Round of play counting in playing card shuffling system

Abstract

A casino table card gaming system comprises: at least one gaming table; and at least one playing card shuffler on or proximate to the gaming table. The shuffler provides a status signal associated with a specific stage of use of the shuffler in a casino table card game. The status signal is forwarded to a database that uses the signal as a basis for registering that a round of play of a casino table card game using playing cards from that shuffler is to be counted in a record of game usage for at least one of that shuffler or that casino table.

1 . A casino table card gaming system comprising: 
 at least one gaming table;    at least one playing card shuffler on or proximate to the gaming table, the shuffler providing a status signal associated with a specific stage of use of the shuffler in a casino table card game, and    forwarding the status signal to a database that uses the signal as a basis for registering that a round of play of a casino table card game using playing cards from that shuffler is to be counted in a record of game usage for at least one of that shuffler or that casino table.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein an intelligent data collection module senses the status signal from the shuffler as data, the intelligent module acting as a finite state machine capable of date stamping the data and transmitting the date stamped data to a database over a network.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the status signal is selected from among commands given within the shuffler to denote shuffling activity.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the nature of the commands relates to events occurring in the shuffler selected from the group consisting of: start of card feeding, start deal, start shuffle, end shuffle, end dealing, shuffling complete, platform full, platform empty, compartment full, compartment empty, shuffler unloaded, dealer activated signal, and shuffler loaded.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the signal is transmitted by a wireless network.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the status signal is an internal shuffler command relating to starting or completing dealing of a round of play in a card game.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the nature of the commands relates to events occurring in the shuffler selected from the group consisting of start deal, start shuffle, end shuffle, end deal, shuffling complete, platform full, platform empty, compartment full, compartment empty, shuffler unloaded, dealer activated signal, and shuffler loaded.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the intelligent data collection module comprises a chipboard.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the data collection module does not store signals or data contained in the signals after date stamping and forwarding the signals.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the intelligent data collection module does not store signals.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the intelligent data collection module does not store signals.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein date stamped signals are received by a central database that organizes data relating to at least one of the group consisting of: counting of rounds, counting of hands, rate of rounds and rate of hands for at least one of a table and a dealer.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 2  wherein date stamped signals are received by a central database that organizes data relating to counting of rounds, hands and a rate of rounds and hands for at least one of a table and a dealer.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the collected data is transmitted via an Ethernet.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the network communication method is selected from the group comprising UDP and TCP.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 7  The system of  claim 1  wherein date stamped signals are received by a central database that organizes data relating to counting of rounds and a rate of rounds for at least one of a table and a dealer.  
     
     
         17 . A method of collecting data on a casino gaming table, comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one shuffler that provides a status signal relating to a state that can be related to a specific round of play in a casino table card game;    providing at least one intelligent controller dedicated to collecting information from one or more shufflers;    the intelligent controller receiving a status signal from the at least one shuffler;    the intelligent controller date stamping and/or time stamping data collected from the at least one shuffler;    the intelligent controller broadcasting the date and/or time stamped data over a network; and    recording the broadcasted information in a database.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the database receives date stamped signals over a period of time and the data is used by an external processor to compute a number of rounds played over a period of time, the time being based upon use of the date stamping received.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the original signal from the shuffler contains no indication of date or time thereon.  
     
     
         20 . A hardware component on a casino card table that senses signals from a playing card shuffler that indicates a state of activity in a shuffling process, wherein the hardware component adds time and or date stamps information to the signals, and forwards the time stamped signal to a database, via a network.  
     
     
         21 . The component of  claim 20  wherein the component is constructed so that it cannot store time stamped signals after forwarding the time stamped signals.  
     
     
         22 . A method of controlling a live casino table card game; comprising: 
 sensing wagers by players at least two player locations and communicating the sensing to a table game control computer in real time and communicating the sensing to a central control computer in real time;    controlling an automatic card shuffling device with a microprocessor in the card shuffling device and communicating information relating to card shuffling to the game table controller computer in real time and to the central control computer in real time;    electronically measuring betting information and transmitting information to the central game controller computer in real time, said electronic measuring including use of data transmitted to the central game controller computer from the table game controller computer and the shuffler;    wherein information transmitted from the shuffler includes at least one datum relating to completion of a shuffling event that occurs only once during a complete shuffling and card removal sequence.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein an intelligent data collection module senses the information from the shuffler as data, the intelligent module acts as a finite state machine by date stamping the data and transmitting the date stamped data to a database over a network.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the shuffler has a data port and a programmable controller, and wherein data is fed from the card shuffler via the data port to a programmable controller in the shuffler, and/or data collected by the programmable controller in the shuffler is fed outside the card shuffler via the data port.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein information is provided from both the shuffler and the table game controller computer to the central game computer and the central game computer identifies or records at least one event selected from the group consisting of 
 Hands dealt per unit time, and    Rounds of play/unit time.    
     
     
         26 . An automatic card shuffler, comprising: 
 A programmable controller;    A card randomizing mechanism; and    A data port;    wherein data relating to a specific single occurrence event that occurs only once within a single complete randomization or playing card hand delivery received by the controller is fed outside the card shuffler via the data port to at least one of a microprocessor, a central game computer, a table game computer and a G-Mod.    
     
     
         27 . The shuffler of  claim 26  wherein data received by the programmable controller is fed into a programmable table game controller.  
     
     
         28 . A security system for a casino table card game comprising: 
 a) a casino table with i) indicia thereon for the placement of wagers, ii) a data entry system with an associated computer, and iii) sensors that can detect the placement of at least one specific category of wager;    b) a shuffling device with a microprocessor integral to the shuffler for providing information regarding a specific single occurrence event that occurs only once within a single complete randomization or playing card hand delivery;    c) a central table gaming computer that receives information from the shuffler, receives information from the sensors, and receives information from the data entry system;    the associated computer, the microprocessor and the central table gaming computer communicating data among each other.