The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for monitoring gaming operations, particularly concerns monitoring gaming at live tables. The invention is applicable to card games such as Baccarat, Blackjack and poker, and may also be used in relation to table games such as craps or roulette.
The invention will be described in detail taking Baccarat as an example, and there follows a brief explanation of the game of Baccarat in order to facilitate understanding.
Baccarat is a table card game in which the players being are usually seated along a curved side of the table and a table operator or dealer is positioned at the centre of an opposite side of the table. The table may be semicircular or kidney-shaped, or may take another form.
In casino games of Baccarat, only two hands of cards are in play. The hands are referred to as the “Player” and the “Banker” hands. Players bet on which hand will have a score closer to nine.
The table is usually divided into sectors radiating out from a dealer position, one sector for each player, and in each player's sector there are three betting fields associated with the player, to reflect the three possible outcomes on which players can wager, i.e. “Player”, “Banker” and “tie”.
Each of the cards from ace to nine has a point value equal to its rank or spot value, and the remaining cards (ten, jack, queen, and king) have a point value of zero. The point value of hands in Baccarat is determined by summing modulo ten the point value of the constituent cards of the hand. Taking the total modulo ten means disregarding the first digit in any total of ten or more. For example, a hand consisting of a three and a four is worth seven (3+4=7). A hand consisting of a seven and a nine is worth six (7+9=16, the first digit being dropped as the total is higher than ten to give a total of 6). A hand consisting of a six and a four is worth zero (6+4=10, the first digit being dropped to give a total of 0). In Baccarat, there are a total of ten ranked hand totals with the highest ranked being any two or three card combination having a total (or sum modulo ten) that totals nine. The total number of cards used to obtain the total is irrelevant, and as such, a two-card total of nine has the same ranking as a three-card total of nine.
Conventional Baccarat rules do not allow for player participation or require additional decision making once the game begins, as a standard series of rules known as the tableau governs the outcome of each game. The tableau determines when a two-card total for either the player or the Banker hand must either stand or draw another card. An example of a dealing tableau is the following set of 11 rules:
The game starts when a player places the first wager on the table, indicating his prediction for the outcome of the next game. When all players who are going to participate in the game have placed their wagers, the dealer draws the cards from a dealing shoe to form the two hands of cards in play.
The dealer then applies the rules of the tableau to the “Player” hand, until a value is reached at which the “Player” hand must stand.
The dealer next applies the rules of the tableau to the “Banker” hand, again until a value is reached at which the “Banker” hand must stand.
The dealer then declares the result as either a win for the “Player” hand, a win for the “Banker” hand, or a tie.
The dealer collects the bets of participants who have placed wagers on losing results, and pays out winnings to participants who have placed wagers on the winning result.
The next game is started when a player places the first bet, and the sequence is then repeated.
As can be seen from the above example, the operation of the Baccarat table is thus a series of game play sequences, each starting with the “First bet” event when the first player places a wager, followed by the “First card” event when all wagers have been placed and the dealer takes the first card from the shoe, followed by the “End game” event which occurs after the two hands of cards have been processed in accordance with the dealing tableau and all of the players' wagers have been resolved.
Gaming tables at which other card games are played will similarly have a respective discrete series of operations associated with each card game, again generally starting with the “First bet” event when the first player places a wager, followed by the “First card” event when the dealer takes the first card from the shoe. In card games where each player has an individual hand and the players sequentially operate on their hands by drawing and/or discarding cards, there will be a series of events corresponding to each player reaching a point where his hand will stand, followed by the “End game” event which occurs after all the players' hands of cards and the dealer's hand, if any, have been processed, and all of the players' wagers have been resolved.
Likewise, at gaming tables where other games such as roulette are played, play progresses as a series of games each of which starts with players placing wagers on their selected numbers. A “No More Bets” event signifies the end of betting at the table, and a “Ball Launched” event occurs when a ball is launched into the rim of the roulette wheel. This may be before or after the “No More Bets” event. The ball eventually settles in a pocket in the roulette wheel, and wagers are settled depending on the particular pocket in which the ball settles. The “game” ends when all wages have been settled, and the table is again opened for the placing of wagers for the next game.
The operation of a gaming table also includes periods where play is suspended, so that for example cards may be shuffled, gaming chips replenished, or disputes as to the result of a game resolved.
