Abstract:
An improved method of playing a twenty-one or blackjack type of game, comprising allowing a player to place an additional bet, the additional bet entitling the player to discard one of the cards initially dealt. The additional bet may be a percentage of the main bet played, and may be lost regardless of whether the player elects to discard one of the two initial cards or elects to keep the two cards originally dealt. The method may be played on a traditional table layout, or on a table layout displayed by an electronic gaming device.

Description:
REFERENCE TO DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT AND PREVIOUSLY FILED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present invention is the same device taught in USPTO Disclosure Document 594402, dated Feb. 1, 2006 and date stamped by the OIPE Feb. 6, 2006, to the same inventor, Ioannis E. Andrianakos, and entitled “NAKOS TWENTY-ONE”. The application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/837,760 filed Aug. 15, 2006 in the name of the same inventor, Ioannis E. Andrianakos, and entitled “NAKOS TWENTY-ONE”, the entire disclosure of which in incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0002]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d). 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates generally to gaming and specifically to twenty-one games. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH 
       [0004]    This invention was not made under contract with an agency of the US Government, nor by any agency of the US Government. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The traditional game of Twenty-One or Blackjack is fairly straightforward and is extremely well known. The cards are assigned numerical values equal to the number of pips on the card, or in the case of face cards, the value ten. The ace is worth one point or eleven points at the player&#39;s discretion. At least one player plays against a dealer. Two cards are dealt, and thereafter the players and the dealer in a series of round may elect to receive an additional card or to stop receiving additional cards. The numerical values of the cards are totaled. When a player/dealer passes the number 21, they are out of the round of the game and forfeit whatever money they bet. When all players are satisfied with their hands, a settlement is made, with the player winning versus the dealer if the player&#39;s cards are closer to 21 than the dealer&#39;s cards. Certain variations are also well known. Among other variations, the player may win automatically if they achieve a “natural 21”, the dealer may be required to obtain an additional card on one numerical total such as 16 but may be required to receive another card on 17, it may be permissible to split two identical cards into two hands, and so on. The family of games related to 21 is quite large and includes a number of related games such as Baccarat and the like. 
         [0006]    The game has traditionally been played with cards at a large table, however in recent years it has been played on an electronic gaming machine or even on devices having spinning reels (slot machines). 
         [0007]    Various references may be found in a search of the US Patent collections. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,879 issued Jul. 29, 2003 to Spur et al teaches a method of playing blackjack with a hit insurance designed to provide payouts based on whether or how a player&#39;s hand gets “hit”, which is a fairly common scheme unrelated to allowing players to draw extra cards. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,209 issued Apr. 18, 1995 to Prerost teaches a card game in the 21 family in which a player may at least elect to take a third card and may then elect to discard the third card if they do not like that card. However, the player lacks the option of getting rid of an extremely bad card from the initial deal of two cards, that is, the player of the game of the &#39;209 patent cannot discard the first or second cards they are dealt. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,162 issued Jan. 28, 1997 to Franklin teaches a Poker game in which the players are given an extra chance to receive replacement cards. Dealing of replacement cards has long been known in Poker, and the structure of play, nature of the wagers and conditions for winning in Poker are extremely dissimilar to those of 21 family games. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,391 issued Aug. 26, 1997 to Klasee teaches a Blackjack type game in which the player is dealt four cards from which to assemble a winning 2-card hand. However, the game does not as such teach the original mechanics of a true Blackjack game, unlike the present invention in which players who elect not to place additional bets may simply play ordinary 21. Nor does it teach the option of paying for extra cards or playing traditional blackjack, rather, the player automatically receives four cards. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,574 issued Feb. 3, 1998 to Hughes teaches a card game method of playing a three card Poker game having certain Blackjack attributes, the game allows a discard along the lines of Poker. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,773 issued Apr. 8, 2003 to Mims teaches a card game in which the player may attempt to assemble a winning two-card Blackjack hand from three cards originally dealt, in a manner similar to the &#39;209 patent referenced herein-above, but again does not teach paying for an extra card as an option or playing traditional blackjack. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,076 issued Mar. 22, 2005 to Moore et al teaches a low ball game unlike 21 type games. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,746 issued Apr. 12, 2005 to Herren et al for a blackjack game teaches a game in which players may elect, after examining their cards, to pay a fee and exchange one or more of the cards with cards from the deck. However, the game does not allow the players to place a secondary bet as to whether they will desire such an exchange: the fee is paid after the player examines their cards, thus increasing the size of the fee the casino must charge for the privilege. 
         [0016]    The game of twenty-one suffers from some drawbacks. One disadvantage of conventional twenty-one is that each round of play consists of only a single hand or a single opportunity to beat the dealer&#39;s hand. When the value of that one hand exceeds 21, the player is out and must await further events. Another disadvantage is that there is a high standard deviation in hands because the number of cards played (two in the initial deal, individual cards thereafter which usually come to a total of only three to four cards), with the result that a player may have a spectacularly bad hand from the very beginning, know this, and be unable to alter the situation. For example, receiving a “four” card on the first deal usually forces the player to suffer with a poor hand. 
         [0017]    Another disadvantage of traditional twenty-one stems from the desire of the casino to maximize profits by encouraging additional opportunities for players to wager (and thus lose) their money. In traditional twenty-one the player normally places a single bet for each round. Thus from the perspective of the gambling establishment, it would be preferable to obtain additional income from each round of play, thus increasing the earnings per hour of the table or gaming device. 
         [0018]    It would be preferable to offer to players of the twenty-one family of games the opportunity to wager additional money each round of play. 
         [0019]    It would further be preferable to offer to players the opportunity to discard bad cards from a hand in the hopes of increasing the value of the hand. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    General Summary 
         [0021]    The present invention teaches an improved method of playing a twenty-one or blackjack type of game, wherein the improvement comprises allowing a player to place an additional bet prior to the initial deal. The additional bet may be a percentage of the value of the original bet, or in fixed stakes games may be a fixed sum originally based on the percentage of the value of the fixed stakes. The additional bet entitles the player to discard one of the two cards initially dealt to them if they so desire. Regardless of the player&#39;s decision to discard or not, the additional bet it lost. Players not taking advantage of the additional bet may play the 21 game according to the normal rules without any change in play. 
         [0022]    By this means, casinos may induce players to bet additional sums on each round of Blackjack type games, and players may have a degree of control over the content their Blackjack hands. In particular, players may use this option to eliminate from their hand a particularly bad card. 
         [0023]    Summary in Reference to Prototypical Claims 
         [0024]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention, in addition to those discussed previously herein, to provide an improved twenty-one game played with a main wager, a player, a standard twenty-one game deal of first and second cards to the player, wherein the improvement comprises:
       a) allowing at least one player to place a side wager of a first value;   b) after such standard twenty-one game deal, allowing each player that has previously placed the side wager of a first value to discard a first card;   c) dealing to each player that has discarded the first card a third card; and   d) collecting the side wager.       
 
