Method and apparatus for playing a card game including a bust insurance option

Abstract

A method and apparatus of playing a card game such as Blackjack provides a player with at least one additional option for playing the card game. For example, a Blackjack player who has made an initial bet and was dealt an unfavorable starting hand may be provided with at least one additional option, such as making a bust insurance bet or mortgaging a round of play. If the player makes a bust insurance bet, he will receive a payout if he then busts upon drawing an additional card. If the player selects a mortgaging option, he agrees to play the current round of play or at least one future round of play in accordance with a revised rule that is unfavorable for the player in exchange for receiving an advantage during the current round of play.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to a method of playing a card game and, in particular, relates to a method of playing a card game such as Blackjack wherein a player who made an initial bet and was dealt an unfavorable starting hand has at least one additional option, such as obtaining bust insurance or mortgaging a round of play.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blackjack, which is also known as Twenty-one, is a popular card game often played in physical casinos, online or “virtual” casinos, and other gaming venues. In Blackjack, a dealer representing the casino or “house” is pitted against one or more players, with the dealer playing separately against each player. While a popular version of Blackjack is described herein, other versions with slightly different rules are also played. In each round of play, each player makes an initial bet before any cards are dealt. The dealer then deals a starting hand consisting of two cards to each player and to himself. The two cards dealt to each player are typically turned face up, but only one of the two cards dealt to the dealer is turned face up (i.e., the “dealer upcard”). Each numbered card (i.e., each card numbered “2”-“10”) has a value equal to the card number, each face card (i.e., each jack, queen and king) has a value of ten, and each ace has a value of one or eleven, depending on which value is more beneficial to the player. The suit of each card does not affect its value. The value of the starting hand for each player, and for the dealer, is determined by totaling the value of the two cards. For example, a starting hand consisting of a five of spades (“5”) and a ten of clubs (“T”) has a total value of 15.

Note that, in the remainder of the present specification, each card is referred to by a two-digit code, with the first digit representing the card's rank (i.e., 2-9, T for “ten”, J for “jack”, Q for “queen”, K for “king”, and A for “ace”), and the second digit representing the card's suit (i.e., for “club”, ♦ for “diamond”, ♥ for “heart”, and for “spade”). As noted above, however, the suit of each card does not affect its value.

The party (i.e., each player or the dealer) that accumulates cards with the highest numerical total, without exceeding 21, wins the round of play. To increase the total value of his starting hand, each player is allowed to take as many additional cards or “hits” as desired until that player chooses to “stand” with a final hand having a total value of less than or equal to 21, or until that player “busts” with a final hand having a total value exceeding 21. If the player busts, he loses his initial bet. If not, once each of the remaining players has finished his turn, the dealer turns over the card that he dealt face down to himself. If the dealer's hand has a total value of 17 or greater, he is typically required to stand. However, if the dealer's hand has a total value of less than 17, he is typically required to draw one or more additional cards until he obtains a hand with a total value of 17 or greater, at which point he must stand. Thus, the dealer has no discretion about taking cards. If the dealer's final hand is greater than 21, each player who did not bust wins. If the dealer's final hand has a total value of between 17 and 21, inclusively, any player who did not bust and has a final hand having a total value greater than the total value of the dealer's final hand wins, while any player who did not bust but has a final hand having a total value less than the total value of the dealer's final hand loses. Each winning player is typically paid based upon his initial bet using a 1:1 ratio (e.g., so that a $10 bet results in a $20 payout), while each losing player loses his initial bet. (In this application, the amount of a “payout” includes the return of the underlying bet plus any net winnings.) If a player's final hand has the same total value as the dealer's final hand, the result of the round of play is declared to be a “push”, and the player's initial bet is returned to him.

Blackjack is typically played in accordance with a number of other conventional rules. For example, if a player's starting hand consists of an ace and a second card having a value of ten (e.g., a ten or a face card), for a total value of 21, the player is deemed to have a winning hand referred to as a “Blackjack”. A player who has a Blackjack is typically paid based upon his initial bet using a 1.5:1 ratio (e.g., such that a $10 bet results in a $25 payout), unless the dealer was also dealt a Blackjack, in which case the round of play may be declared to be a push. A Blackjack is different, and has a different payout, than a final hand having more than two cards and which has a total value of 21. A Blackjack will beat such a final hand having a total value of 21.

The card game of Blackjack also includes a number of other conventional rules that provide a player with additional options for playing the game. For example, Blackjack includes rules for conventional “insurance” (hereinafter referred to as “Blackjack insurance” or “21 insurance”), “surrender”, “doubling down”, and “splitting pairs”. Each of these rules is now described in the following paragraphs.

“Blackjack insurance” provides each player with the option of making a side bet if that player believes, based upon the dealer upcard, that the dealer may have a Blackjack. Blackjack insurance is a side bet since it is distinct from the player's initial bet. A player is allowed to make a Blackjack insurance side bet only if the dealer upcard is an ace. A player is typically allowed to wager, for this side bet, up to one-half of his initial bet. A player wins this side bet if the card that was initially dealt face down to the dealer completes a Blackjack for the dealer, and otherwise loses this side bet. A player who wins this side bet will typically be paid based upon his side bet using a 2:1 ratio (e.g., such that a $5 side bet results in a $15 payout), while a player who loses will lose his side bet. Since a player who wins this side bet is likely to have lost the initial bet (since the dealer's hand turned out to be a Blackjack), the player's winnings on this side bet will typically cancel out the player's loss on his initial bet, hence the name “Blackjack insurance” for this side bet. Thus, with Blackjack insurance, each player is allowed to place a side bet that will win if the dealer's hand turns out to be a Blackjack.

“Surrender” provides each player with the option of terminating a round of play after the starting hands have been dealt, for use in situations where that player has been dealt a “bad” starting hand that is likely to bust (if an additional card is drawn) or to lose to the dealer's hand (if an additional card is not drawn). If, for example, a player's starting hand consists of a 5 and a 10 and the dealer's upcard is a J♦, only an additional card of 6 or below will not “bust” the player, while “standing” with only 15 points is likely to lose to the dealer. In this situation, the player is likely to bust or lose. Surrender is typically practiced by the player taking back one-half of his initial bet and “surrendering” the other one-half of his initial bet to the dealer while terminating the round of play. For example, if a player who made a $10 initial bet surrenders, he takes back $5 of his initial bet, surrenders the other $5 to the dealer, and terminates the round of play. The surrender option has not proven to be popular among Blackjack players.

“Doubling down” provides each player with the option of doubling his initial bet while agreeing to take one and only one additional card, for use in situations where the player believes that one and only one additional card is likely to improve his starting hand to a winning hand without “busting”. If the player “busts” with the one additional card, or does not “bust” but still loses to the dealer, the player loses both his initial bet and doubling down bet. However, if the player's three-card hand beats the dealer, the player wins an amount based upon the total of his initial bet and doubling down bet using a 1:1 ratio (e.g., such that a $10 initial bet and a $10 double down bet results in a $40 payout). Thus, with “doubling down”, a player is allowed to increase the size of his bet in situations where the player believes that his hand is likely to win.

“Splitting pairs” provides each player who is dealt a starting hand consisting of two cards of the same rank (e.g., a pair of aces) with the option of “splitting” the two cards into separate hands. If the player elects to split his starting hand, he must apply his initial bet to one of the hands while placing a second bet of the same amount to the other hand. The player then plays each of the hands normally, except that an ace and a card having a 10 value comprise a 21 instead of a “Blackjack”.

When playing Blackjack, a player is likely to be dealt one or more “bad” starting hands, each of which is likely to bust (if an additional card is drawn) or to lose to the dealer's hand (if an additional card is not drawn). An exemplary “bad” starting hand consists of a 5 and a 10 against a dealer upcard of a A♦. Under the conventional rules of Blackjack, a player who is dealt such a “bad” starting hand has limited options. If the player takes an additional card, he is likely to bust. If the player stands, he is likely to lose to the dealer's hand. If the player makes a Blackjack insurance side bet, he is likely to lose since the dealer's face-down card is unlikely to have a value of ten. In other situations, as where the dealer's upcard is a 9♥, the Blackjack insurance side bet option is not even available to the player since the dealer cannot have a Blackjack. The “doubling down” option is unattractive since the player does not have a good starting hand that is likely to win. The “splitting pairs” option is unavailable since the player was not dealt a pair. Although the “surrender” option may be available, this option has proven to be unpopular among Blackjack players. Thus, under the conventional rules of Blackjack, the player is left in a position of not wanting to play his starting hand despite having already committed an initial bet on that hand. If the player has already lost a number of hands and believes that he is undergoing an “unlucky” streak, he may become frustrated or discouraged, and may stop playing and/or leave the gaming venue (e.g., by leaving the casino, or logging off the online gaming site). When a player stops playing, the casino or the gaming site will earn no additional revenue from the player.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide at least one additional option to a Blackjack player who is dealt an unfavorable starting hand. It would also be desirable to provide a Blackjack player who made an initial bet and is dealt an unfavorable starting hand with at least one additional option. Preferably, the additional option will help prevent the player from being discouraged from playing further, and could be profitably provided by a physical, on-line or “virtual” casino, or other gaming operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the invention provides a method and system of playing a card game such as Blackjack wherein a player who made an initial bet and was dealt an unfavorable starting hand has at least one additional option for continued play going beyond the options provided by the conventional rules of the game. One additional option allows a player to place a bust insurance side bet, which the player will win if his hand “busts” upon drawing a predetermined number of additional cards in an attempt to improve his starting hand. Another additional option allows a player to mortgage a round of play. The mortgage includes an agreement to play at least one future round of play and/or the current round of play in accordance with at least one revised rule which is unfavorable to the player in exchange for receiving an advantage (e.g., a revised rule which is favorable to the player) during the current round of play.

One embodiment of the invention provides a method of playing a card game. This method includes dealing at least one card to a player to form a starting hand, receiving a request from the player to take an additional card, dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request, and determining a total value of the current band. If the total value exceeds a predetermined value, the method further includes providing a benefit (e.g., a payout) to the player.

Another embodiment provides a method of playing a card game that includes receiving an initial bet from a player, dealing first and second cards to the player to form a starting hand, receiving a bust insurance bet from the player after dealing the starting hand, receiving a request from the player to take an additional card, dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request, and determining a total value of the current hand. If the total value does not exceed a predetermined value, the method also includes determining a payout to the player on the initial bet based upon a comparison between the player's current hand and a dealer's final hand. If the total value exceeds the predetermined value, however, the method further includes providing a payout to the player on the bust insurance bet.

Another embodiment provides a method of playing a card game having a plurality of rules. The method includes receiving an initial bet from a player for a current round of play, dealing at least one card to the player to form a starting hand and, after dealing the starting band but before determining an outcome of the current round of play, entering into an agreement with the player to bet at least a portion of the initial bet on at least one future round of play to be played in accordance with a revised rule. The agreement may further include terminating the current round of play.