In the casino environment, the time taken to complete a game at a gaming table may vary, depending on how many players are at the table and depending for example on how quickly the cards are dealt and processed, or how quickly a roulette ball can be launched and settle to determine the result of the game. The present invention provides a means by which the operation of a gaming table may be monitored.
The automatic monitoring of these events at a gaming table requires expensive modification of the playing table and installation of sensing equipment to detect movements of chips and cards on the table and to detect the operations which result in suspension of play.
The operator of a gaming table (the dealer or croupier) is occupied during all stages of the game, for example watching the actions of the players and when appropriate dealing cards from a dealing shoe, launching and retrieving a roulette ball, and collecting and distributing gaming chips. Manual monitoring and recording of all these events by the table operator is impractical, as the operator's attention must be concentrated on the events at the table in order to promote smooth play of the game.
The present invention seeks to provide a method and apparatus by which the operation of a gaming table can be monitored and recorded, using simple equipment and without imposing significant distraction on the table operator.
One aspect of the invention provides apparatus for monitoring the operation of a gaming table, the apparatus comprising manual input means operable to provide output signals, the manual input means having a plurality of inputs each operable to provide a respective output signal corresponding to a respective event in a game being played at the table, a gaming device including sensor means to detect operations of the gaming device during a game, and provide an output signal, a processor adapted to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the sensor means of the gaming device, clock means for providing timestamp data to the processor; and a memory, wherein the processor is operable to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the sensor means of the gaming device, add respective timestamp data to the signals received, store in the memory the signals and their respective associated timestamp data, and calculate, on the basis of the signals and their associated timestamp data, a time interval between the receipt of one signal and the receipt of a subsequent signal.
In one embodiment, apparatus for monitoring operation of a gaming table comprises manual input means operable by the table operator or dealer to provide output signals, a dealing shoe including sensor means to detect the dealing of a card from the dealing shoe and provide an output signal, a processor adapted to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the dealing shoe, clock means for providing timestamp data to the processor, and a memory, wherein the processor is operable to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the dealing shoe, add respective timestamp data to the signals received, and store in the memory the signals and their respective associated timestamp data. The processor is operable to calculate, on the basis of the signals and their associated timestamp data, a time interval between the receipt of one signal and the receipt of a subsequent signal.
In another embodiment, the apparatus for monitoring operation of a gaming table comprises manual input means operable by a table operator or croupier to provide output signals, a gaming device including sensor means to detect operations of or conditions in the gaming device, a processor adapted to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the sensor means of the gaming device, clock means for providing timestamp data to the processor, and a memory, wherein the processor is operable to receive the signals from the manual input means and from the sensor means of the gaming device, add respective timestamp data to the signals received, and store in the memory the signals and their respective associated timestamp data. The processor is operable to calculate, on the basis of the signals and their associated timestamp data, a time interval between the receipt of one signal and the receipt of a subsequent signal.
The gaming device may be a roulette wheel, and may include sensor means to detect operations of the roulette wheel including spinning the wheel, launching a ball on a rim of the wheel, and to detect conditions in the roulette wheel such as the ball coming to rest in a pocket of the wheel, and to provide a respective output signal. In a particular aspect, there is provided a manual input means operable to provide output signals, the manual input means having a plurality of inputs each operable to provide a respective output signal corresponding to a respective event which may take place in a game such as baccarat, blackjack poker or in a table game such as roulette.
A third aspect of the invention provides a method and apparatus for monitoring a gaming table.
The operation of the gaming table is monitored and recorded by calculating and recording the intervals between game events and/or conditions, for example events signifying the beginning and end of a game. The workload on the table operator is minimised by providing the manual input means with a respective input corresponding to each event which may take place in a game, so that the dealer has only to make a single input movement, such as a button press, to provide a signal identifying a game event.
The apparatus of the present invention thus avoids or minimises the expense of modification to the playing table or playing equipment for the game, yet provides accurate monitoring of the operation of the table without detracting from that operation.
One embodiment of the present invention provides apparatus for monitoring the operation of a gaming table, the apparatus comprising a manual input device operable by a table operator to provide signals indicative of game play events, a gaming device including an automatic sensor operable to provide signals indicative of game play events, and a table computer including the processing means and memory to store and process the data relating to game play events.
The gaming device may be a card dealing shoe or a table device such as a roulette wheel. The automatic sensor may detect cards being dealt from a dealing shoe, or may detect events relating to the movement of a ball and/or roulette wheel.
