Patent Publication Number: US-7905784-B2

Title: Method, apparatus and article for evaluating card games, such as blackjack

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/360,508, filed Feb. 7, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,568, issued Feb. 3, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is generally related to gaming, and particularly to card games, such as blackjack. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Card games are a well-known form of recreation and entertainment. Games are typically played with one or more decks of cards, where each deck typically includes 52 cards. Each deck of cards will typically include four suits of cards, including: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades, each suit including thirteen cards having rank:  2 - 10 , Jack, Queen, King and Ace. Card games may, or may not, include wagering based on the game&#39;s outcome. 
     One popular card game is known as blackjack. In blackjack, one or more players each compete against a dealer. The players attempt to collect a hand having a total value equal to, or as close to twenty-one, without going over. The value of the hand is determined by the rank of the card. Thus, cards having rank  2 - 10  have the value  2 - 10 , respectively. Face cards (i.e., Jack, Queen, King ) have the value  10 , while Aces can have the value  1  or  10  at the player&#39;s discretion. An initial hand of two cards having the value of twenty-one (i.e., an Ace plus a ten or a face card) is referred to as a natural “ 21 ”, or blackjack, and beats other hands with the value of twenty-one. Suits have no bearing on the game of blackjack. 
     In blackjack, the dealer will initially deal two cards to each of the players and the dealer. The dealer deals in two passes around the table, starting with players at the dealer&#39;s far left (i.e., first base) and extending through players at the dealer&#39;s far right (i.e., third base) and finally to them self. The players&#39; cards are dealt face up in games where the cards are dealt from a shoe, and face down in hand-held games (i.e., games dealt by hand). The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer. Therefore, there is not a problem with the dealer, or any of the other players at the table, seeing the cards in a player&#39;s hand. 
     The dealer turns over or is dealt one of the dealer&#39;s first two cards face up, such that the value of the card is visible to the players at the table. This card is commonly referred to as the “top” card. The dealer leaves or is dealt the second card face down, such that the value of the card is not visible to the players at the table. The face down card is commonly referred to as the “hole” card. In some variations of blackjack, the dealer will immediately determine the value of the hole card, while in other variations of the game the dealer waits until all players have played their hands before checking the value of the hole card. 
     The dealer then offers each player in succession, from the dealer&#39;s left to right the opportunity to accept additional cards from the deck. Each player&#39;s hand is completed before the dealer offers the next player the opportunity to receive additional cards. Accepting cards is commonly referred to as “hitting” or taking a “hit.” At each player&#39;s turn, the player may accept cards, one at a time, trying to build a hand with a value as close to twenty-one as possible, without going over twenty-one. The player may decline further cards at anytime, which is commonly referred to as “standing.” The player must terminate play if the value of the player&#39;s hand exceeds twenty-one. A hand with a value exceeding twenty-one is commonly referred to as a “bust” or “busted.” If the player busts, or has a natural twenty-one (i.e., blackjack), the dealer must complete the player&#39;s hand and place that player&#39;s cards into a discard holder. Before receiving a third card after the initial hands are dealt, a player can split the player&#39;s initial hand. This is commonly referred to as splitting. The player uses one of the initial cards to form a new hand, placing a wager for the new hand, and retains the other of the initial cards as a part of the original hand. 
     After each player in turn has declined to accept further cards, the dealer may accept further cards from the deck, with goal of obtaining a hand having a value as close to twenty-one as possible, without exceeding twenty-one. Casinos have rules based on the value of the dealer&#39;s hand that dictate when the dealer must take an additional card from the deck (i.e., hit) and when the player must decline further additional cards (i.e., stand). For example, many casinos require the dealer to stand if the dealer&#39;s hand has a value of seventeen or more. Some, casinos permit the dealer to take an additional card if the value of the dealer&#39;s hand is a soft seventeen, that is, if the value of the dealer&#39;s hand is seventeen by counting an Ace held by the dealer as eleven. 
     If the dealer busts, players who have not also busted win. If the dealer does not bust, all remaining players and the dealer must display their hands to allow the dealer to compare each of the player&#39;s hands to the dealer&#39;s hand. Those players having a hand with a higher value than the dealer&#39;s hand, and who have not exceed twenty-one win. The winning players are paid based on the size of their wager and the odds. Blackjack includes additional rules such as “doubling down” and “insurance” bets, and other variations that are commonly known by those who play blackjack, and will not be further described in the interest of brevity. 
     Blackjack is particularly popular in casinos and other gaming establishments. Players wager large sums of money while playing blackjack. Thus, it is important to ensure that those playing the game are not cheating. It is also important to monitor the game in a relatively unobtrusive manner to allow casino customers to feel comfortable in their surroundings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, a method of analyzing a card game includes reading an identifier from each of a number of playing cards constituting a hand of playing cards of at least one player playing the card game, and determining a value of the at least one hand of the at least one player based on the read identifiers and based on a number of playing cards dealt to the at least one hand of the at least one player. The number of playing cards dealt to each hand may be determined in a number of ways, for example, by optically detecting the appearance of each playing card dealt to the player such as by one or more cameras mounted above the gaming table or by optical or other sensors positioned in or under the surface of the gaming table. Also for example, the number of playing card dealt to each hand may be determined by reading identifiers from a dealer&#39;s initial hand and locating the cards forming the initial hand in a starting sequence (i.e., original order of playing cards prior to dealing) and/or an ending sequence (i.e., order of discarded playing cards collected after completion of hand). 
     In another aspect, a method of analyzing a card game includes reading an identifier from each of a number of playing cards collected after completion of at least one hand of the card game, and determining a value of the at least one hand of the at least one player based on the read identifiers and based on a number of playing cards dealt to the at least one hand of the at least one player. The playing cards may be collected from each of the players at a completion of at least one hand of the card game, in an order from a first base position through a third base position, and then from the dealer. A defined order helps to ensure that the cards making up each player&#39;s hand can be located in the ending or discard sequence. 
