Card game system and table game method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a card game system and a method for tabletop gaming. Specifically, the tabletop gaming system provided is capable of providing tabletop gaming, thereby providing an opportunity to win a higher payout difference and an additional betting probability in the process of playing in an uncomplicated manner. Due to shuffling, the shuffled gaming card piles 1s in groups have different card arrangement sequences, and each group is unique. Therefore, in order to identify each group, an ID code is used in the form of a barcode 5 or a QR (Quick Response) code. The shuffled gaming card piles 1s in groups have special cards 1a, which are packaged together with other normal cards 1 of the shuffled gaming card piles 1s in a package at the factory (see FIG. 1( b)). FIG. 1( b) shows a state in which a packaging box 4 is partially exposed and contains the special cards 1a.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of international application PCT / JP2014 / 001584, entitled “Card Game System and Table Game Method,” which entered the Chinese national phase on October 12, 2015, and whose international application date is March 19, 2014 and Chinese application number is 2014800209405. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a table gaming system and method for playing a card game in which bettors place wagers on whether the banker or the player will win. Technical Field

[0004] Poker is one of many live table games played in casinos or gaming establishments. Poker uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and is typically dealt from a dealer that has multiple decks that have been shuffled together before the game begins.

[0005] Multiple decks of standard playing cards (52 cards) are used; typically eight or six decks are pre-shuffled and placed in a card dealer, from which the cards are dealt during the game. Before the cards are dealt, each bettor can place one of three bets: 1) the banker will win; 2) the player will win; or 3) the banker and player will tie. Betting positions are set on the card game table. The winner is the player whose hand, whether the banker or player, comes closest to the total of nine.

[0006] The general approach to playing the card game in a conventional way includes:

[0007] a) Deal two cards to the Banker and two cards to the Player;

[0008] b) Deal additional cards to the Player, if necessary, and to the Banker, if necessary, according to the rules of the card game. When the rules of the card game require a third card to be given to the Player, the rules require "dealing the card to the Player." After the Player has finished, the Banker finishes in the same manner;

[0009] c) determining winners and losers in the usual manner according to the rules of the card game;

[0010] d) If the bettor places a winning bet, a predetermined amount is reimbursed to the bettor and the amount of the losing bet is collected.

[0011] Banker bets are paid out at a one-to-one margin, and the casino charges a five percent (5%) commission on the bettor's winnings. Player bets are paid out at a one-to-one margin, and the bettor is not charged any commission on their winnings or their bets. Tie bets are paid out at a nine-to-one or eight-to-one margin (depending on the gaming establishment), and the bettor is not charged any commission on their winnings or their bets.

[0012] After all bets have been placed, the cards are dealt from the card dealing device to the banker position and the player position on the table layout according to the rules of the card game by the dealer. The card dealing device is placed on the game table and has a card reading function that reads the card numbers from the codes printed on each card. The card dealing device has a processing function that determines whether the winner is the banker or the player according to the rules of the card game based on the information of the card numbers sequentially read by the card reading unit. These card dealing devices are disclosed in Patent Document 1 (USP 7762889 (column 8, lines 25-53, Figure 1 、12)).

[0013] Reference List

[0014] Patent Document 1: USP 7762889 (Column 8, Lines 25-53, Figure 1 、12) Summary of the Invention

[0015] Technical issues

[0016] In conventional card games there is no payout margin for a tie greater than nine to one for a winning bet. What is needed is the possibility for bettors to place higher payout margins or side bets during the game.

[0017] The present invention is made in view of the above problems and aims to provide a table game system, which can provide opportunities for betting higher payout differences and the possibility of additional bets in a simple and uncomplicated manner during the game.

[0018] Traditionally, each bettor who places the maximum bet has the honor of turning the cards face up. The present invention also provides a table game system to prevent cheating, such as changing cards during a card game.

