Sometime ago, I invented and patented Finnish 27, a new family of table-card games. Poker-Like Finnish 27 is a subset of this new family of table-card games. Poker-Like Finnish 27 combines the number adding activity of target-numerical sum games with the pattern recognizing activity of Poker games to create a unique hybrid.

The first step to playing is. The host must provide a suitable table and at least one deck of playing cards. All player must agree to play in accordance with a predetermined set of game rules. I wrote about the predetermined set of game rules elsewhere on this website. According to these predetermined set of game rules, the following is true. People play the game with at least one deck of playing cards. Each deck of playing cards is composed of 13 ranks of each of four french suits plus two jokers. The playing cards bear Finnish style markings. The Finnish style markings are essentially the same as the markings seen on the ubiquitous Anglo-American style playing cards with the following notable exceptions. The Finnish style of markings denotes the ranks of Face cards and Ace cards with numbers rather than letters. The predetermined set of game rules assigns a numeric value to each playing card. The numeric values correspond closely to numbers appearing on the playing cards. Accordingly, the Finnish style of markings denotes the rank of Jack with a number 11 and the numeric value of each Jack is 11. The Finnish style of markings denotes the rank of Queen with a number 12 and the numeric value of each Queen is 12. The Finnish style of markings denotes the rank of King with a number 13 and the numeric value of each King is 13. The Finnish style of markings denotes the rank of Ace with a number 1 and the numerical value of each Ace is selected from a set of numeric values. The set of numeric values consists of a numeric value of 1 and a numeric value of 14. Each person acquires a set of playing cards. The players call the set of playing cards a “hand”. The players adds together the numeric values of each playing card in a hand to find a hand total. Let us suppose. The players can assign a numeric value of 14 to an Ace without causing the hand total to exceed 27. In that event, the players assign a numeric value of 14 to the Ace. Let us suppose. A hand includes an Ace with a numeric value of 14. In that event, the predetermined set of game rules refers to the hand as a “soft hand”. The predetermined set of game rules refers to the hand total of a soft hand as a “soft total”. Let us suppose. The players can NOT assign a numeric value of 14 to an Ace without causing the hand total to exceed 27. In that event, the players assign a numeric value of 1 to the Ace. Let us suppose. A hand does not include an Ace with a numeric value of 14. In that event, the predetermined set of game rules refers to the hand as a “hard hand”. The predetermined set of game rules refer to the hand total of a hard hand and a “hard total”. The Finnish style of markings denotes the rank of Joker with the word Joker and the numerical value of each Joker is 0.

The second step to playing is. Players must place a game wager. Afterward, the dealer deals initial hands. The execution of these steps is carried out in a manner. The manner is similar to the execution of these steps in other casino games such as Blackjack and Baccarat. The player and the dealer take turns playing their initial hands. The player goes first. Please understand. The play of the player’s hand may be subject to forced moves. Let us suppose. The predetermined set of game rules specifies. The player’s hand total is so low. It would be unreasonable for the player to stand. In that event, the player would be forced to hit. Let us suppose. The predetermined set of game rules specifies. The player’s hand total is so close to 27. It would be unreasonable for the player to hit. In that event, the player would be forced to stand. Let us suppose. The player is not forced to hit. The player is not forced to stand. In that event, the dealer consults with the player for a decision on how to play the player’s hand. The player has two options. The player can stand. The player can hit. Let us suppose. The player stands. In that event, the player’s hand is complete. Let us suppose. The player hits. In that event, the dealer deals one additional card to the player’s hand. The dealer adds the numeric value of the one additional card to the player’s hand total. Let us suppose. The player’s new hand total is 27. In that event, the player automatically wins the game. Let us suppose. The player’s new hand total exceeds 27. In that event, the player automatically loses the game. Let us suppose. The player’s new hand total is less than 27. The predetermined set of game rules does not force the player to stand. The predetermined set of game rules does not force the player to hit. The player’s hand consists of less than five playing cards. In that event, the dealer would consult with the player for a decision on how to play the player’s hand. The player would have the same two options as before. The player can stand. The player can hit. Let us suppose. The player’s hand consists of five playing cards. The player’s hand total is less than 27. In that event, the player has acquired a qualifying-five-card-poker hand. The predetermined set of game rules would force the player to stand with a qualifying-five-card-poker hand. Accordingly, a player’s hand can never consist of more than five cards.