     In a further aspect, a method of analyzing a card game includes determining a starting sequence of playing cards corresponding to an order of the playing cards in a set of playing cards before the playing cards are dealt to at least one hand of at least one player in the card game; determining an ending sequence of playing cards corresponding to an order of the playing cards in a set of playing cards collected after completion of at least one hand of the at least one player of the card game; and determining a value of the at least one hand of the at least one player based on at least one of the starting sequence and the ending sequence. 
     In yet a further aspect, a method of analyzing a card game includes collecting a plurality of playing cards dealt to each of a number of players at a completion of at least one hand of the card game, the playing cards collected from player-to-player in a defined; reading a respective identifier from each of the playing cards in the order collected; determining a value of at least one hand of at least one player based at least in part on the read identifiers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The size and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of elements, as drawn are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for their ease and recognition in the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing an environment in which an embodiment of the invention can operate, including a network coupling a number of client computing systems, a server computing system, a card hand reader, and a discard shoe having a discard shoe reader. 
         FIG. 2  is a high level system block diagram showing various hardware elements of the client computing systems of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view of the discard card reader of  FIG. 1 , showing an optical lens assembly, imager, reflector, aperture, illumination assembly and connector. 
         FIG. 4  is side elevation view of the discard card reader of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is side elevation view of an alternative discard card reader, including an actuator for moving the cards relative to an aperture. 
         FIG. 6  is side elevation view of an alternative discard card reader, including a magnetic reading head for reading magnetic markings on the cards. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing showing the environment of  FIG. 1 , including a number of software applications loaded into memory on the client and server computing systems. 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of an overview of an illustrated method of operating the card game evaluation system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of an illustrated method of operating a blackjack game including operating the card game evaluation system of  FIG. 1  to identify the sequence of the deck and the initial hands of the dealers and players. 
         FIGS. 10A and 10B  are a flow diagram of an illustrated method of operating a blackjack game including dealing and collecting cards after the initial hands have been dealt and read according to the method of claim  8 . 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  are a flow diagram of an illustrated method of operating a blackjack game including operating the game evaluation system of  FIG. 1  for evaluating the game and game results. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow diagram of a method of reading identifiers from the cards in the discard card reader. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of a portion of a deck of playing cards. 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic view of a dealer&#39;s initial hand of two playing cards. 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic view of the playing cards in the discard shoe, after playing a round of blackjack. 
         FIG. 16  is a schematic view contrasting a first player&#39;s completed hand in a game dealt from a shoe and in a game dealt by hand. 
         FIG. 17  is a schematic view of a gaming environment including a gaming table such as a blackjack gaming table and cameras positioned for imaging activity on the surface of the gaming table, such as the appearance of playing cards at one or more player positions. 
         FIG. 18  is a schematic view of a gaming environment including a gaming table such as a blackjack gaming table and a plurality of optical sensors positioned for detecting activity on the surface of the gaming table, such as the appearance of playing cards at one or more player positions. 
         FIG. 19  is a flow diagram of a method of operating a card game evaluation system. 
         FIG. 20  is a flow diagram of an additional method of operating a card game evaluation system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with cameras, optics, computers, computer networks, data structures, databases and networks such as the Internet, have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of the embodiments of the invention. 
     Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including but not limited to.” 
     System Environment 
       FIG. 1  shows a card game evaluation system  10  including a number of client computing systems  12 , a server computing system  14 , a number of card hand readers  15 , a discard shoe  16   a ,  16   b , and a number of card deck readers  17   a ,  17   b  that communicate over a network  18 . The card game evaluation system  10  and method of operation is illustrated in the environment of a blackjack game, although some components and methods are applicable to other types of card games. 
     The client computing systems  12  each include a display  20 , screen  22 , cabinet  24 , keyboard  26  and mouse  28 . The mouse  28  can have one or more user selectable buttons for interacting with a graphical user interface (“GUI”) displayed on the screen  22 . The cabinet  24  includes a slot  30  for receiving computer-readable media, such as a CD-ROM disk  32 . Although the computer-readable media is represented as a CD-ROM disk  32 , the card game evaluation system  10  can employ other computer-readable media, including but not limited to, floppy disks, tape, flash memory, system memory, and hard drives. The CD-ROM disk  32  can hold software applications discussed in detail below. 
     The server computing system  14  includes a cabinet  29  having a slot  30  for receiving computer-readable media, such as a CD-ROM disk similar to the CD-ROM disk  32 . The server computing system  14  can optionally include a display, screen, keyboard, and/or mouse as described above. The server computing system  14  also includes a server database  34 . The server database  34  is shown as being external to the cabinet  29  for ease of representation in the drawings, although in many embodiments the server database  34  can be located within the cabinet  29 . 
     The card hand reader  15  has a slot  19  sized and dimensioned for receiving a hand of cards, such as the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21  which consists of the face up top card  23  and the face down hole card  25 . As described in detail in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/259,658, filed Jan. 4, 2001, and entitled “Method, Apparatus And Article for Verifying Card Games, Such As Blackjack,” the card hand reader  15  is capable of reading an identifier associated with each of the cards  23 ,  25 . The identifier can be encoded, for example, in a machine-readable symbol such as a bar code, or in a magnetic strip, carried by the card  23 ,  25 . The identifier may take the form of a unique identifier, such as a serial number that uniquely identifies each card in the deck of cards, and/or the rank and/or suit of the cards  23 ,  25 . As illustrated, the card hand reader  15  can be directly connected to one of the client computing systems  12 , or can be coupled to a client computing system  12  via the network  18 . 
