Game of skill and chance

Claim 1

A method of playing a game of skill and chance, comprising the steps of: utilizing playing pieces, singly and in combination, which are capable of establishing an order of prevalence that enables a selection of one or more of the playing pieces to prevail over another selection of one or more of the playing pieces; furnishing a first randomly selected set of a predetermined quantity of the playing pieces to a first player whose responsibility is to separate the first set into first and second hands comprising subsets of the pieces; furnishing at least a second randomly selected set of the playing pieces, in the same quantity as that furnished to the first player, to at least a second player whose responsibility is to separate the second set into first and second hands comprising subsets of the pieces; comparing the first hands of the players to determine an order of prevalence or a tie therebetween and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event one of said first hands prevails over an other of said first hands, the player with the prevailing first hand wins and the second hand of the losing player is disregarded; in the event of a tie, comparing the second hands of the players to determine an order of prevalence or a tie therebetween and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the players; and in the event of a tie between the second hands, determining the outcome according to a predetermined rule.

Claim 2

A method of playing a game of skill and chance, comprising the steps of: utilizing playing pieces, singly and in combination, which are capable of establishing an order of prevalence that enables a selection of one or more of the playing pieces to prevail over another selection of one or more of the playing pieces; furnishing a first randomly selected set of a predetermined quantity of the playing pieces to a first player whose responsibility is to separate the first set into first and second hands comprising subsets of the pieces; furnishing at least a second randomly selected set of the playing pieces, in the same quantity as that furnished to the first player, to at least a second player whose responsibility is to separate the second set into first and second hands comprising subsets of the pieces; comparing the first hands of the players to determine an order of prevalence or a tie therebetween and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event one of said first hands prevails over an other of said first hands, the player with the prevailing first hand wins and the second hand of the losing player is disregarded; in the event of a tie, comparing the second hands of the players to determine an order of prevalence or a tie therebetween and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the players; and in the event of a tie between the second hands, determining the outcome according to a predetermined rule.

Claim 21

A method of playing a game of skill and chance utilizing a first set of rules to determine the initial outcome and a second set of rules to determine the outcome in the event the initial outcome is a tie, requiring a minimum of four persons, comprising the steps of: utilizing playing pieces which are capable of establishing an order of prevalence singly and in combination whose aggregate enables a set of one or more of the playing pieces to prevail over another set of one or more of the playing pieces under the first and second sets of rules; naming one of the persons as dealer of the playing pieces, and the remaining persons as players from whom one will be selected as an action player and another as a banker; selecting an action player and a banker from the remaining persons; placing wagers respectively by the players, including the banker, the banker placing wager step being limited by the banker to a maximum amount of wager which he is willing to risk; the dealer furnishing randomly selected sets of a predetermined quantity of the playing pieces to each of the players whose responsibility is to separate the first sets of playing pieces into first and second hands comprising subsets of the first sets of the playing pieces, at least some of said playing pieces in each set being initially viewable only by the player to whom that set was furnished and thereby hidden from all other players; the dealer exposing all hidden playing pieces in the hands of the banker and, exposing all hidden playing pieces in at least the first hand of the action player; using the first set of rules, comparing the first hands of the banker and the action player to determine an order of prevalence or a tie between the first hands and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event that the banker's first hand prevails against the action player's first hand, giving the amount of the action player's wager to the banker, at which time, the second hand of the action player is disregarded and play passes to a subsequent player; in the event that the action player's first hand prevails against the banker's first hand, giving an amount, equal to the amount of the action player's wager but not exceeding the maximum amount of the banker's wager, from the banker's wager to the action player, at which time, play passes to a subsequent player, provided the maximum amount of the banker's wager has not been reached; and in the event of a tie, the dealer exposing the hidden playing pieces in the second hand of the action player and, using the second set of rules, comparing the second hands of the action player and the banker to determine an order of prevalence between the second hands and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event of a tie between the second hands, the dealer declaring the outcome according to predetermined rules, and distributing the amount of the banker and action player's wagers accordingly and, at which time, play passes to a subsequent player, provided the maximum amount of the banker's wager has not been reached; and the dealer terminating play when all of the players have played to the determination of an outcome or the maximum amount of the banker's wager has been reached.

Claim 22

A method of playing a game of skill and chance utilizing a first set of rules to determine the initial outcome and a second set of rules to determine the outcome in the event the initial outcome is a tie, requiring a minimum of four persons, comprising the steps of: utilizing playing pieces which are capable of establishing an order of prevalence singly and in combination whose aggregate enables a set of one or more of the playing pieces to prevail over another set of one or more of the playing pieces under the first and second sets of rules; naming one of the persons as dealer of the playing pieces, and the remaining persons as players from whom one will be selected as an action player and another as a banker; selecting an action player and a banker from the remaining persons; placing wagers respectively by the players, including the banker, the banker placing wager step being limited by the banker to a maximum amount of wager which he is willing to risk; the dealer furnishing randomly selected sets of a predetermined quantity of the playing pieces to each of the players whose responsibility is to separate the first sets of playing pieces into first and second hands comprising subsets of the first sets of the playing pieces, at least some of said playing pieces in each set being initially viewable only by the player to whom that set was furnished and thereby hidden from all other players; the dealer exposing all hidden playing pieces in the hands of the banker and, exposing all hidden playing pieces in at least the first hand of the action player; using the first set of rules, comparing the first hands of the banker and the action player to determine an order of prevalence or a tie between the first hands and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event that the banker's first hand prevails against the action player's first hand, giving the amount of the action player's wager to the banker, at which time, the second hand of the action player is disregarded and play passes to a subsequent player; in the event that the action player's first hand prevails against the banker's first hand, giving an amount, equal to the amount of the action player's wager but not exceeding the maximum amount of the banker's wager, from the banker's wager to the action player, at which time, play passes to a subsequent player, provided the maximum amount of the banker's wager has not been reached; and in the event of a tie, the dealer exposing the hidden playing pieces in the second hand of the action player and, using the second set of rules, comparing the second hands of the action player and the banker to determine an order of prevalence between the second hands and thereby to determine if there is a winner and loser or a tie between the two; in the event of a tie between the second hands, the dealer declaring the outcome according to predetermined rules, and distributing the amount of the banker and action player's wagers accordingly and, at which time, play passes to a subsequent player, provided the maximum amount of the banker's wager has not been reached; and the dealer terminating play when all of the players have played to the determination of an outcome or the maximum amount of the banker's wager has been reached.