Casino Game with Player Choice (U-PIK)

Abstract

In a wagering game, after receiving an initial wager from the players, at least one card is dealt to each player. At least two community cards are dealt to a community card area Subsequently, each player places a Pick wager to select among the at least two community cards. A player hand includes the at least one dealt card and the selected community card or cards, wherein the initial wager and the Pick wager are resolved based on the player hand according to game rules.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/317,306, filed Dec. 27, 2005, pending, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

(Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to casino games and, more particularly, to casino games utilizing community cards where a player chooses between different community card hands by placing a ‘pick’ wager.

Casino operators are continually searching for ways to make casino table games more attractive and player friendly. New Poker derivatives such as Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and Three Card Poker have made a significant contribution. To facilitate the success of a casino game, it is important that the casino advantage is reasonable, that the game is relatively easy to understand for both players and dealers, and that there is at least a player perception of a reasonable chance for a player premium hand to defeat the dealer in a competition mode or win an increased payout in a proposition mode or both.

With respect to types of Poker, conventional established terms are draw and stud. These terms have become out-of-date as community card games have been established. Community card games such as Hold 'Em and Omaha could be regarded as combining aspects of both draw and stud. In typical community card games, players are dealt player cards, and one or more community cards are shared by all the players. The players can then use the community cards together with the player cards to achieve a hand ranking.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present description encompasses a variety of casino games where players are provided a choice between multiple community hands. After making an initial wager, the players receive one or more cards, and subsequently a pair of community hands, which may include only one card each, are dealt by the dealer. The player then places a Pick wager, which serves to designate the player's community hand choice. One or more additional cards may be dealt, and the player forms a player hand with the original player card(s) and the selected community hand or cards. By permitting players to choose between community hands/cards, players appreciate that premium hands are more easily attained.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of playing a wagering game includes the steps of (a) a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing at least one card to the player; (c) dealing a first community hand including at least a first community card and a second community hand including at least a second community card, at least one card of the first and second community hands being exposed; (d) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first or second community hands; (e) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand; and (f) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a hand rank of the player hand according to game rules. In one operating mode, the Pick wager must be equal to the initial wager.

The method may further include, prior to step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, which is resolved according to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand or a proposition hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the second community hand. In one operating mode, the hand rank is based on Poker rankings, where the proposition wager is resolved by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank, such as Two Pair, with the payout being determined on a payscale. The player may be provided an option to wager different amounts for the initial wager and the proposition wager. Moreover, the initial wager and the proposition wager may be compulsory.

In one embodiment, the first community hand includes two cards and an initially concealed card, where the second community hand comprises two cards and the initially concealed card. Preferably, the initially concealed card is revealed after step (d). Prior to step (c), the method may include dealing two cards to a dealer, where step (b) is practiced by dealing two cards to the player, and where the method includes, after revealing the initially concealed card, forming a dealer hand consisting of the two cards dealt to the dealer and the one of the first community hand and the second community that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best dealer hand rank. Step (f) may be practiced by comparing the player hand ran with the dealer hand rank. In this context, if the player hand rank exceeds the dealer hand rank, the player wins a payout on the initial wager and the Pick wager.

The method may farther include providing the player an option to surrender the initial wager prior to placing the Pick wager and prior to revealing the concealed card. The player may also be provided an option to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand. In this context, in order to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand, the player may be required to place a Pick Both wager along with two Pick wagers, where the initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each of the Pick wagers are equal.

The method may further include, prior to step (c), dealing at least one card to a dealer, and after step (e), forming a dealer hand including the at least one card dealt to the dealer and one of the first community hand and the second community hand, wherein step (c) is practiced by comparing a value of the dealer hand with the value of the player hand. Hand values may comprise at least one of a hand rank or a numerical value. Hand ranks are preferably determined based on one of Poker rankings or Pai Gow tiles rankings, and hand numerical values are preferably determined based on one of a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting system, or dice values.

In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of playing a casino Poker game includes the steps of (a) a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing two cards to the player; (c) dealing two cards to a dealer; (d) dealing five community cards including a concealed card and four exposed cards, wherein a first community hand includes a first two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card, and wherein a second community hand includes a second two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card; (e) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first or second community hands; (f) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand; (g) revealing the concealed card and establishing a player hand Poker rank using four cards in the player hand; (h) after step (g), the dealer forming a dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first community hand and the second community hand that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank; and (i) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the player hand rank and the dealer hand rank.

In yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of playing a casino card game provides a player with a player hand and a dealer with a dealer hand, wherein the player selects one of a first community hand and a second community hand as part of the player hand, the fist and second community hands including at least one shared concealed card, the dealer exposing the at least one concealed card, the dealer subsequently selecting one of the first and second community hands as part of the dealer hand, and resolving the game based on a comparison of the player hand and the dealer hand.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of playing a casino card game provides a player with a player hand, and includes the player placing an initial wager, the player selecting one of a first community hand and a second community hand as part of the player hand by placing a Pick wager in a designated location, and resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on the player hand according to game rules.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary table layout according to embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an exemplary table layout according to alternative embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, the method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described in conjunction with their application to a casino environment, thus incorporating wagers, payouts etc. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily comprehend alternative applications of the present invention outside a casino environment, and the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to the described application. For example, the game may be embodied in a video game that is played for entertainment purposes against a computer or the like. Alternatively, players may play the game without wagers in a head-to-head format with one player acting as a dealer, and the other player simply keeping track of wins and losses.

FIG. 1 shows a game table including a playing area 10 having a dealer area 12, a plurality of player areas 14, promotional markings and game rules 16, and a community card area 18. The dealer area 12 is shown in dashed line as not all playing modes include a dealer hand. Although FIG. 1 shows five player areas 14, more players can participate in the game at a time. In preferred embodiments, the table layout 10 may include between seven and ten player areas 14, although seven player areas 14 is most preferred.

Each player area 14 includes a player card area 20 and spaces for an initial wager 22, a Both Ways wager 23, a Pick wager 24, and a Pick Both wager 25. The community card area 18 includes spaces for a first community card hand 18a and a second community card hand 18b. In a preferred operating mode, a center card is shared by each of the first and second community card hands.

Each of the exemplary game variations described below includes at least a basic premise wherein each player places an initial wager at area 22, and at least one card is dealt to each player at card area 20. At least two community hands, which may each contain only a single card, are dealt to the first and second community card areas 18a, 18b, after which each player is provided an opportunity to place a Pick wager at wager area 24 to select among the at least two community hands. Preferably, the Pick wager is equal to the initial wager. The player hand thus includes the at least one dealt card and the selected community hand. The initial wager and the Pick wager are resolved based on the player hand according to game rules.

In an against-dealer mode, a dealer may also be dealt at least one card at card area 12, in which case the initial wager 22 and the Pick wager 24 may be resolved based on a comparison of the player hand to the dealer hand. Optionally, the player hand may additionally or alternatively be resolved according to a player hand rank against a payout scale. If the dealer does not receive a hand, the player hand is played against a pay table with predetermined winning combinations and payouts. The game may include an option for the player to place a second Pick wager 24 to select both the first and second community hands, in which case the Pick Both wager 25 may also be required. In this context, a first player hand is formed using the at least one card dealt to the player and the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand by the Pick wager. A second player hand includes the at least one card dealt to the player and the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand by the second Pick wager. The wagers are then resolved based on the first and second player hands according to game rules. In another alternative, each player may be allowed to surrender the initial bet and fold after viewing their dealt cards.

In an exemplary Poker variation, the dealer hand and the player hand achieve a Poker ranking, and the wagers are resolved by comparing a Poker rank of the player hand to a Poker rank of the dealer hand. As noted, additional wagers or multipliers or the like may be provided by comparing the Poker rank of the player hand against a payout scale.

A preferred exempt operating mode will be described below with continued reference to FIG. 1. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that still additional operating modes may be viable using the principles of the invention described herein, and the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to the described exemplary variation.

In one exemplary operating mode, a casino-banked game utilizes Poker rankings and four-card combinations. In order to participate in the game, players are required to place an initial wager or Ante wager at area 22 and a proposition wager or a Both Ways wager at area 23. The amounts of the Ante and Both Ways wagers may be different or may be required to be equal depending on casino preference. Two cards are dealt to each player at card area 20, and two cards are dealt to the dealer at dealer area 12. Five community cards including a concealed card and four exposed cards are dealt to the community card area 18. A first community hand 18a includes a first two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card, and a second community hand 18b includes a second two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card.

