Card game and methods of playing a card game

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/616,452, filed on Oct. 6, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a card game and methods of playing a card game. Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for playing a card game in conjunction with wagering. It is to be appreciated, however, that the method of playing a card game may find further applications in areas outside of the wagering arena.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oftentimes, to non-initiated players, casino games such as roulette can be intimidating. For example, roulette incorporates many alternate ways of wagering and these wagering alternatives can confuse non-initiated players. Therefore, players unfamiliar with roulette and other casino games may hesitate to play. Consequently, there is a need for a casino-style game that provides easily understood wagering principles while, at the same time, provides the excitement associated with other casino games. Also, providing a casino-style game in a format or using a media that is likely already familiar to a player is desirable.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional, and proposed approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems and methods with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of playing a card game. The method comprises dealing an arrangement of playing cards and revealing a face of each of the dealt playing cards during the round of play. The method further comprises identifying any predefined progression sequences appearing in the arrangement of the dealt playing cards. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise placing at least one wager by betting a monetary amount for a current round of play, and also paying any winning wager according to the monetary amount bet and odds associated with the identified progression sequences for the current round of play. Alternatively, or in addition to guessing/wagering related to the outcome of the flipped cards, players may also be allowed to make further bets or guesses relating to the “flipped” cards. For example, the player may guess/bet on the possibility that certain recognized cards appear in that particular round of play/wagering. As examples: In the game of Pinnochle, it is recognized and understood that the QUEEN of SPADES and the JACK of DIAMONDS constitute pinnochle and you count your melt accordingly. In the game of Kasino, it is recognized and understood that the TEN of DIAMONDS and DEUCE of SPADES are known as Big and Little Kasino respectively. Further, such cards as the JACK of SPADES and the JACK of HEARTS, are recognized as one-eyed Jacks, because they have only one eye. Example: The KING of DIAMONDS is the only one-eyed King. These are often wild cards in various card games. Bets/guesses on such cards may therefore give the players an award separate and in addition to whatever thy may have been entitled to from correctly guessing/hitting their wagered sequence(s). In such an example, after the cards are displayed, if in the three-card version, the queen of spades and jack of diamonds are both in the display, the player wins a supplemental award/credits. If the JACK of SPADES and/or the JACK of HEARTS appear, the player wins a supplemental award/credits, and the like. This type of winning may be based upon a winning wager relating to chosen sequence, or separate and apart from such a wager.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a processor-based system for implementing a virtual card game. The processor-based system comprises at least one processor to execute playing of the virtual card game, and wherein the playing of the virtual card game comprises the steps of electronically dealing an arrangement of virtual playing cards and revealing a face of each of the dealt playing cards during the current round of play, and electronically identifying any predefined progression sequences appearing in the arrangement of the dealt playing cards. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise electronically placing at least one wager by betting a monetary amount for a current round of play, and electronically paying any winning wager according to the monetary amount bet and odds associated with the identified progression sequences for the current round of play. The system further comprises a program memory interfacing to the at least one processor to store software associated with the virtual card game and a user interface connecting to the at least one processor to allow a player of the virtual card game to select various functional inputs of the virtual card game. The system further comprises an image memory interfacing to the at least one processor to store image data of the virtual card game to be displayed. The system also includes a display controller interfacing to the image memory to extract image data from the image memory in a controlled manner and to convert the image data to video data. The system further includes a display interfacing to the display controller to accept the video data from the display controller such that the video data is presented to the player on the display.

Alternative embodiments may implement the game in an instant lottery ticket game format, wherein representations of cards are selectively revealed. Such representations may typically be masked or covered in some way, and subsequently selectively revealed to play the game. In such an embodiment, the wager placed on the game could also be selected by the player, or the odds of winning chosen by a player, as a part of playing the game, or such variables may be set by the game distributor, as desired. The placing of a wager by the player may simply comprise buying the lottery ticket.

