AU2003271374A1 - A Game - Google Patents

Description

Our Ref: 12203171 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): Progressive Games, Inc.

3201 West Commercial Boulevard, Suite 116 Ft. Lauderdale Florida 33309 United States of America Address for Service: Invention Title: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000 A Game The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 5951 I'2\WPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390.DOC 18/12/03 -1- A GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to casino or cardroom gaming involving a progressive jackpot. More particularly, it relates to a progressive jackpot that is available to be played by participants in various casino or cardroom table games.

It has become common practice in gaming establishments to provide a progressive jackpot component in connection with electronic or mechanical gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker machines or keno machines. Typically a plurality or "bank" of machines are electronically interconnected to a common progressive jackpot meter. As gaming tokens are fed into each machine, the amount shown on the jackpot meter progresses incrementally until some lucky player lines up the winning combination, such as three of our 7's on the same row of a slot machine. In video poker, a Royal Flush normally wins the jackpot, although in some variations, a player must achieve a Royal Flush in an exact order, such an A-K-Q-J- 10 from left to right, or in a particular suite, such as Spades. In video Keno, a player typically must match out of 15 numbers to win the progressive jackpot.

The present invention seeks to provide a progressive jackpot component to a typical casino or cardroom table games of Twenty-One.

It is a feature of the present invention to have each participant in the progressive jackpot component win all or part of the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter if the participant achieves a particular predetermined playing hand.

It is an advantage of the present invention that when the progressive jackpot component is added to typical table games such as Twenty-One that the players will enjoy these games more and that the amount of play will increase.

The present invention also seek to provide apparatus useful in providing the progressive jackpot component to casino or cardroom table games such as P:\WPDOCS\AMiD\SPECI\7525390.DOC 18/12/03 -2- Twenty-One.

It is a further feature of the present invention to have a progressive jackpot meter electronically interconnected to one or more gaming tables to allow each player at his playing location to participate in the progressive jackpot component by wagering a gaming token which automatically activates an indicator showing the player's participation and also automatically increments the progressive jackpot meter.

It is an advantage of the present invention that the apparatus makes it easy for each player to participate in the progressive jackpot component of the game.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The method of the present invention generally involves a typical casino or cardroom game modified to include a progressive jackpot component. During the play of a Twenty-One game, for example, in addition to his normal wager, a player will have the option of making an additional wager that becomes part of, and makes the player eligible to win, the progressive jackpot. If the player's Twenty-One hand comprises a particular, predetermined arrangement of cards, the player will win all, or part of, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot. This progressive jackpot feature is also adaptable to any other casino or cardroom game such as Draw Poker, Stud Poker, Lo-Ball Poker of Caribbean Studa Poker.

The apparatus used to practice the present invention comprises a gaming table, such as those used for Twenty-One or poker, modified with the addition of a coin acceptor that is electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter. When a player drops a coin into the coin acceptor, a light is activated at the player's location indicating that he is participating in the progressive jackpot component of the game during that hand. At the same time, a signal from the coin acceptor is sent to the progressive meter to increment the amount shown on the progressive meter. At the conclusion of the play of each hand, the coin acceptor is reset for the next hand. When a player wins all or part of the progressive jackpot, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot meter is reduced by the amount won by the player. Any number of gaming tables can be connected to a single progressive jackpot meter.

PA\WPDOMSAMD\SPEC1\7525390.DOC 18/12/03 -3- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the apparatus of the present invention using a casino gaming table with coin acceptors at each playing location electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter.

Figure 2 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention using a cardroom gaming table with coin acceptors at each playing location electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the operation of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the electronic circuitry of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention wherein a conventional table layout is modified for use as the gaming table of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in Figure 1, a casino gaming table 10 is provided having a plurality of playing locations 12 for players participating in the game being conducted, Twenty-One. A dealer is position at the dealer's location 14 adjacent a chip rack 16. Adjacent to each player location 12 is a coin acceptor 20. Each coin acceptor 20 is electronically connected to a main control board 40 to which is connected a number of odometer-type counters 42 corresponding to the number of playing locations 12 providing on the gaming table 10. As shown in Figure 1, seven playing locations 12 are preferably provided, although the number of playing locations can be more or less than seven. A reset switch 50 is located adjacent the dealer's location 14 and is electronically connected to the main control board 40 and provides a means whereby the dealer can reset the coin acceptors 20 prior to the beginning of the player of each hand. A lockout switch 55, is also provided adjacent to the dealer's location 14 which is activated by the dealer to prevent later wagering as will be more fully explained herein.