[0019] Problem Solving Methods

[0020] In order to solve the conventional problems, the present invention provides a card game system for playing a card game, comprising:

[0021] A shuffled playing card deck, which has been pre-shuffled randomly, with a code printed on each card that is normally invisible and represents the number (rank) of the card; and

[0022] a card dealing device, which is placed on the gaming table and has a card reading function for reading card numbers from a code;

[0023] Card dealing equipment includes:

[0024] A card reading unit that reads a code representing a card number from a card; and

[0025] a control unit having a processing function of determining a win or loss of a card game based on information about card numbers sequentially read by the card reading unit;

[0026] wherein the special playing card is factory-packaged and sealed in a package with a shuffled playing card pack, and the special playing card is different from other normal playing cards in the playing card pack and has a special invisible code that is different from the codes of the other playing cards, the code indicating that the playing card is a special card in the shuffled playing card pack;

[0027] The control unit has a processing function of determining each card received by the dealer or the player, storing the number of the read card for the player or the dealer, and determining whether the winner among the dealer or the player holds a special card, and

[0028] The method has the following further steps:

[0029] a) Bettors place bets on whether the Banker or Player will win, and additional bets on whether the winner holds a special card;

[0030] b) Determining whether the winning player among the Banker or Players holds a special card and bettors placing additional bets on the winner;

[0031] c) The winner is treated as a special win when the winner among the banker or player holds a special card and the bettor places an additional bet for the winner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 (a) is a perspective view showing a state of packaging of shuffled playing cards, Figure 1 (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the package of shuffled playing cards is partially cut away to show a portion of the cards.

[0033] Figure 2 Showing an example of playing cards according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 (a) shows an example of a normal playing card 1, and Figure 2 (b) shows an example of a special card 1a which is a special Ace. Figure 2 (c) showing another example of a special playing card that is different from any other normal playing card, Figure 2 (d) shows a further example of a special card as a cut card 1c according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which shuffled playing cards are accommodated in a card delivery device.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a side view showing a state where a cut card is inserted into a shuffled playing card.

[0036] Figure 5 is a plan view of a tabletop used in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 : is a block diagram showing the entirety of a card dealing device of a card game system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 7 is a plan view of the main portion of a playing card guide of a playing card delivery device, with the playing card guide partially cut away.

[0039] Figure 8 is a side view of the main portion of a playing card guide of a playing card delivery device, partially in section.

[0040] Figure 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the output wave of the sensor and the mark of the card delivery device.

[0041] Figure 10 is a view showing a shuffling machine that manufactures and shuffles shuffled playing cards of the card game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a card game system for playing a card game. Figure 1 In the present invention, the shuffled playing card packs 1s are pre-shuffled randomly at the factory. The shuffled playing card packs 1s are composed of a predetermined number of card packs, for example, in the case of eight-deck playing card packs 1s, there are 416 playing cards. The shuffled playing card packs 1s are pre-shuffled by a card shuffling device (to be shown later) so as to be arranged in a random order, and are then contained in a package 2 that encloses the shuffled playing card packs 1s, is sealed with a sealing material or shrink wrap material, and is then supplied to a casino.

[0043] Notice Figure 1 (a) shows a state in which a packaging box 4 contains shuffled playing card stacks 1s and has bar codes 5 attached thereto, each of which has a different ID code (identification code). The shuffled playing card stacks 1s in groups have different card arrangement sequences due to shuffling, and therefore each group is unique. Therefore, in order to identify each group, the ID code is used in the form of a bar code 5 or a QR (Quick Response) code. The shuffled playing card stacks 1s in groups have special cards 1a, which are packaged in one package together with other normal cards 1 of the shuffled playing card stacks 1s in the factory (see Figure 1 (b)). Figure 1 (b) shows a state where the package box 4 is partially exposed and accommodates the special card 1a.

[0044] Figure 2(a) shows an example of a normal playing card 1, and Figure 2 (b) shows an example of a special card 1a which is a special Ace. Figure 2 (c) showing another example of a special playing card that is different from any other normal playing card, Figure 2 (d) shows another example of a special card as a cut card 1c according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown in example (a), a code 6 is printed invisibly on each playing card 1 under normal conditions and represents the number (rank) of the playing card 1. The mark M is applied by printing, for example, using ultraviolet-reactive ink, so that it is invisible to the naked eye. The mark M is arranged on both edges of the playing card 1, and the code 6 consists of the mark M appropriately placed in the area where the graphic or suit mark 101 is not provided, as shown. The special playing card 1a is different from the other normal playing cards 1 in the playing card pack and has a special code 6s (the arrangement of the invisible mark M) that is different from the codes 6 of the other playing cards 1. As described above, in this embodiment, the mark M or special code 6s is appropriately placed on each edge of the playing card 1 or 1a.