After viewing the player cards and the exposed community cards, each player places a Pick wager in one of the circles at wager area 24. The placement of the Pick wager serves to designate which of the first or second community hands 18a, 18b is selected. For example, if the player places the Pick wager in the left circle in area 24, the player has selected the first community hand 18a. On the other hand, if the player places the Pick wager in wager area 24 in the right circle, the player has selected the second community hand 18b. Preferably, the Pick wager must be equal to the Ante wager. A player hand is thus formed consisting of (1) the two cards initially dealt to the player, and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand Subsequently, the concealed card, which forms part of both the first and second community hands, is revealed, and a player hand Poker rank is established using four cards in the player hand.

After the concealed card is revealed, the dealer forms a dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards initially dealt to the dealer, and (2) the one of the first community hand 18a and the second community hand 18b that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank. The initial wager and the Pick wager are resolved based on a comparison of the player hand rank and the dealer hand rank. That is, the higher hand rank wins, and winning wagers are preferably paid 1 to 1 Tied hands on the Ante and Pick wagers may also be paid 1 to 1 or alternatively may be pushed or taken.

The Both Ways wager is resolved based on the best of the picked hand and the non-picked hand according to a payscale. That is, if the hand rank of either the player hand or a proposition hand using the unselected community hand exceeds predetermined hand rank such as two pair or the like, the Both Ways wager wins a payout according to a payscale. An exemplary payscale for the Both Ways wager is set forth below.

Player Hand     Payoff
Two Pair        2 to 1
Straight        2 to 1
Flush           2 to 1
Three of a Kind 4 to 1
Straight Flush  30 to 1
Four of a Kind  50 to 1

After viewing the player initial two cards and the community cards, prior to exposing the concealed card, players may be provided an option to surrender the Ante wager and thereby save the Pick wager. Preferably, in the event a player elects the surrender option, the Both Ways wager remains in play.

The players may be provided an option to place both Pick wagers (i.e., placing wagers in both circles at wager area 24) and play both hands. To enable this option, the player is also required to place a Pick Both wager at wager area 25, which is preferably also equal to the Ante wager. In this event, if both player hands have Poker ranks that exceed the dealer hand Poker rank, each of the Ante wager, Pick wagers and Pick Both wager is paid 1 to 1. If both player hands lose, all four wagers are taken, and if one hand wins and the other hand loses, then wagers push. As noted, tied hands may also be paid 1 to 1 or alternatively may be pushed or taken.

Although the preferred game mode described above references “cards,” the use of such a term is not intended to be limited to playing cards; rather, the term “cards” used herein is intended to encompass any suitable insignia such as conventional playing cards, dice, tiles or the like. Moreover, values may be numerical or combinatorial. In the preferred operating mode, hand values are determined according to combinatorial Poker rankings, but the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to such rankings. Other ranking and scoring methodologies such as in Blackjack convention and Chinese Mah Jong and the modulo-10 Baccarat scoring system may alternatively be utilized. Still further, the number of wagers, player cards, dealer cards, community cards and the like may be altered without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the two community hands need not be revealed at the same time; one can be revealed some time after the other is revealed. Thus the player can be given the option to vary his bet or change his pick before the other community hand is revealed.

In a Baccarat variation, the method of playing the game includes (a) a player placing an initial wager; (b) dealing one card to the player; (c) dealing one card face down to a dealer; (d) dealing three community cards including a concealed card and two exposed cards, wherein a first community hand includes a first of the two exposed cards and the concealed card, and wherein a second community hand includes a second of the two exposed cards and the concealed card; (e) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first or second community hands; (f) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand; (g) revealing the concealed card and establishing a player Baccarat hand rank; (h) after step (g), the dealer forming a dealer hand consisting of (1) the one card dealt to the dealer in step (c), (2) the one of the first community hand and the second community hand, and (3) the revealed concealed card according to predetermined house way rules; and (i) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the player hand rank and the dealer hand rank. In this embodiment, the house way rules preferably require the dealer hand to stand if his two-card hand value is 6 or greater and to use the center community card if his hand is not at least 6. After determining the dealer's first and second hand values, the dealer shall use the better of the two hands. In determining the player hand value, the dealer shall use the revealed concealed card for the player if it can improve the player hand. The dealer hand will lose automatically if it is 0. Also, if the first community and second community cards are of the same rank, the player has the option to place a Pick wager on both hands.

