WO2007085054A1

WO2007085054A1 - A gaming system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2007085054A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/000072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wah Joo Tan
Original assignee: Genting (Nsw) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-27
Filing date: 2007-01-25
Publication date: 2007-08-02
Also published as: AU2007209769A1

Abstract

A method for electronic gaming in a computer network comprising the steps of (a) registering player information for a card game, (b) dealing one or more cards to the player in accordance with the rules of the card game, (c) offering the player two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game, (d) receiving one or more bets from the player, (e) calculating a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets, and (f) comparing the tally against predetermined Jackpot values wherein the player interfaces with the computer network via at least one terminal.

Description

A GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gaming system and method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In this specification where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge; or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned. While the present invention will be described with reference to the well known card games baccarat and blackjack, it will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but can be readily applied to many different and varied games on which players place bets.

Where used herein the term 'banker' or 'dealer' is intended to represent the 'House', that is the party conducting a betting game, such as a casino. The choice of the term 'banker' or 'dealer' with reference to a particular game depends on the normal convention for that game.

Baccarat

Baccarat dates back to Europe in the Middle Ages, but today has world-wide popularity and is played privately, in casinos and on-line via the Internet. The rules of the game of baccarat allow a player the choice of either betting on the banker hand winning, the player hand winning or a tie between the two. If the player bets on a hand that wins, the player receives even money (odds of 1 to 1). The odds for a player successfully betting on a tie are 8 to 1.

The scoring is simple - the 10, Jack, Queen and King have a value of zero, the ace is worth 1 and cards 2 through to 9 are worth their face value. In a normal baccarat game, the number of cards used for playing ranges from 1 to 8 decks - the choice being at the discretion of the House, typically the casino operator. The game commences with two sets of two cards being dealt to the player (first and third card) and to the banker representing the House. The aim of the two-card hand is to try to have a total score of 9 (or as close as possible). If the initial score total is a two digit number, the first digit is dropped. For example a player dealt a pair of 8's has an initial total of 16 but the first digit is dropped to give a final score of 6. If the first two cards of a hand total 8 or 9 the hand is declared a 'natural' and wins. If neither the banker nor the player has a natural, another card is drawn for each hand to determine the winner.

Both the player and banker can only draw a maximum of three cards each. The rules for drawing the third card by the player are as follows:

• when the player's first two card total points are 0 to 5, the player draws a card

• when the player's first two card total points are 6 or 7, the player stands and the banker has the option of drawing a third card

• when the player's first two card total points are 8 or 9, neither the player or banker draw a third card because a 'natural' has occurred.

The rules for drawing a third card by the banker are as follows:

• when the banker's first two cards total 3, the banker draws when the player's third card is 1 to 7 or 9, but not if the player's third card is 8

• when the banker's first two cards total 4, the banker draws when the player's third card is 2 to 7, but does not draw if the player's third card is 1 or 8 to 10

• when the banker's first two cards total 5, the banker draws when the player's third card is 4 to 7, but does not draw when the player's third card is 1 to 3 or 8 to 10

• when the banker's first two cards total 6, the banker draws when the player's third card is 6 or 7, but does not draw when the player's third card is 1 to 5 or 8 to 10

• when the banker's first two cards total 7, the banker stands and the player can draw a third card if required

• when the banker's first two cards total 8 or 9, both the player and banker do not have to draw a third card because a 'natural' has occurred

• when the banker's first two cards total points are 0 to 2, the banker draws a card If the total score is the same for both the banker and player, it is a 'tie' or 'draw'. Betting on either side is unaffected. There is an option to bet on a tie, which pays 8 to I₅ whereas in a no tie situation, any bet on a tie will be a losing bet.

Chemin de fer is a game that originated in France and is very similar to baccarat. The principal difference is that one of the players banks the game and the title of banker rotates around the participating players.

Blackjack

Blackjack (also known as 'Twenty-one' or 'Pontoon') is derived from the game of vingt- et-un which originated in French casinos around 1700. The aim of blackjack is to achieve a hand value that is greater than the value of the dealer's hand, but which does not exceed a score of 21.

In blackjack, cards 2 through to 9 are worth their face value, and the 10, Jack, Queen and King have a value of 10. The ace has a value of either 1 or 11 - it is assumed to have the value that gives the best hand. Play commences with one card being dealt face-up to each player, then one card is dealt face-down to the dealer. The dealer's card is called the 'hole card'. A second card is dealt face-up to each player. Starting from the player to the left of the dealer, each player decides whether or not to draw further cards. After all the players have completed their hands, the dealer proceeds to draw cards to complete the dealer's hand. A player wins if their total is higher than the dealer's total, or if the dealer goes over 21 ('busts'). If the player's total is the same as the dealer's total, this is a 'stand-off and neither party wins nor loses. If a player goes over 21 or the dealer has a greater score, the player loses.

The dealer plays according to a strict set of rules. In particular, dealers must take another card if their hand totals 16 or less, or they must stand (not take any more cards) if their hand totals 17 or more.

A 'blackjack' or natural is a total of 21 on a player's first two cards (ie an ace and any 10 valued card). If the first two cards are of equal value a player may split these to form up to three separate hands. The player receives an additional card for each hand, however a wager equal to the original bet must be placed each time a player splits a hand. If a player splits a pair of aces, they can draw only one card. If a player splits a pair of aces and then draws a 10 valued card, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21. The distinction is important because a winning blackjack pays odds of 3 to 2. A player blackjack beats any dealer total, other than a dealer's blackjack, including a dealer score of 21. Ifboth a player and dealer make blackjack, the hand is a tie.

The player may double his original bet if his initial 2 cards or the initial 2 cards of a split pair have a total score of 9, 10 or 11 (provided the cards do not include an ace or blackjack). The additional bet must be equal to the original bet.

If the dealer's initial card is an ace, the player has an option of taking 'insurance' against the dealer having a possible blackjack. The betting limit is half of the original bet or less. If the dealer gets a blackjack, the player loses the original bet and is paid 2 to 1 on the 'insurance' bet. If the dealer has no blackjack, the 'insurance' bet is regarded as a losing bet.

The player may 'surrender' by giving half of the original bet, provided that the dealer's first card is not an ace. An indication of surrender must be made immediately after the initial 2 cards are dealt to the player.

In both baccarat and blackjack, each player is pitted against the dealer, that is, the players are not pitted against each other.

Every aspect of gaming in casinos is heavily regulated. For example, in European and American casinos, regulations dictate that only the player holding a hand of cards is permitted to bet on that hand. Conversely in Asian casinos, regulations often allow others to bet on the player's hand, but this can prove to be difficult for the dealer to manage given that the dealer cannot use a calculator and must mentally calculate the pay-outs on multiple bets. The number and types of betting permitted are often limited by the dealer's capacity for multiple mental calculations.

Automatic gaming systems and methods of the prior art do exist, however these systems are characterised by having very regimented structure. Typically they include features such as mandatory automatic betting and very little flexibility with respect to provision of a jackpot. For example WO 2000/35545 is typical of the systems of the prior art. WO 200/35545 provides a method for playing blackjack with one or more different side wagers and optionally, a progressive jackpot. However the side bets are dependent on having qualifying hands with both the dealer and the player which makes the side betting quite confusing. Furthermore the jackpot is typical of the rigid structure of the prior art and dependent on the contribution of a fixed percentage of each side wager. It relies on a high and progressive prize pay-out structure, implying that it is more difficult to win the side bet.

Another example of a system of the prior art is US-5,098,107 which relates to a method of card playing that includes only limited side betting. Specifically the side bet is based only on limited parameters such as whether the player's first two cards will be of the same suit. The side bets are limited to the player's hand, not the dealer's and there is no combination of side bets. Furthermore there is no progressive jackpot.