         [0029]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game wherein the step d) collecting the side wager further comprises collecting the side wager regardless of whether the player has in fact discarded a first card and been dealt a third card. 
         [0030]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game wherein the first value further comprises: between 5 and 75 percent of such main wager. 
         [0031]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       e) allowing the player to place the side wager at a second value, wherein the second value is greater than the first value;   f) after such standard twenty-one game deal, allowing each player that has previously placed the side wager of a second value to discard the first card and a second card; and   g) dealing to each player that has discarded the second card a fourth card.       
 
         [0035]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       h) allowing the player to make such election of a side wager prior to dealing of each hand.       
 
         [0037]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       i) requiring the player to make such election of a side wager prior to a session of play comprising at least two hands.       
 
         [0039]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       j) providing an electronic gaming device programmed and configured to allow play of the improved blackjack game.       
 
         [0041]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       k) allowing the player to discard a first card chosen from among a first two cards dealt to the player.       
 
         [0043]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       m) allowing the player to discard a first card chosen from among at least one later card optionally dealt to the player after a first two cards has been dealt to the player.       
 
         [0045]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved twenty-one game further comprising:
       n) allowing the player to discard a first card chosen from among any of a plurality of cards dealt to the player.       
 
         [0047]    It is therefore yet another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a table layout for playing twenty-one games, comprising:
       a primary bet are;   a secondary bet area;   a discard area dimensioned and configured to accept cards;   a player card area; and   a dealer card area.       
 
         [0053]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a table layout for playing twenty-one games, further comprising:
       indicia of house rules of blackjack.       
 
         [0055]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a table layout for playing twenty-one games, wherein the indicia of house rules further comprise:
       an indication of a first value allowing the player to discard at least one card to such discard area and receive a replacement card.       
 
         [0057]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a table layout for playing twenty-one games, further comprising:
       an electronic gaming device displaying the table layout.       
 
         [0059]    It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a table layout for playing twenty-one games, further comprising:
       a fabric surface displaying the table layout.       
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0061]      FIG. 1  is a PRIOR ART diagram showing the traditional mechanics of the blackjack family of games. 
           [0062]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are a flow chart of a second method embodiment of the game, the presently preferred embodiment of the game. 
           [0063]      FIG. 3  is a planform view of a third mat layout embodiment of the invention, showing areas of the mat used in the game. 
           [0064]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a fourth gambling machine embodiment of the invention, showing a view of the game during play. 
           [0065]      FIG. 5  is a planform view of a first mat layout embodiment of the invention, showing areas of the mat used in the game. 
       
    
    
     INDEX OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0066]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 WAGER 
                 10 
               
               
                   
                 DEAL 
                 12 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER ACE UP CONDITION 
                 14 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER 2-9 UP CONDITION 
                 16 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER 10 UP CONDITION 
                 18 
               
               
                   
                 NO INSURANCE 
                 20 
               
               
                   
                 PRIOR ART INSURANCE 
                 22 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 24 
               
               
                   
                 NO DEALER BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 26 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 28 
               
               
                   
                 NO DEALER BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 30 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER LOSS/PUSH 
                 32 
               
               
                   
                 WAGER LOSES/INSURANCE WINS 
                 34 
               
               
                   
                 INSURANCE LOSES 
                 36 
               
               
                   
                 NO BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 38 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER BLACKJACK CONDITION 
                 40 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER LOSS/PUSH 
                 42 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER HIT 
                 44 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER STAND 
                 46 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER BREAK 
                 48 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER HAND DETERMINED 
                 50 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER HAND MADE 
                 52 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER BREAK 
                 54 
               
               
                   
                 COMPARE HANDS 
                 56 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER LOSS 
                 58 
               
               
                   
                 PUSH 
                 60 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER WIN 
                 62 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER CARD BOX 
                 101 
               
               
                   
                 PRIMARY BET CIRCLE 
                 103 
               
               
                   
                 SECONDARY BET CIRCLE 
                 105 
               
               
                   
                 DISCARD BOX 
                 107 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER CARD BOX 
                 109 
               
               
                   
                 PLACE ONE OR TWO BETS STEP 
                 202 
               
               
                   
                 INITIAL DEAL 
                 204 
               
               
                   
                 DISCARD 
                 206 
               
               
                   
                 DEAL REPLACEMENT CARD 
                 208 
               
               
                   
                 COLLECT ALL SECONDARY BETS 
                 207 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER BLACKJACK 
                 210 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER BLACKJACK 
                 212, 214 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER WIN, BLACKJACK 
                 215 
               
               
                   
                 PUSH RESULT 
                 216 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER LOSS 
                 218 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER PLAY SUMMARY BOX 
                 220 
               
               
                   
                 SETTLEMENT SUMMARY BOX 
                 222 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER CARD BOX 
                 301 
               
               
                   
                 PRIMARY BET CIRCLE 
                 303 
               
               
                   
                 SECONDARY BET CIRCLE 
                 305 
               
               
                   
                 DISCARD BOX 
                 307 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER CARD BOX 
                 309 
               
               
                   
                 RULES INDICIA 
                 311 
               
               
                   
                 PLAYER CARDS 
                 401 
               
               
                   
                 PRIMARY BET INDICIA 
                 403 
               
               
                   
                 SECONDARY BET INDICIA 
                 405 
               
               
                   
                 DISCARDED CARD 
                 407 
               
               
                   