A main control board 40 is electronically connected to a progressive jackpot control box which receives the signals from each coin acceptor 20 and in response to those signals increments the progressive jackpot meter 70, as will be more fully explained herein. Also electronically connected to the progressive control box 60 is the jackpot reset control 80 which provides means for resetting the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter whenever a P:\WPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390. DOC 18112/03 -4player wins all, or part of, the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter In operation, the present invention operates as follows. A conventional Twenty-One game is conducted o gaming table 10. At the beginning of each hand, each player, in addition to making his usual wager for the player of the Twenty-One hand, may also make an additional wager to be eligible to participate in the progressive jackpot component of the game during that hand. To do so, a player places a gaming token into the coin acceptor 20 associated with that player's particular playing location 12. As will be more fully explained herein, the coin acceptor "recognises" that a gaming token has been placed therein and an indicator signal 22, preferably a light, adjacent to the coin acceptor 20 is activated showing that that particular player is participating in the progressive jackpot component of the game during the play of that hand.

Besides activating the indicator signal 22, the coin acceptor 20 also sends an electronic signal to the main control board 40. This signal is sent by the main control board 40 to the odometer-type counter 42 corresponding to the particular playing location 12 to keep a sequential count of the number of gaming tokens that are placed in the particular coin acceptor The main control board 40 also activates the progressive jackpot control box 60 which in turn controls the progressive jackpot meter 70. Each gaming token placed in a coin acceptor results in the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter being increased by a predetermined amount. If, for example, each gaming token has a value of one dollar, then the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter would be increased by any amount up to one dollar for each gaming token placed into a coin acceptor 20. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the progressive jackpot would be increased between 93% to 97% of the amount of each gaming token being wagered, the balance representing the house's share of the amount wagered for providing the progressive jackpot component of the game.

When each player has had a reasonable opportunity to make a progressive jackpot wager, the dealer activates lockout switch 55 which deactivates each coin acceptor 20. Any PAWDOMSAMD\SPEC1\7525390. DOC IB/1Y03 tokens placed in the coin acceptor 20 after lockout switch 55 is activated will not register. This prevents late wagering after the cards are dealt.

The amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter will continue to increase for each gaming token wagered until a player achieves a winning hand. Preselected winning hands earn a player all or part of the amount shown in the progressive jackpot meter. In a preferred embodiment, the preselected winning hands and payoff amounts in Twenty-One game are as follows: WINNING HAND AMOUNT OF JACKPOT Four 5's and an Ace 100% Ace, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six 4% Six, Seven and Eight of same suit 100 tokens Three 7's 50 tokens The invention is not limited to these particular combinations of winning hands or payoffs; other winning hand combinations or payoff amounts can be utilised.

When a player achieves a winning hand, the jackpot reset control 80 is manually activated by pushing a button that corresponds to the type of hand that the player achieved. The amount won by the player is thus electronically deducted from the amount showing on the progressive jackpot meter.

When a particular hand is completed at gaming table 101, the dealer presses the reset switch 50, which deactivates the indicator signal 22. Lockout switch 55 is also manually deactivated by the dealer. The coin acceptor 20 is thus readied to achieve another gaming token from the next hand.