Another embodiment provides a method of playing a card game having a plurality of rules that includes receiving an initial bet from a player for a current round of play, dealing at least one card to the player to form a starting hand and, after dealing the starting hand but before determining an outcome of the current round of play, entering into an agreement with the player to revise at least a first rule of the card game in a manner which is favorable for the player in exchange for revising at least a second rule of the card game in a manner which is unfavorable for the player.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for playing a card game includes means for dealing at least one card to a player to form a starting hand, means for receiving a request from the player to take an additional card, means for dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request, means for determining a total value of the current hand, and means for providing a benefit (e.g., a payout) to the player if the total value exceeds a predetermined value.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for playing a card game includes means for receiving an initial bet from a player, means for dealing first and second cards to the player to form a starting hand, means for receiving a bust insurance bet from the player after dealing the starting hand, means for receiving a request from the player to take an additional card, means for dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request, and means for determining a total value of the current hand. The apparatus also includes means for determining a payout to the player on the initial bet based upon a comparison between the player's current hand and a dealer's final hand if the total value does not exceed a predetermined value, and means for providing a payout to the player on the bust insurance bet if the total value exceeds the predetermined value.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for playing a card game having a plurality of rules includes means for receiving an initial bet from a player for a current round of play, means for dealing at least one card to the player to form a starting hand, and means for entering into an agreement with the player to bet at least a portion of the initial bet on at least one future round of play to be played according to a revised rule after dealing the starting hand but before determining an outcome of the current round of play. The mortgaging agreement may include terminating the current round of play.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for playing a card game having a plurality of rules includes means for receiving an initial bet from a player for a current round of play, means for dealing at least one card to the player to form a starting band, and means for entering into an agreement with the player to revise at least a first rule of the card game in a manner which is favorable for the player in exchange for revising at least a second rule of the card game in a manner unfavorable for the player after dealing the starting hand but before determining an outcome of the current round of play.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate an exemplary round of play of Blackjack, in accordance with a bust insurance embodiment of the invention, in which a player who has made an initial bet is dealt an unfavorable starting hand (FIG. 1 A), makes a bust insurance bet (FIG. 1 B), is then dealt an additional card causing his final hand to “bust” (FIG. 1 C), and loses on the initial bet but wins on the bust insurance bet (FIG. 1 D);

FIGS. 2A-2B show a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of playing a card game that provides a player who has made an initial bet and was then dealt an unfavorable starting hand with an option for making a bust insurance bet;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary bust insurance payout table for determining the payout on a bust insurance bet, populated with sample values for illustration only;

FIG. 4 is an overhead plan view showing a physical Blackjack table, for use in a physical casino, which has been adapted for use in practicing a method for playing a card game in accordance with the method shown in FIGS. 2A-2B ;

FIG. 5 provides an overview block diagram of an exemplary layout of a plurality of player positions at one or more Blackjack gaming tables, in which each of the player positions is in communication with a table controller, and each of the table controllers is in communication with a central controller via a communication network;

FIG. 6 is a hardware block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the central controller shown in FIG. 5 , which includes several exemplary databases;

FIG. 7 is a table representing an exemplary embodiment of the position database shown in FIG. 6 for storing information about each of the player positions in FIG. 5 , including specific information for the player at each of those player positions, in which the position database is populated by sample values for illustration only;

FIG. 8 is a table representing an exemplary embodiment of the eligibility database shown in FIG. 6 for storing eligibility requirements for the bust insurance bet option, wherein this database is populated by sample values for illustration only;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a virtual Blackjack table, for use by an online or virtual casino, or a video gaming machine, which has been adapted for use in practicing a method for playing a card game according to the method of FIGS. 2A-2B ;

FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary round of play of Blackjack, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, in which a player who made an initial bet and was dealt an unfavorable starting hand has selected an option for protecting his initial bet that involves changing at least one of the conventional rules of Blackjack in either the current round of play or at least one future round of play;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method for playing a card game in accordance with one embodiment of a “future hand” mortgaging option; and

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary method for playing a card game in accordance with one embodiment of a “current hand” mortgaging option.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed methods and systems of playing a card game, such as Blackjack, provide a player who made an initial bet and is dealt an unfavorable starting hand with at least one additional option beyond those provided under the conventional rules of Blackjack. The additional option(s) include making a bust insurance bet and/or mortgaging either a current round of play or at least one future round of play. The disclosed methods and systems provide benefits for both players and gaming operators.

The additional options may be more exciting and entertaining for players who make an initial bet and are dealt an unfavorable starting hand than the conventional options available to such players, and may help such players avoid becoming frustrated or discouraged. The additional options also benefit players by providing the opportunity to place one or more additional bets during a single round of play, and consequently providing one or more additional opportunities to win during each round of play, thus providing the players with additional “action”. The additional options may also benefit players who perceive that they are undergoing an “unlucky” streak by providing such players with the opportunity to win on final hands that would otherwise be considered “unlucky” final hands (e.g., another “bust”).

By providing a more exciting and entertaining experience for players, and by helping to prevent players from getting frustrated or discouraged, the additional options can benefit casinos or other gaming operators by helping to attract players, and/or by helping to retain players who are already playing. By increasing the number of players, casinos and other gaming operators can generate additional revenues and profits. The additional options also provide casinos and gaming operators with the possibility of receiving additional bets during a single round of play, or of “capturing” players for future rounds of play by entering into agreements with those players to play at least one additional round of play. The additional options can also be selectively offered by a dealer, casino or other gaming operator to particular players, such as first-time players, “high-rollers” (e.g., players who tend to bet relatively large sums of money), players likely to be frustrated or discouraged based upon their past playing history, players who tend to play games which provide the house with a relatively large edge, etc., in order to entice such players to play at the casino, or to retain such players.

While the additional options for playing a card game will typically be provided such that the casino or other gaming operator enjoys a statistical edge over the player, there may be limited situations where a gaming operator may allow the player to have the benefit of the statistical edge. By reversing the statistical edge, the gaming operator can use the additional options as a marketing tool to attract players, or as a retention tool to retain players. A player having such a statistical edge will typically be allowed to retain that edge for only a limited number of rounds of play such that providing the additional options remains financially feasible for the gaming operator.

Definitions

As used herein, a “card” is one of the playing cards in a deck of cards. A “physical card” is used for a card game played at a physical gaming table, while a “virtual card” is displayed by a card game played online or on a video gaming machine. An “additional card” refers to each card that may be added to a starting or current hand.

A “starting hand” consists of physical or virtual cards initially dealt by a dealer at the start of a round of play. In Blackjack, the starting hand of each player and the dealer consists of two cards. A “player starting hand” refers to the two cards dealt to a player (typically both dealt face-up, or both dealt face down), and a “dealer starting hand” refers to the two cards dealt to the dealer (typically with one card dealt face-up and the other card dealt face-down). The card that is dealt face-up to the dealer is the “dealer upcard”. A card dealt “face-up” is exposed to each player and to the dealer participating in a round of play.

A “current hand” consists of all of the cards currently held by a player or the dealer (except that a player who exercises the “splitting pairs” option will have two current hands). At the start of a round of play, the current hand of a player or dealer is the same as the player or dealer's starting hand. However, the current hand of a player or dealer will also include each additional card dealt to the player or dealer. A “final hand” consists of all of the cards held by a player or dealer that make up the current hand of that player or dealer at the end of a round of play. A “future hand” consists of the cards that make up a hand held by a player or dealer during a future round of play.

The “value” of a card depends on the card's rank, with each numbered card (i.e., each card numbered 2-10) having a value equal to the card number, each face card (i.e., each jack, queen and king) having a value of ten, and each ace having a value of one or eleven, depending on which value is more beneficial to the player. The suit of each card does not affect its value. The “total value” of a hand refers to the sum or total of the values of each of the cards that is held within that hand. A player or dealer “busts” when that player's or dealer's hand has a total value of greater than 21.

An “initial bet” is an amount of money wagered by a player before the player receives a starting hand, or before a player has had an opportunity to review a starting hand already received. A “side bet” is another amount of money that may be wagered by a player in addition to, or instead of, the initial bet. The payout that a player may receive on a side bet is determined according to a different set of rules than the set of riles that determines the payout that may be received on an initial bet.

A “rule” is a regulation that governs a particular aspect of a card game. A “conventional rule” is a rule by which the card game is conventionally played. A “revised rule” is a change in the conventional rules by which the card game is played, that both a player and the dealer have agreed to for the duration of at least one round of play. Note that different players may thus be playing the card game in accordance with different sets of rules. “Rule” is thus defined broadly to include regulations that govern (1) the manner in which the game is played, (2) the winner or loser of the game, (3) the payout that is due to a player based upon a particular outcome of the game; (4) the range or amount of a bet that a player is allowed to make; etc.

A “mortgage”, for the purpose of this application, is a revised rule that is unfavorable for a player that the player may agree to abide by during either the current round of play and/or during at least one future round of play. The revised rule is a rule that is revised in comparison to the conventional rules of the game (or to default rules by which the game will be played in the absence of the player taking out the mortgage).

A bet made by a player, or a payout won by a player, is “imprisoned” by requiring the player to wager all or a portion of that bet or payout on one or more future rounds of play. “Imprisoning” thus differs from “mortgaging” since, if a bet or payout is “imprisoned”, a player need not agree to abide by a revised rule unfavorable to the player during the future round(s) of play (although the player may agree to such a rule).

Bust Insurance Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D , an exemplary round of play of Blackjack in accordance with a bust insurance embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be understood that this exemplary round of play represents one use of the bust insurance option, and that this option may be used with other specific hands of cards. It is also to be understood that, while the description below assumes that this round of play occurs using a physical Blackjack table in a physical casino, this round of play may also occur using a virtual Blackjack table in a virtual or online casino, or virtual gaming machine.

Referring to FIG. 1A , the exemplary round of play is being played on a Blackjack table 10 by a dealer 12 and a player 14 . Although only one player is shown, any number of other players may also be present. Each player may identify himself, if desired, by inserting a player tracking card 16 into a slot of a card interface 18 mounted to table 10 . Alternatively, table 10 does not provide a card interface 18 , and player tracking card 16 is not used. In one embodiment, there may be a central card interface 18 for a casino pit area with floor personnel inserting player tracking card 16 . Before any cards were dealt, player 14 made an initial bet or ante 20 by placing one or more coins or tokens (e.g., a $5 token) on a first betting area 22 of table 10 . Dealer 12 then dealt a starting hand consisting of two cards to both player 14 and himself. In particular, dealer 12 dealt a player starting hand 24 , consisting in this example of a face-up T and a 5 for a total value of 15, to player 14 , and a dealer starting hand 26 , consisting in this example of a face-up J♦ and a face-down card, to himself. Player 14 has thus been dealt an unfavorable or “bad” starting hand that is likely to bust if an additional card is drawn (since only an additional card of 6 or less will not bust the player), and is likely to lose to the dealer if an additional card is not drawn (since the dealer will win if the dealer's face-down card is 7 or higher, or if the total of the dealer's face-down card plus any additional cards is between 7 and 11).

Referring to FIG. 1B , in response to being dealt an unfavorable starting hand and before either “hitting” or “standing” (and assuming that player 14 was eligible to make a bust insurance side bet), player 14 made a bust insurance bet 28 by placing one or more coins or tokens (e.g., a $10 token) on a second betting area 30 of table 10 . The amount of bust insurance bet 28 that player 14 is allowed to wager may or may not depend on the amount of initial bet 20 , or on other factors such as the starting hands. At this point, player 14 has two distinct bets outstanding: initial bet 20 and bust insurance bet 28 . Player 14 thus has two distinct possibilities of winning (and losing) on the current round of play. First, player 14 can win on initial bet 20 based upon the underlying game of Blackjack, which will be played according to the conventional rules of the game. Second, player 14 can win on bust insurance bet 28 in the event that his hand busts (i.e., has a total value of greater than 21) after drawing an additional card. Bust insurance bet 28 is thus a side bet in addition to initial bet 20 . After making bust insurance bet 28 , player 14 then requests or “takes” an additional card from dealer 12 .

In one embodiment, table 10 also provides a bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 for indicating whether player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. For example, eligibility indicator 32 may include a light bulb or LED which is lit (as in FIG. 1B ) whenever player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet, and is otherwise dimmed. If player 14 attempts to make a bust insurance bet when he is not eligible to do so, dealer 12 may reject the bet. Eligibility indicator 32 may be controlled by dealer 12 or by a table control system (as is described below). The criteria for determining whether player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet may depend on the player's starting and/or current hand. For example, dealer 12 may cause indicator 32 to be lit after determining that player starting hand 24 had a total value making it eligible for bust insurance. The criteria for determining whether player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet may also depend on data read from player tracking card 16 and/or downloaded from a casino computer (e.g., a casino server) via a communications network based upon the identity of player 14 as determined by player tracking card 16 . In other embodiments, player 14 could identify himself by keying in a Personal Identification Number (PIN) using a keypad at table 10 or by telling dealer 12 . In other embodiments, bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 is not present and/or is not used.