In yet another example of the system of the prior art, WO 2003/045512 relates to a gaming system that includes two automatic wagering facilities with a fixed portion of the wagers being accumulated in a pooled jackpot. The jackpot also accumulates on a time basis - the assumption being that if the jackpot is big enough the game will automatically attract players. But this does not guarantee that sufficient reserve funds can be built up to achieve a big jackpot.

There is therefore a need for a system that provides players with more latitude for gaming, including more options and choices for placing bets on card games and a jackpot structure that engenders interest in the gaming.

SUMMARY

According to the present invention there is provided a method for electronic gaming in a computer network comprising the steps of:

(a) registering player information for a card game,

(b) dealing one or more cards to the player in accordance with the rules of the card game,

(c) offering the player two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game,

(d) receiving one or more bets from the player, (e) calculating a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets, and

(f) comparing the tally against predetermined Jackpot values

wherein the player interfaces with the computer network via at least one terminal.

The present invention also provides a system for electronic gaming in a computer network, the system comprising,

(a) a server,

(b) one or more player terminals located in one or more player locations, wherein the server,

(c) receives player registration information for a card game from one or more player terminals,

(d) communicates to the one or more player terminals the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game,

(e) communicates two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals,

(f) receives one or more bets from the one or more player terminals,

(g) calculates a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets, and

(h) compares the tally against predetermined Jackpot values. The present invention also provides a method for electronic gaming in a computer network comprising,

(a) communicating registration information for a card game from one or more player terminals in one or more player locations,

(b) communicating to the one or more player terminals the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game, (c) communicating two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals,

(d) communicating one or more bets from the one or more player terminals, and (e) communicating to the one or more player terminals, a tally calculated based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets.

The present invention also provides computer readable media including computer executable code for configuring a processor to perform a method as described above.

The present invention also provides an electronic gaming system including a processor configured for:

(a) registering player registration data received from one or more player terminals in relation to a game;

(b) generating game data representing the dealing of one or more cards to the player in accordance with rules data for said game; (c) generating options data representing two or more betting options in respect of said game;

(d) receiving, from one or more of said terminals, gaming input data representing one or more selected betting options from one or more of said player terminals; (e) generating tally data representing a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets; and

(f) generating, based on a comparison of the tally data against jackpot data representing predetermined jackpot values, award data representing an award for at least one of said player terminals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the components of the gaming system; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the modules in the gaming server of the system;

Figure 3A is an exemplary consolidated betting user interface generated by the gaming system;

Figure 3 B is an exemplary baccarat game user interface generated by the gaming system;

Figure 3C is an exemplary Baccarat Game Derivative user interface with Progressive Jackpot generated by the gaming system;

Figure 3D is an exemplary Baccarat Game Derivative user interface with Numbers Betting Option generated by the gaming system; Figure 3E is another exemplary Baccarat Game Derivative user interface with

Numbers Betting Option generated by the gaming system;

Figure 3F is yet another exemplary Baccarat Game Derivative user interface with Numbers Betting Option generated by the gaming system; and

Figure 3 G is an exemplary user interface generated by the gaming system for a Blackjack game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A gaming system 100, as shown in Figure 1, includes a gaming server 102, one or more operational user terminals 104, and one or more player terminals 106. The gaming server 102 communicates with terminals 104, 106 and 110 via a direct communications connections or a communications network 108 (e.g. the Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a wireless communications network such as an 802.11a/b/g or mobile telecommunications network, or a combination of different communications networks using any communications protocol). The gaming server 102 is a standard computer including at least one processor and memory (e.g. a combination of physical storage media such as a hard disk, random access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory (ROM)). The gaming server 102 may be a standard server in a LAN environment, or optionally, the gaming server 102 may include at least one processor that is configured to operate as a web server (e.g. running Apache <http://www.apache.org>). The gaming server 102 includes a database 114, such as a relational database (e.g. MySQL <http://www.mvsql.org>) or any other suitable database (including any non-relational database). Each of the terminals 104 and 106 may be a dedicated computing terminal, or a standard computer (such as that provided by IBM Corporation <http ://www.ibm.com>) running a standard operating system, such as Windows™ or Unix), or a processor incorporated into a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), television set (e.g. one having an interactive betting device or interface), or any other suitable stationery or handheld device.

The gaming system 100 may also include a dealer terminal 110 which receives card data representing one or more playing cards from the playing card reader 112. The dealer terminal 110 allows the dealer/croupier to control the progress of the electronic table game, such as opening of a new game or closing a game to prevent players from submitting further bets. Results may be manually keyed-in using the dealer terminal software, or fed into the dealer terminal 110 based on the data transmitted by the playing card reader 112. The operational user terminals 104 allow casino users to perform various system configurations The gaming server 102, as shown in Figure 2, includes at least one processor 200 for executing one or more processes for providing different electronic games to one or more player terminals 106 (each terminal 106 being controlled by human players) over the network 108. The processor 200 performs processes under the control of the one or more software modules stored in the memory (e.g. including physical storage media such as a hard disk, random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)) of the gaming server 102. As shown in Figure 2, the processor 200 is controlled by a terminal control module 202, terminal parameters setting module 204, game control host module 206, game parameters host setting module 208, game control derivative module 210, game parameters derivative setting module 212, game management module 214, player database management module 216 and (optionally) a random seed generator 218 (e.g. for generating random seed numbers). The processor 200 communicates with a network interface module 220 which enables the processor 200 to send and receive data to and from the terminals 104, 106 and 110 via the network 108.

The processes performed by the processor 200 include:

(a) generating display data for sending to the player terminals 106; (b) receiving and processing gaming input data from player terminals 106 (the gaming input data representing a selection of one or more options (e.g. betting options));

(c) registering player registration data received from one or more player terminals in relation to a game;

(d) generating game data representing the dealing of one or more cards to the player in accordance with rules data for the game;

(e) generating options data representing two or more betting options in respect of the game; (f) receiving, from one or more of the terminals, gaming input data representing one or more selected betting options from one or more of the player terminals;

(g) generating tally data representing a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets; (h) generating, based on a comparison of the tally data against jackpot data representing predetermined jackpot values, award data representing an award for at least one of the player terminals. The award may include a monetary jackpot prize, or any other form of reward (e.g. gaming credits);

(i) receiving and processing configuration data from the operational user terminals 104; and

(j) receiving and processing card data from the dealer terminal 110.

Within the virtual electronic gaming environment, each players are provided with the incentive of jackpots and a greater range of betting options than are available in actual gaming environments, such as at an actual gaming table in a casino. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the processes performed by processor 200 under the control of the modules 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216 and 218 can also be executed at least in part by dedicated hardware circuits, such as but not limited to Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or alternatively by more than one servers (including its own processor(s)) depending on the scale of the network 108 (or wide area network) where applicable. Typically the player terminals 106 connected to the gaming server 102 via the network 108 may be organised into 'virtual tables' where groups of players can simultaneously play at least one game in common. Preferably each virtual table has a fixed number of player terminals 106, for example, seven or more player terminals per virtual table. The virtual tables may be linked. Large area networks and the internet provide for example, for thousands of players to be linked to a single virtual table or alternatively a number of virtual tables. Alternatively, individual tables or clusters of tables can be linked. This is particularly advantageous for configuring progressive jackpots (see below).