These and other advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary flowchart of an embodiment of a method of playing a card game, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a playing surface layout to accommodate betting for a non-virtual version of the method of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a processor-based system for implementing a virtual card game using the method of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 showing an arrangement of dealt cards face down, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of an image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further exemplary n image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates a further exemplary image displayed by the processor-based system of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an exemplary flowchart 100 of an embodiment of a method of playing a card game, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. In an embodiment which includes a wagering feature, the game can start at step 110, wherein at least one wager is placed by betting a monetary amount for a current round of play. It should be understood that wagering is not necessary in accordance with the invention, as it can simply be played for fun and entertainment. In step 120, an arrangement of playing cards is dealt and the face of each of the dealt playing cards is revealed during the current round of play. In step 130, any predefined progression sequences appearing in the arrangement of dealt playing cards are identified. In step 140, according to an embodiment with wagering, any winning wager is paid according to the monetary amount bet and the odds associated with the identified progression sequences for the current round of play.

Alternatively, or in addition to guessing/wagering related to the outcome of the flipped cards, players may also be allowed to make further bets or guesses relating to the “flipped” cards. For example, the player may guess/bet on the possibility that certain recognized cards appear in that particular round of play/wagering. As merely examples: In the game of Pinnochle, it is recognized and understood that the QUEEN of SPADES and the JACK of DIAMONDS constitute pinnochle and you count your melt accordingly. In the game of Kasino, it is recognized and understood that the TEN of DIAMONDS and DEUCE of SPADES are known as Big and Little Kasino respectively. Further, such cards as the JACK of SPADES and the JACK of HEARTS, are recognized as one-eyed Jacks, because they have only one eye. Example: The KING of DIAMONDS is the only one-eyed King. These are often wild cards in various card games. Bets/guesses on such cards may therefore give the players an award separate and in addition to whatever they may have been entitled to from correctly guessing/hitting their wagered sequence(s). In such an example, after the cards are displayed, if in the three-card version, the queen of spades and jack of diamonds are both in the display, the player wins a supplemental award/credits. If the JACK of SPADES and/or the JACK of HEARTS appear, the player wins a supplemental award/credits, and the like. This type of winning may be based upon a winning selection or wager relating to one or more chosen sequences, or separate and apart from such a selection or wager. Additionally, according to an embodiment, the player may elect subsequent to playing round of the game to risk losing a percentage of any winnings based on the played hand, such as by placing a KICKER bet. For example, in such an embodiment, a KICKER bet may be selected subsequent to a played round to risk 10% of any winnings with the chance to double winnings if the next card revealed in the game creates a winning wager. The KICKER is may be a betting position on a playing surface or a button in an electronic embodiment, such as described hereafter.

As used herein, the term “playing cards” shall mean actual playing cards or any other representation of playing cards, whether electronically, printed or otherwise.

As used herein, the term “shuffling” shall mean any physical or other representation or step of mixing playing cards in a normal random fashion, whether electronically or otherwise.

As used herein, the term “dealing or dealt” shall mean any physical or other representation or step of disposing the cards into a desired format to be revealed and/or displaying the playing cards or representations, whether electronically or otherwise.

As used herein, the term “wagering or placing at least one wager” shall mean any physical or other representation or step of placing monetary or psuedo-monetary bets in a normal gambling sense, whether electronically or otherwise.

As used herein, the term “paying” shall mean any physical or other representation or step of paying or awarding based upon the monetary or psuedo-monetary bet in a normal gambling sense, whether electronically or otherwise.

As used herein, the term “cutting” shall mean any physical or other representation or step of reordering playing cards in a normal random fashion, whether electronically or otherwise. It should also be understood that the cutting of the deck of cards may be unnecessary as the cards could be suitably randomized by shuffling alone.

