Systems and methods for multi-player electronic card game play

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11875636-B2
Application number	US-202016901256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2005
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A system for interactive gaming among a plurality of players includes a host computer system and a plurality of player terminals communicably coupled to the host computer system via a network. The plurality of player terminals are located at a plurality of licensed gaming locations. The plurality of player terminals are configured to engage the plurality of players in a common interactive game operated by the host computer system. The plurality of player terminals include means for dispensing player winnings from the player terminal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic card game system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a player terminal comprising:
a cash and credit area configured to: receive value from a player, and cause the one or more processors to generate a credit total;
a touch screen display to: depict action from an electronic card game, and present a virtual card table with player cards from the electronic card game distributed to the player; and
a player interaction area including interactive buttons that dynamically change depending on a state of the electronic card game,
wherein the player interaction area displays virtual chips in front of the player representing the credit total available to be bet by the player;

the system further comprising a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
receive, via the player interaction area, a card game selection by the player from a listing of one or more electronic card games;
initiate, upon receiving the card game selection, the selected electronic card game on the player terminal in response to one or more other players joining the selected electronic card game using other player terminals,
wherein players making the same card game selection from the listing of one or more electronic game cards are randomly assigned to one of a plurality of game sessions for the selected electronic card game to facilitate reducing an ability of a group of players to collude or cheat in the selected electronic card game;

receive, via the player interaction area, a bet having a betting value;
deduct, upon receiving the bet, the betting value from the credit total;
receive, via the player interaction area, a first interaction from the player in the electronic game; and
cause, upon completion of at least one interaction, or bet, by the one or more other players in turn in the selected electronic card game, an alert to be provided via the player terminal to the player to inform the player of the player's turn to provide, via the player interaction area, at least a second interaction in the selected electronic card game.

2. The electronic card game system of claim 1 , wherein, upon conclusion of the electronic card game, a pot of virtual chips is visually pushed to the player.

3. The electronic card game system of claim 1 further comprising:
a communications component to connect the respective player terminals to a host computer system that includes a game processor to control the selected electronic card game using computer-executable code retrieved from a game storage arrangement; and
a collusion detection processor to monitor unusual activity taken by the player,
wherein the unusual activity includes frequent occurrences of two or more players playing together.

4. The electronic card game system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of: the player, and the one or more other players, is joined to the selected electronic card game anonymously and in the absence of creating a user account.

5. The electronic card game system of claim 1 , wherein the player interaction area includes at least one of: a button, a trackball, and an actuator.

6. The electronic card game system of claim 1 , wherein the touch screen display further presents the virtual card table with community cards displayed face up.

7. The electronic card game system of claim 1 , wherein the touch screen display further presents the virtual card table with at least some of the player cards distributed to the player face down.

8. A method in a computing system for operating an electronic card game, the method comprising:
receiving value from a player of the electronic card game via a cash and credit area of a first player terminal,
wherein receiving value causes a credit total to be generated by the computing system for the player;

receiving, via a player interaction area of the first player terminal, a card game selection by the player from a listing of one or more electronic card games;
upon receiving the card game selection, initiating the selected electronic card game on the first player terminal in response to one or more other players joining the selected electronic card game using other player terminals,
wherein initiating the selected electronic card game comprises:
randomly assigning the player to one of a plurality of game sessions for the selected electronic card game to facilitate reducing an ability of a group of players to collude or cheat in the selected electronic card game,
presenting to the player, via a touch screen display of the first player terminal, a virtual card table with player cards from the electronic card game distributed to the player,
displaying interactive buttons to the player via the player interaction area, and
displaying, via the touch screen display, virtual chips corresponding to the credit total of the player;

receiving, via the player interaction area, a bet, and a first interaction, by the player in the selected electronic card game,
wherein receiving the bet causes a value of the bet to be deducted by the computing system from the credit total, and
wherein receiving the first interaction comprises depicting action from the selected electronic interactive game to the player and the one or more other players via touch screen displays of respective player terminals;

changing an appearance of the interactive buttons responsive to a change in state of the electronic card game; and
causing, upon completion of at least one interaction, or bet, by the one or more other players in turn in the selected electronic card game, an alert to be provided via the first player terminal to the player to inform the player of the player's turn to provide, via the player interaction area, at least a second interaction or bet in the selected electronic card game.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising visually pushing, via the touch screen display, a pot of virtual chips to a winning player at the conclusion of the electronic card game.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
connecting, via a communications component of the respective player terminals, the respective player terminals to a host computer system that includes a game processor to control the electronic card game using computer-executable code retrieved from a game storage arrangement; and
monitoring unusual activity taken by the player or the one or more other players in the electronic card game,
wherein the unusual activity includes frequent occurrences of two or more players playing together.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein initiating the selected electronic card game further comprises joining at least one of: the player, and the one or more other players, to the electronic card game anonymously and in the absence of creating a user account.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of: receiving a card game selection by the player, and receiving a bet and a first interaction by the player in the selected electronic card game, comprises receiving an input from the player using one or more of: a button, a trackball, and an actuator, of the player interaction area.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting a virtual card table to the player comprises at least one of:
presenting the virtual card table with community cards displayed face up; and
presenting the virtual card table with at least some of the player cards distributed to the player face down.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic card game system having

Assignees

• Ag 18 Llc

Inventors

• Frenkel Brian

Classifications

• G07F17/3227 Primary

  Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters · CPC title

• G07F17/32

  for games, toys, sports, or amusements · CPC title

• G07F17/3209

  Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen · CPC title

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title

• G07F17/3218

  wherein at least part of the system is portable · CPC title