Play Four Poker

Abstract

A method of playing a four-card poker game by at least one player and a banker who is preferably also the dealer. The player has the option to wager against the dealer, wager against a predetermined payout schedule, or both. Additional options of a progressive wager and/or a bad beat wager are also possible with the present game.

1 . A method of playing a wagering game including a dealer and at least one player comprising the steps of 
 (a) providing a deck of playing cards comprising at least one standard deck of 52 playing cards;    (b) providing a published ranking of four-card poker hands;    (c) providing a predetermined pay scale for winning hands;    (d) providing a dealer;    (e) commencing the game by receiving from at least one player one or more initial wagers including one or more of the following: 
 (1) a first wager against the dealer, and  
 (2) a second wager against the predetermined pay scale;  
   (f) dealing at least four cards to the at least one player from the deck of playing cards;    (g) dealing at least four cards to the dealer from the deck of playing cards;    (h) receiving a support wager from said at least one player in support of said player's first wager against the dealer;    (i) comparing the at least one player's best four card hand against the dealer's best four card hand and excluding all extra cards dealt to determine a relative ranking therebetween with respect to the published ranking, as a final outcome of the wagering game;    (j) paying the at least one player's first wager and support wager based on the comparing step; and    (k) paying the at least one player's second wager based on a comparison of the at least one player's hand to the predetermined pay scale.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (1) taking the at least one player's second wager if the at least one player's hand fails to achieve at least a minimum ranking from said predetermined pay scale;    (m) taking the at least one player's first wager and support wager if the dealer's hand outranks the at least one player's hand; and    (n) returning the at least one player's first wager and support wager if said at least one player has the same ranking hand as the dealer.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (l) providing a predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands,    (m) permitting the at least one player to place a third wager against said predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands, and    (n) paying the at least one player said third wager when the at least one player's hand appears on the predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands and the at least one player loses the support wager.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein paying the at least one player's first wager and support wager is further based on the dealer's hand meeting a predetermined minimum ranking.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deck of cards comprises physical cards.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deck of cards comprises virtual cards on a video gaming device.  
     
     
         7 . One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that when executed, perform a method of playing a wagering game including a dealer and at least one player, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a deck of playing cards comprising at least one standard deck of 52 playing cards;    (b) providing a published ranking of four-card poker hands;    (c) providing a predetermined pay scale for winning hands;    (d) providing a dealer;    (e) commencing the game by receiving from at least one player one or more initial wagers including one or more of the following: 
 (1) a first wager against the dealer, and  
 (2) a second wager against the predetermined pay scale;  
   (f) dealing at least four cards to the at least one player from the deck of playing cards;    (g) dealing at least four cards to the dealer from the deck of playing cards;    (h) receiving a support wager from said at least one player in support of said player's first wager against the dealer;    (i) comparing the at least one player's best four card hand against the dealer's best four card hand and excluding all extra cards dealt to determine a relative ranking therebetween with respect to the published ranking, as a final outcome of the wagering game;    (j) paying the at least one player's first wager and support wager based on the comparing step; and    (k) paying the at least one player's second wager based on a comparison of the at least one player's hand to the predetermined pay scale.    
     
     
         8 . The computer readable media of  claim 7 , further comprising 
 (l) taking the at least one player's second wager if the at least one player's hand fails to achieve at least a minimum ranking from said predetermined pay scale;    (m) taking the at least one player's first wager and support wager if the dealer's hand outranks the at least one player's hand; and    (n) returning the at least one player's first wager and support wager if said at least one player has the same ranking hand as the dealer.    
     
     
         9 . The computer readable media of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 (l) providing a predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands,    (m) permitting the at least one player to place a third wager against said predetermined published ranking of winning bad beat hands, and    (n) paying the at least one player said third wager when the at least one player's hand appears on the predetermined published ranking,of winning bad beat hands and the at least one player loses the support wager.    
     
     
         10 . The computer readable media of  claim 7 , wherein paying, the at least one player's first wager and support wager is further based on the dealer's hand meeting a predetermined minimum ranking.  
     
     
         11 . A method of playing a wagering game including a dealer and at least one player, said method comprising: 
 providing a ranking of four card poker hands;    dealing at least four cards to a player;    dealing at least four cards to the dealer;    paying a first wager to the player based on a comparison of a best four card hand of the player to a best four card hand of the dealer with respect to the ranking of four card poker hands.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a support wager from the player after the player has reviewed its at least four cards; and    paying the support wager to the player when the best four card hand of the player is higher ranked with respect to the ranking of winning four card poker hands than the best four card hand of the dealer.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a support wager from the player after the player has reviewed its at least four cards; and    paying the support wager to the player when the best four card hand of the player is higher ranked with respect to the ranking of winning four card poker hands than the best four card hand of the dealer, and the dealer's hand is at least a predetermined minimum ranking.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second wager from the player; and    paying the second wager based only on a comparison of the best four card hand of the player to the ranking of winning four card poker hands and a pay scale corresponding thereto.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a bad beat wager from the player; and    paying the bad beat wager to the player when the best four card hand of the player is lower ranked with respect to the ranking of winning four card poker hands than the best four card hand of the dealer, and the best four card hand of the player is at least a minimum rank with respect to a published ranking bad beat hands.    
     
     
         16 . A method of playing a wagering game utilizing playing cards, the game comprising the steps of 
 receiving an ante wager from one or more players to participate in at least a portion of a round of the wagering game;    dealing at least four playing cards to form a dealer's hand;    dealing at least four playing cards to each of the one or more players to form one or more respective player's hands;    receiving a play wager from each of the players after each of the players is permitted to view their respective player's hand, wherein any of the players not placing the play wager forfeits their respective ante wager;    determining the best poker rank of the dealer's hand, wherein the best poker rank is the highest possible rank achievable using four cards from the cards forming the final dealer's hand;    determining the best poker rank of the player's hand, wherein the best poker rank is the highest possible rank achievable using four cards from the cards forming the final players hand; and    resolving each of the final player's hands of four cards against the final dealer's hand of four cards according to predetermined game rules.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein physical cards are provided to each of the participating players and the dealer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 receiving a bonus wager prior to dealing the cards to the players, wherein the bonus wager is an optional wager that may be placed by each of the one or more players; and    resolving the bonus wager for each of the participating players placing the bonus wager by comparing the best poker rank of the player's hand with one or more predetermined poker ranks.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the published ranking of four-card poker hands comprises a four-card flush, a four-card straight, and a four-card straight flush.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the ranking of four card poker hands comprises a four-card flush, a four-card straight and a four-card straight flush.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the support wager is proportionate to the first wager.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the support wager is proportionate to the first wager.