Similarly, references to cards or the playing of a game according to the invention may be implemented in any desired format, and the described embodiments are only examples of such formats.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a playing surface layout 200 to accommodate betting for a non-virtual version of the method 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. The playing surface 200 may be in the form of a casino table or a board-game, for example. As seen in FIG. 2, the playing surface layout 200 comprises an arrangement 210 of placeholders 211 to 219 defining nine positions to which nine playing cards may be dealt from a standard deck of fifty-two playing cards. The playing surface layout 200 also includes betting positions 220-223 on which a player may place, for example, chips or money when placing a bet at the beginning of a round of play. The playing surface layout 200 also lists the odds 230 associated with a set of predefined progression sequences which may appear when cards are dealt into the arrangement 210.

In accordance with various alternative embodiments of the present invention, the playing surface layout 200 may include placeholders defining positions to which a number of playing cards other than nine may be dealt. Other non-standard decks may be used as well, in accordance with various alternative embodiments of the present invention.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the predefined progression sequences include unnatural sequences, natural sequences, flush unnatural sequences, flush natural sequences, even unnatural sequences, even natural sequences, even unnatural flushes, even natural flushes, odd unnatural sequences, odd natural sequences, odd unnatural flushes, and odd natural flushes. A natural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row (e.g., 241, 242, or 243), a column (e.g., 251, 252, or 253), or a diagonal (e.g., 261 or 262) of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in a natural consecutive order (e.g., Ace, Two, three or Ace, King, Queen) within the row, the column, or the diagonal. An unnatural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row, column, or diagonal of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in an unnatural consecutive order (e.g., three, Ace, two or King, Ace, Queen) along the row, column, or diagonal. A flush natural sequence is the same as a natural sequence except all of the cards making up the flush natural sequence are also of the same suit (e.g., hearts). A flush unnatural sequence is the same as an unnatural sequence except all of the cards making up the flush unnatural sequence are also of the same suit (e.g., spades).

An even natural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row, a column, or a diagonal of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in an even natural consecutive order (e.g., two, four, six or Ace, Queen, ten). An even unnatural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row, a column, or a diagonal of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in an even unnatural consecutive order (e.g., four, two, six or Queen, Ace, ten). An even natural flush is the same as an even natural sequence except that all of the cards making up the even natural flush are also of the same suit (e.g., clubs). An even unnatural flush is the same as an even unnatural sequence except that all of the cards making up the even unnatural flush are also of the same suit (e.g., diamonds).

An odd natural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row, a column, or a diagonal of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in an odd natural consecutive order (e.g., Ace, Three, five or King, Jack, nine). An odd unnatural sequence is any sequence of cards in a row, a column, or a diagonal of the arrangement 210 where the cards appear in an odd unnatural consecutive order (e.g., three, Ace, five or Jack, King, nine). An odd natural flush is the same as an odd natural sequence except that all of the cards making up the odd natural flush are also of the same suit (e.g., hearts). An odd unnatural flush is the same as an odd unnatural sequence except that all of the cards making up the odd unnatural flush are also of the same suit (e.g., spades).

As an example, during a round of play, a player places a wager by placing chips on the betting position 221 on the playing surface layout 200. A dealer then proceeds to deal nine playing cards from a standard deck of playing cards into the positions 211-219. It is assumed that the playing cards have been properly shuffled to put the playing cards in a substantially random order. If the revealed face values of the three playing cards, for example, in the positions 211, 215, and 219 (i.e., along the diagonal 261) are a five of hearts, a six of diamonds, and a seven of spades respectively, then this corresponds to a natural sequence and the bet of the player is a winning wager.

Additionally, one ordinarily skilled in the art can appreciate, and it is contemplated that the method of play described herein may be adapted to a computerized format (i.e., a processor-based system) including, but not limited to, the Internet and servers, personal computers, and video games (e.g., a handheld device or a video poker system). It is further contemplated that the method of play described herein may be adapted to a mechanical apparatus including, but not limited to, a slot machine-type apparatus.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a processor-based system 300 for implementing a virtual card game using the method 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. The system 300 comprises a processor 310, a program memory 320 storing virtual card game software 325, a user interface 330, an image memory 340, a display controller 350, and a display 360.

