Systems and methods for playing a wagering game

• US 10,068,425 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z4 Poker, LLC
• Original Assignee: Z4 Poker, LLC
• Inventors: Colvin, Eric D., Zain, Paul, Kaufman, Matthew Joseph, Block, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US15/348,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Systems and methods enable one or more players to play a wagering game. A game system includes a game server configured to connect to at least one gaming device over a network. The game server includes a processor configured to provide at least one wagering game to a player using the gaming device. Each wagering game is played by a plurality of players at a virtual table who are dealt a plurality of cards to form a hand, and the hand satisfying a winning criterion is determined to be a winning hand. The game system also includes at least one non-relational database configured to be connected to the game server. The database is configured to store a state of the hands of each table as a plurality of document-oriented datasets.

Claims

1. A game system for providing one or more wagering games, said game system comprising:

a game server configured to connect to a plurality of gaming devices over a network, said game server comprising at least one processor configured to;

receive an authentication request from a first gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices;

authenticate the first gaming device in response to the authentication request;

provide a wagering game to a player using the first gaming device, wherein the wagering game is played by a plurality of players at a virtual table who are dealt a plurality of cards to form a hand, and in which the hand satisfying a winning criterion is determined to be a winning hand;

detect that the first gaming device has been disconnected from the game server;

detect that the first gaming device has reconnected to the game server; and

automatically re-authenticate the first gaming device with the game server without requiring the first gaming device to transmit a new authentication request to the game server.

2. The game system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the first gaming device based on location of the gaming device.

3. The game system of claim 1 wherein the game system determines a location of the first gaming device based on a global positioning satellite (GPS) signal received at the first gaming device.

4. The game system of claim 1 wherein the GPS signal is associated with a dongle connected to the first gaming device.

5. The game system of claim 1 wherein the game system determines a location of the first gaming device based on at least one wireless access point associated with the first gaming device.

6. The game system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

store a player identifier and a socket identifier for at least the first gaming device in response to the first gaming device connecting to the game server; and

automatically re-authenticate the first gaming device based on receiving a player identifier and a socket identifier matching a previously stored player identifier and socket identifier.

7. The game system of claim 6 wherein the player identifier and the socket identifier are associated with a token stored on the first gaming device.

8. The game system of claim 1 further comprising a security component in communication with the game server and configured to generate a token in response to the first gaming device connecting to the game server, the token generated based on a player identifier and a socket identifier, the socket identifier corresponding to a network socket used to connect the first gaming device to the game server.

9. The game system of claim 8 wherein automatically re-authenticating comprises transmitting the token from the first gaming device to the game server.

10. The game system of claim 8 further comprising:

an authentication bridging component configured to cooperate with the game server, wherein the authentication bridging component compares the token from the first gaming device to a previously stored token to automatically re-authenticate the first gaming device.