Patent Abstract:
A method for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes the player eligible to win all or part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter whcih displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/266,613, filed Mar. 9, 1999, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,130, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/967,850, filed Nov. 12, 1997, and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,726, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/811,364, filed Mar. 6, 1997, and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,225, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/337,661, filed Nov. 9, 1994, and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,341, which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/040,925, filed Mar. 31, 1993, and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,104, which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/800,631 filed Nov. 27, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,077; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/361,276, filed Jun. 5, 1989 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,405; which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/214,934, filed Jul. 5, 1988 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/182,374, filed Apr. 18, 1988 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553. The entire disclosures of each of the above-listed applications and patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The entire disclosure of copending application Ser. No. 07/814,712 filed Dec. 30, 1991 is also hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     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 or four 7&#39;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 as A-K-Q-J-10 from left to right, or in a particular suit, such as Spades. In video keno, a player typically must match 15 out of 15 numbers to win the progressive jackpot. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a progressive jackpot component to typical casino or cardroom table games such as poker or 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 poker or Twenty-One that the players will enjoy these games more and that the amount of play will increase. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus useful in providing the progressive jackpot component to casino or cardroom table games such as poker or 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&#39;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&#39;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 or Caribbean Stud™ 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&#39;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. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 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. 
     FIG. 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. 
     FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the operation of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the electronic circuitry of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a plurality of gaming tables connected to a single progressive jackpot meter. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a casino gaming table  10  is provided having a plurality of playing locations  12  for players participating in the game being conducted, e.g., Twenty-One. A dealer is positioned at the dealer&#39;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  provided on the gaming table  10 . As shown in FIG. 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&#39;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 play of each hand. A lockout switch  55 , is also provided adjacent to the dealer&#39;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  60  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 player wins all, or part of, the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter  70 . 
     In operation, the present invention operates as follows. A conventional Twenty-One game is conducted on gaming table  10 . At the beginning of each hand, each player, in addition to making his usual wager for the play 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&#39;s particular playing location  12 . As will be more fully explained herein, the coin acceptor  20  “recognizes” 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  20 . 
     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  20  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&#39;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 tokens placed in a 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 on the progressive jackpot meter. In a preferred embodiment, the preselected wining hands and payoff amounts in Twenty-One game are as follows: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Winning Hand 
                 Amount of Jackpot 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Four 5&#39;s and an Ace 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                 Ace, two, three, four, 
                  4% 
               
               
                   
                 five and six 
               
               
                   
                 Six, seven and eight 
                 100 tokens 
               
               
                   
                 of same suit 
               
               
                   
                 Three 7&#39;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 utilized. 
     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 receive another gaming token for 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 Stud™ Poker, which is the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 182,374 filed Apr. 18, 1988, which is incorporated herein by reference thereto. Caribbean Stud™ Poker is a modification of conventional five-card stud poker. Each player makes an ante and a dealer deals five cards to each player and to himself. The player&#39;s cards are dealt face down and the dealer&#39;s cards are dealt four cards face down and one card face up. Each player views his hand and then decides whether to continue to 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&#39;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 money on the remaining players&#39; antes, and returns their bets to them. If the dealer&#39;s hand has a poker value of Ace-King or better, the dealer compares his hand to each player&#39;s hand, paying or collecting the bets as appropriate. The dealer also pays odds of more than even money on each winning player&#39;s hand of two pair or better according to a bonus payment schedule. This game can be played using the gaming table shown in FIG.  1 . Each player makes a progressive jackpot wager by placing a gaming token in the coin acceptor  20  which makes that 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 
                  10% 
               
               
                   
                 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 utilized. 
     The invention can 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 FIG. 2 by the addition of coin acceptors  120  and indicator signals  122  at each player&#39;s location  112 . The electronics is the same as that shown in FIG.  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  100 . A reset switch  150  and a lockout switch  155  are located adjacent the dealer&#39;s location  114  next to the chip rack  116 . 
     The progressive jackpot meter  170  is incrementally increased in the same manner as that description in connection with FIG. 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 winning hands and payoff amounts are as follows: 
     I. Five Card Draw Poker 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Hand 
                 Amount 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Royal Flush 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                 Straight Flush 
                  10% 
               
               
                   
