Methods of administering a wagering game based on comparison of straights

A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:

• dealing a first set of cards and a second set of cards face down to respective first and second positions;
• accepting an ante wager from a player associated with the first set of cards;
• allowing the player to inspect the first set of cards;
• allowing the player to fold or place a play wager;
• accepting a play wager from the player;
• comparing a longest straight of the first set of cards with a longest straight of the second set of cards;
• and
• resolving the ante wager and the play wager, comprising paying a payout to the player when the longest straight of the first set of cards is longer than the longest straight of the second set of cards or when the longest straight of the first set of cards is of equal length to the second set of cards and the final card of the longest straight of the first set of cards is higher or equal in rank to the final card of the longest straight of the second set of cards, wherein the payout is a fixed odds payout corresponding to a difference in length between the longest straight of the first set of cards and the longest straight of the second set of cards.

A gaming table for administering a wagering game, comprising:

• a playing surface including at least one player interface for at least one player position;
• and
• at least one processor programmed to:
• accept an ante wager from each participating player;
• process rank information of seven player cards dealt to each participating player;
• receive from each participating player an indication to fold or an indication to place a play wager;
• accept the play wager from at least one participating player;
• process rank information of eight dealer cards dealt to a dealer position;
• identify a longest straight of the seven player cards dealt to each participating player from whom a play wager was accepted;
• identify a longest straight of the eight dealer cards;
• compare the longest straight of the seven player cards dealt to each participating player from whom a play wager was accepted with the longest straight of the eight dealer cards;
• and
• process payment of a payout to each participating player with a longest straight that is longer than the longest straight of the eight dealer cards or that is equal in length to the longest straight of the eight dealer cards and includes a final card that is higher or equal in rank to a final card of the longest straight of the eight dealer cards.

A method of administering a player-banked wagering game over a network, comprising:

• receiving at a user interaction server authorization from players to receive a player-banked ante wager in a player-banked pot;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for seven cards allocated to each player;
• receiving at the user interaction server user instructions from each player to fold or to place a play wager in the player-banked pot;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for eight dealer cards;
• evaluating at a game server a longest straight of the allocated seven cards of each player from whom instructions were received to place a play wager in the player-banked pot;
• evaluating at the game server a longest straight of the eight dealer cards;
• and
• resolving the ante and play wagers by comparing at the game server the longest straight of each player's allocated seven cards with the longest straight of the eight dealer cards, wherein an entire remaining amount in the player-banked pot is awarded to the player or players with the longest straight formed of the greatest number of cards.

A method of administering a play-for-free wagering game over a network, comprising:

• sending from a user interaction server a quantity of valueless wagering elements usable within a predetermined time period to players;
• receiving at the user interaction server authorization from each player to allocate at least one valueless wagering element to an ante wager;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for a set of player cards allocated to each player;
• receiving at the user interaction server an indication from each player to fold or to allocate at least one additional valueless wagering element to a play wager;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for a set of dealer cards;
• evaluating at a game server a longest straight of each player's allocated set of player cards and a longest straight of the set of dealer cards;
• resolving the ante wager and any play wager by comparing at the game server each player's longest straight to the dealer's longest straight, wherein at least one valueless wagering element is awarded to a player achieving a longer straight than the dealer's longest straight or a longest straight of equal length with a higher or tied final card in the player's longest straight compared to a final card of the dealer's longest straight, wherein the number of valueless wagering elements awarded to the player correlates to a difference between the number of cards in the player's longest straight and the number of cards in the dealer's longest straight;
• and
• receiving authorization to redeem a valueless access token at the user interaction server from a player who has exhausted the quantity of valueless wagering elements or determining that the predetermined time period has lapsed for a player who has exhausted the quantity of valueless wagering elements and sending from the user interaction server another quantity of valueless wagering elements usable within another predetermined time period to the player,
• wherein the resolving of the ante wager and any play wager is based on the evaluation of at most straights and final cards of straights.

A method of administering a player-banked wagering game over a network, comprising:

• receiving at a user interaction server authorization from players to receive a first poker wager from each player and sending from the user interaction server an indication that the poker wagers have been added to a first pot;
• receiving at the user interaction server authorization to receive at least one second wager from each player and sending from the user interaction server an indication that the second wagers have been added to a second pot separate from the first pot;
• transferring a rake from at least one of the first and second pots to an account server;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for a set of player cards allocated to each player;
• receiving at the user interaction server user instructions from each player to fold or to place a play wager;
• receiving at the user interaction server authorization from at least one player to receive a play wager and sending from the user interaction server an indication that the play wager has been added to the second pot;
• sending from the user interaction server rank information for a set of dealer cards;
• evaluating at a game server a longest straight of each set of player cards;
• evaluating at the game server a longest straight of the set of dealer cards;
• resolving the ante and any play wagers by comparing at the game server the longest straight of each player who placed ante and play wagers with the longest straight of the set of dealer cards, wherein an entire remaining amount in the first pot is awarded to the player holding the longest straight;
• resolving the at least one second wager by awarding at least a portion of the second pot, less the rake, to a player when the player's longest straight is of a predetermined minimum length;
• and
• distributing at least a portion of the second pot among the players when a predetermined event unrelated to composition of each set of player cards and the set of dealer cards has occurred.