Method of conducting a poker game

Abstract

Each player places at least one game wager. Game wagers include player hand proposition wagers on the composition of the player hand and inclusion of game indicia having predetermined characteristics in the player hand; competitive wagers on the comparison of the player hand to other player hands and/or a dealer hand; and individual game indicium proposition wagers on an identified characteristic of a designated game indicium of the player hand. Player hands, and optionally a dealer hand, are dealt. Wagers are resolved and rewards are issued for winning wagers.

1 . A method for conducting a game indicium game for one or more players playing against a dealer, using game indicia, or electronic representations thereof, comprising: 
 each player placing at least one game wager, said game wagers including competitive wagers and individual game indicium proposition wagers, wherein for each individual game indicium proposition wager placed, said player designates an individual game indicium of the player hand and, for the designated game indicium, selects a characteristic from a plurality of predefined characteristics;    each player receiving a player hand of game indicia;    comparing each player hand to other player hands and rewarding the player with the player hand based on said comparison among all players to place said competitive wager; and    for each individual game indicium proposition wager, determining the characteristics of the designated game indicium upon which the individual game indicium proposition wager was placed and rewarding individual game indicium proposition wagers if the designated game indicium has a characteristic selected when placing the individual game indicium proposition wager.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking includes awarding at least a portion of a pot formed from at least a portion of each competitive wager.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 the dealer receiving a hand of game indicia; and    comparing each player hand to a dealer hand and rewarding each player whose player hand outranks said dealer hand.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said predefined characteristics used in said individual game indicium proposition wagers are suits.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising player hand proposition wagers including a wager on the quantity of game indicia in a player hand meeting a predefined characteristic and said pay table includes a reward for said player hand proposition wager when a player hand includes at least a threshold quantity of game indicia meeting said predefined characteristic, said reward varying directly with the quantity of game indicia in said player hand meeting said predefined characteristic.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said predefined characteristic is one or more of said suits.  
   
   
       7 . A method for conducting a game indicium game for one or more players playing against a dealer, using game indicia, or electronic representations thereof, comprising: 
 each player placing at least one game wager, said game wagers including competitive wagers and individual game indicium proposition wagers, wherein for each individual game indicium proposition wager placed, said player designates an individual game indicium of the player hand and, for the designated game indicium, selects a characteristic from a plurality of predefined characteristics;    each player receiving a player hand of game indicia;    the dealer receiving a dealer hand of game indicia;    for each competitive wager, comparing the player hand to the dealer hand and rewarding each player whose player hand outranks said dealer hand; and    for each individual game indicium proposition wager, determining the characteristics of the designated game indicium upon which the individual game indicium proposition wager was placed and rewarding individual game indicium proposition wagers if the designated game indicium has a characteristic selected when placing the individual game indicium proposition wager.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising comparing each player hand to other player hands and rewarding the player with the player hand based on said comparison among all players to place said competitive wager.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said step of rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking includes awarding at least a portion of a pot formed from at least a portion of each competitive wager.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said predefined characteristics used in said individual game indicium proposition wagers are suits.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising player hand proposition wagers including a wager on the quantity of game indicia in a player hand meeting a predefined characteristic and said pay table includes a reward for said player hand proposition wager when a player hand includes at least a threshold quantity of game indicia meeting said predefined characteristic, said reward varying directly with the quantity of game indicia in said player hand meeting said predefined characteristic.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said predefined characteristic is one or more of said suits.  
   
   
       13 . A method for conducting a game indicium game for one or more players playing against a dealer, using game indicia, or electronic representations thereof, comprising: 
 each player placing at least one game wager, said game wagers including player hand proposition wagers and individual game indicium proposition wagers, wherein for each individual game indicium proposition wager placed, said player designates an individual game indicium of the player hand and, for the designated game indicium, selects a characteristic from a plurality of predefined characteristics;    each player receiving a player hand of game indicia;    the dealer receiving a dealer hand of game indicia;    comparing each player hand to a predefined pay table designating at least one winning hand and rewarding player hand proposition wagers for each player having a winning hand; and    for each individual game indicium proposition wager, determining the characteristics of the designated game indicium upon which the individual game indicium proposition wager was placed and rewarding individual game indicium proposition wagers if the designated game indicium has a characteristic selected when placing the individual game indicium proposition wager.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said game wagers further comprise competitive wagers, said competitive wagers resolved among players by comparing each player hand to other player hands and rewarding the player with the player hand based on said comparison among all players to place said competitive wager.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking includes awarding at least a portion of a pot formed from at least a portion of each competitive wager.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said dealer receives a hand of game indicia and said game wagers further comprise competitive wagers, said competitive wagers resolved between said dealer and said player by comparing each player hand to a dealer hand and rewarding each player whose player hand outranks said dealer hand.  
   
   
       17 . A method for conducting a game indicium game for one or more players playing against a dealer, using game indicia, or electronic representations thereof, comprising: 
 each player placing at least one game wager, said game wagers including competitive wagers, player hand proposition wagers on the quantity of game indicia in a player hand meeting a predefined characteristic, and individual game indicium proposition wagers, wherein for each individual game indicium proposition wager placed, said player designates an individual game indicium of the player hand and, for the designated game indicium, selects a characteristic from a plurality of predefined characteristics;    each player receiving a player hand of n game indicia;    the dealer receiving a dealer hand of n game indicia;    comparing each player hand to other player hands and dealer hand and rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking among all players to place said competitive wager and separately rewarding each player whose player hand outranks said dealer hand;    comparing each player hand to a predefined pay table and rewarding player hand proposition wagers when a player hand includes at least a threshold quantity of game indicia meeting said predefined characteristic, said reward varying directly with the quantity of game indicia in said player hand meeting said predefined characteristic; and    for each individual game indicium proposition wager, determining the characteristics of the designated game indicium upon which the individual game indicium proposition wager was placed and rewarding individual game indicium proposition wagers if the designated game indicium has a characteristic selected when placing the individual game indicium proposition wager.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said step of rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking includes awarding at least a portion of a pot formed from at least a portion of each competitive wager.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said pot is formed from the aggregation of the competitive wagers placed by each player not having the highest ranking poker hand.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein if the competitive wager placed by a player not having the highest ranking poker hand is greater than the competitive wager placed by the player having the highest ranking poker hand, only a portion of the competitive wager of a player not having the highest ranking poker hand equal to the competitive wager of the player having the highest ranking poker hand is contributed to said pot.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said player having the highest ranking poker hand is awarded the entire pot less a rake.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said predefined characteristics used in resolving said individual game indicium proposition wagers include subsets of said game indicia.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said subsets are mutually exclusive.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said subsets are suits.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said player hand proposition wagers include a wager on the quantity of game indicia in a player hand meeting a predefined characteristic and said pay table includes a reward for said player hand proposition wager when a player hand includes at least a threshold quantity of game indicia meeting said predefined characteristic, said reward varying directly with the quantity of game indicia in said player hand meeting said predefined characteristic.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein said game indicia include suit identification, and said predefined characteristic is one or more of said suits.  
   
   
       27 . A method for conducting a game indicium game for one or more players playing against a dealer, using game indicia, or electronic representations thereof, comprising: 
 each player placing at least one game wager, said game wagers comprising: 
 competitive wagers, comprising: 
 wagering on the relative ranking of said player's hand as  
 
 compared to said dealer hand; and 
 wagering on the relative ranking of said player's hand as compared to said player hands of such other players who have placed a wager on the relative ranking of their player hands in relation to the player hands of other players;  
 
 player hand proposition wagers, comprising: 
 wagering on the composition of the player hand according to a predetermined pay table designating at least one winning hand; and  
 wagering on the number of game indicia within said player hand belonging to said predetermined suit; and  
 
 individual game indicium proposition wagers, wherein for each individual game indicium proposition wager placed, said player designates an individual game indicium of the player hand and, for the designated game indicium, selects the suit of said designated game indicium;  
   each player receiving a hand of game indicia;    the dealer receiving a hand of game indicia;    resolving competitive wagers comprising: 
 for competitive wagers placed against other players hands, comparing the poker ranking of each player hand for which a competitive wager against other players was placed and rewarding the player with the player hand with the highest poker ranking among all players to place said competitive wager, said reward comprising at least a portion of a pot formed from the aggregation of the competitive wagers placed by each player not having the highest ranking poker hand, wherein if the competitive wager placed by a player not having the highest ranking poker hand is greater than the competitive wager placed by the player having the highest ranking poker hand, only a portion of the competitive wager of a player not having the highest ranking poker hand equal to the competitive wager of the player having the highest ranking poker hand is contributed to said pot; and  
 for competitive wagers placed against the dealer hand, comparing the player hand to the dealer hand and rewarding each player whose player hand outranks said dealer hand; resolving said player hand proposition wagers, comprising:  
 for player hand proposition wagers on the composition of the player hand, comparing said player hand to a pay table and rewarding said player if said player hand is a winning hand; and  
 for player hand proposition wagers on the quantity of game indicia in a predetermined suit, rewarding said player when said player hand includes at least a threshold quantity of game indicia in said predetermined suit, said reward  
 varying directly with the quantity of game indicia in said player hand in said predetermined suit; and  
 rewarding individual game indicium proposition wagers for which said designated game indicium is a game indicium within said selected suit, wherein if said player places more than one individual game indicium proposition wager, said reward varies directly and non-proportionally with the quantity of individual game indicium proposition wagers for which the player is rewarded.