Method For Playing A Card Game

Abstract

A method of playing a card game. The first step is to provide a deck of cards, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value. A player places an Ante. The dealer then deals an initial hand of two cards face down to the dealer and to the player. The player views the initial hand of two cards in order to decide whether to stay or fold. The player forfeits his ante if the player decides to fold. Next, the player places a bet if the player decides to stay. The player then reveals his cards. The next step is to determine if the point value of the player's initial two-card hand is fourteen or fifteen. If the player's initial two-card hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the player is provided with an option to either (i) double down on the player's bet and take only one additional card, or (ii) not double down on the player's bet and take two additional cards. Thereafter, the dealer deals either the single additional card or the two additional cards face up to the player, depending upon the player's decision. If the player's initial two-card hand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the player is required to take two additional cards. These additional two cards are dealt face up. The player's hand may never contain more than four cards. The dealer continues to deal cards to himself until the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than or equal to twenty one. The player loses if the point value of his hand exceeds twenty-five. The player wins if the player's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or if the point value of the player's hand is less than twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five. There are other scenarios in which the player can win and there are scenarios in which the dealer can win.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of playing a card game on top of a table layout having a dealer location with a card area associated therewith and at least one player location with a first betting area, a second betting area and a card area associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a deck of cards, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value;   placing an ante in the first betting area by at least one player;   dealing an initial hand of two cards face down to a dealer and to the player on top of the corresponding card areas;   viewing the initial hand of two cards by the player in order to decide whether to stay or fold, wherein the player forfeits his ante if the player decides to fold;   placing a bet on the second betting area by the player if the player decides to stay;   the player showing his or her cards;   determining if the point value of the player's initial two-card hand is fourteen or fifteen;   if the player's initial two-card hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then providing the player with an option to either (i) double down on the player's bet and take only one additional card, or (ii) not double down on the player's bet and take two additional cards;   thereafter, dealing either the single additional card or the two additional cards face up to the player, depending upon the player's decision;   if the player's initial two-card hand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then requiring the player to take two additional cards and dealing the two additional cards to the player face up;   the dealer continuing to deal cards to himself on top of the dealer card area until the point value of the dealer's hand is equal to twenty one or greater than 21;   determining the point value of the player's hand, wherein the player loses if the point value of the player's hand exceeds twenty-five;   declaring the player the winner if (i) the player's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or (ii) if the point value of the player's hand is less than twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five, or (iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-one and point value of the player's hand is greater than twenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the player's hand contains fewer cards then the dealer's hand, or (v) if the point value of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of the player's hand is closer to twenty-five; and   awarding winnings to the player if the player is declared the winner.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of declaring the dealer the winner if (i) the point value of both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer to twenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the player's hand has a point value that is less than or greater than twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of the player's hand is twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the dealer's hand contains fewer cards than the player's hand. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of declaring a tie or push if both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same point value and this point value is less than or equal to twenty-five, and both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same number of cards. 
     
     
         4 . A method of playing a card game on an electronic gaming machine comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic gaming machine comprising a display screen, activation panel, wager input device and a computer, wherein the computer is in electronic signal communication with the display screen, activation panel and wager input device, the computer comprising a processor programmed to execute steps of the card game and analyze the hands of cards to determine the point value of the hands of cards;   displaying a pre-shuffled deck of cards on the display screen, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value;   the player using the wager input device to place an initial ante;   displaying on the display screen a deal of an initial hand of two cards face down to the dealer and to the player to form a dealer's initial hand and a player's initial hand;   displaying on the display screen the player's initial hand of two cards so as to allow the player to decide whether to stay or fold;   the player using the activation panel to stay or fold, wherein the player forfeits his ante if the player decides to fold;   the player using the wager input device to place a bet if the player decides to stay;   using the computer to analyze the player's hand to determine if the point value of the player's hand is fourteen or fifteen;   if the player's initial two-card hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then providing the player with an option to either (i) double down on the player's bet and take only one additional card, or (ii) not double down on the player's bet and take two additional cards;   thereafter, displaying on the display screen a deal of either the single additional card face up or the two additional cards face up to the player, depending upon the player's decision;   if the player's initial two-card hand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then requiring the player to take two additional cards and displaying on the display screen a deal of the two additional cards face up to the player, wherein the player cannot have more than a total of four cards in his hand;   displaying, on the display screen, cards being continually dealt to the dealer until the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than or equal to twenty one;   using the computer to analyze the player's hand to determine the point value of the player's hand, wherein the player loses if the point value of his or her hand exceeds twenty-five;   declaring the player the winner if: (i) the player's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or (ii) if the point value of the player's hand is less than twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five, or (iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-one and the point value of the player's hand is greater than twenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the player's hand contains fewer cards than the dealer's hand, or (v) if the point value of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of the player's hand is closer to twenty-five; and   awarding winnings to the player if the player is declared the winner.   
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 4  further comprising the step of displaying on display screen the amount of the winnings awarded to the player if the player is declared to the winner. 
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 4  further comprising the step of declaring the dealer the winner if: (i) the point value of both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer to twenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the player's hand has a point value that is less than or greater than twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of the player's hand is twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the dealer's hand contains fewer cards than the player's hand. 
     
     
         7 . The method of playing a card game according to  claim 4  further comprising the step of declaring a tie or push if both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same point value and this point value is less than or equal to twenty-five, and both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same number of cards.