There is now described an exemplary embodiment, comprising a gaming system for monitoring play at a Baccarat table and providing statistical analysis and reports of table operation. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to monitoring the game of Baccarat, but is applicable to casino table games in general.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings,
In the illustrated embodiment, the elements of the system 1 present at the casino are a Baccarat table 2, a dealing shoe 9 situated on the table, a dealer input device 11 also on the table 2, and a table computer 13 to which the shoe 9 and the input device 11 are linked.
The illustrated Baccarat table 2 is of semicircular form, having a dealer position DP at approximately the centre, and a number of player positions 3, 4, arranged as sectors of the semicircle. Each player position has an identifying number 5 and three betting fields 6, 7, 8 corresponding to the 3 possible outcomes of each hand. Nearest to the player is betting field 6 which corresponds to the outcome “Player”. Nearest to the dealer is betting field 8, which corresponds to the outcome “tie”. Between betting fields 6 and 8 is the central betting field 7, corresponding to the outcome “Banker”. In front of the dealer position DP is a dealing area into which cards from the shoe 9 are placed to form the hands of each game. The dealing area has a region 2a to receive the cards of the “Player” hand and a region 2b to receive those of the “Banker” hand.
The dealing shoe 9 is placed adjacent the dealer position DP, the dealing shoe 9 having a chamber for storing a plurality of playing cards C, and a delivery chute 9a from which the dealer can sequentially take cards C to form the “Player” and “Banker” hands as required. The dealing shoe 9 is shown in more detail in
The dealer input device is also placed adjacent to the dealer position DP, and in this embodiment is a touch-screen device which displays images of control buttons 12 which the dealer can operate by touching the screen. The arrangement, colouring and functionality of the control buttons image on the screen may change during various phases of play.
The dealer input device 11 and the dealing shoe 9 are linked to the table computer 13, either by a hard wired connection or by a wireless connection such as a “Bluetooth”® wireless link. Dealer inputs from the dealer input device 11 are relayed to the table computer 13 via the input/output module 11c of the dealer input device 11, as are outputs from the dealing shoe 9.
The table computer 13 in this embodiment includes a processor 14 to receive inputs from the dealer input device 11 and from the dealing shoe 9, and a clock device 15 which provides a record of the current time. When an input is received from the dealer input device 11 or from the shoe 9, the processor 14 identifies the nature of the input, adds to it a timestamp based on the current time retrieved from the clock 15, and stores the result in a memory 16. In the example shown in
Operation of the system will now be described.
When there is no dealer present at the table, the touch-screen of the dealer input device 11 displays the array of control buttons shown in
The touch-screen display then changes to the configuration shown in
The dealer then enters a number corresponding to the number of players presently at the table. If no players are present, the dealer enters “0” on the numerical display, and a signal is sent to the table computer 13 to indicate that no players are present. The “0” button on the display may change colour or appearance, for example by flashing, to show that the dealer has indicated no players being present. The system may be set up so that when the dealer logs in the screen automatically flashes the “0” button as a cue to the dealer. It is important to note that on the input device there is an individual number button for each number from 0 to 9, but there is also an individual number button for the number 10 and a button for “11+” to signify that 11 or more players are present at the table. It is foreseen that separate number buttons for the numbers 10, 11 and 12 may be provided on the input device, rather than only buttons for 10 and 11+. This enables the dealer to signify the presence of 10, 11 or 12 players with only a single press of a button on the touch screen, thus minimising the extra work required by the dealer to enter the monitoring information. The input device illustrated in
When one or more players arrive at the table to play, the dealer presses the appropriate number button and the input device 11 signals to the table computer 13 that that number of players are present. In the example shown, the memory 16 in
When a number of players has arrived and been indicated via the dealer input device 11, the dealer invites the players to place their wagers by placing chips or cash in one of the three betting fields corresponding to their player position. In example seen in
When the first player to place a bet does so, the dealer touches the “First Bet” button on the screen of the input device 11 to indicate that betting has commenced. Again, the input device sends a signal to the table computer indicating the first bet of the game has been placed, and the processor 14 of the table computer 13 then retrieves the current time from the clock means 15, adds a timestamp to the signal and stores the signal in memory to record the time at which the first bet was placed. In the example shown in
The dealer then encourages any other players present to place their bets, and may register the placing of these further bets by pressing or touching an “additional bet” button either as each additional bet is placed, or by pressing or touching a number button to signify the total number of bets after all bets have been placed. Again, these signals are time stamped by the table computer and sent to server 18 for recording and analysis. An additional system, such as a CCTV surveillance system capturing an image of the betting fields, may provide data indicating the amount of a particular bet and/or the player who placed the bet by detecting the number and/or colour of the gaming chips or identifying currency placed on a betting field.
