US20020024178A1

US20020024178A1 - Card Game

Info

Publication number: US20020024178A1
Application number: US09/823,568
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry Lo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-30
Filing date: 2001-03-29
Publication date: 2002-02-28

Abstract

The invention is a six-card-stud poker game, played with at least one but preferably one standard poker deck of 52 cards, plus at least one but preferably four Jokers. Two or more but preferably seven players may participate in the game; one of the players is the Banker whom other players play against; a Player who is not a Banker may play Poker Bet playing against the Banker's hand, and/or one to eight side bets betting on the contents of the Player's own hand. After at least one wager is placed, each Player and the Banker are each dealt six cards; the Players and the Banker each then selects and keeps his best 5-card poker hand from his own six cards and discards one card. To win a Poker Bet wager, a Player's best 5-card poker hand must rank higher than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand. To wins a side-bet wager, a Player's best 5-card poker hand must be one of the predetermined winning hands of the type of the side bet he bets on. The Poker Bet wager and eight side-bet wagers are independent wagers and are settled separately.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from the part 9 “6 Card Thrill” of the following U.S. provisional patent applications: Ser. No. 60/193,309 filed Mar. 30, 2000, which is incorporated by the reference.[0001]

A Portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. I, Henry Lo, the copyright owner, have no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the PTO patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to card games and, in particular, to card games for use in casinos and cardrooms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is offered under the trademark “6 Card Thrill.” The invention is a six-card-stub poker game, played with one or more but preferably one standard poker decks of 52 cards, plus one or more but preferably four Jokers. Each Joker can be used as an Ace or to form a Straight or Flush. Two or more but preferably seven players may participate in the game. One of the players is the Banker whom other players play against. A Player who is not a Banker may play Poker Bet playing against the Banker's hand, and/or one or more side bets betting on the contents of the Player's own hand. After at least one wager is placed, each Player and the Banker are each dealt six cards. From each Player's own six cards, each Player selects and keeps his or her best 5-card poker hand and discards one other card; i.e., from the Player's six dealt cards AAK975, AAK97 is the Player's best 5-card poker hand and 5 is the discard; from the Player's seven dealt cards QQJJ64, QQJJ6 is the Player's best 5-card poker hand and 4 is the discard. From the Banker's own six cards, the Banker selects and keeps the Banker's best 5-card poker hand and discards one other card.

POKER BET is a bet that allows a Player to place a wager playing against the Banker's hand. The object of Poker bet is to have a best 5-card poker hand that outranks the Banker's best 5-card poker hand. In the Poker Bet game, the Player's best 5-card poker hand is compared to the Banker's best 5-card poker hand according to traditional poker rankings, wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card. Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 is the second highest Straight, behind AKQJ10.

A Poker Bet wager can be settled with either one of the following rules:

Rules 1: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1), less a certain percent commission, preferably a 5% commission.

Rules 2: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and either is paid Even Money (1 to 1) if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player's winning hand one half of the wager (such as if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the hands of King high and lower (KQ987 is a King-high hand and QJ965 is a lower hand than the King-high hand), King-Jack or lower, Queen high or lower, etc.), or is paid one half of the wager (1 to 2) if the Banker's losing hand is one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player winning hand one half of the wager.

Rules 3: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins, and either is paid Even Money (1 to 1) if the Banker's losing hand is not King-Jack or lower, or is paid one half of the wager (1 to 2) if the Banker's losing hand is King-Jack or lower.

Rules 4: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, such as King-Ten or better, King-9 or better, Queen-Jack or better, Queen-Ten or better, Jack high or better, or etc., the Poker Bet wager is a tie. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1).

Rules 5: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, such as King-Ten or better, King-9 or better, Queen-Jack or better, Queen-Ten or better, Jack high or better, or etc., this wager wins and is paid one half of the wager. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1).

THE SIDE BETS OF THE INVENTION: Side bets are bets that allow Players to bet on the contents of their own hand. A Player's side-bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined winning hands of the type of side bet he or she bets on, regardless of the outcome of the Poker Bet wager or the Banker's hand; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the predetermined winning hands. There are eight types of side bets and they are: Specified Pair Or Better Bet, Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet, Two Pair Or Better Bet, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet, Straight Or Better Bet, Flush Or Better Bet, Full House Or Better Bet and Bonus Bet.