     The card deck reader can take a hand-held form  17   a  for games dealt by hand, or can take a card shoe form  17   b  for games dealt from a card shoe. The hand-held card deck reader  17   a  includes a slot  25  sized and dimensioned to receive one or more decks of playing cards  27 . The dealer can insert the deck  27  into the slot  25  prior to beginning a game. The shoe card deck reader  17   b  contains one or more decks of playing cards  27 , and includes a slot  25  sized and dimensioned to allow the dealer to remove one card at a time. The card deck reader  17   a ,  17   b  is capable of reading a unique identifier such as a serial number, identifying each card in the deck of cards  27 , and/or the rank and suit of the cards in the deck of cards  27 . A similar reader is described in commonly assigned patent applications: Ser. No. 60/130,368 filed Apr. 21, 1999, and Ser. No. 09/474,858 filed Dec. 30, 1999, and entitled “Method and Apparatus For Monitoring Casino Gaming.” Thus, the sequence of the cards in the deck  27  is known to the card game evaluation system  10  at the start of the game. As illustrated, the card deck reader  17   a ,  17   b  can be directly connected to one of the client computing systems  12 , or can be coupled to a client computing system  12  via the network  18 . 
     The discard shoe  16   a ,  16   b  includes a slot  13  for receiving cards collected by the dealer after the hands are completed. The discard shoe includes suitable electronics and/or optics for identifying the cards placed in the slot  13 , for example by reading a unique identifier such as a serial number or the rank and suit of each card, as described in detail below. 
     The network  18  can take the form of any conventional network, such as one or more local area networks (“LANs”), wide area networks (“WANs”), and/or extranets, intranets, or the Internet. 
     Low-level System 
       FIG. 2  shows a system block diagram of the client computing systems  12  used in executing an illustrated embodiment of the present invention. As in  FIG. 1 , the client computing systems  12  each include the display  20 , keyboard  26  and mouse  28 . Additionally, each of the client computing systems  12  can include subsystems, such as a processor  36 , system memory  38 , fixed persistent memory  40 , media drive  42 , display adapter  44 , sound card  46 , speakers  48 , and network interface  50 . Arrows  52  represent the system bus architecture of the client computing systems  12 . 
     The client computing systems  12  can take any of a variety of forms, such as a micro- or personal computer, a mini-computer, a workstation, or a palm-top or hand-held computing appliance. The processor  36  can take the form of any suitable microprocessor, for example, a PENTIUM II, PENTIUM III, PENTIUM IV, POWER PC 603 or POWER PC 604 processor. The system memory  38  can take the form of random access memory (“RAM”) or other dynamic storage that temporarily stores instructions and data for execution by the processor  36 . The fixed persistent memory  40  can take the form of a hard drive or other nonvolatile computer-readable media. The media drive  42  can take the form of a CD-ROM reader, a DVD reader, an optical disk reader, floppy disk reader, or other similar device that reads instructions and/or data from computer-readable media. 
     While not shown in detail, the server computing system  14  can have a similar structure to the client computing systems  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In practice, the server computing system  14  will typically take the form of a network server, the details of which are commonly understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The computing systems  12 ,  14  are illustrative of the numerous computing systems suitable for use with the present invention. Other suitable configurations of computing systems will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Other configurations can include additional subsystems, or fewer subsystems, as is suitable for the particular application. For example, a suitable computing system  12 ,  14  can include more than one processor  36  (i.e., a multiprocessor system) and/or a cache memory. The arrows  52  are illustrative of any interconnection scheme serving to link the subsystems. Other suitable interconnection schemes will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, a local bus could be utilized to connect the processor  36  to the system memory  38  and the display adapter  34 . 
     Discard Card Reader 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show the structure of a discard card reader  60  which can be housed within the discard shoe  16 . The discard card reader  60  reads an identifier, such as a machine-readable symbol, from the cards  61  constituting one or more completed hands. The machine-readable symbol can take any of a variety of forms, for example, a bar code symbol, or an area or matrix code symbol such as that disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent applications: Ser. Nos. 60/130,368 and 09/474,858. 
     The machine-readable symbol can be printed on an end  54  of a face  56  of the cards  61 . The machine-readable symbol is preferably printed such that it is not visually perceptible to humans. For example, the machine-readable symbol can be printed in an ink that is visible only under a particular wavelength of light, such as ultraviolet. Alternatively, the machine-readable symbol can be incorporated into the design on the face  56  of the card, such that the symbol blends in with the design. In a further alternative, the machine-readable symbol can be printed in a magnetic ink. The identifier is preferably printed on a front face (i.e., face with rank and suit indicia) of the cards  61 . 
     A card guide  62  holds the cards  61  and ensures that the cards  61  are properly positioned with respect to a set of reading components, such as electronics and optical components, described below. The card guide  62  includes a card support surface  63 . The card support surface  63  is sloped with respect to a base of the discard shoe  16  ( FIG. 1 ), to hold the cards  61  in the card shoe  20  such that the cards  61  are slightly shifted or staggered with respect to adjacent cards (as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) when the discard shoe  16  is on the horizontal playing surface  26  of the gaming table (not shown). A bottom end wall  64  supports the cards  61  on the sloped card support surface  63 , and forms an acute angle  65  therewith. An angle  65  of approximately 45 degrees is suitable. A top end wall  66  is transparent, or has a window formed therein, to expose the ends  54  of the faces  56  of the cards  61  in the card guide  62 . Side walls  67  help ensure the cards  61  are properly aligned to form a stack within the card guide  62 . 
     The reading electronics and optics can include an optical lens assembly  68 , a reflector  69 , and an imager  70  aligned along an optical path illustrated by broken line arrow  71 . The optical lens assembly  68  can include one or more optical lenses and filters. For example, a 9.9 FL lens assembly available from Sunex Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., part number DSL900, can serve as a suitable optical lens. Also for example, the optical lens assembly  68  can include a narrow band pass filter that passes light having a wavelength of approximately 450 nanometers, while stopping other light, such as light coming directly from an illumination source  72 . A suitable filter is available from Edmond Scientific, of Barrington, N.J., as part number 00151-11859. 