When all bets have been placed the dealer removes four cards face down from the dealing shoe 9 and places them in the regions 2a, 2b respectively of the dealing area to form the “Player” and “Banker” hands. As the first card is removed from the shoe 9, the detector 9d in the shoe registers the passage of the card, and the shoe 9 sends an output signal to the table computer 13 to indicate that the first card of the game has been dealt. The processor 14 of the table computer 13 again retrieves the current time from the clock means 15, adds a timestamp to the signal and stores the signal in memory. At this point in the proceedings, the dealer is fully occupied distributing the cards, but monitoring still takes place since an automatic detection of the cards is made and a signal is sent to the table computer by the dealing shoe. In the example shown in
Once all the four cards have been dealt, the dealer, or one of the players, turns over the cards of the “Player” hand to show the card values. Turning of the cards may be notified to the table computer by the table operator touching a button on the input device 11, or may be detected by an additional system such as a video surveillance of the regions 2a and 2b of the dealing area, and a signal may then be sent to the table computer which timestamps the data and forward it to the server for recording and processing. The dealer applies the rules of the dealing tableau to add more cards as necessary in order to arrive at the final total for the “Player” hand.
The dealer, or one of the players, then turns over the “Banker” hand to show the card values, and the dealer applies the dealing tableau to arrive at the final total for the “Banker” hand.
Based on the final totals of the hands, the dealer then declares the result as a “Player” win, a “Banker” win or a “tie”.
If no player disputes this result, the dealer then collects the wagers of losing players, pays winnings to winning players, and the game ends. The dealer may signal the end of the game to the table computer via the dealer input device 11, for example by pressing or touching an “End game” button (not shown). In the illustrated example, a signal was received from the dealer input that the game ended, and a timestamp of 09:05 was added to the signal and the signal and timestamp were then stored in the memory 16 at 16f.
The processor may calculate the duration of the game by calculating the difference in time between the dealer pressing the “First bet” button and the dealer pressing the “End game” button, or may calculate the duration of the game by computing the difference in time between successive presses of the “End game” button.
Alternatively, the memory 16 may have stored in it, for each possible number of players at the table, a respective predetermined interval representing the typical interval from the dealing of the first card to the end of the game, i.e. the interval during which the cards are dealt, the dealing tableau applied, and the wagers settled. The processor 14 may calculate a duration for the game by adding this predetermined interval to the interval between the dealer pressing the “First bet” button and receipt of the “First card” indication, and may record the result in the memory 16 as the duration of the game.
In a further alternative, processor 14 may calculate the duration of a game by adding a predetermined interval to the time of the “First card” event, taking into account the number of players present at the table, and generate an “End game” entry for the memory 16 with a timestamp indicative of the calculated duration from the “First card” event.
If the outcome of the game is disputed, the dealer presses a “dispute” button on the input device, which signals the table computer that a result has been disputed and play is therefore suspended. The table computer records the time at which the dispute button was pressed. When the dispute has been resolved, the dealer presses the dispute button again to indicate that play can recommence, and the table computer again records the time at which the dispute button was pressed to recommence play. The “dispute” button may change its appearance after being pressed to indicate that a dispute is in progress, and to alert the dealer that it must be pressed again when the dispute is resolved. The “dispute” button may revert back to its original appearance when pressed again to indicate resolution of the dispute. Again, efficient operation is assured by having only a single button press by the dealer to respectively indicate the start and end of the dispute procedure.
It is from time to time necessary to replenish or reshuffle the cards C in the dealing shoe 9. This necessitates a suspension of play at the table. When a shuffle is required, the dealer presses the “Shuffle” button on the input device 11, and the table computer receives a “Shuffle” signal, applies a timestamp to the signal and stores it in memory 16. The “Shuffle” button may change colour or appearance to indicate that a shuffling event is in progress.