                 DEALER CARDS 
                 409 
               
               
                   
                 GAME MACHINE 
                 413 
               
               
                   
                 SCREEN 
                 415 
               
               
                   
                 GAME CONTROLS 
                 417 
               
               
                   
                 CASH/CARD ACCEPTOR 
                 419 
               
               
                   
                 CASH DISPENSER 
                 421 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0067]      FIG. 1  is a PRIOR ART diagram after the &#39;879 reference, showing the traditional mechanics of the blackjack family of games. It may be seen that after an initial wager and deal ( 10 ,  12 ) the dealer&#39;s card condition ( 14 ,  16 ,  18 ) may offer the player the option to buy “insurance”  22  against the possibility of a dealer blackjack ( 24 ,  28 ,  40 ). If the player buys insurance and the dealer achieves a blackjack, the insurance bet wins at  34 . If the blackjack occurs, the regular bet then loses or pushes ( 32 ,  42 ). If no blackjack occurs for the dealer at  26 ,  30 ,  38 , then play proceeds to a series of rounds in which the player may hit  44  or stand  46 , leading to either a player break at  48 , a dealer break at  54 , or determination and comparison of the hands at  50  and  56 . Thereafter, settlement of the wager may be made by comparison of the two hands ( 58 ,  60 ,  62 ). 
         [0068]    It may be seen that this PRIOR ART process may be divided into a number of phases, depending on what is happening in the hand. The wager and deal are self-explanatory, however, the dealer&#39;s card/cards may lead to an early resolution of the hand based primarily on the dealer&#39;s hand. The traditional  21  insurance bet is made at this time, as indicated on  FIG. 1 , in a phase of play which is shoe-homed in between the dealer&#39;s first card and the early resolution. (But which may not occur at all depending on the dealer&#39;s hand.) 
         [0069]    It will immediately be seen that in the PRIOR ART diagram  FIG. 1 , there is no side bet made by the player which relates to the player&#39;s cards, nor any side bet which allows the player to in effect “discard” and try for a better card. The present invention on the other hand, does allow player discards. 
         [0070]    Table 1 offers an available statement of the known, prior art rules of Blackjack. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE ONE 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1. 
                 WINNING HANDS AND POINT VALUES 
               
               
                   
                 Blackjack is played in a series of rounds, during which each player/dealer receives a 
               
               
                   
                 hand. 
               
               
                   
                 Blackjack hands with the highest totals win if they don&#39;t exceed 21, while a hand with a 
               
               
                   
                 higher total than 21 is “bust”. Hands of a value of exactly 21 win amounts above the 
               
               
                   
                 amount bet: a two-card hand of 21 is called a “blackjack” or a “natural”, and is an 
               
               
                   
                 automatic winner and pays 3:2 rather than the 1:1 that other winning hands pay. 
               
               
                   
                 Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value (2 through 10), while face cards (i.e. jack, 
               
               
                   
                 queen, and king) are worth 10 each. The value of an ace is 11 or 1. (Hands in which an 
               
               
                   
                 ace&#39;s value is being counted as 11 is called soft hands and are advantageous to the player 
               
               
                   
                 holding them.) 
               
               
                   
                 The goal of each player individually is to beat the dealer, not the other players by having 
               
               
                   
                 the higher hand total value under 22. If the player busts, they lose even if the dealer also 
               
               
                   
                 busts and this is the casino&#39;s major house advantage. On the other hand, if the player and 
               
               
                   
                 the dealer have the same point value in their hands neither the player nor the dealer wins 
               
               
                   
                 the hand (a “push”). 
               
               
                 2. 
                 THE INITIAL DEAL 
               
               
                   
                 After main wagers or primary wagers are placed on the outcome of the hand, the dealer 
               
               
                   
                 deals two cards to each player and to him/her self. One of the dealer&#39;s two cards is face- 
               
               
                   
                 up so all the players can see it, and the other is face down. (The “hole card”.) 
               
               
                 3. 
                 PLAY OF THE ROUND AND SETTLEMENT 
               
               
                   
                 If after the deal the dealer has a blackjack, all the players who don&#39;t have a blackjack lose 
               
               
                   
                 immediately, terminating the round of play. If a player has a blackjack and the dealer 
               
               
                   
                 doesn&#39;t, the player wins automatically and other players keep playing the round. If the 
               
               
                   
                 player and dealer both have a blackjack, the player neither wins nor loses their bet, i.e. a 
               
               
                   
                 “push” occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 If and only if the dealer does not have a natural 21 on his first two cards, the players/ 
               
               
                   
                 dealer finally play out their hands as follows: the player may “stand” by taking no more 
               
               
                   
                 cards, “hit” thus taking another card, double down, or split a pair. Note that in variants, 
               
               
                   
                 the player may “surrender”, losing half their bet. 
               
               
                   
                 House rules normally specify if the dealer stands or hits for given combinations of cards. 
               
               
                   
                 If the dealer “busts” then all surviving players of that round win. 
               
               
                 4. 
                 VARIATIONS 
               
               
                   
                 Obviously there a numerous variations, some dealing with the nature of the bet itself or 
               
               
                   
                 the handling of the cards. Payouts may be different than 3:2 or 1:1, surrender may be 
               
               
                   
                 offered, or in one common scheme, the player may be offered an “insurance” bet that the 
               
               
                   
                 dealer&#39;s hole card is a ten value card if the dealer&#39;s card showing is an ace. 
               
               
                   
