System for playing card games remotely

A method for playing card games remotely, including the steps of

• shuffling and manually dealing cards at a local site, such that each player at said local site receives physical cards, and such that cards for other players who are not present at said local site are dealt "face down";
• upon completion of dealing at said local site, placing the cards dealt at said local site and intended for the players at said remote site in a first card handler, at said local site, said first card handler arranged to manage a physical deck of cards and including means for reading cards, finding particular cards, and distributing cards;
• at a remote site, placing an entire deck of cards face down in a second card handler whereby said cards are read by said second card handler;
• transmitting signals from said first card handler to said second card handler, and
• responsive to receipt of said signals in said second card handler, finding the corresponding cards, and distributing said cards, face down, to said other players.

Apparatus for playing cards games by players located at individual sites, said apparatus comprising

• a multimedia communication system arranged so that players at each site can be seen and heard by players at other sites;
• means including an image recognition system arranged to read cards disposed on each playing surface being used by the players;
• and
• a card handling system arranged to distribute, receive and manage a physical deck of cards at every site that the game is being played.

A method of playing card games wherein players at a local site complete with players at least one remote site, said method comprising the steps of

• establishing video and audio communications between said local site and said remote site,
• interconnecting card handling and management apparatus at said local site and said remote site, said apparatus including means for reading cards by scanning them, finding particular cards, and distributing cards face up or face down;
• and
• sending signals between said card handling and management apparatus so that actions at one site are duplicated at the other site.