Referring to FIG. 1C , player 14 has drawn an additional card (e.g., a 9 ♥) from dealer 12 to form a player final hand 34 consisting of a T, a 5 and 9 ♥. Since the total value of player final hand 34 is 24 (which is greater than 21), player 14 has “busted”. Thus, player 14 has lost on initial bet 20 since player 14 busted, but has won on bust insurance bet 28 for the same reason. Dealer starting hand 26 is still unknown since the dealer has not yet turned up his down-card. Bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 (if provided) is dimmed since, by busting, player 14 is no longer eligible to make a bust insurance bet. At this point, any remaining player takes his or her turn.

Referring to FIG. 1D , after player 14 busted, initial bet 20 was taken away by dealer 12 since player 14 lost the underlying round of play. However, since player 14 won on bust insurance bet 28 , dealer 12 provided player 14 with a payout 36 . In this case, player 14 was paid based on his bust insurance bet using a 0.5:1 ratio (e.g., so that the $10 bust insurance bet resulted in a $15 payout). In other cases, as described below, player 14 may be provided with other payouts. Dealer 12 has also exposed his face-down card (e.g., a T♦), giving the dealer a final hand 38 having a total value of 20. Thus, by placing bust insurance bet 28 , player 14 was able to “win” on the exemplary round of play, despite having busted. In this example, player 14 's net winnings on bust insurance bet 28 cancel out player 14 's loss on initial bet 20 (e.g., player 14 lost $5 on initial bet 20 , but netted $5 on bust insurance bet 28 ), hence the name “bust insurance”. Note, however, that a player's winnings on a bust insurance bet may or may not cancel out the player's loss on an initial bet, and the player may come out ahead or behind, depending on the relative amounts of the two bets and the payout. The result of the current round of play may be stored on player tracking card 16 , or may be uploaded for storage on a casino computer (e.g., a casino server) for later use (as described below).

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2B , a method 40 of playing a card game in accordance with a bust insurance embodiment of the invention is shown. Method 40 is repeated for each round of play. While method 40 refers to play by a single player, method 40 may be applied to each of a plurality of players involved in a round of play. If desired (and if the table is equipped to accept player tracking cards), each player may identify himself using his player tracking card 16 before the start of the round of play.

At step 42 , method 40 includes receiving an initial bet or ante from a player (and from any other player also playing). For example, the initial bet may be received when a player places one or more coins or tokens (e.g., a $5 token) on first betting area 22 of table 10 (FIG. 1 A). At step 44 , method 40 includes dealing starting hands to both the player and dealer. For example, the dealer may deal a player starting hand consisting of two face-up cards to the player, and a dealer starting hand consisting of one face-up card and one face-down card to himself. At this point, the player will typically review both cards of the player starting hand and the upcard of the dealer starting hand to determine a strategy for playing the current round of play. The strategy may include, in accordance with the conventional rules of Blackjack, selecting the “Blackjack insurance”, “surrender”, “doubling down” and/or “splitting pairs” options described in the Background of the Invention section (and not shown in method 40 ).

Alternatively, instead of receiving an initial bet from the player at step 42 before dealing a starting hand face-up to the player at step 44 , the player is dealt his starting hand face-down and is required to place his initial bet at any time before he reviews his starting hand. For example, the player places his initial bet after his starting hand is dealt face-down but before he has flipped over the cards. Thus, the player may place his initial bet at any time before he has an opportunity to review his starting hand.

At step 46 , method 40 includes determining whether the player wishes to make a bust insurance bet. For example, the player may indicate his wish to make a bust insurance bet to the dealer by placing one or more coins or tokens (e.g., a $10 token) on second betting area 30 of table 10 (FIG. 1 B). Alternatively, the player may communicate (e.g., orally or otherwise) his wish to make a bust insurance bet to the dealer. At step 48 , method 40 includes determining whether the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. For example, the player may be eligible to make such a side bet whenever his starting hand has a total value of 12 or greater (i.e., such that busting upon drawing an additional card is possible). In other embodiments, whether the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet depends on different criteria, including criteria depending on data read from player tracking card 16 and/or downloaded from a casino computer. In another embodiment, the player can always decide to make a bust insurance bet. In this latter embodiment, step 48 is unnecessary and can be eliminated.

Alternatively, steps 46 and 48 may be performed in the opposite order, by determining whether the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet before determining whether the player wishes to make such a bet. In this case, if determined that the player is not eligible to make a bust insurance bet, there will be no need to determine whether the player wishes to make such a bet, and that step may be omitted.

In one embodiment, if it is determined that the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet at step 48 , method 40 may also include the step of providing an indication to the player that he is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. For example, the dealer may tell the player about the player's eligibility, or the player's eligibility may be indicated to the player via an output device such as bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 mounted on table 10 in view of the player. In one embodiment, the eligibility for making a bust insurance bet is personal to each player, and the indication is provided independently to each player. In another embodiment, the eligibility for making a bust insurance bet applies to every player, and the indication is provided simultaneously to every player (e.g., via a lightbulb visible to every player, or an announcement on a public address system). For example, a casino could indicate that every player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet during a “bust insurance night” or a “bust insurance minute”, during which the option is made available to every player.

At step 50 , if the player selects the bust insurance bet option and is eligible to do so, method 40 includes receiving the bust insurance bet from the player. In one embodiment, the amount of the bust insurance bet is determined by the player, without restriction. For example, the amount of the bust insurance bet may be determined by whatever coins or tokens the player chooses to place on second betting area 30 of table 10 . In this example, a player who wins on the bust insurance bet but loses on the initial bet may have net winnings, net losses, or may break even on the round of play. In other embodiments, the amount of the bust insurance bet that the player is allowed to make is restricted based upon one or more factors, such as the amount of the initial bet. For example, the player may only be allowed to wager a bust insurance bet in an amount that is a predetermined portion (e.g., 50%, 100%, 200%, etc.) of the initial bet. For another example, the player may only be allowed to wager a bust insurance bet in an amount set such that, in the event the player wins on the bust insurance bet (and loses on the initial bet), the player will break even on the round of play. In this last example, the amount of the bust insurance bet depends on both the amount of the initial bet and the payout ratio. For example, if the initial bet is $5 and the payout ratio for winning on the bust insurance bet is 0.5:1 (e.g., so that a $10 bust insurance bet will result in a $15 payout), the allowable bust insurance bet is $10 since, if the player nets $5 on the bust insurance bet and loses $5 on the initial bet, he breaks even. In this example, the bust insurance bet is used only to “insure” the initial bet.

Alternatively, the amount of the bust insurance bet which the player is allowed to make, or must make, may depend on different criteria. For example, the amount of a bust insurance bet may depend on the criteria used to determine the player's eligibility to make the bust insurance bet (e.g., a player who was made eligible to make one bust insurance bet as a promotion might be limited to wagering a maximum of $20 on that bust insurance bet), on the player's starting and/or current hand, on the dealer's upcard, and/or on one or more revised rules that the player agrees to for playing either the current round of play and/or at least one future round of play.

At step 52 , which is performed if the player did not wish to make a bust insurance bet or was not eligible to do so, method 40 includes determining whether the player wishes to draw or “take” an additional card. The dealer may determine that a player wants to take an additional card when he receives a request from the player to take an additional card. For example, the dealer may hear the player say “hit me” (or other words with the same meaning), or watch the player make a “hit” motion. The dealer may determine that the player does not want to draw an additional card when he hears the player say “I'm standing” (or other words with the same meaning), or watches the player make a “stand” motion. In one example, a player's request to take an additional card is indicated by a bust insurance bet received from the player at step 50 since, by placing this bet, the player implicitly indicated that he wants to take an additional card. Alternatively, step 50 could also lead to step 52 to explicitly check whether the player wishes to draw an additional card even if a bust insurance bet was received from the player. In this case, the bust insurance bet may be returned to the player if he then decides not to draw an additional card. Note that, in this example, the “no” path of step 48 leads to step 52 to allow a player who originally intended to make a bust insurance bet (at step 46 ) but then found out that he was ineligible to make such a bet (at step 48 ) to change his mind about drawing an additional card. For example, if the player's starting hand had a total value of 16, the player may have originally decided to make a bust insurance bet and then draw an additional card in an attempt to improve his underlying hand but, on discovering that he was ineligible to make a bust insurance bet, the player may have changed his strategy and decided to stand on 16 .

At step 54 , if the player wishes to draw an additional card (as determined implicitly at step 50 and/or explicitly at step 52 ), method 40 includes dealing an additional card to the player. The additional card is dealt face-up, as shown in FIG. 1 C.

An alternative method of playing a card game could include determining whether a player wishes to make a bust insurance bet (step 46 ) and/or whether the player is eligible to do so (step 48 ) after receiving a request from the player to take an additional card (step 52 ). For example, if a player who was dealt a starting hand having a total value of 16 indicates that he wishes to take an additional card, the dealer could then ask the player whether he would like to make a bust insurance bet before the additional card is dealt. If the player says “yes”, a bust insurance bet may be received from the player (step 50 ) before the additional card is dealt (step 54 ). As another alternative, step 46 and/or step 48 could occur after the the additional card is dealt to the player at step 54 . For example, if a player who was dealt a starting hand having a total value of 16 indicates that he wishes to take an additional card, the dealer could deal that additional card face-down to the player, and could then ask the player whether he would like to make a bust insurance bet before the player reviews the additional card (e.g., by flipping the additional card over). If the player says “yes”, then a bust insurance bet may be received from the player (step 50 ) after the additional card has been dealt to the player but before the additional card has been reviewed by the player.

At step 56 , after the player has received the additional card, method 40 includes determining whether the player busted. To determine whether the player busted, the value of all of the cards in the player's current hand is totaled (with an ace having a value of 1 instead of 11 if this prevents the player's hand from being busted), and the total is compared to a predetermined value (i.e., 21). If the total exceeds 21, the player has busted. If, however, the total does not exceed 21, the player has not busted.

At step 58 , which is performed if the player has not busted, method 40 includes determining whether the player made a bust insurance bet (e.g., was a bust insurance bet received from the player at step 50 ?). If so, at step 60 , method 40 includes collecting the bust insurance bet from second betting area 30 because the player made the bust insurance bet but did not bust upon taking the additional card at step 54 . If the player did not make a bust insurance bet, or after taking away the bust insurance bet, method 40 returns to step 46 . At step 46 , the player can then, if desired, make another bust insurance bet (if eligible) and draw another card. Thus, a player may be able to make more than one bust insurance bet during a single round of play. For example, a player dealt a starting hand having a total value of 15 may make a first bust insurance bet, take a first additional card which turns out to be an ace such that his current hand has a total value of 16 (e.g., such that he loses the first bust insurance bet), make a second bust insurance bet, and then take a second additional card. In certain situations, the player may make still additional bust insurance bets during a single round of play. It is also possible for a player who declined to make a bust insurance bet before drawing an additional card during a round of play to later make a bust insurance bet before drawing a subsequent additional card during the same round of play. For example, a player dealt a starting hand having a total value of 14 may have declined to make a bust insurance bet before drawing a first additional card but, after having drawn a 2♥, may have made a bust insurance bet before drawing a second additional card. In one embodiment, however, a player is only allowed to make one bust insurance bet during a single round of play. This can be accomplished, for example, by making the player ineligible to make another bust insurance bet once such a bet has already been made. Alternatively, the path leading from the “no” branch of step 58 , and from step 60 , could return to step 52 instead of step 46 , in which case the player could only make a bust insurance bet before drawing the first additional card after being dealt his starting hand.

At step 62 , which is performed if it was determined at step 56 that the player busted, method 40 includes taking away the player's initial bet, since the player lost the underlying game of Blackjack by busting. Then, at step 64 , method 40 includes determining whether the player made a bust insurance bet. If so, the player has won on the bust insurance bet, and method 40 includes determining and providing a bust insurance payout to the player at step 66 . The amount of the payout may be determined in various ways, as described below. The payout may be provided by, for example, the dealer placing the proper amount and denomination of coins or tokens on second playing area 30 of table 10 . Thus, the player can still “win” even if he loses the underlying game of Blackjack. If the player did not make a bust insurance bet, or after providing the bust insurance payout to the player, the current round of play is complete.

