Secure multi-site progressive jackpot system for live card games

• US 6,093,103 A
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charles H McCrea, Jr.
• Inventors: McCrea, Charles H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/054,326
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 273/140 R, 273/307, 273/149 R, 463/12, 463/13, 463/27, 463/42, 463/46, 463/47
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0017 progressive jackpot
• 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 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A secure game table system, adapted for multiple sites under a central control, for monitoring each hand in a live card game. A common deck identity code is located on each card. A shuffler has a circuit for counting the cards from a previous hand which are inserted into the shuffler and which reads the common identity code. The game control verifies that no cards have been withdrawn from the hand by a player or that new cards have been substituted. A unique code also placed on each card is read as the card is dealt to indicate the value and the suit. The game control stores this information in a memory so that a history of each card dealt is recorded. Sensors are located near each of the player positions for sensing the presence of a game bet and a progressive bet. A card sensor located near each player position and the dealer position issues a signal for each card received. The game control receives these signals and correlates those player positions having placed a game and/or progressive bet with the received cards. The game control at each table has stored in memory the winning combinations necessary to win the progressive jackpots. Since the game control accurately stores the suit and value of each card received at a particular player position, the game control can automatically detect a winning progressive combination and issue an award signal for that player position.

Claims

1. A method for operating a secure game table at which a live card game is played with at least one deck of cards, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a common identity code located on each of said predetermined number of cards in said at least one deck,

detecting during the play of the live card game, the presence of the common identity code on each card,

issuing an alarm signal when a card not having become an identity code is sensed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each different deck has a different common identity code.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the step of counting all cards during shuffling of the cards,

issuing an alarm signal when said number of cards is different from the number of cards in said live card game.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the common identity code includes the value of a card, the suit of a card, and the identity of the deck the card is from.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the image of each card is optically scanned, including the suit, rank, and common identity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identity code is invisibly placed on a card.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the invisible code is read with an infrared reader.

8. A method for operating a secure game table at which a live card game is played with at least one deck of cards, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a common identity code located on each of said predetermined number of cards in said at least one deck wherein each different deck has a different common identity code,

detecting during the play of the live card game, the presence of the common identity code on each card,

issuing an alarm signal when a card not having become an identity code is sensed,

the step of counting all cards during shuffling of the cards,

issuing an alarm signal when said number of cards is different from the number of cards in said live card game.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the common identity code includes the value of a card, the suit of a card, and the identity of the deck the card is from.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the image of each card is optically scanned, including the suit, rank, and common identity.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the identity code is invisibly placed on a card.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the invisible code is read with an infrared reader.

13. A secure integrated shuffler and shoe for use in a live card game system, said live card game having at least one deck, said at least one deck having a predetermined number of cards, said secure integrated shuffler and shoe system comprising:

a common identity code located on each of said predetermined number of cards in said at least one deck;

a housing;

a shuffler region in said housing for shuffling said at least one deck, said shuffler region having a shuffler circuit for counting all cards inserted into said shuffler region after each said hand, said shuffler circuit issuing a signal corresponding to the number of said cards inserted for each said hand, said shuffler circuit reading said common identity code on each said card inserted, said shuffler circuit issuing a signal corresponding to each said common deck identity code read on each said card inserted;

a shoe region in said housing for holding each said card from said shuffler region before being dealt by said dealer in said hand, said shoe region having a detector for reading at least the value and the suit of each said held card, said detector issuing a signal corresponding to said value and suit for each said held card;

a game control, said game control having a memory, said game control receptive of said value and suit signals from said detector in said shoe region for storing in said memory at least the value and suit of each card dealt from said shoe in said hand, said game control receptive of said card dealt from said shoe in said hand, said game control receptive of said signals from said shuffler circuit and said signals from said shoe for determining that said cards dealt in said hand from said shoe are the same cards inserted after said hand into said shuffler.