[0045] Regarding the correlation between the code 6 (mark arrangement) and the number of the playing card, the combination of the two rows of marks M can be correlated with the number of the playing card (the points 1-9 and 0) or each special invisible code 6s. In addition, one row can be correlated with the number of the playing card, and the other row can be correlated with the suit of the playing card. In addition, Figure 2 (a) is merely exemplary, and the number of marking rows is not limited to two, but the number of rows may be one or three or more. However, the actual marking is printed using UV ink and is generally not visible.

[0046] Next reference Figure 3 , a method for accommodating a shuffled playing card stack 1s in a card delivery device 15 used in an entertainment venue or the like will be described. When the shuffled playing card stack 1s is accommodated in the card delivery device 15 used in an entertainment venue or the like, the packaging box 4 is partially removed, and then the shuffled playing card stack 1s is held and lifted, and then as Figure 3 It is shown housed within the card housing portion 15h of the card delivery device 15, and the other portion 4r of the packaging box 4 is subsequently removed to use the shuffled playing card stack 1s for a new card game.

[0047] In most casinos, the cutting step of inserting the cut card 1c into the shuffled playing card pack 1s can be used in most casinos to properly stop the use of the shuffled playing card pack 1s currently in use in the middle of the game, such as Figure 4Casino patrons are asked to insert the cut card 1c into the shuffled playing card stack 1s. If the rank 102 of the shuffled playing card stack 1s is visible at the insertion position when the cut card 1c is inserted, there is an opportunity for cheating. It is important that casino operators display the back side of the shuffled playing card stack 1s without displaying the rank 102 of the cards. Alternatively, the cut card 1c and the shuffled playing card stack 1s may be pre-packaged in a packaging box 4 as a package 2 at the factory.

[0048] Next reference Figure 5 , a new card game using our novel table game system of the present invention will be described. Shuffled game card deck 1s and special cards 1a (0-8 special cards are inserted into the shuffled game card deck 1s) are played. Figure 2 (b) and (c) A card delivery device 15 is used on a table 7 in a casino to deliver each card 1 onto the table 7. Multiple standard decks of playing cards (one deck has 52 cards) are used; typically eight or six decks are pre-shuffled and placed in the card delivery device 15, from which cards are dealt during the game. Before the cards are dealt, each bettor can place one of three bets: 1) the banker will win in position B; 2) the player will win in position P; or 3) the banker and player will tie in position T. The betting positions are set on a card game table layout 16. The winner is the player 18, regardless of whether the banker 17 or the player 18 has the number closest to nine.

[0049] The game rules of the present invention have further rules for the following further steps, that is, the bettor places a bet that the banker or player will win, and places an additional bet at the betting point 19 on whether the winner or tie contains special cards 1a. The control device of the present invention has further rules (programming) for determining whether the winner among the banker or player holds special cards 1a. The game rules of the present invention have further rules for treating the winner as a special win when the winner among the banker or player holds special cards and the bettor has placed an additional bet for the winner. The difference of a pair of fifty (50) will be repaid when the winner among the banker or player holds special cards and the bettor has placed an additional bet for the winner.

[0050] The following will be Figure 6 An embodiment of the tabletop gaming system of the present invention is described in detail. Figure 6A block diagram illustrating a card dealing device, generally designated by reference numeral 15, used in a tabletop game system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. The card dealing device 15 includes a card guide unit 307 that guides cards 1 manually removed one by one from a card holding unit 305 to a game table 306; a code reading unit 308 that reads codes 6, 6s indicating the numbers (digits, rank) of cards 1 or special cards when cards 1 are manually removed from the card holding unit 305 by a dealer or the like; a win / loss determination unit 310 that determines the win / loss of a card game based on the numbers of the cards 1 sequentially read by the code reading unit 308; and an output device 311 that outputs the result determined by the win / loss determination unit 310.

