Multi-combination card game and gaming apparatus

Abstract

Various embodiments for a game of chance are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a card game is played in which the object of the game is for each player to arrange, for example, six cards (dealt to them from a standard deck of playing cards) into three two-card combinations, with each combination having a predetermined target value of, for example, 7, 14, or 21, such that the values of the cards in each combination come as close to, but do not exceed, the target value for each respective combination.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A wagering card game comprising:
 a standard deck of playing cards, with said cards having numeric values based upon indicated numbers thereon, face cards being valued at ten, and aces being valued at one or eleven;   six cards being dealt to a player as a player hand;   six other cards being dealt to a dealer as a dealer hand;   said player arranging said player hand in three player two-card combinations, in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below target values of seven, fourteen and twenty-one, if possible, in respective combinations;   said dealer arranging said dealer hand in three dealer two-card combinations in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below target values of seven, fourteen and twenty-one, if possible, in respective combinations;   said dealer further being restricted to first attempting to make a first combination with a target value of twenty-one using the two highest value cards in the dealer hand; second attempting to make a second combination with a target value of fourteen without exceeding fourteen if possible, and lastly using the remaining two cards in the dealer hand to make a third combination with a target value of seven;   evaluating said player and dealer combinations, with any player combination exceeding its respective target value constituting a bust (loss); any player combination which does not exceed its respective target value and which exceeds the dealer's combination constituting a win; and any player combination which is the same as said dealer's combination and which does not exceed its respective target value constituting a push (tie);   and further including a player wager on the outcome of each combination for a target value, and determining a payout, if any, based upon the outcomes of said combinations according to a predetermined payout methodology.   
     
     
         2 . The card game of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer is further restricted to using a combination of cards which does not include an ace when attempting to make the second combination, if the dealer is presented with more than one possibility for making a highest-valued second combination which does not exceed fourteen. 
     
     
         3 . The card game of  claim 1 , wherein there is an initial at least minimum wager placed by a player on each of the two-card combinations prior to said player seeing said player hand. 
     
     
         4 . The card game of  claim 3 , wherein said initial wager may be equal between respective two-card combinations. 
     
     
         5 . The card game of  claim 1 , wherein a player is provided with a second wager option, which second wager may be placed after said player has arranged said player hand. 
     
     
         6 . A method of playing a card game, comprising the steps of:
 providing a deck of playing cards, said cards in said deck having indicia of various numeric values;   shuffling said deck, and dealing a predetermined number of cards to at least one player as a player hand, and dealing a predetermined number of cards to a dealer as a dealer hand;   each said player placing a wager;   each said player arranging a respective player hand in a predetermined number of two-card combinations, said number of combinations being at least two, in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below predetermined target values for each respective two-card combination, if possible;   wherein said predetermined two-card combination target values are different;   said dealer arranging said dealer hand in the same predetermined number of two-card combinations in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below the same predetermined target values for each respective two-card combination, if possible;   evaluating said player and dealer combinations, with any player combination exceeding its respective target value constituting a bust (loss); any player combination which does not exceed its respective target value and which exceeds the dealer's combination constituting a win; and any player combination which is the same as said dealer's combination and which does not exceed its respective target value constituting a non-win; and   determining a payout, if any, based upon the outcomes of said evaluation of combinations according to a predetermined payout methodology.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said dealer is restricted to first attempting to make a first target value from said dealer hand without exceeding that first target value; and then second attempting to make another and different target value from said dealer hand, if possible, and if there are three respective target values, lastly thirdly attempting to make said third target value from said dealer hand, if possible. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said non-win is a loss or a push. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said player and dealer hands each have cards in a number to exactly equal the number of cards required for said two-card combinations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a standard deck of playing cards is used, with said cards having numeric values based upon indicated numbers thereon, face cards being valued at ten, and aces being valued at one or eleven;
 six cards being dealt to a player as a player hand;   six other cards being dealt to a dealer as a dealer hand;   said player arranging said player hand in three two-card combinations, in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below three different target values selected in the range of two and twenty-one, if possible, in respective combinations comprising first, second and third target values;   said dealer arranging said dealer hand in three two-card combinations in sums with the objective of equaling or coming below said three different target values, if possible, in respective combinations.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said target values are seven, fourteen and twenty-one. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said dealer is further restricted to using a combination of cards which does not include an ace when arranging a 14-combination comprising said two-card combination with the objective of equaling or coming below said target value of fourteen, if the dealer is presented with more than one possibility for arranging a highest-valued 14-combination. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein there is an initial at least minimum wager placed by a player on each of the two-card combinations prior to said player seeing said player hand. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said initial wager may be equal between respective two-card combinations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a player is provided with a second wager option, which second wager may be placed after said player has arranged said player hand. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said predetermined number of cards is the same for the dealer and each said player. 
     
     
         17 . The card game of  claim 1 , wherein said payout is determined using a game paytable which provides a greater payout for a player who has two wins as an outcome, and an even greater payout for a player who has three wins as an outcome. 
     
     
         18 . The card game of  claim 17 , wherein said game paytable provides a player a further increased payout in the event said player achieves combinations of exactly each said target value. 
     
     
         19 . The card game of  claim 17 , wherein said game includes a bonus wager option available to a player, with a bonus payout being determined according to a bonus paytable. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising awarding a payout if a bonus condition exists, wherein the bonus condition is selected from the group of bonus conditions consisting of winning any two combinations, winning all three combinations, winning a perfect hand, winning a fully-suited hand, winning a same-color perfect hand, and winning a same-suit perfect hand. 
     
     
         21 . A method of playing a wagering game comprising:
 a first player from among a plurality of players placing one or more wagers on one or more combinations from among a plurality of combinations, wherein each combination from among the plurality of combinations comprises a target value;   the first player receiving a plurality of cards from a standard deck of cards, wherein each card comprises an indicium corresponding to a numerical value, wherein each combination from among the plurality of combinations comprises a respective sum of the numerical values of the indicia of the cards of the respective combination, wherein the numerical value of an ace is one or eleven;   the first player forming three combinations of two cards from among the plurality of cards, wherein a first combination from among the three combinations comprises a target value of twenty-one, wherein a second combination from among the three combinations comprises a target value of fourteen, wherein a third combination from among the three combinations comprises a target value of seven, wherein each combination from among the three combinations comprises an outcome indication selected from the group of indications consisting of a win indication, a push indication, and a loss indication;   the first player receiving a win indication for any combination from among the player's three combinations having a sum that does not exceed its respective target value and which exceeds the sum of the dealer's combination having the same target value from among the dealer's three combinations;   the first player receiving a push indication for any combination among the player's three combinations having a sum that does not exceed its respective target value and which is equal to the sum of the dealer's combination having the same target value from among the dealer's three combinations;   the first player receiving a loss indication for any combination among the player's three combinations having a sum that exceeds its respective target value; and   awarding a payout, if any, based on the outcome indication of each combination from among the player's three combinations.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first player places one or more wagers before the first player receives the plurality of cards. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the first player placing one or more bonus wagers before the first player receives the plurality of cards.