Gaming system and method providing multi-game function and real-time connection between players and a dealer

Abstract

A gaming system includes image-capturing devices, player terminals for a plurality of players, and a server coupled to the image-capturing devices and the player terminals. A gaming method is implemented using the gaming system. The gaming method includes: a) capturing through the image-capturing devices live images of a plurality of games as they are overseen by a dealer, and generating corresponding live video signals and transmitting the same to the server; b) generating betting table screens for the games, and transmitting the live video signals and the betting table screens to the player terminals for display thereon; c) allowing the players to place bets on one of the games through the player terminals; and d) automatically performing payout and collection for the players.

1 . A gaming system, comprising:
 a plurality of image-capturing devices for respectively capturing live images of a plurality of games as the games are overseen by a dealer, generating corresponding live video signals, and outputting the live video signals;   a plurality of player terminals for performing display and allowing input respectively by a plurality of players; and   a server coupled to said image-capturing devices to receive the live video signals output by said image-capturing devices, and further coupled to said player terminals;   said server generating a plurality of betting table screens corresponding respectively to the games, and transmitting the live video signals and the betting table screens to each of said player terminals for display thereon;   said server allowing the players to place bets on one round of a selected one of the games respectively through said player terminals during a predetermined time interval after the start of the one round of the selected one of the games;   said server automatically performing payout and collection for the players on the basis of a game outcome of the one round of the selected one of the games, the bets placed by the players on the one round of the selected one of the games, and predetermined rules established for the selected one of the games.   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said server automatically determines the game outcome by application of a pattern recognition technique on the live video signal for the one round of the selected one of the games. 
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , further comprising gaming equipment having sensors for obtaining a detection signal at the end of the one round of the selected one of the games, said server being coupled to said gaming equipment to receive the detection signal and determining the game outcome from the detection signal. 
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said player terminals includes a display module having a plurality of display regions, said server performing control such that the live video signals and the betting table screens are respectively displayed in said display regions. 
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein two of said display regions are larger than the other of said display regions, and the players are allowed to select, through said player terminals, which of one of the live video signals and one of the betting table screens are to be displayed respectively in the two larger ones of said display regions. 
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said player terminals has first and second display modules, said server performing control such that the live video signals and the betting table screens are displayed on said first display module, each of said player terminals being configured to permit play of a single-player game independent from the games captured by said image-capturing devices and to display a gaming screen of the single-player game on said second display module. 
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said server is operable to record the live video signals of a predetermined number of most recent rounds of the games. 
   
   
       8 . A gaming method to be implemented using a gaming system including a plurality of image-capturing devices, a plurality of player terminals respectively for a plurality of players, and a server coupled to the image-capturing devices and the player terminals, said gaming method comprising:
 a) capturing through the image-capturing devices live images of a plurality of games as the games are overseen by a dealer, generating corresponding live video signals, and transmitting the live video signals to the server;   b) generating a plurality of betting table screens corresponding respectively to the games, and transmitting the live video signals and the betting table screens to each of the player terminals for display thereon;   c) allowing the players to place bets on one round of a selected one of the games respectively through the player terminals during a predetermined time interval after the start of the one round of the selected one of the games; and   d) automatically performing payout and collection for the players on the basis of a game outcome of the one round of the selected one of the games, the bets placed by the players on the one round of the selected one of the games, and predetermined rules established for the selected one of the games.   
   
   
       9 . The gaming method of  claim 8 , wherein, in step d), the game outcome is automatically determined by application of a pattern recognition technique on the live video signal for the one round of the selected one of the games. 
   
   
       10 . The gaming method of  claim 8 , the gaming system further including gaming equipment having sensors for obtaining a detection signal at the end of the one round of the selected one of the games, wherein, in step d), the game outcome is automatically determined from the detection signal. 
   
   
       11 . The gaming method of  claim 8 , each of the player terminals including a display module having a plurality of display regions, wherein, in step b), the live video signals and the betting table screens are respectively displayed in the display regions. 
   
   
       12 . The gaming method of  claim 11 , two of the display regions being larger than the other of the display regions, wherein, in step b), the players are allowed to select, through the player terminals, which of one of the live video signals and one of the betting table screens are to be displayed respectively in the two larger ones of the display regions. 
   
   
       13 . The gaming method of  claim 8 , each of the player terminals having first and second display modules, wherein, in step b), the live video signals and the betting table screens are displayed on the first display module,
 each of the player terminals being configured to permit play of a single-player game independent from the games captured by the image-capturing devices, wherein, in step b), a gaming screen of the single-player game is displayed on the second display module.   
   
   
       14 . The gaming method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 e) recording the live video signals of a predetermined number of most recent rounds of the games.