[0051] Next, refer to Figure 5 The code reading unit 308, which reads the code 6, 6s indicating the number (digit, rank) of a card 1 when the card 1 is manually removed from the card holding unit 305, is described in detail. The code reading unit 308 is disposed within the card guide unit 307, which guides the cards 1 manually removed one by one from an opening 313 disposed within the front portion of the card holding unit 305 onto the gaming table 306. The opening 313 is disposed within the front portion of the card holding unit 305. The card guide unit 307 includes an inclined surface and a card guide 314 attached to the edge of each side of the inclined surface. The card guide 314 also serves as a sensor cover. The card guide 314 is configured to be attachable and detachable via screws or similar devices (not shown) for easy replacement. When the card guide 314 is removed, the sensor group 315 of the code reading unit 308 is exposed. The sensor group 315 includes four sensors: two ultraviolet-reactive sensors (UV sensors) 320 and 321, and object detection sensors 322 and 323.

[0052] The object detection sensors 322 and 323 are optical fiber sensors that respectively detect the presence of the playing card 1 and can detect the movement of the playing card 1. The object detection sensor 322 is relative to the running direction of the playing card 1 ( Figure 6 The object detection sensor 323 is placed on the upstream side of the card guide unit 307 with respect to the running direction of the card 1. Figure 6As shown, object detection sensors 322 and 323 are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of UV sensors 320 and 321. UV sensors 320 and 321 each include an ultraviolet-emitting LED (UV LED) and a detector. Markings M are printed on playing cards 1 using UV fluorescent ink that emits a color when UV rays are applied. Playing cards 1 can be illuminated with UV rays (black light) or IR rays (infrared), and the detectors detect light reflected by markings M on the codes 6 and 6s of playing cards 1. UV sensors 320 and 321 are connected to a control device 312 of a code reading unit 308 via cables. In code reading unit 308, the arrangement pattern of markings M is determined based on the output signals from the detectors of UV sensors 320 and 321, thereby determining the number (point number) corresponding to codes 6 and 6s.

[0053] In the code reading unit 308, the start and end of reading performed by the UV sensors 320 and 321 are controlled by the control device 312 based on the detection signals from the object detection sensors 322 and 323. Likewise, the control device 312 determines whether the card 1 has passed through the card guide unit 307 normally based on the detection signals from the object detection sensors 322 and 323. Figure 2 As shown in (a), rectangular marks M are arranged within a frame of two rows and four columns on each of the top and bottom edges of a playing card 1. This arrangement of marks indicates the rank (number) and suit (hearts, spades, etc.) of the card. According to an exemplary embodiment, for each playing card, a mark M or code 6s may be present or absent at each predetermined position within the arrangement frame, depending on the specific mark and suit to be encoded. When the UV sensor 320 and / or 321 detects a filled mark M, the UV sensor outputs an on signal. When the UV sensor 320 and / or 321 does not detect a mark M, no on signal is generated. In this way, the code reading unit 308 recognizes the code 6 or 6s based on the relative difference or similarity between the two marks M detected by the two UV sensors 320 and 321, thereby identifying the rank (rank) and type (suit) of the corresponding playing card 1 or a special playing card 1a or 1c.

[0054] According to an exemplary embodiment, for each card, the mark M may be present or absent at each of the predetermined positions within the arrangement frame according to the specific mark and suit to be encoded. The relationship between the code 302 and the output of the turn-on signal from the two UV sensors 320 and 321 is as follows: Figure 9. The predetermined arrangement pattern of the mark M can be identified based on the comparison result of the relative changes in the output of the on-signal from the UV sensors 320 and 321. Therefore, in two rows (upper and lower rows), there can be four arrangement patterns of the mark M, and since the pattern is printed in a four-column manner, 256 codes (4x4x4x4) can be formed. Fifty-two (52) playing cards and special cards 1a, 1c are each assigned one of the 256 codes, and this assignment relationship is stored as an association table in the memory 12M.

[0055] The special card 1a is different from the other normal cards 1 in the deck of cards and has a special code 6s (arrangement of invisible marks M) that is different from the codes 6 of the other cards 1. As described above, in this embodiment, the special code 6s is selected from 256 codes, but unlike the codes of normal cards, this allocation relationship of the special cards is also stored as an association table for the special cards 1a, 1c in the memory 12M.

[0056] Special codes 6s are also appropriately arranged on each edge of the playing card 1a, thereby enabling the card reading unit 308 to identify the playing card as a special card 1a by identifying the codes 6s according to a predetermined association table (not shown). It should be noted that the assignment of a special code from the 256 codes to each playing card or special card 1a need not be fixed. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, each of the 52 playing cards and multiple special cards can be freely associated with a code from the 256 codes stored in the association table. Therefore, the association between the 256 codes and the 52 playing cards and the special cards can be varied depending on the situation or occasion of use. Preferably, the codes are printed using a coating that becomes visible when exposed to UV rays and are placed in a location that does not overlap with the indication of the card type or rank 102.

