Card game with auction function

Abstract

A method of playing a card game by a number of players competing for a jackpot contributed by the players includes performing an auction phase. The auction phase includes the steps of revealing a face value of an auction card; auctioning the auction card; and (i) eliminating the auction card when none of the players makes a bid for the auction card, (ii) awarding the auction card to a player who makes a sole bid and requiring the player to pay the amount of the sole bid into the jackpot, or (iii) awarding the auction card to a player who makes a winning bid among a plurality of bids and requiring the player to pay the amount of the winning bid to a player having a second-most preferred bid. The step of auctioning the auction card includes a bidding period that is timed.

1 . A method of playing a card game by a plurality of players competing for a jackpot contributed by the players, the method comprising the steps of:
 performing an auction phase, the auction phase comprising the steps of
 (a) revealing a face value of an auction card; 
 (b) auctioning the auction card; and 
 (c) (i) eliminating the auction card when none of the players makes a bid for the auction card,
 (ii) awarding the auction card to a player who makes a sole bid and requiring the player to pay the amount of the sole bid into the jackpot, or 
 (iii) awarding the auction card to a player who makes a winning bid among a plurality of bids and requiring the player to pay the amount of the winning bid to a player having a second-most preferred bid. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises a bidding period that is timed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 2 , wherein the bidding period comprises a range from 3 to 5 seconds. 
     
     
         4 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of choosing whether to eliminate the auction card from play by the player who has been awarded the auction card. 
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 4 , wherein when the player who has been awarded the auction card does not make a choice, the auction is eliminated from play. 
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) are performed for a plurality of auction cards. 
     
     
         7 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of auction cards comprise eight cards when the plurality of players is four or fewer players. 
     
     
         8 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of auction cards comprise ten cards when the plurality of players is six players. 
     
     
         9 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , wherein when in step (b) a first bid is made in a first bidding period, a second bidding period is permitted. 
     
     
         10 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the step (d) of limiting the liquidity a player can use during the auction phase, increasing that amount only by paying him the amount of the winning bid when he has made the second-most preferred bid in step (c)(iii). 
     
     
         11 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of substituting the auction card by the player who makes the winning bid for a card held by the player who makes the winning bid. 
     
     
         12 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 prior to step (a) performing a step of dealing a plurality of cards to each of the plurality of players;   after step (c) performing, in sequence, a first step of increasing declaring check, making a wager, raising a wager, or folding and performing a second step of awarding the jackpot.   
     
     
         13 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 12 , wherein the steps beginning with the step prior to step (a) and ending with the second step after step (c) comprise playing a hand. 
     
     
         14 . A method of playing a card game, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) dealing a plurality of cards to a plurality of players;   (b) anteing up into a jackpot by each of the plurality of players to make a first wager;   (c) auctioning a pre-determined number of auction cards in sequence;   (d) (i) eliminating a respective one of the auction cards when none of the players makes a bid for the auction card,
 (ii) awarding respective one of the auction cards to a player who makes a sole bid and requiring the player to pay the amount of the sole bid into the jackpot, or 
 (iii) awarding respective one of the auction cards to a player who makes a winning bid among a plurality of bids and requiring the player to pay the amount of the winning bid to a player having a second-most preferred bid. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 14 , wherein each player may increase their wager in a step subsequent to step (d). 
     
     
         16 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 15 , wherein each player increased wager is limited to the maximum funds of a player having the least funds but more than zero funds. 
     
     
         17 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 14 , wherein step (c) comprises a bidding period for each of the auction cards that is timed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 14 , further comprising a step of eliminating a player who has depleted his funds. 
     
     
         19 . A method of playing a card game, the card game comprising a plurality of players competing for a jackpot contributed by the players, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) auctioning a card to the players; and   (b) (i) eliminating a respective one of the auction cards when none of the players makes a bid for the auction card,
 (ii) awarding respective one of the auction cards to a player who makes a sole bid and requiring the player to pay the amount of the sole bid into the jackpot, or 
 (iii) awarding respective one of the auction cards to a player who makes a winning bid among a plurality of bids and requiring the player to pay the amount of the winning bid to a player having a second-most preferred bid. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of playing a card game of  claim 19 , wherein step (a) comprises a bidding period for each of the auction cards that is timed.