It is likewise from time to time necessary to replenish the dealer's supply of chips or cash, and this again necessitates a short suspension of play at the table while the dealer's attention is concentrated on handling the chips or cash. When a resupply or removal of chips is required, the dealer presses the “Credit/Fill” button on the input device 11 once and then attends to the required operation. When the dealer is again ready for play, the dealer presses the “Credit/Fill” button a second time to signal that the cash handling period is ended. The table computer receives the two “Credit/Fill” signals, applies timestamps to them and stores them in memory 16. As described above in relation to the “Shuffle” button, the “Credit/Fill” button may change its colour or appearance for the duration of the chip handling event. Efficiency of operation is again assured by having only a single button press by the dealer at each of the start and end of the chip handling procedure.
If a “touch-screen” input device is used, then pressing the “dispute” button, the “Shuffle” button or the “Credit/fill” button at the start of a these respective operations may change the appearance of the touch-screen so that the entire screen is taken up by the relevant button, signifying that the next input to the screen must be a second touch of the relevant button to mark the end of the interruption in play caused either by the dispute or by the need to shuffle.
The dealer then awaits the placing of the first bet for the game, and enters “First bet” at step 105 when the first bet has been placed. When all bets have been placed, the dealer deals the cards at step 106, and at step 107 applies the dealing tableau to determine the result of the hand, and then settles the players' wagers. In this embodiment, the dealer will then push an “End game” button on the input device 11 (step 108), to signal to the table computer 13 that the game has ended. The dealer then determines whether the result has been disputed and if so operates the “Dispute” button (step 109), resolves the dispute at step 110 and then again operates the “dispute” button (step 111) so that the times of the start and end of the dispute procedure are recorded in the table computer 13. If the result is not disputed, the process returns to the beginning and the dealer awaits the placing of the first bet for the next game.
At the end of the dealer's period of work at the Baccarat table, the dealer presses the “logout” button on the display screen, and a signal is again sent to the table computer indicating that the dealer is no longer responsible for this table. Operation of the table is then suspended until a new dealer logs in. The display screen may, when the dealer logs out, show a display such as seen in
The table computer 13 or the server 18 may store in memory an expected duration from the “First bet” to the “End game” event for each possible number of players at the table and may derive the performance figure by computing the available game playing time for each number of players, computing the number of games which should have been completed in that time, and comparing this with the actual number of games completed by the dealer during the session.
The available game playing time may be calculated by computing the length of time that the dealer was present at the table, and subtracting from it the total time taken up by shuffling, chip handling, disputes, and intervals when no players were present, and dividing this available game playing time into intervals corresponding to the number of players present at the table. For each of these intervals, the number of games expected to be completed is calculated based on the pre-stored information indicating the expected duration for a game with this number of players, and these numbers are added to give the total number of games which the dealer is expected to have completed during his session.
The processor may determine the actual number of games completed during the session by determining the total number of “End game” events or “First bet” events occurring during the session.
The dealer's performance figure may be arrived at by simply dividing the actual number of games completed by the number of games expected to be completed.
In the embodiment described above, the system for monitoring Baccarat table play comprises an input device operated by the dealer to notify a table computer 13 of events in the operation of the table, a dealing shoe including means for notifying the table computer of dealing events, and processing means in the table computer operable to store those notifications together with respective timestamp data to identify when each notification was received. In alternative embodiments, the functionality of the table computer 13 may be incorporated into the input device 11. In a further alternative embodiment, the dealing shoe 9 may include the input device 11 and the functionality of the table computer 13.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Examples of the reports are illustrated in
The processor then groups together the games having the same number of players, and determines the average duration of those games, expressed in games per hour. The report shown in
The programming routine which is executed by the processor 28 to generate each of the report is stored in the memory 38 in the server 18. In the illustrated example in
Each of the reports illustrated in
In the example described above, the dealer makes and input into his input device 11 to signify the number of players seated at the table 2. As an alternative to the dealer making such an input, the seats associated with the table may include means to transmit a signal to the table computer 13 in response to a person being seated on the chair. The signal will include identifying data to indicate which chair is in use, and the table computer 13 may include a register which records the identifying data of each chair associated with this table, so that the table computer 13 may determine how many players are seated at the table and in which chairs they are seated. Sensor devices such as pressure sensors in the chairs may be used to detect whether a person is seated on the chair. In one embodiment, each chair may include a sensor device, a transmitter, a control processor and a memory.
