Methods of administering pai gow poker games with bonus side bets and related apparatuses and systems

Abstract

Methods of administering wagering games comprise accepting an ante wager from each player on a game of pai gow poker to be played against a dealer. Seven cards are dealt to each player and the dealer, with which each player and the dealer is permitted to form a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand. The ante wager, wherein resolving the ante wager comprises returning each ante wager to each player when the low hand held by the dealer is of a predetermined disqualifying rank.

1 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager from each player on a game of pai gow poker to be played against a dealer;   dealing seven cards to each player and the dealer, with which each player and the dealer is permitted to form a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand; and   resolving the ante wager, wherein resolving the ante wager comprises returning each ante wager to each player when the low hand held by the dealer is of a predetermined disqualifying rank.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein returning the ante wager when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank comprises returning the ante wager when the low hand held by the dealer is ranked nine high. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accepting a bonus side wager from at least one player and resolving the bonus side wager, wherein resolving the bonus side wager comprises paying a bonus payout to each player who made the bonus side wager when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein paying the bonus payout comprises paying a fixed odds bonus payout of 30:1. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accepting a fortune side wager from at least one player and resolving the fortune side wager. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein resolving the fortune side wager comprises returning each fortune side wager to each player who made the fortune side wager when the player hand is not a predetermined winning rank. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein resolving the fortune side wager comprises maintaining each fortune side wager in play when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising paying an envy payout to each player who made the fortune side wager in an amount that is greater than or equal to a threshold amount when a high hand held by a different player than the player who made the fortune side wager is ranked four-of-a-kind or higher. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accepting a progressive side wager from at least one player and resolving the progressive side wager, wherein resolving the progressive side wager comprises retaining the progressive side wager in a pot when the high hand held by each player who placed the progressive side wager is ranked below a predetermined progressive rank and paying a progressive payout from the pot to a player when a high hand held by the player is of the predetermined progressive rank or higher. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein resolving the progressive side wager comprises paying the progressive payout without regard to whether the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein paying the progressive payout comprises paying a fixed percentage of the pot when a best five out of seven-card hand held by a player is a premium hand. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising refraining from collecting a commission on winning hands from players. 
     
     
         13 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager from each player on a game of pai gow poker to be played against a dealer by permitting each player to place a chip within an ante wager position on a playing surface of a table;   dealing seven cards to each participating player position at the table and a dealer position, with which each player and the dealer is permitted to form a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand by arranging two cards within a low-hand area and five cards within a high-hand area on the table at each participating player position and the dealer position; and   resolving the ante wager, wherein resolving the ante wager comprises returning each ante wager to each player by removing the chip from each ante wager position and returning the chip to a respective player when the low hand held by the dealer is of a predetermined disqualifying rank.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein returning the ante wager when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank comprises returning the ante wager when the low hand held by the dealer is ranked nine high. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising accepting a bonus side wager from at least one player by permitting the at least one player to place a chip within a bonus wager position on the playing surface of the table and resolving the bonus side wager, wherein resolving the bonus side wager comprises paying a bonus payout to each player who made the bonus side wager by moving additional chips into the player position of each player who made the bonus side wager when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising accepting a fortune side wager from at least one player by permitting the at least one player to place a chip within a fortune side wager position on the playing surface of the table and resolving the fortune side wager. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein resolving the fortune side wager comprises maintaining each fortune side wager in play by leaving each chip within each fortune side wager position on the playing surface of the table when the low hand held by the dealer is of the predetermined disqualifying rank. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising paying an envy payout to each player who made the fortune side wager in an amount that is greater than or equal to a threshold amount by moving additional chips into the player position of each player who made the fortune side wager in the amount greater than or equal to the threshold amount when a high hand held by a different player than the player who made the fortune side wager is ranked four-of-a-kind or higher. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising refraining from collecting a commission on winning hands from players. 
     
     
         20 . A gaming table for administering a wagering game, comprising:
 a playing surface including at least one player interface for at least one player position, a dealer interface, and at least one processor, the at least one processor programmed to:
 accept an ante wager from each player on a game of pai gow poker to be played against a dealer; 
 process rank and suit information for cards dealt to each player and the dealer; 
 process rank information of a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand selected by each player and the dealer from the cards dealt to each player and the dealer; and 
 resolve the ante wager, wherein resolving the ante wager comprises authorizing return of each ante wager to each player when the low hand held by the dealer is ranked nine high. 
   
     
     
         21 . A method of administering a play-for-free wagering game over a network, comprising:
 sending from a user interaction server a quantity of valueless wagering elements usable within a predetermined time period to each player;   receiving at the user interaction server authorization from each player to allocate at least one valueless chip to an ante wager;   sending from the user interaction server rank and suit information for seven cards allocated to each player;   receiving at the user interaction server user instructions from each player to arrange their cards into their chosen high hand and low hand configurations;   applying at a game server a house way and arranging cards allocated to a dealer into a high hand and a low hand configuration;   evaluating at the game server the dealer's low hand and determining whether it is of a predetermined disqualifying rank:
 when the dealer's low hand is of the predetermined disqualifying rank, returning each ante wager to each player; and 
 when the dealer's low hand is not of the predetermined disqualifying rank, resolving the ante wager by comparing at the game server the high hand and the low hand of each player to the high hand and the low hand of the dealer; and 
   receiving authorization to redeem a valueless access token at the user interaction server from a player who has exhausted the quantity of valueless wagering elements or determining that the predetermined time period has lapsed for a player who has exhausted the quantity of valueless wagering elements and sending from the user interaction server another quantity of valueless wagering elements usable within another predetermined time period to the player.   
     
     
         22 . A computer implemented method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 receiving an instruction from a player interface indicating placement of an ante wager;   displaying a set of seven player cards and seven dealer cards on a player display;   receiving an instruction from the player interface to arrange the cards into a two-card hand and a seven-card hand or a request to arrange the cards a house way;   arranging the dealer cards according to a house way;   evaluating the dealer's two-card hand to determine if the hand is a disqualifying rank; and   when the dealer's two-card hand is a disqualifying rank, crediting the player account with the ante amount.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the disqualifying rank is a nine high. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising receiving a player instruction to place an optional side wager on the occurrence of a disqualifying dealer two-card hand. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising receiving a player instruction to place an optional side wager on the occurrence of a best five out of seven cards being a predetermined winning hand.