Casino card game with bonus based on positioning

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application and claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 09/912,728/, filed Jul. 24, 2001, entitled Method of Playing A Casino Card Game With Bonus Based On Positions, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,210, Issued Oct. 29, 2002, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to a game of chance that can be played in a casino, and more particularly, to modified versions of blackjack and poker.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Blackjack and poker are very popular card games. While blackjack has become extremely popular in casinos, for one reason or another, it has been difficult to adapt the rules of poker to a casino table game in which each player plays against the house. Electronic blackjack and poker machines exist; in the poker versions, players win on achieving certain predetermined hands.

[0006] Casinos have become extremely popular and are becoming more numerous in number. Thus, casinos compete for patrons. Accordingly, casinos attempt to lure patrons with more entertaining games and the potential for winning larger amounts of money in the form of bonuses and jackpots. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to modify blackjack and poker in order to provide the opportunity to win such bonuses and jackpots.

[0007] The present invention provides a method of playing a card game that includes providing one or more decks of playing cards, assigning a position value to positions at a playing area wherein each position value is unique at each position, dealing a predetermined number of cards to at least one player at at least one pre-selected position, and determining if a player is entitled to a payment and/or value based upon at least one dealt card in either the player's hand or a house hand matching at least one assigned position value.

[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, each position value is based upon a sequential position at the playing area.

[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, each position is assigned first and second position values based upon the sequential position, and a player wins a maximum payment and/or value if the player is dealt a first pair of cards and each card matches the first position value, and if the player is dealt a second pair of cards and each card matches the second position value.

[0010] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the card game is blackjack-style game and a first pair of cards corresponds to a first hand and a second pair of cards corresponds to a second hand.

[0011] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a first position has a first position value of ace and a second position value of 2, a second position has a first position value of 3 and a second position value of 4, a third position has a first position value of 5 and a second position value of 6, a fourth position has a first position value of 7 and a second position value of 8, a fifth position has a first position value of 9 and a second position value of 10, and a sixth position has a first position value of one of jack, queen, or king, and a second position value of jack, queen or king.

[0012] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, the game is a poker-style game.

[0013] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a player wins a maximum payment and/or value if the player is dealt a first hand and up to four of the cards matches the player's corresponding first position value, and the player is dealt a second hand and up to four of the cards of the second hand match the player's corresponding second position value.

[0014] In accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention, payments and/or values are determined based upon the cards dealt to the house and payments and/or values are determined based upon cards dealt to players matching the bonus cards.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be understood upon reading and understanding the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments found herein below in conjunction with reference to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a layout for a card game in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of a casino card game in accordance with the present invention; and

[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another layout for a card game in accordance with the present invention;

[0019] The present invention provides a casino card game wherein players may earn payments and/or values based upon their cards matching certain values. The game is ideally suited for blackjack and poker and the numerous variations thereof.

[0020] In a first embodiment of the present invention, the values of cards that a player needs to match are determined based upon the positions around the playing table. Thus, with reference to FIG. 1, a playing table that has, for example, six positions, is assigned position values. Preferably, the position values are sequential such that position 10 is assigned a position value of 1 (ace) and a second position value of 2. Likewise, position 11 is assigned position values of 3 and 4, position 12 is assigned position values of 5 and 6, position 13 is assigned values of 7 and 8, and position 14 is assigned position values of 9 and 10. Position 15 is assigned position values of two of jack, queen, and king.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will understand that only one position value needs to be assigned to each position if it is desired. The game may thus be altered to include more (or less) playing positions and more (or less) playing cards. For example, the game may be a blackjack style game wherein multiple deck shoes are used to provide playing cards to the players. It may be a poker-style game where players receive two or more cards. Most common poker games require five or seven cards.

[0022] In the embodiment described above, players will play two hands, simultaneously, at each playing position. The dealer may play a first hand and a second hand to compete with the player's first and second hands, or the dealer may have one hand that competes against both of the player's hands.

[0023] Preferably, in order to qualify for a payment and/or value based upon the position value, a side bet or ante needs to be placed in addition to the player's wager for each hand. The dealer then deals the cards, preferably one at a time to each hand sequentially (or alternatively, two at a time to each hand). The dealer then determines if a player's cards match their position values. If so, payments and/or values are provided to the players. The payments and/or values may be predetermined or may consist of progressive jackpots, especially for the top prize. Additionally, the payments and/or values may be, for example, merchandise, complimentary meals, rooms, etc.

[0024] Such a top prize preferably involves a player who has placed side bets for both hands and who has received two cards to match his first position value and two cards that match the second position value.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will understand that various combinations may be used to provide payments and/or values, or jackpots to players. For example, a player may qualify for a payment and/or value if two cards match one corresponding position value and one or more cards match the second corresponding position value. The player may also qualify for a payment and/or value if one or more cards in their first hand match their corresponding first position value and one or more cards in a second hand match their second corresponding position value. Likewise, a payment and/or value may be provided if a player has one or more cards that match one corresponding position value. Obviously, the lower combinations will occur more frequently and thus, the player will preferably qualify for smaller payments and/or values.

