Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for table poker games aims to increase odds of the table poker games. The apparatus includes an electronic display panel which has at least one display zone to represent a corresponding betting zone and display a dynamic raising odds. Banker can pay player&#39;s bets according to the dynamic raising odds. Thus an expected value of the table poker games can be increased to give players extra award, thereby can increase the attraction of the table poker games and also enhance utilization of the poker tables.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a table poker game and particularly to an apparatus to increase attraction of table poker games. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A table poker game is to allow players to bet on different game results on a betting table. According to the probability of appearance of the game results on the betting table, different game results have different odds. If the game result matches a player&#39;s bet, the player gets the payment according to the odds and player&#39;s wager. 
         [0003]    Most common table poker games, such as baccarat, have established odds according to different game results. For instance, in the game of baccarat, the probability of appearance of banker pair or player pair is 7.47%. If the odds is established at 1 to 11, return rate for the player is merely 89.6%. 
         [0004]    As the conventional table poker games generally have a lower return rate for the players, the players would easily feel unfair about the game results after playing for a period of time and lose interest. Thus the attraction of those games to the players decreases, and the utilization of the poker tables also drops gradually to result in lower return of investment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to dynamically increase odds of table poker games. 
         [0006]    To achieve the foregoing object, the apparatus of the invention allows a banker and a player to play a table game which generates a plurality of game results. The apparatus includes a pack of poker cards, a betting table and an electronic display panel. The poker cards are used by the banker to perform the table game according to a set rule. The table game generates at least one game results, and has a game probability according to the appearance of the game result. 
         [0007]    The betting table has a plurality of betting zones to represent different game results. The betting table can be a solid table or an electronic table containing an electronic screen. The betting zones are displayed on the electronic screen which can be a touch panel. Each of the betting zones allows players to place a bet and has a payment odds. The product of the game probability and payment odds is a player&#39;s return rate. The value of the payment odds is a given value, which is controlled so that the player&#39;s return rate is not greater than 100%. 
         [0008]    According to different game rules, the payment odds can include bets returning to the player or bets not returning to the player. The bets returning to the player are included in the payment odds when calculating the aforesaid player&#39;s return rate, namely the payment odds equals to retrieving multiples when the player winning the bet. In another condition, if the bets returning to the player are not included in the payment odds, the retrieving multiples when the player winning the bet not only include the multiples of the payment odds, but also include the player&#39;s original bet, hence the player&#39;s return rate should be modified to the product of the sum of the payment odds and one time of the player&#39;s bet (i.e. actual retrieving multiples when the player wining the bet) and the game probability. 
         [0009]    The electronic display panel includes at least one display zone corresponding to the betting zone, and can be mounted at one side of the betting table (a solid one), or embedded in the electronic screen of the betting table. The display zone displays a dynamic raising odds to allow the banker to choose a higher one between the payment odds and dynamic raising odds to pay the player&#39;s bet. The dynamic raising odds is any one selected from multiple raising odds. The values and numbers of the raising odds are set by the banker. Each of the raising odds has an appearing probability. The accumulation sum of the product of the raising odds and their corresponding appearing probabilities is defined as an accumulation average odds. The product of the accumulation average odds and game probability is a player&#39;s raising return rate. The raising odds and their corresponding appearing probabilities can be controlled and adjusted to let the player&#39;s raising return rate approach to a given target value. 
         [0010]    Similarly, if the payment odds does not include the bets returning to the player, the player&#39;s raising return rate should be modified to the product of the sum of the accumulation average odds and one time of the player&#39;s bet (i.e. actual retrieving multiples when the player wining the bet) and the game probability. 
         [0011]    By means of the apparatus set forth above, the payment odds of the game results can be replaced by the dynamic raising odds, namely when the player wins the bet, he/she can get payment according to the dynamic raising odds, hence the player&#39;s return rate increases. The dynamic raising odds is versatile and appears frequently, thus is more appealing and gives players more incentive to place the bets. As a result, utilization of the poker table increases to achieve maximum economic benefit. By controlling the player&#39;s raising return rate within an acceptable range, utilization of the poker table increases and economic benefit also can be maintained as desired. 
         [0012]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying embodiments and drawings. The embodiments serve only for illustrative purpose and are not the limitations of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the structure of a solid table of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the betting table of a solid table of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing a screen of an electronic display panel of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the structure of an electronic table of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the betting table of an electronic table of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  for an embodiment of the invention, taking baccarat as an example of the table poker game for discussion. 
         [0019]    In the baccarat game, a banker  10  and a player (not shown in the drawings) take part in the game with five possible game results: banker&#39;s hand win, tie, player&#39;s hand win, banker pair and player pair. It is to be noted that when the first two cards of the banker  10  or player are the same, the game result is banker pair or player pair. As the banker pair and player pair could appear with any one of the banker&#39;s hand win, tie and player&#39;s win at the same time, the game result of banker pair or player pair is judged independently and not related to the banker&#39;s win, tie or player&#39;s win. 
         [0020]    This embodiment includes a pack of poker cards  20 , a betting table  30  and an electronic display panel  40 . The poker cards  20  are used in the baccarat game and can generate at least one of the five game results (any one of banker&#39;s hand win, tie and player&#39;s hand win plus banker pair or player pair). The probability of generating each of the five game results is defined as a game probability. 