In another variation, a method of playing a Pat Gow tile game provides a player an option to pick one of two community hands. The player makes a wager. The dealer and the player each get one ‘card,’ which is a tile in this operating mode. Three community tiles are dealt to the center of the table. The left and right tiles are revealed. The player places a Pick wager equal to the initial wager on the betting circle corresponding to the community tile he picks. The player and dealer hand will consist of the tile he is dealt the tile he picks and the center concealed tile. The dealer reveals his tile and then picks the better of the two community tiles to make the dealer's best Pai Gow hand. The hands will be settled based on traditional Pai Gow tile ranking by using the best two of the three tiles or all three tiles if a straight can be formed.

Still further exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Each player area 14 includes a betting area 30 including three betting circles labeled, from left to right, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The three betting circles represent three three-card Poker hands for each player.

Each player places a wager in betting circle 1. Each player and the dealer are dealt two cards face down, and three communal cards 18a, 18b , 18c are dealt to the community card area 18. The rightmost community card 18c, which corresponds to each player's betting circle 3, is revealed. After seeing the third community card 18c and the player two-card hand, the player can bet or check. Players who want to bet the third three-card Poker hand must place a wager in betting circle 3, preferably equal to the initial wager placed in betting circle 1.

After all players have made their decisions concerning betting circle 3, the center community card 18b, which is corresponding to each player's betting circle 2, is revealed. Again, each player can bet or check. Players who want to play the second three-card Poker hand must place a preferably equal wager in betting circle 2.

The final community card 18a, which corresponds to each player's betting circle 1, is revealed. At this point, no more wagers can be added. In other words, the first wager in betting circle 1 is always in action. Each player has up to three three-card Poker hands, depending on the number of wagers placed.

The dealer then reveals the two face-down dealer cards. The dealer forms a dealer hand using the community card 18a, 18b, 18c that makes the highest ranking three-card Poker hand. The dealer announces the dealer hand ranking and compares the dealer hand with each player hand, where the highest ranking hand wins. Winning hands are paid even money.

In order to increase a house advantage, if necessary or desirable, the dealer may additionally be permitted to use the three community cards 18a, 18b, 18c to make the dealer hand. Alternatively or additionally, players may be required to play at least one of the second or third hands.

This operating mode may also include optional proposition wagers, including one or both of a 3-card Poker wager 32 and a 5-card Poker wager 34. In this context, the players can place a wager at wager area 32 on the player first hand to play against a 3-card Poker pay table. The player can alternatively or additionally place a 5-card Poker wager at wager area 34 based on a Poker ranking of a 5-card hand including the two cards initially dealt to the player combined with the three community cards 18a, 18b, 18c.

In another variation, with continued reference to FIG. 2, each player places two equal wagers in betting circles 1 and 2. Each player and the dealer are dealt two cards face down, and three communal cards are dealt to the community card area 18. The leftmost community card 18a, which corresponds to each player's betting circle 1, is revealed.

After seeing the first community card 18a and the player's two-card hand, the player must pick at least two hands to bet by keeping or rearranging the initial wagers to the betting circles corresponding to the hands the player wishes to play. For example, if the player dislikes the first community card 18a, the player can move the wager in betting circle 1 to betting circle 3. In a preferred embodiment, the player may also play all three hands by placing a third wager in the empty betting circle.

After all players have made their decisions concerning the three hands, the remaining two community cards are revealed. Each player thus has up to three 3-card Poker hands, depending on the number of wagers placed. The dealer then reveals the two face-down cards initially dealt to the dealer, and the dealer forms a dealer hand using the community card 18a, 18b, 18c that makes the highest ranking three-card Poker hand.

The dealer announces the dealer hand ranking and compares the dealer hand with each player's hand where a wager has been placed. The higher ranking hand wins, and winning hands are paid even money.

Each of the embodiments described in conjunction with FIG. 2 can be played as 4-card Poker, where each player and the dealer will be dealt three initial cards instead. The game may also include optional proposition wagers based on various card combinations.

As would be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, the embodiments described above can be embodied in a wide variety of forms and media including, but not limited to, single player slot video machines, multi-player slot video machines, electronic games and devices, lottery terminals, scratch-card formats, software as well as in-flight, home and Internet entertainment. In addition, the described embodiments can also be readily implemented as a computer program product (e.g., floppy disks, compact disks, etc.) comprising a computer readable medium having control logic reported therein to implement the features of the invention as described in relation to the other preferred embodiments. The control logic can be loaded into the memory of a computer and executed by a central processing unit (CPU) to perform the operations described herein.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

(a) a player placing an initial wager;

(b) dealing at least one card to the player;

(c) dealing a first community hand including at least a first community card and a second community hand including at least a second community card, at least one card of the first and second community hands being exposed;