The processor 310 interfaces to the program memory 300 and executes the virtual card game software 325. The user interface 330 connects to the processor 310 to allow a player of the virtual card game to select various functional inputs of the virtual card game. The image memory 340 interfaces to the processor 310 to store image data to be displayed. The display controller 350 interfaces to the image memory 340 to extract image data from the image memory in a controlled manner and convert the image data to video data. The display 360 interfaces to the display controller 350 to accept video data from the display controller 350 such that the video data is presented to a player on the display 360.

The virtual card game software 325 is the executable program to run the virtual card game. The user interface 330 may comprise, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-screen (i.e., the user interface 330 is combined with the display 360), or push buttons. The functional inputs controlled through the user interface 330 include, for example, an ability to select a monetary amount per wager, and an ability to select that a virtual deck of playing cards be shuffled and/or cut and dealt. Such an electronic version of the game according to the invention may then be placed on a suitable medium, such as a CD or the like, to be loaded and played on a computer, or may be played via a global information system, such as via the Internet.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a user interface image 400 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 showing an arrangement of dealt playing cards 410 face down, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. The arrangement 410 is a substantially rectangular or matrix arrangement of playing cards, such as a 3×3 matrix of nine cards as shown. Other matrices are contemplated in the invention. A KICKER card 470 and associated button 460 may also be provided in accordance with an embodiment, which will be described hereafter. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the cards are electronically dealt and displayed as if the cards were randomly dealt from a shuffled deck of playing cards. Before the cards 410 are revealed or, alternatively, before the cards are even dealt, a player may use, for example, a mouse and keyboard to enter a dollar amount (e.g., $20) to wager in the betting window 420. An account window “Credits” 430 is initialized to a starting dollar amount (e.g., $1000). The player then clicks on the “Deal” icon 440 to reveal the faces of the dealt cards 410. Any winnings, based on the bet amount and the odds, are displayed in the winnings window 450.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of an image 500 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $10 by entering “10” in the betting window 510 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 520 to deal and reveal the arrangement 530 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies two progression sequences. A first sequence (Ace, Queen, King) appears in row 540 and constitutes an unnatural sequence (i.e., the natural sequence would be Ace, King, Queen or Queen, King, Ace). The odds associated with the unnatural sequence are 2-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $20 for the $10 bet. However, a second sequence (eight, ten, Queen) appears in the column 550 and constitutes an even natural sequence. The odds associated with the even natural sequence are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $40 for the $10 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $60 and a “60” is displayed in the winnings window 560. Also, the credits window 570 is credited with the $60 winnings and displays a total account amount of $11090. It should be noted that the original $10 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 570.

If desired, the KICKER card 590 can then be played by clicking button 580, to reveal the KICKER card 590. Playing the KICKER card 590 may use the winnings from that round of the game, or this may be played as an extra bet if desired. The KICKER card 590 if played, may be one or more cards that once revealed, extend the winning sequence, create a further sequence, or in some other way are combined with the cards already played in the round to either form a further winning combination or a losing combination. As an example, if the KICKER card 590 forms a winning combination, the total winnings may be increased by a predetermined amount, or as a percentage of the winnings, or based upon some other measure as desired. Similarly, a losing KICKER card 590 may deduct from the winnings or player's credited amount, a predetermined amount, a percentage of the winnings, or an amount based upon some other measure as desired.

FIG. 6 illustrates a second exemplary image 600 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 610 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 620 to deal and reveal the arrangement 630 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (nine, eight, seven) appears in row 640 and constitutes a natural sequence. The odds associated with the natural sequence are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $4 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $4 and a “4” is displayed in the winnings window 650. Also, the credits window 660 is credited with the $4 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1353. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 660.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further exemplary image 700 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 710 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 720 to deal and reveal the arrangement 730 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (six of clubs, eight of clubs, seven of clubs) appears in row 740 and constitutes a flush unnatural sequence. The odds associated with the flush unnatural sequence are 3-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $3 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $3 and a “3” is displayed in the winnings window 750. Also, the credits window 760 is credited with the $3 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1057. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 760.

FIG. 8 illustrates a fourth exemplary image 800 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 810 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 820 to deal and reveal the arrangement 830 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (Queen of hearts, King of hearts, Ace of hearts) appears in row 840 and constitutes a flush natural sequence. The odds associated with the flush natural sequence are 10-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $10 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $10 and a “10” is displayed in the winnings window 850. Also, the credits window 860 is credited with the $10 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1389. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 860.

FIG. 9 illustrates a fifth exemplary image 900 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 910 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 920 to deal and reveal the arrangement 930 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (ten, eight, Queen) appears in row 940 and constitutes an even unnatural sequence. The odds associated with the even unnatural sequence are 1-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $1 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $1 and a “1” is displayed in the winnings window 950. Also, the credits window 960 is credited with the $1 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1227. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 960.

FIG. 10 illustrates a sixth exemplary embodiment of an image 1000 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1010 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1020 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1030 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (six of spades, four of spades, eight of spades) appears in row 1040 and constitutes an even unnatural flush. The odds associated with the even unnatural flush are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $4 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $4 and a “4” is displayed in the winnings window 1050. Also, the credits window 1060 is credited with the $4 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1064. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1060.

FIG. 11 illustrates a seventh exemplary embodiment of an image 1100 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1110 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1120 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1130 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies two progression sequences. A first sequence (ten of diamonds, Queen of diamonds, Ace of diamonds) appears in row 1140 and constitutes an even natural flush. The odds associated with the even natural flush are 7-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $7 for the $1 bet. However, a second sequence (four, two, six) appears in the row 1150 and constitutes an even unnatural sequence. The odds associated with the even unnatural sequence are 1-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $1 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $8 and a “8” is displayed in the winnings window 1160. Also, the credits window 1170 is credited with the $8 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1240. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1170.

FIG. 12 illustrates an eighth exemplary embodiment of an image 1200 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 12, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1210 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1220 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1230 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies two progression sequences. A first sequence (seven, nine, Jack) appears in row 1240 and constitutes an odd natural sequence. The odds associated with the odd natural sequence are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $4 for the $1 bet. However, a second sequence (seven, three, five) appears in the row 1250 and constitutes an odd unnatural sequence. The odds associated with the odd unnatural sequence are 1-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $1 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $5 and a “5” is displayed in the winnings window 1260. Also, the credits window 1270 is credited with the $5 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1250. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1270.

FIG. 13 illustrates a ninth exemplary embodiment of an image 1300 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1310 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1320 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1330 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies one progression sequence. The sequence (three, five, seven) appears in diagonal 1340 and constitutes an odd natural sequence. The odds associated with the odd natural sequence are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $4 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $4 and a “4” is displayed in the winnings window 1350. Also, the credits window 1360 is credited with the $4 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1389. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1360.

FIG. 14 illustrates a tenth exemplary embodiment of an image 1400 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1410 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1420 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1430 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies two progression sequences. A first sequence (Queen of hearts, King of hearts, Ace of hearts) appears in row 1440 and constitutes a flush natural sequence. The odds associated with the flush natural sequence are 10-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $10 for the $1 bet. However, a second sequence (Jack of hearts, nine of hearts, King of hearts) appears in the column 1450 and constitutes an odd unnatural flush. The odds associated with the odd unnatural flush are 4-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $4 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $14 and a “14” is displayed in the winnings window 1460. Also, the credits window 1470 is credited with the $14 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1389. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1470.

FIG. 15 illustrates an eleventh exemplary embodiment of an image 1500 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $1 by entering “1” in the betting window 1510 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1520 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1530 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies two progression sequences. A first sequence (Queen of hearts, King of hearts, Ace of hearts) appears in row 1540 and constitutes a flush natural sequence. The odds associated with the flush natural sequence are 10-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $10 for the $1 bet. However, a second sequence (nine of hearts, Jack of hearts, King of hearts) appears in the column 1550 and constitutes an odd natural flush. The odds associated with the odd unnatural flush are 7-to-1 and, therefore, the winnings are $7 for the $1 bet. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $17 and a “17” is displayed in the winnings window 1560. Also, the credits window 1570 is credited with the $17 winnings and displays a total account amount of $1389. It should be noted that the original $1 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1570.

