Poker game incorporating "bad beat" feature

Abstract

A variant game of Texas Hold' Em poker allows for players to be rewarded for high ranking hands, even when the dealer has a premium hand. The method comprises: a player placing an ante wager that the player hand will beat the dealer hand, and a blind wager. The players and dealer receive hole cards and community cards are dealt. Players are provided with multiple opportunities to check or make play wagers. With full knowledge of the player hand, the player can either make a final Ante or fold. Folding is only permitted if the player did not previously place a play wager. The dealer reviews his cards and the hands are resolved. The dealer must qualify, otherwise the Ante is a push. Even if the dealer does not qualify, if the player hand beats the dealer hand, the player wins on all play wagers. The player wins the blind wager if he beats the dealer hand and his hand is at least a certain predetermined rank. Players with certain high ranking hands win a “bad beat” payoff when the dealer hand beats the player hand.

1 . A method of playing a wagering game, comprising:
 a player placing an ante wager that the player hand will beat the dealer hand;the player also placing a blind wager;
 dealing at least one card to each player and to the dealer; 
 after viewing at least one additional card, the player making a first play wager or checking, but not folding; 
 viewing at least a second additional card, the player making a second play wager or checking, but not folding, regardless of whether the player made the first play wager; 
   viewing a final hand, and placing a final play wager or folding;
 comparing the final player hand to the final dealer hand; 
 paying the player on the ante wager when the final player hand outranks the final dealer hand; 
 paying the player on the blind wager when the player hand outranks the player hand and when the player hand is at least a predetermined minimum poker ranking; and 
 paying the player a “bad beat” payout when the dealer hand outranks the player hand and the player hand has at least a predetermined winning “bad beat” ranking. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ante and blind wagers are equal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to the step of dealing, the player optionally making a wager on the occurrence of at least one predetermined winning hand.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising the dealer dealing a plurality of common cards, face down. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein five common cards are dealt. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the players and the dealer each receive two cards, and the first play wager is made after the first two player cards are viewed by the player. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the dealer reveals the first three common cards, and the player makes the second play wager prior to the dealer revealing the first three common cards. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , and further comprising the player making an additional play wager after the three common cards are revealed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , and further comprising the dealer revealing at least one additional common card. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer hand and player hands consists of five cards. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein five common cards are revealed, and the player and dealer makes a best five card poker hand from the two player or dealer cards and the five community cards. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the player may fold only if the player previously failed to make any play wagers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein five card poker rankings are used to compare player and dealer hands. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined minimum poker ranking is four-of-a-kind. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the player wins a “bad beat” payoff when the player hand ranking is at least a four-of-a-kind. 
     
     
         16 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 a plurality of players each placing at least a mandatory ante wager and a mandatory blind wager to participate in the wagering game;   a dealer dealing at least one hole card to each player and at least one hole card to the dealer, each at least one card forming a partial hand, and also dealing a plurality of community cards;   wherein after each player views the at least one hole card, each player either checks or makes a first play wager, at the option of the player;   the dealer revealing a portion of the community cards;   wherein after each player views the revealed portion of the community cards, each player either checks or makes a second play wager, at the option of the player;   the dealer revealing the remainder of the community cards;   wherein after each player views all of the revealed community cards, each player either checks, folds or makes a final play wager, at the option of the player;   revealing all dealer hole cards;   comparing each player hand to the dealer hand;   paying the players on the ante and all play wagers when the player hand outranks the dealer hand according to predetermined poker rankings;   paying the players on the blind bet when the player hand outranks the dealer hand and the player hand is at least a first minimum qualifying rank; and   paying the players whose hands do not outrank the dealer hand, but are at least a second minimum qualifying “bad beat” ranking.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second qualifying “bad beat” ranking is at least a four-of-a-kind. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first minimum qualifying rank for the blind bet is a straight or better. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pay table for the “bad beat” is: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Hand 
                   Odds 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   N/A 
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   500:1 
                 
                     
                   Four-of-a-kind 
                    50:1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pay table for the blind bet is: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Hand 
                   Odds 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   500:1  
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   50:1  
                 
                     
                   Four-of-a-kind 
                   10:1  
                 
                     
                   Full House 
                   3:1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                   3:2 
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                   1:1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds are: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Hand 
                   Odds 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Royal Flush 
                   50:1  
                 
                     
                   Straight Flush 
                   40:1  
                 
                     
                   Four-of-a-kind 
                   30:1  
                 
                     
                   Full house 
                   9:1 
                 
                     
                   Flush 
                   7:1 
                 
                     
                   Straight 
                   4:1 
                 
                     
                   Three-of-a-kind 
                   3:1 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         22 . An interactive video gaming platform for multiple players, comprising:
 multiple player stations, each having a player-only video display area that displays game play including cards and wagers, and having controls and platform programmable to execute a game;   a common video display area displaying a video representation of a dealer;   wherein the game rules include the steps of:   each player placing a mandatory ante wager and blind wager required to participate in the game;   each player and the dealer receiving at least one hole card;   after viewing their hole card(s), each player having an option to place a first play wager;   revealing a portion of the community cards;   after viewing their hole card(s) in combination with the revealed community cards, each player having an option to place a second play wager;   revealing a remainder of the community cards;   after viewing their hole card(s) in combination with the revealed community cards, each player having an option to fold or place a final play wager;   turning over all cards and reconciling the players' hands with the dealer's hand;   paying the players whose hands outrank the dealer hand according to predetermined betting criteria; and   paying the players whose hands do not outrank the dealer hand but do meet or exceed a predetermined “bad beat” criteria.   
     
     
         23 . The video gaming platform of  claim 22 , wherein a total of two player and dealer cards are dealt and a total of five community cards are dealt. 
     
     
         24 . The video gaming platform of  claim 22 , wherein a player may only fold if the player has checked on all opportunities to make a play wager. 
     
     
         25 . The video gaming platform of  claim 22 , wherein players have an opportunity to place an optional side bet on the occurrence of predetermined outcomes based on a player's final hand.