At step 68 , which is performed if it was determined that the player did not wish to draw an additional card at step 52 (i.e., if the player choose to “stand” with a player final hand), method 40 includes determining the dealer's final hand. If the dealer's starting or current hand has a total value of less than 17, he is required to take one or more additional hits until he obtains a hand with a total value of 17 or greater, at which point he must stand. Thus, the dealer has no discretion at step 68 . At this point, the player's final hand as well as the dealer's final hand have been determined.

At step 70 , method 40 includes comparing the player's final hand to the dealer's final hand to determine the outcome of the underlying game of Blackjack. If the dealer's final hand is greater than 21 (i.e., if the dealer busted), then the player won (since he did not bust). If the dealer's final hand has a value of between 17 and 21, inclusively, then the player won if the player's final hand has a total value greater than the total value of the dealer's final hand, the player lost if the player's final hand has a total value less than the total value of the dealer's final hand, and the player tied (i.e., a “push”) if the player's final hand has the same total value as the dealer's final hand.

At step 72 , method 40 includes determining the payout, if any, to the player based upon the player's initial bet, and providing any such payout to the player. If the player won, then he is paid based upon his initial bet using a 1:1 ratio (e.g., such that a $10 initial bet results in a $20 payout), unless he won with a Blackjack, in which case he is paid based upon his initial bet using a 1.5:1 ratio (e.g., such that a $10 initial bet results in a $25 payout). If the player lost, then the initial bet is taken from the player. If there was a “push”, then the player's initial bet is returned to the player. If there is any payout, the payout may be provided by, for example, the dealer placing the proper amount and denomination of coins or tokens on first playing area 22 of table 10 . The result of the round of play may, if desired, be stored on player tracking card 16 , or may be uploaded for storage on a casino computer, for later use (as described below).

As described above, method 40 may include determining whether a player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet (i.e., step 48 ). There are a number of ways in which this determination may be made, and each of these ways may depend on one or more criteria. These criteria may also be combined in various combinations. The determination of the player's eligibility may be made manually by the dealer based upon the dealer's observations of the player's behavior, the player's playing history and/or player tracking data that is displayed to the dealer on an output device of a dealer terminal (not shown) after being read from player tracking card 16 and/or downloaded from a casino network after the player identified himself. The determination of the player's eligibility may also be made automatically based on such player tracking data. In any event, after being determined, the player's eligibility may be indicated to the player using bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 (if such an indicator 32 is provided).

In one embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon the player's starting hand and/or current hand. For example, as described above, a player may be eligible to make a bust insurance bet whenever the player's hand has a total value of 12 or greater (i.e., such that busting upon drawing an additional card is possible). For another example, a player may be eligible to make a bust insurance bet whenever the total value of the player's hand has a predetermined value (e.g., 15), or one of a plurality of predetermined values (e.g., 14, 15 or 16). While the predetermined value may indicate an unfavorable hand (e.g., to allow players with such hands to take out bust insurance to avoid becoming frustrated), the predetermined value may also be selected to indicate a favorable hand in an effort to encourage players who hold such hands to draw an additional card. For example, a player could be eligible to make a bust insurance bet whenever his hand has a total value of 18. The payout for the initial bet and/or bust insurance bet could be adjusted to encourage the player to make such a bust insurance bet and draw an additional card. For example, the payout ratio for the initial bet could be raised since it would be unlikely that the player will draw an additional card that does not cause him to bust. A player holding a favorable hand could also be paid to make a bust insurance bet. For example, a player with a hand having a total value of 18 who agrees to make a $5 bust insurance bet could be paid $1. A player may also be paid to make a bust insurance bet in other circumstances (e.g., pay a player $5 to try making his first bust insurance bet).

In another embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based on the number of cards the player has already drawn. For example, a player may only be eligible to make a bust insurance bet when he has not yet drawn any additional card during the round of play (i.e., when he holds his starting hand). In this example, the player's eligibility may also depend on his starting hand having a total value of 12 or greater. For another example, a player may only be eligible to make a bust insurance bet after having drawn one or more additional cards. A player could also be limited to making only a predetermined number (e.g., one) of bust insurance bets during a single round of play, or during multiple rounds of play, or during a particular period of time (e.g., only two during each eight hour time span). In this case, the dealer or house may keep track of the number of bust insurance bets a player has made using the player's tracking card 16 , or using one or more lamars.

In another embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based at least in part upon the dealer upcard. Players often compare the player's starting or current hand with the dealer upcard to determine their chances of winning the current round of play, and to decide their playing strategy. For example, if the player's starting hand has a total value of 16, the player may select one strategy if the dealer's upcard is a 5 (e.g., the player may stand on 16) and a different strategy if the dealer's upcard is a 9♥ (e.g., the player may hit). The player's eligibility to make a bust insurance bet may depend on whether, based upon the player's starting hand and the dealer upcard, the player is likely or unlikely to draw an additional card. For example, the player could be eligible to make a bust insurance bet if he is likely to draw an additional card (e.g., to help prevent the player from becoming frustrated), or could be eligible to make a bust insurance bet if he is otherwise unlikely to draw an additional card (e.g., to help encourage the player to draw an additional card in situations in which he already has a favorable hand and is likely to beat the dealer).

In another embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon one or more previous behaviors of the player, or based upon the playing history of the player. For example, the player could be eligible to make a bust insurance bet whenever the player has lost a predetermined number of hands (e.g., ten) in a row, or has lost a predetermined number of hands during a session (e.g., ten losing hands since sitting down at table 10 ). A player could also be eligible to make a bust insurance bet when the player has lost a certain amount of money (e.g., has lost $200), or has lost a certain amount of money over time (e.g., has lost $100 in the last 30 minutes). A player's eligibility to make a bust insurance bet may also depend on the manner in which the player lost a previous hand. For example, a player may be eligible to make a bust insurance bet whenever the player busted to lose the previous hand, or lost the previous hand despite having a hand that normally has a good chance of winning (e.g., a hand having a total value of 20 which lost to the dealer's Blackjack).

In the last examples, the player's eligibility to make a bust insurance bet depends on a measurement of the player's previous behavior or playing history which acts as a predictor that the player is likely becoming frustrated, such that bust insurance is made available in an effort to prevent the player from quitting. In other examples, a player's eligibility to make a bust insurance bet depends on a measurement of the player's previous behavior or playing history that is not predictive of the player's frustration level. For example, a player may be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon the length of time the player has been playing (e.g., a player may be limited to making one bust insurance bet for each hour the player plays at the Blackjack table).

In another embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon a characteristic of the player. For example, a player having the characteristic of being a “high roller” may be offered the opportunity to make a bust insurance bet whenever he wants to make such a bet (e.g., as a perk). For another example, a player having the characteristic of being a first-time Blackjack player could be made eligible to make a bust insurance bet for a predetermined number of rounds of play in an effort to attract more players to learn how to play the card game.

In another embodiment, a player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet as part of a promotional or marketing campaign. For example, a physical casino could attempt to attract new players by distributing coupons, vouchers or tokens that entitle its holders to make one bust insurance bet during their visits. For another example, an online casino operating via the Internet could credit the accounts of its registered users with the opportunity to make up to ten bust insurance bets, and could then inform its registered users about this opportunity via emails in an effort to entice those users to log back onto the site and play a few rounds of Blackjack. The account of each user could then be updated to reflect each bust insurance bet made.

In another embodiment, a player may be made eligible for bust insurance by paying a fee. For example, a player may pay $10 to be made eligible to make 10 bust insurance bets, or to make such bets during a particular time period (e.g., during August). For another example, a player may pay a subscription fee (e.g., $9.95/month) to be made eligible for bust insurance. The subscription fee may also entitle the player to receive other benefits (e.g., a monthly magazine, or membership in a players' club).

It is envisioned that still other criteria may be used to determine whether a player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. In another embodiment, a player could make himself eligible to make a bust insurance bet in a current round of play by agreeing to make a bet in a future round of play. For example, the player could become eligible to make a bust insurance bet in a current round of play by agreeing to use any winnings as his initial bet on a subsequent round of play. The player's winnings, if any, would thus be “imprisoned”, such that the player would be forced to play the next round of play to benefit from such winnings. For another example, a player may become eligible to make a bust insurance bet in a current round of play by agreeing to wager a minimum amount on a subsequent round of play. The minimum amount may be predetermined (e.g., $10), or may depend on a current bet made by the player (e.g., all or part of the player's current initial bet). In another embodiment, the player may be determined to be eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon the amount of another bet made by the player (e.g., any player who makes an initial bet of at least $20 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet). As noted above, in another embodiment, the player is always eligible to make a bust insurance bet, and step 48 is not needed.

As described above, at step 66 , method 40 includes determining and providing a bust insurance payout to the player in the event that the player made a bust insurance bet and then busted. Typically, the amount of the bust insurance payout is determined as a ratio of the bust insurance bet. For example, in the exemplary round of play described in relation to FIGS. 1A-1D , player 14 was paid on his bust insurance bet using a 0.5:1 ratio, such that the player's $10 bet resulted in a $15 payout (e.g., a $5 net). The amount of the bust insurance payout may be determined in a number of ways.

In one embodiment, the bust insurance payout is determined as a ratio of the bust insurance bet that depends on the total value of the player's starting or current hand at the time the player made that bet (i.e., before an additional card was dealt to the player). An exemplary bust insurance payout table 80 is shown in FIG. 3 . Payout table 80 includes a first column 82 listing the total value of the player's hand at the time that the bust insurance bet was made, and a second column 84 listing a value indicative of the payout ratio for that bet. Payout table 80 includes rows 86 A- 86 K listing data for the possible player hands. For example, rows 86 A and 86 G- 86 K indicate that a player holding a hand of 11 or less, or 17 or more, at the time of the bust insurance bet, is not eligible to make a bust insurance bet. Row 86 B indicates that a player holding a hand of 12 at the time of the bust insurance bet will be paid based upon the bust insurance bet using a 2:1 ratio (e.g., so that a $10 bust insurance bet will result in a $30 payout). Similarly, rows 86 C, 86 D, 86 E and 86 F indicate that a player holding a hand of 13, 14, 15 and 16 at the time of the bust insurance bet will be paid based upon the bust insurance bet using a 1.5:1, 1:1, 0.5:1 and 0.5:1 ratio, respectively (e.g., such that a $10 bust insurance bet will result in a $25, $20, $15 and $15 winning payout, respectively).

Bust insurance payout table 80 may also include a third column 85 listing the maximum allowable bust insurance bet that a player is allowed to make for each player hand value. This third column may be especially useful in embodiments where the player is given an edge when making a bust insurance bet, by preventing the player from making a small initial bet followed by a large bust insurance bet.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the value indicative of the payout ratio is listed in column 84 as the payout based on a $10 bust insurance bet. Alternatively, column 84 could list the payout ratio itself (e.g., 2:1, 1.5:1, 1:1, 0.5:1 and 0.5:1 for rows 86 B, 86 C, 86 D, 86 E and 86 F, respectively). Payout table 80 may, for example, be printed on a chart that is placed within view of the player and the dealer for ready reference. In other embodiments (e.g., online casino or video gaming machine embodiments), payout table 80 may be implemented as a payout database including a plurality of records corresponding to rows 86 A- 86 K, each record having a plurality of fields corresponding to columns 82 - 84 . The payout database may then be used by a processor to calculate the player's payout upon winning on a bust insurance bet.

