Card game and method for playing a card game

Abstract

A system and method for playing a card game are disclosed. The card game may be played with a real deck of cards and an associated playing surface or with a virtual deck of cards as part of a virtual card game on a processor-based platform. The method comprises betting, dealing at least thirteen playing cards, placing a hold on any cards that make up one or more predetermined winning combinations or portions of the one or more predetermined winning combinations, removing any non-held cards, replacing each non-held card with one playing card dealt face up such that thirteen cards remain face up, segregating the cards by a card's suit and sequentially ordering the cards within their suit, comparing the thirteen cards to the predetermined winning combinations to determine if a winning card combination exists, wherein the predetermined winning combinations are formed by three or more sequential cards within a single suit, and dealing any winning card combination according to the amount bet and odds associated with any winning combination.

1 . A method of playing a card game, the method comprising: 
 dealing at least thirteen playing cards face up;    placing a hold on any cards that make up a predetermined winning combination or portions of the predetermined winning combinations;    removing any non-held cards;    replacing each non-held card with one playing card dealt face up such that thirteen cards remain face up;    comparing the at least thirteen cards to the predetermined winning combinations to determine if a winning card combination exists, wherein the predetermined winning combinations are formed by three or more related cards; and    indicating any winning card combination. to the amount bet and odds associated with any winning combination.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of, 
 placing at least one wager and paying on any winning wager according to the amount of the wager for a current round of play.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of, 
 setting odds relating to the predetermined winning combinations and paying on winning wager based upon the amount bet and odds associated with any winning combination.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of, 
 segregating the cards by a card's suit and sequentially ordering the cards within their suit.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said deck of playing cards comprises a conventional deck of fifty-two playing cards.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined winning combinations are formed of three or more sequential cards within a single suit.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cards that make up a predetermined wining combination are automatically held before replacement of non-held cards.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cards that make up a potion of a predetermined wining combination are automatically held before replacement of non-held cards.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said deck of playing cards is virtual and said method is implemented as an electronic card game.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said deck of playing cards is virtual and said method is implemented as a computer-based card game.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said card game is played virtually on a processor-based apparatus, and wherein said processor-based apparatus comprises a personal computer which is programmed, via software, to implement at least said method.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said card game is played virtually on a processor-based apparatus, and wherein said processor-based apparatus comprises a hand-held electronic device which is programmed, via software, to implement at least said method.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said card game is played virtually on a processor-based apparatus, and wherein said processor-based apparatus comprises a standalone video-kiosk type of electronic system which is programmed, via software, to implement at least said method.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said card game is played virtually by accessing a software implementation of said card game from a server, via the Internet, using a computer.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising crediting or debiting an account for each placed wager.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising notifying a player of said card game when said player wins and/or loses a wager.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said game is implemented on an instant lottery ticket, wherein representations of the playing cards are initially covered and selectively revealed by the user.  
   
   
       18 . A processor-based system for implementing a virtual card game, the processor-based system comprising: 
 at least one processor to execute playing of the virtual card game, and wherein the playing of the virtual card game comprises the steps of dealing at least thirteen playing cards face up, placing a hold on any cards that make up a predetermined winning combination or portions of the predetermined winning combinations, removing any non-held cards, replacing each non-held card with one playing card dealt face up such that thirteen cards remain face up, comparing the thirteen cards to the predetermined winning combinations to determine if a winning card combination exists, and indicating any predetermined winning combinations;    a program memory interfacing to the at least one processor to store software associated with the virtual card game;    a user interface connecting to the at least one processor to allow a player of the virtual card game to select various functional inputs of the virtual card game;    an image memory interfacing to the at least one processor to store image data of the virtual card game to be displayed;    a display controller interfacing to the image memory to extract image data from the image memory in a controlled manner and to convert the image data to video data; and    a display interfacing to the display controller to accept the video data from the display controller such that the video data is presented to the player on the display.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising providing the user interface with the ability for the player to place a wager, and paying on any winning wager according to the amount of the wager for a current round of play.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein predetermined winning combinations are formed by three or more sequential cards within a single suit.