System for playing a slot machine game
Systems and methods for playing live casino games. The systems have changeable displays which portray virtual playing cards or symbols to live participants. Shuffling, cutting, dealing and return of playing cards are accomplished using data processing functions within an electronic game processor or processors which enable these functions to be performed quickly and without manual manipulation of playing cards. The invention allows casinos to speed play and reduce the risk of cheating while maintaining the attractive ambiance of a live table game. The systems can also be multi-user slot machines using the processor to associate or assign one or more symbols either with the virtual playing cards or as slot symbols in participant subsets. The participant subsets are compared to a predetermined list so that payoffs can be awarded on the basis of winning symbols or combinations of symbols.
1 . A system for playing a slot machine game involving a plurality of live participants, the plurality of live participants including at least one player and at least one dealer, the plurality of participants personally attending the slot machine game at a gaming table, comprising:
one or more participant video displays providing a multiplicity of changeable participant display images;
slot symbols which vary during play of the slot machine game, the slot symbols being presented to each participant via a respective one of the one or more participant video displays to provide participant slot symbol groups which vary between winning slot symbol groups and losing slot symbol groups when slot symbols are assigned to each of the plurality of live participants during play of the slot machine game;
at least one dealer control which includes at least one dealer control sensor which is activated by the dealer to control action of the slot machine game; and
at least one game processor for processing data to perform at least the following acts:
providing game rules which at least partially administer play of the slot machine game;
selecting a subset of slot symbols from a total set of slot symbols which are available for selection;
associating the subset of slot symbols with a live participant;
iterating selecting and associating until each live participant has a respective subset of slot symbols;
instructing the participant video displays to display at least any slot symbols and any slot symbol group images indicating the slot symbols and slot symbol groups assigned to a participant;
displaying, via at least one of the participant video displays, any new participant slot symbols assigned to each of the participants during play of the slot symbol game; and
indicating when a participant may receive a jackpot in response to receiving a winning slot symbol group.
2 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising a pay line display for displaying any participant slot symbols responsive to commands from the game processor.
3 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising a pay line display for displaying any participant slot symbols, responsive to commands from the game processor, the pay line display being a part of the at least one participant video display.
4 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one pay line display for displaying any participant slot symbols, responsive to commands from the game processor, the at least one pay line display including a secondary pay line display which is separate from the at least one participant video display.
5 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one game processor additionally performs acts including recording game action for the slot machine game being played to enable subsequent analysis or replay.
6 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one dealer control includes a plurality of dealer control sensors.
7 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one chip sensor for detecting betting chips placed by the at least one live player, the at least one chip sensor including RF transponders.
8 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one chip sensor for detecting betting chips placed by the at least one live player, the at least one chip sensor including optical detectors.
9 . A multiple player slot machine according to claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of chip sensors including weigh cells for detecting the presence of betting chips resting thereon and wherein the game processor is for processing data to perform an act of determining respective bets placed by each of the at least one live participants by detecting betting chips placed by the participating players on a respective one of the plurality of chip sensors.
10 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising:
at least one chip sensor for detecting betting chips placed by the at least one player, the at least one chip sensor including an optical detector; and
at least one background optical detector for sensing ambient light.
11 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one ante sensor for detecting when a player has placed an ante bet which optionally qualifies the player to play for a winning slot symbol group.
12 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one chip sensor for detecting betting chips placed by the at least one player, the at least one chip sensor being capable of reading the value of the betting chips.
13 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one chip sensor for detecting betting chips placed by the at least one player, the at least one chip sensor being capable of reading the value of the betting chips as a result of the betting chips including an electronically programmed identification circuit.
14 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one participant video display provides participant display images which include a border portion of the display which indicates outcome of the slot machine game for the respective player.
15 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one participant video display provides participant display images which include a border portion of the display which indicates outcome of the slot machine game for the respective player by changing color, with one color corresponding to a winning slot symbol group and another color corresponding to a losing slot symbol group.
16 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one participant video display provides participant display images which include a border portion of the display which indicates outcome of the slot machine game for the respective player and the participant video display is positioned to allow an overhead camera to record a state of the display.
17 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the system includes a presentation unit which is a retrofit unit supported upon an upper surface of the gaming table.
18 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one participant identification reader for electronically reading identification of at least one participant.
19 . A system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one participant identification reader for reading identification of at least one participant using a sensor which detects biological information detected from a body of the participant.