[0057] The association table can be prepared by freely selecting from 256 codes, and a plurality of different association tables (e.g., 1-10 or more tables) can be prepared in advance. If the codes 6, 6s do not match the codes defined in the adopted association table, an error is detected and cheating is determined to have occurred.

[0058] Next, the configuration of the control device 312 will be described. The control device 312, code reading unit 308, win / loss determination unit 310, etc. are implemented using a computer device. Specifically, the computer device includes at least one memory, at least one processor, and at least one non-volatile computer-readable medium that can store instructions that can be read by the at least one processor to execute algorithms according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The numbers of the playing cards sequentially removed from the gaming table 306 are obtained using UV sensors 320 and 321 within the code reading unit 308, and the obtained card numbers are sequentially stored in the memory. Conventional recognition technology that can directly read the card numbers from the card surface can be used to read the numbers of each card.

[0059] At this point, the information on the cards 1 dealt to the player (dealer 17 or player 18) is also stored. The number on each card is stored in association with the player (dealer 17 or player 18) to whom the card was dealt. In a card game, there are players and dealers. The rank (number) of the dealt cards is stored in memory in association with the dealer or player to whom the cards were dealt, and the rank (number) of the dealt cards increases for each player (dealer and player). The distribution of each card, the additional cards dealt to the player, and the additional cards dealt to the dealer are determined according to the card game rules stored in the control device 312. If the card game rules require a third card to be dealt to the player, the rules require "a card to be dealt to the player." After the player finishes, the dealer finishes in the same manner. The winner is then determined according to the programmed rules. A "tie" is also determined. The win / loss determination unit 310 determines the win / loss of the card game and whether the round has ended based on the rank of the cards 1 sequentially read by the code reading unit 308.

[0060] At the end of this round of game, the operator or dealer is required to push the result button 360 on the side of the card delivery device 304 to make the output device 311 output the result, that is, the win or loss of each card game. If the bettor places a bet on the winner, the operator or dealer will compensate the bettor with a predetermined amount and collect the amount bet by the loser.

[0061] The game rules for the present invention have further rules for the following further steps, that is, the bettor places a bet that the banker or player will win, and simultaneously places an additional bet on whether the winner holds a special card. The control device 312 has a further program for determining whether the winner in the banker or player has a special card and that the bettor has placed an additional bet on the winner. The game rules for the present invention have further rules for making the winner a special win when the winner in the banker or player holds a special card and the bettor places an additional bet on the winner. The difference of a pair of fifty (50) will be repaid when the winner in the banker or player holds a special card and the bettor places an additional bet on the winner.

[0062] The control device 312 has a processing function for determining winning or losing in a card game based on information about the numbers of the cards sequentially read by the card reading unit, and further has a processing function for determining each card received by the dealer or the player and storing the numbers of the read cards for the dealer and the player. The control device 312 further determines whether the winner of the dealer or the player holds a special card.

[0063] Shuffle the playing card deck 1s through Figure 10 The card shuffling device (production line) shown shuffles the cards in random order. One or more special cards 1a, 1c are also shuffled by Figure 10 The card shuffling device (production line) shown is packaged together with a shuffled playing card pile. The number of special playing cards 1a, 1c inserted into the shuffled playing card pile 1s can be determined by a special playing card exchange system 500 (a certain manipulation robot, etc.) with a random number from zero (0) to ten (10) or more. The special playing card exchange system 500 is controlled by a computer program and determines the number of special playing cards 1a, 1c from zero to ten or more to be inserted into each shuffled playing card pile 1s. For each shuffled playing card pile 1s, the number of special playing cards 1a, 1c randomly inserted varies from 0 to 10 by a random program, and according to the program, the special playing card exchange system 500 draws out a certain number of normal playing cards (e.g., Ace of Spades) and inserts the same number or more of special playing cards 1a, 1c (which may be the same suit and rank as Ace of Spades, but different colors, or simply additional special playing cards) according to a predetermined number from zero (0) to ten (10) or more of the random sequence program.

[0064] Figure 10 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a shuffling machine 400 for shuffling the playing cards 1 together with the special cards 1a, 1c in the manufacturing process of the shuffled playing card pack 1s according to the present embodiment. Figure 10As shown, the shuffling machine 400 includes a card stack holder 401, a card feeder 402, a slide rail 403, a feeder operating roller 404, a card delivery roller 405, a camera 406 (or a card sensor 409 described later), and an image processing unit 408. The card stack holder 401 has a plurality of recesses 401a-401g. While the card stack holder 401 has seven recesses, the card stack holder 401 may have any number of recesses. Movable partition plates 407a-407f are installed between the recesses. The card feeder 402 is designed so that when all playing cards to be shuffled (including a plurality of special cards 1a) are placed on the card feeder 402, the card delivery roller 405 on the bottom rotates, sending the cards 1 from the lowermost portion of the card feeder 402 toward the card stack holder 401 through a card delivery port provided in the lower side of the card feeder 402. Likewise, the card feeder 402 is configured to be movable in the vertical (up and down) direction along the slide rail 403 by a feeder operating roller 404 driven by a driving device such as a motor (not shown).

[0065] With the configuration described above, the shuffling machine 400 alternately slides the card supply 402 to a position facing any of the recesses 401a-401g and delivers the card 1 from the card supply 402 to the recess. Incidentally, the shuffling machine 400 uses a random number generation program or the like to determine the random position to which the card supply 402 is moved, i.e., a position facing one of the recesses 401a-401g. Consequently, the cards loaded into the card supply 402 (including a plurality of special cards 1a, 1c) are delivered one by one in a random order to the recesses 401a-401g of the card stack holder 401. When all the cards loaded into the card supply 402 are sent to the card stack holder 401, the partition plates 407a-407f are retracted from the inside of the card stack holder 401, and the cards thus sorted into the recesses 401a-401g of the card stack holder 401 are taken out as separate piles from the shuffling machine 400. One or more special cards 1s, 1c are shuffled by the shuffling machine 400 and the packaging machine (not shown) in the manufacturing plant and packaged together with the shuffled playing card piles in a package (see FIG. Figure 1 ). In this way, the special playing cards 1a, 1c are different from the group of the other 52 normal playing cards of the playing card deck 1s, and the special playing cards 1s, 1c are shuffled with the other normal playing cards at random positions of the shuffled playing card deck 1s in the factory.

[0066] The recesses 401a-401g are not necessarily retracted, and many alternatives may be used. For example, the cards may be removed from the recesses 401a-401g using a robotic arm or the like. The production line comprises a plurality of shuffling machines 400 constructed as described above and arranged in sequence. Figure 10 As an example, two shuffling machines 400 are shown. After the shuffling process, a group of playing cards (including a plurality of special playing cards 1a, 1c) loaded into the card supply 402 is shuffled. If the card supply 402 is controlled so as to slide in a highly random manner, the group of playing cards 1 loaded into the card supply 402 can be shuffled sufficiently randomly after the shuffling machine 400 performs the shuffling process twice. Figure 10 As shown, a plurality of shuffling machines 400 that perform such a shuffling process are used to sequentially perform the shuffling process, shuffling the playing cards in a more random order.

[0067] Playing cards are loaded into the card supply 402 with their faces facing down (the side with the suit and rank printed on it) (the side facing the camera 406). Whenever a card 1 is delivered from the card supply 402 to the card stack holder 401, the camera 406 captures an image of the card 1. The resulting image is sent to the image processing unit 408. The functions of the camera 406 and the image processing unit 408 vary in the shuffling machine 400 depending on the location of the shuffling machine 400 on the production line.

[0068] Figure 10 1 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a production line for manufacturing shuffled playing card stacks 1s according to the present embodiment. The number of shuffling machines 400 is not limited thereto and may be more than two. Figure 10 As shown, the machine 400 is equipped with a playing card sensor 409 instead of the camera 406. The playing card sensor 409 has the capability of counting the number of playing cards that pass over the sensor.

[0069] Images of the card surfaces captured by the camera 406 on the shuffling machine 400 are subjected to image analysis processing by the image processing unit 408 of the process control system that manages the production line including the shuffling machine 400. Subsequently, the suits and rank of the cards sent from the card supply 402 to the card stack holder 401 are detected. Specifically, in the shuffling machine 400, the rank and suit of the cards are detected each time the cards are sent from the card supply 402 to the card stack holder 401. Furthermore, when the entire set of cards (including a plurality of special cards 1a, 1c) loaded into the card supply 402 is sent to the card stack holder 401, the combination of rank and suit (including the plurality of special cards 1a, 1c) contained in the set of cards (including the plurality of special cards) is checked for any excess or deficiency. For example, a set of six decks (including a plurality of special cards) should contain six identical sets of cards and special cards with respect to rank and suit combinations. If there is an excess or deficiency in the rank and suit combination or in the number of special cards, the set of cards is discarded as a defective product. In addition to the rank and suit inspection, the image processing unit 408 inspects each card for any stains, checks the back design, etc., and checks whether the cards have been properly shuffled and whether each card matches the predetermined standard playing cards or predetermined special cards. Any card set containing defects is discarded.

[0070] The card sensor 409 is mounted on the shuffling machine 400 that performs the second shuffling process and counts the number of cards that pass over the card sensor 409. In this way, the shuffling machine 400 checks the number of cards in the set of cards to be shuffled and the number of special cards and thereby checks whether the final product has excess or insufficient cards. On the shuffling machine 400 that performs the first shuffling process, it is preferable to install a mirror ( Figure 10 The back side of the card can be photographed by mounting another camera (not shown) so that the back side of the card (the side with the printed pattern) will face the camera 406 to inspect both sides of the card at the same time, or by installing another camera (not shown) to photograph the back side of the card.

[0071] When the shuffling machine 400 performing the final shuffling process completes shuffling, the shuffling machine 400 outputs a shuffling completion signal. Upon detecting the shuffling completion signal, the process control system 408 generates a shuffled card ID (5) assigned to the set of shuffled playing cards 1s that have completed the final shuffling process. The shuffled card ID generates a unique ID for each shuffled playing card deck 1s. The process control system correlates the generated shuffled card ID with predetermined information in the production information stored in the database of the process control system 408. Any desired type and size of such information can be used, but information identifying the production line or shuffling machine involved in the shuffling process is particularly important.

[0072] When generating a shuffled card ID, the process control system 408 records the generated shuffled card ID in a database by correlating the shuffled card ID with the production line ID of the production line involved in the production of shuffled playing cards. However, the ID is not limited to being associated with the production line. Alternatively, a shuffling machine ID may be pre-assigned to each shuffling machine, and the shuffled card ID may be recorded in the database by correlating it with the IDs of all shuffling machines involved in the shuffling process. Incidentally, the database may be located within or outside the process control system.

[0073] The generated shuffled playing card ID is printed as a bar code on an adhesive label by a printing machine, and the bar code 5 of the shuffled playing card ID is attached to the packaging box 4, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 (a) As shown. The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described so far. However, naturally, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiment within the scope of the present invention.

[0074] Special playing cards 1a, 1c are shuffled with other normal playing cards 1 at random positions within a shuffled playing card pack in a factory, wherein the number and kind or type of special playing cards 1a or 1c included in the shuffled playing card pack 1 is determined by the control system 600 of the shuffling machine 400. The number and kind or type of special playing cards 1a or 1c included in the shuffled playing card pack 1 is determined by the control system 600 using a random number from 0 to 10. The special playing cards 1a or 1c may be shuffled with other normal playing cards 1 at random positions in the factory.

[0075] Other special card exchange systems 700 (some kind of manipulation robot, etc.) can be used, in which the position of the special cards within the shuffled playing card deck is determined in the factory by the special card exchange system 700 after the shuffling process (after the shuffling machine 400 performs two shuffling processes or multiple shuffling machines 400) and randomly inserted into the shuffled playing card deck.

[0076] The positions of the special cards 1a and 1c included in the shuffled playing card deck can be inserted at the last position or the first position of other normal playing cards in the factory through another special card exchanging system 700. The special card serving as the cut card 1c is randomly inserted into the last position at a random position between a few and 50 cards away from the last position through another special card exchanging system 700.