The transmitter is controlled by the control processor, using software stored in the memory, so that when the sensor device gives an output indicating that a person is seated on the chair, the control processor causes the transmitter to send a signal including an identifying code to identify the chair, and data indicating that the chair is occupied. This signal will be received by the table computer 13, timestamped and recorded in its memory 16 so that the processor 14 may determine which chairs are occupied and which are not.
The memory 16 of the table computer 13 may include as part of its start-up routine a polling of the chairs associated with the gaming table, and the memory may store a list of the identifying codes of the chairs associated with the gaming table. Signals received from chairs associated with other gaming tables may be compared with the stored list, and discarded if they identified in codes of the chairs do not match a chair on the list.
Preferably, the sensor device in each chair or the control processor in each chair causes the transmitter to send a signal only when the occupancy status of the chair changes, such as when a player 1st sits down or when the player gets off the chair.
The sensor devices each chair may be a force or displacement transducer, temperature sensor, optical sensor or any other suitable sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant.
As an alternative to the use of a transmitter to send a signal wirelessly to the table computer, any other suitable transmission system may be used. In gaming tables where the seats are permanently fixed adjacent the table, the sensor devices may be connected to the table computer 13 by a hard-wired connection such as a LAN cable.
If the dealing shoe 9 is of a type which can automatically perform shuffling operations on command by the dealer, the shoe may be arranged such that when the dealer operates an input on the shoe to commence a shuffling operation, the shoe will then send a signal to the table computer indicating the start of a shuffle. The shoe may also send a further signal to the table computer when the shuffling operation is completed and the shoe is again ready for play.
In some commercially-available dealing shoes, such as the “Angel Eye” shoe, a card reader is positioned at the discharge chute and reads the value of each card dealt, so that the dealing shoe can determine the correct result for each game and provide an output, usually by means of a an indicator light, showing the correct result of the game. It is foreseen that such a shoe may be used in the system of the present invention, to provide an output which will assist in the resolution of disputes. The dealing shoe may also provide some processing capability, and may provide an output indicating the number of games played since logon, so that the processor in the table computer does not have to compute this figure but can simply receive it from the shoe.
In an alternative embodiment, the display device 11 may include a “First card” button which the dealer can press to indicate that the first card has been dealt, so that the display device 11 may be used with a dealing shoe having no card detector or output device. However, in order to make this as ergonomically efficient as possible, the input device should be positioned adjacent the dealing shoe. Alternatively, the dealing shoe 9 may be provided with a conveniently-placed input at button 9b for the dealer to press as he removes the first card from the shoe in order to send a “First card” signal from the shoe 9 to the table computer 13. Again it is important to note that a dedicated “First card” button pressed only once to indicate the start of the deal improves the efficiency of the game play, as the dealer's time is not taken unnecessarily to perform a complicated data input procedure.
The input device 11 in the described embodiment is provided with individual control buttons corresponding to “Shuffle”, “Credit/Fill” and “Dispute” which have a toggling action, i.e. the button is pressed or touched once to signify the start of an event, and pressed again to signify the end of that event. The appearance of the button on the touch-screen may change, for example from a default configuration of “Start Shuffle” to a configuration showing “End Shuffle” when the button is pressed, and may return to the default condition when the button is pressed again. As an alternative, the input device 11 may be provided with separate buttons for signifying the start and end of these events, i.e. a “Start Shuffle” button and an “End Shuffle” button, a “Start Credit/Fill” button and an “End Credit/Fill” button and a “Start Dispute” button and an “End Dispute” button.
The input device 11 may be a programmable portable device such as a mobile telephone, programmed to display the input control buttons on a touch-screen input, and to communicate with the table computer by a wireless connection. Alternatively the input device may be a portable processing device which is connectable to the table computer 13 by a cable, for example a USB cable.
The input device 11 may be a touch-screen device built into the table 2 so as to be in plain view of the players, or may be positioned and configured so as to be operable without the players seeing the device. In some embodiments of the invention, the playing area of the table 2 may be provided with sensors in the betting fields 6, 7 and 8 of each player to detect when a bet is placed, and provide a signal to the table computer 13 or server 18 that the “First bet” has been placed. Sensors may also be placed in the dealing areas 2a and 2b to detect the arrival of cards from the shoe, and may provide to the table computer 13 or to the server 18 the “First card” signal. Sensors in the betting fields 6, 7 and 8 may also be used to detect payment of winning bets by the dealer and collection of losing bets, and may send an “End game” signal to the table computer 13 or server 18 when all chips or cash have been cleared from the table, to signify the end of a game. Sensors may also be placed to detect the arrival and departure of players from the table, and may provide to the table computer 13 or server 18 signals indicating the presence or absence of a player at each player position. The table computer 13 or server 18 may compute the number of players present at any particular time on the basis of these signals.
