Interactive simulated blackjack game with side bet apparatus and in method

• US 20050035548A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Philip S., Snow, Roger M., Yoseloff, Mark L., Dunn, R. Brooke
• Granted Patent: US 7,255,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/274
• 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 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A multi-player automated casino table card game platform enables play of casino table BALCKJACK-type games according to rules effected through a processor. Rules may include games similar to standard blackjack or Twenty-One with an additional bonus event present in the play of the game. The game play may include optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game; dealing a first number of cards to a player; dealing a second number of cards to the dealer; displaying at least one of the player'"'"'s cards; displaying at least one of the dealer'"'"'s cards; wherein if at least one of the displayed player'"'"'s cards or at least one of the displayed dealer'"'"'s cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer'"'"'s hand and/or the player'"'"'s hand; and then continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.

Claims

1. A multi-player platform that provides multiple player positions for live players to engage in an underlying card game with an auxiliary card game, the system providing a virtual dealer and virtual cards, the platform comprising at least two player positions that enable live players to place wagers on the underlying card game, a display system for showing a virtual dealer, a display system for showing the virtual cards used in play of the underlying card game, and a processor that contains the rules of the underlying card game, the processor enabling play for each player on the underlying card game according to the following rules:

placing at least one wager on the underlying card game;

optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game;

dealing a first number of cards to a player;

dealing a second number of cards to the dealer;

displaying at least one of the player'"'"'s cards;

displaying at least one of the dealer'"'"'s cards;

wherein if at least one of the displayed player'"'"'s cards or at least one of the displayed dealer'"'"'s cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer'"'"'s hand and/or the player'"'"'s hand; and

then

continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the underlying game comprises blackjack.

3. The platform of claim 1 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

4. The platform of claim 1 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

5. The platform of claim 2 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

6. The platform of claim 2 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

7. The platform of claim 5 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

8. The platform of claim 2 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

9. The platform of claim 3 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

10. The platform of claim 4 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

11. The platform of claim 5 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

12. The platform of claim 6 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

13. The platform of claim 7 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

14. The platform of claim 2 wherein a pay table having awards that are no greater than those in the following table is used:

15. A multi-player platform that provides multiple player positions for live players to engage in an underlying card game having an auxiliary card game, the platform providing a virtual dealer and virtual cards, the platform comprising at least two player positions that enable live players to place wagers on an underlying card game, a display system for showing a virtual dealer, a display system for showing the virtual cards used in play of the underlying card game, and a processor that contains the rules of the underlying card game, the processor enabling play for each player on the underlying card game according to the following rules with a virtual at least one, fifty-two card deck, the cards having standard rank and value, said game comprising the steps of:

placing at least one wager on the underlying card game;

optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game;

dealing a first number of cards to a player;

dealing a second number of cards to the dealer;

displaying at least one of the player'"'"'s cards;

displaying at least one of the dealer'"'"'s cards;

wherein if at least one of the displayed player'"'"'s cards or at least one of the displayed dealer'"'"'s cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer'"'"'s hand and/or the player'"'"'s hand; and

then

continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.

16. The platform of claim 15 wherein the underlying game comprises blackjack.

17. The platform of claim 15 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

18. The platform of claim 15 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

19. The platform of claim 16 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

20. The platform of claim 16 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

21. The platform of claim 19 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

22. The platform of claim 16 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

23. The platform of claim 17 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

24. The platform of claim 18 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

25. The platform of claim 19 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

26. The platform of claim 20 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

27. The platform of claim 21 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

28. The platform of claim 16 wherein a pay table having awards that are no greater than those in the following table is used:

29. A method of playing an automated wagering gaming event on a system, the system comprising:

at least two distinct video displays, a first display for showing a dealer in a card game and at least a second display showing playing cards to individual players;

at least one processor for enabling play of the wagering gaming event;

multiple player positions to enable multiple players to play the game;

wherein at least one processor can feed at least two different multiple video images and merge the at least two multiple video images to form a composite image of a dealer against a background, wherein the background comprises at least one dynamic image and the system displays images enabling play of a game according to the following rules;

placing at least one wager on the underlying card game;

optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game;

dealing a first number of cards to a player;

dealing a second number of cards to the dealer;

displaying at least one of the player'"'"'s cards;

displaying at least one of the dealer'"'"'s cards;

wherein if at least one of the displayed player'"'"'s cards or at least one of the displayed dealer'"'"'s cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer'"'"'s hand and/or the player'"'"'s hand; and

then

continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the underlying game comprises blackjack.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein paying a player who has placed the optional wager is performed is based on a pay table based on the appearance of cards of specific rank on only displayed player'"'"'s cards and a first displayed dealer'"'"'s card.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein a pay table having awards that are no greater than those in the following table is used:

43. An automated wagering gaming event system comprising:

at least two distinct video displays, a first dealer display for showing a foreground image of a dealer in a card game, and at least a second display showing playing cards to individual players;

at least one processor for enabling play of the wagering gaming event;

multiple player positions to enable multiple players to play the game;

wherein at least one of the processors can feed at least three different sets of video image data and merge the at least three multiple video images to form a composite image of a dealer against a background, the processor feeding at least one set as a mask layer and at least one set as an auxiliary dynamic background image, the system implementing play of a game according to the rules;

placing at least one wager on the underlying card game;

optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game;

dealing a first number of cards to a player;

dealing a second number of cards to the dealer;

displaying at least one of the player'"'"'s cards;

displaying at least one of the dealer'"'"'s cards;

wherein if at least one of the displayed player'"'"'s cards or at least one of the displayed dealer'"'"'s cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer'"'"'s hand and/or the player'"'"'s hand; and

then

continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.

44. The platform of claim 43 wherein the underlying game comprises blackjack.

45. The platform of claim 43 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

46. The platform of claim 43 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

47. The platform of claim 44 wherein the first two cards dealt to the player are displayed.

48. The platform of claim 44 wherein only one card dealt to the dealer is displayed.

49. The platform of claim 44 wherein a pay table having awards that are no greater than those in the following table is used: