Entertainment method involving playing cards and point award system

Abstract

A game playing method is provided that may be played with a card deck and includes dealing a first row of five cards with cards thereafter dealt individually. With each fresh card, a player makes a decision as to which one of the five columns will receive the fresh card with the goal of building the best possible “poker hand” in each respective column. Card dealing continues with each laying off of a card onto a respective column being non-reversible, even if subsequent card deals may show that a card may have been more productively laid off into a different column. Eventually, each column comprises five cards and a last card is dealt with the player having the discretion to lay off this card into the respective column that could best benefit from the card in terms of its “poker hand.”

1 . A method of providing an entertainment diversion comprising:
 presenting on a display a start array of playing cards, each playing card having a face value and the start array having at least two playing cards;   presenting on the display a series of “laid off” rounds, each “laid off” round including the presentation of at least one playing card;   permitting a player to associate each playing card laid off in a “laid off” round with a respective one of the start array playing cards;   following the association by the player of each playing card laid off in a “laid off” round with a respective one of the start array playing cards, indicating the association of each laid off playing card with the respective start array playing card with which it has been associated;   presenting a last drawn playing card in a last draw round;   permitting a player to associate the last playing card with a respective start array playing card, each discrete group of a start array playing card and the respective playing cards that have been associated therewith forming a card hand, whereupon the number of card hands that are formed equals the number of start array playing cards;   following the association by the player of the last drawn playing card with a respective start array playing card, ascribing a card hand value to each card hand based upon a hierarchy system in which a selected combination of playing cards having one set of prescribed face values is ascribed a value different than another combination of playing cards having a different set of prescribed face values;   summing the card hand values to yield a preliminary count;   comparing the preliminary count to an on-target count, whereupon a given one of the following tally conditions will exist: (a) the preliminary count will be equal to the on-target count, (b) the preliminary count will be less than the on-target count, or (c) the preliminary count will be greater than the on-target count;   evaluating the preliminary count to arrive at a session score, the evaluating taking into account that one of the tally conditions is designated as a switchover tally condition and, in the event that the preliminary count results in a switchover tally condition, the evaluating including adjusting the preliminary count to yield a modified session score, with the adjusting including either increasing the preliminary count to a value greater than the summation of the card hand values or decreasing the preliminary count to a value less than the summation of the card hand values in accordance with a heuristic rule that is in effect with respect to the status of the tally condition being a switchover tally condition; and   indicating the session score or providing a message that varies as a function of the session score.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of ascribing a card hand value to each card hand based upon a hierarchy system includes applying a hierarchy system by which a traditional poker hand is evaluated. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the step of permitting a player to associate each playing card laid off in a “laid off” round with a respective one of the start array playing cards includes only permitting a player to associate each playing card laid off in a “laid off” round with a respective one of the start array playing cards in a non-reversible manner during the session. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the step of evaluating the preliminary count to arrive at a session score includes taking into account that two tally conditions are each designated as a switchover tally condition. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein each traditional poker hand is ascribed a point value and the step of comparing the preliminary count to an on-target count includes comparing the preliminary count to an on-target count that has a value greater than any individual point value of the possible poker hands that can be formed during the session. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the step of comparing the preliminary count to an on-target count includes comparing the preliminary count to an on-target count that has a value of twenty-six. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the step of evaluating the preliminary count to arrive at a session score includes, in the event that the preliminary count results in a switchover tally condition, adjusting the preliminary count to yield a modified session score, with the adjusting including increasing the preliminary count to a value greater than the summation of the card hand values in the event that the preliminary count is equal to the on-target count and increasing the preliminary count in the event that the preliminary count is greater than the on-target count to a value greater than the summation of the card hand values but less than the respective value by which the preliminary count would have been increased if the preliminary count had been equal to the on-target count. 
     
     
         8 - 14 . (canceled)