The gaming system 100 allows players (i.e. persons controlling player terminals 106) to place bets (e.g. side bets) on the possible outcomes of various betting options. Players can either bet on the occurrence of various events (e.g. pair, flush, straights, or different card aggregates) based on the first two cards dealt to the player or the banker, and to make the game more interesting, each player is not limited to only betting on the outcome of his/her own cards. The players and the player terminals 106 they access may be in any location, for example, within the gaming room of a casino, or in facilities external to a casino. A player holds one hand of cards only (for each player terminal 106), although a player may play on a few terminals at the same time (e.g. on both a physical terminal and using a mobile hand-held device) using different authenticated log-in player identifiers. A preferred embodiment of the gaming system 100 relates to card games, particularly so- called 'two-card' games such as baccarat and blackjack. With respect to card games, the gaming system 100 performs a method for electronic gaming in a network 108 comprising the steps of:

(a) registering player information for a card game,

(d) receiving one or more bets from the player,

(e) calculating a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets, (f) comparing the tally against predetermined progressive Jackpot values as well as allocating progressive jackpot reserves, current progressive jackpot(s) and house percentage wins from winnings from jackpot bets and/or non-jackpot bets; and

(g) performing calculations of gaming duties due (if any), as well as any back-end gaming accounting functions (as required).

The jackpot may be expressed in terms of a monetary value or credits that equate to, or can be redeemed for a monetary value. The tally may be calculated in terms of credits/debits, or numerical values, for example, based on numerical values allocated to each of the cards dealt or may be expressed in terms of the type of card (King, Queen, Jack, Ace or face card) and/or suit of the card. The players may place their bets by any convenient means, such as by citing monetary values or by using 'virtual chips'. Because the gaming system 100 does not involve the use of real coins and notes, players at the low end of the market can be permitted to place very small denomination 'micro' bets, for example as low as $0.10. The gaming system 100 provides advantages for effective game administration in terms of:

• the use of virtual chips to eliminate the inventory issues associated with real chips;

• automation of calculation of bets committed and pay-outs to be effected, thereby reducing arithmetic errors attributed to manual handling of chips in a conventional table game;

• management of value-added services such as a loyalty management program for the players; and/or

• provision and management of 'micro-betting' using small denominations such as $0.10 per betting option with the provision of a minimum total bet of, say, $2 per game.

The gaming system 100 may also include the steps of linking a player with other players to form a virtual table.

The method performed by the gaming system 100 may also include the following steps:

(g) registering player information for the card game; (h) offering the player two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game being played by the player; and

(i) receiving one or more bets from the player.

Typically the method performed by the gaming system 100 will include the following features:

• a wider range of betting options - for example, when the card game is baccarat the method of the present invention may offers more than the 3 betting options (Banker, Player, Tie) permitted when baccarat is played at a casino card games,

• creation of greater excitement via the incorporation of jackpot in the game that is, a sum of money or credits that can allocated to a player based on the value of the tally - a feature not included when live bankers are used in actual casino card games, and

• the option of adjusting the jackpot size in accordance to the targeted market segment. For example a larger jackpot can be provided for players who prefers large jackpot and a smaller jackpot can be provided for players who prefers a higher probability of hitting Jackpots, albeit smaller ones. The jackpot size is determined by reference to the jackpot structure and the game design, rather than the size of the bets. For example, the jackpot size is adjusted to a size desirable by the market which in turn governs the number of virtual tables required to ensure the occurrence of the jackpot events in a sufficiently frequent manner so as to maintain sufficient interest in the game. The probability of hitting the Jackpot can be adjusted by variation of the number of cards per game and/or variation of the rules that trigger the jackpot. Preferably, jackpots are not triggered off by tally limits, but depends on the occurrence of a predetermined outcome which is governed by the probability of occurrence;

• The option of allocating progressive jackpot reserves, current progressive jackpot(s) and house percentage wins from winnings from jackpot bets and/or non- jackpot bets, including the option to set a maximum limit to the jackpot.

The method of electronic gaming performed by the gaming system 100 permits a player (controlling a player terminal 106) to access multiple screens (each screen relating to a game) in order to simultaneously play two or more side bets simultaneously together with the primary game (e.g. Baccarat/Blackjack). For example, the player may play (using the player terminal 106) a conventional game of baccarat on one screen (with the betting options that would be applied at an actual casino table) or a second game of baccarat (including expanded betting options and jackpot) on another screen. Thus the player can participate in a game derivative (i.e. side bets) provided by the gaming system 100 at the same time as playing the prior art form of the game.

For the House, the method performed by the gaming system 100 has the following advantages: (i) the option of allowing players to play games provided by the gaming system 100 at the same time as playing the prior art format of popular casino card games,

(ii) the option of introducing a range of betting options with different odds to make a card game provided by the gaming system 100 more interesting and thus attract more bets per game; a phenomenon similar to that of roulette game when players 'sprinkle' chips on the betting table for various betting options. In this case, the chips will be 'virtual' via the player terminals 106, and

(iii) the introduction of Jackpot to attract players to the game, in particular, when the Jackpot is a sizable figure. For example, if the Jackpot increases as a game progresses between players at a virtual table, the size of the Jackpot may become so large that new players are attracted to join the virtual table.

Typically the method of the present invention allows the House to adjust the Jackpot size (e.g. using one of the operation user terminals 104) in accordance to any preferred criteria, such as the nature of the market segment targeted. For example, if the players can access terminals 106 in a casino, the terminals 106 located in a particular room (e.g. an International Room) could provide large Jackpots while the gaming area for the general public could provide terminals 106 having low to medium size Jackpots. Typically the odds for winning the Jackpot in baccarat played according to the present invention could be:

• as low as 1,238 to one which is the chances of either the banker or the player getting 3 King's from six decks of playing cards; • as high as 620,620 to one which is the chances the player (irrespective of the outcome of the banker's cards) getting 3 King's of Spade from 3 decks of playing cards;

• a medium jackpot range with, say, around 155,155 to one which is the chances of a player (irrespective of the outcome of the banker's cards) getting 3 King's flush from 3 decks of playing cards) winning odds can also be configured; or

• any other suitable jackpot size such as but not limited to those illustrated in Table

2.

Further examples of game theoretical odds are listed in Table 2. A single game can have more than one Jackpot by varying the game design or the tally values at which the Jackpots are triggered.

The electronic gaming method performed by the gaming system 100 also allows for the linking of virtual tables (i.e. the ability for players from different virtual tables conducting different games (e.g. different baccarat or blackjack games) to share the same (wide-area) progressive jackpot). For example, different tables playing different poker games may share the same jackpot. The ability to adjust the Jackpot size also allows for flexibility with respect to the number of virtual tables linked. Typically, the linked tables offer similar games and the House has the choice of virtual tables to be linked depend on the desired frequency of jackpot hits. For example, typically the larger the jackpot size, the more virtual tables are linked to the jackpot to ensure the frequency of occurrence of a jackpot is sufficient high to attract players. Typically, the smaller the jackpot size, the fewer the virtual tables linked to the gaming system 100 is necessary to ensure a reasonable frequency of jackpot hits (e.g. to maintain the players' interest in the game). The higher frequency of hits may be desirable to ensure more players win jackpots, and thus retain the interest of the players.

