Two card poker

Abstract

A method of playing a two card poker game by at least one player and a bank r who is preferably also the dealer. The game features multiple rounds of dealing out of the same deck(s). The player has the option to wager against the dealer, wager against a predetermined payout schedule, or both. Additional optional bets may be offered.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 . A method of playing a wagering game played between a dealer and one or more players comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a ranking of 2-card poker hands;    (b) initiating a first round of play by accepting a ante wager from a player;    (c) dealing at least two cards to the dealer and at least two cards to the one or more players from a deck of cards comprising a plurality of cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards;    (d) if a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is higher than a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards, then the player wins the ante wager.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (d), receiving from the player an indication of whether the player wishes to continue the first round of play, wherein if the player does not wish to continue the first round of play then the player's ante wager is forfeited; and    (f) if the player wishes to continue the first round of play, accepting a play wager from the player and determining whether the player wins the ante wager and the play wager according to the following game rules: 
 (i) if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is lower than a predetermined minimum hand ranking, then the player wins the ante wager;  
 (ii) if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, and a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is a higher ranking 2-card poker hand than the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards, then the player wins the ante wager and the play wager.  
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the deck of cards comprises multiple decks of standard 52-card decks of playing cards.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the deck of cards comprises at least one joker.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, in step (f), if the player wishes to continue the first round of play, the player may draw a card to replace one of the at least two cards dealt to the player.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is lower than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, then the player neither wins nor loses the play wager.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein if the poker hand corresponding to the dealer's two cards is equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, and the poker hand corresponding to the player's two cards is a hand of equal ranking to the poker hand corresponding to the dealer's two cards, then the player neither wins nor loses the ante wager or the play wager.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (c), accepting a bad-beat wager from the player;    (f) paying the player the bad-beat wager if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is at least above a predetermined minimum ranking hand, and the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is lower than the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (c), accepting a side wager from the player;    (f) determining whether the player wins the side wager, wherein the outcome of the side wager is not based on the dealer's cards.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining the outcome of the side wager comprises comparing the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards to a predetermined pay scale of winning hands.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) receiving from the player an indication of whether the player wishes to engage in a second round of play; and    (f) performing the second round of play by substantially repeating steps (a)-(d) without shuffling the deck of playing cards, without using any cards dealt during the first round of play.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , where each player and the dealer are each dealt exactly two cards.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the play wager is a multiple of the ante wager.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a display device;    one or more user input controls;    memory storing instructions for controlling the slot machine to perform a method of providing a 2-card poker game, said method comprising:    (a) providing a ranking of 2-card poker hands;    (b) initiating a first round of play by accepting a ante wager from a player;    (c) dealing at least two cards to the dealer and at least two cards to the one or more players from a deck of cards comprising a plurality of cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards;    (d) if a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is higher than a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards, then the player wins the ante wager.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , said method further comprising steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (d), receiving from the player an indication of whether the player wishes to continue the first round of play, wherein if the player does not wish to continue the first round of play then the player's ante wager is forfeited; and    (f) if the player wishes to continue the first round of play, accepting a play wager from the player and determining whether the player wins the ante wager and the play wager according to the following game rules: 
 (i) if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is lower than a predetermined minimum hand ranking, then the player wins the ante wager;  
 (ii) if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, and a 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is a higher ranking 2-card poker hand than the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards, then the player wins the ante wager and the play wager.  
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the deck of cards comprises multiple decks of standard 52-card decks of playing cards.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the deck of cards comprises at least one joker.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein, in step (f), if the player wishes to continue the first round of play, the player may draw a card to replace one of the at least two cards dealt to the player.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards is lower than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, then the player neither wins nor loses the play wager.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein if the poker hand corresponding to the dealer's two cards is equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, and the poker hand corresponding to the player's two cards is a hand of equal ranking to the poker hand corresponding to the dealer's two cards, then the player neither wins nor loses the ante wager or the play wager.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , said method further comprising steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (c), accepting a bad-beat wager from the player;    (f) paying the player the bad-beat wager if the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is at least above a predetermined minimum ranking hand, and the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards is lower than the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's best two cards.    
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , said method further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) prior to step (c), accepting a side wager from the player;    (f) determining whether the player wins the side wager, wherein the outcome of the side wager is not based on the dealer's cards.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein determining the outcome of the side wager comprises comparing the 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's best two cards to a predetermined pay scale of winning hands.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , said method further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) receiving from the player an indication of whether the player wishes to engage in a second round of play; and    (f) performing the second round of play by substantially repeating steps (a)-(d) without shuffling the deck of playing cards, without using any cards dealt during the first round of play.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , where each player and the dealer are each dealt exactly two cards.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the play wager is a multiple of the ante wager.  
     
     
         28 . A method of playing a wagering game played between a dealer and one or more players comprising the steps of: 
 (a) initiating a first round of play by accepting a ante wager from each of the one or more players;    (b) dealing at least two cards to the dealer and at least two cards to the one or more players from a deck of playing cards;    (c) receiving from the player an indication of whether the player wishes to continue the first round of play, wherein if the player does not wish to continue the first round of play then the player's ante wager is forfeited; and    (d) if the player wishes to continue the first round of play, accepting a play wager from the player and determining whether the player wins the ante wager and the play wager according to the following game rules: 
 (i) if a best 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's at least two cards is lower than a predetermined minimum hand ranking, then the player wins the ante wager;  
 (ii) if the best 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's at least two cards is equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum hand ranking, and a best 2-card poker hand corresponding to the player's at least two cards is a higher ranking hand than the best 2-card poker hand corresponding to the dealer's at least two cards, then the player wins the play wager.  
   (e) initiating a second round of play by accepting a new ante wager from each of the one or more players;    (f) repeating steps (b)-(d) using the remaining cards from the deck of playing cards, without shuffling, to complete the second round of play.