The present invention relates to card games and in particular card games such as Blackjack, Baccarat or Poker, in which two or more cards are dealt to a player's hand and two or more cards are dealt to a dealer's hand, the player's hand being compared to the dealer's hand decide the outcome of the game. Depending on the actual game the player's hand and the dealer's hand may comprise only the initial two or more cards dealt to the hand or may comprise additional individual cards or common cards.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a card game comprises the steps of;

providing a playing area divided into a plurality of player areas;

at least one player placing a bet in a bet area of one of said player areas to participate in the game;

a dealer dealing two or more cards to the or each player's player area and two or more cards to the dealer;

the or each player having the option to stand on the original two or more cards dealt to the player's player area or place an additional exchange bet in an exchange bet area of the player's player area, to exchange at least one of the two or more cards originally dealt to the player area for an equal number of new cards;

the dealer standing on the original two or more cards dealt to the dealer if the value of said cards is equal to or above a pre-determined minimum value or exchanging one or more cards for an equal number of new cards if the value of the initial cards dealt to the dealer is below the per-determined minimum value;

the or each player's completed hand comprising the originally dealt cards and any exchange cards, plus any additional individual or common cards being compared to the dealer's completed hand comprising the originally dealt cards and any exchange cards, plus any additional individual or common cards, to determine the outcome of the initial bet and any exchange bet.

The incorporation of an exchange element introduces additional skill factors in what have hitherto tended to be games of pure chance or games with a very small element of skill. According to one embodiment the player, upon placing an exchange bet, may exchange any number of cards up to one less that the original number of cards.

The exchange bet is preferably equal to the initial bet placed by the player.

The player preferably discards the card or cards he wishes to exchange before the cards are exchanged, the player for example discarding the card or cards at the same time as placing his exchange bet. The invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the

accompanying drawing in which figure 1 illustrates a playing area for a card game in accordance with the present invention.

As illustrated in figure 1 the playing area 10 is divided into a plurality of player areas 12, each player area 12 having an area 14 in which an individual player hand may be dealt, a bet area 16 and a exchange bet area 18. The playing area 10 also includes an area 20 in which a dealer's hand may be dealt.

According to one embodiment based on Three Card Draw Poker, each player wishing to participate in the game places a bet in area 16 of a player area 12, each player selecting a different player area 12.

From a single deck of cards, the dealer then deals three cards face down to areas 14 of the playing areas 12 of each participating player and three cards face down to himself in area 20.

Each player then has the option of standing with the original three cards dealt to the player's player area 12 or to exchange one card. If the player wishes to exchange he must first place an exchange bet equal to his initial bet in exchange bet area 18 of his player area 12 and discard the card or cards he wishes to exchange. The dealer collects all discards and deals in turn the replacement cards, in turn to each of the players placing an exchange bet.

If the original three cards dealt to the dealer produce a (three-card) Flush, Straight, Straight- Flush or Three of a Kind, the dealer must retain all three cards. Otherwise the Dealer must discard one card retaining a two-card drawing hand using the following criteria in priority order:

Two Cards to be Retained:-

1. Keep Pair;

2. Keep two cards to a Straight-Flush draw, (holding 2-3, 2-4, Q-K, K-A (Suited connectors));

3. Keep two to a Open-Ended Straight draw (holding 2-3, 3-4, ...9-10, J-Q, Q-K);

4. Keep two to a Flush draw (holding two same-suit cards);

5. Keep two to the highest possible Inside Straight (holding: A-2, 2-4, .., J-K, K-A).

6. Keep the two highest cards.

The completed hand of each Player, comprising all three original cards or two original cards and one exchanged card, is then compared with the Dealer's completed hand comprising all three original cards or two original cards and one exchanged card. If the Player's completed hand is of higher rank than that of the Dealer in ascending order:

High Card

Pair

Flush

Straight

Three of a Kind

Straight Flush

Royal Flush the player will win and the player's initial bet is paid out at specified odds, for example the player's initial bet is paid out at odds of 1 to 1 and any exchange bet is paid out at odds in accordance with the following table:-

Player's completed hand of two Odds

original cards and one exchange

card

Royal Flush 25 to 1 Straight Flush 5 to 1

Three of a Kind 4 to 1

Straight, 2 to 1

Flush or Pair 1 to 1

Other Push

In an alternative embodiment based on Three-Card Low Ball Draw Poker the game is played in the same manner as Three Card Draw Poker as described above, the winning hand is however the hand of lower value, the lowest possible hand being 4-2-A unsuited.