     The imager  70  includes photo-sensitive elements, such as charged-coupled devices (“CCDs”) and suitable electronics for producing a digital representation of a captured image. A CMOS color sensor, such as the CMOS color sensor available from Photobit Corporation, Pasadena, Calif., part number PB300, can serve as a suitable imager  70 . 
     The reflector  69  can be positioned at an angle, such as a 45 degree angle, to the top end wall  66  and the imager  70  to pass an image of the ends  54  of the cards  61  to the imager  70 . The discard card reader  60  can include additional optical components, such as reflectors, defractors, splitters, polarizers, filters and lenses, where such would be suitable to the particular application. For example, the discard card reader  60  can include an aperture  73  between the reflector  69  and the top end wall  66 , which can improve the field of depth of the imager  70 . The optical path  71  is defined by the optical properties and position of the optical components, and thus does not necessarily have to be a straight line. Many of the components can be housed in an arm  74 , formed from a pair of molded plastic halves. 
     The discard card reader  60  includes an illumination system  75  having one or more illumination sources  72  that provide low intensity illumination for the cards  61 . The illumination sources  72  can take the form of one or more lamps. The illumination sources  72  produce light suitable to the particular embodiment. For example, the discard card reader  60  can employ illumination sources  72  that produce predominately UV light where the machine-readable symbols are only visible under UV illumination. Suitable lamps can include ultraviolet (“UV”) lamps available from JKL Components Corporation of Pacoima, Calif., as part number BF350-UV1, having a diameter of 3 millimeters and a length of 50 millimeters. The illumination sources  72  are located proximate the top end wall  66  of the card guide  62 . The illumination sources  72  receive power from a high voltage power inverter  75  via a printed circuit board  76  that receives power from a 5V power source  77 . A suitable high voltage power inverter is available from JKL Components Corporation as part number BXA 501A. 
     The discard card reader  60  is coupled to the network  18  or host computer  12  by way of a connector  78 , such as a FIREWIRE connector or Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) connector. For example, a FIREWIRE connector available from Molex Electronics, Ltd. of Canada, part number 52462-0611, can serve as a suitable connector  78 . The connector  78  can deliver the digital representation of the captured image to the appropriate client computing system  12  for image processing and card validation. 
       FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment of the discard card reader  60 , that is suitable for reading large numbers of cards (e.g., two to six decks). This alternative embodiment, and those alternative embodiments and other alternatives described herein, are substantially similar to previously described embodiments, and common acts and structures are identified by the same reference numbers. Only significant differences in operation and structure are described below. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is particularly suited for reading up to two decks of cards, the imager  70  typically having a field of view encompassing up to two decks. The embodiment of  FIG. 5  has a similar field of view and moves field of view relative to the cards to incrementally read all of the cards in the discard shoe  16 . 
     The discard card reader  60  employs an actuator, such as a jack screw or a hydraulic actuator  79 , to incrementally move the cards past the field of view of the imager  70 . The actuator  79  moves the card support surface  63  to incrementally pass the cards  61  by the aperture  73 . The card support surface  63  is slidably mounted with respect to the bottom end wall  64 , top end wall  66  and side walls  67 . The card support surface  63  can include a number of tabs  80  which fit in grooves  81  formed in the side walls  67  to guide the card support surface  63  as it advances upward and downward in the card guide  62 . The tops and bottoms of the grooves can serve as stops to limit the travel of the card support surface  63 . The discard card reader  60  can, of course, employ other guide mechanisms, or may function without such a mechanism. While the illustrated embodiment shows the actuator  79  moving the cards  61 , other embodiments can move the reflector  69 , imager  70 , and/or one or more of these components to sweep the field of view of the imager  70  across all of the cards  61  in the card guide  62 . 
     The hydraulic actuator  79  includes a cylinder  82  and piston  83 , which is moved relative to the cylinder  82  by controlling the pressure within the cylinder  82  via a reservoir  84 , valve  85  and conduit  86 . The discard card reader  60  can of course employ other types of actuators  79  The valve  85  is operated by a solenoid  87  that is controlled via a processor, such as a microprocessor  88  mounted on the circuit board  76 . 
     The discard card reader  60  includes one or more position sensors  89  that detect the position of the card support surface  63 , the piston  83 , or the cards  61  to determine the height of cards in the card guide  62 . This allows the microprocessor  88  to activate the solenoid to adjust the level of the card support surface  63  so that the cards are properly positioned with respect to the aperture  73  to be imaged. The position sensors  89  can take the form of optical switches, mechanical switches, or magnetic switches. For example, an optical switch can take the form of a light source, such as a light emitting diode (“LED”), and a light sensor opposed to the light source across the card guide  62 . The insertion of the cards  61  between the light source and light sensor interrupts the reception of light by the light sensor, that acts as the switch. Also for example, a conductor mounted on, or forming a part of, the card support surface  63  can contact one of a number of conductors on the side walls  67  to close a circuit, providing an indication of the position of the card support surface  63 , and hence the position of the cards  61 . Similarly, a magnet mounted on the card support surface  63  or piston  83  can pass one of a number of magnetic sensors such as a reed switch to provide position information to the microprocessor  88 . 
     The discard card reader  60  incrementally reads groups of cards. The microprocessor  88  can be programmed to advanced the cards in set increments, for example ¼ inch increments, past the aperture  73 . The microprocessor employs the position of the cards  61  as a trigger for advancing the cards. For example, a signal from a single position sensor  89  positioned above the aperture  73  can indicate that there are cards  61  in the card guide  62  that have not been read. The microprocessor  88  advances the cards by activating the solenoid  87  to open and close the value  85  to the reservoir  84 , thereby controlling the flow of a fluid, such as air, into the cylinder  82 . The discard card reader  60  can employ other methods of positioning the cards, for example turning a jack screw coupled to the card support surface  63 . 
     Magnetic Discard Card Reader 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a further alternative embodiment, in which the discard card reader  60  can employ a magnetic head assembly  90  for reading cards marked with a magnetic strip. The magnetic head assembly  90  can include one or more magnetic heads  91 , positioned in the aperture  73  closely spaced from the ends  54  of the cards  61 . The magnetic heads  91  read the information encoded in the magnetic strips as the cards are successively incremented past the magnetic head assembly. Cables  92  couple each of the magnetic heads to the circuit board  76 .
 