In payout table 80 , a player hand having a total value of 11 or less (e.g., a starting hand consisting of a 4♦ and a 6) is defined as ineligible for bust insurance because such a hand cannot bust upon drawing one additional card. The payout ratio for player hands having a total value of 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are each defined such that the house will have a statistical edge over the player if the player makes a bust insurance bet. For example, if a player hand has a total value of 12, the player will bust upon receiving one additional card only if that additional card has a value of 10 (i.e., a ten, jack, queen or king), and will not bust if the additional card has a value of 9 or less (i.e., a 2-9 or an ace). Thus, the player's odds of winning the bust insurance bet are 4:9. Conversely, the house's odds of winning the bust insurance bet are 9:4 (i.e., 2.25:1). Thus, the house will have a statistical edge over the player by providing any payout ratio of less than 2.25:1, corresponding to any payout of less than $32.50 for a $10 bet. The $30 payout listed in column 84 of row 86 B therefore allows the house to enjoy a statistical edge over the player. Similar calculations would show that the house would have a statistical edge by providing any payout ratio of less than 1.6:1, 1.167:1, 0.857:1 and 0.625:1 for player hands having a total value of 13, 14, 15 and 16, which would yield payouts of less than $26.00, $21.67, $18.57 and $16.25, respectively. Thus, the $25, $20, $15 and $15 payouts listed in column 84 of rows 86 C, 86 D, 86 E and 86 F allow the house to enjoy a statistical edge over the player. Based upon payout table 80 , any player hand having a total value of between 17 and 21, inclusively, is not eligible for bust insurance. In this example, these hands were defined to be ineligible because the payout ratios that would be needed to allow the house to enjoy a statistical edge (i.e., 0.444:1, 0.3:1, 0.181:1, 0.083:1 and 0) were deemed to be too small to provide a meaningful payout to the player (deemed to be, in this example, less than 0.5:1). These specific values are merely exemplary, and payout table 80 could include other values.

Note that, in the preceding paragraph, the calculations of odds and payout ratios assumed that an infinite number of decks of cards are used. These calculations may also account for the affects of using a specific number of decks of cards (e.g., six), or of specific combinations of starting cards.

Payout table 80 may, in alternative embodiments, be modified in any of a number of different ways. In one embodiment, the player hands defined to be eligible for bust insurance are modified from those shown in FIG. 3 . For example, player hands having a total value of 17, 18, 19 and/or 20 could be defined to be eligible for bust insurance, with payout ratios set to correspondingly smaller values to allow the house to maintain a statistical edge. Note that a player hand having a total value of 21 may still be defined as being ineligible for bust insurance since any additional card would necessarily bust the player. For another example, player hands having a total value of 12, 13, 14, 15 and/or 16 could be defined to be ineligible for bust insurance. For yet another example, player hands having a total value of 11 or less could be defined to be eligible for bust insurance, with the player allowed to take more than one additional card. For example, a player having a starting hand consisting of a 2♦ and a 3, for a total value of 5 points, may be allowed to make a bust insurance bet that will win if the player busts upon taking up to a predetermined maximum (e.g., two) additional cards. If this player then takes an 8♥ and a Q, the player will win on the bust insurance bet.

In another embodiment, the payout ratios corresponding to any or all of the player hands may be modified. For example, the payout ratios could be decreased from those indicated in FIG. 3 , so that the house would enjoy a greater statistical edge. Any payout ratios that are eventually chosen will, however, need to satisfy any gaming laws or regulations that may apply (e.g., there may be minimum limits on the payout ratios to ensure that players statistically win a predetermined percentage of their bets). The payout ratios could also be increased from those indicated in FIG. 3 , and could be increased such that the house enjoys less of a statistical edge over the player, merely breaks even statistically on the bust insurance bet, or even provides the player with a statistical edge. For example, column 84 of row 86 C could be increased to $26, so that the house merely breaks even statistically, or increased to a value higher than $26 (e.g., $27) so that the player has a statistical edge. Especially in situations where the player has a statistical edge, there may be other eligibility criteria in addition to the total value of the player's hand, such as any of those described previously, which limit the player's ability to make bust insurance bets. For example, upon entering a casino, a player may receive a single token allowing him to make one bust insurance bet, such that the player could only once take advantage of any statistical edge that he may have over the house. For another example, the payout ratios may be modified to prevent card counters from gaining an undesired edge (e.g., by adjusting the ratios based upon cards that have already been played).

In yet another embodiment, the bust insurance payout ratio indicated in column 84 of payout table 80 for a particular player hand could be a dynamic ratio that varies based upon one or more criteria. For example, as indicated by row 86 C, while a player may normally receive a $25 payout upon winning a bust insurance bet, that payout could be increased to $30 if the player was given a token on entering the casino. In this example, the casino's operator may have elected to provide the increased payout to players on a one-time basis as a marketing tool to attract players to visit the casino, while preventing the players from retaining an edge over the house over the long term.

A bust insurance payout may also be determined as a ratio of a bust insurance bet without using a bust insurance payout table such as payout table 80 . For example, in one Blackjack option, the only player hand deemed to be eligible for bust insurance is defined as a player starting hand having a total value of 14. If the player then decides to make a bust insurance bet, he will be required to make the bust insurance bet in the same amount as his initial bet. Then, if the player busts, he will receive the amount of both his initial bet and his bust insurance bet back as his bust insurance payout. The player would thus break even on the current round of play, despite having busted. In another option, a player with a starting hand having a value of 12 could be allowed to place a bust insurance bet that is equal to one-half of his initial bet (similar to the amount of a Blackjack insurance bet). If the player then wins on the bust insurance bet, he will again break even by receiving the amount of both his initial bet and bust insurance bet back as his bust insurance payout. Similar Blackjack options could also be defined for other player hands, and one or more of these options could be offered simultaneously.

Using method 40 , a player (if eligible) will have the option of making a bust insurance bet that will provide a bust insurance payout if the player busts upon receiving one additional card, and will otherwise be lost. The player (if the player remains eligible) will then have the option of making another bust insurance bet before drawing another additional card. For example, a player dealt a starting hand having a total value of 15 could make a first bust insurance bet, then draw a first additional card of a 2 (which would cause the player to lose the first bust insurance bet), and then make a second bust insurance bet before drawing a second additional card. Thus, a player may be able to make one, two or even more separate bust insurance bets during a single round of play. In another embodiment, a player may have the option of making a bust insurance bet that will provide a bust insurance payout if the player busts upon receiving more than one additional card. For example, a player dealt a starting hand having a total value of 8 may (if eligible) make a bust insurance bet that will provide a bust insurance payout if the player busts upon receiving no more than two additional cards. Since a player will always bust if the player keeps taking additional cards, the player will be allowed to take no more than a predetermined number (e.g., one, two, three) of additional cards to receive a bust insurance payout. In this case, the bust insurance payout ratios may be adjusted in accordance with the player's starting hand and the predetermined number of additional cards that the player is allowed to take.

In another embodiment, making a bust insurance bet gives a player the right to elect to return to his starting hand and to try again if the player's hand does not bust upon taking an agreed upon number of additional cards. For example, a player who was dealt a starting hand having a total value of 15 may take one additional card after placing a bust insurance bet providing bust insurance coverage for taking that one card. If the additional card is a 2♦, the player will lose his bust insurance bet (since the player did not bust), but will then have the right to discard the additional card (i.e., the 2♦) and to return to his original starting hand (i.e., with a total value of 15). The player may then replay his starting hand by, for example, staying, taking an additional card, or making another bust insurance bet and then taking another additional card. The option provided by this embodiment may be referred to as a “Didn't Bust; Try Again” option.

As shown in FIGS. 1A-1D , method 40 for playing a card game may be implemented without specialized apparatus or systems. For example, in the round of play of FIGS. 1A-1D , dealer 12 and player 14 played a game of cards in accordance with method 40 using one or more decks of cards, some coins or tokens for making initial bet 20 and bust insurance bet 28 , and table 10 for providing first betting area 22 for placing initial bet 20 and second betting area 30 for placing bust insurance bet 28 . Thus, method 40 may be easily implemented in a casino or other gaming venue.

Aspects of the implementation of method 40 may, however, be enhanced using additional apparatus or systems. For example, by providing player tracking card 16 and card reader 18 , a casino may track additional information about player 14 which may be used in determining whether player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. For another example, by providing bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 , player 14 may receive notification about his eligibility to make a bust insurance bet. In some embodiments, by automatically controlling eligibility indicator 32 (as described below), dealer 12 's workload can be decreased and/or the eligibility criteria may be made more complex than otherwise practical (e.g., it may be difficult for dealer 12 to track whether each player seated at table 10 has lost a certain amount of money in the last hour). Although a casino may have to change its existing facilities to provide these additional apparatus or systems, the advantages of making the changes may outweigh their costs. Below, additional apparatus and systems for enhancing the implementation of method 40 are disclosed. Any or all of these apparatus and systems may be used by a casino.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a physical Blackjack table 90 , for use in a casino, has been adapted for use in practicing method 40 . Surrounding table 90 are dealer 12 and one or more players 14 . Although six (6) players 14 are shown, there may be fewer or greater numbers of players 14 , and one or more of the player positions surrounding the table may not be occupied at any given time. Table 90 provides a gaming area for each player 14 which may be similar to that provided by table 10 in FIGS. 1A-1D (compare the gaming area for the third player from the left with FIGS. 1 A- 1 D). In particular, for each player 14 , table 90 provides a card reader 18 for accepting a player tracking card 16 , a first betting area 22 for receiving an initial bet 20 , a second betting area 30 for receiving a bust insurance bet 28 , and a bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 . Table 90 also provides a table controller 92 for controlling operation of table 90 .

In one embodiment, table controller 92 is implemented using a computer terminal that is accessible to dealer 12 . This terminal includes a processor, one or more input devices 94 that can be activated by dealer 12 to provide input information to the processor, and one or more output devices 96 for outputting information to dealer 12 . The one or more input devices 94 may include a keyboard, a touchscreen interface, a lightpen, a voice-recognition interface, discrete switches, etc. The one or more output devices may include a display screen, LEDs, lamps, an audio circuit and speaker, etc. As shown in FIG. 5 , table controller 92 may also communicate with input and output devices at player positions 104 , and with a central controller operated by the casino.

Referring to FIG. 5 , Blackjack table 90 is one of several gaming devices that are coupled to a communications network 100 which is operated by the casino. Although two Blackjack tables 90 are shown, there may be more than or fewer than two Blackjack tables 90 coupled to communications network 100 , and there may be other types of gaming apparatus coupled thereto, such as poker tables, roulette tables, craps tables, slot machines, video poker machines, video Blackjack machines, etc. Network 100 allows information (e.g., player tracking data) to be shared among the various gaming devices in the casino, and allows certain processing functions to be centralized.

Also coupled to communications network 100 is a central controller 102 which communicates with the table controller 92 of each table 90 , and with any of the other gaming apparatus coupled to network 100 . Each table controller 92 , in turn, communicates with each of a plurality of player positions 104 defined by that table 90 . Each player position 104 includes one or more input and output devices for one of the players 14 at that table 90 . For example, via communications network 100 , table controller 92 of each table 90 can read data from, and write data to, the player tracking card 16 of each player 14 at that table 90 , can send output commands to the bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 of each player 14 at that table 90 , and can engage in bidirectional communications with central controller 102 . In one embodiment, table controller 92 can also receive data from one or more devices (e.g., a digital camera) configured to track the play of each player 14 . This data may indicate, for example, the player's hand, the player's initial bets, and/or any side bets made by the player. These one or more devices may be mounted or otherwise coupled to table 90 (e.g., a digital camera may be mounted over table 90 to detect the cards in each of the player's hands).

Communications network 100 may transmit information across any of a variety of media, such as across electrical wires or cables, fiber optic lines, telephone wires, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), the Internet, radio frequency interfaces, etc. Further, different portions of communications network 100 may employ different media (e.g., table controller 92 may communicate with each local player position 104 via electrical wires, while communicating with central controller 102 via a LAN). In one embodiment, central controller 102 is a casino controller that communicates via network 100 with various gaming devices located within the casino. In another embodiment, central controller 102 is a remote controller which communicates with each table controller 92 via the Internet, telephone wires, etc. In the latter embodiment, central controller 102 may control gaming devices located in multiple locations (e.g., gaming devices in multiple locations operated by one party).

