Method of playing a poker type card game

Abstract

A method of playing a poker type game uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The deck includes four suits and thirteen sets of four ranging from two through ace. The game is played by dealing four cards to each of six or seven players' locations and four cards to the dealer location on a specially adapted gaming table. Each player and the dealer then separate their cards into three hands, a high hand, a medium hand and a low hand, in accordance with a predetermined hierarchy or ranking of the hands, or at the preference of the player. In order to win, each of the players must beat the dealer two out of three hands or all three hands. For example, a player's high and medium hands must beat the dealer's high and medium hands, medium and low hands must beat the dealer's medium and low hands, or high and low hands must beat the dealer's high and low hands, or the player must beat all three high, medium, and low hands. For the dealer to win, he or she must beat a player two out of the three or all three hands. If there is an identical hand, a copy, the dealer wins. In addition, irrespective of the two or three-out-of-three outcome, players are paid for premium four-card poker hands.

1 . A method of playing a poker type card game for at least one player playing against a dealer using a standard deck of 52 cards, the method comprising the steps of:
 dealing four cards to each player in the game and to the dealer;   separating the dealer's four cards into a high hand with two of the four cards, a medium hand with one of the four cards, and a low hand with the fourth card, the cards in each of the three hands being separated in accordance with designated house rules;   separating the four cards of each player into three hands, a high hand with two of the four cards, a medium hand with one of the four cards, and a low hand with the fourth card, the cards in each of the three hands being separated in accordance with said designated house rules or at the preference of the player, such that the poker ranking of the high hand exceeds the poker ranking of the medium hand and the poker ranking of the medium hand exceeds or equals the poker ranking of the low hand; and   comparing the poker rankings of the dealer's high hand, medium hand and low hand, with the poker rankings of the corresponding high hand, medium hand, and low hand of each of the players; and   as between the dealer and each individual player, declaring that player a winner over the dealer if the poker rankings of two of the three hands or three of the three hands of the player are higher than the poker rankings of the corresponding three hands of the dealer, and as between the dealer and each individual player, declaring the dealer the winner over that player if the poker rankings of two of the three hands or three of the three hands of the dealer are higher than the poker rankings of the corresponding three hands of said player.   
   
   
       2 . The method of playing a poker type game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of declaring a winning hand on the part of the dealer if the corresponding hands of the player and dealer are the same poker ranking. 
   
   
       3 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of placing a wager on the winner, as between the dealer and each individual player. 
   
   
       4 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of placing a wager on the occurrence of the dealer and player having the same poker ranking in one or more corresponding hands. 
   
   
       5 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of placing a wager on the occurrence that the player will receive a premium poker hand from the four cards to which said player is dealt. 
   
   
       6 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 5  wherein a premium poker hand is a hand which comprises a poker ranking of one pair or higher. 
   
   
       7 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of declaring a premium payoff for any player having a premium poker hand from the four cards dealt to that player. 
   
   
       8 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 7  wherein the premium poker hand is a hand which comprises a poker ranking of one pair or higher. 
   
   
       9 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  wherein the house rules state that if the four cards dealt to the dealer and the player are all different, the high hand must comprise the cards of highest and lowest rank, the medium hand must comprise the second highest rank card, and the low hand must comprise the third highest poker ranked card. 
   
   
       10 . The method of playing a poker type card game wherein the house rules state that if two cards of the four cards dealt to the dealer and player comprise one pair, the high hand must comprise one of the pair and the card with the lowest poker rank, the medium hand must comprise the second card from the pair, and the low tier must comprise the card with the third highest poker ranking, if the pair is the highest rank in the hand; and if the pair is not the highest poker rank of the four cards dealt to the dealer and player, the high hand must comprise said pair, the medium hand must comprise the highest poker rank of the remaining two cards, and the low hand comprises the remaining card. 
   
   
       11 . A method for playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  wherein the house rules recite that if the four cards dealt to either the dealer or player comprises two pair, the high hand must comprise the lower ranked pair and the medium hand and low hand must each comprise one card from the higher ranked pair. 
   
   
       12 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  wherein the house rules recite that if either the dealer or player receive three of a kind of the four cards dealt to them, the high hand must comprise a pair formed from two of the cards in the triplet, the medium hand must comprise the higher poker ranked of the two remaining cards, and the low hand must comprise the lowest poker ranking card of the four cards dealt. 
   
   
       13 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  wherein the house rules recite that if quads are dealt to either the dealer or the player, the high hand must comprise two of the four cards from the quad and the medium hand and low hand must comprise one each of the four from the dealt quad. 
   
   
       14 . The method of playing a poker type card game as in  claim 1  comprising the further step of placing a wager on the winner, as between dealer and each individual player, prior to dealing any cards.