Software
 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the system memory  38  of the client computing system  12  and server computing system  14  contain instructions and data for execution by the respective processors  36  for implementing the illustrated embodiments. For example, the system memory  38  includes an operating system (“OS”) 95, 96 to provide instructions and data for operating the respective computing systems  12 ,  14 . In the case of the client computing systems  12  the OS 95 can take the form of conventional operating systems, such as WINDOWS 95, WINDOWS 98, WINDOWS NT 4.0 and/or WINDOWS 2000, available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. In the case of the server computing system  14 , the OS  96  can take the form of conventional server operating systems, such as WINDOWS NT 4.0 Server, and/or WINDOWS 2000 Server, also available from Microsoft Corporation. The OS 95, 96 can include application programming interfaces (“APIs”) (not shown) for interfacing with the various subsystems and peripheral components of the computing systems  12 ,  14 , as is conventional in the art. For example, the OS 95, 96 can include APIs for interfacing with a display subsystem  20 ,  44 , keyboard  26 , sound subsystem  46 ,  48  and communications or network subsystem  50 . 
     The system memory  38  of the client and server computing systems  12 ,  14  can also include additional communications or networking software (not shown) for wired and/or wireless communications on networks, such as local area networks (“LANs”), wide area networks (“WANs”), or the Internet. For example, the client computing system  12  can include a Web client or browser for communicating across the World Wide Web portion of the Internet using standard protocol (e.g., Transportation Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“TCP/IP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”)). A number of Web browsers are commercially available, such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR from America Online, and INTERNET EXPLORER available from Microsoft of Redmond, Wash. The server computing system  14  can include a Web server, such as any of the many commercially available Web server applications. 
     The system memory  38  of the client computing system  12  includes instructions and/or data in the form of a decoding application  97  for resolving the digital image into machine-readable symbols and converting the machine-readable symbols into their respective identifiers and/or ranks and suits. Software for resolving digital images into machine-readable symbols and converting the machine-readable symbols into identifiers is commonly known in the automatic data collection (“ADC”) arts. The system can additional, or alternatively, include other software for reading and converting other types of identifiers, such a magnetic strips. 
     The system memory  38  of the client computing system  12  also includes instructions and/or data in the form of a evaluation application  98  for determining the value and/or status of the hand (e.g., blackjack or not). The evaluation application  98  also can authenticate the cards in the hand (i.e., determine that the cards belong to the deck being played), and validate the sequence of the cards comprising the hand with respect to a known sequence of cards for the deck (i.e., no cards missing or inserted). 
     Overall Method 
       FIG. 8  shows an overview of an illustrated method  100  of operating the card game evaluation system  10 . Additional flow diagrams ( FIGS. 9-12 ) illustrate more detailed aspects of the operation of the card game evaluation system  10 , as well as actions of the dealer employing the game evaluation system  10 . 
     The method  100  starts at step  102 , for example in response to the insertion of a deck of cards into the deck reader. In step  104 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the original sequence of cards in the deck. In step  106 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the identity of the cards in the dealer&#39;s initial hand. In step  108 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of active player positions (i.e., hands being played). In step  110 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the identity of the cards in the initial hand for each of the active positions. In step  112 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the identity of the hit cards for the dealer. In step  114 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the value of the dealer&#39;s complete hand. In step  116 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the identity of the hit cards for each active position. In step  118 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the value of the completed hands for each active position. It is noted that step  114  can follow step  116  and/or step  118 . In step  120 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the outcome of the game for each active position. In step  122 , the card game evaluation system  10  verifies the dealer&#39;s completed hand against the original deck sequence. In step  124 , the card game evaluation system  10  verifies the completed hand against the original deck sequence for each of the active positions. It is noted that steps  114  and/or step  118  can follow steps  122  and/or step  124 . In step  126 , the card game evaluation system  10  notifies the dealer and/or other casino personnel of the outcome of the games for each of the active positions and of the outcome of the verification, if any. 
       FIG. 9  shows an exemplary method  130  of operating in the gaming environment of blackjack. In particular, method  130  identifies specific acts by the card game evaluation system  10  and the dealer. In overview, the method  130  includes: first, determining the sequence of cards in the deck; second, dealing each player and the dealer their respective initial hands; third, determining the value of the dealer&#39;s initial hand; and fourth, determining the value of all active hands. 
     In step  132 , the card deck reader  17   a ,  17   b  reads identifiers from each of the cards composing the deck of cards. A suitable deck reader is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/474,858, filed Dec. 30, 1999, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Monitoring Casino Gaming.” In step  134 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the initial sequence of the cards in the deck of cards based on the identifiers read by the card deck reader  17   a ,  17   b.    
     In step  136 , the dealer deals a first card to each player. As explained above the dealer may deal by hand or may deal from a card shoe. The dealer deals to each player starting from the dealer&#39;s left (i.e., first base) to the dealer&#39;s right (i.e., third base). In step  138 , the dealer deals herself a top card. In step  140 , the dealer deals a second card to each player, again from first base to third base. In step  142 , the dealer deals herself a hole card. 
     In step  144 , the dealer places the dealer&#39;s initial hand (i.e., top card and hole card) into the card hand reader  15  for reading. In step  146 , the card hand reader reads the dealer&#39;s initial hand as explained in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/130,368. In step  148 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the identity of cards in the dealer&#39;s initial hand. As explained above, the card game evaluation system  10  can rely on a machine-readable symbol such as a bar code or magnetic strip encoding a serial number of the suit and rank of the card read by the card hand reader  15 . 
     In step  150 , the card game evaluation system  10  compares the dealer&#39;s initial hand to the card sequence in the deck. 
     In step  152 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of cards between the top and hole cards. The card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of active positions in step  154 , from the number of cards between the top and hole cards. In step  156 , the card game evaluation system  10  can determine the active positions at the gaming table, for example by detecting the location of cards and/or chips, as described in commonly assigned patent application. 
     In step  158 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the rank and suit for cards (i.e., players&#39; initial hands) at each of the active positions based on the knowledge of the sequence of cards in the deck and the number of active positions. 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  show a method  200  of operating a blackjack game, in particular the method  200  identifies specific acts by the dealer after the initial hands have been dealt, and would typically follow the acts of method  100 . 
     In step  202 , the dealer selects a first player. The first player is the player at the first base position. In step  204 , the dealer determines whether the player&#39;s hand is complete. The player&#39;s hand will only be complete if the player has a total value of twenty or a blackjack (i.e., initial hand with value of twenty-one). If the player&#39;s hand is complete (i.e., blackjack), the dealer may immediately pay the player in step  208 , or may wait to perform the step until all hands have been played. The dealer than places the player&#39;s hand into the discard shoe in step  210 . 
     If the player&#39;s hand is not complete, the dealer offers the player an additional card in step  212 . In step  214 , the dealer determines whether the player stands. If the player does not stand the dealer deals another card to the player in step  216  and returns to step  206  to repeat the process  206 - 216  for the player. If the player stands, the dealer determines whether there are additional players in step  218 . If there are additional players, the dealer selects the next player in step  220  and repeats the process  206 - 216  for the next player. This repeats until the dealer determines that there are no more additional players. 