Referring to FIG. 6 , in one embodiment, central controller 102 includes a processor 110 , a data storage device 112 in communication with processor 110 , and one or more communication ports 114 also in communication with processor 110 . Processor 110 includes one or more microprocessors, such as one or more Intel PENTIUM® microprocessors. Data storage device 112 includes any of a variety of memory devices, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk or a combination thereof. Although data storage device 112 may be proximate to processor 110 , data storage device 112 may also be located remotely from processor 110 and coupled thereto via a remote communication medium (e.g., the Internet). Data storage device 112 stores a program 116 including instructions executed by processor 110 , and also stores data structures including a player tracking data database 118 , a position database 120 , an eligibility database 122 , and a bust insurance payout database 124 , each accessible by processor 110 . Player tracking data database 118 stores information used for tracking players such as, for each player, a player identification number, the player's name and address, credit data, data identifying a financial account owned by the player, data representative of the player's playing history (e.g., amount won, amount lost, etc.), and other player tracking data, as known in the art. The structure and use of position database 120 and eligibility database 122 are described below. Bust insurance payout database 124 stores information representing payouts that a player can win on a bust insurance bet, such as the information illustrated by bust insurance payout table 80 (FIG. 3 ). In other embodiments, one or more of these databases is not used and/or other databases are present. Communication port 114 includes one or more input/output interface circuits for communicating with each table controller 90 and any other gaming devices.

Referring back to FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, dealer 12 makes the determination about whether each player 14 is eligible or ineligible to make a bust insurance bet, and actuates an appropriate input device 94 to cause table controller 92 to transmit a command signal to the bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 for each player 14 . For example, in response to observing that a particular player appears to be frustrated after having lost several hands in a row, dealer 12 may actuate an “eligibility switch” to notify that player about his eligibility for bust insurance during the next round of play. As this example shows, a player's eligibility may be determined in whole or in part on the dealer's personal observations of the player's demeanor and/or playing history. In this example, table controller 92 could comprise a switch panel with switches wired to the bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 for each player 14 (and central controller 102 could be optional).

If dealer 12 determines the bust insurance eligibility for each player, dealer 12 is provided with access to the information needed to make this determination. This information may include, for example, any or all of dealer 12 's personal observations of the player's demeanor, the player's starting and/or current hand, the dealer upcard, the player's playing history, etc. This information may also include player tracking data for each player who identifies himself (e.g., by inserting his player tracking card 16 into card reader 18 ). To provide dealer 12 with player tracking data, table controller 92 may read the player tracking data directly from player tracking card 16 and then present (e.g., display) this data to dealer 12 using output device 96 . Alternatively, table controller 92 may use the player's identity to download the player tracking data stored in player tracking data database 118 stored on central computer 102 , and then present (e.g., display) this data to dealer 12 using output device 96 .

In some situations, it may be difficult and/or inefficient for dealer 12 to determine whether each player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet, and/or to control the eligibility indication that is provided to each player 14 . For example, in some situations, dealer 12 may not have access to the information needed to determine the eligibility of each player 14 (e.g., dealer 12 may not know that a player was made eligible to make 5 bust insurance bets by losing $500 yesterday). In other situations, the criteria for making the eligibility determinations may be too complex to be easily evaluated by dealer 12 , especially in view of the dealer's regular tasks of taking bets, dealing cards, and making payouts. For example, requiring dealer 12 to determine the eligibility of each player 14 to make bust insurance bets may compromise the dealer's ability to keep a sharp lookout for players trying to cheat. In still other situations, dealer 12 may not have enough time during each round of play to determine the eligibility of each player and to provide each eligibility indication. For example, while dealer 12 may have time to perform these functions if the bust insurance option is provided only infrequently (e.g., only if a player lost the last hand to the dealer's Blackjack despite having a “21”), dealer 12 may not have adequate time to perform these functions if each player's eligibility might change one or more times during each round of play. If too much time is lost by requiring the dealer to perform these functions, the pace of play will be slowed and gaming revenues will be lost. To solve these potential problems, the eligibility of each player 14 to make a bust insurance bet may also be determined automatically, using one of the embodiments described below.

In one embodiment, the determination about whether each player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet is performed by central controller 102 , which then communicates the results to table controller 92 . Table controller 92 then notifies each player 14 of his eligibility via bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 or, alternatively, displays the results on output device 96 to allow dealer 12 to notify each player 14 . To make these eligibility determinations, central controller 102 uses one or more of databases 118 , 120 , 122 and 124 , in the manner described in the following paragraphs.

Referring to FIG. 7 , position database 120 stores information about each player position 104 , including information about player 14 at each player position 104 . Each column 130 - 142 of the illustrated table represents one field of position database 120 , and each row 144 A- 144 B represents one record including each field 130 - 142 . Position database 120 may include more than or fewer than the two records illustrated.

The fields of position database 120 include a position identifier field 130 for storing an identifier that uniquely identifies a player position 104 , a table identifier field 132 for storing an identifier that uniquely identifies table 90 of that player position 104 , a player history field 134 for storing data that indicates the playing history at that player position 104 (e.g., data indicating the total value of the last 10 player hands, and if the player won or lost each hand), a player identifier field 136 for storing an identifier that uniquely identifies the player at that playing position (if known), a win/loss payout history field 138 for storing data that indicates the winnings or losses of the player at that playing position, a dealer upcard field 140 for storing data indicative of the dealer upcard for the current round of play, and a player hand total field 142 for storing data indicative of the total value of the player's current hand. Position database 120 may, alternatively, have fewer than or more than these fields. For example, if table 90 is not provided with card readers 18 for reading player tracking cards 16 , or with any other input device for determining the identity of the players, then field 136 is not needed.

In one embodiment, central controller 102 creates a new record such as record 144 A or 144 B when a new player starts playing at one of player positions 104 , and updates this record to track that player's progress. Central controller 102 receives information needed to create and update this new record from table controller 92 via network 100 . Table controller 92 , in turn, receives this information from one or more sources. For example, dealer 12 may use one or more input devices 94 to enter any information needed by central controller 102 into table controller 92 (e.g., dealer 12 could activate a switch whenever a new player starts playing at a player position 104 to cause central controller 102 to create a new record in position database 120 ). Dealer 12 could use other input devices, such as a keyboard or touch-screen, to enter other data.

Alternatively, other devices can be used to automatically obtain some or all of the information needed by central controller 102 , thereby decreasing the burden on dealer 12 . For example, when a new player sits down at a player position 104 , table controller 92 may receive a signal generated by the card reader 18 at that position 104 . This signal indicates the player identifier for that player, as read from tracking card 16 of that player, and also indicates that the player started playing. For another example, table controller 92 may receive a signal from a weight sensor that indicates when a new player sits down at a player position. For still another example, table controller 92 may receive signals from one or more devices (e.g., a digital camera) configured to track the play of each player. This one or more devices may include, for example, a digital video camera which, with pattern recognition hardware and/or software, generates signals that are indicative of each player's hand and the dealer's hand. This one or more devices may also generate signals indicative of initial bets and/or any side bets of each player, and winnings received by each player. After receiving these signals, table controller 92 communicates data needed by central controller 102 via communications network 100 .

Central controller 102 evaluates the data stored in position database 120 to determine whether the player at each player position 104 is or is not eligible for bust insurance. In one embodiment, this evaluation includes comparing the data stored in position database 120 with eligibility requirements stored in eligibility database 122 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , eligibility database 122 is represented by a table that stores various eligibility requirements. A player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet if any of these requirements is met. Each column 146 - 147 represents one field of eligibility database 122 , and each row 148 A- 148 J represents one record that includes each field 146 - 147 . Eligibility database 122 includes an eligibility identifier field 146 storing an identifier that uniquely identifies an eligibility requirement, and an eligibility description field 147 for storing a description of that requirement. Eligibility database 122 may store different types of eligibility requirements. For example, records 148 A- 148 E store eligibility requirements that are specific to the player, while records 148 F- 148 J store eligibility requirements that depend on the dealer upcard and/or player hand. As an example of an eligibility requirement specific to a player, record 148 A indicates that a player will be eligible to make a bust insurance bet if the player has lost 10 hands in a row. As an example of an eligibility requirement that depends on the dealer upcard and/or the player's hand, record 148 F indicates that a player will be eligible to make a bust insurance bet if the dealer upcard is an ace and the player's hand has a total value of 15. Eligibility database 122 may also store other types of eligibility requirements.

During operation, central controller 102 evaluates the data in position database 120 to determine whether the player at each player position 104 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet. For example, to determine if the players at player position POS- 01 at table TAB- 15 and at player position POS- 05 at table TAB- 3 are eligible to make a bust insurance bet based upon the eligibility requirement stored in record 148 A of eligibility database 122 , central controller 102 compares the data stored in player history field 134 of records 144 A and 144 B of position database 120 with the eligibility description stored in field 147 of record 148 A of eligibility database 122 . Based on this comparison, the player at position POS- 01 , table TAB- 15 is determined to be ineligible to make a bust insurance bet since he has not lost 10 hands in a row, but the player at position POS- 05 , table TAB- 3 is determined to be eligible to make such a bet since he has lost the last 10 hands. After evaluating the other eligibility criteria, if none of the other criteria are met for either player, central controller 102 then sends data to table controller 92 to cause table controller 92 to activate the eligibility indicator at position POS- 05 of table TAB- 3 , and that player is notified that he is eligible to place a bust insurance bet. The data also causes table controller 92 to dim the eligibility indicator at POS- 01 of table TAB- 15 since that player is not eligible to place a bust insurance bet.

In another embodiment, the determination about whether each player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet is performed by table controller 92 (rather than central controller 102 ). To perform this determination, table controller 92 may, for example, store databases that are similar to those described above as being stored by central controller 102 , and may perform functions that are similar to those described above as being performed by central controller 102 . After making this determination, table controller 92 notifies each player 14 of his eligibility to make a bust insurance bet using that player's bust insurance eligibility indicator 32 or, alternatively, displays the eligibility results on output device 96 to allow dealer 12 to inform each player 14 .

Alternatively, the eligibility determination for each player 14 is made automatically, but dealer 12 can override that determination (e.g., by actuating an appropriate input device 94 , such as an “eligibility switch”, for that player). For example, while central controller 102 or table controller 92 may have automatically determined that a particular player is not eligible to make a bust insurance bet (e.g., because that player has only lost 7 hands in a row while the predetermined eligibility criteria specify a minimum of 8 lost hands in a row to be eligible for bust insurance), dealer 12 could be allowed to override the automatic determination in order to make the player eligible to make a bust insurance bet based on the dealer's personal observations (e.g., dealer 12 may make the player eligible to make a bust insurance bet after hearing the player threaten to quit playing and leave the casino unless he wins the next hand).

In another embodiment, to become eligible to make a bust insurance bet, a player could be required (e.g., as a condition of being made eligible to make the bust insurance bet) to wager all or a portion of the bust insurance payout (and/or any payout on the underlying game) as an initial bet on a future round of play. For example, a player who places a bust insurance bet of $10 after accepting this condition, and then wins a bust insurance payout of $20, could be required to wager the $20 bust insurance payout as an initial bet on the next round of play. This condition would give the casino a chance to earn back some or all of the payout, and would help to encourage the player to remain at the Blackjack table (since the player would otherwise forfeit the payout).

Referring to FIG. 9 , a virtual Blackjack table 150 is adapted for use in practicing method 40 with an online or virtual casino, or a video gaming machine. Table 150 is implemented using a player terminal including one or more input devices actuatable by a player to provide commands for playing the card game, and one or more output devices for presenting information to the player. The player terminal may include a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), a WebTV® terminal, a cellular telephone, etc. The one or more input devices may include a keyboard, a mouse, a voice-recognition circuit, a touch-screen display, etc. The one or more output devices may include a video display such as a CRT, LCD or plasma display, a touch-screen, etc., and may also include an audio circuit and speakers to generate sound. In an exemplary online or virtual casino embodiment, the player terminal communicates with a computer server operated by an online or virtual casino via a communications medium such as the Internet. In another embodiment, the player terminal includes a dedicated video gaming apparatus that may or may not be located in a physical casino.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , the output display screen of virtual Blackjack table 150 is divided into three (3) windows 152 , 154 and 156 . First window 152 provides a Blackjack table window which appears similar to table 90 (FIG. 4 ), including graphical indicia representing a dealer hand 158 , a player hand 160 , a first betting area 162 for showing an indication of the player's initial bet 164 , and a second betting area 166 for showing an indication of the player's bust insurance bet 168 (if any). Second window 154 provides a player betting window, including graphical indicia representing the amount of the player's initial bet 170 (e.g., $20), the amount of the player's Blackjack insurance bet 172 (e.g., $0), the amount of the player's bust insurance bet 174 (e.g., $10), the winning payout 176 (e.g., $0), and the amount of player credits 178 (e.g., $959). Second window 154 also includes graphical indicia representing increment and decrement switches 180 and 182 which can be activated by the player (e.g., by clicking on switches 180 and 182 with a mouse, or touching switches 180 and 182 on a touch-screen display) to increment or decrement the amount of the player's initial bet (and possibly the amount of the player's other bets). Third window 156 provides a player command window, including graphical indicia representing a Blackjack insurance switch 184 for selecting the Blackjack insurance option, a bust insurance switch 186 for selecting the bust insurance option, a double down switch 188 for selecting the “doubling down” option, a split switch 190 for selecting the “splitting pairs” option, a deal switch 192 for commanding the online casino or video gaming machine to deal a starting hand or an additional card, and a stand switch 194 for instructing the online casino or video gaming machine that the player wishes to stand. By activating switches 184 - 194 , the player can control the play of the game and select options, including the bust insurance option according to method 40 .

As noted above, switches 180 and 182 are used for setting (incrementing or decrementing) the amount of the player's initial bet. In some embodiments, the amount of the bust insurance bet is determined automatically by the online or virtual casino, or video gaming apparatus, in response to activation of bust insurance switch 186 , based upon the amount of the initial bet (and possibly other parameters such as the player's hand and/or dealer upcard). In other embodiments, however, switches 180 and 182 may also be used for setting (incrementing or decrementing) the amount of the player's bust insurance bet (if activated after an activation of bust insurance switch 186 .

In one embodiment, switches 184 - 190 also act as output devices which provide indications to the player about when the respective options are available to the player. For example, Blackjack insurance switch 184 may be lit if the dealer's starting hand shows an ace upcard (and also, possibly, shows an upcard with a value of 10), and may otherwise be dimmed. Bust insurance switch 186 may be lit if the player is determined to be eligible for bust insurance (as described above), and may otherwise be dim. Double down switch 188 may be lit after the player has been dealt his initial hand, and may otherwise be dim. Split switch 190 may be lit if the player has been dealt an initial hand consisting of a pair of cards having the same rank, and may otherwise be dim. If a player attempts to activate one of these switches when dim, the attempt is ignored. Instead of lighting and dimming switches 184 - 190 , these switches can indicate when the options are available in other ways (e.g., flashing vs. not flashing).

Alternatively, virtual Blackjack table 150 in FIG. 9 may be modified in a number of different ways. For example, the selection, coordination and arrangment of graphical indicia used for displaying the various types of information may be modified. For another example, since the amounts of the initial bet and the bust insurance bet are displayed in window 154 , these amounts need not also be displayed in window 152 , or vice-versa. For another example, the player terminal could include physical switches or a keyboard to allow the player to enter the amount of a bet or select the various options. Still other modifications may be made to virtual Blackjack table 150 , as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the present specification.

In another embodiment, a second player may place a bust insurance bet on a first player's hand. For example, if the first player has a starting hand with a total value of 12 , then the second player is allowed to place a bust insurance bet that the second player will win if the first player then busts upon drawing an additional card.

Mortgaging Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 10 , an exemplary round of play in accordance with a mortgaging embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Similar to the round of play illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1D , this exemplary round of play represents only one use of the mortgaging option, and this option may also be used with other specific hands of cards. This exemplary round of play may occur using a physical Blackjack table in a physical casino, a virtual table in a virtual or online casino, or virtual gaming machine.

Referring to FIG. 10 , this exemplary round of play is being played on a Blackjack table 200 by dealer 12 and player 14 . Although only one player is shown, any number of other players may also be present. Before any cards were dealt, player 14 made an initial bet 202 by placing one or more coins or tokens (e.g., a $5 token) on a first betting area 204 of table 200 . Dealer 12 then dealt a starting hand consisting of two cards to player 14 and to himself. In this example, dealer 12 dealt player starting hand 206 , consisting of a face-up 9 and a 7 for a total value of 16, to player 14 , and a dealer starting hand 208 , consisting of a face-up 8♥ and a face-down card, to himself. Thus, in this example, player 14 has been dealt an unfavorable or “bad” starting hand that is likely to bust if he draws an additional card, and is otherwise likely to lose to the dealer. In this situation, player 14 would typically like to “walk away” from the table, but is prevented from doing so by the fact that he has already placed initial bet 202 .

After receiving the unfavorable starting hand and before either “hitting” or “standing”, player 14 selected a mortgaging option in order to protect initial bet 202 . To indicate his selection of the mortgaging option, player 14 placed a marker 210 (e.g., a “lamar”) on a second betting area 212 of table 200 . In one embodiment, player 14 selected the mortgaging option after observing an indication that he is eligible to select this option by a mortgaging eligibility indicator 214 (e.g., a lamp or LED) controlled in a manner similar to that of bust insurance indicator 32 . By selecting this option, player 14 receives an advantage in the current round of play (e.g., a revised rule favoring the player) in exchange for mortgaging a future round of play or the current round of play. Player 14 “mortgages” a round of play by agreeing to play that round in accordance with a revised rule that is unfavorable for the player. Marker 210 can be left on table 200 between the current and future rounds of play, or during the current round of play, to serve as a reminder that the player agreed to the revised rule by selecting this option.

Two embodiments of the mortgaging option are described below. In a first embodiment, referred to as a “future hand” embodiment, the mortgage includes an agreement by the player to play at least one future round of play in accordance with a revised rule. In a second embodiment, referred to as a “current hand” embodiment, the mortgage includes an agreement by the player to play the current round of play in accordance with a revised rule. These two embodiments may also be combined, such that the mortgage includes an agreement by the player to play both the current round of play as well as at least one future round of play in accordance with a revised rule.

Future Hand Mortgaging Embodiment

In the future hand embodiment, in exchange for receiving an advantage in the current round of play, player 14 mortgages at least one future round of play. To do so, player 14 enters into an agreement with dealer 12 (i.e., the “house”) to wager at least a portion of initial bet 202 on the at least one future round of play, and to play the at least one future round of play in accordance with at least one revised rule which is unfavorable to player 14 . The advantage received by player 14 in exchange for entering into this agreement may be, for example, the right to terminate the current round of play without losing any of initial bet 202 . Thus, player 14 can “protect” his initial bet 202 .

The agreement entered into by the player by selecting this “future hand” mortgaging option requires that the player wager at least a portion of initial bet 202 on the at least one future round of play. This wagering term of the agreement effectively “imprisons” initial bet 202 , and encourages the player to participate in the at least one future round of play. In one embodiment, the player is required to leave initial bet 202 from the current round of play on table 200 , so that all of initial bet 202 will be wagered by the player on the future round of play. In other embodiments, the player is required to leave some other portion (e.g., ¼, ½, ¾, twice, etc.) of initial bet 202 on table 200 as initial bet 202 for the future round of play. The player may also be allowed to wager an additional amount on the future round of play. In still other embodiments, the portion of initial bet 202 which the player is required to wager on the future round of play is a minimum amount (e.g., $1) which is not a set proportion or multiple of initial bet 202 .

A player can bet “a portion” of initial bet 202 on a future round of play without being required to wager any of the same physical coins or tokens on the future round of play. For example, a player who made initial bet 202 on the current round of play using a $10 token can take back his $10 token and then place a $5 token as his initial bet for the next round of play in order to meet his burden (under his mortgaging agreement) of placing {fraction ( 1 / 2 )} of his initial bet 202 on the future round of play. Wagering “a portion” of initial bet 202 on the future round of play only requires that player 14 wager some amount (e.g., some coins or tokens) on the future round of play, such that the player cannot simply walk away after the current round of play has been completed.

In one embodiment, the future round of play that will be played in accordance with the revised rule will be the next round of play after the current round. Marker 210 thus serves as a reminder that the next round of play will be played using the revised rule. In this embodiment, the player may be required to leave all or part of initial bet 202 from the current round on table 200 to become all or part of initial bet 202 on the next round of play. Alternatively, the future round of play may occur at a subsequent time, such as the next time that player 14 plays a round of Blackjack at the casino, or at any time before a certain date or before a certain amount of time passes. In this embodiment, the terms of the “mortgage” (e.g., player 14 's agreement to wager on a future round of play using a revised rule) may be recorded with the player's tracking data. If the player 14 does not satisfy the mortgaging agreement (e.g., the player does not play another round of Blackjack at the casino by the time agreed to), a penalty can be assessed against the player (e.g., some or all of initial bet 202 can be charged to the player's credit card or other financial account identified by the player's tracking data).

The revised rule that player 14 agrees to abide by during a future round of play may be any of a number of revised rules that are unfavorable to the player. The revised rule may be revised in comparison to the conventional rules of Blackjack, or in comparison to the default rules by which the game will be played in the absence of the mortgage (which may differ in one or more ways from the “conventional” rules). Thus, for example, a revised rule may be revised from the rules defining a particular variation of Blackjack played in a particular casino. A “revised” rule may include a modification of an existing rule (e.g., the player must beat the dealer by 2, instead of 1, to win the future round of play), or may include an “added” rule (e.g., the player will bust during the next round of play if he takes a 7 of any rank), or may include a “deleted” rule (e.g., the player may be made ineligible for the “split” option) during the next round of play.

The revised rule may govern the manner in which the game is played, the game's winner or loser, and/or the payout due to a player based upon a particular outcome of the game. One example of a revised rule unfavorable to a player is that the player will lose on a “push” (under the conventional rules, if a player's final hand has the same total value as the dealer's final hand, the result is declared a “push”, and the player's initial bet is returned to the player). Another example of such a revised rule is that a player's final hand must beat the dealer's final hand by 2 for the player to win (under the conventional rules, the player's final hand must beat the dealer's final hand by at least 1 to win). In this example, if the player's final hand beat's the dealer's final hand by only 1, the result may be declared a “push” or, alternatively, the player may lose to the dealer. Another example of such a revised rule is that a player may only take a predetermined number (e.g., 1) of additional cards during the future round of play. Another example of such a revised rule is that a player may only count an ace as a predetermined value (e.g., 1 or 11), instead of the value more beneficial to the player.

A player may also agree to play the future round of play in accordance with a revised rule that adversely affects his payout for a winning hand. For example, the player could agree that he will only be paid based upon his initial bet using a 1:1 ratio if he is dealt a Blackjack (instead of the 1.5:1 ratio according to the conventional rules of Blackjack), or that he will only be paid based upon his initial bet using a 0.5:1 ratio if the player's final hand beats the dealer's final hand. Other revised rules which are unfavorable to the player could also be used, and one or more of these revised rules may be used in combination. For example, in exchange for terminating the current round of play without losing his initial bet 202 , player 14 could agree to play the next round of play in accordance with revised rules that require him to beat the dealer by 2 while only being allowed to draw one additional card after receiving his starting hand.

In exchange for entering into a mortgage agreement to bet at least a portion of initial bet 202 on a future round of play to be played in accordance with a revised rule unfavorable to the player, the player receives an advantage in the current round of play (i.e., a revised rule that is favorable to the player). As noted above, this advantage may include allowing the player to terminate the current round of play, without losing initial bet 202 . In other words, the player may be allowed to “walk away” from the current round of play (but not the future round) after receiving an unfavorable or “bad” starting hand, without losing initial bet 202 . This contrasts with the “surrender” option available under the conventional rules of Blackjack, where the player must surrender one-half of his initial bet to terminate the current round of play.

