Patent ID: 7278923

Claim:
A method of reading cards during a casino card table game comprising: a. providing a card reading device for reading spent cards collected at a conclusion of a round of play of the casino table card game; b. placing a set of spent cards, but less than a complete 52 card deck of cards into a card in-feed area of the card reading device at the conclusion of a round of play of the casino table card game, and after a round of play reading only cards used in the round of play placed into the in-feed area, c. moving the spent cards one at a time from a bottom of the set of spent cards in the in-feed area, d. reading at least one of the suit and rank of a spent card placed into the in-feed area before the spent card is deposited into a card collection area of the card reading device, and e. determining composition of at least one hand played in the round of play of the casino table card game by sending a signal representing the at least one of rank and suit of each spent card in an order in which each spent card was placed in the card in-feed area, wherein the signal is sent to a processor where the signal of information of at least one of the suit and rank of the individual cards is processed.