     In step  222 , the dealer determines whether the dealer&#39;s hand is complete (i.e., twenty-one or blackjack). 
     If the dealer&#39;s hand is complete, control passes to step  224 . If the dealer&#39;s hand is not complete, the dealer determines whether the dealer stands in step  226 . The house rules typically determine whether the dealer stands or takes another card. For example, the rule may require the dealer to stand if the value of the dealer&#39;s is 17 or more. Under some rules, the dealer may take another card if the value of the dealer&#39;s hand is a soft  17  (i.e., Ace counted as eleven). If the dealer does not stand, the dealer takes an additional card in step  228 , and returns to step  222 , repeating the process  222 - 228  until the dealer&#39;s hand is complete or the dealer stands. If the dealer stands, control passes to step  224 . 
     In step  224 , the dealer compares the dealer&#39;s hand to the players&#39; hands, starting with the player on the dealer&#39;s far right (i.e., third base). In step  230 , the dealer determines whether the player wins. If the player wins, the dealer pays the player in step  232 . If the player does not win, the dealer collects the player&#39;s wager in step  234 . In step  236 , the dealer takes the player&#39;s hand and places the hand in the discard shoe. In step  238 , the dealer determines if there are more players. If there are more players the dealer selects the next player in step  240  and returns to step  224 . The dealer selects players from the dealer&#39;s right to left until the cards from the last player have been collected and placed in the discard shoe. The method terminates in step  242 , and a new round of blackjack can be played. 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  show a method  300  of operating a blackjack game including validating the game and game results. In particular, the method  300  identifies specific acts by the game evaluation system  10  after the hands have been completed, and would typically follow the acts of method  200 . The method  300  starts at step  302 . 
     In step  304 , the dealer positions the cards in the discard shoe  16 . In step  306 , the discard card reader  60  reads the identifiers from the cards in the discard shoe  16 . The discard card reader  60  may employ an incremental process, successively adjusting the field of view of the discard card reader  60  to read the identifiers from successive sets of discarded cards. 
     In step  308 , the card game evaluation system  10  identifies the location of the initial hands in the read sequence of discarded cards (i.e., discard or ending sequence). The card game evaluation system  10  knows the identity of the cards composing the initial hands from previously determining the initial hands based on a knowledge of the original sequence of the deck of cards and a knowledge of the dealer&#39;s initial hand, as explained above ( FIG. 9 ). 
     In step  310 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of active hands. For example, the number of cards between the dealer&#39;s initial hand and the first card in the first successive player&#39;s initial hand. The card game evaluation system  10  may employ the previously determined number of active hands, if splits are not permitted or have not occurred. In step  312 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the dealer&#39;s hit cards. In step  314 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the value of the dealer&#39;s hand based on the value of the cards in the dealer&#39;s initial hand and the value of the dealer&#39;s hit cards. 
     In step  316 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines whether a split hand has occurred. The method  300  branches based on the determination. 
     If a split hand has not occurred, the method  300  follows a first branch  318 . In step  318 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the hit cards for a player&#39;s hand (i.e., cards between successive hands). The card game evaluation system  10  can employ its knowledge of the identity and sequence of cards collected from the dealer and players which comes from reading the identifiers from each of the cards by the discard card reader  60 . The hit cards are typically the cards preceding the cards in the subject player&#39;s or dealer&#39;s initial hand that are not part of another player&#39;s or dealer&#39;s initial hand, which is most clearly illustrated in  FIG. 15 , below. In step  320 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the value of the player&#39;s hand. In step  322 , the card game evaluation system  10  compares the value of the dealer&#39;s and player&#39;s hands. In step  324 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines whether the player wins, and records the outcome in step  326 . In step  328 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines whether there are additional player&#39;s hands to analyze. If there are additional player hands to analyze the card game evaluation system  10  determines the hit cards for the player&#39;s additional hand in step  330 , and returns to step  318 . 
     If a split hand has occurred, the method  300  follows a second branch  332 - 340 . In step  332 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the hit cards for a player&#39;s first hand (i.e., cards between first initial card and next successive initial hand). In step  334 , the card game evaluation system  10  then determines the value of the player&#39;s hand. In step  336 , the card game evaluation system  10  compares the value of the dealer&#39;s and player&#39;s hands. In step  338 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines whether the player wins, and records the outcome in step  340 . 
     In step  342 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines whether there are hands to analyze for additional players. If there are additional players, the card game evaluation system  10  selects the next player&#39;s hand in step  344  and returns control to step  316 . If there are no additional players, the method  300  terminates at step  346 . 
       FIG. 12  shows a method  400  of reading identifiers from cards  61  in the card guide  62  starting at step  402 , which can implement the step  306  of method  300 . In step  404 , the imager  70  captures a digitized image of the symbol on each card  61 . In step  406 , digitized image is sent to either the microprocessor  88  (Figure), the server computing system  14  ( FIG. 1 ), or one of the client computing systems  12 . In step  408 , the microprocessor  88 , server computing system  14 , or one of the client computing systems  12  resolves the digitized image into machine-readable symbols. In step  410 , the microprocessor  88 , server computing system  14 , or one of the client computing systems  12  converts the machine-readable symbols into respective serial numbers and/or card ranks. The method  400  terminates at step  412 . 
     EXAMPLE 
       FIGS. 13-16  show an example blackjack game, illustrating the concepts discussed above, including the verification process. 
       FIG. 13  shows a portion of a deck of cards  93 , from which the dealer deals to the players and herself during a game of blackjack. The sequence of cards in the portion of the deck of cards  93  is known from the prior reading of the deck of cards by the card deck reader  17   a ,  17   b.    
       FIG. 14  shows the cards  23 ,  25  composing the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21 . The identity of the cards composing the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21  are known from the use of the card hand reader  15 . In this case, the dealer&#39;s top card  23  is the ace of spades and the dealer&#39;s hole card  25  is the eight of hearts. 
     The card game evaluation system  10  can determine the initial hands for each of the players based on a knowledge of the initial sequence of cards in the deck  93  and the identity of cards  23 ,  25  in the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21 . The card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of active players from the number of cards appearing between the dealer&#39;s top card  23  and hole card  25  in the sequence of cards  93  ( FIG. 13 ). In this case, there are three cards between the Ace of spades and the eight of hearts (i.e., the eight of clubs, ten of spades and seven of spades), and thus three active players. 
     Knowing that there are three active players in addition to the dealer, the card game evaluation system  10  can map the original sequence of cards to each of the players. From the first base to the third base position, each of the three players received a first card (i.e., two of hearts, nine of spades and seven of clubs, respectively) before the dealer&#39;s top card (i.e., Ace of spades). From the first base to the third base position, each of the three players received a second card (i.e., eight of clubs, ten of spades and seven of spades, respectively) before the dealer&#39;s hole card (i.e., eight of hearts). Thus, for players i from 1 through n, where i is the player position from the dealer&#39;s left to right, and n is the total number of players, the player&#39;s (i) initial hand is composed of a first card corresponding to the “i th ” card in the sequence of the deck and a second card corresponding the “n+1+i th ” card in the sequence of the deck. The initial hand of the dealer is composed of a first card corresponding to the “n+1 st ” position in the sequence of the deck and a second card corresponding to the “2n+2 nd ” position. The initial hands of the players and dealer in this example are shown in table 1, below. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Initial cards 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Initial Cards 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Player 1 
                 2 
                 8 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ♥, 
                 
