupying the Play area to indicate participation in a Play event, resolving the Ante and the Play event according to the set of rules, comprising:
forming a final set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards from the complete set of dealer cards; and
after forming the final set of dealer cards:
upon a determination that the final set of dealer cards is outranked by a final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards from the complete set of player cards, distributing at least one additional physical token to a player position, of the at least one player position, associated with the Ante area occupied by the at least one physical token and associated with the Play area occupied by the at least one other physical token; or
upon a determination that the final set of dealer cards outranks the final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards, removing the at least one physical token from the Ante area and removing the at least one other physical token from the Play area.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing six additional cards to form the complete set of dealer cards.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing five additional cards to form the complete set of dealer cards.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing at least five additional cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises:
distributing, from the at least one deck of intermixed cards and to the card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, at least five additional cards to form an initial set of dealer cards;
after distributing the at least five additional cards to form the initial set of dealer cards, applying a predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of dealer cards; and
after applying the predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of dealer cards:
with the initial set of dealer cards not at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing, from the at least one deck of intermixed cards and to the card receiving area designated on the layout of the table, at least five more cards to replace the initial set of dealer cards and to form the complete set of dealer cards; or
with the initial set of dealer cards at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing no additional cards from the at least one deck of intermixed cards, the initial set of dealer cards forming the complete set of dealer cards.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before receiving the player-made election, applying a predetermined minimum ranking to the complete set of player cards to identify the complete set of player cards at least meets the predetermined minimum ranking.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the distributing, receiving, in the Bonus area, at least one more physical token designating participation in a Bonus event.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising, after receiving the player-made election of the one of the limited set of ante multipliers in the form of receiving at least one other physical token occupying the Play area to indicate participation in the Play event, resolving the Bonus event, comprising applying the reward table to the final set of player cards consisting of the four playable player cards from the complete set of player cards.
8 . A method of operating a table game with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the method comprising:
providing a physical layout designating a plurality of player positions each bearing indicia designating an Ante area, a Play area, and a Bonus area, each of the player positions imprinted with a Bonus award table, wherein the Bonus area, the Ante area, the Play area, and the Bonus award table are arranged vertically, from nearest a player seat to nearest a dealer position, in the order of the Bonus award table, the Play area, the Ante area, and the Bonus area, respectively; and
operating the table game in a round of the method according to a set of rules, the round comprising:
receiving, from a player, a token in the Ante area as an Ante and to indicate participation by the player in the round;
receiving, from the player, another token in the Bonus area to indicate participation by the player in a Bonus feature of the round;
distributing cards from a resource of intermixed playing cards, the intermixed playing cards comprising at least one physical deck of cards, the distributing comprising:
distributing five cards to form a complete set of player cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card; and
distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and at least one excess dealer card;
receiving a player-made election from an election set consisting of:
a fold, and
a limited set of ante multipliers consisting of 1×, 2×, and 3× the Ante; and
after receiving the player-made election, resolving at least the Ante based at least in part on a rank comparison of the four playable player cards to the four playable dealer cards.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing six cards to form the complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards and two excess dealer cards.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises distributing five cards to form the complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of the four playable dealer cards and one excess dealer card.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising resolving the Bonus feature, comprising applying the Bonus award table to the four playable player cards.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein providing a physical layout comprises providing the physical layout designating the plurality of player positions each bearing the indicia, the indicia further comprising a Super Bonus area, each of the player positions further imprinted with a Super Bonus award table laterally disposed to the Ante area.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, from the player, an additional token in the Super Bonus area to indicate participation by the player in a Super Bonus feature.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after receiving the player-made election, resolving the Super Bonus feature, comprising distributing an award to the player for the four playable player cards meeting an hand ranking defined in the Super Bonus award table.
15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein distributing at least five cards to form a complete set of dealer cards comprises:
distributing, from the resource of intermixed playing cards, an initial set of at least five cards;
after distributing the initial set of at least five cards, applying a predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of at least five cards; and
after applying the predetermined minimum rank to the initial set of at least five cards:
with the initial set of at least five cards at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, forming the complete set of dealer cards from only the initial set of at least five cards; or
with the initial set of at least five cards not at least meeting the predetermined minimum rank, distributing, from the resource of intermixed playing cards, another set of at least five cards to replace the initial set of at least five cards and to form the complete set of dealer cards.
16 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after distributing the cards from the resource of intermixed playing cards and before receiving the player-made election, applying a predetermined minimum ranking to the complete set of player cards to identify the complete set of player cards at least meets the predetermined minimum ranking.
17 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after distributing the five cards to form the complete set of player cards, resolving the Bonus feature, comprising applying the Bonus award table to the four playable player cards.
18 . A method of operating a token collecting game with at least one physical deck of cards and a limited set of ante multipliers, the method comprising:
providing a physical game layout designating player positions and a dealer position, each of the player positions visually defining an Ante area and a Play area; and
operating the token collecting game in a round of the method according to a rules set, the round comprising:
receiving, from a player and at the Ante area, one or more physical tokens as an Ante and to indicate participation in the round,
dealing, on the layout and from an inventory of intermixed, physical, playing cards, a complete set of player cards and a complete set of dealer cards, the complete set of player cards consisting of four playable player cards and one excess player card, the complete set of dealer cards consisting of four playable dealer cards and two excess dealer cards;
accepting from the player an election selected during administration of the round from an election set consisting of:
a fold, leaving the Play area unoccupied, and
a limited set of ante multipliers consisting of 1× to 3× the Ante designated in the form of at least one additional physical token occupying the Play area; and
after accepting from the player the election, resolving the round based at least in part on a comparison of a ranking of the four playable player cards to a ranking of the four playable dealer cards.