In a preferred embodiment of the gaming system 100, a player can either bet through only one screen per game or two or more screens per game by toggling forward and backward to different betting screens. The House can tailor the betting screen in accordance with market preference for single versus multiple betting screens. Jackpots

The Jackpot triggering mechanism may be defined by the gaming operator by defining the winning Jackpot event concurrence. The Jackpot trigger chosen will depend on various factors including the preferred jackpot size and the jackpot triggering event because different triggers have different probabilities of occurrence. For example, the gaming system 100 could be configured to provide a card game (such as baccarat) where the system 100 generates game data representing the dealing of one or more cards in accordance with the rules data for that game. The rules data defines the rules for a game, and controls the processor 200 to generate jackpots when triggered by any combination of one or more of the following events (or any other suitable Jackpot combination thereof):

(i) 3 x King's (flush or non-flush) in player's hand OR Player's / Banker's hand;

(ii) 3 x Queen's (flush or non-flush) in player's hand OR Player's / Banker's hand;

(iii) 3 x Jack's (flush or non-flush) in player's hand OR Player's / Banker's hand;

(iv) 3 x Ace's (flush or non-flush) in player's hand OR Player' s / Banker's hand; (v) 3 "auspicious" cards such as 3 x "8"'s or 3 x "3"'s (flush or non-flush) in the player's hand or the player / banker's hand;

(vi) Banker and player each holding a pair which may be:

• non-similar pairs (flush or non-flush);

• similar pairs (flush or non-flush); or

• the same (flush); eg. 2 x Kings spades in both player's and banker's hand in a game with at least 4 decks of cards;

(vii) 3 -card "Royal Flush" (Queen + King + Ace: Same suite) in player's hand;

(viii) Banker and player each holding a 3-card "Royal Flush"; and

(ix) all sorts of other predefined jackpot conditions depending on the desired Jackpot configuration and envisaged number of decks of cards used in each game. In situations where two players and/or the banker have the winning Jackpot configuration, the Jackpot pay-outs will typically be pari-mutuel that is, the Jackpot prize is shared amongst the winning players.

The Jackpot size may also dependent on factors such as size of number of decks of cards from which cards are dealt for each game cycle, which starts from as small as one deck of card, to about 6 or 8 decks. For a defined number of decks of cards from which the cards are dealt, the Jackpot size can be configured to have higher odds or lower odds. For example, the occurrence of 3 Kings of the same suite (ie. 3 x Kings flush) has a much lower probability of occurrence of 3 x Kings of any suite, (i.e. 3 x Kings non-flush) from a population of at least 3 decks of cards.

Sample game theoretical odds and payment structure of various occurrence of "Jackpot" events in the player's cards using variations of 3 x Kings (flush, non-flush, Spade only) has been provided in Tables 2 and 3. For simplicity, only the nominal odds are shown in Tables 2 and 3. The odds are actually higher depending on the underlying host game, due to occurrence of "Natural 8 or 9" in the case of baccarat derivative game. However, the rules of a game provided by the gaming system 100 may be slightly modified to accommodate the special jackpot drawing of a third card if desired.

For large and small jackpots, virtual tables having similar configuration can be linked together so as to pool the bets from each electronic table into the jackpot. Virtual tables having similar configurations implies virtual tables with same number of decks of card from which cards are dealt (electronically or manual) as well as similar jackpot triggering mechanism.

Where the gaming system 100 is configured to provide games such as baccarat, and where there is only one player or one banker, the pay-out of the Jackpots are typically pari- mutuel; i.e. players betting on the Jackpot options will share the jackpot if they win.

Similarly, for games such as blackjack, the gaming system 100 may be configured so that jackpot wins occur at each individual player terminal in a multi-player or multi-table virtual environment, the jackpot win being shared between players holding the winning jackpot combinations (e.g. "6" + "7" + "8" of spades). The gaming system 100 may limit the jackpot win to one player in a multiple deck playing card environment replacing the 'extra' copies of, say, "6" + "7" + "8" of spades with "6" + "7" + "8" of hearts / diamonds / clubs. In this case the odds of a jackpot win increases depending on the number of decks of cards used for each game.

In the case of blackjack with a jackpot, the gaming system 100 may allow a player to win the jackpot, but lose on the primary blackjack game because the House happens to draw a blackjack.

For simplicity of game management and control, the game may consist on one virtual table only with players betting on the various betting options on the same game using different terminals.

The percentage of a progressive jackpot that is retained by the House is typically 10% to 30%, the precise percentage being set by the House. A certain percentage of the jackpot win may also be allocated to jackpot reserves for contribution to future jackpots once the current jackpot has been struck so that the new jackpot does not start from zero winnings. In a preferred embodiment, the gaming system 100 is configured to provide card games (such as the so-called 'two-card' games including baccarat and blackjack). With respect to card games, the gaming system 100 (for operation in a network 108) comprising:

(a) a server,

(b) one or more localised or remote player terminals located in one or more localised or remote player locations, wherein the server:

(c) receives player registration data for a card game from one or more player terminals;

(d) communicates to the one or more player terminals the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game;

(e) communicates two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals;

(f) receives one or more bets from the one or more player terminals, (g) calculates a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets;

(h) comparing the tally against predetermined progressive jackpot values as well as allocating progressive jackpot reserves, current progressive jackpot(s), house percentage wins from winnings from jackpot bets and/or non-jackpot bets; and

(i) performing calculations of gaming duties due (if any), as well as any back-end gaming accounting functions (as required).

The cards may be dealt electronically by the gaming server 102, or alternatively the cards may be dealt manually by a dealer who communicates the identity of the cards to the server 102, for example by an optical card reader 112 or by pressing a key corresponding to the relevant card being dealt.

The gaming server 102 may perform the following additional steps of:

G) receiving from the one or more players payment of money for registration and/or bets, and (k) forwarding payment based on the tally to the one or more players.

In a preferred embodiment, the gaming system 100 includes the hardware configuration depicted in Figure 1.

The operational user terminal allows the House to perform various system configurations. In this embodiment all system configurations are processed in the host server and relevant configuration data is stored in a host database.

The dealer may be real or virtual (a function of the server). When the dealer is a real person, the dealer terminal 110 allows the dealer to control the progress of the game at the virtual table, such as opening of a new game or closing a game to prevent players to submit bets. Results may be manually keyed-in using the dealer terminal software or fed into the gaming server 102 based on the data transmitted via the playing card reader interface. All commands submitted at the dealer terminal are relayed back to the host computer to be processed before any updates are sent to the player terminals.

The player terminal acts as an interface to allow logged-on customers to submit their bets. The player terminal also displays the game result and other relevant game information to the players. The player betting transactions are sent to the host server for processing and the players' betting information is kept in the host database. It is recommended that the player terminal supports touch-screen for data input, i.e. for entering, cancelling or changing bets. In a preferred embodiment the processor 200 of the gaming server 102 operates under the control of the modules depicted in Figure 2. The modules are described in further detail as follows:

(A) Terminal Control Module

The Terminal Control Module 202 controls the configuration of the player terminals 106 including:

(i) the activation or deactivation of number of "player" terminals per gaming "virtual table"; e.g. up to 7 active "player" terminals per "electronic table":

(a) A virtual table may for example, be a cluster of player terminals 106 located physically at each physical table, and/or the system may have one very big virtual table with a cluster of up to, say, a thousand terminals and one big projector screen showing the cards dealt electronically from a deck of cards or multiple decks of cards as necessary depending on the configuration of the game;

(b) Alternatively, in an internet online gaming environment, clusters of virtual tables may be set by, for example, setting a maximum limit of 7 terminals per virtual table, each of these table being linked to the same jackpot pool.

(ii) the configuration of a banker (dealer) terminal for each virtual table;

(in) the configuration of maximum and minimum betting limits for each virtual table at different times of the day;

(iv) the configuration of betting denominations (eg. $0.01, $0.10, $0.20, $0.50, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100) for each player terminal and/or for each virtual table at different times of the day;

(v) the linking of each player terminal 106 to a specific jackpot; (vi) the configuration of the maximum number of player terminals 106 for each specific jackpot (in particular, under the internet environment);

(vii) the configuration of reward (loyalty) points for players betting at each player terminal 106 at different times of the day based on parameters such as amount bet, time spent at the virtual table, betting losses and/or betting wins, loyalty card type

(eg. platinum, gold, silver or generic);

(viii) the configuration of the graphical interface generates for each player terminal 106, such as the toggling of different screens (for example, as depicted in Figures 3 C, 3 E and/or 3G) for each game or, alternatively the display of a consolidated screen (for example, as depicted in Figure 3A);

(ix) the configuration of the player terminal 106 interface, if any; and

(x) the configuration of wired or wireless projector (screen) terminal 106 interface, if any.

