Modified Blackjack Game and Method

Abstract

A modified Blackjack game between a dealer and one or more players that incorporates at least one side bet available to each player. The method comprises: offering the players at least one side bet having an outcome dependant upon whether a card yet to be dealt will belong to a player-selectable subset of a set of predetermined traits of the card (such as the identifying color, traditional suit, or ranking); accepting from the players any wagers and selections of the player-selectable subsets; dealing a card to each player and the dealer from a deck of cards, wherein each card composing the deck comprises at least one predetermined traits; for each accepted side bet, determining whether the value of the predetermined trait of the relevant card belongs to the player-selected subset; for each accepted side bet, determining whether there is an overriding losing condition present; for each successful side bet, paying the player a predetermined payout; and, finally, completing the Blackjack game.

1 . A method of playing a modified Blackjack game between a dealer and a player, the method comprising:
 offering the player at least one side bet having an outcome dependant upon whether a card yet to be dealt will belong to at least one player-selected subset of either (a) the set of all card rankings of a traditional suit of playing cards; or (b) a predetermined set of at least three identifying traits;   accepting said at least one side bet and selections of subsets;   dealing a player's card and a dealer's card from at least one deck of cards, wherein each card composing said at least one deck of cards has a card ranking and an indentifying trait that is a subset of said predetermined set of identifying traits;   for each successful side bet, paying the player a predetermined payout; and   for each unsuccessful side bet, collecting the player's wager;   completing a Blackjack game wherein said player's card and said dealer's card compose a card of the player's and dealer's Blackjack hands, respectively.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said offering step comprises offering the player a first side bet having a first outcome dependant upon:
 whether a card yet to be dealt to the player will belong to a player-selected subset of the set of all traditional card rankings of ace through king; and   whether a card yet to be dealt to the dealer will belong to a set of predetermined overriding losing conditions.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein each player-selectable subset comprises four traditional card rankings, and wherein no card ranking is present in more than one player-selectable subset. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the player-selectable subsets are a first subset consisting of the rankings of two, five, eight, and jack; a second subset consisting of the rankings of three, six, nine, and queen; and a third subset consisting of the rankings of four, seven, ten, and king. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said offering step comprises offering the player a second side bet having a second outcome dependant upon whether a card yet to be dealt to the dealer will belong to a one-color subset of a set of three identifying colors. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  comprising three player-selectable subsets, and wherein each player-selectable subset consists of one color of the set of red, white, and blue. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said offering step comprises offering the player a third side bet having a third outcome dependant upon whether:
 a card yet to be dealt to the player will belong to a player-selectable one-color subset of a set of four colors; and   a card yet to be dealt to the dealer will belong to a set of predetermined overriding losing conditions.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising three selectable subsets, and wherein each player-selectable subset consists of one color from the set of red, white, and blue. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said offering step comprises offering the player a fourth side bet having an outcome dependant upon whether:
 a card yet to be dealt to the player will belong to a selectable subset of the set of all traditional card rankings;   a card yet to be dealt to the dealer will belong to a set of predetermined overriding losing conditions.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein each player-selectable subset comprises four traditional card rankings, and wherein no card ranking is present in more than one player-selectable subset. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the player-selectable subsets are a first subset consisting of the rankings of two, three, four, and five; a second subset consisting of the rankings of six, seven, eight, and nine; and a third subset consisting of the rankings of ten, jack, queen, and king 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said offering step comprises offering the player a fifth side bet having a fifth outcome dependant upon whether the player wins all other side bets. 
   
   
       13 . A modified Blackjack game between a dealer and a player, the game comprising:
 at least one deck of cards, wherein each card of said at least one deck has a ranking and a trait that is a subset of a predetermined set of identifying traits;   a first wagering area for placing a first side bet having an outcome dependant upon the ranking of a subsequently dealt player's card and a subsequently dealt dealer's card;   wherein said first wagering area comprises a first grouping of three player-selectable subsets of card rankings; and   wherein each of said first, second, and third player-selectable subsets includes four rankings and wherein a ranking is not present in more than one player-selectable subset.   
   
   
       14 . The card game of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a second wagering area for placing a second side bet having a outcome dependant upon whether a card yet to be dealt to the dealer will belong to a one-trait subset of said predetermined set of identifying traits;   wherein said second wagering area comprises a second group of selectable one-trait subsets of said set of identifying traits; and   wherein each of said subsets of said second group includes one identifying color and wherein an identifying color is not present in more than one selectable subset of said second group.   
   
   
       15 . The card game of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a third wagering area for placing a third side bet having an outcome dependant upon whether a card yet to be dealt to the player will belong to a one-trait subset of said predetermined set of identifying traits;   wherein said third wagering area comprises a third group of selectable one-color subsets of said set of identifying traits; and   wherein each of said subsets of said third group includes one identifying color and wherein an indentifying color is not present in more than one selectable subset of said third group.   
   
   
       16 . The card game of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a fourth wagering area for placing a fourth side bet having an outcome dependant upon the ranking of a subsequently dealt player's card and a subsequently dealt dealer's card;   wherein said fourth wagering area comprises a fourth group of three selectable subsets of card rankings; and   wherein each of said three selectable subsets of said fourth group includes four rankings and wherein a ranking is not present in more than one subset.   
   
   
       17 . A deck of playing cards consisting of:
 a first suit of thirteen cards, each card within said first suit having exactly one ranking selected from a set of rankings consisting of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, and wherein each ranking is used within said suit exactly once;   wherein the ace of said first suit has a first identifying trait and all other cards of said first suit are a second identifying trait;   a second suit of thirteen cards, each card within said second suit having exactly one ranking selected from a set of rankings consisting of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, and wherein each ranking is used within said suit exactly once;; and   wherein the ace of said second suit is said first identifying trait and all other cards of said second suit are a third identifying trait;   a third suit of thirteen cards, each card within said third suit having exactly one ranking selected from the set of rankings consisting of two three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, and wherein each ranking is used within said suit exactly once; and   wherein the ace of said third suit is said first identifying trait and all other cards of said first suit are a fourth identifying trait.