[0077] Attachment 1:

[0078] A card game system for playing a card game in which bettors place bets on whether the banker or the player will win, the card game system comprising:

[0079] A shuffled playing card deck, which has been pre-shuffled randomly, with a code printed on each card that is normally invisible and represents the number (rank) of the card; and

[0080] a card dealing device, which is placed on the gaming table and has a card reading function for reading card numbers from a code;

[0081] Card dealing equipment includes:

[0082] a card reading unit that reads a code representing a number of the card; and

[0083] a control unit having a processing function of determining whether a winner is a banker or a player according to a card game rule based on card number information sequentially read by the card reading unit;

[0084] wherein the special playing card is factory-packaged and sealed in a package with a shuffled playing card deck, and the special playing card is different from other normal playing cards in the playing card deck and has a special invisible code that is different from the codes of the other playing cards, the code indicating that the card is a special playing card;

[0085] Improvements include:

[0086] The card reading unit has a reading function of reading the code of the special card; and

[0087] The control unit has processing functions for determining each card received by the dealer or the player, storing the number of the read card for the player or the dealer, and determining whether the winner is a special win with a special card, wherein:

[0088] The card dealing device has a special win output device that outputs a winner among a banker or a player and a special win when the winner is a special win.

[0089] Attachment 2:

[0090] In the card game system, the special card is an Ace of Spades that has a different color or shape than the other Aces of Spades in the deck. In the card game system, the special card is not any of the 52 standard playing cards in the deck and has no card value or number. In the card game system, the pack of shuffled playing card decks includes one to eight (1-8) special cards.

[0091] Appendix 3:

[0092] An improved method of playing a card game in which a bettor places a bet on whether the banker or player will win, the method using:

[0093] A shuffled playing card deck, which has been pre-shuffled randomly, with a code printed on each card that is normally invisible and represents the number (rank) of the card; and

[0094] a card dealing device, which is placed on the gaming table and has a card reading function for reading card numbers from a code;

[0095] The method includes:

[0096] The step of reading the code representing the number of the playing card; and

[0097] a step of determining whether the winner is the banker or the player according to the rules of the card game based on the card number information sequentially read by the card reading unit;

[0098] wherein the special playing card is factory-packaged and sealed in a package with a shuffled playing card deck, and the special playing card is different from other normal playing cards in the playing card deck and has a special invisible code that is different from the codes of the other playing cards, the code indicating that the card is a special playing card;

[0099] The control unit continues to determine each card received by the dealer or player, stores the number of the card read for the player or dealer and determines whether the winner of the dealer or player holds a special card, and

[0100] The method has the following further steps:

[0101] a) Bettors place bets on whether the Banker or Player will win, and additional bets on whether the winner holds a special card;

[0102] b) Determining whether the winner among the Banker or Player holds a special card and bettors place additional bets on the winner;

[0103] c) The winner is treated as a special win when the winner among the banker or player holds a special card and the bettor places an additional bet for the winner.

[0104] Appendix 3:

[0105] In a method of playing a card game, a special card is an ace of spades having a different color or shape than other aces of spades in a deck. In a method of playing a card game, the special card is not any of the 52 standard playing cards in the deck and does not have a card value or number. In a method of playing a card game, a pack of shuffled playing card decks includes one to eight (1-8) special cards.

Claims

1. A shuffled deck of playing cards comprising: a plurality of randomly shuffled playing cards, each of the plurality of randomly shuffled playing cards having a code printed thereon representing a rank on the playing card; as well as a special playing card that is different in design from the randomly shuffled plurality of playing cards and has a special code printed thereon, the special playing card being inserted into the randomly shuffled plurality of playing cards after the randomly shuffled plurality of playing cards have undergone a shuffling process at a factory, The special card is inserted into the randomly shuffled plurality of playing cards and packaged together in a package and sealed at the factory, and the special code of the special card further indicates that the special card is a cut card, which indicates to stop the use of the shuffled playing card pile currently in use.

2. A shuffled playing card deck according to claim 1, wherein: The special card is a cut card used to indicate the use of a new set of shuffled playing card decks.

3. A shuffled playing card deck according to claim 1, wherein: The packaging of the set of shuffled playing card piles includes a cut card located at the last position or the first position of the shuffled playing card piles.

4. A shuffled playing card deck according to claim 1, wherein: The packing of the shuffled playing card stack includes randomly inserting cut cards from the last position to a random position between a few cards and 50 cards away from the last position.

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