(B) Host Game Control Module The Host Game Control Module 206 generates rules data that defines the rules of the game hosted on the gaming server 102, such as baccarat. The rules defined by the rules data may include:

• the configuration of different number of decks of cards played at each "table";

• the criteria for wining / losing hands for the banker and the player;

• the configuration of pay-outs for various wining combinations.

(C) Random Seed Generator

The Random Seed Generator 218 provides the random seed(s) for the multiple shuffling of the deck(s) of cards used for each game.

The Random Seed Generator 218 is optional. It can be switched on if the "drawing" of cards is fully automatic, e.g. during peak season at the casino common gaming area. It can be switched off if the "drawing" of card is manual, e.g. for premium customers in the premium gaming area. (D) Playing Card Reader (Optional)

The network interface module 220 of the gaming server 102 may communicate with the dealer terminal 110, which receives card data (representing a playing card) read by the playing card reader 112. The playing card reader 112 is an optional module that provides data to the gaming server 102 based on playing cards which are drawn manually. The playing card reader 112 is connected to the dealer terminal 110 where an interface communicates the card data to the gaming server 102. The playing cards for use with the card reader 112 may be specially designed with optical marks representing different playing cards (eg. Ace of Spade, King of Heart, etc) which are scanned by an optical reader.

The optical card reader 112 translates the optical marks read to card description data and furnishes the data to the gaming server 102 for further processing. The device 112 is only used when manual drawing of playing cards is adopted. It is not used when the Random Seed Generator 218 is used for the triggering of the drawing of random (electronic) playing cards.

The gaming server 102 receives and processes the card data, and then generates (based on the card data) and sends display data to the connected player terminals 106 for generating a display at the terminal 106. Using the card data that was received from the gaming server 102, the software installed on the player terminals 106 processes the appropriate card image for display and animation.

As a back-up, in case the optical card reader 112 mal-functions, provisions can be made for manual keying in of cards drawn by the dealer's assistant using the dealer terminal 110 (as shown in Figure 1).

(E) Derivative Game Control Module

The Derivative Game Control module 210 may also generate rules data that defines the rules of the game offered by the gaming system 100. The rules defined by the rules data may include:

(i) the criteria for Jackpot wins (single or multiple levels of Jackpots); for example,

Jackpot wins dependent on outcome of the cards dealt to the banker or player versus Jackpot wins dependent only on outcome of the cards dealt to the player; as well as setting of jackpot winning card combination (for example,. 3x Kings flush versus 3 x Kings non-flush versus 3 x Kings Spade; or different or similar winning combinations based on the cards dealt to the banker and player as outlined previously in relation to the jackpot; (ii) the configuration of jackpot pay-out regime including resetting of minimum jackpot pay-out and House's edge, including the setting of the House's jackpot retention percentage (eg. 10 — 30%) with the balance going into a progressive jackpot pool;

(iii) the criteria and pay-outs for different types of winning combinations (for example, pair, flush, matching points of first two cards dealt to banker or player, etc - as shown in Figures 3C, 3E, 3F and 3G); and

(iv) the number of deck of cards played at each virtual table including computation of the various winning combinations depending on the cards dealt to the banker or player; this is to be consistent with the number of decks of cards specified by the Host Game Control Module 206.

(F) Game Management Module

The Game Management Module 214 provides for the management of the game including:-

(i) Generating tally data representing a calculated tally and recording of total takes (amount of monies bet), total wins and total pay-outs; (ii) Recording of statistical records of winnings and pay-outs for each winning combination or event relating to the banker and player;

(iii) Providing parameter setting for alarm activation for unusual occurrences; e.g. greater than 2 standard deviations from expected occurrences;

(iv) Provision of online updates of the relevant fields of player's database (controlled by the player database management module 206) for loyalty management purposes; these may include date of game played, type of game played, total bets, total winnings / losses, average bets, length (time) of play, loyalty points awarded;

(v) Calculation and recording of gaming duties due to the relevant regulatory authorities; (vi) Configuration of how previous cards dealt are to be displayed on each betting (player) terminal 106;

(vii) Displaying the time left during a game for laying bets at player terminals 106;

(viii) Controlling bets laid within time allowed for laying bets including accepting and rejecting bets and displaying meaning messages such as "No more Bets",

"Maximum Bets Laid" etc;

(ix) Provision of audit trail by recording all transactions done via each player terminal 106;

(x) Recording of previous betting options to allow for "Repeat" bets; (xi) Configuration of overall game pay-out structure with or without commission (eg. 5% commission).

(xii) Accepting and reading player's (gaming) card ID (when received in a player terminal 106) and retrieve the player's gaming credits available (if any) and transferring the credits to the player terminal 106; (xiii) Accepting coins and/or notes through a coin / cash bill validator and transferring the credits to the player terminal 106;

(xiv) Provision of "Cash-Out" facilities whether through transfer to credits to the player's account (if there is a player's card provided) or "Cancel Credit" (manual - if there is no card) or other forms of cash-out facilities such as "Ticket-In / Ticket- Out";

(xv) Provision of terminal maintenance and administrative facilities (eg. taking out of cash / coins from each player terminal 106.

(G) CPU

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) 200 represents the processing centre of the system 100. It manages and controls the various resources and application modules of the system 100.

In a preferred embodiment, the gaming system 100 performs a method for electronic gaming in a computer network 108 comprising: (a) communicating player registration data for a card game from one or more player terminals 106 in one or more player locations,

(b) communicating to the one or more player terminals 106 the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game, (c) communicating two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals 106,

(d) communicating one or more bets from the one or more player terminals 106, and

(e) communicating to the one or more player terminals 106, a tally calculated based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets. Typically the one or more players are linked to form a virtual table. A virtual table is a logical representation of a physical gaming table generated and managed by the gaming server 102. The cards on a virtual gaming table may be dealt electronically, or alternatively they may be dealt manually by a dealer who communicates the identity of the cards to the server, for example by an optical reader or by key punching. In another embodiment, the gaming system 100 performs a method for electronic gaming through a server 102 comprising,

(a) receiving player registration data for a card game from one or more player terminals 106 in one or more player locations,

(b) communicating to the one or more player terminals 106 the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game,

(c) communicating two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals 106,

(d) receiving one or more bets from the one or more player terminals 106,

(e) calculating a tally calculated based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets, and

(f) comparing the tally against predetermined progressive jackpot values as well as allocating progressive jackpot reserves, current progressive jackpot(s), house percentage wins from winnings from jackpot bets and/or non-jackpot bets; and (g) performing calculations of gaming duties due (if any), as well as any back-end gaming accounting functions (as required).

Examples

Various embodiments/aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting examples and drawings.

Example 1

In this example, the gaming system 100 is configured to provide a game of baccarat. In this embodiment the player can for a single game of baccarat, play according to (a) the same rules that would apply at a real table in a casino, and (b) according to the method of executed by the gaming system 100 including the expanded betting options and jackpots. The outcomes of (a) and (b) are independent when separate bets are placed on each of the different betting options.