The progressive jackpot component of the present invention can also be used in connection with other types of casino games, e.g. Caribbean Stud8 Poker, which is the subject matter of US Patent Application Serial No. 182,374 filed April 18, 1988, which is incorporated herein by reference thereto. Caribbean Stud8 Poker is a modification of conventional five-card P:\WPDOMSAMD\SPECI\7525390 DOC 18112/03 -6stud poker. Each player makes an ante and a dealer deals five cards to each player and to himself. The player's cards are dealt face down and the dealer's cards are dealt four cards face down and one card face up. Each player views his hand and then decides whether to continue play by making an additional bet or to fold or drop in which case he loses his ante. The dealer then reveals his entire hand; if the dealer's hand does not have a poker value of at least Ace- King, then the dealer is not permitted to continue to play. In that case, the dealer pays even more money on the remaining player's antes, and return their bets to them. If the dealer's hand has a poker value of Ace-King or better, the dealer compares his hand to each player's hand, paying or collecting the bets as appropriate. The dealer also pays odds of more than even money on each winning player's hand of two pair or better according to bonus payment schedule. This game can be played using the gaming table shown in Figure 1. Each player makes a progressive jackpot wager by placing a gaming token in the coin acceptor 20 which makes the player eligible to participate in the progressive jackpot amount shown on the meter 70. The winning hands and amounts for Caribbean Stud Poker are preferably as follows: HAND AMOUNT Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush Four of a Kind 1% Full House 50 tokens Flush 25 tokens Again the invention is not limited to these particular combinations of hands or payoff amounts; other hand combinations or payoff amounts can be utilised.

The invention an also be adapted to other casino or cardroom poker games such as Stud Poker, Draw Poker, or Lo-Ball Poker. The gaming table 100 used to play each of these games is modified as shown in Figure 2 by the addition of coin acceptors 120 and indicator signals 122 at each player's location 112. The electronics is the same as that shown in Figure 1 and includes a main control board 140, an odometer-type counter 142, a progressive jackpot control box 160, a progressive jackpot meter 170 and a jackpot reset control 180. A reset switch 150 and a lockout switch 155 are located adjacent the dealer's location 114 next to the chip rack 116.

P:\WPD0CS\AMD\SPEC1\7525390.D0C 18112/03 -7- The progressive jackpot meter 170 is incrementally increased in the same manner as that described in connection with Figure 1 by each player placing a gaming token in the coin acceptor 120.

The winning hands and payoff amounts are preselected as appropriate for the type of game being played. In the preferred embodiment, the wining hands and payoff amounts are as follows: FIVE CARD DRAW POKER HAND JAMOUNT Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens FIVE CARD STUD POKER HAND AMOUNT Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens P:\WPD0CS\AMD~SPECI\7525390.DOC 18~/12/03 SEVEN CARD STUD POKER SEVEN CARD STUD POKER HAND AMOUNT Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush Four of a Kind 100 tokens Full House 25 tokens LO-BALL POKER HAND AMOUNT 5-4-3-2-Ace 100% 6-4-3-2-Ace 6-5-3-2-Ace 100 tokens 7-4-3-2-Ace 25 tokens The winning hands and payoff amounts are merely preferred embodiments and the invention may be practised using any appropriate combination of winning hands and payoff amounts.

As an alternative embodiment, progressive jackpot component of the game may be utilised as a consolation payoff for a player who otherwise loses during the play of the regular game. For example, assume the regular game being played is Five Card Stud. Players A and B are both eligible for the progressive jackpot amount because each has placed a gaming token in the coin acceptor prior to the beginning of the play of the hand. Player A holds a hand having Four of a Kind. Player B holds a Full House. Because Player A's hand is higher according to the customary poker hand ranking priority, Player A wins the pot wagered on the Five Card Stud game. As a consolation, however, Player B receives a payoff amount from the progressive jackpot for his Full House, e.g. 25 tokens. Player A does not receive a payoff from the progressive jackpot because he already has won the pot from the regular Five Card Stud game.

Thus, under this alternative embodiment, a player only receives a payoff from the progressive jackpot if the player both has a hand of the preselected type and loses to a higher hand in the game being played.

PAkWPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390. DOC 18/12/03 -9- Another modification would have the two players sharing in the progressive jackpot amount; the player with the preselected type of hand receiving a percentage of the progressive jackpot amount and the player with the higher poker hand receiving the rest of the progressive jackpot amount. With reference to the example above, Player B would receive 80% of the progressive jackpot amount for a Full House and Player A would receive 20% of the progressive jackpot amount for a Full House.