SPECIFIED PAIR OR BETTER BET: The specified pair can be any pair. If the specified pair is a pair of Kings, then the name of the bet can be called as Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet; if the Specified Pair is a pair of Queens, then the name of the bet can be called as Pair Of Queens Or Better Bet; and so on. A Player's Specified Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and the wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. The Specified Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money (1 to 1) on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

PAIR OF KINGS OR BETTER BET: A Player's Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is a pair of Kings, a pair of Aces, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet pays Even Money (1 to 1) on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

TWO PAIR OR BETTER BET: A Player's Two Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Two Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

3 OF A KIND OR BETTER BET: A Player's 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet pays 3 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

STRAIGHT OR BETTER BET: A Player's Straight Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Straight Or Better Bet pays 4 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

FLUSH OR BETTER BET: A Player's Flush Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Flush Or Better Bet pays 8 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

FULL HOUSE OR BETTER BET: A Player's Full House Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Full House Or Better Bet pays 25 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used.

BONUS BET: Either one of the following games can be selected for the Bonus Bet game:

Game 1: A Player's Bonus Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and the wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. The winning wager is paid according to the pay table below:



	Hand	Payout Odds

	5 Aces	1,000 to 1
	4 of a Kind	80 to 1
	Royal Flush	50 to 1
	Straight Flush	25 to 1
	Full House	4 to 1
	Flush	3 to 1
	Straight	2 to 1

Alternatively, any other appropriate pay table can be used.

Game 2: A Player's Bonus Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and the wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. The winning wager is paid according to the pay table below:



	Hand	Payout Odds

	5 Aces	1,000 to 1
	4 of a Kind	80 to 1
	Royal Flush	50 to 1
	Straight Flush	25 to 1
	Full House	6 to 1
	Flush	3 to 1

Alternatively, any other appropriate pay table can be used.

Once having delivered the cards to all players, the dealer turns over the Banker's six cards with only the top card exposed. After reading their cards, each Player places his or her cards face down on the appropriate spaces of the table layout. The dealer then reveals the Banker's five remaining cards, settles each Player's side-bet wager(s) first if any, and then the Player's Poker Bet wager if any, against the Banker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a Player's betting area of the table layout of an eight-bet version of the invention: [0026] 101 is Poker Bet spot; 102, Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet spot; 103, Two Pair Or Better Bet spot; 104, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet spot; 105, Straight Or Better Bet spot; 106, Flush Or Better Bet spot; 107, Full House Or Better Bet spot; 108, Bonus Bet spot; 109, a Player's best 5-card poker hand space; and 110, a Player's one discards space.
FIG. 2 shows a Player's betting area of the table layout of a five-bet version of the invention: [0027] 201 is Poker Bet spot; 202, Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet spot; 204, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet spot; 207, Full House Or Better Bet spot; 208, Bonus Bet spot, 209, a Player's best 5-card poker hand space; 210, a Player's one discards space.
FIG. 3 shows the table layout of a five-bet version of the invention.[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment of the invention provides a six-card-stud poker game, played with one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus four Jokers. In other embodiments, the invention includes versions that would be played with at least one standard poker decks of 52 cards plus at least one Joker. [0029]
In the preferred embodiment, Each Joker can be used as an Ace, or to form a Straight or Flush. In an embodiment, each Joker can be used as any card; this version alters the odds, the payout and the house advantage of each bet, and adds twelve (12) more rankings of 5 Deuces through 5 Kings to the rankings of the game in the preferred embodiment. [0030]
In the preferred embodiment, the invention offers seven positions, six Players and one Banker; table size, management of players, players' bets, and speed of play are the key reasons for the choice of seven positions. In other embodiments, lesser or greater than seven positions can be created in accordance with this invention if, for example, multiple decks are used. A Player who is not a Banker may play Poker Bet playing against the Banker's hand, and/or one or more side bets betting on the contents of the Player's own hand. [0031]
POKER BET is a bet that allows a Player to place a wager playing against the Banker's hand. The object of Poker bet is to have a best 5-card poker hand that outranks the Banker's best 5-card poker hand. In the Poker Bet game, the Player's best 5-card poker hand is compared to the Banker's best 5-card poker hand according to traditional poker rankings, wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card. Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. A2345 can be designed either to be the second highest Straight (behind AKQJ10) and that when it is suited, A2345 is the second highest Straight Flush or to be the lowest Straight and when it is suited, A2345 is the lowest Straight Flush. [0032]
A Poker Bet wager can be settled with either one of the following rules: [0033]
Rules 1: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1), less a certain percent commission, preferably a 5% commission. [0034]
Rules 2: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and either is paid Even Money (1 to 1) if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player's winning hand one half of the wager (such as if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the hands of King high and lower (KQ987 is a King-high hand and QJ965 is a lower hand than the King-high hand), King-Jack or lower, Queen high or lower, etc.), or is paid one half of the wager (1 to 2) if the Banker's losing hand is one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player winning hand one half of the wager. [0035]
Rules 3: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins, and either is paid Even Money (1 to 1) if the Banker's losing hand is not King-Jack or lower, or is paid one half of the wager (1 to 2) if the Banker's losing hand is King-Jack or lower. [0036]
Rules 4: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, such as King-Ten or better, King-9 or better, Queen-Jack or better, Queen-Ten or better, Jack high or better, or etc., the Poker Bet wager is a tie. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1). [0037]
Rules 5: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, such as King-Ten or better, King-9 or better, Queen-Jack or better, Queen-Ten or better, Jack high or better, or etc., this wager wins and is paid one half of the wager. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money (1 to 1). [0038]
THE SIDE BETS OF THE INVENTION: Side bets are bets that allow Players to bet on the contents of their own hand. A Player's side-bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined winning hands of the type of side bet he or she bets on, regardless of the outcome of the Poker Bet wager or the Banker's hand; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the predetermined winning hands. There are eight types of side bets and they are: Specified Pair Or Better Bet, Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet, Two Pair Or Better Bet, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet, Straight Or Better Bet, Flush Or Better Bet, Full House Or Better Bet and Bonus Bet. [0039]
SPECIFIED PAIR OR BETTER BET: The specified pair can be any pair. If the specified pair is a pair of Kings, then the name of the bet can be called as Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet; if the Specified Pair is a pair of Queens, then the name of the bet can be called as Pair Of Queens Or Better Bet; and so on. A Player's Specified Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and the wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. The Specified Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money (1 to 1) on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0040]
PAIR OF KINGS OR BETTER BET: A Player's Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is a pair of Kings, a pair of Aces, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet pays Even Money (1 to 1) on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0041]
TWO PAIR OR BETTER BET: A Player's Two Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Two Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0042]
3 OF A KIND OR BETTER BET: A Player's 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet pays 3 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0043]
STRAIGHT OR BETTER BET: A Player's Straight Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Straight Or Better Bet pays 4 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0044]
FLUSH OR BETTER BET: A Player's Flush Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Flush Or Better Bet pays 8 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0045]
FULL HOUSE OR BETTER BET: A Player's Full House Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. Full House Or Better Bet pays 25 to 1 on any one of the above winning hands. Alternatively, any other appropriate payout odds can be used. [0046]
BONUS BET: Either one of the following games can be selected for the Bonus Bet game: [0047]