                 Four of a Kind 
                 100 tokens 
               
               
                   
                 Full House 
                  25 tokens 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     II. Five Card Stud Poker 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Hand 
                 Amount 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Royal Flush 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                 Straight Flush 
                  10% 
               
               
                   
                 Four of a Kind 
                 100 tokens 
               
               
                   
                 Full House 
                  25 tokens 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     III. Seven Card Stud Poker 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Hand 
                 Amount 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Royal Flush 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                 Straight Flush 
                  10% 
               
               
                   
                 Four of a Kind 
                 100 tokens 
               
               
                   
                 Full House 
                  25 tokens 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     IV. Lo-Ball Poker 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Hand 
                 Amount 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 5-4-3-2-Ace 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                 6-4-3-2 Ace 
                  5% 
               
               
                   
                 6-5-3-2-Ace 
                 100 tokens 
               
               
                   
                 7-4-3-2-Ace 
                  25 tokens 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     These winning hands and payoff amounts are merely preferred embodiments and the invention may be practiced using any appropriate combination of winning hands and payoff amounts. 
     As an alternative embodiment, progressive jackpot component of the game may be utilized 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&#39;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. 
     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. 
     FIG. 3 shows in block diagram form the operation of the present invention. Each playing location has a coin a acceptor  210  into 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  energizes the progressive output control  230  which in turn activates three separate devices. An integrated circuit timer is energized 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 that 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 for 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 third signal from the progressive jackpot control  230  goes directly to the progressive jackpot meter  270 . The progressive jackpot meter  270  shows the total amount available to be won by a player who obtains one of the preselected winning hands. The amount of the progressive 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 a preselected wining 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  270 . 
     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. 
     FIG. 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 Q 1  (Model #MRD 300 transistor). This causes a pulse to be passed from the collector of Q 1  to the base of receiver Q 2 . Q 2  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 Q 2  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 DS 2  (a Model P367 diode). This diode DS 2  is the indicator light  22  shown in FIG.  1  and this indicator light  22  stays on until the play of the hand is finished. 
     The pulse from Q 2  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 Q 3  (a Model #T1P120 transistor) to turn on, then off for the duration of the pulse created at pin  327 . The turning on and off of transistor Q 3  causes the odometer-type counter  42  shown in FIG. 1 to increment one digit. The odometer-type counter  330  is a six-digit non-resetable electronic 12 VDC, WICO Model #31-443400. 
     The pulse created at pin  327  of the upper portion  322  of the integrated circuit also goes to the opto isolator  340  (which is a Model #H11A16E Opto Isolator). The opto isolator  340  passes this pulse to the base of transistor Q 4  (a Model #2N3906 transistor) thereby turning on transistor Q 4  for the duration of the pulse. When transistor Q 4  is turned on, the pulse is passed 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 Q 2  at a low level which ensures that there can be no late wagers made through the coin acceptor  300 . Once the output of transistor Q 2  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  320  which resets the lower portion  324  of the integrated circuit. This resetting causes pin  326  to go low which will extinguish diode DS 2  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 Q 2  which allows another hand to be played. The players commence the next hand by placing gaming tokens in the coin acceptor  300  and the process is repeated. 
     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various resistors and capacitors are provided to complete the circuitry. The specifications on the resistors and capacitors shown in FIG. 4 is as follows: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Resistors 
                 Capacitors 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 R1-60 Ohm 
                 C1-.1ufd/35v 
               
               
                   
                 R2-3 Kohm 
                   
               
               
                   
                 R3-1 Kohm 
                 C2-.01ufd/35v 
               
               
                   
                 R4-200 Ohm 
               
               
                   
                 R5-4.7 Kohm 
                 C3-.1ufd/35v 
               
               
                   
                 R6-10 Kohm 
               
               
                   
                 R7-1 Mohm 
                 C4-.1ufd/35v 
               
               
                   
                 R8-240 Ohm 
               
               
                   
                 R9-1 Kohm 
               
               
                   
                 R10-4.7 Kohm 
               
               
                   
                 R11-240 Ohm 
               
               
                   
                 R12-1 Kohm 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     As shown in FIG. 5, any number of gaming tables may be connected to a single progressive jackpot meter. 
     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 by the foregoing description, but rather should be defined only by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6