System and method of playing a card game

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention pertains to card games, and, more particularly, to a system and method of playing a card game in which an original hand is evaluated as a composite of multiple hands.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments of the invention will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the accompanying detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 illustrates possible three-card sub-combinations of a five-card hand in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 illustrates possible four-card sub-combinations of a five-card hand; and

#The disclosed embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the playing of a five-card draw poker card game. However, it is to be understood that the system and method of the present invention will have application to other card games, and, more particularly, to card games having a hand of two or more cards where sub-combinations of the cards can be individually evaluated as a hand of cards in addition to the original hand of all of the cards.

#In one embodiment of the invention, an enhancement to five-card draw poker is provided. The enhancement enables the playing of a sub-combination of cards within and in addition to the original hand of cards. For example, the player is dealt five cards. The original five-card hand is evaluated and, in addition, a sub-combination of three cards can be separately evaluated as a three-card hand and, further in addition or in the alternative, a four-card sub-combination is evaluated as a four-card hand. Various other sub-combinations of cards from the original hand can also be played together, such as a sub-combination of a three-card hand and a sub-combination of a four-card hand in addition to the original five-card hand. Winning hands are determined by the ranking of each of the three-card, four-card, and five-card combinations.

#Ideally, the sub-combination of cards is determined in advance. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in an original five-card hand 10 there are ten possible sub-combinations of three-card hands 12a through 12j, with the three-card sub-combinations 12a through 12j shown as an offset shadow of the original card. FIG. 2 illustrates the five possible four-card sub-combination hands 14a-14e that are possible within an original five-card hand 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the original five-card hand is illustrated as an individual row with the four-card sub-combination hand 14a shown as an offset shadow of the original five-card hand 16.