Gaming system with blackjack primary game and poker secondary game

• US 8,152,615 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lancaster, Eric W., Kastner, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/830,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 22, 463/29, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A gaming device having a primary game and a secondary game is provided. The gaming device includes a primary game, such as blackjack or 21 operable on a wager by a player, and an optional secondary game that is operable on a secondary game wager by a player. After placing a secondary game wager and satisfying certain criteria in the primary game, one or more players are provided with a secondary game card to be used in the secondary game. The secondary game is resolved after a player has accumulated a plurality of secondary game cards over the course of several sequentially played rounds of the primary game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a table;

at least one display device;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device; and

an electronic tracking system configured to, for each of a plurality of plays of a primary card game including physical cards dealt at the table, operate with the at least one display device, the at least one processor, and the at least one memory device to;

(a) identify any physical cards from said physical cards dealt at the table for the play of the primary card game and to store into the at least one memory device information related to at least one identified physical card as a secondary game card if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary card game, wherein the stored information related to the secondary game card is retained in the at least one memory device for a play of a secondary card game, and

said at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one memory device, for said play of the secondary card game, to;

(i) retrieve from said at least one memory device the stored information related to the secondary game cards,

(ii) display the secondary game cards based on the stored information, and

(iii) display a secondary card game outcome based on an evaluation of the displayed secondary game cards.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table includes a plurality of player positions and a dealer position, wherein the at least one display device is configured to display secondary game cards based on the stored information for each of the player positions.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table includes a plurality of player positions and the at least one display device is a communal display device configured to display secondary game cards based on the stored information and separately associated with each of the player positions.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary card game outcome is determined after a designated number of secondary game cards are accumulated over a series of plays of the primary card game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one memory device to simultaneously display secondary game cards based on the stored information and that have been accumulated over several plays of the primary card game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each secondary game card is selected from the primary game cards in one of the plays of the primary card game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device is configured to operate with the at least one processor and the at least one memory device to enable a player to use one or more of the secondary game cards based on the information stored in the at least one memory device and that are associated with the player in a secondary card game.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the at least one input device is configured to operate with the at least one processor, the at least one memory device, and the at least one display device, to reset the secondary card game associated with the player if the player:

(i) leaves the table,

(ii) discontinues play of the primary card game at the table for a predetermined period of time, or

(iii) elects to reset the secondary card game.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein after the triggering event occurs in a play of the primary card game, the at least one input device is configured to operate with the at least one processor, the at least one memory device, and the at least one display device, to enable the player to select one of the primary game cards for use in the secondary card game.

10. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the secondary card game includes at least one opportunity for the player to exchange at least one of the previously accumulated secondary game cards for a different one of the primary game cards.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tracking system includes a card recognition system having an optical recognition device or a radio frequency identification device to identify cards dealt for each play of the primary card game.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table includes a plurality of player positions and a plurality of display devices, each player position associated with one of said plurality of display devices, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one memory device and each of the display devices to evaluate and display any secondary game cards based on the information stored in the at least one memory device and associated with the respective player position after each play of the primary card game.

13. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to place a wager on a play of a primary card game;

(b) identifying physical primary game cards dealt at a table in the play of the primary card game via an electronic tracking system;

(c) storing information related to at least one identified physical primary game card as a secondary game card in at least one memory device if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary card game, wherein the stored information related to the secondary game card is retained in the at least one memory device over a plurality of subsequent plays of the primary card game, said triggering event based on the identified primary game cards;

(d) retrieving from said at least one memory device the information related to the secondary game card; and

(e) displaying on at least one display device at least one of any retrieved secondary game cards based on the information stored in the at least one memory device after a plurality of subsequent plays of the primary card game at the table.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes displaying primary game cards on the at least one display device viewable at a player position.

15. The method of claim 13, which includes associating any secondary game cards with a secondary card game.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes determining a secondary card game outcome from a plurality of stored secondary game cards based on information stored in the at least one memory device and accumulated over a plurality of plays of the primary card game.

17. The method of claim 13, which includes designating each of at least one but less than all of the primary game cards from a play of the primary card game as secondary game cards and storing information related to said secondary game cards on the at least one memory device.

18. The method of claim 13, which includes resetting a secondary card game associated with the player if the player:

(i) discontinues play of the primary card game for a predetermined period of time, or

(ii) elects to restart the secondary card game.

19. The method of claim 13, which includes enabling a player to select one of a plurality of primary game cards, and storing information related to the selected primary game card in the at least one memory device as a secondary game card for a secondary card game.

20. The method of claim 13, which includes providing at least one opportunity for the player to exchange at least one of the previously accumulated secondary card game cards.

21. The method of claim 13, which includes, for each play of the primary card game, identifying the primary game cards with a card recognition system having an optical recognition device or a radio frequency identification device.

22. The method of claim 13, which is operated through a data network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data network is an internet.

24. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a plurality of players to each place a wager on a play of a primary card game;

(b) identifying, for each of the players, physical primary game cards dealt at a table in the play of the primary card game via an electronic tracking system;

(c) storing, for each of the players, information relating to at least one of the identified physical primary game cards as a secondary game card in at least one memory device if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary card game, wherein the stored information related to the secondary game card is retained in the at least one memory device over a plurality of subsequent plays of the primary card game, the triggering event based on the identified primary game cards; and

(d) retrieving from said at least one memory the information related to the secondary game card; and

(e) displaying on a display device, for each of the players, any retrieved secondary game cards based on the stored information in the at least one memory device after a plurality of subsequent plays of the primary card game, said secondary game cards usable by one of the respective players for a plurality of subsequent plays of the primary card game.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the displayed secondary game cards are associated with a secondary card game.

26. The method of claim 24, which includes determining, for each player, a secondary card game outcome based on a plurality of secondary game cards accumulated over a series of plays of the primary card game.

27. The method of claim 24, which includes enabling each of the players to select one of a plurality of displayed primary game cards to be stored for use as a secondary game card in a secondary card game.

28. The method of claim 24, which is operated through a data network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the data network is an internet.