In this alternative embodiment, the dealer must stand with Queen high or lower. Otherwise dealer must exchange a single card using the following criteria in priority order:

1. With three of a kind discard any card.

2. With Flush, Straight or Straight-Flush discard highest card.

3. With Pair discard one of the pair

4. With King high discard King

The completed hand of each player is then compared with the dealer's completed hand. If the player's completed hand is of higher rank than the dealer's completed hand, in the ascending order:

Straight Flush;

Three of a kind;

Straight;

Flush;

Pair;

High Card;

the player will win and the player's initial bet is paid out at specified odds.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention based Five Card Stud Draw Poker, each player wishing to participate in the game places a bet in area 16 of a player area 12, each player selecting a different player area 12. Five cards are dealt face down to the playing area 12 of each participating player and five cards are dealt face down to the dealer in area 20, from a deck comprising a single deck of cards.

The player has the option of standing on the original cards or placing an exchange bet equal to his initial bet and exchanging one card, the player discarding the card he wishes to exchange before being dealt replacement card or stay with his original five cards.

The dealer must keep all five cards with a Straight or higher. Otherwise the dealer must discard one, two or three cards using the following criteria in priority order:

1. Keep four to a Straight-Flush draw, exchanging one card.

2. Keep four to a Flush draw, exchanging one card.

3. Keep four to an Open-ended Straight draw, exchanging one card.

4. Keep three of a kind; exchanging two cards.

5. Keep a Pair, exchanging three cards.

5. Keep four to a (higher) Middle-pin Straight draw, exchanging one card.

6 Keep two highest cards, exchanging three cards.

The completed five card hand of each player is then compared with the dealer's completed five card. If the player's completed hand is of higher rank than the dealer's completed hand, in the descending order:

Royal Flush Ace-King-Queen- Jack -Ten Same Suit;

Straight Flush Five same suited cards in sequence;

Four of a kind Four same ranked cards;;

Full House Three same ranked cards and a pair;

Flush Five same suited cards (not in sequence);

Straight Five cards in sequence (mixed suits);

Three of a kind Three same ranked cards;

Two Pairs ;

One Pair;

High card;

the player will win and the player's initial bet and any exchange bet will be paid out at specified odds. According to another embodiment of the present invention based on Texas Hold'em Poker each player wishing to participate in the game places a bet in area 16 of a player area 12, each player selecting a different player area 12.

From a single deck of cards, the dealer then deals two personal cards face down to the player area 12 of each participating player and two cards face down to the dealer in box 20.

Each player then has the option of standing on the original two personal cards dealt to him or placing an exchange bet in area 18 of his player area 12 and exchanging one of the two original personal cards, the player discarding the card be wishes to exchange before being dealt a replacement card.

After all participating players have stood or exchanged a card, the two cards dealt to the dealer are exposed. The dealer must keep both original cards when both are higher than 9 or same ranked. Otherwise the dealer must exchange one card, discarding the lower ranked card retaining the higher ranked card.

The dealer then deals five community cards face up.