Alternatively, any other appropriate pay table can be used. [0049]
Game 2: A Player's Bonus Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and the wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the above winning hands. The winning wager is paid according to the pay table below: [0050]

Hand Payout Odds

5 Aces 1,000 to 1

4 of a Kind 80 to 1

Royal Flush 50 to 1

Straight Flush 25 to 1

Full House 6 to 1

Flush 3 to 1
Alternatively, any other appropriate pay table can be used. [0051]
After at least one wager is placed, each Player and the Banker are each dealt six cards. In the preferred embodiment, each Player and the Banker each receives his or her own six dealt cards, starting from the Player sitting to the immediate left of the dealer, continuing in a clockwise fashion and ending with the Banker. Cards are preferably dealt to each Player and to the Banker one card at a time for six times if the cards are shuffled by a dealer; the cards are preferably dealt to each Player and to the Banker in a stack of six cards if the cards are shuffled by a shuffling device. In an embodiment, seven hands of six cards are always dealt, regardless of the actual number of players; and some random number generation device such as a random number generator or a dice shaker, is used to assign the dealt hands to players to reduce the likelihood of problems in dealing. In other embodiments, each Player and the Banker, will receive their hand in either one of the following fashions: [0052]
1. They receive their own five cards and one community card. [0053]
2. They receive their own four cards and two community cards. [0054]
3. They receive their own three cards and three community cards. [0055]
4. They receive their own two cards and four community cards. [0056]
5. They receive their own one card and five community cards. And [0057]
6. They receive no card their own and six community cards. [0058]
Once having delivered the cards to all players, the dealer turns over the Banker's six cards with only the top card exposed. From each Player's own six cards, each Player selects his or her best 5-card poker hand and discards one other cards, then each Player places his or her cards on the appropriate spaces of the table layout. The dealer then reveals the Banker's five remaining cards, selects the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, discards one other card, settles each Player's side-bet wager(s) first if any, and then each Player's Poker Bet wager if any, against the Banker. After completing the transaction of the Player at the immediate right of the dealer, the dealer moves on and completes the transaction of the next Player, and so on. Upon the completion of all transactions, a new round of play will begin. [0059]

