Table with computer for playing card selection game

• US 20050212214A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThwartPoker, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ThwartPoker, Inc.
• Inventors: Pfeiffer, Arthur M., Pfeiffer, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is a method of playing computerized card games against real players at a table. The cards games are usually variations of poker, where the quality of the players'"'"' hands is due to skill and strategy rather than the luck of the draw. Players request desired cards from an actual or computerized dealer without knowledge of which cards other players have requested. A null card, which has no value in determining the outcome of the game, is delivered to players who request the same card as another player has requested regardless of whether the card was requested previously or during the current round. In another embodiment, a null card is delivered only when two or more players request the same card during the current round or if a player requests a card that has already been distributed. Each player has a display screen showing that player'"'"'s hand. The players may make card selections using a touchscreen.

Claims

1. A system for playing a card game comprising:

a table;

a plurality of player positions at the table;

a display screen located at each player position for viewing by a player in front of the display screen;

at least one computer communicating with each display screen, with at least one computer being programmed for performing the following steps;

a) receiving a signal from each player indicating a selected card of a particular rank and suit from a virtual deck of playing cards;

b) for each player, determining if the selected card is the same as that selected by another player during at least a current selection or the same as a card previously dealt during a current game;

c) for each player that chose the same card as another player, as determined in step (b), dealing that player a null card that has no value in completing a card hand and displaying an image of that null card on a display screen for that player, the null card image and any other indications on the display screen conveying the selected card and an indication that it has no value;

d) for each player that did not choose the same card as another player, as determined in step (b), dealing that player the selected card and displaying that selected card on a display screen for that player;

e) repeating steps a-d until a predetermined number of cards have been dealt; and

f) identifying the player with the best hand of cards according to predetermined rules of play.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic sensor for sensing an identity of an actual playing card on a top surface of the table.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic sensor for sensing a value of a betting chip on a top surface of the table.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer is further programmed for performing the following steps:

receiving identities of one or more actual cards on the table; and

combining identities of the one or more cards on the table and identities of cards selected by the players to determine a best hand.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each display screen comprises a touch screen for players to enter their card selections.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein step b comprises:

b) for each player, determining if the selected card is the same as that selected by another player during a current selection or the same as a card previously selected or dealt during a current game.

7. A method for playing a card game comprising:

a) providing a table with multiple player positions, the table having a display screen at each player position;

b) revealing a first set of cards to all players at the table;

c) receiving, by a computer, card selections by the players;

d) for each player, determining by the computer if the selected card is the same as that selected by another player during at least a current selection or the same card as a card previously dealt during a current game;

e) for each player that chose the same card as another player, as determined in step (d), dealing, by the computer, that player a null card that has no value in completing a card hand and displaying that null card on a display screen for that player;

f) for each player that did not choose the same card as another player, as determined in step (d), dealing, by the computer, that player the selected card and displaying that selected card on a display screen for that player;

g) repeating steps c-f until a predetermined number of cards have been dealt; and

h) identifying the player with the best hand of cards according to predetermined rules of play, wherein a best hand is made from at least a combination of cards selected by the players and one or more cards from the first set of cards.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein dealing a null card and dealing a selected card comprises the computer transmitting signals for displaying a null card and a selected card on a player'"'"'s display screen.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein step b comprises a dealer laying out physical cards on the table as community cards for use by all players.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein step b comprises a dealer dealing out physical cards to the players.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein step b comprises displaying the first set of cards only on the display screens.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein step b comprises displaying the first set of cards only on the display screens, wherein each player gets a different set of cards.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising randomly selecting the first set of cards for revealing to the players.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein step b comprises revealing a first set of cards to players at the table by placing actual cards on the table, the method further comprising electronically sensing identities of the first set of cards and storing the identities in the computer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein electronically sensing comprises sensing the identities using a radio frequency identification device in each card.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein step c comprises receiving, by a computer, card selections by the players entered using a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 7 further comprising randomly dealing one or more cards to the players that are not revealed to all players, and wherein step h comprises identifying the player with the best hand of cards according to predetermined rules of play, wherein a best hand is made from at least a combination of cards selected by the players, one or more cards from the first set of cards, and one or more of the cards that are not revealed to all players.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the dealing one or more cards that are not revealed to all players comprises dealing one or more actual cards face down to the players.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the dealing one or more cards that are not revealed to all players comprises dealing one or more virtual cards to the players.

20. The method of claim 7 wherein dealing the null card and dealing the selected card comprises dealing the null card and dealing the selected card so that the null card and selected card are viewable only by the player who was dealt the null card and selected card.

21. The method of claim 7 wherein dealing the null card and dealing the selected card comprises dealing the null card and dealing the selected card so that the null card and selected card are viewable by all the players.

22. The method of claim 7 wherein step d comprises:

b) for each player, determining if the selected card is the same as that selected by another player during a current selection or the same as a card previously selected or dealt during a current game.

23. The method of claim 7 wherein step b occurs before step c.

24. The method of claim 7 wherein step b occurs after at least one card selection by the players.

25. The method of claim 7 further comprising revealing one or more additional cards to all players after the players have selected at least one card.

26. The method of claim 7 wherein step e further comprises displaying an image of that null card on a display screen for that player, the null card image conveying the selected card and an indication that it has no value.