Patent Application
20080305855
In a traditional casino environment, players play casino games against a real or virtual dealer while sitting at a physical game table where the desired game is being played. Those game tables have limited space for players. A substantial disadvantage to the way such games are currently presented, is that a player may participate in a game in only certain specified locations within the gaming environment (e.g., a casino). This limits the number of players who may wager on a particular game at any given time. Such a gaming environment hampers players' accessibility to different games and reduces their opportunities to play such games.
Another way in which players may wager on these traditional communal casino games is to place a “back-up bet” or “back bet.” A “back-up bet” or “back bet” is wagering jargon for a wager on another player's hand. Typically, back betting involves a first person that is not a player in a game wagering that a second person that is a player in a game will win in the game's next round. The first player is referred to herein as the passive player while the second player is referred to as the active player. Although atypical, a passive player may also be playing in the same or a different game as the active player. Furthermore, more than one passive player is permitted to back bet on one active player or on multiple active players. Back betting is especially popular in communal games, especially those which involve little, if any, player decision making or input during game play. Despite the passive player wagering on game events or the game outcome, the passive player's wager has no effect on the active player and the passive player may not make any game decisions. In the most basic back betting format, the passive player wins when the active player wins their wager, and conversely, the passive player loses when the active player loses their wager.
For example, Baccarat incorporates a simple premise and play structure such that there is no skill required to play the game and players have no influence over the outcome. In its basic form, there are three outcomes a player can wager on: that is, (1) the player winning, (2) the banker winning or (3) a player-banker tie. The cards are dealt according to the traditional rules of the game of Baccarat and the player himself has no influence on the outcome. Once the final cards have been dealt, the position (i.e., player or banker) that has a hand value closest to 9 wins the round, unless there is a player-banker tie. More details on the rules of Baccarat and game play can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/558,810, entitled “CASINO TABLE GAME MONITORING SYSTEM,” filed on Nov. 10, 2006 (“the '810 application”), an assigned attorney docket no. PA1712.ap.US, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Baccarat is one of the most popular games worldwide. A casino's Baccarat tables are often filled to capacity, particularly on weekends and holidays, or during the normally busy evening hours. Providing the opportunity for back betting in a game such as Baccarat would permit greater wagering and allow more players to play the game. Back betting also permits players to place wagers on other players they may believe are likely to win, so that they win along with them. However, in order to place a back bet, the passive player must first pick an active player who is playing at an actual table.
Patrons of gaming establishments often consider placing such back bets when they believe that a particular player or player position is lucky, temporarily on a “lucky streak” (i.e., involved in a series of consecutive games that result in what appears to be an improbably high frequency of winning outcome), or when there are no seats available at a particular gaming table.
Some players desire the opportunity to place back bet wagers on other players. Casinos would like to appease these players and provide for further wagering when existing gaming tables are full. As stated previously, in order to place a back bet, the passive player must pick an active player who is playing at an actual table. Accordingly, there is a need and desire for a system and method for facilitating back betting in gaming establishments. It is further desirable to have a system and method that facilitates the identification and selection of players and/or positions that are “lucky” or otherwise likely to win.
Though historical game outcomes are no indication of future game outcomes, many players believe that there is a connection. This belief system is especially apparent when one observes Baccarat players. Baccarat players elect to wager on a banker hand, a single player hand or on a tie hand. Baccarat players will record the player/banker/tie information for each hand on a printed score card as it is played and watch for trends. If one of two hands is hot (banker or player), this information will motivate some players to wager on that hand in the future.
The present disclosure contemplates a gaming system that is able to collect, compile and present data to players that can be used to identify and aid in the selection of another player (or player position) that is experiencing a lucky streak. The system allows players to back bet on the identified player (or player position), thereby riding on that player's good luck.
The present disclosure also contemplates a method for facilitating back bet wagering. This method includes the steps of recording game data relating to game events in real-time, associating the game data with active players involved in the game, and assigning a rank to the active players based on the associated game data. According to predetermined criteria, the ranking of active players is presented by means of a display to one or more passive players. The method further includes the step of receiving back betting wagers from the one or more passive players relating to future game events associated with one or more active players. The back betting wagers are resolved based on the result of game events as they occur in real-time.
The present disclosure will now be described for purposes of illustration and not limitation, in connection with the following figures, wherein:
Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present disclosure included herein illustrate and describe elements that are of particular relevance to the present disclosure, while eliminating, for the sake of clarity, other elements found in typical casino gaming systems.
It should be appreciated that aspects of the back betting systems and methods described herein may also be included in processor-based apparatuses, multiprocessor-based systems, and articles of manufacture that contain instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a back betting routine.
Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” or any other reference to an embodiment is intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment and may be utilized in other embodiments as well. Moreover, the appearances of such terms in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. References to “or” are furthermore intended as inclusive so “or” may indicate one or another of the “or” ed terms or more than one “or” ed term.
The present disclosure contemplates a gaming system that is able to collect, compile and present data to players that can be used to identify another player (or player position) that is experiencing a lucky streak. The system then allows players to back bet on the identified player (or player position), thereby riding on that player's good luck.
The embodiments of the invention collect this game data and present it in such a way that the data will influence players to place back bets on the hands of a particular player or player position perceived to be lucky. One way to administer the placement/payment of back bets is for the passive back betting player to stand behind an active player and physically place chips on or near the active player's wager location. A more preferable manner of accepting back bets is to provide passive players with a handheld gaming device, such as the wireless handheld gaming device disclosed in the '026 application. Players would then use the device to select the perceived lucky player/position in response to viewing displayed information and then wager on credit using the handheld device.
One example embodiment is implemented using a conventional live Baccarat gaming table.
One known device that may be used as the card reading device is a card reading shoe 12. One example of such a device is the Shuffle Master, Inc. iShoe™ device as disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2005/0242500 entitled “UNIQUE SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR READING PLAYING CARDS”. Other examples of devices that are suitable for use as the card reading shoe 12 are described in U.S. Publication No. 2005/0012270, entitled “INTELLIGENT BACCARAT SHOE,” filed Aug. 10, 2004 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,009, entitled “PLAYING CARD DEALING SHOE WITH AUTOMATED INTERNAL CARD FEEDING AND CARD READING,” issued on Apr. 18, 2006, the entirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. One preferred card reading shoe 12 contains a microprocessor and a game rules module that is able to determine rank and suit as well as the hand result. Other embodiments of the present invention utilize card reading sensors built into the gaming table itself or into other card handling devices. An example of a suitable card handling device with card rank/suit reading capability is a hand-forming shuffler disclosed in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/598,259, filed Nov. 9, 2006 entitled “CARD HANDLING DEVICES AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME” and assigned attorney docket number PA1717.ap.US. The content of this application is herein incorporated by reference,
Another alternative way to read card rank and suit is to deal the cards face up onto the gaming table and to provide an overhead imaging system such as the system described in U.S. Patent Publication No.'s 2005/0272501 and pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/558,810 (cited and incorporated by reference, above). The content of the above published specification is incorporated by reference herein. The overhead camera system can also advantageously be used as a wager election sensor (described below).
The present invention employs the use of at least one wager sensor to determine which positions are active. The wager sensor can take on a number of forms. One preferred form is particularly useful when administering the game of Baccarat. Since the players must select one bet from the possibilities of a Player, Banker or Tie, a wager election selector is provided. This selector provides information that a) a player position is active, and b) data needed by processor 16 in resolving the game. The wager election selectors 14 may be implemented as three optical sensors each that send a single signal to processor 16 to indicate that a wager has been placed and the identity of the election made (player/banker/tie). The wager amount sensors, if used, record the amount of the wagers for each active player. Alternatively, an optical, magnetic or other type of object sensing device may be employed. Such a sensor is particularly useful when the only decision the player makes is whether he will wager or not wager. Another example of a wager/chip sensor mechanism is described as an overhead camera imaging system as described in more detail in the '810 application. The bet presence sensors may be used alone or in combination with wager amount sensors, such as known RFID sensing systems as disclosed in French, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,548 and 5,735,742. Examples of known optical chip recognition systems include Schubert, U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,871 and Fishbine et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,647.
According to the invention, a display 18 is provided for the purpose of displaying game result information to players. The display 18 may be a typical computer display or flat panel monitor, or alternatively may be implemented by PDAs or handheld wired or wireless gaming devices provided to each of the passive players or combinations thereof.
The card reading shoe 12 and the wager election selectors 14 are in communication with the processor 16, as shown by the dashed line between the card reading shoe 12 and the processor 16 in
In one example embodiment, game hand outcomes (e.g., whether the winning wager was player, banker or tie) are determined by the microprocessor located in the card reading shoe 12. The processor 16 receives hand outcome information from the card reading shoe 12 and also receives election information from the wager election selectors 14. The processor 16 correlates the information and calculates various types of information, such as a win/loss percentage for each player position 20, as described in more detail below. This information is then displayed on the display 18 viewable by active players seated at the player positions 20 (who can also place back bets) and by back bettors. Players may view the data on the display 18 and decide for themselves what the data means (i.e., which player in on a winning streak) and place their back bet wagers accordingly. In other embodiments, the game play outcomes are analyzed according to various algorithms and the players are ranked for example, according to the percentage of hands won. The identity of the luckiest player or player position is then displayed on display 18.
