METHOD OF RESERVING A SEAT AT A GAMING TABLE

• US 20070173331A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pokertek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pokertek Incorporated
• Inventors: Crawford, James, Shinn, Hal, White, Gehrig, Hamlin, Jonathan, Ferner, Kendal
• Application Number:
  US11/565,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173331A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 method is provided for filling a vacancy at a gaming table with a first new player. An electronic waiting list is managed for filling the vacancy at the gaming table by providing a remote device access to the electronic waiting list via a queue interface. The first new player is allowed to select the electronic waiting list using the remote device and place themselves on the electronic waiting list for the gaming table via the remote device.

Claims

1. A method of filling a vacancy at a gaming table with a first new player using a remote device, said method comprising the steps of:

managing an electronic waiting list for filling a vacancy at a gaming table;

allowing the first new player to select the electronic waiting list using the remote device; and

placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list for the gaming table via the remote device.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of providing the remote device access to the electronic waiting list via a queue interface.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the queue interface comprises a computer.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 2 including the step of processing a personal identification number (PIN) of the first new player by the computer for providing the remote device access to the electronic waiting list.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of transmitting a confirmation of the placement of the first new player on the electronic waiting list to the remote device.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of managing an electronic waiting list is further defined as the steps of managing a first electronic waiting list for filling a vacancy at a first gaming table and managing a second electronic waiting list for filling a vacancy at a second gaming table and said step of allowing the first new player to select the electronic waiting list is further defined as the step of allowing the first new player to select the first and second electronic waiting lists.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of alerting the first new player of a vacant seat at the gaming table via the remote device.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of seats at the gaming table;

detecting a vacancy of one of the seats at the gaming table;

transmitting an electronic signal corresponding to the vacancy to a network having a server computer in response to detecting the vacancy.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, including the step of alerting the first new player of the vacant seat.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of alerting is further defined as the step of alerting the first new player of the vacant seat via the remote device.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote device is defined as a telephone.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the remote device is further defined as a cell phone.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote device is further defined as a pager.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list via the remote device is further defined as the step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list for the gaming table via the web access from the remote device.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list via the remote device is further defined as the step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list for the gaming table on the remote device by dialing a telephone number.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list via the remote device is further defined as the step of placing the first new player on the electronic waiting list for the gaming table by sending a text message from the remote device.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of providing a network for interconnecting the remote device and the queue interface.

18. A system for filling a vacancy at a gaming table with a first new player, said system comprising:

a plurality of seats for use by a plurality of current players at the gaming table;

a queuing system for managing a first electronic waiting list for filling the vacancy at the gaming table; and

a queue interface for providing the first new player access to the queuing system via a telephone to place the first new player on the first electronic waiting list.

19. A system, as set forth in claim 18, wherein the queue interface further includes a computer.

20. A system, as set forth in claim 18, including a network interconnecting the remote device and the queue interface.

21. A method of filling a vacancy at a gaming table with a first new player, said method comprising the steps of:

managing a first electronic waiting list for filling a vacancy at a first plurality of gaming tables;

managing a second electronic waiting list for filling a vacancy at a second plurality of gaming tables;

providing the remote device access to the electronic waiting list via a queue interface;

allowing the first new player to select one of the first and second electronic waiting lists using the remote device; and

placing the first new player on the selected one of the first and second electronic waiting lists via the remote device.