Card game monitoring system

Abstract

To enable a casino to immediately stop a game in progress when something unexpected occurs by managing an entire game from the start to the end of a game, and during refunding.SOLUTION: A card game monitoring system includes: a game table 1 on which a bettor 2 places a bet 3 on a betting area 4; a card shooter device having a card reader for reading and recording a number rank and a mark of a card 6; a control part 7 for determining a winner according to a rule of a table game on the basis of the information on the number rank and the mark of cards that the card reader 5 has read sequentially; and a monitoring video camera system 8 for imaging the position of the card, and identifying the bet 3 on each betting area 4 of the game table 1. The control part 10 further includes a processing function for checking, at the end of each game, whether or not the bet 3 is transferred to a pool 12 of a winner W of the bettors 2 determined by the card shooter device 5 together with a payoff 3W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a table game monitoring system for a table game using a shooter's playing cards having a plurality of decks shuffled together prior to the start of play, in which a person placing a bet makes the bet on a betting area of a game table in front of the person placing the bet. This table game monitoring system monitors whether the winnings of the person who has won the bet move to an appropriate area of the winner.

Background Art

[0002] Baccarat and blackjack are one of many live table games played in casinos or gaming establishments. These games use a standard deck of 52 playing cards and are usually dealt from a shooter having a plurality of decks (6 to 9 or 10 decks) shuffled together prior to the start of play. When people operating in a casino (hereinafter, "dealer") distribute playing cards to a game table for playing such a game, loss of cards or exchange of cards among the people placing bets should not occur, and after each game is over, the bet money must go exactly to the winner among the people placing bets together with the payoff.

[0003] By preventing such losses or exchanges during the game, in order to ensure a fair game, a casino game table should be managed so that the game at the table is played appropriately (that is, there is no card exchange or any other unexpected or fraudulent behavior, etc.), and the bet money is accurately returned to the winner. A system for monitoring a game table by a camera is known and is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (U.S. Patent No. 6,582,301). This known system only records the entire game for later analysis when monitoring a table game and when some inappropriate behavior is considered to have occurred.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides real-time monitoring of table games and manages the entire game from start to finish, enabling the casino to immediately stop the ongoing game when something unexpected occurs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a table game monitoring system capable of enabling the casino to immediately stop an ongoing game when something unexpected occurs by managing the entire game from start to finish and during payouts.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above conventional problems, the present invention includes a game table where a person placing a bet makes a bet in a betting area, a card shooter device placed on the game table and having a card reading unit that reads the number (rank) of cards, and based on the information of the number of cards sequentially read by the card reading unit, has a control unit that determines a winning hand according to the rules of the table game, and a monitoring video camera system that takes pictures of the positions of the cards distributed from the card shooter device to the person placing the bet and identifies the bets on each betting area of the game table. The control unit uses the information of the monitoring video camera system to: 1) identify the bets on each betting area or the cards distributed to the person placing the bet, thereby determining the number of people placing bets on each game; 2) determine whether each person placing a bet receives more than two cards from the card shooter device; and 3) according to the rules of the game, use the information on the number of people placing bets Then, based on the information read by the card shooter device, for each hand of the bettor and the dealer, and 4) based on the information of each hand of the bettor and the dealer, a processing function for determining the winner who has a winning hand in the game according to the rules of the game is provided. The surveillance video camera system further reads the movement of the bets on the game table, and the control unit further has a processing function for checking whether the bets move to the winner among the bettors determined by the card shooter device together with the payoff at the end of each game. A card game surveillance system is provided.

[0007] In the card game surveillance system, the control unit further has a processing function for identifying the rank of the playing cards on the game table dealt by the dealer and checking and notifying whether the rank of the cards is the same as that determined by the card shooter device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] 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 surveillance system for playing blackjack. In FIG. 1, the card game surveillance system includes a game table 1 where a bettor 2 places a bet 3 in a betting area 4, and a card shooter device placed on the game table 1, having a card reading unit for reading the number (rank) and mark of the cards 6, and a control unit 7 for determining a winning hand according to the rules of the table game based on the information of the number (rank) of the cards sequentially read by the card reading unit 5.

[0010] A surveillance video camera system 8 having several cameras 9 is attached above each gaming table 1 to capture the positions of the cards 6 dealt to the bettors 2 wagering from the card shooter device 5. The surveillance video camera system 8 identifies the bets 3 on each betting area 4 of the gaming table 1, and the control unit 10 uses the information of the surveillance video cameras 9 to: 1) identify the number of bettors (shown as 3 in Figure 1) playing each game by identifying the bets on each betting area or the positions of the cards dealt to each bettor 2, and 2) determine the number of cards (whether each bettor 2 receives two or more cards) that the dealer 11 has dealt from the card shooter device 5 to each bettor 2.