(d) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first and second community hands;

(e) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand; and

(f) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a hand rank of the player hand according to game rules.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the Pick wager must be equal to the initial wager.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the method further comprises resolving the proposition wager according to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the second community hand.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the hand rank is based on Poker rankings, and wherein the proposition wager is resolved by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the player is provided an option to wager different amounts for the initial wager and the proposition wager.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the initial wager and the proposition wager are compulsory.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said hand rank is determined based on one of Poker rankings, Pai Gow tiles rankings, a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting system, and dice values.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first community hand comprises two cards and an initially concealed card, and wherein the second community hand comprises two cards and the initially concealed card.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the initially concealed card is revealed after step (d).

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising, prior to step (c), dealing two cards to a dealer, wherein step (b) is practiced by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein the method comprises, after revealing the initially concealed card, forming a dealer hand consisting of the two cards dealt to the dealer and the one of the first community hand and the second community that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best dealer hand rank.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (f) is practiced by comparing the player hand rank with the dealer hand rank.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein if the player hand rank exceeds the dealer hand rank, the player wins a payout on the initial wager and the Pick wager.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising, prior to step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the method further comprises resolving the proposition wager according to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the second community hand.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the hand rank is based on Poker rankings, and wherein the proposition wager is resolved by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined hand rank is Two Pair.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the payout on the proposition wager is resolved according to a payscale for hand ranks including, in no particular order, Two Pair, Straight, Flush, Three of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind.

17. A method according to claim 8, further comprising providing the player an option to surrender the initial wager prior to placing the Pick wager and prior to revealing the concealed card.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) is practiced by providing the player an option to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein in order to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand, the player places a Pick Both wager along with two Pick wagers, wherein the initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each of the Pick wagers are equal.

20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to step (c), dealing at least one card to a dealer, and after step (e), forming a dealer hand including the at least one card dealt to the dealer and one of the first community hand and the second community hand, wherein step (c) is practiced by comparing a value of the dealer hand with the value of the player hand.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein hand values comprise at least one of a hand rank and a numerical value.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein hand ranks are determined based on one of Poker rankings and Pai Gow tiles rankings, and wherein hand numerical values are determined based on one of a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting system, and dice values.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hand rank in step (f) is determined based on one of Poker rankings, Pai Gow tiles rankings, a modulo-10 Baccarat counting system, a Blackjack counting system, and dice values.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first community hand and the second community hand share at least one card.

25. A method of playing a casino Poker game, the method comprising:

(a) a player placing an initial wager;

(b) dealing two cards to the player;

(c) dealing two cards to a dealer;

(d) dealing five community cards including a concealed card and four exposed cards, wherein a first community hand includes a first two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card, and wherein a second community hand includes a second two of the four exposed cards and the concealed card;

(e) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first and second community hands;

(f) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand;

(g) revealing the concealed card and establishing a player hand Poker rank;

(h) after step (g), the dealer forming a dealer hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first community hand and the second community hand that when combined with the two dealer cards make a best dealer Poker hand rank; and

(i) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on a comparison of the player hand rank and the dealer hand rank.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising, prior to step (b), the player placing a proposition wager, wherein the method further comprises resolving the proposition wager according to a hand rank of at least one of the player hand and a proposition hand consisting of (1) the two cards dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the unselected one of the first community hand and the second community hand.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the proposition wager is resolved by paying a payout if the hand rank of at least one of the player hand and the proposition hand exceeds a predetermined hand rank.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the player is provided an option to wager different amounts for the initial wager and the proposition wager.

29. A method according to claim 26, wherein the initial wager and the proposition wager are compulsory.

30. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing the player an option to surrender the initial wager prior to placing the Pick wager and prior to revealing the concealed card.

31. A method according to claim 25, wherein step (e) is practiced by providing the player an option to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein in order to pick both the first community hand and the second community hand, the player places a Pick Both wager along with two Pick wagers, wherein the initial wager, the Pick Both wager and each of the Pick wagers are equal.

33. A method according to claim 25, wherein the step of establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using at least three cards in the player hand.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using four cards in the player hand.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of establishing the player hand Poker rank is practiced by using all five cards in the player hand.

36. A method of playing a casino card game with a player having a player hand and a dealer having a dealer hand, wherein the player selects one of a first community hand and a second community hand as part of the player hand, the first and second community hands including at least one shared concealed card, the dealer exposing the at least one concealed card, the dealer subsequently selecting one of the first and second community hands as part of the dealer hand, and resolving the game based on a comparison of the player hand and the dealer hand.