Figure 3 shows in block diagram form the operation of the present invention. Each playing location has a coin acceptor 210 in which a player places a gaming token in order to be eligible for the progressive jackpot amount. When all players have had sufficient time to decide whether to participate in the progressive jackpot for that hand the dealer activates the lockout switch 220 which prevents late wagers. Each gaming token placed in a coin acceptor 210 energises the progressive output control 230 which in turn activates three separate devices. An integrated circuit timer is energised which causes an indicator light 250 to be illuminated at the location on the coin acceptor in front of the player. This gives a visual indication to the dealer that the player is participating in the progressive jackpot during the play of that hand.

The signal from the progressive jackpot control 230 also activates an odometer-type counter 255 which increments by one unit from each gaming token wagered through the coin acceptor. This allows the gaming establishment to keep an accurate count of the number of wagers made on the progressive jackpot.

The thirds signal from the progressive jackpot control 230 goes directly to the progressive jackpot meter 270. The progressive jackpot meter 270 shows the total amounts available to be won by a player who obtains one of the preselected winning hands. The amount of the preselected jackpot meter 270 automatically increases a predetermined amount for each gaming token placed in a coin acceptor. The progressive jackpot meter 270 is programmed to increase a specified percentage of the amount wagered in the coin acceptor 210. In the preferred embodiment, the progressive jackpot meter will be increased between about 93% to 97% of the amount wagered in the coin acceptor 210.

The dealer then deals the cards to each player and the hand is played 280. If a player has P:\WPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390.DOC- 18/12/03 a preselected winning hand, the player is paid the amount corresponding to the type of winning hand that the player has. The jackpot reset control 290 is manually activated which results in the amount of the payoff being automatically deducted from the amount displayed on the progressive jackpot meter 280.

After the winning players have been paid, the dealer activates the reset switch 295 which both turns off the integrated circuit timer 240 and turns off the indicator light 250 and the dealer deactivates the lockout switch 297 thereby activating the coin acceptor 210 for the next hand.

Figure 4 in schematic form depicts the electronic circuitry to operate the apparatus of the present invention. The coin acceptor circuitry 300 is activated when a gaming token is dropped into the slot on the gaming table where the coin acceptor is mounted. The gaming token passes between an ultraviolet transmitter DS 1 and an optic receiver Q1 (Model #MRD 300 transistor). This causes a pulse to be passed from the collector of Q1 to the base of receiver Q2. Q2 is a Model #2N3906 transistor and acts as an emitter follower and sends a pulse which is received by the integrated circuit 322,324 of the main control board 320. The integrated circuit 322,324 is a Model #LM-556 Timer. The pulse from Q2 is received at pin 325 of the lower portion 324 of the integrated circuit and this pulse causes pin 326 of the lower portion 324 to go high and turn on diode DS2 (a Model P367 diode). This diode DS2 is the indicator light 22 shown in Figure 1 and this indicator light 22 stays on until the play of the hand is finished.

The pulse from Q2 also is received by pin 323 on the upper portion 322 of the integrated circuit and this pulse creates a pulse at pin 327 of the upper portion 322 which causes transistor Q3 (a model #T1P 120 transistor) to turn on, then off for the duration of the pulse created at pin 327. The turning on and off of transistor Q3 causes the odometer-type counter 42 shown in Figure 1 to increment one digit. The odometer-type counter 330 is a six-digit non-resettable electronic 12VDC counter, WICO Model #31-443400.

The pulse created at pin 327 of the upper portion 322 of the integrated circuit also does to the opto isolator 340 (which is a Model #H11Al6E Opto Isolator). The opto isolator 340 passes this pulse at the base of transistor Q4 (a Model #2N3902 transistor) thereby turning on P:\WPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390.DOC- 18/12/03 -11 transistor Q4 for the duration of the pulse. When transistor Q3 is turned on, the pulse is passes to the progressive jackpot display meter 350 where the amount shown on the display meter 350 is increased by a predetermined percentage of the value of the gaming token placed in the coin acceptor 300. The progressive jackpot display meter 350 can typically be a Game Technology Model having 3" LED characters on a 44" length single progressive display.