In another example embodiment, shown in
When gaming tables configured to offer other games such as Blackjack and poker variants are included as part of the system, it is desirable for the game rules to reside in an external processor 16 rather than within the card reading shoe 12. This is because the algorithms used to determine game outcome are more extensive and require greater processing capability.
In a further embodiment, the features of the invention may be available on other electronic gaming platforms, such as those referred to as slot machines, e.g., Shuffle Master Inc. products such as the Vegas Star® and Table Master® multiplayer platforms. An exemplary multi-player gaming platform is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,443 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0164759 A1, and assigned attorney docket no. PA0958.ap.US. The entire content of the above mentioned patent and published application are incorporated by reference herein. The existing display or hardware systems associated with these platforms may be configured to provide access to player interfaces in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Win/loss information is assembled by the system computer of the video platform or by a separate processor. The system computer then determines which player/position is on a “hot streak.”
In another embodiment, the system computer is equipped to communicate with a number of stand alone video gaming machines used as remote wagering terminals used to place back bets. Examples of suitable stand alone gaming machines are video poker machines and video slot machines. This communication may be implemented by way of hard wiring or a wireless connection. Players that are playing at the stand alone video gaming machines access the information on the player/player positions that are “hot” on the live or communal video gaming machines and may place a back bet wager on such players/positions. Preferably, the implementation of embodiments of the invention on these electronic gaming platforms is configured and adapted such that players may continue playing the games provided by the platforms while also placing back betting wagers using the system described herein.
Back betting can also be offered as part of a different type of single player platform. For example, multiple single player gaming machines could be linked together for team baccarat play. When the games are linked such that all players play a common game, players may be provided with information to be used to identify the lucky player or terminal and be given an opportunity to back bet on that player. An external computer monitors game play win/loss information of players and a common display or individual player identifies the lucky machine or player.
For example, a multiplayer electronic gaming platform may be configured to provide players with the opportunity to place a “hot seat” wager, that is, automatically place a back betting wager on whichever player seat that is currently designated as having the highest ranking within a certain group. The group may include one or more electronic gaming platforms with the same game thereon, or may extend to other games and other platforms for playing those games, such as live table games. Each player position on the electronic gaming platform may be configured to include a button or touch screen controls for placing an optional hot seat wager, while also allowing players to participate as active players at their own seated position.
In a further embodiment, shown in
Any of the previously described embodiments may incorporate any type of player interface which enables passive players to place wagers on active players. The option to place back bet wagers may also be provided in various implementations. It should be readily apparent that any of the formats and devices or combinations thereof which may conceivably assist passive players in receiving the benefits and utilizing the features of embodiments of the invention may be employed in as many locations, remote or otherwise, as desired.
The embodiments of the invention may also be embodied in online applications via the World Wide Web or through a local network within a casino. Also, independent kiosks or terminals, which can be mobile or stationary, with passive player interfaces may provide the features described herein to passive players inside or outside casinos. One preferred terminal is a video gaming machine adopted to communicate with computer 16. Additional embodiments include games implemented on hand-held devices and on personal computers, for practice play or embodying actual wagering.
In each of the previously described embodiments, processor 16 (or the system computer) collects information from the card reader, which in one embodiment is contained in the card reading shoe 12, contained in a shuffler (not shown), is embedded in the table surface (not shown) or is captured by overhead imaging, for example. Information collected by the processor 16 may include information on the hand outcome (e.g., player/banker/tie for Baccarat), the wager election (e.g., player/banker/tie) made by each active player, and the amount of the wager made by each active player. The processor 16 then uses this information to generate game play data. The game play data may be calculated by the processor 16 in real-time such that the information may be used as it is being generated. One type of data that is useful is win/loss data, such as the percentage of winning elections for each player position. This information can be used to determine if any particular player or player position is on a perceived hot streak. The processor 16 generates this information and outputs it for viewing on the display 18 or other device. Other nonlimiting examples of methods of evaluating players include gross win amount in a play session, net win amount, most wagers placed per unit time, highest betting frequency, highest average wager, highest frequency of placing side bets, highest win frequency on side bets, and the like.
