Side wager and related method of playing blackjack

Abstract

A side wager is placed on a game of Blackjack or Twenty-One that either one of the following two conditions are met: 1) a two-card poker hand value of an initial two cards dealt to the player will equal one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values and an index value of each of the initial two cards dealt to the player is lower in magnitude than a prescribed index value; or 2) a suit and an index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches a suit and an index value of an initial face-up card dealt to the dealer. A winning amount is paid to the player if one of the conditions is met and the winning amount is increased if both of the conditions are met.

1 . A method for enhancing a conventional game of Twenty-one, the method comprising: 
 providing a player an opportunity to place a Twenty-one wager to participate in the conventional game of Twenty-one;    providing the player an opportunity to place a side wager that an index value of each of an initial two cards dealt to the player is lower in magnitude than a prescribed index value;    dealing the initial two cards to the player;    verifying that the player placed the side wager and paying the player a winning amount on the side wager if the index value of each of the initial two cards dealt to the player are lower in magnitude than the prescribed index value.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the winning amount is a multiple of the side wager and wherein the multiple is of a lower magnitude if the index values of the initial two cards are non-matching and non-sequential and suits of the initial two cards are non-matching and wherein the multiple is of a higher magnitude if the initial two cards correspond to one of a plurality of paying two card poker hands.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes: a suited pair in which the index values and the suits of the initial two cards match; a straight flush in which the suits of the initial two cards match and the index values of the initial two cards are sequential; a flush in which the suits of the initial two cards match and the index values of the initial two cards are non-matching and non-sequential; a non-suited pair in which the index values of the initial two cards match and the suits of the initial two cards differ; and a straight in which the index values of the initial two cards are sequential and the suits of the initial two cards differ.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  including increasing the winning amount by a factor if the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the factor is greatest when the initial two cards comprise a suited pair in which the index values and the suits of the initial two cards match.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1  including paying the player an auxiliary winning amount if the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one, but at least one index value of the initial two cards is equal to or greater than the prescribed index value.  
   
   
       7 . A method for enhancing a conventional game of Twenty-one, the method comprising: 
 providing a player an opportunity to place a Twenty-one wager to participate in the conventional game of Twenty-one;    providing the player an opportunity to place a side wager that a two-card poker hand value of an initial two cards dealt to the player will equal one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values and that an index value of each of the initial two cards dealt to the player is lower in magnitude than a prescribed index value;    dealing the initial two cards to the player;    verifying that the player placed the side wager and paying the player a winning amount on the side wager if the two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player equals one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values and that an index value of each of the initial two cards dealt to the player is lower in magnitude than the prescribed index value.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes a suited pair in which the index values and the suits of the initial two cards match and in which the suits are a designated colour.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes a straight flush in which the suits of the initial two cards match and are a designated colour and the index values of the initial two cards are sequential.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes a flush in which the suits of the initial two cards match and are a designated colour and the index values of the initial two cards are non-sequential.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes a non-suited pair in which the index values of the initial two cards match and the suits of the initial two cards differ, but are of a common designated colour.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the plurality of paying two card poker hands includes a straight in which the index values of the initial two cards are sequential and the suits of the initial two cards differ.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the prescribed index value is 9.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 7  including increasing the winning amount by a factor if the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the factor is greatest when the initial two cards comprise a suited pair in which the index values and the suits of the initial two cards match.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 7  including paying the player an auxiliary winning amount if the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one and that a two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player does not equal one of the a plurality of paying two card poker hand values.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 7  including increasing the winning amount if both: 1) the two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player equals one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values and the index value of each of the initial two cards dealt to the player is lower in magnitude than the prescribed index value; and 2) the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches the suit and the index value of the initial face-up card dealt to the dealer.  
   
   
       18 . A method for enhancing a conventional game of Twenty-one, the method comprising: 
 providing a player an opportunity to place a Twenty-one wager to participate in the conventional game of Twenty-one;    providing the player an opportunity to place a side wager that a two-card poker hand value of an initial two cards dealt to the player will equal one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values;    dealing the initial two cards to the player;    verifying that the player placed the side wager and paying the player a winning amount on the side wager if the two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player equals one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values; and    increasing the winning amount by a factor if a suit and an index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches a suit and an index value an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  including paying the player an auxiliary winning amount if the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches an initial face-up card dealt to a dealer of the conventional game of Twenty-one and that a two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player does not equal one of the a plurality of paying two card poker hand values.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18  including increasing the winning amount if both: 1) the two-card poker hand value of the initial two cards dealt to the player equals one of the plurality of paying two card poker hand values; and 2) the suit and the index value of at least one of the initial two cards dealt to the player matches the suit and the index value of the initial face-up card dealt to the dealer.