The calculation of various pay-outs for different betting options are automated and payouts are computed and effected accordingly to the end of each game cycle. To start, each of the players and the banker are dealt 2 cards at the start of the game. Playing according to (a) allows a player to bet on the standard traditional options of 'banker', 'player' or 'tie', that is, the outcome of their own cards. Playing according to (b) allows the player to bet the occurrence of various other events such as (such as pair, flush, straights, different card aggregates). Thus overall, (a) and (b) can be played simultaneously so the player has options such as:

(a) betting on 'banker', 'player' or 'tie' as per the traditional baccarat game;

(b) the traditional baccarat betting options plus the progressive Jackpot as shown in Figure 3 C with or without betting options such as ""Flush", "Straight", "Pair" &/or "Straight Flush" or combinations thereof. The screen shot 300 shown in Figure 3 C includes a banker/player/tie result trend portion 302, a first portion 304 for indicating the cards drawn in the previous game, a second portion 306 for indicating the game derivative secondary bets that have been made, a third portion 308 for indicating the game derivative progressive jackpot bets, and a fourth portion 310 representing a wager summary table; (c) the traditional baccarat betting options together with betting options such as "Flush", "Straight", "Pair" &/or "Straight Flush" without the Progressive Jackpot;

(d) the traditional baccarat betting options with a numbers betting options (as shown in Figure 3E). The configuration of the range of number is flexible and some numbers may be omitted (eg. [0] and [18]) to give the House an additional edge against the player as well as providing the House with an advantage via variations on the pay-out structure for winning bets.

(e) the traditional baccarat betting options incorporating all the other game derivatives (for example, those in Figure 3A) such as options for the "expert players". These options make the game more interesting because player is not to be restricted only to betting on the outcome of his/her own cards based on the traditional Baccarat game only.

A tally is calculated based on the value allocated to the cards dealt. Based on this tally, the player may either lose their bet, receive a pay-out on their bet or receive a jackpot. The tally may be cumulative, rolling over from one game to the next as in the case of a progressive jackpot after allocations to progressive jackpot reserves, current progressive jackpot(s), house percentage wins from winnings from jackpot bets and/or non-jackpot bets.

Depending on the house edge imputed into the game, a sample game theoretical outcome and corresponding payment structure is followed according to Table 2, which sets out the game theoretical odds, and in Table 3 (based on a house advantage of 30%) which sets out the pay-out structure various numbers of decks of cards used in each game. The pay-out may be modified in accordance with the value of the house advantage, which may be adjusted to suit the market environment (e.g. a lower house advantage for a more competitive gaming environment). Alternatively, a mixture or a range of house advantage may be incorporated in the pay-out structure for various possible outcomes of the game.

A sample consolidated game screen design is shown in Figure 3A. In Figures 3A to 3F, "P" represents Player, "B" represents Banker and "T" represents Tie in the summary of results at the top portion of these screen representations. In Figures 3C to 3F, "P" represents Player and "B" represents Banker in the summary of bets at the lower left portion of these screen representations. This screen design may be 'dissected' in two or more screens as per Figures 3C, 3E and 3G, the choice of screen depending on the preference of the gaming operator as well as market response and/or feedback from the customers. The screen design / customer's interface may be modified appropriately so as to enable the customers to play intuitively and/or understand the game easily. It is advised that for multiple screen betting, no more than three screens should be used or the customer may have difficulty in keep track of what they have bet for each game.

In this embodiment the jackpot trigger may be adjusted depending on the market segments target provides the gaming operator a more effective marketing tool. For example, referring to Table 2 the winning odds for Jackpot can be:

• as low as 1,238 to one which is the chances of either the banker or the player getting 3 King's from six decks of playing cards or;

• it can be as high as 620,620 to one which is the chances the player (irrespective of the outcome of the banker's cards) getting 3 King's of Spade from 3 decks of playing cards;

• it can be of a medium jackpot range with, say, around 155,155 to one which is the chances of a player (irrespective of the outcome of the banker's cards) getting 3 King's flush from 3 decks of playing cards) winning odds can also be configured; or

• it can be even higher (e.g. as high as approximately 9 million to 26 million to one odds, or with higher odds if required depending on modifications to the game design and/or Jackpot triggering rules, as shown in Table 1 and as explained below).

It is noted that there will be a difference between a game with a jackpot defined by say, 3 Kings versus another game having a Jackpot defined by occurrence of 2 Kings in each of the banker's and player's hands.

For large jackpot configurations, the baccarat game can, for example, be played over the internet or a computer network in a large casino or a wide area network linking a few casinos distributed within a designated region or country. The internet/ computer network/wide area network allows for a wide range of linkages of virtual tables, such as one virtual table 'servicing' thousands of player terminals or different clusters of tables, all contributing to one big Jackpot. For example, in the present example the baccarat game involves the dealing of cards from 30 decks of cards whereby the jackpot is triggered by the occurrence of 2 x King spades in each of the banker's and player's hand after the first dealing of cards at the commencement of each game. This occurrence has a probability of 1 in 8,969,861 which is appropriate for a game configured with a high jackpot.

Different large jackpot configurations for Internet/wide area network type configurations can be set up similarly as per the sample jackpot configurations are set out in Table 1.

To ensure sufficient "cover" for the striking of the jackpot, additional table clusters with similar configurations can be set-up over the internet or similar wide-area network to ensure that the frequency of striking the jackpot is sufficiently frequent to attract players.

Example 2

In this example, the gaming system 100 is configured to provide blackjack games. In this embodiment the player can for a single game of blackjack, play according to (a) the same rules that would apply at a real table in a casino, and (b) according to the method executed by the gaming system 100 including the expanded betting options and jackpots. The outcomes of (a) and (b) are independent when separate bets are placed on each of the different betting options.

The calculation of various pay-outs for different betting options is automated and pay-outs are computed and effected accordingly to the end of each game. Playing according to (a) allows a player to bet on the standard traditional options on the outcome of their own cards as outlined previously. Playing according to (b) allows the player to bet the occurrence of various other events such as (such as pair, flush, straights, different card aggregates).

Thus overall, (a) and (b) can be played simultaneously so the player has options such as: (a) betting on the traditional blackjack betting options;

(b) the traditional blackjack betting options plus the progressive Jackpot with or without betting options such as ""Flush", "Straight", "Pair" &/or "Straight Flush" or combinations thereof; (c) the traditional blackjack betting options together with betting options such as ""Flush", "Straight", "Pair" &/or "Straight Flush" without the Progressive Jackpot;

(d) the traditional blackjack betting options with a numbers betting options (as shown in Figure 3E). The configuration of the range of number is flexible and some numbers may be omitted (eg. [0] and [18]) to give the House an additional edge against the player as well as providing the House with an advantage via variations on the pay-out structure for winning bets. However in view of the fact that the King, Queen, Jack and 10 are not counted as zero it is preferable to leave this option out to avoid confusing the players. (e) the traditional blackjack betting options incorporating all the other game derivatives such as options for the "expert players".

Appendix 1 describes the calculation of the jackpot odds for playing of (a) and (b) as described in Example 2. Figure 3G shows a sample screen design for playing blackjack according to the method set out in Example 2. The word 'comprising' and forms of the word 'comprising' as used in this description does not limit the invention claimed to exclude any variants or additions.

Modifications and improvements to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Table 1

Events Theoretical Hits : [x] decks of cards

1st 2 Cards Total Consolidated Occurrences with [x] decks of cards S?

Aggregated [X = 1] [X = 2] [x = 3] [x = 4] [X = 5] [x = 6] [X = 1] [x = 2] [x = 3] [x = 4] [x = 5] [x = 6]

Points Occur Occur Occur Occur Occur Occur

0 120 496 1,128 2,016 3,160 4,560 11.1 10.8 10.7 10.7 107 10.6

1 64 256 576 1,024 1,600 2,304 20.7 20.9 21.0 21.0 210 21.1

2 70 284 642 1,144 1,790 2,580 18.9 18.9 18.8 188 18.8 18.8

3 80 320 720 1,280 2,000 2,880 166 16.7 16.8 16.8 168 16.8

4 86 348 786 1,400 2,190 3,156 154 154 15.4 15.4 154 15.4

5 96 384 864 1,536 2,400 3,456 13.8 13.9 14.0 14.0 140 14.0

6 102 412 930 1,656 2,590 3,732 13.0 130 13.0 130 130 13.0

7 112 448 1,008 1,792 2,800 4,032 11.8 120 12.0 12.0 120 120

8 118 476 1,074 1,912 2,990 4,308 112 113 11.3 11.3 113 113 g 128 512 1,152 2,048 3,200 4,608 104 105 105 105 105 105

10 70 284 642 1,144 1,790 2,580 189 189 18.8 18.8 18.8 188

11 64 256 576 1,024 1,600 2,304 20.7 209 21.0 21.0 210 21 1

12 54 220 498 888 1,390 2,004 24.6 243 24.3 24.2 24.2 242

13 48 192 432 768 1,200 1,728 276 279 280 280 281 281

14 38 156 354 632 990 1,428 34.9 343 34.2 34.1 340 340

15 32 128 288 512 800 1,152 41.4 418 42.0 42.0 42.1 421

16 22 92 210 376 590 852 60.3 582 57.6 57.3 57.1 569

17 16 64 144 256 400 576 82.9 83.7 84.0 84.1 84.2 842

18 6 28 66 120 190 276 221.0 1913 1832 1794 1772 1758

1,326 5,356 12,090 21,528 33,670 48,516 675.3 6447 636.4 632.5 630.2 628.8

Pair 78 364 858 1,560 2,470 3,588 17.0 147 14.1 13.8 13.6 135

Flush 312 1,300 2,964 5,304 8,320 12,012 43 41 41 41 40 40

Straight 156 624 1,404 2,496 3,900 5,616 8.5 86 8.6 86 8.6 86

Straight Flush 52 208 468 832 1,300 1,872 25.5 258 25.8 25.9 259 259

Jackpot Plaver only

3 x "K¹¹S 4 56 220 560 1140 2024 5,525 3,252 2,821 2,640 2,540 2,477

3 x "K" Flush N/A N/A 4 16 40 80 N/A N/A 155,155 92,391 72,391 62,667

3 x "K" Spade N/A N/A 1 4 10 20 N/A N/A 620,620 369,564 289,562 250,666

Jackpot EITHER Plaver DR Banker

3 x "K"s 8 112 440 1120 2280 4048 2,763 1,626 1,411 1,320 1,270 1,238

3 x "K" Flush N/A N/A 8 32 80 160 N/A N/A 77,578 46,196 36,195 31,333

3 x "K" Spade N/A N/A 2 8 20 40 N/A N/A 310,310 184,782 144,781 125,333

Total 3 card 22,100 182,104 620,620 1,478,256 2,895,620 5,013,320 events

87360047 doc

Events Theoretical Pay-outs [x] decks of cards with house edge of 30%

1st 2 Cards ^' Total Consolidated Occurrences with [x] decks of cards for each unit of bet so

(X

Aggregated [x = 1] [X = 2] [x = 3] [x = 4] [x = 5] [x = 6] [x = 1] [x = 2] [x =3] [x = 4] [x = 5] [x = 6] re^*

Points Occur Occur Occur Occur Occur Occur

0 120 496 1,128 2,016 3,160 4,560 67 66 65 65 65 64

1 64 256 576 1,024 1,600 2,304 135 136 137 137 137 137

2 70 284 642 1,144 1,790 2,580 123 122 122 122 122 122

3 80 320 720 1,280 2,000 2,880 106 107 108 108 108 108

4 86 348 786 1,400 2,190 3,156 98 98 98 98 98 98

5 96 384 864 1,536 2,400 3,456 87 88 88 88 88 88

6 102 412 930 1,656 2,590 3,732 81 81 81 81 81 81

7 112 448 1,008 1,792 2,800 4,032 73 74 74 74 74 74

8 118 476 1,074 1,912 2,990 4,308 69 69 69 69 69 69

9 128 512 1,152 2,048 3,200 4,608 63 63 63 64 64 64

10 70 284 642 1,144 1,790 2,580 123 122 122 122 122 122

11 64 256 576 1,024 1,600 2,304 135 136 137 137 137 137

12 54 220 498 888 1,390 2,004 162 160 160 160 160 159

13 48 192 432 768 1,200 1,728 183 185 186 186 186 187

14 38 156 354 632 990 1,428 234 230 229 228 228 228

15 32 128 288 512 800 1,152 280 283 284 284 285 285 UJ

16 22 92 210 376 590 852 412 398 393 391 389 389 K)

17 16 64 144 256 400 576 570 576 578 579 579 580

18 6 28 66 120 190 276 1537 1329 1272 1246 1230 1220

1,326 5,356 12,090 21,528 33,670 48,516 4537 4323 4265 4237 4222 4211

Pair 78 364 858 1,560 2,470 3,588 109 93 89 87 85 85

Flush 312 1,300 2,964 5,304 8,320 12,012 20 19 19 18 18 18

Straight 156 624 1,404 2,496 3,900 5,616 50 50 50 50 50 50

Straight Flush 52 208 468 832 1,300 1,872 169 170 171 171 171 171

Jackpot Plaveronlv

3 X "K¹¹S 4 56 220 560 1140 2024 3,867 2275 1,974 1,847 1,777 1,733

3 x "K" Flush N/A N/A 4 16 40 80 N/A N/A 108,608 64,673 50,672 43,866

3 x "K" Spade N/A N/A 1 4 10 20 N/A N/A 434,433 258,694 202,692 175,465

Jackoot EITHER Plaver OR Banker

3 x 'K¹¹S 8 112 440 1120 2280 4048 1,933 1,137 986 923 888 866

3 x 'K" Flush N/A N/A 8 32 80 160 N/A N/A 54,303 32,336 25,336 21,932

3 x "K" Spade N/A N/A 2 8 20 40 N/A N/A 217,216 129,346 101,346 87,732

Total 3 card 22,100 182,104 620,620 1 478,256 2,895,620 5,013,320 events

1) Calculation of Jackpot Odds : "6"+'7"+"S" >

Assume 2 x 2 playing cards are dealt to two players, what is the jackpot odds if the occurrence of the Jackpot T§ depends on the occurrence of (i) 6 + 7 + 8 = 21; (ii) 6 + 7 + 8 Flush (same pattern); (iii) 6 + 7 + 8 spade α Player will only be given a third card if the first two card shows any combination of 6 + 7 + 8.

