Electronic system and method for operating an incentive auxiliary game

A device for controlling and displaying each player's progress in an auxiliary incentive game played simultaneously with a primary casino table game directed by a dealer and played on a gaming table, the auxiliary game involving each player receiving bonus points during the course of playing the primary game and each player being eligible to receive a prize only after accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points, the device comprising:

• a bonus point display for displaying the number of bonus points received by each player at the game table;
• and
• a controller connected to the bonus point display for causing the display to display an incremented number of bonus points received by each player as new bonus points are received by each player, and for causing the display to reset and to display a starting number of bonus points in response to the number of bonus points received by the associated player reaching the predetermined number of bonus points;
• a prize display including an indication of at least one prize available to each player who accumulates the predetermined number of bonus points, the prize display including at least one light emitting element associated with each indication, the controller being connected to the prize display, the controller further controlling the light emitting elements associated with the indications on the prize display to indicate the prize received by each player;
• a dealer interface unit associated with the dealer of the primary game and positioned on the table adjacent to the dealer, the dealer interface unit including dealer control elements for signaling the controller to display bonus points on the bonus point display;
• wherein the bonus point display comprises a player interface unit associated with each player of the primary game and positioned on the gaming table adjacent to the player of the primary game, each player interface unit including a display element to display the number of bonus points received by the associated player, the controller causing the player interface unit to reset the display element to display the starting number of bonus points;
• wherein the player interface unit further comprises a player control element manipulated by the associated player to select the prize.

A method for a plurality of players to play an auxiliary game in conjunction with playing a card game with a plurality of cards, the method comprising:

• providing the card game and the auxiliary game, the card game including bonus events, and the auxiliary game including a plurality of successive bonus levels, at least one from the plurality of successive bonus levels being a starting level and at least one from the plurality of successive bonus levels being a prize level for which a prize is awarded, each of the plurality of players having a player bonus level, the player bonus level being selected from the plurality of successive bonus levels;
• providing a bonus point display for displaying the bonus level of each of the plurality of players, the bonus point display comprising a plurality of player interface units, each of the plurality of player interface units being associated with one from the plurality of players, wherein each of the plurality of player interface units includes a display element and a player control element manipulable by the associated player to select the prize;
• and
• providing a controller connected to the bonus point display for causing the display to display the bonus level of each of the plurality of players, and for causing the display to reset and to display the starting level in response to the bonus level of the associated player reaching the prize level;
• providing a prize display, the prize display including an indication of at least one prize available to each player reaching the prize level and at least one light emitting element associated with each indication, wherein the controller is connected to the prize display, the controller further controlling the light emitting elements associated with the indication on the prize display to indicate the prize received by each player;
• providing a dealer interface unit associated with the dealer of the primary game, the dealer interface unit including dealer control elements for signaling the controller to display the bonus level for each player on the bonus display;
• initiating the play of the card game;
• at least one of the bonus events occurring, the at least one of the bonus events being associated with one from the plurality of players;
• displaying the bonus level of each of the plurality of players;
• upon the at least one bonus events occurring, providing to the one from the plurality of players an option to select to advance at least one bonus level;
• receiving a selection of the option to select to advance at least one bonus level;
• and
• if the one from the plurality of players advances to the prize level, the controller causing the player interface unit to reset the display element to display the starting level;
• the dealer control elements of the dealer interface unit signaling the controller to activate the player control element at the player interface unit associated with the player reaching the bonus level;
• the controller activating at the player interface unit in response to a signal from the dealer control elements of the dealer interface unit;
• the player reaching the bonus level manipulating the player control element to select to generate the prize;
• and
• generating the prize for the one from the plurality of players from a plurality of random prizes.

A device for play of an auxiliary incentive game by a plurality of players simultaneously with a card game played with a plurality of cards by the plurality of players, the device comprising:

• a plurality of manipulable player interface units, each of the plurality of player interface units associated with one from the plurality of players, and each of the plurality of player interface units including a display element to display the number of bonus points accumulated by the associated player;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to each of the plurality of player interface units, the controller controlling the display element of each of the plurality of player interface units;
• wherein the card game includes at least one card game bonus event, wherein the auxiliary game includes providing an option for one from the plurality of players to select to receive a bonus point in the auxiliary game upon occurrence of the at least one card game bonus event, such that each of the plurality of players has a number of bonus points, and wherein one from the plurality of players is provided a prize upon accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points and the bonus points of the one from the plurality of players is reset to a starting number of bonus points upon accumulating the predetermined number of bonus points;
• wherein the controller causes the player interface unit to reset the display element to display the starting number of bonus points;
• wherein the player interface unit is manipulated by the associated player to select the prize.