The processor 16 may utilize a variety of methods for analyzing the recorded information in order to identify the luckiest players, rank the active players and/or present that information to passive players. Different algorithms, ranging in complexity, may be employed to develop statistics relating player performance. These algorithms may employ differing criteria for determining the “hot seat”. Players may select the method of determining the “hot seat” from a menu of criteria. The various criteria may identify the same or different players as being “hot”. For example, in one embodiment, where player seat position is used to identify players, one possible means for assessing luck could involve comparing the average amount of wins at each player seat over a particular number or set of the last game rounds, regardless of the identify of the player or number of players having occupied that position during that particular number of rounds. Additionally, the degree of difficulty of winning the particular game may also be taken into account and the rank adjusted for comparison purposes with active players involved in other games.
Other data may also be generated by the processor 16 and displayed on the display 18 or other device. This data may be used to identify the “hot seat” or to allow the player to make his or her own determination of the hot seat player based on the displayed data. The “hot seat” position using one criteria may or may not be the same as the player position that is “hot” based on the criteria of current win/loss percentage. Other nonlimiting examples of data that can be generated to determine the “hot seat” may include: (1) the player/position with the most hands won per unit of time; (2) the player/position that wins most often as compared to all other players/player positions being monitored; (3) the first player/position in time frame “X” to win a hand; (4) the most recent player/position to win; (5) the player/position who won at a predetermined time (e.g., exactly at midnight on New Years); (6) the player/position that has won the most consecutive hands in the last “X” unit of time; (7) the player/position that has won the most often at a particular table; (8) the player/position that has won the most often in a particular pit; (9) the player/position that has won the most often in a particular property; (10) the player/position that has won the most often playing a particular game; (11) the player/position that has won the most often playing two or more different games; (12) the player/position that has earned the most in gross earnings per unit of time; (13) the player/position that has won the most side wagers; (14) the player/position that has won the most often on the base game and side wagers combined; (15) the player/position that has won the most money per unit of time; and/or (16) the player/position that has most accurately predicted banker/player/tie wins.
In one embodiment, passive players will use some or all of the data that is provided on the display 18 to infer which of the active players are lucky, or more particularly, which player is on a lucky streak. The data may cause different players to reach different conclusions about the seat that is the hottest. However, as previously discussed, embodiments of the invention may also utilize methods for ranking active players and present that information directly, whereby passive players do not have to imply which active player is lucky or on a lucky streak. For example, the active player ranked the highest may be identified prominently as the “hot player” or as being in the “hot seat.” Furthermore, passive players may be provided with a betting option (e.g., a “hot seat bet”) that allows them to automatically place a wager on the highest ranking active player according to the most current data. The passive player may or may not be provided with data indicating which player or player position is the “hot seat” position. This game data collected by the system described herein is used in ranking player positions and in determining the hot position. The game data is also advantageously used to resolve back bet wagers. This game data may be recorded manually by casino personnel, but is preferably recorded and maintained through automatic data collection and computing systems (i.e., systems or devices including sensors, processors, memory, etc.) which are configured to record data and associate the data with active players, among other things. The data may be associated with the corresponding active player by the seating position of the active player at the gaming table, or by other player identification methods such as player cards and corresponding card readers. It should be readily apparent that there are many ways in which game data may be recorded and associated with the active players. The particular components of a system and method according to embodiments of the invention are not vital to their full implementation so long as (1) passive players are provided with a system and method for selecting an active player on which to place a back bet wager, and (2) back bet wagers based on the performance of the active player in future games are resolved.
In each of the previously discussed embodiments, data could also be recorded, analyzed and presented to active or passive players that may identify or suggest a lucky game, lucky gaming table, lucky dealer, lucky pit, etc., in addition to identifying a lucky player. Furthermore, information may be recorded, analyzed and presented regarding passive player wagering according to methods described herein so that other passive players may place back betting wagers which correspond with other passive players or may back bet directly on the passive player, similarly to the manner in which passive players wager on active players.
It should also be readily apparent that there are many ways in which the game data can be used to rank players in comparison to other players, active or otherwise, such as historically significant players, celebrity players, professional players, etc. Preferably, the invention is configured to provide regular updates so that information may be assessed in as close to real-time conditions as possible and active players on seemingly lucky streaks may be identified and ranked accordingly.
It should also be readily understood that while the embodiments of the invention are described with respect to the game of Baccarat, that this particular game is used only as an example and that the system and method described herein may be applied to any game, communal or otherwise, in which back betting is desired (e.g., black jack, craps, roulette, etc.).
While the disclosure has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this disclosure, provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
The invention relates generally to casino gaming machines, and more particularly, to a method and system for facilitating back bet wagering. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/585,026, entitled “WIRELESS COMMUNAL GAMING SYSTEM” (“the '026 application”) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/585,025, entitled “SECURITY DEVICES FOR IMPLEMENTING HAND-HELD WAGERING” (“the '025 application”), both filed on Oct. 23, 2006, and the entirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