[0026] Preferably, the player must receive the corresponding cards for the corresponding position values in the appropriate hand, i.e., the player's first hand must contain the card(s) having the first position value. However, casinos may decide to not limit the providing of payments and/or values in such a manner if they so desire.

[0027] After the payments and/or values have been determined, play preferably occurs in a manner consistent with blackjack rules (depending on the version or the house rules) or the poker rules if it is so desired. If it is poker, the remaining cards to complete a player's initial hand(s) need to be dealt if the payment and/or value is based upon fewer cards than needed for the player's hand(s).

[0028] Alternatively, payments and/or values may be provided based upon cards present in the completed hand(s). For example, in blackjack a player may need a pair of threes for a payment and/or value. The player may be dealt a ten and a three. If the player takes another card and it is a three, he may still win a payment and/or value if the casino operating the game desires.

[0029] The game may also be played on an electronic game, including a gaming machine. In such an instance, there may not be a dealer but there is generally a house hand(s) that a player attempts to defeat or a hand value that a player attempts to achieve. The dealer may play with the player or against the player.

[0030] In another embodiment, bonus values are assigned based upon the dealer (or house) cards received as opposed to playing positions as shown in FIG. 2. For example, in blackjack, a dealer is dealt two cards, one of which is an up card and thus revealed to the player. This up-card, in the alternative embodiment, is used to determine the bonus value. In a preferred embodiment, the dealer is dealt two hands and thus receives two up-cards in blackjack games. Once again, players preferably play two hands and thus, win payments and/or values based upon their initial two cards matching the corresponding dealer's up-card. Alternatively, the dealer may only have one hand that is played against the player's hand(s) and thus, payments and/or values are determined on the single up-card. The dealer may also receive both cards of his hand(s) as up-cards if desired or any combination thereof if more than one hand is played. Additionally, dealer down-cards may be used to determine, either alone or in combination with up-cards, to determine bonus values.

[0031] In a poker style game, those skilled in the art will understand in that up to four cards may be required to match the position value (or the bonus value set by the dealer's cards) in order to win a payment and/or value. Thus, in instances where players play two hands simultaneously, a person sitting at, for example, the first position (thus having position values of ace and two, respectively) may win a maximum payment and/or value if the players first hand has four aces and the person's second hand has four two's. Once again the payment and/or value may be a progressive jackpot or a fixed amount, depending upon the house rules.

[0032] Cards may be dealt in any combination from one at a time up to an entire hand at once. Automatic shufflers may be used. Also, preferably one or more standard 52 card decks are used. However, other decks may be used if desired. For example, jokers and/or wild cards may be included in the deck(s) of cards.

[0033] Various combinations of cards may be used to determine a payment and/or value amount. For example, if the person once again is sitting at the first position, they may win a payment and/or value with two aces in the first hand and three twos in the second.

[0034] Once again, the dealer may also play two hands simultaneously or may have one hand that plays against both hands of each player. Also, the game may be played on an electronic gaming machine (such as video poker) where players, in addition to trying to earn payments and/orvalues, try to attain certain predetermined hands. There also need not be a dealer or house hand, i.e., a card room-style arrangement.

[0035] Hands may also be made up where the dealer's cards are counted in the player's hands, i.e., a player has three fours and the dealer has a pair of sixes. The player is deemed to have a full house. Also, the poker-style game may be stud or draw.

[0036] As with the description above, instead of position values, the poker game may be played where bonus values are determined based upon cards dealt to the dealer. Thus, such a game preferably uses multiple decks since if the dealer were dealt four fours, and a single deck were used, then the player would have no chance of attaining any fours to match the dealer.

[0037] In video versions of a game in accordance with the present invention, if position values are used to determine requirements for a payment and/or value, the player would generally pick the position or positions they wish to play. Also, as noted above, the position values are not required to be sequentially determined. Additionally, the matching cards used to determine the qualification for a payment and/or value may be required to be in the first hand and the second hand, may be in either hand, or may even be allowed to be combined by the two hands.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a table layout for playing card games in accordance with the present invention. There are two spaces 20, 21 for dealer hands and two spaces 22, 23 for each player's hands. Spaces 24 are for placing money for bets and side bets. Additionally, spaces 22, 23 could be used for placing money for bets and side bets, with cards for the hands being placed below them.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will understand that games using any number of cards in a hand may be played that use the present invention of awarding payments and/or values based upon matching cards. Additionally, players may receive payments and/or values if it is not their hand but someone else's whose cards match the appropriate bonus values. This may promote camaraderie among players at a table.

[0040] Having described specific exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.