Blackjack scanner apparatus and method

A card scanning module for use with standard playing cards, said module enabling announcement of when the value of a hand having a first standard playing card and a second playing card equal twenty-one wherein a first of said standard playing cards is dealt face down, comprising:

• a. a scanner adapted to scan at least a portion of a first symbol of a first standard playing card dealt face down, said scanner having an array which holds the result of said scan;
• b. memory for storing a plurality of references representing respective symbols of said standard playing cards;
• c. analyzing means for comparing and determining the symbol of said first standard playing card based on a comparison of said array and said references;
• d. inputting means for capturing the identity of a second standard playing card;
• e. combining means for identifying the values of said first and second standard playing cards and combining said values into a total value;
• and
• f. announcing means for reporting when said total value equals twenty-one.

A method for use in the playing of blackjack, for announcing when a hand having a down-card and an up-card comprise blackjack, comprising:

• a. using standard playing cards;
• b. placing at least a portion of the face side of said down-card on a playing card scanner;
• c. scanning at least a portion of a pattern representing the value of the said down-card;
• d. representing the result of said scanning in an array;
• e. determining the value of the said down-card by comparing said array representation to a plurality of reference representations;
• f. inputting the identity of said up-card into said playing card scanner;
• and
• g. announcing when said hand of said up and down-cards are blackjack.