[0011] The control unit 10 further has a processing function using the information from the surveillance video cameras 9. Using the information on the result of the number of bettors 2, and according to the rules of the game installed in the control unit 7 of the card shooter device 5 and the information read by the card shooter device 5, it determines the respective hands of the bettors 2 and the dealer 11. Then, the control unit 7 will determine the winner W having the winning hand of the game based on the information of the hands of the bettors 2 and the dealer 11.

[0012] The card shooter device 5 knows the orientation of each card (who will receive each card read by the card shooter device 5 through the surveillance video camera system 8), and the card shooter device 5 (control unit 7) will, according to its own program, figure out the hands held by the bettors 2 and the dealer 11. The control unit 10 further has a processing function to check whether, at the end of each game, together with the payout 3W, the bets 3 will move to the pool 12 of the winning bettors 2W determined by the card shooter device 5 (in Figure 1, M for the winner and L for the loser).

[0013] The surveillance video camera system 8 (equipped with the control unit 10) further has a processing function of analyzing the pictures from the surveillance video camera 9 to identify the rank of the playing cards 6 by determining the number of cards (hand) of each person 2 wagering on the game table dealt by the dealer 11, and checking whether the suit and rank of the card 6 are the same as those read and determined by the card shooter device 5.

[0014] The surveillance video camera system 8 (control unit 10) further has a processing function of identifying the total amount of the bets 3 by counting the chips on each betting area 4 of the person 2 wagering. The total amount of each bet 3 is calculated by analyzing the pictures obtained from the surveillance video camera 9 regarding the color and height of the chips on each betting area 4. For this purpose, a special video camera 9s is placed around the game table 1 and can take a picture from the side of the chips of the bet 3.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows an example of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a card game surveillance system for playing a game (baccarat). In FIG. 2, the card game surveillance system includes a game table 21 where a person 2 wagering places the bet 3 in the betting area 24, and a card shooter device 25 placed on the game table 21, having a card reading unit that reads the number (rank) and suit of the card 6, and a control unit 27 that determines the winning hand according to the rules of the table game based on the information of the number (rank) of the cards 6 sequentially read by the card shooter device 25.

[0016] The surveillance video camera system 28 reads the movement of the cards on the game table and the bet 3. The control unit 27 of the card shooter device 25 has a processing function of determining whether the winning hand is the banker or the player based on the information of the number (rank) of the cards read by the card shooter device 25 and the rules of the baccarat game of the control unit 27. The control unit 30 of the card game surveillance system has a processing function of checking whether the bet 3 moves to the pool 22 of the winner 2W among the persons 2 wagering together with the payoff 3W after each game ends.

[0017] The card shooter device 25 knows the location (banker or player) where each card is dealt according to the baccarat game rules, and the card shooter device 25 (equipped with the control unit 27) will calculate the respective hands of the banker and the player. In this way, the card shooter device 25 determines whether the winner is the banker or the player. The control unit 30 has a further processing function of checking, at the end of each game, whether the bet amount 3 together with the payout 3W moves to the pool 22 of the winner 2W among the bettors 2 determined by the card shooter device 25 (in FIG. 2, M for the winner and L for the loser's movement).

[0018] (The monitoring video camera system 28 equipped with the control unit 30) further has a processing function of identifying the rank of the playing cards 6 on the gaming table 21 dealt by the dealer 11 by analyzing the pictures obtained from the monitoring video camera 29. This card game monitoring system checks whether the suit and rank of the cards 6 are the same as those read and determined by the card shooter device 25, and notifies the casino management section of the result of whether the suit and rank of the cards 6 are the same as those dealt and read by the card shooter device 25.

[0019] The management video camera system 28 (control unit 30) further has a processing function of identifying the total amount of the bet amount 3 by counting the chips on each betting area 24 of the bettors 2. Each total amount of the bet amount 3 is calculated by analyzing the pictures obtained from the monitoring video camera 29 regarding the color and height of the chips on each betting area 24. For this purpose, special video cameras 29s are placed around the gaming table 21 and can take pictures of the chips of the bet amount 3 from the side.

[0020] In both the examples of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, the surveillance video camera system 8 and the surveillance video camera system 28 use a CCD and, through known techniques of visual analysis, analyze the pictures taken by the video camera 9, the video camera 9s, the video camera 29, and the video camera 29s to identify the position of the stakes 3 and the total amount of the stakes 3 in terms of the color and height of the chips on each of the betting areas 4 and the betting area 24. The surveillance video camera system 8 and the surveillance video camera system 28 can also identify the position of the card 3 and analyze the front side of the card shown during the bet.

[0021] Throughout this specification and the following claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" are to be understood as implying the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

[0022] Appendix 1 In the above-mentioned card game surveillance system, the card shuffler device further has a determination function of the card game regarding the start and end of each game according to the rules of baccarat or blackjack by using the surveillance video camera system.

