Patent ID: 8708793

Claim:
An improved method for conducting a blackjack-style card game using a processor executing code to send virtual images of playing cards to a video display system at each player position of an electronic video gaming device, the blackjack-style card game being played between a virtual dealer and at least one electronic player position on an electronic video gaming device, according to predetermined rules, utilizing virtual playing cards wherein all face cards of the club, spade, and diamond suits count as ten, aces of the club, spade, and diamond suits count as one or eleven, and all other cards of the club, spade, and diamond suits count as their face value, and wherein all face cards of the heart suit count as negative ten, the ace of hearts counts as negative one or negative eleven, and all other cards of the heart suit count as negative their face value, in which at each player position that receives an initial wager, the processor executing code such that the virtual dealer randomly distributes an initial player position hand of two virtual cards to each player position and two virtual cards to the virtual dealer, the improved method comprising the processor recognizing when it distributes a card of the heart suit to a player position and deducting the appropriate amount from the player position total, and the method comprising the processor recognizing when a player position stands with the two virtual cards received, the processor recognizing when the player position requests an additional card or cards, the processor recognizing when a player position stands with the additional card or cards, the processor recognizing when a player position busts and automatically loses the game according to predetermined rules, the processor recognizing when a player position stands with a winning hand according to predetermined rules, the processor recognizing when the virtual dealer stands according to predetermined rules, the processor recognizing when the virtual dealer hits according to predetermined rules, the processor recognizing when the dealer busts and loses the hand according to predetermined rules, the processor paying a virtual credit or credits to any and all player positions that have been determined to have a winning blackjack hand according to predetermined rules and predetermined payout schedules, the processor collecting a virtual credit or credits from any and all player positions that have been determined to have a losing blackjack hand according to predetermined rules and predetermined payout schedules.