Blackjack game with optional in between side wager

Abstract

A method of playing a standard casino blackjack game with an optional side bet that does not affect the play of the blackjack game. A player makes an optional side wager that the dealer's first up card falls in between the player's first two dealt up cards according to the “rank order” 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A. In addition, if the player is initially dealt two up cards of the same rank and the dealer's dealt face up card is also of the same rank, a triple match is paid out. The blackjack bet and the optional in between side bet are separate and do not affect the play of the standard casino blackjack game.

1 . A method of playing a combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, the method comprising:
 a first step of providing at least on standard deck of playing cards;   a second step of players placing bets on the game of blackjack positioning the bets in a first location in front of each player and a number of the players placing optional bets on a simultaneous game of in between played using the same cards dealt in the game of blackjack positioning the bets in a second location in front of each of the number of players betting the optional game of in between;   a third step of a dealer dealing two up cards to each player and a down card and an up card to the dealer from the at least one deck of playing cards;   a fourth step of the dealer cashing out each of the number of players placing optional bets on the game of in between according to the following payout: each of the number of players placing bets in the optional game of in between lose if a face value of the first up card of the dealer is not in between face values of the first two up cards of the player and the first up card of the dealer does not match a pair of matching first two up cards of the player, so that the dealer takes in the bets from the losing hands in the optional in between bets; and each of the number of players placing bets in the optional game of in between has a winning in between hand if the face value of the first up card of the dealer is in between the face values of the first two up cards of the player and alternately if the first two up cards of the player are matching cards and the first up card of the dealer matches the pair of cards of the player for a triple match, so that the dealer pays out to the winning hands in the optional in between game according to a set of odds established for the in between optional side betting steps of the blackjack game, wherein the set of odds for payout of the in between optional game comprises thirty to one for a triple match, twelve to one for a one card spread, six to one for a two card spread, four to one for a three card spread, and one to one for all other spreads;   a fifth step of playing out the blackjack hand already dealt using the same two up cards for each player and the same two dealer cards from step two, playing out the blackjack hand according to conventional play for a standard casino blackjack game, thereby playing a combined standard casino blackjack game and an optional side betting game of in between using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the standard casino blackjack game.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one deck of playing cards comprises any of the numbers of decks of playing cards taken from the list of decks comprising one deck, two decks, four decks, six decks, and eight decks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the face value of the cards used in the optional in between game side bet is according to the rank order 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising the step of providing a gaming table for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player sits at the gaming table with other players and a dealer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising the step of providing a simulation device for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the simulation device to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the step of providing a mechanical device for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the mechanical device to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the step of providing an electronic device for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the electronic device to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  comprising the step of providing a handheld electronic device for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the handheld electronic device to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the step of providing an electronic device having a connection to a remote network for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the electronic device having a connection to a remote network to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the step of providing an electronic device having a wired connection to a remote network for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the electronic device having a wired connection to a remote network to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the step of providing an electronic device having a wireless connection to a remote network for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the electronic device having a wireless connection to a remote network to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the step of providing an electronic communication device having a connection to a remote network for playing the combined game of standard casino blackjack and an optional game of in between in a side bet using the same blackjack cards as dealt for the blackjack game and conventional play for the game of blackjack, wherein a player uses the electronic communication device having a connection to a remote network to play the game using the method of the present invention. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a player uses the electronic device having a connection to a remote network to play the game using the method of the present invention and the electronic device comprises a device taken from the list of electronic devices comprising a computer, a handheld device, a telephonic device, an entertainment device, a gaming device, and a television device.