Playing card shuffler with differential hand count capability

• US 8,267,404 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Grauzer, Attila, Snow, Roger M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/895,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/149.P, 273/148.R
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

A programmable card handling machine with a display and appropriate inputs for adjusting the machine to any of a number of games comprises inputs including a number of cards-per-hand selector, a card game selector, a number of hands delivered selector and a trouble-shooting input. These features also provide for interchangeability of the machine for many different games, for many types of cards or decks and in different locations thereby reducing the number of back-up machines or units required at a casino. The display may include a game mode or game selected display, and use a cycle rate and/or hand count monitor and display for determining or monitoring usage of the machine. The card handling machine is capable of randomly selecting numbers of cards to be delivered in a hand of cards to players and a dealer during a round of a casino table card game.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing hands of playing cards in a casino table card game comprising:

a playing card input holder;

a container for receiving playing cards from the card input holder;

a delivery tray for receiving playing cards from the container;

a playing card moving system for moving a number of playing cards defining a hand of playing cards from the container to the delivery tray;

an operator input interface; and

a processor containing software to direct the card moving system to randomly select how many playing cards will form the hand in the delivery tray.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the playing card moving system is configured to move the playing cards individually to the delivery tray.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the playing card moving system is configured to move the playing cards as a group to the delivery tray.

4. An apparatus for providing hands of playing cards in a casino table card game comprising:

a container for receiving a first group of playing cards;

a playing card shuffling and delivery system capable of forming random subsets of playing cards within the apparatus;

a playing card mover for moving the random subsets of playing cards to a delivery tray to form hands of playing cards; and

a processor controlling the card mover;

wherein the processor contains at least one program that is capable of causing the processor to randomly select at least one variation of card delivery steps selected from the group consisting of;

a) a number of playing cards defining a hand of playing cards delivered to the delivery tray,

b) at least one hand in which a random number of playing cards will be provided,

c) when random numbers of playing cards in at least one of player hands, common cards and a dealer hand are provided,

d) whether at least one player hand or dealer hand will receive a random number of playing;

cards, and

e) a frequency at which random numbers of playing cards will be provided to at least one hand.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a program, when activated, causes the processor to randomly select a number of playing cards from within a defined range that will be provided to at least one hand in the casino table card game.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a program, when activated, causes the processor to randomly select a hand that is to contain a random number of playing cards.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a program, when activated, causes the processor to randomly select a hand that is to contain a random number of cards from within a predetermined range of numbers of playing cards.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program, when activated, causes the processor to allow only player hands to be selected to contain a random number of playing cards.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program, when activated, causes the processor to allow only a dealer'"'"'s hand to be selected to contain a random number of playing cards.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program, when activated, causes the processor to allow only a hand to contain a random number of cards that is selected from the group consisting of a player'"'"'s hand, a dealer'"'"'s hand, community cards and both a player'"'"'s hand and a dealer'"'"'s hand.

11. An apparatus for randomizing playing cards and forming hands of playing cards comprising:

a receiving area for a first set of playing cards;

a randomization area wherein the first set of cards is to be randomized;

a processor for controlling playing card movement at least within the randomization area; and

a delivery tray where individual hands of playing cards are to be delivered or formed;

wherein multiple dealing programs are present in the processor and at least one program, when activated, causes the processor to randomly select a number of playing cards to be delivered or formed within the delivery tray.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one program, when activated, causes the processor to instruct the apparatus to form multiple hands wherein at least one hand has a card count unequal to a card count in at least one other hand.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the number of cards randomly selected by the processor when the at least one program is activated is randomly selected from within a predetermined range.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein only player hands are to be formed in or delivered to the delivery tray.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein only player hands and dealer'"'"'s hands are formed in or delivered to the delivery tray.

16. A method of providing hands of physical playing cards for use in a casino table card game comprising:

a) providing a first group of physical playing cards into a shuffling apparatus having a processor programmed to control the movement of physical playing cards within the shuffling apparatus;

b) randomizing the first group of cards with the shuffling apparatus;

c) forming individual subgroups of randomized physical playing cards with the shuffling apparatus;

d) moving at least some of the individual subgroups of randomized physical playing cards with the shuffling apparatus to a delivery tray of the shuffling apparatus to provide hands of a number of the randomized physical playing cards; and

e) delivering individual hands of the randomized physical playing cards to individual player locations on a casino game table;

wherein the number of randomized cards in the individual subgroups moved to the delivery tray of the shuffling apparatus corresponding to at least one hand during a round of play of the casino table card game is randomly determined by the processor in the shuffling apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the number of randomized cards in the individual subgroups moved to the delivery tray of the apparatus corresponding to the at least one hand is randomly determined from within a predetermined range of a number of cards.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein an underlying game play procedure in the casino table card game is played with players using a specific number of cards to form poker-type hands, and the number of randomized cards to be randomly determined by the processor is selected from the group consisting of the specific number of cards, fewer than the specific number of cards, and more than the specific number of cards.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein an underlying game play procedure in the casino table card game is played with players using a specific number of cards to form poker-type hands, and the number of randomized cards to be randomly determined by the processor is selected from the group consisting of the specific number of cards, fewer than the specific number of cards, and more than the specific number of cards.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein an underlying game play procedure in the casino table card game is played with players using a specific number of cards to form poker-type hands, and the number of randomized cards to be randomly determined is selected from the group consisting of three cards, four cards, five cards, six cards, and seven cards.