FIG. 16 illustrates a twelfth exemplary embodiment of an image 1600 displayed by the processor-based system 300 of FIG. 3 after a current round of play, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 16, a player has wagered (i.e., bet) $10 by entering “10” in the betting window 1610 using a mouse and/or keyboard of the processor-based system 300. The player clicks on the “Deal” button 1620 to deal and reveal the arrangement 1630 of nine virtual playing cards. The faces of the cards are displayed to the player and the system 300 identifies no progression sequences. As a result, the total winnings for the current round of play are $0 and a “0” is displayed in the winnings window 1650. It should be noted that the original $10 bet was also deducted from the amount in the credits window 1660 and displays a total account amount of $990.

Alternatively, the game may be played using representations of cards, which may be “shuffled” or randomized for use in playing the game. For example, the game may be played in the style of an instant lottery game, where representations of cards are printed on a ticket or other medium, such as in the format shown in prior embodiments, and selectively revealed to play the game. Accordingly, the one or more betting sequence(s) are also printed or otherwise disposed on the medium, and are also selectively revealed by the player. Such representations may typically be masked or covered in some way, and subsequently selectively revealed, such as by scratching, to play the game. In such an embodiment, the player may reveal one or more of the wagering sequence(s) could be revealed for possible winnings. The wager placed on the game could also be selected by the player, or the odds of winning chosen by a player, as a part of playing the game, or such variables may be set by the game distributor, as desired. The placing of a wager by the player may simply comprise buying the lottery ticket, or different pricing for tickets could be provided for differing odds games. In any event, the wagering scheme used may make instant winning possible. Such an embodiment constitutes a non-virtual version of the game and methods according to embodiments herein.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the various wagering options may be implemented on a physical playing surface layout where real playing cards and chips are used to place wagers such as shown in FIG. 2. Such an embodiment provides a dealer to shuffle, cut, and deal the cards, and at least one player to place wagers. Such an embodiment constitutes a non-virtual version of the method of FIG. 1. In such an embodiment, a player “buys in” or purchases chips of a specific color or pattern distinct from any other player currently playing. It should also be understood that the odds associated with winning sequences can be varied as desired.

Certain embodiments of the present invention contemplate distinct chip patterns for each player. However, another embodiment includes standard color chips corresponding to a specific monetary denomination. The rationale behind the distinct chip patterns of certain embodiments is to permit the players, dealer and staff to easily distinguish one player's wagers from the others.

It may be appreciated that numerous playing variations and combinations could be applied to the fundamental principles of the present invention. The method of the present invention may be practiced by a single player or by multiple players, wherein the player(s) play against a house dealer, against a player banker, or each other in a no bank format.

Although certain embodiments suggests payoff odds for specific wagers, it is contemplated that the odds may be modified to accommodate variables and preferences of individual casinos or houses. For instance, a specific casino may choose to structure the odds to attract players where others may choose to hold back on the odds giving the house an edge over the players.

It is further contemplated in another embodiment of the present invention that a player may use other forms of wagers including, but not limited to, cash and coins while playing the game of the present invention.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, one ordinarily skilled in the art would realize that the present invention could be played using more than one deck of cards. Additionally, it is understood that custom cards may be used in lieu of standard conventional playing cards. Accordingly, the odds of each wager may change to correspond to the probability of a specific wager in light of the use of multiple decks or custom cards.

In summary, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for playing a card game based on wagering that at least one of a plurality of predefined progression sequences will be revealed in an arrangement of dealt playing cards. The card game may be played manually on a non-virtual playing surface or may be played as an electronic game on a processor-based platform, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.