Methods of administering a wagering game based on comparison of straights

Abstract

Methods of administering wagering games include comparing a longest straight of a first set of cards with a longest straight of a second set of cards. A payout may be paid to a player associated with the first set of cards when the longest straight of the first set of cards is longer than the longest straight of the second set of cards or the longest straight of the first set of cards is of equal length to the longest straight of the second set of cards and a final card of the longest straight of the first set of cards is higher or equal in rank to a final card of the longest straight of the second set of cards. Systems, gaming tables, and electronic gaming machines to perform such methods are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of administering a wagering game on a playing surface of a gaming table, comprising:
 accepting an ante wager in a designated ante wager area of a player position on the playing surface of the gaming table from at least one participating player positioned at the player position;   dealing a set of physical player cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards to the at least one participating player at the player position on the playing surface of the gaming table;   dealing a set of physical dealer cards from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards face down to a dealer position on the playing surface of the gaming table;   allowing the at least one participating player to inspect his or her set of physical player cards;   accepting a play wager in a designated play wager area of the player position on the playing surface of the gaming table from the at least one participating player; and   resolving the ante wager and the play wager, comprising:
 comparing a longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player with a longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards; and 
 paying a payout on at least one of the ante and play wagers to the at least one participating player solely when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is longer than the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards or, when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is of equal length to the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards, paying a payout on at least one of the ante and play wagers to the at least one participating player when a highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is of a higher rank than a highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting a bonus wager in a designated bonus wager area of the player position on the playing surface of the gaming table from the at least one participating player at the player position prior to allowing the at least one participating player to inspect his or her set of physical player cards; and   paying a bonus payout to the at least one participating player when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is formed by a predetermined minimum number of cards.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein paying a bonus payout to the at least one participating player when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is formed by a predetermined minimum number of cards comprises paying the bonus payout to the at least one participating player when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards is formed by at least four cards. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein paying a bonus payout to the at least one participating player comprises paying a fixed odds payout according to the following bonus pay table: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Longest Straight 
                   Bonus Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   7 cards 
                   40 to 1 
                 
                     
                   6 cards 
                   15 to 1 
                 
                     
                   5 cards 
                    6 to 1 
                 
                     
                   4 cards 
                     3 to 2. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the longest straight of the set of physical player cards and the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards, wherein at least one of the longest straight of the set of physical player cards and the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards is a wrap-around straight including at least a king card, an ace card, and a 2 card. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 dealing a set of physical player cards to the at least one participating player at the player position on the playing surface of the gaming table comprises dealing seven physical player cards to the at least one participating player; and   dealing a set of physical dealer cards to a dealer position on the playing surface of the gaming table comprises dealing seven physical dealer cards to the dealer position.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein accepting a play wager comprises accepting a predetermined multiple of the ante wager. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting an insurance wager in a designated insurance wager area on the playing surface of the gaming table from the at least one participating player before allowing the at least one participating player to inspect his or her set of physical player cards; and   paying an insurance payout to the at least one participating player when the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player does not include at least a two-card straight.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein paying an insurance payout to the at least one participating player comprises paying a fixed odds payout of 25 to 1. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising retaining the ante wager and the play wager when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player is shorter than the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards or when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player is of equal length to the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards and the highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player is of lower rank than the highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dealer accepts a fold election and wherein the dealer does not accept a play wager, and wherein the dealer takes the ante wager when the fold election is received. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pushing the ante wager and the play wager when the longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player is of equal length to the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards and the highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical player cards of the at least one participating player is equal in rank to the highest ranking card of the longest straight of the set of physical dealer cards. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein paying a payout on the play wager comprises paying the fixed odds payout according to the following base pay table: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Margin of Victory 
                   Base Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 
                   200 to 1  
                 
                     
                   5 
                   25 to 1  
                 
                     
                   4 
                   8 to 1 
                 
                     
                   3 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   2 
                   2 to 1 
                 
                     
                   1 
                   1 to 1 
                 
                     
                   0, with tie breaker 
                    1 to 1. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . A method of administering a wagering game on a playing surface of a gaming table, comprising:
 dealing a first set of physical cards and a second set of physical cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards face down on the playing surface of the gaming table to respective first and second positions of the playing surface of the gaming table;   accepting an ante wager in a designated ante wager area on the playing surface of the gaming table from a player associated with the first set of physical cards;   allowing the player to inspect the first set of physical cards;   allowing the player to fold or place a play wager;   accepting a play wager in a designated play wager area on the playing surface of the gaming table from the player;   comparing a longest straight of the first set of physical cards with a longest straight of the second set of physical cards; and   resolving the ante wager and the play wager, comprising paying a payout to the player when the longest straight of the first set of physical cards is longer than the longest straight of the second set of physical cards or when the longest straight of the first set of physical cards is of equal length to the second set of physical cards and the final card of the longest straight of the first set of physical cards is higher in rank to the final card of the longest straight of the second set of physical cards.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein paying a payout comprises paying the fixed odds payout according to the following base pay table: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Margin of Victory 
                   Base Payout 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   6 
                   200 to 1  
                 
                     
                   5 
                   25 to 1  
                 
                     
                   4 
                   8 to 1 
                 
                     
                   3 
                   3 to 1 
                 
                     
                   2 
                   2 to 1 
                 
                     
                   1 
                   1 to 1 
                 
                     
                   0, with tie breaker 
                    1 to 1. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein dealing a second set of physical cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards on the playing surface of the gaming table to a second position comprises dealing the second set of physical cards from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards to a dealer position on the playing surface of the gaming table. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein dealing a first set of physical cards and a second set of physical cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards comprises dealing a first number of cards from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards to form the first set of physical cards and dealing a second number of cards from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards to form the second set of physical cards, the second number of cards being greater than the first number of cards. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein dealing a second set of physical cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards comprises dealing one more card to the second position from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards than the first number of cards dealt from the at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards to the first position to form the first set of physical cards. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising accepting a bonus wager in a designated bonus wager area on the playing surface of the gaming table from the player prior to allowing the player to inspect the first set of physical cards, the bonus wager qualifying the player for a bonus payout when the first set of physical cards includes a longest straight of a minimum number of cards. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising accepting an insurance wager in a designated insurance wager area on the playing surface of the gaming table from the player prior to allowing the player to inspect the first set of physical cards, the insurance wager qualifying the player for an insurance payout when the first set of physical cards does not include at least a two-card straight. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein dealing a first set of physical cards and a second set of physical cards from at least one deck of 52 physical playing cards face down on the playing surface of the gaming table to respective first and second positions comprises dealing a first set of physical playing cards from a 52 card deck of physical playing cards to a first position of the playing surface of the gaming table and dealing a second set of physical playing cards from the 52 card deck of physical playing cards to a second position of the playing surface of the gaming table. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising pushing the ante wager and the play wager when the longest straight of the first set of physical cards is of equal length to the longest straight of the second set of physical cards and the final card of the longest straight of the first set of physical cards is equal in rank to the final card of the longest straight of the second set of physical cards.