Apparatus and method for tracking an all-in playing card game

Abstract

An apparatus to track one or more all-in bets in a game with a standard deck of playing cards that includes a set of at least a first marker and a second marker, the first marker of the set of markers to identify an all-in pot a player is playing to win, the second marker of the set of markers to identify the player that is playing to win the all-in pot and at least one additional identifier on the first and second markers of the set to indicate that they are related to each other. There is also a method for tracking an all-in playing card game.

1 . An apparatus to track one or more all-in bets in a game with a standard deck of playing cards, comprising:
 a set of at least a first marker and a second marker;   the first marker of the set of markers to identify an all-in pot a player is playing to win;   the second marker of the set of markers to identify the player that is playing to win the all-in pot; and   at least one additional identifier on the first and second markers of the set to indicate that they are related to each other.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the as least one similar identifier is a number. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first markers are approximately equal size. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second markers are approximately equal size. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least two of the markers in the set of markers. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the set of markers are approximate in size and shape to one or more chips being used to place the one or more bets in the pot. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein there are an equal number of the sets of markers as there are of the players less one of the sets. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each of the set of markers has an identifier with a different value. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the game is poker. 
     
     
         10 . A method for tracking an all-in playing card game, comprising the steps of:
 completing a round of betting;   determining if one or more betting players are one or more all-in players;   placing a first marker type and any subsequent first marker types in front of the one or more all-in players with a smallest bet;   determining if there is a working pot;   placing a second marker type on the working pot making it a one or more all-in pot; adding to the one or more all-in pot an amount of one or more all-in bets from a plurality of active players and the plurality of active players bets; and   determining if there are any more additional of the one or more all-in players.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining if the one or more betting players are the one or more all-in players includes the round of betting that is a last round of betting. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the last round of betting includes the working pot and the one or more all-in pots. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more all-in pots with a highest number are awarded and the all-in marker types from the players and the one or more all-in pot are recovered. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the having step includes two or more of the players are all-in with an exact same amount and the two or more players are each given one of the marker types. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the marker types are placed on the pot the players are playing to win. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the placing step includes creating the one or more all-in pot without the working pot. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining if there is the working pot includes the marker type is placed on the working pot. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the working pot becomes a last pot that the one or more all-in players are playing to win. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the working pot includes one or more additional one or more all-in pots from each of the plurality of active players. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein all of the one or more all-in players are playing to win the pot with the marker types and other additional pots with one or more lower numbered marker types.