After all bets are made, the dealer manually presses a lockout switch 360 which will clamp the output of transistor Q2 at a low level which ensures that there can be no late wagers made through the coin acceptor 300. Once the output of transistor Q2 is clamped at a low level, a gaming token placed in the coin acceptor 300 will not cause a pulse to flow through the rest of the circuitry.

The game is then played and once the game is completed, the dealer will manually press the reset switch 370 which creates a reset pulse that activates pin 328 which resets the lower portion 324 of the integrated circuit. This resetting causes pin 326 to go low which will extinguish diode DS2 which turns off the indicator light 22 on the gaming table.

The dealer also manually presses the lockout switch 360 to open the circuit and remove the clamp on the emitter of transistor Q2 which allows another hand to be played. The players commence the next hand by placing a gaming token in the coin acceptor 300 and the process is repeated.

PA\WPD0CS\AMD\SPECI\752539O.D0C- 18/1 2/03 -12- As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various resistors and capacitors are provided to complete the circuitry. The specification on the resistors and capacitors shown in Figures 4 is as follows: RESISTORS CAPACITORS R1 68 Ohm C1-.lufd/35v R2 3 Kohm R3 1 Kohm C2-.01ufd/35v R4 200 Ohm R5 4.7 Kohm C3-.lufd/35v R6 10 Kohm R7 1 Kohm C4-.lufd/35v R8 240 Ohm R9 1 Kohm RIO 4.7 Kohm R11 240 Ohm R12 1 Kohm Anther embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the layout 510 would be mounted for use on the top of a conventional gaming table (not shown) positioned at a suitable location in a casino. Playing locations 512 are provided for each player. Each playing location 512 has designated areas 514 and 516 for the player to make an "ante" and a "bet", respectively, which will be more fully explained herein. In the preferred embodiment, six playing locations 512 are provided, but the number of playing locations 512 can be varied depending on the size of the playing table and the number of players that the house wishes to accommodate. A typical casino layout will accommodate five, six or seven players per table.

A dealer's location 520 is provided opposite the playing locations 512 and is preferably adjacent to a chip rack 522. The chip rack 522 is of a conventional design used to hold poker chips or other gaming tokens. The dealer uses the chip rack 522 to store the gaming tokens that belong to the house. When a player loses his wager to the house, the gaming tokens win by the house are stored in the chip rack 522. When a player wins his wager from the house, the player is paid from the gaming tokens stored in the chip rack 522.

P;\WPDOCS\AMDSPECI\7525390.DOC- 18/12/03 13- While the invention has been illustrated with respect to several specific embodiments thereof, these embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting. Various modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, the invention should not be limited to the foregoing description, but rather should be defined only by the following claims.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (4)

1. A method of including a jackpot component in a live casino table game, wherein said game is Twenty-One (also known as Black Jack), comprising the steps of: a player wagering at least one first gaming token to participate in the live casino game; a player wagering at least one second gaming token to participate in the jackpot component; a dealer dealing a hand of playing cards to the player; and if the player's hand comprises a predetermined arrangement of cards, such as a 7, three 7's, or three 7's of the same suit, the player wins a predetermined amount.

2. An apparatus for including a jackpot component in a live casino table game, wherein said game is Twenty-One (also known as Black Jack), comprising: means for permitting a player to wager at least one first gaming token to participate in the live casino game; means for permitting a player to wager at least one second gaming token to participate in the jackpot component; means for permitting a dealer to deal a hand of playing cards to the player; and means for permitting the player to win a predetermined fixed amount if the player's hand comprises a predetermined arrangement of cards, such as a 7, three 7's, or three 7's of the same suit.

3. A method of including a jackpot component in a live casino game, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. P:\WPDOCS\AMD\SPECI\7525390.DOC- 18/12/03

4. An apparatus for including a jackpot component in a live casino game, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 18th day of December, 2003 PROGRESSIVE GAMES, INC. By Their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE