Patent ID: 6543774
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
A method of playing a card game with a plurality of players comprising the steps of:a) providing a deck of tangible or computer generated cards further comprising a four by thirteen array wherein four different suits are arranged in ascending order by numerical indicia wherein each suit has thirteen cards corresponding in value from 1 to 13 respectively; b) selecting an initial dealer from the highest card cut from the deck of cards in live, face-to-face play, or from the player with the highest player rating points among the on-line players of the game; c) randomly shuffling the deck so as to mix the array of cards; d) designating at most one suit as trump; e) awarding each player nine lives; f) beginning a round of play by dealing a first hand of 13 cards to each player from the shuffled array; g) applying means for determining whether a misdeal has occurred; h) each player bidding on a number of tricks they believe will be taken with their hand, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer and continuing in a clockwise direction until the dealer has placed their bid; i) assigning a trick as a set of four cards played, one from each player; j) assigning a value of one point per each trick taken up to the last trick; k) assigning a two point value to the last trick taken, l) limiting the dealer's bid to be a bid which when added to the three previous bids would not total 14, unless any prior player bids 14 tricks or all three prior players bid zero tricks, in which case the dealer can bid any number of tricks; m) opening play by the first player to bid, by playing a card from any suit other than trump, unless trump is the only suit in the player's hand, wherein play continues in clockwise sequence wherein each successive player must play a card following the suit led and wherein the trick is taken by the player playing the highest card value of the respective suit, unless in the sequence of play the lowest valued card is played immediately after the highest valued card in the suit, wherein the lowest valued card takes the trick under a â€œhaloâ€  rule, or unless the player does not have any remaining cards in the suit led, in which they must play a trump suit card, wherein the trick is taken by the player playing the highest value trump suit card, or unless the player does not have trump or cards in the suit led, in which they may play any card of the other two suits; n) repeating steps e) through k) until each player has played all the cards in their hand and all the tricks have been taken, wherein no player may lead with trump unless trump has been discarded in a previous round of play or unless trump is all that remain in the lead player's hand; o) awarding each player points based upon the accuracy of their bid from a point total of thirty-six, wherein first place is awarded twelve points, second place is awarded ten points, third place is awarded eight points, and fourth place is awarded six points, and wherein the case of tied bidding accuracy, the points for each place are added and are shared equally between or among the tied players; p) deducting lives from each player's nine lives based upon one life lost for each over trick or under trick from the number of tricks bid by the player; q) awarding the lowest finish remaining to any player losing all nine lives, wherein in case of tied losses of lives, employing a predetermined means for lowest finish tie breaking; r) totaling the point totals for each player; and s) repeating steps f) through q) until all players have established finish positions in the game wherein the first player to reach 100 points with at least one life remaining is awarded the first place finish, wherein in case of tied point totals, employing predetermined means for tie breaking.