1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gambling or wagering games, and more specifically to a card game adapted particularly for casino play or the like. The present game uses two decks of standard playing cards, with players wagering upon the likelihood of a single card matching or being a specific mismatch to any of the cards of two series of cards dealt by the dealer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innumerable games and pastimes have been developed in the past to fill the need for entertainment and relaxation for people. A large percentage of these various games and activities have been developed to provide for wagers to be placed upon the outcome, particularly in the case of various card games which have been developed over the years.
Most such games are relatively simple, with relatively few rules. This is generally desirable, as it requires less mental effort on the part of the players and also permits the game to proceed at a faster pace, which results in more wagers for the casino or facility operating the game. Examples of such games are blackjack (twenty one), baccarat, and various forms of poker.
Most such games are comparative, i.e., the suits or values of various hands (dealer, player or players, etc.) are considered against one another, or against some predetermined maximum or minimum value. Poker adds to this by providing a series of different combinations of cards having different ranks relative to one another. As such games have become reasonably well known among those who enjoy such activities, there will occasionally be an attempt to add some further rule or rules to such games, in an effort to increase interest in a well-known game and/or to avoid boredom among players. However, such efforts almost always end up complicating the game to the point that novice players shy away from the game, and experienced players may not wish to play due to the changes in the previously familiar rules and format.
Another problem with many wagering card games is that players have only one chance to win in any given hand or round of play. While some players may believe that the payout odds are sufficient to make it worthwhile to place a wager with only one chance of winning per hand, other players may tend to avoid such games in the belief that they have a lesser chance of recovering their wagers. As a result, a number of classic wagering card games, e.g. blackjack and poker, have been modified with the addition of further provisions allowing for the possibility of multiple wagers, and corresponding wins or losses, with each hand or round of play. Of course, this tends to complicate the game, leading to the problems of avoidance by newer players and lack of familiarity by more experienced players, as noted above.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a wagering card game which provides a relatively simple and straightforward set of rules, yet which allows players to place multiple wagers upon the outcome of a single hand or round of play, if so desired. The present game responds to this need by providing a wagering game in which a dealer deals two sets or groups of cards from a single deck, and then deals a single reference or “pull” card from a second deck. Players may place wagers upon the likelihood of the pull card matching one of the cards in the first set, or optionally in the second set. Further wagering options allow players to wager upon the likelihood of a specific mismatch to the single card appearing in either the first or second set, i.e., a card having the same value or rank and suit color, but of a different suit, e.g. spades and clubs or hearts and diamonds. Different payouts are provided for different wagers, depending upon the progression of the hand during play.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present card game invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,161 issued on Jan. 3, 1989 to Dwight W. Chao, titled “Card Game,” describes a series of numbered cards which may be used as chance means for selecting numbers for play in a lottery game or the like. Some of the cards allow the user to enter one or more preferred numbers thereon. As such, the Chao cards are not strictly a game, but rather allow a person to use the cards for selecting numbers for play in another game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,946 issued on Dec. 17, 1991 to Mark M. Miller, titled “Method Of Playing A Wagering Casino-Type Card Game,” describes a matching type game in which only two players may play at a time. Players each play a single card, and compare the two. A second card is dealt to the player having the lower valued hand, with the hands being compared again. Play continues until the two hands tie or until one of the hands reaches a predetermined count, in which case the lower valued hand wins. The Miller game teaches away from the present game, in that (1) no wins are provided for a match of any cards, and (2) the game cannot be played by more than two players, making it unsuitable for casino play.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,946 issued on Oct. 22, 1996 to Alan G. Parker, titled “Method Of Playing A Card Game,” describes a modification of a blackjack or twenty one game, in which a player may place two wagers. A conventional ante wager is placed initially, before the cards are dealt. However, players may place additional wagers during play, betting on the likelihood of the count of the players' hands exceeding the count of the dealer's single hand, without exceeding twenty-one. Different payouts are provided, depending upon the difference between the players' and dealer's hands. However, Parker does not provide any payout for any form of match, nor for specific mismatches of a single reference card and one of the cards in the hands, as is the case in the present card game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,673 issued on Sep. 29, 1998 to Ronald Richardson, titled “Method Of Playing A Card Game,” describes a wagering game in which a single reference card is dealt to the dealer with each player receiving two cards, all from the same deck. The object is for at least one of the player cards to be higher or lower than the single dealer card, as decided upon by the player before the cards are dealt. Richardson does not make any provision for exact matching of rank and suit between the dealer's and players' hands, as only a single card deck is used. Moreover, Richardson does not provide for wagering on the probability of a specific mismatch occurring, i.e., cards of the same rank and suit color but different suits, as is