Card game with counting

• US 10,140,819 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Amaitis, Lee, Burman, Kevin, Gambhir, Manu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennis, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/013,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20130344928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 273292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/003 Blackjack; Twenty one
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Various embodiments include determining a value of a statistic describing cards that have been dealt from a deck, and modifying the rules of a game based on the statistic.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a card table;

a computing device coupled to the card table, in which the computing device includes a processor and a non-transitory medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that are executable by the processor;

a display device coupled to the card table and configured to present information to at least one player of a card game at the card table;

a card shoe coupled to the card table and configured to hold a plurality of cards;

an optical sensor coupled to the card shoe and configured to generate an image of cards as the cards are drawn from the shoe and communicate identifying information to the computing device;

in which the computing device is configured to;

determine a number of players in the card game;

control the display device to present rules of the card game to the at least one player of the card game;

record information about cards drawn from the shoe to generate a history of cards dealt in the card game;

determine a value of a statistic describing the card game played at the card table;

receive from the sensor an indication that a card has been drawn from the shoe, the indication including an identity of the drawn card;

update the value of the statistic based at least in part on the identity of the drawn card;

determine that the updated value of the statistic is at least one of greater than a first threshold value and less than a second threshold value;

in response to determining that the updated value of the statistic is at least one of greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, determine an adjustment to the rules of the card game; and

in response to determining the adjustment to the rules of the card game, control the display device to present the rules of the card game, as adjusted by the adjustment, to the at least one player of the card game.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the statistic represents an advantage for a house in the game.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an adjustment that maintaiusn a house edge associated with play of the card game.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the rule includes at least one of a rule controlling payouts for winning, a rule controlling which outcomes are winning outcomes, a rule controlling which outcomes are tie outcomes, a rule controlling the decisions available to a player, a rule controlling the actions of a dealer, a rule controlling the procedures of the at least one game, a rule controlling the value of cards, and a rule controlling allowed bets.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the rule includes a rule allowing at least one of discarded cards to be added to the playing cards and additional cards to be added to the playing cards.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the computing device is configured to transmit an indication that a rule adjustment is due.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least partially randomly determining the first threshold value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the rule includes a rule governing surrender in the game.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which determining the adjustment includes determining the adjustedment based, at least in part, on at least one statistic other than the statistic.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustedment includes an adjustedment configured to offset at least one of an increase and a decrease in an advantage of a house in the game.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustedment includes a change to a probability of an outcome in the game.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the statistic includes a card count.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an addition of at least one card to the plurality of playing cards.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes revaluing at least one card of the plurality of playing cards.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes a change to an allowed bet amount.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an adjustment to maintain at least a minimum house edge in the game.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the computing device is configured to determine that a house edge is below a desired value based on the value of the statistic and in which the adjustment includes an adjustment that increases the house edge above the desired value.

18. The method of claim 1, in which the cards include a card that is used to play the card game.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the statistic represents an advantage for a house in the game and a card count.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the statistic represents an advantage for a house in the game and a percentage.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an adjustment allowing at least one of discarded cards to be added to the playing cards and additional cards to be added to the playing cards.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an adjustment allowing at least one of discarded cards to be added to the playing cards and additional cards to be added to the playing cards and in which the adjustment includes at least one of an adjustment controlling payouts for winning, an adjustment controlling which outcomes are winning outcomes, an adjustment controlling which outcomes are tie outcomes, an adjustment controlling the decisions available to a player, an adjustment controlling the actions of a dealer, an adjustment controlling the procedures of the at least one game, an adjustment controlling the value of cards, and an adjustment controlling allowed bets.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the adjustment includes an adjustment allowing at least one of discarded cards to be added to the playing cards and additional cards to be added to the playing cards and in which the adjusted rule includes a change to a probability of an outcome in the game.