Table game system and method with security and card replacement features

Abstract

Disclosed is the use of a card distribution device to securely deliver a side game for a base card game played on a gaming table. The side game provides odds that allows a larger prize than available in the base card game. Special symbol playing cards are added to each standard 52-card deck to create a special deck of playing cards. The side game allows for an automobile, or other merchandise prize, as a top award, without changing the base game being played at the gaming table. The special symbol cards are used only for side game win evaluation and then replaced with additional standard playing cards to form new hands for continued play of the base game. The various embodiments include various security features for verification of winning hands. Novel ways of forming packets of replacement cards by the card distribution device are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of utilizing a card distribution device for distributing playing cards from a special deck of playing cards comprising a mix of a first number of regular playing cards and a second number of special symbol playing cards, the distributed playing cards used to conduct a first wagering game and a second wagering game, the method comprising:
 accepting an ante wager for play of the second wagering game from one or more participating player positions at a gaming table;   accepting a side wager for play of the first side wagering game from the one or more of the participating player positions;   via the card distribution device, distributing an original card hand from the special deck of cards to each participating player position to initiate play of the first wagering game and the second wagering game;   declaring any of the original card hands comprising at least one of the special symbol playing cards at a participating player position with an accepted side wager a prospective winning hand in the first wagering game;   verifying the prospective winning hands and, in response to successful verification, declaring the prospective winning hands to be winning hands;   for each winning hand, determining an award from a first game pay table based on the number of special symbol playing cards in that winning hand;   distributing the determined awards to conclude play of the first wagering game;   discarding all special symbol playing cards from the winning hands;   forming, by the card distribution device, at least one replacement packet of standard playing cards;   via the card distribution device, distributing the standard playing cards from the at least one replacement packet to replace the discarded special symbol playing cards to create newly formed hands; and   presenting continued play of the second wagering game at each participating player position based on any non-winning original hands and the newly formed hands.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein prospective winning hands with an award below a predetermined threshold are automatically verified as winning hands. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the prospective winning hands comprises comparing security information borne by at least one verification card to security information borne by the special symbol playing cards and requiring a match. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the comparing is performed via a card verification device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the security information borne by the at least one verification card and the special symbol playing cards is invisible to the human eye. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the prospective winning hands comprises verifying, from card tracking data maintained by the card distribution device, that a winning hand was distributed by the card distribution device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one award in the first game pay table comprises a non-monetary award. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the non-monetary award is an automobile. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one award comprises a monetary award. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the card distribution device is a card-tracking shoe. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the card distribution device is an automatic shuffler. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each original hand comprises three cards. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the special symbol playing cards are identical in appearance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the special symbol playing cards vary in appearance. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the special symbol playing cards comprise varying ranks. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the special symbol playing cards comprise varying suits. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the special symbol playing cards comprise promotional or advertising information. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the special symbol playing cards comprise one or more jokers from a standard deck of playing cards. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the card distribution device adds additional cards to the replacement packet to account for special symbol playing cards in the replacement packet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of cards in the at least one replacement packet is determined by the number of special symbol playing cards in one of the original card hands.