Patent ID: 8413989

Claim:
A method of playing a wagering game, comprising: providing an electronic gaming machine configured to display images of playing cards on a display screen; providing a non-transitory computer readable medium coded with instructions and executed by a processor to perform the steps of: providing the mathematical equivalent of at least one deck of 52 playing cards; providing a graphical representation of a game playing surface on the display screen; providing a graphical representation of a dealer location and at least one player location within the playing surface on the display screen; receiving a first wager from a player; dealing three cards from the deck to the player location to form an initial three-card hand, arranging all three cards of the initial three-card hand face up on the playing surface; dealing two cards from the deck to the dealer location to form an initial dealer two-card hand, arranging one card from the initial two-card hand face up on the playing surface and the other card face down on the playing surface; determining a total point value of the dealer's initial two card hand; resolving the game in favor of the dealer when the total point value of the dealer's initial two-card hand is twenty-one; when the total point value of the dealer's initial two-card hand is anything other than twenty-one, then inviting the player to choose a game hand; after said inviting step, requiring the player choose between the steps of standing, hitting, doubling-down and surrendering each game hand as per the traditional rules of blackjack; turning the face down card of the dealer's initial two-card hand to a face up position on the playing surface; resolving each wager received from the player according to conventional rules of black jack; determining a player's response to said inviting step; when the player accepts the invitation of said inviting step, said inviting step includes player options of keeping the initial three-card hand as a single game hand and breaking down the initial three-card hand into multiple distinct game hands, wherein said step of breaking down the initial three-card hand includes player options selected from a plurality of player options including at least A) separating the initial three-card hand into two game hands comprised of one and two cards respectively, forfeiting the first wager, and receiving from the player a second wager and a third wager, and B) separating the initial three-card hand into three game hands comprised of one card respectively, retaining in play the first wager, and receiving from the player a second wager and a third wager; and determining the player options that are selected by the player.