CREATING OTHER VERSIONS OF 6 CARD THRILL

The games of Poker Bet and the side bets are the subgames of 6 Card Thrill. There are many ways to create other versions of 6 Card Thrill and they are: [0060]
1. 6 Card Thrill consists of the game of Poker Bet only. [0061]
2. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any one of the side bets. [0062]
3. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any two of the side bets. [0063]
4. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any three of the side bets. [0064]
5. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any four of the side bets. [0065]
6. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any five of the side bets. [0066]
7. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of Poker Bet and any six of the side bets. [0067]
8. 6 Card Thrill consists of the game of any one of the side bets. [0068]
9. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of any two of the side bets. [0069]
10. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of any three of the side bets. [0070]
11. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of any four of the side bets. [0071]
12. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of any five of the side bets. [0072]
13. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of any six of the side bets. And [0073]
14. 6 Card Thrill consists of the games of all the side bets. [0074]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of playing a card game among a plurality of Players and a Banker, each Player wagering against the Banker. The method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing and shuffling at least one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus at least one Joker;

(b) each Player placing at least one wager of Poker Bet, Specified Pair Or Better Bet, Pair Of Kings Or Better Bet, Two Pair Or Better Bet, 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet, Straight Or Better Bet, Flush Or Better Bet, Full House Or Better Bet and Bonus Bet;

(c) dealing cards into enough dealt hands of six cards to provide a dealt hand for each Player and for the Banker;

(d) determining which dealt hand is assigned to each Player and which dealt hand is assigned to the Banker;

(e) from their own six-card dealt hand, each Player and the Banker selecting their own best 5-card poker hand and discarding one other card;

(f) determining whether each Player's side-bet wager or wagers win or lose, if any;

(g) settling any side-bet wagers of each Player against the Banker;

(h) comparing each Player's best 5-card poker hand to the Banker's best 5-card poker hand according to the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2;

(i) determining whether each Player's Poker Bet wager wins, loses or ties, if any;

(j) settling each Player's Poker Bet wager against the Banker.

2. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein the card game of the invention uses one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus four Jokers.

3. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game further provides that A2345 is the second highest Straight and that when it is suited, A2345 is the second highest Straight Flush.

4. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein the rankings selected for the Poker Bet game further provides that A2345 is the lowest Straight and that when it is suited, A2345 is the lowest Straight Flush.

5. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein each Joker may be used as an Ace, or to form a Straight or Flush.

6. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Specified Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.

7. The method of playing a card game according to claim 6, wherein Specified Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money, namely 1 to 1, on a hand of the specified pair, any pair that ranks higher than the specified pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.

8. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Two Pair Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.

9. The method of playing a card game according to claim 10, wherein Two Pair Or Better Bet pays Even Money, namely 1 to 1, on a hand of Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.

10. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.

11. The method of playing a card game according to claim 12, wherein 3 Of A Kind Or Better Bet pays 3 to 1 on a hand of 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.

12. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Straight Or Better Bet wager wins if a Player's best 5-card poker hand is Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; and this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.

13. The method of playing a card game according to claim 14, wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 4 to 1 on a hand of Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.

14. The method of playing a card game according to claim 14, wherein Straight Or Better Bet pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of 5 Aces, 80 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 50 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 4 to 1 on a hand of Full House, 3 to 1 on a hand of Flush, and 2 to 1 on a hand of Straight.

15. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Flush Or Better Bet wager wins if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces; this wager loses if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is not one of the aforesaid winning hands.

16. The method of playing a card game according to claim 17, wherein Flush Or Better Bet wager pays 8 to 1 on a hand of Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush or 5 Aces.

17. The method of playing a card game according to claim 17, wherein Flush Or Better Bet wager pays 1,000 to 1 on a hand of 5 Aces, 80 to 1 on a hand of 4 of a Kind, 50 to 1 on a hand of Royal Flush, 25 to 1 on a hand of Straight Flush, 6 to 1 on a hand of Full House, and 3 to 1 on a hand of Flush.

18. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, less a certain percent commission.

19. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's best 5-card poker hand, the Player's Poker Bet wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's, this wager wins and either is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1, if the Banker's losing hand is not one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player's winning hand one half of the wager, or is paid one half of the wager, namely 1 to 2, if the Banker's losing hand is one of the predetermined hands that pays the Player winning hand one half of the wager.

20. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, this wager is a tie. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1.

21. The method of playing a card game according to claim 1, wherein a Player's Poker Bet wager is settled against the Banker as follows: If the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is ‘not’ one of predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid one half of the wager. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks lower than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks the same as the Banker's, and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, then the two hands tie and this wager neither wins nor loses. If the Player's best 5-card poker hand ranks higher than the Banker's and the Banker's best 5-card poker hand is one of the predetermined qualifying hands, this wager wins and is paid Even Money, namely 1 to 1.