Casino-style game

Abstract

A casino-style game includes a deck of cards in which each card has a value, and the value or rank of a player's hand is determined by the cumulative value of each card in the hand. The deck also includes one or more power cards that differ from conventional cards in the deck at least insomuch that if two competing hands have the same value, but one hand includes the power card, the hand having the power card will be deemed the winning hand.

1 . A method of playing a card game, comprising:
 providing a collection of cards, each card having a value;   defining a banker playing position corresponding to a banker;   defining at least one player playing position, each player playing position corresponding to a player placing a wager;   dealing four cards to each banker and player at the respective banker and player playing position;   arranging the four cards at each of the banker and player playing positions into a front hand of two cards and a back hand of two cards, wherein during the step of arranging, cards of the banker are handled to remain unexposed to the at least one player playing position;   determining the value of each of the front and back hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand;   defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card; and   after arranging of the cards at the at least one player playing position is completed, moving the cards at the banker playing position so that the cards are exposed to the at least one player playing position;   comparing the value of each banker front and back hand to each respective player front and back hand;   determining whether each player front hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker front hand;   determining whether each player back hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker back hand;   for each player playing position, determining the banker playing position to be the winner if one of the banker front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the player front and back hands, and the other of the banker front and back hands beats or ties the other of the player front and back hands;   for each player playing position, determining the player playing position to be the winner if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands, and the other of the player front and back hands beats or ties the other of the banker front and back hands;   for each player playing position, determining a tie if the player front and back hands each tie with the respective banker front and back hands or if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands but the other of the player front and back hands loses to the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands;   wherein the winning hand is the hand having a ones value closest to nine;   wherein when two hands have the same ones value, but one of the hands includes a power card, the hand having the power card wins; and   the banker and player settling the wager placed by the player based on whether the player playing position or banker playing position is determined to be the winner.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power card has a value of zero. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power card has a value matching the value stated on the face of the card. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the collection of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards having at least some of the playing cards removed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the collection of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards having all ten, jack, queen and king cards removed, and having four Joker cards for each deck, and wherein the Joker cards are the power cards. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each front hand must have a value less than or equal to the corresponding back hand. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of defining at least one card as the power card is performed prior to dealing the cards. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the collection of cards comprises multiple suits, and defining each card in one of the suits as a power card. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the game comprises multiple cycles of wagering, dealing and determining winners, and wherein a different card or cards may be defined as the power card prior to dealing the cards in each cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the steps of dealing and arranging the cards are performed on a table. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of defining at least one card as the power card is performed prior to dealing the cards. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the game comprises multiple cycles of wagering, dealing and determining winners, and wherein a different card or cards may be defined as the power card prior to dealing the cards in each cycle. 
     
     
         13 . A method of playing a card game, comprising:
 providing a collection of cards, each card having a value;   defining a first and a second playing position;   dealing a plurality of cards to each of the first and second playing positions to create a first and a second hand corresponding to the first and second playing positions, respectively;   determining the value of each of the first and second hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand;   defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card;   comparing the first hand to the second hand;   determining that the first hand wins if the first hand value exceeds the second hand value;   determining that the second hand wins if the second hand value exceeds the first hand value;   determining a tie if the first and second hands have the same value and neither of the first and second hands comprises the power card; and   if the first and second hands have the same value but one of the first and second hands comprises the power card, determining that the hand comprising the power card wins.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  additionally comprising evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and disqualifying any hand that exceeds an upper value limit from further play. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  additionally comprising evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and modifying the value of each hand to take be the value of the ones digit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the value of the power card is zero. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the value of the power card is that value shown on its face. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of defining at least one card as the power card is performed prior to dealing the cards. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the game comprises multiple cycles of dealing and determining winners, and wherein a different card or cards may be defined as the power card prior to dealing the cards in each cycle.