Card Game Suitable for Casino Play

Abstract

A system and method for playing a card game is provided. An embodiment for play in a casino using a standard deck of cards comprises allowing a player to place an ante bet and receiving three cards. The player may optionally elect to pay a draw fee to discard a card and receive a new, replacement card. The player, after reviewing the player's cards, elects to play or fold. If the player elects to fold, the dealer collects the ante bet and the player's cards. If, however, the player elects to play, the player places a play bet. Thereafter, the dealer reveals the dealer's cards. Optionally, the dealer may also elect to draw a card. After the hands are finalized, a determination is made regarding whether the player has a winning hand. In an embodiment, the player's play bet is paid according to a predetermined pay table, and the ante bet is paid a set amount, such as 1-to-1. In another embodiment, the dealer must have a qualifying hand for the player to be paid on the ante bet.

1 . A method for playing a card game, the method comprising: 
 receiving an ante bet from a player;    dealing three cards to the player and a dealer, the player having a player hand and the dealer having a dealer hand;    replacing one or more cards from the player hand with an equal number of player replacement cards when the player pays a draw fee;    receiving a play bet from the player;    replacing one or more cards of the dealer hand with an equal number of dealer replacement cards upon determining the dealer does not have a pat hand;    determining whether the player hand is better than the dealer hand;    upon determining that the player hand is better than the dealer hand, paying a first amount to the player; and    upon determining that the dealer hand is better than the player hand, collecting the ante bet and the play bet from the player.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first amount includes paying 1-to-1 on the ante bet if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first amount does not include an amount paid on the ante bet if the dealer hand is not a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first amount includes paying the play bet according to a predetermined pay table.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined pay table comprises paying 15-to-1 for a straight flush, 8-to-1 for a three of a kind, 4-to-1 for a straight, 3-to-1 for a flush, 1-to-1 for any pair, and 1-to-1 for a high card.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for playing a card game, the apparatus comprising: 
 a computer system;    a video display terminal communicatively coupled to the computer system;    wherein the computer system is configured to perform the steps: 
 receiving an ante bet from a player;  
 dealing three cards to the player and a dealer, the player having a player hand and the dealer having a dealer hand;  
 replacing one or more cards from the player hand with an equal number of player replacement cards upon receiving a draw fee from the player;  
 receiving a play bet from the player;  
 replacing one or more cards of the dealer hand with an equal number of dealer replacement cards upon determining the dealer does not have a pat hand;  
 determining whether the player hand is better than the dealer hand;  
 upon determining that the player hand is better than the dealer hand, paying a first amount to the player; and  
 upon determining that the dealer hand is better than the player hand, collecting the ante bet and the play bet from the player.  
   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the computer system is further configured to perform the step determining if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first amount includes paying 1-to-1 on the ante bet if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first amount does not include an amount paid on the ante bet if the dealer hand is not a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first amount includes paying the play bet according to a predetermined pay table.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined pay table comprises paying 15-to-1 for a straight flush, 8-to-1 for a three of a kind, 4-to-1 for a straight, 3-to-1 for a flush, 1-to-1 for any pair, and 1-to-1 for a high card.  
   
   
       13 . A computer program product for playing a card game, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising: 
 computer program code for receiving an ante bet from a player;    computer program code for dealing three cards to the player and a dealer, the player having a player hand and the dealer having a dealer hand;    computer program code for replacing one or more cards from the player hand with an equal number of player replacement cards upon receiving a draw fee from the player;    computer program code for receiving a play bet from the player;    computer program code for replacing one or more cards of the dealer hand with an equal number of dealer replacement cards upon determining the dealer does not have a pat hand;    computer program code for determining whether the player hand is better than the dealer hand;    computer program code for upon determining that the player hand is better than the dealer hand, paying a first amount to the player; and    computer program code for upon determining that the dealer hand is better than the player hand, collecting the ante bet and the play bet from the player.    
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the computer system is further configured to perform the step determining if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the first amount includes paying 1-to-1 on the ante bet if the dealer hand is a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       16 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the first amount does not include an amount paid on the ante bet if the dealer hand is not a qualifying hand.  
   
   
       17 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the first amount includes paying the play bet according to a predetermined pay table.  
   
   
       18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined pay table comprises paying 15-to-1 for a straight flush, 8-to-1 for a three of a kind, 4-to-1 for a straight, 3-to-1 for a flush, 1-to-1 for any pair, and 1-to-1 for a high card.