provided optionally in the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,577 issued on Oct. 6, 1998 to Mark Preston et al., titled “Game Of Chance Matching Game And Method Therefor,” describes a game in which each of the players are dealt three cards from one deck, with the dealer dealing a single reference card from a second deck. The object of the game is for players to match the rank or value of the single dealer card. The Preston et al. game differs from the present game in that (1) Preston et al. continue to provide for additional dealer cards, in the event that none of the player cards match during the first round; (2) Preston et al. count any similarly valued cards of different suits as a match; he does not require the suits to match; (3) Preston et al. do not provide for any specific mismatches; and (4) Preston et al. provide an individual hand to each player, rather than dealing collective player hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,731 issued on Nov. 24, 1998 to John Feola, titled “Method And Apparatus For Playing A Casino Game,” describes a game in which multiple hands are dealt by the dealer, with the dealer determining specifically which card game (e.g., poker, blackjack, etc.) is to be considered to determine the winning hand of the hands dealt. Players wager upon which of the plurality of hands will win, according to the specific game selected by the dealer. Feola does not provide for any matching of a single dealer reference card and another card from any of the hands dealt, nor does he provide for specific mismatches, as is possible with the present card game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,047 issued on Apr. 20, 1999 to Paul E. Callahan, titled “Method For A Novel Card Game,” describes a game in which only a single card is dealt to the dealer and to each player, with the high card winning. Ties result in a third card being dealt to the tied player. The Callahan game also provides for simultaneous wins by both the bank (dealer) and player, in the event that a third card is drawn and the third card has a lower rank than the two tied cards of the dealer and player hands. Simultaneous losses are provided if the third card is higher than the tied dealer and player cards. No explanation is provided in the Callahan disclosure, as to how both bank and player can win or lose simultaneously during play of a single card hand. Callahan complicates his game by providing for automatic wins or losses in the respective event that an ace or a two is drawn, unlike the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,205 issued on Dec. 21, 1999 to Antonio Lauretta et al., titled “Match The Dealer,” describes a game in which five cards are dealt to each of the players and to the dealer. The object of the game is for the players to match as many cards as possible between their hands and the dealer's hand. However, the card deck used is non-standard, having a single suit with five sets of ten cards each, from ace through ten. Lauretta et al. modify their wagering provision by allowing payouts for matching cards in a given player's hand, i.e., two, three, four, or five of a kind, unlike the present game. Moreover, Lauretta et al. cannot provide for specific mismatches, i.e., like ranking or value and suit color in different suits, since Lauretta et al. do not provide conventionally suited cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,652 issued on Dec. 26, 2000 to Antonio Lauretta et al., titled “Match The Dealer Card Game,” is a divisional patent of the '205 U.S. patent to the same inventors, discussed immediately above. The same points raised in the discussion of the '205 U.S. patent are seen to apply here as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,483 issued on May 22, 2001 to Blair Bucan, titled “Method Of Playing A Matching Card Game,” describes a game in which each player controls a single hand of three cards, with the dealer dealing one card at a time from a second deck. The object is for the player(s) to match the cards being turned up by the dealer, with the first player to match the various dealer cards with all three of the cards in his or her hand, winning. The Bucan game differs considerably from the present game, in that (1) each player is responsible for his or her own hand, rather than the dealer dealing a pair of hands for matching cards therein with the single reference card; (2) the Bucan game may prove relatively complex for players, as each player must constantly monitor all three of his or her cards as a series of cards is turned up by the dealer; (3) each hand of the Bucan game would likely extend for some period of time, as a relatively large number of dealer cards would have to be dealt in order for one of the players to achieve a match with all three of his or her cards, particularly if a relatively small number of players are playing; (4) Bucan does not provide any award or payout for a specific mismatch, i.e., cards of like value and suit color but in different suits, as provided by the present game; and (5) Bucan provides for only a single wager before the play of the hand, rather than allowing players to place an additional wager(s) optionally upon other potential outcomes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,629 issued on May 7, 2002 to Clarence B. Hill, titled “Card Game,” describes a keno-like game in which players do not receive cards, but rather receive scoresheets upon which they mark their anticipated winning numbers. A dealer deals a series of cards face down from a conventional deck (with two jokers) in nine stacks, each containing six cards. The dealer then turns up one card at a time from the stacks, working progressively through each stack. Players win depending upon the anticipated matches they previously marked upon their scoresheets, as in keno.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,149 issued on Jun. 11, 2002 to Henry H. Chou, titled “Method Of Playing A Magic Seven Card Game,” describes a game using a non-standard deck of cards comprising four suits from ace through six, and two jokers. Each player is dealt two cards, with the object being to attain a hand which is higher, lower, or equal to seven, as predetermined by the players before the hand is dealt. The dealer does not receive any cards in the Chou game, but acts only as a dealer, dealing cards to the players and monitoring the game. Chou does not provide for any matching of cards or specific mismatching, as provided by the present card game.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a card game solving the aforementioned problems is desired.