Multiple player game data processing system with wager accounting

• US 5,159,549 A
• Filed: 04/16/1987
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Poker POT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Poker POT Incorporated
• Inventors: Hallman, John R. Jr., Schrenker, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINHARDT, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US07/039,778
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/412, 273/85 CP, 273/85 G, 273/237, 273/274, 273/DIG. 28, 273/138 A, 273/1 E, 340/323 R
• US Class Current: 463/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A data processing system is provided for tallying wealth accumulation among a plurality of competing players. Each player has a game entry device coupled to a central processing unit. The CPU receives data on an interrupt basis from each of the player stations and regulates the ordered play among the competitors. The CPU is responsive to the data for indicating a winner, calculating the accumulated point total or wealth of each of the players and for indicating the amount necessary for a player to risk in order to stay in the competition. Anyone of the player stations designated may perform house or banking functions in addition to player functions.

Claims

1. An electronic data processing and display system for use in a game wherein a plurality of players wager in turn on the overall value of their respective holdings relative to the other players'"'"' holdings of combinations of tangible indicia acquired in turn from a preset array of indicia in a random sequence, each indicia uniquely representing a designed value and different combinations thereof denoting order of entitlement to win the game and the accumulated wagers of all players for that game, said system comprising

plural player station means respectively associated with each player for entry of data representative of wealth for purposes of the game and amount of wager by the respective player at applicable points in the game, each of said player station means including station display means,

central data processing means responsive to wager and wealth data entries by the respective players at applicable points in the game for computation and furnishing of data to all of the player station means, and to central display means operatively associated with said central data processing means, said furnished data being representative of the accumulated wagers of all players to that point in the game and the amount remaining to be wagered by the player associated with that player station means to remain in the game on that player'"'"'s next turn for respective display on the central display means and each of the station display means, said furnished data further being representative of wealth of each player at that point in the game,

means responsive to the furnished data representative of wealth of any player for limiting the display thereof to only that player station means associated with the player whose wealth is represented by that data and

selecting means operatively associated with said central data processing means and with each of said player station means for selectively designating one of said player station means as a banking entity responsive to entry of initial wealth data from each of the player station means and to wager data and added wealth data entered at applicable points in the game to account for changes in each player'"'"'s wealth data as the game progresses.

2. The system of claim 1, further including interrupt means operatively associated with said central data processing means for inhibiting said central dat aprocessing means from responding to data entries from any player station means other than a preempting player station means from which data entry has been commenced without competition from any of the other player station means, and for so long as such data entry continues from the preempting player station means.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said central data processing means includes sequencing means for selectively activating each of said station display means to indicate the player whose turn it is to wager.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said player station means further includes means for entry of data indicative of withdrawal of the associated player form the game, and wherein said central data processing means is further responsive to data entered from the player station means indicative of withdrawal of all players except one to add the data representing the accumulated wagers of all players up to that point in the game to the data representing the wealth of the remaining player.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the furnished data representative of wealth of a player is furnished by the central data processing means to the player station means associated with that player to the exclusion of all others for display on the respective station display means upon entry of data from the last-names player station means indicating demand for such wealth data.

6. A dedicated electronic data processing system for a game in whic players successively wager against each other on hands of playing cards held by each player until a player is entitled to the cumulative amount wagered by virtue of holding the winning hand, said system comprising:

plural sets of data entry and display stations, one set per player, for entry of data representing player purchased allocations for wagering and representing player decisions to remain in or withdraw from the game at applicable points in the game;

a central data processing and display unit for selectively processing data entered from the individual stations on a non-interfering basis to perform at any point in time calculations including the then-current cumulative amount wagered, the then-current minimum amount each player must respectively wager to remain in the game, and the then-current purchased allocation remaining for each player and whether or not the amount wagered by the respective player exceeds that remaining allocation; and

means responsive to the calculations for selectively directing the data representative of some of the calculations to only predetermined ones of the individual stations for display thereat and of others of the calculations to only the central unit for display thereat, whereby information is displayed or not to each of the respective players as an individual or as part of a group to preclude any player from obtaining a competitive advantage over any other player merely by virtue of the displayed information said central unit includes interrupt means for assisting in the selective processing of data from the individual stations on a non-interfering basis by suppressing data entered at any station until data being entered form a time prior thereto from another station is completed, said central unit further includes sequencing means for selectively activating the display at each station to alert the player whose turn it is to make a decision whether to remain in or withdraw from the game, said central unit is responsive to entry to data indicative of withdrawal from the game from all but one of the stations to add the calculation of then-current cumulative amount wagered to the remaining allocation applicable to that one station, said means for selectively directing is responsive to a data entry inquiring as to remaining purchased allocation from any station to direct the calculation thereof made by the central unit applicable to that station for display only at the last-named station, and means operatively associated with said central unit and with each of said stations for selectively designating one of said stations to act as a bank for the purchased allocations.