                 END OF TABLE ONE 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0071]    It may be seen that the rules of Blackjack do not include a discard option, which would allow a player to discard one card from their hand. Since certain cards are bad for the player&#39;s odds of winning while other cards are good for the player&#39;s odds of winning, discarding a poor card would offer a player a powerful way to increase their odds of winning. More importantly, it would offer the player genuine control over the course of the hand. 
         [0072]      FIG. 5  is a planform view of a first mat layout embodiment of the invention, showing areas of the mat used in the game. The layout may be electronically generated on an electronic gaming device, or it may be a fabric mat on a table or a mat of other material and so on. Player card box  101  may be used to demarcate the location to which the dealer will deal the player&#39;s cards, just as in known versions of 21 games. Similarly, primary bet circle  103  may hold the player&#39;s bet. 
         [0073]    Unlike known versions of Blackjack and 21 type games, secondary bet circle  105  may be used by the player&#39;s to place the secondary or additional bet of the present invention. This bet may be a percentage such as 20% of the original or primary bet, however, the percentage may vary depending upon house rules, and thus could range as high as 75% or as low as 5%. The bet will be lost regardless of the player&#39;s decision whether to discard or not. 
         [0074]    Discard box  107  is also unique to the invention. In play, a player that has elected the secondary bet for the round being played may select one of their original two cards and discard that card into discard box  107 . The dealer, seeing a card in the discard box and a bet in the secondary bet area, will know that a third or replacement card is required and may deal it. In variations of the game, the player may discard both cards (desirable if for example the player had been dealt a “2” and a “4”), or may even discard a later card rather than one of the first two cards of the hand. However, these embodiments will alter the odds of play and the cost of the additional bet as a percentage of the primary bet. In embodiments, the player may even have different levels of secondary bet available as options: for example, a wager of 20% of the original bet may allow discarding one card, 30% may allow discard of 2 cards, and 40% may allow discard of any card, even a later dealt card. In the preferred embodiment and best mode now contemplated, these options are not necessary to play. 
         [0075]    Dealer card box  109  may be used normally to mark the dealer&#39;s cards, that is, the 21 hand the players will be required to beat individually. 
         [0076]    In variants of the game, the dealer may be allowed or required to place the secondary bet as well, this will obviously alter the odds of play and cost of the additional bet as a percentage of the primary bet. In the presently preferred embodiment and best mode now contemplated, the dealer is NOT allowed to make use of the discard aspect of the present invention, only the players may elect to do so. 
         [0077]    In the preferred embodiments, the player may make an election for each and every new hand, prior to the initial deal. However, in alternative embodiments, the player may be required to make an election that lasts for a session of play or for a specific number of hands, or another factor may be used to determine how long the discard option lasts. 
         [0078]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are a flow chart of a second method embodiment of the game, the presently preferred embodiment of the game, designed to highlight the new aspects of the game beginning at step  206 . 
         [0079]    In the presently preferred embodiment and best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention, a series of steps are carried out in order. Place one or two bets (step  202 ) is the opportunity for the player to place both the regular 21 or Blackjack bet, and also the secondary bet of the present invention. 
         [0080]    Initial deal  204  follows in traditional fashion, however, the invention teaches that the player may then discard one or more cards at step  206 , thus offering the opportunity to the player to improve the quality of the hand substantially. For those players who elected the secondary bet and further elected the discard, the next step  208  is the deal of a replacement card, or multiple replacements if embodiments allow discard of more than one card. The preferred embodiment allows discard of a single card. 