Let us suppose. The player’s hand does NOT automatically win the game. The player’s hand does NOT automatically lose the game. The player stands with a hand total of 26 or less. In that event, the dealer goes next. The dealer plays the dealer’s hand in accordance with the predetermined set of game rules. The predetermined set of game rules specifies a strategy for the play of the dealer’s hand. The strategy for the play of the dealer’s hand specifies. A target for the play of the dealer’s soft hands exists. A target for the play of the dealer’s hard hands exists. The target for the play of the dealer’s hard hands is always 23. The target for the play of dealer’s soft hands varies with the number of playing cards in the dealer’s hand. Let us suppose. The dealer’s soft hand consists of two playing cards. In that event, the target for the play of the dealer’s soft hand would be 25. Let us suppose. The dealer’s soft hand consists of three playing cards. In that event, the target for the play of the dealer’s soft hand would be 26. Let us suppose. The dealer’s soft hand consists of four playing cards. In that event, the target for the play of the dealer’s soft hands would be 27. Let us suppose. The dealer has a soft hand. The soft total is at least equal to the target for the play of the dealer’s soft hands. In that event, the dealer would stand. Let us suppose. The dealer has a hard hand. The hard total is at least equal to the target for the play of the dealer’s hard hands. In that event, the dealer would stand. Let us suppose. The dealer stands. In that event, the dealer’s hand would be complete. Let us suppose. The dealer has a soft hand. The soft total is less than the target for the play of the dealer’s soft hands. The dealer’s soft hand consists of less than five playing cards. In that event, the dealer would hit. Let us suppose. The dealer has a hard hand. The hard total is less the target for the play of the dealer’s hard hands. The dealer’s hard hand consists of less than five playing cards. In that event, the dealer would hit. Let us suppose. The dealer hits. In that event, the dealer would deal one additional card to the dealer’s hand. The dealer would add the numeric value of the one additional card to dealer’s hand total. Let us suppose. The dealer’s new hand total is 27. In that event, the dealer’s hand would win the game. Let us suppose. The dealer’s new hand total exceeds 27. In that event, the dealer’s hand would lose the game. Let us suppose. The dealer’s hand consists of five playing cards. The dealer’s hand total is less than 27. In that event, the dealer would have acquired a qualifying-five-card-poker hand. The dealer would be forced to stand regardless of the dealer’s hand total. Accordingly the dealer’s hand can never consist of more than five playing cards.

Let us suppose. Neither the player nor the dealer wins the game outright with a hand total of 27. Neither the player nor the dealer loses the game outright with a hand total of greater than 27. In that event, the dealer compares the hands to a predetermined hierarchy of hand values. The hand with the highest value according to the predetermined hierarchy of hand values is the winning hand. The person with the winning hand wins the game wager. Ties are a stalemate. The predetermined set of game rules refers to an initial hand consisting of an Ace and a King in any order as a “Finnish 27”. The hierarchy of hand values specifies. The hands with the very highest value are Finnish 27 hands. The player’s hand always wins when the player’s hand total is 27. Accordingly, let us suppose. Both the player and the dealer acquire a Finnish 27 hand. In that event, player’s Finnish 27 hand would have a higher value than the dealer’s Finnish 27. The player’s hand would win the game. The player would win the game wager. The hierarchy of hand values specifies. After Finnish 27 hands, the hands with the next highest value consist of at least three playing cards and have a numeric value of 27. Again, the player’s hand always wins when the player’s hand total is 27. Let us suppose. Player’s hand total is 27. In that event, the player’s hand would win the game. The player would win the game wager. The game would be over. The hierarchy of hand values specifies. After hands with a numeric value of 27, the hands with the next highest value are qualifying-five-card-poker hands. Again, qualifying-five-card-poker hands consist of five cards and have a numeric value of less than 27. Let us suppose during the play of a game. Both the player and the dealer acquire a hand of this kind. In that event, the dealer would compare the qualifying-five-card-poker hands to the hierarchy of hand values. The hierarchy of hand values includes a hierarchy of qualifying-five-card-poker hands. The hand with highest value would win the game. Ties would be a stalemate. The hierarchy of hand values specifies. After qualifying-five-card-poker hands, the hands with the next highest value consist of less than five playing cards and have a numeric value of less than 27. Let us suppose during the play of a game. Both the player and the dealer acquire a hand of this kind. In that event, the dealer would compare hand totals. The hand with the hand total that is closest to 27 would be the winning hand. Ties would be a stalemate. The hierarchy of hand values specifies. The hands with the lowest values have a numeric value of greater than 27. The player’s hand always loses the game when the player’s hand total exceeds 27. Let us suppose. The player’s hand total exceeds 27. In that event, the player’s hand would lose the game. The dealer would win the game wager. The game would be over.

Here is a short summary of the reasons why. I love Poker-Like Finnish 27 and I think, believe, and expect. Poker-Like Finnish 27 would be a big hit with casino operators and players alike.

1. The game is not over until the last card is dealt.
2. The player’s hand can never consist of more than five playing cards.
3. The dealer’s hand can never consist of more than five playing cards.
4. The player’s hand automatically wins when the player’s hand total is equal to 27. When there is only one player and one dealer playing at a table. This rule enables the dealer. The dealer can skip the step of playing the dealer’s hand.
5. The player’s hand automatically loses when the player’s hand total exceeds 27. When there is only one player and one dealer playing at a table. This rule enables the dealer. The dealer can skip the step of playing the dealer’s hand.
6. The player has only two options. The player can hit. The player can stand. Because the player only has two options, forced moves can be included in the predetermined set of rules. Forced moves reduce the amount of time required to consult with player’s for decisions on how to play the player’s hand. Thereby, the possibility of consultation fatigue can be lessened. The pace of play can be quickened.
7. The act of including a hierarchy of qualifying-five-card-poker hands in the hierarchy of hand values creates a hybrid game. The hybrid game combines the number adding activities of target-numerical sum games with the pattern recognizing activities of poker games.
8. Poker-Like Finnish 27 games are relatively unknown. For that reason, these games do not come with the baggage of player expectations with regards to the game rules. The predetermined set of game rules can be tailored to the needs of casino operators without arousing the ire of players.
9. The dealer only exposes one card in the dealer’s initial hand. Let us suppose. The one card is an Ace. In that event, predetermined set of game rules may specify. The dealer offers an insurance side bet to players. The insurance side bet would enable players. Players could buy insurance against a possibility. The possibility is. The dealer acquires a Finnish 27.