As an alternative to sensors mounted in the playing area, the playing area may be imaged by an image capture device such as a CCTV camera, and image processing techniques may be used to detect the placing of bets, settlement of wagers, etc for example by detecting the presence or absence of gaming chips on the playing surface. The image capture device may also be used to record the cards in play, and to identify the cards and determine winning hands based on the identity and position of the cards on the gaming surface.
As an alternative to a touch-screen device, the dealer input device 11 may be a keypad having a plurality of physical buttons, each having one or more functionalities. The keypad may have a number of physical buttons corresponding to the number of possible events occurring during game play, so that the dealer only has to touch one of the buttons to send a signal signifying a particular game play event.
In the above-described exemplary embodiment, the invention is applied to monitoring the play of baccarat at a card table. The invention may equally be applied to monitoring other card games such as blackjack and poker.
In the games of blackjack and poker, each individual player has his own hand and during each round of play has opportunities to interact with the dealer to change his hand by adding more cards, such as blackjack, or discarding and replacing cards as in poker.
When the invention is applied to monitoring the play of blackjack and poker, the significant information and timing of game events which are captured will include the number of players at the table, the start of each round of play, the completion of each respective player's hand, the completion of the dealer's hand, and the end of each game. Sensors may detect the presence of players on seats round the table and thus give an indication of the number of players present. A dealing shoe may be used, and the timing of the first card dealt may give an indication of the start of play. The table operator may be provided with an input device configured to have an input means corresponding to each game event which requires recording, and this may be a touch-screen device whose screen changes as each event is detected in order to configure the screen for the next likely input. The screen may be configured so as to present the table operator with as few input options as possible at each stage of the game, to reduce his workload.
The input device of the dealer may also serve as an output device to enable messages to be sent to the dealer without players becoming aware of them. For example, the data collected during play at the table may be analysed and used to present to the dealer and indication of table performance, such as how many games per hour are being played. The table operator may then vary his operating style in order to improve performance. Alternatively, analysis of data collected during play may be used to provide the table operator with information based on the analysis, for example an indication that one or more of the players at his table are reducing table efficiency by playing too slowly.
In another embodiment, data collected during play at the table may be analysed and compared with previously stored data relating to the table and optionally also to other tables in the same venue, and the processor may produce an output indicating changes to the tables at the venue, for example indicating that one or more tables at the venue should cease playing a particular game and play a different game, on the basis of this comparison. The changes may include alterations to the numbers of tables offering a particular game at the venue in order more efficiently to use resources to match the provision of a particular game to the demand from players for that game.
The roulette wheel 9A includes one or more sensor devices 9S to detect operations such as the launching of the ball around the rim of the roulette wheel, and conditions in the roulette wheel such as the speed and direction of rotation of the wheel, and/or when the ball has settled in one of the pockets of the wheel so as to give an indication balloon of the result of the spin.
The betting grid 9B includes a number of detectors 9D which sense the placing of chips on respective areas of the betting grid, to indicate wagers placed by players at the table. For clarity, only three detectors 9D are shown, but it will be understood that sufficient detectors will be provided to detect every possible bet which may be placed on the betting grid.
The input device 11 is similar to the device described in relation to the previous embodiment, and may be either a touchscreen device or an array of control buttons operable by the croupier to indicate events during each game. As before, if the input device 11 is a touchscreen device the screen may change during each game to present to the croupier only those inputs which are most likely to be needed next during the game.
Operation of the system in relation to the roulette table is similar to that described in relation to the card game, with the exception that the events during each game will be events relevant to a roulette game rather than to a card game.
In operation, the croupier will make an input to the device 11 to identify himself and to signify that the table is open for play. The detectors 9D then detect the first bet that has been placed on the betting grid, and send a signal to the table computer 13 which adds a timestamp to that signal and forwards it to the server at 18 for storage and later analysis. The detectors 9D may also detect subsequent bets placed on the grid, and send further signals to the table computer 13 which adds a timestamp to that signal and forwards it to the server at 18 for storage and later analysis. The detectors 9D may detect the placing of the bets, and an additional system, such as a CCTV surveillance system, may provide data indicating the amount of a particular bet and/or the player who placed the bet by detecting the number and/or colour of the gaming chips placed at that location on the betting grid.
