Electronic card table and method with variable rake

• US 20060058087A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pokertek Incorporated
• Inventors: Crawford, James T. III, White, Gehrig Henderson
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 system and method provides an electronic poker game to a plurality of players on an electronic poker table. A game computer administers the electronic poker game by dealing one or more hands using electronic cards and electronic chips. Each hand includes one or more betting rounds. The game computer allows the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds. The game computer dynamically determines a rake amount of a pot and retains the rake amount from the pot.

Claims

1. A system for providing an electronic card game to a plurality of players, comprising:

an electronic card table having a table top with a playing surface and a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, each electronic player interaction area providing a player interface for interaction with one of the players; and

,

a game computer coupled to the plurality of electronic player interaction areas for administering the electronic card game by dealing one or more hands using electronic cards and electronic chips, each hand including one or more betting rounds, the game computer for allowing the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds, and for determining a winner from among the players and awarding the pot to the winner at the end of the hand, the game computer for determining a rake amount.

2. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as function of the size of the pot.

3. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of time.

4. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the game computer retains the rake amount from the pot.

5. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is deducted from one or more user accounts.

6. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a number of players playing at the electronic card table.

7. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played.

8. A system, as set forth in claim 1, the game computer capable of administering one of a group of selectable card games, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of the selected one of the group of selectable card games.

9. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of an amount of the pot.

10. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

11. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

12. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of rake percentage.

13. A system, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the rake percentage is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

14. A system, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

15. A system for providing an electronic card game to a plurality of players, comprising:

a plurality of electronic card tables, each electronic card table having a table top with a playing surface and a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, each electronic player interaction area providing a player interface for interaction with one of the players; and

,

a game computer coupled to the plurality of electronic player interaction areas for administering one or more hands of the electronic card game at each electronic card table using electronic cards and electronic chips, each hand including one or more betting rounds, the game computer for allowing the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds, and for determining a winner from among the players and awarding the pot to the winner at the end of the hand, the game computer for determining a rake amount.

16. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as function of the size of the pot.

17. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of time.

18. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the game computer retains the rake amount from the pot.

19. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is deducted from one or more user accounts.

20. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a number of players playing at the electronic card table.

21. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played.

22. A system, as set forth in claim 15, the game computer capable of administering one of a group of selectable card games, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of the selected one of the group of selectable card games.

23. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of an amount of the pot.

24. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

25. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

26. A system, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of rake percentage.

27. A system, as set forth in claim 26, wherein the rake percentage is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

28. A system, as set forth in claim 27, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

29. A method for providing an electronic card game to a plurality of players via an electronic card table and a game computer, the electronic card table having a table top with a playing surface and a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, each electronic player interaction area providing a player interface for interaction with one of the players, the game computer coupled to the plurality of electronic player interaction areas, comprising:

administering, by the game computer, the electronic card game by dealing one or more hands using electronic cards and electronic chips, each hand including one or more betting rounds;

allowing the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds;

determining a rake amount of the pot; and

,

determining a winner from among the players and awarding the pot to the winner at the end of the hand.

30. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as function of the size of the pot.

31. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of time.

32. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the game computer retains the rake amount from the pot.

33. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is deducted from one or more user accounts.

34. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a number of players playing at the electronic card table.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played.

36. A method, as set forth in claim 29, the game computer being capable of administering one of a group of selectable card games, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of the selected one of the group of selectable card games.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of an amount of the pot.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

39. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

40. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the rake amount is determined as a function of rake percentage.

41. A method, as set forth in claim 40, wherein the rake percentage is determined as a function of at least one characteristic of the electronic card game.

42. A method, as set forth in claim 41, wherein the at least one characteristic of the electronic card game includes one or more of a number of players playing at the electronic card table, a time of day at which the electronic card game is being played, a selected one of a group of selectable card games which the game computer is capable of administering, and an amount of the pot.

43. A system for providing an electronic card game to a plurality of players, comprising:

an electronic card table having a table top with a playing surface and a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, each electronic player interaction area providing a player interface for interaction with one of the players; and

,

a game computer coupled to the plurality of electronic player interaction areas administering the electronic card game by dealing one or more hands using electronic cards and electronic chips, each hand including one or more betting rounds, the game computer for allowing the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds, and for determining a winner from among the players and awarding the pot to the winner at the end of the hand, the game computer for determining a rake amount, at least one of the players being eligible for a rake discount, the game computer for applying the rake discount to the rake amount the winner of the pot is eligible for the rake discount.

44. A system, as set forth in claim 43, the game computer for assigning each player to an electronic player interaction area and allowing each of the players to log-in to the assigned electronic player interaction area.

45. A system, as set forth in claim 44, wherein the game computer for indicating that one or more of the players are eligible for the rake discount.

46. A method for providing an electronic card game to a plurality of players via an electronic card table, at least one of the players being eligible for a rake discount, the electronic card table having a table top with a playing surface and a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, each electronic player interaction area providing a player interface for interaction with one of the players, the game computer coupled to the plurality of electronic player interaction areas, comprising:

administering, by the game computer, the electronic card game by dealing one or more hands using electronic cards and electronic chips, each hand including one or more betting rounds;

allowing the players to make wagers into a pot with the electronic chips during the one or more betting rounds;

determining a winner from among the players;

determining a rake amount of the pot;

applying the rake discount to the rake amount if the winner of the pot is eligible for the rake discount;

retaining the rake amount from the pot; and

,

awarding the pot to the winner at the end of the hand.