Card game system and method of a table game

#The present invention relates to a table game system and a method for playing the Baccarat game, in which a bettor makes a wager that either a Banker hand or a Player hand will win.

#Baccarat is one of the many live table games played in casinos or gaming establishments. Baccarat uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and is usually dealt from a shoe having multiple decks that have been shuffled together prior to the beginning of play.

#A multiple number of decks of standard playing cards, 52 in number, are used; typically eight decks or six decks are shuffled together preliminary and placed in a shoe from which the cards are dealt during the play of the game. Prior to the deal, each bettor can make one of three wagers: 1) that the Bank hand will win; 2) that the Player hand will win; or 3) that the Bank hand and the Player hand will tie. Wagering locations are provided on the Baccarat table layout. Whichever of the Bank hand or the Player hand is closest to a total on nine is the winner.

#FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view showing a state in which a package of shuffled playing cards, FIG. 1 (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which a package of shuffled playing cards which is partially broken to show a portion of the cards.

#FIG. 2 shows an example of a card according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) shows an example of a normal card 1 and FIG. 2(b) shows an example of a special card 1a as a special Ace, FIG. 2(c) shows another example of a special card different from any of other normal cards, FIG. 2(d) shows further example of a special card as cut card 1c according to the embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the shuffled playing cards are housed in a card shoe apparatus.

#Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a card game system for playing the Baccarat game. In FIG. 1, the shuffled decks of playing cards 1s are preliminary shuffled at random in a factory. The shuffled decks of playing cards 1s are made up of a predetermined number of decks, for example, in the case of eight decks of playing cards 1s, there are 416 cards. The shuffled decks of playing cards 1s are shuffled by a card shuffling device (will be shown after) in advance in order for them to be arranged in a random order, housed in one package 2 that encases the shuffled decks of playing cards 1s, sealed with a sealing material or a shrink packaging material, and then supplied to casinos.

#Note that FIG. 1(a) shows a state in which the packing box 4 houses the shuffled decks of playing cards 1s and each being attached thereon a bar code 5, the bar codes 5 having each different ID code (identification code). The set of shuffled decks of playing cards 1s has a different card arrangement orders due to shuffling, and thus, each set is unique. Therefore, in order to identify each set, an ID code is used in the form of a bar code 5 or a QR (quick response) code. The set of shuffled decks of playing cards 1s has a special card 1a which has been packaged together with other normal cards 1 of the shuffled decks of playing cards 1s in one package in a factory (see FIG. 1(b)). FIG. 1(b) shows a state in which the packing box 4 is exposed partially and contains a special card 1a.

#FIG. 2(a) shows an example of a normal card 1 and FIG. 2(b) shows an example of a special card 1a as a special Ace, FIG. 2(c) shows another example of a special card different from any of other normal cards, FIG. 2(d) shows further example of a special card as cut card 1c according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the example of FIG. 2(a), a code 6 being printed invisible under normal conditions on each card 1 thereof and representing the number (rank) of a card 1. Marks M are arranged by printing or the like so as to be invisible to the naked eye, using, for example, ultraviolet reactive ink. Marks M are arrayed on both edges of a card 1 and a code 6 is composed with the marks M suitably provided in a region where a picture or suit mark 101 is not provided as shown. The special card 1a is different from other normal cards 1 of a card deck and has a special code 6s (arrangements of invisible mark(s) M) being different from the codes 6 of the other cards 1. As described above, in the present embodiment, marks M or special code 6s are suitably arrayed on each edge of a card 1 or 1a.