(a)

(b) Total 3-card combinations 22,100 182,104 620,620 1,478,256 2,895,620 5,013,320 combin(n x 52,3)

Combinations possible for υ->

0) 6 + 7 + 8 (any pattern) 64 512 1,728 4,096 8,000 13,824

(ϋ) 6 + 7 + 8 (same pattern) 4 32 108 256 500 864

(iϋ) 6 + 7 + 8 (spade) 1 8 27 64 125 216

Jackpot Odds : Occurrence of King's with Player only

(i) 6 + 7 + 8 (any pattern) [(b) / (i)] 345 356 359 361 362 363

(iii) 6 + 7 + 8 (same pattern) [(b) / (ii)] 5,525 5,691 5,746 5,774 5,791 5,802

(ϋ) 6 + 7 + 8 (spade) [(b) / (iii)] 22,100 22,763 22,986 23,098 23,165 23,210

Note : Jackpot odds can be increased by replacing some of the '6 + 7 + 8' spade cards with other '6 + 7 + 8¹ of different patterns in a multi-deck card game.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A method for electronic gaming in a computer network comprising the steps of,

(a) registering player information for a card game,

(d) receiving one or more bets from the player,

(e) calculating a tally based on predetermined values of the cards dealt to the player and/or the one or more player bets, and

(f) comparing the tally against predetermined Jackpot values wherein the player interfaces with the computer network via at least one terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein there are two or more players.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the two or more player interface with the computer network via two or more terminals connected via the network and organised into virtual tables.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the terminals are connected via the network into groups of players simultaneously playing at least one game in common.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one player who may place bets in respect of the two or more options for placing bets.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the card game is chosen from 'two-card' games.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the Jackpot value is expressed in terms chosen from the group comprising currency and credits representing a monetary value.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the tally is chosen from the group comprising credits, debits and numerical values.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims which additionally comprises the steps of:

(g) registering player information for the card game,

(h) offering the registered player two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game being played by the player, and

(i) receiving one or more bets from the registered player.

10. A method of electronic gaming according to any one of the previous claims wherein the player interfaces with the computer network via two or more terminals.

11. A method of electronic gaming according to any one of the previous claims wherein the player opens two or more screens at a single terminal and simultaneously plays two or more card games.

12. A method of electronic gaming according to any one of the previous claims which is run by a House and wherein the House can adjust the Jackpot size in accordance with any House preferred criteria.

13. A method of electronic gaming according to any of the previous claims wherein the odds of winning the Jackpot can be between 1,238 to one and an upper range of 26 million to one or higher as required.

14. A method of electronic gaming according to claim 3 wherein the Jackpot size is adjusted according to the number of virtual tables and/or players.

15. A method of electronic gaming according to any of the preceding claims wherein the Jackpot pay out is triggered by a predefined winning Jackpot event.

16. A method of electronic gaming according to claim 15 wherein the Jackpot event is the drawing of a hand chosen from any one or more of the following card combinations from the player's hand and/or the banker's hand

(i) 3 x King's (flush or non-flush),

(ii) 3 x Queen's (flush or non-flush),

(iii) 3 x Jack's (flush or non-flush),

(iv) 3 x Ace's (flush or non-flush),

(v) 3 "auspicious" cards, (vi) non-similar pairs (flush or non-flush), (vii) similar pairs (flush or non-flush), (viii) the same (flush), (ix) a 3 -card "Royal Flush", and (x) any other suitable jackpot combinations thereof.

17. A method according to any one of claims wherein the Jackpot pay out is shared amongst winning players.

18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the Jackpot pay out is paid to individual players.

19. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein player bets are pooled to form the Jackpot.

20. A method according to claim 3 wherein bets from groups of virtual tables are pooled to form the Jackpot.

21. A system for electronic gaming in a computer network, the system comprising,

(a) a server,

(b) one or more remote player terminals located in one or more remote player locations, wherein the server,

(f) receives one or more bets from the one or more player terminals,

(h) compares the tally against predetermined Jackpot values.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein the cards are dealt electronically by the server.

23. A system according to claim 21 wherein the cards are dealt manually by a dealer who communicates the identity of the cards to the server.

24 A system according to any one of claims 21 to 23 which includes the additional steps of the server;

(i) receiving from the one or more players, payment of money for bets, and (j) forwarding payment based on the tally to the one or more players.

25. A system according to claim 24 which further includes the step of the server receiving from the one or more players, payment of money for registration.

26. A system according to any one of claims 21 to 25 which further comprises one or more modules chosen from the group comprising,

(A) a terminal control module to control the configuration of the terminals,

(B) a host game control module to define the rules of the card game,

(C) a random seed generator to provide shuffling of the cards used for the card game,

(D) a playing card reader that provides date based on playing cards drawn manually,

(E) a game control module to define the rules of the game as played,

(F) a game management module to manage the card game, and

(G) a central processing unit.

27. A system according to claim 26 wherein the terminal control module controls the configuration of the terminals including functions chosen from the group comprising:

(i) the activation / deactivation of number of player terminals at a virtual table (ii) the configuration of a banker terminal for each virtual table;

(iii) the configuration of maximum and minimum betting limits for each virtual table at different times of the day; (iv) the configuration of betting denominations for each player terminal and for each virtual table at different times of the day;

(v) the linking of each player terminal to a specific jackpot;

(vi) the configuration of the maximum number of player terminals for each specific jackpot;

(vii) the configuration of reward points for players betting at each terminal at different times of the day based on predetermined parameters;

(viii) the configuration of the player's graphical terminal interface; (ix) the configuration of the player terminal interface; and (x) the configuration of wired or wireless projector terminal interface, and combinations thereof.

28 A system according to claim 25 wherein the rules defined by the host game control module are chosen from the group comprising;

(i) the configuration of different number of decks of cards played at each "table";

(ii) the criteria for wining / losing hands for the banker and the player; and (iii) the configuration of pay-outs for various wining combinations.

29. A system according to claim 27 wherein the game control module controls parameters chosen from the group comprising;

(i) the criteria for Jackpot wins; (ii) the configuration of jackpot pay-out regime;

(iii) the criteria and pay-outs for different types of winning combinations; and (iv) the number of deck of cards played, or combinations thereof.

30. A system according to claim 26 wherein the game management module provides functions chosen from the group comprising;

(i) calculation or the tally and recording of total takes, total wins and total payouts; (ii) recording of statistical records of winnings and pay-outs for each winning combination / event relating to the banker and player;

(iii) provision of parameter settings for alarm activation for unusual occurrences;

(iv) provision of online updates of the relevant fields of player's database for loyalty management purposes;

(v) calculation and recording of gaming duties due to the relevant regulatory authorities;

(vi) configuration of how previous cards dealt are to be displayed on each betting (player) terminal;

(vii) displaying the time left during a game for laying bets at player terminals; (viii) controlling bets laid within time allowed for laying;

(ix) provision of audit trail by recording all transactions done via each player terminal;

(x) recording of previous betting options to allow for "Repeat" bets;

(xi) configuration of overall game pay-out structure with or without commission;

(xii) accepting and reading player's card ID and retrieve the player's gaming credits and transferring the credits to the player terminal;

(xiii) accepting money through a money validator and transferring the credits to the player terminal;

(xiv) provision of cash-out facilities; and

(xv) provision of terminal maintenance and administrative facilities, and combinations thereof.

31. A method for electronic gaming in a computer network comprising,

(d) communicating one or more bets from the one or more player terminals, and

(e) communicating to the one or more player terminals, a tally calculated based on predetermined values of the cards dealt and/or the one or more player bets.

32. A method according to claim 31 which further comprises linking the one or more players to form a virtual table.

33. A method for electronic gaming through a server comprising,

(a) receiving registration information for a card game from one or more player terminals in one or more player locations,

(b) communicating to the one or more player terminals the identity of one or more cards dealt in accordance with the rules of the card game,

(c) communicating two or more options for placing bets in respect of the card game to the one or more player terminals,

(d) receiving one or more bets from the one or more player terminals,

(f) comparing the tally with predetermined jackpot values.

34. An electronic gaming system including a processor configured for:

(b) generating game data representing the dealing of one or more cards to the player in accordance with rules data for said game;

(c) generating options data representing two or more betting options in respect of said game;

35. A system as claimed in claim 34, wherein said award data represents an award including a monetary jackpot prize for one of said player terminals, the value of said prize being determined based on said jackpot data.

36. Computer readable media including computer executable code for configuring a processor to perform a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20 or claims 31 to 33.