The best five card poker hand of each player, made up from the five community cards and two remaining personal cards is then compared with the dealer's best poker hand made up from the five community cards and the remaining two dealer's cards. If the player's best poker hand is of higher rank than the dealer's best poker hand, in the descending order

Royal Flush Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten Same Suit;

Straight Flush Five same suited cards in sequence;

Four of a kind Four same ranked cards;

Full House Three same ranked cards and a pair;

Flush Five same suited cards (not in sequence);

Straight Five cards in sequence (mixed suits);

Three of a kind Three same ranked cards; Two Pairs;

One Pair;

High card;

the player will win and the player's initial bet and any exchange bet will be paid out at specified odds, for example the player's initial bet is paid at odds of 1 to 1 and any exchange bet made by the player is paid in accordance with the following pay table:-

According to an embodiment of the game based on Baccarat the dealer deals three cards to each player and the dealer, from eight decks of cards which have been shuffled together. Standard Baccarat point-count rules apply, card values being aggregated and the last digit only being used to provide the point count of the hand.

Each player has the option of standing on the original three cards or paying an exchange bet equal to an initial bet made by the player to participate in the game, in order to exchange one card, the player discarding the card he wishes to exchange before being dealt a replacement card.

After all the players have stood or replaced a card, the dealer must stand with six to nine points. With five or fewer points dealer must exchange one card keeping the two cards making the highest point, for example if the dealer's original cards are 7-8-9, the hand value is 4 (24 last digit=4), the dealer must exchange one card, keeping the 8 and 9; with 10-8-4 hand value is 2 and the dealer must keep the 10 and 8 drawing a further card to replace the 4. If on comparison of each player's completed hand comprising all three original cards or two original cards and one exchange card with the dealer's completed hand comprising all three original cards or two original cards and one exchange card, the player's hand has a greater value than the dealer's hand, the player wins and the player's initial bet and exchange bet if any, are paid at specified odds.

According to an embodiment of the game based on Blackjack each player wishing to participate in the game places a bet in area 16 of a player area 12, each player selecting a different player area 12.

The dealer then deals two cards face up to each player and two cards one face up the other face down to the dealer, from six decks of cards which have been shuffled together.

Each player has the option of standing on the original two cards dealt to him or placing an exchange bet equal to his initial bet, to replace the second (Top) card dealt to his hand.. After standing or exchanging his second card the player plays his hand according to the standard rules of Blackjack, standing on the remaining two cards, spliting if appropriate, doubling or drawing additional cards. After all the players have completed play of their hand, the dealer exposes his second (Hole) card. If dealer's two cards make 14 to 17, the dealer must exchange his Hole card. With all other totals the dealer must play with the original two cards dealt to him. The dealer's hand is then played according to standard rules of Blackjack.

If the completed hand of each player is 21 or less and higher than the dealer's, or if the player's hand is 21 or less and the dealer's hand exceeds 21 , then the player wins and his initial bet and exchange bet if any, are paid at specified odds.

According to a variation of the game based on blackjack described above, the player may only place an exchange bet and exchange the second card dealt to him if the total of the original two cards dealt to him is 12 or higher. Various modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention described above. For example the number of decks used to play the game may be varied and a card or cards may be added to or removed from the deck or decks in use. The game may be played with a joker added to the deck or decks with pre-designated values as a limited or unlimited wild card. Alternatively a version of the game may be played with a pre-nominated card (e.g. 2 of Clubs) or cards (e.g. one eyed-jacks) designated as limited or unlimited wild cards.

The number of cards the player may exchange may be varied. The value of the exchange bet may be different to the initial bet. The ranking table relating to the version of game in play may be varied. The player and/or dealer may have more that one opportunity of exchanging cards, the player each time placing an exchange bet.

A progressive or jackpot side-game may be included in which a player who exercises his exchange option, doubles or otherwise increase the value of his bet on the side-game.

A version of the game may be played with bonus payments made either with or without a side or subsidiary bet for achieving a pre-designated hand or better or for losing to the dealer with a pre-designated hand or better (bad-beat).

The game or any variation thereof may be played in electronic form, by remote betting, on the world wide web, on the internet, on a local area or remote network, with virtual or part- virtual components, on video screens, using computer programs, interactive television, by way of scratch-card or lottery or as a family or fun game or any combination thereof.

The playing area may be defined by any material, whether real, virtual, artificially illuminated or otherwise.