Methods of Administering Three-Hand Pai Gow Poker

Abstract

Methods of administering a wagering game may involve accepting an ante wager from a player. Seven cards may be dealt to the player and a dealer. The player's card arrangement into a four-card high hand, a two-card medium hand, and a one-card low hand may be accepted or the cards may be arranged by the dealer into such player hands. The dealer cards may be arranged into a four-card high hand, a two-card medium hand, and a one-card low hand. The ante wager may be resolved by comparing each player hand to each corresponding dealer hand. A payout on the ante wager may be paid to the player when at least two of the player hands outrank a corresponding number of the dealer hands. The ante wager may be collected when at least two of the player hands are outranked by a corresponding number of the dealer hands.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager from a player by receiving a physical, monetarily valuable wagering element in a designated area on a playing surface of a gaming table;   dealing seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and a dealer;   accepting the player's arrangement of the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand or arranging the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand;   arranging the cards dealt to the dealer into a four-card high dealer hand, a two-card medium dealer hand, and a one-card low dealer hand;   resolving the ante wager by comparing the high player hand to the high dealer hand, the medium player hand to the medium dealer hand, and the low player hand to the low dealer hand;   paying a payout on the ante wager to the player when at least two of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand outrank a corresponding number of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively, by transferring at least one additional physical, monetarily valuable wagering element to the player; and   collecting the ante wager when at least two of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand are outranked by a corresponding number of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively, by retrieving each wagering element associated with the ante wager of the player from the designated area.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein resolving the ante wager comprises adjudicating a dealer hand as outranking a corresponding player hand when a rank of the dealer hand is equal to a rank of the player hand. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting the amount of the ante wager when one of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand is outranked by a corresponding one of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively, and another of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand is of equal rank to a corresponding other of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards lacking wild cards. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one wild card. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one wild card comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one joker, each joker being designated as a wild card. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one semi-wild card, each semi-wild card being usable as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one semi-wild card comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one joker, each joker being designated as a semi-wild card. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting the player's arrangement of the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand when the high player hand outranks the medium player hand and the medium player hand outranks the low player hand or arranging the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand such that the high player hand outranks the medium player hand and the medium player hand outranks the low player hand; and   arranging the cards dealt to the dealer into a four-card high dealer hand, a two-card medium dealer hand, and a one-card low dealer hand such that the high dealer hand outranks the medium dealer hand and the medium dealer hand outranks the low dealer hand.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising retaining a commission from the payout on the ante wager. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein paying the payout on the ante wager to the player comprises paying a 1:1 payout on the ante wager to the player. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting an optional bonus wager from the player by receiving another physical, monetarily valuable wagering element in another designated area on the playing surface of the gaming table;   resolving the bonus wager by comparing a best hand formable from the player's seven cards to a set of predetermined winning hands;   paying a payout on the bonus wager to the player when the best hand formable from the player's seven cards is one of the set of predetermined winning hands by transferring at least another additional physical, monetarily valuable wagering element to the player; and   collecting the bonus wager when the best hand formable from the player's seven cards is not one of the set of predetermined winning hands by retrieving each wagering element associated with the bonus wager of the player from the other designated area.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein resolving the bonus wager by comparing the best hand formable from the player's seven cards to the set of predetermined winning hands comprises comparing the best five- or seven-card poker hand formable from the player's seven cards to a set of predetermined winning poker hands. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein paying the payout on the bonus wager to the player when the best hand formable from the player's seven cards is one of the set of predetermined winning hands comprises paying a fixed odds payout on the bonus wager to the player, a multiplier for the fixed odds payout increasing as a rank of the best hand formable from the player's seven cards increases. 
     
     
         15 . A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager from a player by receiving a physical, monetarily valuable wagering element in a designated area on a playing surface of a gaming table;   dealing seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and a dealer;   accepting the player's arrangement of the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand or arranging the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand;   arranging the cards dealt to the dealer into a four-card high dealer hand, a two-card medium dealer hand, and a one-card low dealer hand;   resolving the ante wager by comparing the high player hand to the high dealer hand, the medium player hand to the medium dealer hand, and the low player hand to the low dealer hand, wherein a dealer hand is adjudicated as outranking a corresponding player hand when a rank of the dealer hand is equal to a rank of the player hand;   paying a payout on the ante wager to the player when at least two of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand outrank a corresponding number of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively, by transferring at least one additional physical, monetarily valuable wagering element to the player; and   collecting the ante wager when at least two of the high player hand, medium player hand, and low player hand are outranked by a corresponding number of the high dealer hand, medium dealer hand, and low dealer hand, respectively, by retrieving each wagering element associated with the ante wager of the player from the designated area.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards lacking wild cards. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one wild card. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein dealing the seven cards from the set of randomized, physical cards comprising the at least one deck of at least 52 standard playing cards to each of the player and the dealer comprises dealing the seven cards from a set of randomized, physical cards comprising at least one semi-wild card, each semi-wild card being usable as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 accepting the player's arrangement of the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand when the high player hand outranks the medium player hand and the medium player hand outranks the low player hand or arranging the cards dealt to the player into a four-card high player hand, a two-card medium player hand, and a one-card low player hand such that the high player hand outranks the medium player hand and the medium player hand outranks the low player hand; and   arranging the cards dealt to the dealer into a four-card high dealer hand, a two-card medium dealer hand, and a one-card low dealer hand such that the high dealer hand outranks the medium dealer hand and the medium dealer hand outranks the low dealer hand.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising retaining a commission from the payout on the ante wager.