Alternatively, player 14 may receive another type of advantage during the current round of play. For example, the advantage could include making the player eligible to make a bust insurance bet, or increasing the payout for winning on a bust insurance bet. For another example, a player may be given the right to discard a first additional card and then take a second additional card in its place (e.g., a player holding a starting hand having a total value of 16 who then takes a K♥ could discard that card, and then take another additional card instead). For yet another example (i.e., a “bust-proof” embodiment), a player may be given the right to take and discard as many cards as he would like until he takes one additional card that does not cause his hand to bust (e.g., a player with a starting hand having a total value of 16 could draw and discard a J, then draw and discard an 8, and then draw a 2♦, at which point the advantage ends since the player did not bust). For another example, a player may receive an enhanced payout for the current round of play if he beats the dealer (e.g., a player who beats the dealer without a Blackjack may be paid based upon his initial bet using a 1.5:1 ratio, rather than the 1:1 ratio under conventional rules). Other advantages could be provided to the player, and more than one of these advantages may be provided in combination.

Referring to FIG. 11 , an exemplary method 220 for playing a card game in accordance with one embodiment of the “future hand” mortgaging option is shown. At step 222 , a plurality of rules for a card game are defined. The rules may be defined, for example, in accordance with the conventional rules of Blackjack. At step 224 , an initial bet is received from the player (e.g., player 14 places a $5 token in first betting area 204 ). At step 226 , starting hands are dealt to the player and dealer. For example, player 14 may be dealt a starting hand consisting of a face-up 7 and 9, and dealer 12 may be dealt a starting hand consisting of a face-up 8♥ and a face-down card. At steps 228 and 230 , method 220 determines if the player wishes to mortgage a future (e.g., the next) round of play and, if so, if the player is eligible to mortgage that round of play. For example, player 14 may notify dealer 12 of his wish to mortgage the next round of play by placing marker 210 in second betting area 212 , and player 14 may be eligible to mortgage the next round of play whenever player 14 has a starting hand. At step 232 , if the player did not select the mortgaging option, or was not eligible to do so, the current round of play is completed. Optionally, during completion of this round, method 220 may return to step 228 to determine if the player later wishes to select the mortgaging option (as indicated by the dashed line from step 232 to step 228 ). For example, player 14 may be allowed to select the mortgaging option before taking each additional card.

If, however, the player selected the mortgaging option (and was eligible to do so), the player is provided with an advantage during the current round of play. In FIG. 11 , this advantage involves terminating the current round of play without causing the player to lose any of the initial bet, at step 234 . Alternatively, another advantage is provided, such as a rule change allowing the player to take and discard one additional card, in which case method 220 would then return to step 232 to complete the current round of play using the revised rule that is advantageous for the player. Then, at step 236 , at least a portion of the initial bet from the current round of play is applied to a future round of play (e.g., as the initial bet for the next round). For example, the player leaves the $5 token placed in first betting area 204 for the current round of play in first betting area 204 for use during the next round. At step 238 , at least one rule is revised for the future round of play in a manner unfavorable to the player. Then, at step 240 , the future round of play is played according to the revised rule(s). Thus, in exchange for agreeing to bet at least a portion of the initial bet on a future hand to be played using at least one revised rule, the player was allowed to terminate the current round of play.

In another example of the “future hand” mortgaging embodiment, in exchange for receiving an advantage in the current round of play, a player is required to mortgage more than one future round of play. For example, in exchange for the right to terminate the current round of play without losing initial bet 202 , player 14 can agree to bet at least $10 on each of the next two rounds of play, and to play each of those future rounds of play using a revised rule which specifies that the player will lose if the player's final hand and dealer's final band have the same total value (i.e., a push). Alternatively, the player may agree to different revised rules for the two future hands.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a player who has been dealt a favorable starting hand is provided with an option which essentially is the opposite of the “future hand” mortgaging option. In this embodiment, the player is allowed to enter into an agreement to play at least one future round of play in accordance with a revised rule that is favorable to the player. In exchange for this agreement, the player suffers a disadvantage in the current round of play. For example, a player who has been dealt a good starting hand, such as a 10 and a Q♦ for a total value of 20 against a dealer hand showing an upcard of a 7♥, could agree to terminate the current round of play without receiving any winnings in exchange for receiving the opportunity to be paid using an enhanced payout ratio (e.g., 2:1, instead of the conventional 1:1) on the next round of play. This option may be used to increase the payout amount for playing Blackjack.

Current Hand Mortgaging Embodiment

In the “current hand” mortgaging embodiment, in exchange for receiving an advantage (i.e., a revised rule favorable to the player) in the current round of play, player 14 enters into an agreement with dealer 12 (i.e., the “house”) to play the current round of play in accordance with at least one revised rule unfavorable to the player. If this option is selected, the current round of play will then be played in accordance with a first revised rule which is favorable to the player and a second revised rule which is unfavorable to the player. For example, upon receiving the starting hand shown in FIG. 10 , player 14 could enter into an agreement with dealer 12 to play the current round of play in accordance with a first revised rule that allows the player to take and to discard one additional card if the player so desires (which is favorable to the player) and a second revised rule that limits the payout ratio that the player can win for beating the dealer to 0.5:1, rather than the conventional 1:1 (which is unfavorable to the player). Other exemplary rules that are either favorable or unfavorable to the player were previously described, and may be used in this current hand mortgaging embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12 , an exemplary method 250 for playing a card game in accordance with one embodiment of the “current hand” mortgaging option is shown. At step 252 , a plurality of rules for a card game are defined. The rules may be defined, for example, in accordance with the conventional rules of Blackjack. At step 254 , an initial bet is received from the player (e.g., player 14 places a $5 token in first betting area 204 ). At step 256 , starting hands are dealt to the player and dealer. For example, player 14 may be dealt a starting hand consisting of a face-up 7 and 9 and dealer 12 may be dealt a starting hand consisting of a face-up 8♥ and a face-down card. At steps 258 and 260 , method 250 determines if the player wishes to mortgage the current round of play and, if so, if the player is eligible to do so. For example, player 14 may notify dealer 12 of his wish to mortgage the current round of play by placing marker 210 in second betting area 212 , and player 14 may be eligible to mortgage the current round of play whenever player 14 has a starting hand. At step 262 , if the player did not select the mortgaging option, or was not eligible to select that option, the current round of play is completed. Optionally, during completion of the current round of play, method 250 returns to step 258 to determine if the player later wishes to select the mortgaging option (as indicated by the dashed line from step 262 to step 258 ). For example, player 14 may be allowed to select the mortgaging option before taking each additional card.

If, however, the player selected the mortgaging option (and was eligible to do so), method 250 includes revising at least a first of the rules in a manner which is favorable to the player, at step 264 , and then revising at least a second of the rules in a manner which is unfavorable to the player, at step 266 . Then, method 250 continues at step 262 , where the current round of play is played in accordance with the revised rules. For example, by selecting the “current hand” mortgaging option, the player may have entered into an agreement with dealer 12 which specified that the player could draw and discard one additional card (which is favorable to the player) while also specifying that the player's final hand must beat the dealer's final hand by 2 to beat the dealer (which is unfavorable to the player). Thus, in exchange for revising at least a first rule of the card game in a manner which is favorable to the player, the player agreed to revise at least a second rule of the card game in a manner which is unfavorable to the player.

In one embodiment, player 14 is always eligible to select either the “future hand” or the “current hand” mortgaging option. In other embodiments, the player's eligibility to select either mortgaging option depends on one or more criteria. In these embodiments, dealer 12 may inform player 14 about player 14 's eligibility to select the mortgaging option. Alternatively, mortgaging eligibility indicator 214 may be lit if player 14 is eligible to select the mortgaging option, and be dimmed otherwise. Player 14 may be eligible to select the mortgaging option when, for example, player 14 has an unfavorable starting hand, such as a starting hand having a total value of 15, or between 14 and 16. Other criteria which may be used to determine whether player 14 is eligible to select the mortgaging option are analogous to the criteria that were described previously for determining whether player 14 is eligible to make a bust insurance bet.

In the above discussion, methods 220 and 250 are each described as being used with Blackjack table 200 (FIG. 10 ), which is similar to Blackjack table 10 (FIG. 1 ). Alternatively, methods 220 and 250 may each be used with a Blackjack table which is similar to physical Blackjack table 90 (FIG. 4 ), and which may communicate with communications network 100 operated by the casino. Any or all of the additional apparatus and systems that were described above as being used to enhance the operation of method 40 may be readily adapted by a person of skill in the art to enhance operation of method 220 and 250 . As yet another alternative, methods 220 and 250 may each be used with a virtual Blackjack table which is similar to virtual Blackjack table 150 (FIG. 9 ). In this latter embodiment, the virtual Blackjack table may be modified to include a “mortgaging option” switch which the player can actuate to select a mortgaging option. If both the “future hand” and “current hand” mortgaging options are available, then two “mortgaging option” switches could be provided to allow the player to select either one. The “mortgaging option” switch (or switches) may also serve as an output indicator for notifying the player about his eligibility to select the mortgaging option (e.g., by being lit when the mortgaging option is available to the player, and by being dim otherwise).

A winning payout may be provided to a player in different ways. In one embodiment, a dealer physically transfers one or more coins or tokens to a player. For example, in response to a winning bet, the dealer places coins or tokens on the betting area for that bet to provide the player with the proper payout. In another embodiment, a video Blackjack machine uses a coin or token dispensing mechanism to dispense the payout into a bin. In another embodiment, the player receives a credit in an amount of his winning payout. For example, a video Blackjack machine may track the player's credits as the player uses the machine, and allow the player to “cash out” by dispensing the proper amount of coins or tokens when the player actuates a “cash out” switch. In another example, a winning payout is credited to a financial or other account of the player. For example, in an online or virtual casino, the player may establish an account from which his bets are debited, and payouts are credited. The player can then receive payments from that player account by electronic transfer to a credit, debit or checking account, or by being a sent a check or other financial instrument for the proper amount.

It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the invention may also be used with other hands of cards than the exemplary hands of cards described herein. Also, different eligibility criteria may be used than the eligibility criteria described herein for making a player eligible to make a bust insurance bet or to select a mortgaging option. Further, other rules may be revised, or rules may be revised in other ways, than as described herein. Still further, hardware implementations using different hardware components may be used other than those described herein. Also, other databases or data structures may be used than those described herein. Further, the steps of the methods described herein may be performed in different combinations and orders. While other modifications will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art, the invention is intended to extend to those modifications that nevertheless fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing a card game, comprising:means for dealing at least one card to a player to form a starting hand; means for receiving a request from the player for an additional card; means for dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request; means for determining a total value of the current hand; and means for providing a bust insurance benefit to the player if the total value exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the card game is Blackjack.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether the player wishes to make a bust insurance bet before the player reviews the additional card.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for determining if the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet before allowing the player to make the bust insurance bet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for indicating whether the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a bust insurance bet from the player before the player has reviewed the additional card.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for taking away a bust insurance bet if the total value of the current hand after being dealt the additional card does not exceed the predetermined value and the player made the bust insurance bet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for taking away an initial bet that was previously received from the player if the total value of the current hand after being dealt the additional card exceeds the predetermined value.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the total value of the current hand after being dealt the additional card exceeds the predetermined value and the player made a bust insurance bet, the benefit to the player is a bust insurance payout.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for determining a payout to the player on an initial bet made by the player based upon a comparison between the player's current hand and a dealer's final hand if the total value of the player's current hand after being dealt the additional card does not exceed the predetermined value.

11. An apparatus for playing a card game, comprising:means for receiving an initial bet from a player; means for dealing first and second cards to the player to form a starting hand; means for receiving a bust insurance bet from the player after dealing the starting hand; means for receiving a request from the player to take an additional card; means for dealing the additional card to the player to form a current hand in response to the request; means for determining a total value of the current hand; means for determining a payout to the player on the initial bet based upon a comparison between the player's current hand and a dealer's final hand if the total value does not exceed a predetermined value; and means for providing a payout to the player for the bust insurance bet if the total value exceeds the predetermined value.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the card game is Blackjack.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for determining whether the player wishes to make the bust insurance bet before the player reviews the additional card.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for determining if the player is eligible to make a bust insurance bet before allowing the player to make the bust insurance bet.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for taking away the bust insurance bet if the total value of the current hand after being dealt the additional card does not exceed the predetermined value.