When the croupier launches the ball into the rim of the roulette wheel 9A, this event is detected by the sensors 9S and again a signal is sent to the table computer, timestamped and forwarded to the server. The croupier may then make a further input to the device 11 when he announces to the players that no more bets are permitted, and again a signal is sent to the table computer indicating that the “No More Bets” event has occurred.
After a further interval, the ball drops from the rim of the roulette wheel and settles in a pocket in the wheel, where it is detected by the sensors 9S. A “Ball Settled” signal is sent to the table computer 13 at this point. This signal may also optionally identify the number of the pocket of the roulette wheel into which the ball has settled.
The croupier then resolves the wagers placed on the betting grid by the players, and the game ends as the croupier announces that the table is open for the next game and makes an appropriate input to the input device 11 to signify the start of the next game.
As described above in relation to the previous embodiment, the server 18 may analyse the time-stamped data received from the sensors 9S and 9D and the inputs made at the input device 11 by the croupier, and compile reports on the basis of the collected data to document the performance of the croupier and the table over a period of time.
In addition to the use of the system to monitor card games and roulette tables, the present invention may be applied to any gaming apparatus such as a craps table or other gaming system, by providing the table operator with an input device into which he can conveniently make inputs marking events during a game, coupled with sensors in the gaming table or a device associated with the gaming table to also provide inputs relating to events during gameplay.
The server 18 may include programs to enable the processor 28 to analyse data collected from various gaming tables in a gaming establishment, to detect trends in the collected data.
In one embodiment, the timestamped data concerning the numbers of players at each table may be processed to determine the number of players seated at active tables of a casino currently and at one or more previous times, and to compare the current number with previous numbers to detect whether the number of players is rising or falling. If the processor 28 detects that the number of players seated at active tables is rising, the processor 28 may send a signal to a remote terminal 19 associated with the casino management, to indicate that available capacity at the tables is reducing and more tables should be opened for play. Likewise, if the processor detects that the number of players seated at active tables is falling, then a signal may be sent to a management terminal 19 to indicate that tables should be closed to consolidate players onto fewer tables.
In embodiments where data is processed and a signal is sent back to the table operator (the dealer or croupier), the processor 28 may receive time stamped data concerning a particular game event and may determine an expected time interval until the next sequential event in that game. The processor 28 may then send a signal to the table operator's device 11 to display a countdown timer showing the remaining time until the next game in event is expected, so that the table operator may regulate the progress of play. The expected time interval may vary, depending on the number of players present at the table. If the table operator fails to maintain the expected schedule of game events, further instructions may be given to the table operator to improve his technique. Since a deviation from the expected schedule can be detected as it occurs, rather than from subsequent analysis of the stored data, instruction can be given to the table operator at an early stage to remedy the deficiency.
In some embodiments, the table operators input device 11 may include a screen which displays the sequence of events of a typical hand from start to finish, and indicates where in that sequence play currently stands. The display may also indicate to the dealer the expected interval remaining until the next game event, for example either by means of a numerical countdown or a graphical display such as a status bar which decreases in length to zero at the predicted next game event, or a dial gauge with an indicator needle which rotates down towards a 0 position as the remaining interval reduces. The display thus provides an indication to the table operator of the stage in the game which he has reached, and the remaining time available for him to reach the next stage in the game to remain on schedule.
In the above-described embodiments, the casino table operator uses table equipment such as a roulette wheel or a dealing shoe in order to progress the game. In these embodiments, an input device is placed so as to be accessible to the table operator's hand so that inputs marking game events may be made by the table operator. In a game where no table equipment is used, such as a card game where the table operator manually deals cards from a deck, the input device 11 may be a foot-operated device by means of which the table operator may input signals to signify game events to the table computer, preferably without the table operator's hands going out of view below the table.
In such an embodiment, the table operator will make inputs to his foot-operated device to mark each event in the game, for example by pressing one or more pedals or buttons mounted on a housing at floor level.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1301972.4 | Feb 2013 | GB | national |
1316702.8 | Sep 2013 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/GB2014/000038 | 1/31/2014 | WO | 00 |