                   
                 
               
               
                   
                 Player 2 
                 9 
                 10 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 
                   
                 
               
               
                   
                 Player 3 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 
                   
                 
               
               
                   
                 Dealer 
                 A 
                 8 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 ♥ 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
       FIG. 15  shows the cards  94  found in the discard shoe  16 , after the round. These may include all of the cards  94  in the discard shoe  16 , or only the cards added to the discard shoe  16  since the last round of blackjack. The card game evaluation system  10  can then ascertain the players and dealer&#39;s hit cards based on the sequence of cards  94  in the discard shoe  16  and a knowledge of the player&#39;s and dealer&#39;s initial hands. For example, the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21  (i.e., Ace of spades, eight of hearts) is not preceded by any cards, thus the dealer did not have any hit cards. (Note: most casinos would not allow the dealer to hit with a hand having a value of eighteen.) 
     The second player&#39;s initial hand (i.e., nine of spades, ten of clubs) immediately follows the dealer&#39;s initial hand  21  (i.e., Ace of spades, eight of hearts). Thus, since there are no intervening cards, it is clear that the second player did not have any hit cards. One card (i.e., queen of hearts) immediately precedes the first player&#39;s initial hand (i.e., two of hearts, eight of clubs), and follows the second player&#39;s hand. Thus, the first player had one hit card, a queen having a value equal to 10. The third player has two cards immediately preceding the third player&#39;s initial hand (i.e., seven of clubs, seven of spades), and following the second player&#39;s hand. Thus, the third player received two hit cards, a ten of diamonds, followed by an Ace of clubs. The hit cards for a hand are found in a successive number of locations in the deck, starting at a position given by the formula 2n+2+the total number of hit cards taken by all previous positions, where n corresponds to the total number of player hands. This is dictated by the way blackjack is played, successively dealing two cards around the table to form the initial hands, including the dealer (i.e., 2n+2). Then each player is given an opportunity to take cards until the player&#39;s hand is complete (i.e., total number of hit cards taken by all previous positions). 
     The card game evaluation system  10  can automatically determine the value of the player&#39;s and dealer&#39;s hands, and can determine the outcome of the games between the various players and the dealer. The outcome of the games in this example are shown in table 2, below. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Round Outcome 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 Initial Cards 
                 Hit Cards 
                 Outcome 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Player 1 
                 2 
                 8 
                 Q 
                   
                 Win 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ♥, 
                 
                   
                 
                 ♥ 
               
               
                   
                 Player 2 
                 9 
                 10 
                   
                   
                 Push 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 
                   
                 
               
               
                   
                 Player 3 
                 7 
                 7 
                 A 
                 10 
                 Bust 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 
                   
                 
                    , 
                 ♦ 
               
               
                   
                 Dealer 
                 A 
                 8 
               
               
                   
                   
                    , 
                 ♥ 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The dealer has an Ace and an eight for a total value of nineteen. The first player has a two, an eight and a queen, for a total value twenty, which beats the dealer&#39;s nineteen. The second player has a nine and ten for a total value of nineteen, which ties the dealer&#39;s total of nineteen. The third player has a pair of sevens, an Ace valued as one, and a ten for a total value of twenty-five. Twenty-five exceeds twenty-one the so third player busted on the final card (i.e., ten of diamonds). 
     The example is only slightly more complicated when one or more split hands occur, but the card game evaluation system  10  can employ the same general process to validate the game. 
       FIG. 16  shows that the order of cards in a player&#39;s completed hand will differ based on whether the card are dealt from a shoe or by hand. The cards are dealt in the order shown in the table, two of hearts, eight of clubs and Queen of hearts. In a shoe dealt game the completed hand  1  has the order two of hearts, eight of clubs and Queen of hearts. In a hand dealt game the completed hand  2  has the order Queen of hearts, two of hearts, and eight of clubs. 
       FIG. 17  shows a gaming environment including a gaming table  502  and one or more imagers such as cameras  504  positioned for imaging activity on a surface  506  of the gaming table  502 . For example, the cameras  504  may be positioned to capture an image of the appearance of playing cards at one or more player positions  508  and/or the appearance of chips at one or more wagering circles  510  associated with each of the respective player positions  508 . The cameras  504  may be coupled to provide image data or information to the card game evaluation system  10  ( FIGS. 1 and 7 ). 
     The card game evaluation system  10  can include imaging processing software to detect changes between frames or images captured by the cameras  504 , thus allowing the card game evaluation system  10  to detect the appearance of each playing card and/or wager. Thus, the card game evaluation system  10  may be able to determine the number of hands and/or players in a card game by detecting the appearance of playing cards at the player positions  508  and/or wagers at the respective wager circles  510 . The card game evaluation system  10  may further be able to maintain a count of the number of playing cards dealt to each of the players and/or dealer, for example, to determine the number of hit cards taken by each player and/or the dealer. This can simplify the methods discussed above and below. For example, a knowledge of the number of playing cards dealt to each player may permit the elimination of structures and/or a number of the steps or acts of the methods, discussed above. In particular, it may be possible to eliminate identifying the dealer&#39;s initial hand, eliminating one or more steps and associated structure such as a dealer initial hand reader  15  ( FIG. 1 ) or “no peak” device. Further it may be possible to eliminate determining an original or initial card sequence, eliminating one or more steps and the associated deck reader  17  ( FIG. 1 ), unless the card game evaluation system  10  is to detect certain forms of cheating in addition to analyzing the outcome of the card game. 
       FIG. 18  shows a gaming environment including a gaming table  502  and one or more sensors positioned for detecting activity on a surface  504  of the gaming table  502 . For example, the sensors may take the form of optical sensors, positioned to detect the appearance of playing cards at one or more player positions and/or the appearance of chips at one or more wagering circles associated with each of the respective player positions. The sensors may be coupled to provide sensor data or information to the card game evaluation system  10  ( FIGS. 1 and 7 ). 
     In particular, the sensors may take the form of optical source/receiver pairs such as LEDs and photodiodes, located in or under the surface  504  of the gaming table  502 . As illustrated, the surface  504  of the gaming table  502  can include a plurality of apertures  512  to provide light paths between the surface and each source/receiver pair. Light from the source is reflected back to the receiver when a playing card or chip is present at the position on the gaming table  502  (i.e., covering certain of the apertures  512 ), but is not reflected back when no playing card or chip is present. In this way, the optical source/receiver pair can detect the presence and absence of playing cards and/or wagers. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 18  includes many of the same advantages discussed in reference to the embodiment of  FIG. 17 . The card game evaluation system  10  may employ other types of sensors, which may or may not be optically sensitive, for detecting the appearance and/or location of playing cards on the surface  50  of the gaming table  502 . For example, the card game evaluation system  10  may employ magnetic sensors where the playing cards include an appropriate indicator. 
       FIG. 19  shows another exemplary method  600  of operating the card game evaluation system  10 . In act  602 , the dealer deals playing cards to one or more players, and to the dealer&#39;s own self. After all players have completed their respective hands, and the dealer has completed their own hand, the dealer collects the dealt cards in act  604 . While this may occur before the dealer pays winning wagers and collects losing wagers, typically the dealer will not collect the dealt card until after paying and collecting the wagers. 
     As discussed above, the dealer may collect the dealt cards in a defined order. For example, the dealer may collect the dealt cards starting with the player farthest to the dealer&#39;s right (i.e., first base position) and ending with the player farthest to the dealer&#39;s left (i.e., second base position). The dealer may collect the dealt cards in other orders, for example from the dealer&#39;s left to right, so long as the order is defined. 
     In act  606 , the dealer inserts the collected playing cards into the discard shoe having the discard reader  60 . In act  608 , the discard reader  60  reads identifiers from the collected playing cards in order (e.g., first-to-last or last-to-first), resulting in a discard or “ending” sequence. In act  610 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines a value of the player and/or dealer&#39;s hands and/or status of the game, based at least in part on the determined ending sequence, for example, as discussed above in reference to method  300 . The method  600  may employ all or some of the acts or steps of the other methods discussed herein, as will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art. 
       FIG. 20  shows an additional method  612  of operation, which may be incorporated into the method  600  ( FIG. 19 ), or some of the other methods discussed above. In act  614 , the card game evaluation system  10  detects the dealing or appearance of a number of playing cards. For example, the card game evaluation system  10  may employ image or video information from the cameras  504  positioned to image the surface  506  of the gaming table  502  ( FIG. 17 ). Alternatively, or additionally, the card game evaluation system  10  may employ information from optical sensors as described above in reference to  FIG. 18 . Alternatively, or additionally, the card game evaluation system  10  may rely on a sensor positioned in the card shoe  17   b  ( FIG. 1 ) for detecting the removal of playing cards from the card shoe  17   b . Alternatively, or additionally, the card game evaluation system  10  may rely on sensors other than optical sensors. 
     In act  616 , the card game evaluation system  10  determines the number of playing cards for each hand, based at least on part on the detected dealing or appearance of playing cards. For example. As discussed above, the method  612  may allow the elimination of some of the acts or steps of the previously discussed methods, for example, reading the dealer&#39;s initial hand and/or locating the dealer&#39;s initial hand in the initial sequence. Likewise, the method  612  may allow the elimination of some of the apparatus or structures discussed above, for example, the hand reader  15  and/or deck reader  17   a ,  17   b.    
     SUMMARY 
     Although specific embodiments, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. The teachings provided herein of the invention can be applied to other systems for evaluating card games, not necessarily the blackjack card evaluation system  10  generally described above. For example, the teachings can employ other networks, such as the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. For example, the illustrated methods can be combined, or performed successively. The illustrated methods can omit some acts, can add other acts, and can execute the acts in a different order than that illustrated to achieve the advantages of the invention. All of the above U.S. patents, patent applications and publications referred to in this specification are incorporated by reference, including but not limited to U.S. Ser. No. 09/790,480, filed Feb. 21, 2001; U.S. Ser. No. 10/360,508, filed Feb. 7, 2003; U.S. Ser. No. 10/756,044, filed Jan. 13, 2004; U.S. Ser. No. 10/017,277, filed Dec. 13, 2001; U.S. Ser. No. 09/474,858, filed Dec. 30, 1999; and U.S. Ser. No. 60/130,368, filed Apr. 21, 1999. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ systems, circuits and concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
     These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, but should be construed to include all computers, networks and card reading and card evaluation systems that operate in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.