Casino poker-type game

Abstract

A gambling card game variation that is played against the house. Pairs of cards are dealt face-up on a table, and players are allowed to bet on which pair of face-up cards will be the winning hand together with later-dealt communal cards, and/or to bet the winning rank that will be the winning hand. After all bets are placed, the dealer deals communal cards. Winning players are those who bet on the winning pair of cards or the poker rank that made the winning hand. Winning payouts are made at preset odds.

1 . A method of playing a gambling card game, comprising the steps of: 
 a) dealing at least five initial hands, each initial hand consisting of a first predetermined number of face-up cards;    b) requiring one or more players, after viewing the hands, to place one or more bets on: hands to win, hands to make, and exotics;    c) dealing and turning a second predetermined number of face-up cards as communal cards;    d) comparing each of said initial hands, in conjunction with the communal cards, using poker rank, to determine a winning hand; and    e) designating as a winner each player who selected either the winning hand or the winning poker rank.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of players, a dealer and a house.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined number of face-up cards is at least two cards.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first predetermined number of face-up cards is two cards.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined number of face-up cards is at least five cards.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second predetermined number of face-up cards is five cards.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are eight initial hands.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of requiring each player to place all bets before step c), and paying each winning player after step e).  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein winners are paid according to fixed odds set by the house.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein if more than one player wins, winners are paid according to fixed odds set by the house that are related to the number of winners.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein multiple bets are allowed in step b).  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game is played in a live form on a gaming table with a human dealer and a standard deck of playing cards.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game is played on an electronic device, and the cards comprise electronically produced visual representations of playing cards.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the winning hand comprises combining a hand dealt in step a) with the communal cards in any combination; and the winning hand is determined by the best combination of five cards using poker rank as the criterion for comparison.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are five communal cards.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a first card is dealt face-down, three communal cards of the five communal cards are dealt face up, a second card is dealt face-down, a fourth communal card is dealt face-up, a third card is dealt face-down, and a fifth communal card is dealt face-up.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the dealer placing markers on which hand(s) are likely to win after dealing communal cards.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the dealer subsequently deals communal cards one to two times after step c), and changes markers to different hand(s) as appropriate after each subsequent dealing of communal cards, before determining winning hands.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein three communal cards are dealt in step c), and the dealer subsequently deals communal cards two times after step c), each subsequent dealing comprising a single communal card.  
   
   
       20 . A game playable by at least one person, comprising a game surface having indicia designating a plurality of bet lines, a plurality of defined areas for placement of hands, one of said defined areas for placement of hands being located on each bet line, and defined areas for a plurality of hands to make, community cards, a burn stack, and exotic bets.