Method of playing a modified poker based wagering game with side wager

Abstract

Some embodiments are directed to a method of playing a wagering game including, among other things, the steps of: providing a community group of playing cards of unknown value and conducting one or more game events so long as there is at least one playing card of unknown value remaining among the community group of playing cards, wherein each game event comprises revealing the value of at least one playing card in the community group to the participating player and receiving a game event wager from the participating player thereafter.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of playing a wagering game at a gaming table comprising the steps of:
 providing a set of physical playing cards;   receiving an ante wager from a participating player;   delivering a partial hand of playing cards from the set of physical playing cards to the participating player;   providing a community group of playing cards of unknown value from the set of physical playing cards;   conducting one or more game events so long as there is at least one playing card of unknown value remaining among the community group of playing cards, including a first game event and a second game event, the first game event comprising revealing the value of at least one playing card in the community group to the participating player and receiving a mandatory game event wager from the participating player thereafter, wherein the ante wager is forfeited if the mandatory game event wager is not received, and the second game event comprising revealing the value of at least one other playing card in the community group to the participating player and receiving an optional game event wager, wherein the ante wager is not forfeited if the optional wager is not received;   revealing the value of the at least one remaining unknown playing card among the community group;   determining a final hand rank for the participating player, wherein the final hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the community group of playing cards;   comparing the final hand rank with a preset criteria, wherein the preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on final hand ranks; and   settling the one or more wagers received from the participating player by paying a game award payout to the player if one of the preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the game award payout is at least partially based on the total amount wagered, and wherein the total amount wagered is the ante wager plus the sum of all the game event wagers received during the one or more game events.   
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein a preset amount of game events are conducted. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein each game event comprises revealing the value of a random amount of playing cards in the community group to the participating player and receiving a wager from the participating player thereafter. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the combined amount of cards revealed during the game events, cards in the partial hand and cards remaining unknown is at least one card greater than necessary to determine the rank of the final hand. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the amount of cards revealed during the game events and the amount of cards in the partial hand are at least one card less than necessary to determine the rank of the final hand. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the ante wager and at least one game event wager are mandatory wagers. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the preset criteria and corresponding game awards comprise a paytable listing achievable hand ranks and corresponding numerical multiplier of the total amount wagered. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the ranking is based on five card poker ranks. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 21 , further comprising a secondary game including the steps of:
 receiving a secondary game wager prior to delivering the partial game hand to the participating player;   determining a partial hand rank for the participating player, wherein the partial hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand;   comparing the partial hand rank with a secondary game preset criteria, wherein the secondary game preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on partial hand ranks; and   paying a secondary game award payout to the participating player if one of the secondary game preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the secondary game award payout is at least partially based on the secondary game wager amount.   
     
     
         30 . A method of playing a wagering game at a gaming table comprising the steps of:
 providing a set of randomly-ordered physical playing cards;   receiving an ante wager in physical form from a participating player;   distributing a partial hand of playing cards to the participating player from the set of physical playing cards;   distributing a community group of playing cards from the set of physical playing cards so that each value of the community group of playing cards remain unknown;   conducting one or more game events at the gaming table until there are at least four cards of known value to the participating player including the player's partial hand, including a first game event and a second game event, the first game event comprising revealing the value of at least one playing card in the community group to the participating player and receiving a mandatory game event wager from the participating player thereafter, wherein the ante wager is forfeited if the mandatory game event wager is not received, and the second game event comprising revealing the value of at least one other playing card in the community group to the participating player and receiving an optional game event wager, wherein the ante wager is not forfeited if the optional wager is not received;   revealing the value of the remaining unknown playing cards among the community group;   determining a final hand rank for the participating player, wherein the final hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the community group of playing cards;   comparing the final hand rank with a preset criteria, wherein the preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on final hand ranks; and   settling the one or more wagers received from the participating player by paying a game award payout to the player if one of the preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the game award payout is at least partially based on the total amount wagered, and wherein the total amount wagered is the ante wager plus the sum of all the game event wagers received during the one or more game events.   
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the partial hand comprises two cards. 
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the community group of cards comprises four cards. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 30 , further comprising the steps of: receiving a secondary game wager prior to delivering the partial game hand to the participating player;
 determining a partial hand rank for the participating player, wherein the partial hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand;   comparing the partial hand rank with a secondary game preset criteria, wherein the secondary game preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on partial hand ranks; and   paying a secondary game award payout to the participating player if one of the secondary game preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the secondary game award payout is at least partially based on the secondary game wager amount.   
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the ante wager and at least one game event wager are mandatory wagers. 
     
     
         35 . A method of playing a wagering game at a gaming table comprising the steps of:
 providing one or more decks of randomly-ordered physical playing cards;   receiving an ante wager from a participating player at the gaming table;   distributing a partial hand of playing cards to the participating player from the set of physical playing cards;   providing a community group of face down playing cards from the set of physical playing cards;   conducting one or more game events at the gaming table until there are at least four cards of known value to the participating player including the player's partial hand, including a first game event and a second game event, the first game event comprising revealing the value of at least one playing card in the community group to the participating player by physically turning the card over and receiving a mandatory game event wager from the participating player thereafter, wherein the ante wager is forfeited if the mandatory game event wager is not received, and the second game event comprising revealing the value of at least one other playing card in the community group to the participating player by physically turning the card over and receiving an optional game event wager, wherein the ante wager is not forfeited if the optional wager is not received;   revealing the value of the remaining unknown playing cards among the community group by physically turning the remaining unknown playing cards over;   determining a final hand rank for the participating player, wherein the final hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand and the community group of playing cards;   comparing the final hand rank with a preset criteria, wherein the preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on final hand ranks; and   settling the one or more wagers received from the participating player by paying a game award payout in physical form to the player if one of the preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the game award payout is at least partially based on the total amount wagered, and wherein the total amount wagered is the ante wager plus the sum of all the game event wagers received during the one or more game events.   
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the partial hand comprises two cards. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the community group of cards comprises four cards. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 35 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a secondary game wager prior to delivering the partial game hand to the participating player;   determining a partial hand rank for the participating player, wherein the partial hand rank is based on the cards in the participating player's partial hand;   comparing the partial hand rank with a secondary game preset criteria, wherein the secondary game preset criteria sets forth guidelines for award payouts based on partial hand ranks; and   paying a secondary game award payout to the participating player if one of the secondary game preset criteria are satisfied, wherein the secondary game award payout is at least partially based on the secondary game wager amount.   
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the ante wager and at least one game event wager are mandatory wagers.