[0023] Appendix 2 In the above-mentioned card game surveillance system, the control unit further has a processing function of checking whether the stakes move from the original betting position to other areas during each game (during each game until each game starts and ends).

[0024] Appendix 3 In the above-mentioned card game surveillance system, the control unit has a determination function of determining when the bet starts before the start of each game (the start of the bet indicates the time when the first bet is placed on the betting area).

[0025] Appendix 4 In the above-mentioned card game monitoring system, the control unit has a determination function for determining when a bet ends before the start of each game (the end of the bet indicates the time when the first card is dealt from the card shooter device). Also, the control unit has a processing function for determining the dealer's hand movement indicating the end of a bet called "no more bets" using information from the monitoring video camera system.

[0026] Appendix 5 In the above-mentioned card game monitoring system, the control unit has a determination function for determining when a payout is completed after the end of each game.

[0027] Appendix 6 In the above-mentioned card game monitoring system, the control unit has a transmission function for transmitting information from the monitoring video camera to the casino's backyard.

[0028] Appendix 7 In the above-mentioned card game monitoring system, the control unit has a determination function for determining an error, and the card game monitoring system further has output means for outputting an error signal by display and / or warning as a result of the error determination in the components of the card shooter device and / or related systems incorporated in the card game monitoring system. The above-mentioned error includes at least one of the following items. 1) The rank of the playing card identified by the card game monitoring system on the game table dealt by the dealer is not the same as that determined by the card shooter device. 2) The bet amount has moved from the original bet position to another area during each game. 3) At the end of each game, the bet amount did not move to the winner among the bettors together with the payout.

[0029] Appendix 8 In the above-mentioned card game monitoring system, the control unit includes a determination function for identifying the cut card dealt from the card shooter device.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a game in which one or more bettors place one or more bets, The monitoring system includes: a game table including a betting area, a card shooter device including a card reading unit including a card reader, a camera system, and a control unit, The card shooter device: The card reader is configured to read the rank of a card, and the card shooter device is configured to determine the start of the game and to determine the end of the game based on predetermined game rules, The camera system: For each of the betting areas, is configured to identify each of the one or more bets placed in the respective betting area when one of the one or more bets is placed in the respective betting area, The control unit: 1) Utilize the output of the camera system to determine the number of the one or more bets placed and the respective positions of the one or more bets, 2) In accordance with the predetermined game rules, determine one or more winners of the game based on each of the one or more hands of the one or more bettors and the dealer's hand, where the hands are formed by corresponding subsets of the cards, 3) Identify a betting cut-off period based on the start and the end of the game determined by the card shooter device, and the entire game is played during at least a part of the betting cut-off period, 4) Based on the output of the camera system, determine whether any of the one or more bets has moved from one of the betting areas where the respective bets were placed at the start of the betting cut-off period to another area during the betting cut-off period, 5) A monitoring system configured to trigger the output of an alert in response to the result of the determination that any of the one or more bets has moved during the betting cut-off period being affirmative.

2. The control unit: configured to identify the rank of the card on the game table distributed by the dealer and to confirm that the rank of the distributed card is the same as the rank of the card read by the card reader, the monitoring system according to claim 1.

3. The camera system is configured to detect the moving direction of the one or more bets on the game table, and the control unit is configured to confirm that any one or more of the corresponding payoffs among the one or more bets move to one or more persons associated with the winning hand among the bettors at the end of the game, the monitoring system according to claim 1.

4. A card game monitoring system for a game in which one or more bets are placed, The card game monitoring system includes a game table including a betting area associated with the banker's hand and a betting area associated with the player's hand, a card shooter device, a camera system, and a control unit, The card shooter device is configured to read the rank of each card when the cards are distributed respectively based on a predetermined game rule, and is configured to determine the start of the game and is configured to determine the end of the game, The camera system is configured to detect the one or more bets when the one or more bets are on the game table, The control unit determines whether the winning hand of the game is the banker's hand or the player's hand according to a predefined game rule and the rank of the distributed card, and the winning hand is formed by a subset of the distributed cards, specifies a betting cut-off period based on the start of the game and the end of the game determined by the card shooter device, and the whole game is played during at least a part of the betting cut-off period, based on the output of the camera system, determines whether any of the one or more bets has moved from one of the betting areas where the respective bets were placed at the start of the betting cut-off period to another area during the betting cut-off period, A card game monitoring system configured to trigger the output of an alert in response to a positive result of the determination as to whether any of the one or more bets has moved during the bet deadline period.

5. The control unit The card game monitoring system according to claim 4, configured to check whether one or more payouts have been accurately paid after the game has ended.

6. The control unit The card game monitoring system according to claim 4, configured to identify the rank of the card on the game table and check whether the rank of the card on the game table is the same as that read by the card shooter device.

7. The card shooter device The card game monitoring system according to claim 4, configured to determine when the game has started.

8. The camera system The card game monitoring system according to claim 4, further configured to identify the card.

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