         [0021]    The betting table  30  can be implemented by at least two types. The betting table  30  can be a solid table as shown in  FIG. 1  with five betting zones  31  to represent five game results. The betting table  30  is divided into nine sections (marked by 1-9) to allow nine players to place bets at the same time. The five betting zones  31  are printed and marked on the surface of the table.  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate another type of the betting table  30 A which can be an electronic table containing an electronic screen  32 . The five betting zones  31  of the betting table  30 A are displayed on the electronic screen  32  which can be a touch panel. 
         [0022]    The five betting zones  31  allow the players to place bets and each has a payment odds. The product of the game probability and payment odds is a player&#39;s return rate. The payment odds is a given value which is controlled so that the player&#39;s return rate is not greater than 100%. In the event that the payment odds does not include the bets returning to the player, the player&#39;s return rate should be modified to the product of the sum of the payment odds and one time of the player&#39;s bet (i.e. actual retrieving multiples when the player winning the bet) and the game probability. 
         [0023]    The electronic display panel  40  includes at least one display zone  41  corresponding to the betting zone  31 . When the number of the betting zones  31  is not many, the electronic display panel  40  can contain sufficient display zones  41  to one-to-one correspond to the betting zones  31 . In the event that a greater number of the betting zones  31  are formed, a choice can be freely made as required. 
         [0024]    When the betting table  30  is a solid table, the electronic display panel  40  can be mounted at one side of the betting table  30  (referring to  FIG. 1 ). When the betting table  30 A is an electronic table, the electronic display panel  40 A can be embedded in the electronic screen  32  of the betting table  30 A (referring to  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0025]    The display zone  41  displays a dynamic raising odds  411  to allow the banker  10  to choose a higher one between the payment odds and dynamic raising odds  411  to pay the player&#39;s bet. The dynamic raising odds  411  is any one selected from multiple raising odds. The values and numbers of the raising odds are set by the banker  10 . Each of the raising odds has an appearing probability. The accumulation sum of the product of the raising odds and their corresponding appearing probabilities is defined as an accumulation average odds. The product of the accumulation average odds and game probability is a player&#39;s raising return rate. The raising odds and their corresponding appearing probabilities can be controlled and adjusted to let the player&#39;s raising return rate approach to a given target value. 
         [0026]    Similarly, if the dynamic raising odds  411  does not include the bets returning to the player, the player&#39;s raising return rate should be modified to the product of the sum of the accumulation average odds and one time of the player&#39;s bet (i.e. actual retrieving multiples when the player winning the bet) and game probability. 
         [0027]    Take a game result of banker pair as an example for discussion as follows. The probability of winning the bet of banker pair is 7.47%, and the given payment odds is 1 to 11, which is the present conventional public odds. The given target value is 94% (namely store benefit is 6%, which also can be determined by itself). The number of the raising odds (not including the bets returning to the player) chose by the dynamic raising odds  411  is five with values of 1 to 11, 1 to 12, 1 to 13, 1 to 14 and 1 to 15. The appearing probabilities corresponding to the raising odds are processed and adjusted to be 62%, 25%, 8%, 3% and 2%. Incorporating the aforesaid values with the raising odds to obtain the player&#39;s raising return rate expressed as follows: 
         [0000]      (1+11*62%+12*25%+13*8%+14*3%+15*2%)*7.47%=93.97% 
         [0028]    Thus the player&#39;s raising return rate approaches to the target value of 94% to meet requirement. 
         [0029]    Next, take a game result of tie as an example for discussion. The probability of winning the bet of tie is 9.52%, and the given payment odds is 1 to 8. The given target value is 94%. The number of the raising odds (not including the bets returning to the player) chose by the dynamic raising odds  411  is three with values of 1 to 8, 1 to 10 and 1 to 12. The appearing probabilities corresponding to the raising odds are processed and adjusted to be 63%, 30% and 7%. Incorporating the aforesaid values with the raising odds to obtain the player&#39;s raising return rate expressed as follows: 
         [0000]      (1+8*63%+10*30%+12*7%)*9.52%=94.06% 
         [0030]    Thus the player&#39;s raising return rate approaches to the target value of 94% to meet requirement. 
         [0031]    Other game results, such as banker&#39;s hand win, player&#39;s hand win and player pair can also be adapted as previously discussed to generate different raising odds with varying appearing probabilities. For instance, due to game characteristics, if the game result is banker&#39;s hand win or player&#39;s hand win, the raising odds chose by the dynamic raising odds  411  is limited to 1 to 1; if the game result is player pair or banker pair, the number of the raising odds chose by the dynamic raising odds  411  is five with values of 1 to 11, 1 to 12, 1 to 13, 1 to 14 and 1 to 15. 
         [0032]    Refer to  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the raising odds chose by the dynamic raising odds  411  for the game results of banker&#39;s hand win, tie, player&#39;s win, banker pair and player pair is respectively 1 to 1. 1 to 10, 1 to 1, 1 to 14 and 1 to 11. These values can be reset when each game is restarted. 
         [0033]    As a conclusion, in the invention, the payment odds can be replaced by the dynamic raising odds  411  so that the players can get payment according to the dynamic raising odds  411  upon winning the bet, thus the player&#39;s return rate increases. Moreover, as the dynamic raising odds  411  is versatile and appears frequently, it is more appealing to the players and offers more incentive to the players to place bets. As a result, utilization of the poker table increases. Since the player&#39;s raising return rate can be controlled within an acceptable range, economic benefit of the store also can be maintained.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0