Smart table card hand indentification method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus determines an identity of at least each card in a card hand at a casino table card game. The method is performed automatically by a computer-based system that reads the rank and suit of each card that leaves a dealing shoe and then uses a smart discard tray that reads the discards as they are taken from the table. Play is practiced by dealing a hand to a player and dealing either a hand to a dealer or common cards to the table. It is optional and preferred to provide a signal to the computer of the presence of at least one card in the dealer's hand. Additional cards are dealt to hands (if required according to rules of the casino table card game. Exhausted hands are removed from the table and placed into a discard rack. Each card in each exhausted hand is read when placed in the discard rack to determine rank and suit of each placed card, and the computer reconciles cards placed in the discard rack with cards that left the dealing shoe.

1 . A method of determining an identity of at least each card in card hands at a casino table card game comprising: 
 automatically reading the rank and suit of each card that leaves a dealing shoe;    dealing hands according to the rules of play of a casino table card game with at least one hand being dealt to a player;    providing a signal of the completion of hands or first cards having been dealt to all players present at the table;    dealing additional cards to hands according to rules of the casino table card game;    removing exhausted hands from the table and placing the exhausted hands in a discard rack;    reading each card placed in the discard rack from exhausted hands to determine rank and suit of each card placed in the discard rack; and    reconciling cards placed in the discard rack with cards that left the dealing shoe.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in addition to at least one hand being dealt to a player, a hand is dealt to a dealer or to a common card area.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein a first card or a complete hand is dealt to a dealer and the signal of the completion of hands or first cards having been dealt to all players comprises signaling that a first card or complete hand has been provided to a dealer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein a signal is provided when a) a first dealer card or dealer's complete hand is received or b) a common card is received in common card location.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a signal is provided that a first dealer's card or dealer's complete hand has been provided to the dealer.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a number of active player positions is determined by a count of a number of cards that leave the dealing shoe before a first dealer card, dealer complete hand, first common card or complete set of common cards is signaled.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a number of active player positions is determined by a count of a number of cards that leave the dealing shoe before the first dealer card or first common card is signaled.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein a number of active player positions is determined by a count of a number of cards that leave the dealing shoe before the first dealer card or first common card is signaled.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  wherein complete hands of a specific number of cards are sequentially dealt to players and a number of active player positions is determined by a count of the number of cards dealt divided by the number of cards before the signal of the presence of at least one card in the dealers hand or the common card(s) is made.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein complete hands of a specific number of cards are sequentially dealt to players and a number of active player positions is determined by a count of the number of cards dealt divided by the number of cards before the signal of the presence of at least one card in the dealers hand or the common card(s) is made.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the casino table card game is blackjack and cards are dealt to each player position and a dealer position one at a time.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the casino table card game is blackjack and cards are dealt to each player position and a dealer position one at a time  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the casino table card game is blackjack and cards are dealt to each player position and a dealer position one at a time  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the casino table card game is blackjack and cards are dealt to each player position and a dealer position one at a time  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a signal of the presence of a dealer's initial hand is used to determine a number for all active player positions.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein a signal of the presence of a dealer's initial hand is used to determine a number for all active player positions.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein a signal of the presence of a dealer's initial hand is used to determine a number for all active player positions.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein after determination of all active player positions, initial hands for each player position are determined as known hands.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein after determination of all active player positions, initial hands for each player position are determined as known hands.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein hands placed in the discard tray are reconciled with known hands based at least on knowledge of a set of first two cards received in a hand placed in the discard tray.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11  wherein hands placed in the discard tray are reconciled with known hands based at least on knowledge of a set of first two cards received in a hand placed in the discard tray.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12  wherein hands placed in the discard tray are reconciled with known hands based at least on knowledge of a set of first two cards received in a hand placed in the discard tray.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13  wherein hands placed in the discard tray are reconciled with known hands based at least on knowledge of a set of first two cards received in a hand placed in the discard tray.  
     
     
         24 . A system for determination of at least individual hands of cards in a casino table card game comprising: 
 a card delivery device that reads the rank and suit of each card in the card delivery device before each card is delivered to a hand position, and sends first signals of the suit and rank of each card to a processor,    a card discard tray that reads the rank and suit of each card in the card discard tray, and sends second signals of the suit and rank of each card in the card discard tray to a processor, and    a processor that receives signals from the delivery device and the discard tray and identifies individual hands that were played in the casino table card game based on comparison of the first and second signals.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  communicatively associated with a blackjack card table.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein a signaling element is communicatively associated with the system to indicate at least one of when a dealer has received a first card or a dealer has received two cards.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the signaling element comprises a manually activated element.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the signaling element comprises a sensor sensing dealer card(s).  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 24  wherein hands of each player position are identified by an anchor reference comprising the identity of two cards first received at the player position.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25  wherein hands of each player position are identified by an anchor reference comprising the identity of two cards first received at the player position.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 26  wherein hands of each player position are identified by an anchor reference comprising the identity of two cards first received at the player position.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 24  wherein completion of dealing cards to players and a possibility of providing additional cards to a dealer is identified by a dealer's signal.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the dealer's signal is provided by clearing a view from a sensor.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the dealer's signal is provided by manual activation of a dealer's signaling element.