         [0081]    Collection of all secondary bets at step  207  allows the house to then collect all the secondary bets made, regardless of the players&#39; decisions to discard or not. That is, a player achieving good initial cards (for example a pair of 10&#39;s or a natural 21) would receive no benefit from the secondary bet (since they would be highly unlikely to discard from a favorable hand) but would nonetheless have their secondary bet collected by the house. 
         [0082]    From this point on, play may follow a traditional sequence or may follow an alternative sequence if the discard option of the invention is combined with other innovations. 
         [0083]    At step  210 , the dealer&#39;s cards are examined for a potential blackjack, and play may proceed in either one of two directions. If the dealer has a natural 21, then the players&#39; who have also achieved a natural 21 (step  214 ) will “push” and the player will not win but will not lose their primary bet (step  216 ). (Those players who do not also have a natural 21 will lose, steps  218 ). 
         [0084]    More frequently, the dealer will not have a natural 21, and the play will proceed to step  212 , in which the players having a natural blackjack will win (step  215 ), normally an amount more than the original bet. 
         [0085]    Player play summary step  220  shows the player&#39;s various options in the event that neither the dealer nor the player has a natural 21. As outlined previously in Table One, the player may hit, stand, double-down and so on as allowed by house rules. The dealer will do so as well, again according to house rules such as “hit on 16 or less, stand on 17 or more”. Settlement summary box  222  shows the final results: those player hands greater than the dealer&#39;s final hand win an amount equal to the first bet, those less lose the first bet. The secondary bet may not be implicated in later play of the game after the showing of cards and decisions to hit, stand and so on are made: that bet is lost automatically at step  207 . However, the player&#39;s ability to discard a bad card such as a “4” may alter the player&#39;s chances of winning in the later action. 
         [0086]      FIG. 3  is a planform view of a third mat layout embodiment of the invention, showing areas of the mat used in the game. Player card box  301 , primary bet circle  303 , secondary bet circle  305 , discard box  307  and dealer card box  309  are much as previously described. Rules indicia  311  may be included on the mat. In particular, in preferred embodiments, the rules indicia may comprise a statement of the cost of the secondary bet paid in order to achieve the right to discard a card. This statement may specify either an amount or a percentage of the main/primary bet. Examples of the rules indicia  311  include: “Discard bet: 40%”, “Secondary bet: 15$”, “Safe drop bet is 20% of main bet”, “Safety net bet: +25%” and so on. 
         [0087]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a fourth gambling machine embodiment of the invention, showing a view of the game during play. 
         [0088]    Player cards  401  and primary bet indicia  403  may inform the player of their cards and the amount of their primary bet, while secondary bet indicia  405  may inform the player if they have made such a bet or if the cost of one if they wish to make such a bet. 
         [0089]    Discarded card  407  may display either a blank space, a card back pattern, nothing, or may “tease” the player by displaying the card they discarded. 
         [0090]    Dealer cards  409  may be shown at the appropriate times of play. 
         [0091]    Game machine  413  may physically comprise visible elements screen  415 , game controls  417 , cash/card acceptor  419 , cash dispenser  421  and various elements not visible including a CPU unit, memory, non-volatile data storage devices, anti-fraud devices, locks, doors into the cabinet and so on. 
         [0092]    The disclosure is provided to allow practice of the invention by those skilled in the art without undue experimentation, including the best mode presently contemplated and the presently preferred embodiment. Nothing in this disclosure is to be taken to limit the scope of the invention, which is susceptible to numerous alterations, equivalents and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be understood from the claims.