Table game tournaments using portable devices

• US 9,311,773 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresh Idea Global Limited
• Original Assignee: Fresh Idea Global Limited
• Inventors: Chun, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/318,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20150332537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Table game tournament systems can include player terminal(s), electronic gaming table(s), and/or a remote server. A player terminal can have an outer housing, a controller located therewithin or thereabout, input and output component(s), and a communications interface to an outside gaming network having other functionally similar gaming device(s), gaming table(s), and a remote server. The controller and/or server can facilitate providing tournament information to a player, which information can include whether the player would qualify for the next tournament round, who is the most serious opponent to the player, and/or the chip difference therebetween. A terminal can also facilitate asynchronous and individually paced tournament play, switching between different tournament tables on demand, and play of other non-tournament table games thereat simultaneously with the play of the table game tournament. Portable computing devices can be used as player terminals and can permit players to play in actual or practice play-along modes.

Claims

1. A gaming table system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of electronic gaming tables adapted to provide live table game tournaments involving wager based games, wherein each of said plurality of electronic gaming tables includes;

a physical surface adapted for the play of a table game that includes a live dealer and the use of one or more physical game components,

a table controller adapted to control a plurality of gaming table functions, wherein said table controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information upon demand, continuously in automated fashion, or both, and

a table communication interface coupled to the table controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the table controller and other electronic components within the tournament table gaming system; and

(b) a system server located remotely from and in communication with the plurality of electronic gaming tables, said system server being adapted to facilitate the simultaneous play of multiple tournament table games for the same tournament administered at multiple gaming tables from said plurality of electronic gaming tables by a single player located remotely from all of the plurality of electronic gaming tables and who is using one of a plurality of separate and remotely located portable electronic devices adapted to function as player terminals.

2. The gaming table system of claim 1, wherein said system is adapted to permit player participation in a play along mode for a live table game tournament that takes place on said plurality of electronic gaming tables having a live dealer and one or more physical game components, and wherein said live table game tournament involves monetary buy-ins from some players but no monetary buy-ins from other players who participate in the play along mode.

3. The gaming table system of claim 2, wherein said player participation in the play along mode takes place on one or more of the plurality of separate and remotely located portable electronic devices.

4. The gaming table system of claim 1, wherein said system is adapted to facilitate on at least one of the plurality of separate and remotely located portable electronic devices the play of other separate table games simultaneously along with the play of a live table game tournament that takes place on said one or more electronic gaming tables.

5. The gaming table system of claim 4, wherein the other separate table games also take place on electronic gaming tables that include a live dealer and the use of one or more physical game components.

6. The gaming table system of claim 1, wherein said system is adapted to permit a player using one of the plurality of separate and remotely located portable electronic devices to switch tournament play on demand from table games taking place on a first electronic gaming table to a second electronic gaming table.

7. The gaming table system of claim 1, wherein said system is adapted to permit a player using one of the plurality of separate and remotely located portable electronic devices to play in the live table game tournament asynchronously with respect to other players also playing in the live table game tournament, whereby the player is permitted to play at his or her own pace, is not required to play in every individual table game, and is not required to play concurrently with other players in the live table game tournament.

8. The gaming table system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of portable electronic devices is a smart phone owned by the player using the device.

9. A gaming table adapted to host a live table game tournament involving wager based table games and one or more awards, the gaming table comprising:

a physical surface adapted for the play of a live table game tournament that includes the use of a live dealer and one or more physical game components;

a table controller adapted to control a plurality of gaming table functions, wherein said table controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information to one or more players who are located remotely from the gaming table and who are using one or more separate and remotely located portable electronic devices adapted to function as a player terminal for the gaming table; and

a communication interface coupled to the table controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the table controller and an outside gaming network, wherein the outside gaming network includes at least one or more similar gaming tables that host table games for the live table game tournament, a remotely located system server, or both, and wherein said gaming table is further adapted to facilitate the play of a specific live table game thereat as simultaneously both a tournament game and also a live cash game.

10. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein said table controller is adapted to facilitate player participation in a play along mode for the live table game tournament that takes place on the gaming table, and wherein the live table game tournament involves monetary buy-ins from some players but no monetary buy-ins from other players who participate in the play along mode.

11. The gaming table of claim 10, wherein said player participation in the play along mode takes place on one of the separate and remotely located portable electronic devices.

12. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein said gaming table is adapted to facilitate on one of the separate and remotely located portable electronic devices the play of other separate table games from other gaming tables simultaneously along with the play of the live table game tournament.

13. The gaming table of claim 12, wherein the other separate table games also take place on electronic gaming tables that include a live dealer and the use of one or more physical game components.

14. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein said gaming table is adapted to permit a player using one of the separate and remotely located portable electronic devices to switch tournament play on demand from table games taking place on said gaming table to another electronic gaming table in the live table game tournament.

15. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein said table is adapted to facilitate play in the live table game tournament asynchronously with respect to other players also playing in the live table game tournament.

16. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein one of the separate and remotely located portable electronic devices is a smart phone owned by the player using the device.

17. A method of facilitating player participation in a live table game tournament using a portable computing device, the method comprising:

providing a specialized software component to a portable computing device, the specialized software component being adapted to permit the portable computing device to function as a player terminal for a live table game tournament that takes place at one or more physical gaming tables that include a live dealer and one or more physical game components;

accepting a login from a player using the portable computing device, wherein the player and the portable computing device are both located remotely from all of the one or more physical gaming tables;

providing information specific to the live table game tournament to the remotely located portable computing device, wherein the information includes a status to the player that an end of a current tournament round is approaching or that the player has not yet played a minimum amount required for the current tournament round;

administering a plurality of table games for the live table game tournament on the one or more physical gaming tables; and

permitting the player to participate in the plurality of table games for the live table game tournament by using the portable computing device while the player and the portable computing device are remotely located from all of the one or more physical gaming tables.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein overall play for the live table game tournament is asynchronous such that the player is permitted to play at his or her own pace, is not required to play in every individual table game, and is not required to play concurrently with other players in the live table game tournament.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said live table game tournament involves monetary buy-ins from some players but no monetary buy-ins from other players who participate in the play along mode.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the steps of:

determining how the player in the play along mode performed during the live table game tournament; and

providing this determination to the player.