37. A method of playing a casino card game with a player having a player hand, the method including the player placing an initial wager, the player selecting one of a first community hand and a second community hand as part of the player hand by placing a Pick wager in a designated location, and resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on the player hand according to game rules.

38. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program effecting a computer to carry out a method of playing a casino card game, the method comprising:

(a) a player placing an initial wager;

(b) dealing at least one card to the player;

(c) dealing a first community hand including at least a first community card and a second community hand including at least a second community card, at least one of the first and second community hands being exposed;

(d) the player placing a Pick wager to select one of the first and second community hands;

(e) forming a player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the selected one of the first community hand and the second community hand; and

(f) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wager based on the player hand according to game rules.

39. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

(a) a player placing an initial wager corresponding to a player first hand;

(b) dealing at least one card to the player;

(c) dealing at least one card to a dealer;

(d) dealing three concealed community hands, wherein each community hand consists of at least one card;

(e) revealing a first of the three concealed community hands;

(f) the player electing to check or place a first Pick wager to select the first community hand;

(g) revealing a second of the three concealed community hands;

(h) the player electing to check or place a second Pick wager to select the second community hand;

(i) revealing a third of the three concealed community hands;

(j) forming the first player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the third community hand;

(k) if the player placed the first Pick wager, forming a second player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the first community hand;

(l) if the player placed the second Pick wager, forming a third player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the second community hand;

(m) after step (1), the dealer forming a dealer hand comprising (1) the at least one card dealt to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first, second, and third community hands that when combined with the at least one dealer card makes a best dealer hand rank; and

(n) resolving the initial wager and the Pick wagers if placed based on a comparison of the hand ranks of each of the player hands and the dealer hand.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein step (m) is practiced by forming the dealer hand using any combination of the at least one card dealt to the dealer in step (c) and the first, second and third community hands.

41. A method according to claim 39, further comprising requiring the player to place at least one of the first Pick wager and the second Pick wager.

42. A method according to claim 39, further comprising providing an option for the player to place a proposition wager.

43. A method according to claim 42, wherein step (b) is practiced by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein each of the first, second and third community hands consists of one card, the step of providing the proposition wager option being practiced by providing the option for the player to wager on at least the first player hand against a predetermined pay scale.

44. A method according to claim 42, wherein step (b) is practiced by dealing two cards to the player, and wherein each of the first, second and third community hands consists of one card, the step of providing the proposition wager option being practiced by providing the option for the player to wager on a 5-card hand against a predetermined pay scale, the 5-card hand consisting of the two cards dealt to the player and each of the first, second and third community hands.

45. A method according to claim 39, wherein step (b) is practiced by dealing three cards to the player, wherein step (c) is practiced by dealing three cards to the dealer, and wherein each of the first, second and third community hands consists of one card.

46. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

(a) a player placing first and second initial wagers in respective first and second wager areas corresponding to first and second player hands;

(b) dealing at least one card to the player;

(c) dealing at least one card to a dealer;

(d) dealing three concealed community hands, wherein each community hand consists of at least one card;

(e) revealing a first of the three concealed community hands;

(f) the player electing to check or shift one of the first and second initial wagers to a third wager area corresponding to a third player hand;

(g) revealing a second and a third of the three concealed community hands;

(h) forming the first and second player hands each consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the respective community hand designated by the wager area in which the first and second initial wagers are placed;

(i) after step (h), the dealer forming a dealer hand comprising (1) the at least one card dealt to the dealer in step (c), and (2) the one of the first, seconds and third community hands that when combined with the at least one dealer card makes a best dealer hand rank; and

(j) resolving the initial wagers based on a comparison of the hand ranks of each of the player hands and the dealer hand.

47. A method according to claim 46, wherein step (f) is practiced by providing an option for the player to place a Pick wager corresponding to a third player hand consisting of (1) the at least one card dealt to the player in step (b), and (2) the respective community hand designated by the wager area in which the Pick wager is placed, and wherein step (j) is practiced by resolving the Pick wager based on a comparison of the third player hand rank and the dealer hand rank.

48. A method according to claim 46, wherein step (b) is practiced by dealing three cards to the player, wherein step (c) is practiced by dealing three cards to the dealer, and wherein each of the first, second and third community hands consists of one card.