Land-based, on-line poker system

A method for playing on-line poker game, comprising the following steps:

• a. selecting a remote computer using a display, said remote computer includes a client side software program used to communicate with an on-line poker game system, said client side software program used to present a menu listing the types of poker games or poker tables available for playing;
• b. connecting said remote computer to a wide area network;
• c. connecting said remote computer to an on-line poker game system connected to said wide area network, said game system includes one or more poker games, each said poker game includes a poker table with a card dealer who deals playing cards for a game of poker to be played at said poker table, said poker table includes a plurality of designated seats, each said designated seat being assigned to a player located at said poker table or to a player located at a remote location and connected to said game system using said remote computer, each said designated seat assigned either to a player adjacent to said table or assigned to a player at a remote location, each said designated seat includes a transparent panel located on said poker table at or near said designated seat and a private card camera configured to view the bottom surface of face down playing cards dealt onto said transparent panel, said transparent panel and said private card camera located at each said designated seat assigned to each said player at a remote location, said poker game system also includes at least one public card camera that transmits images of playing cards dealt face-up on said poker table, said poker game system also a game logic server connected to said wide area network with a poker game managing software program loaded therein, said poker game managing software program configured to manage a poker game played at said poker table by remote players assigned to said designated seats;
• d. logging onto said system using said remote computer;
• e. receiving a menu containing a list of poker games or poker tables currently available on said poker game system;
• f. selecting a specific poker game or a poker table from said list of poker games or poker table shown in said menu;
• g. receiving, using a client side software program, a game menu presented on said display when a poker game or poker table is selected, said game menu includes a simulated poker table that shows the location of said designated seats occupied by a player located at said poker table or at a remote location, said game menu also includes a plurality of poker game action buttons used to select different activities or decisions made during a poker game;
• h. choosing an unassigned designated seat on said poker table, and;
• i. playing a game of poker with a card dealer assigned to said poker table, with a single deck of fifty-two standard size playing cards;
• and with one or more other players assigned to another said designated seat at said poker table, wherein said client side software program is loaded into working memory of said remote computer operated by said player located at a remote location, said client side software program used to connect via said wide area network to said game logic server and to receive instructions and data from said game logic server, said client side software program also used to communicate with said public card camera to display the images of face-up playing cards dealt on said poker table and to communicate with said transparent panel and said private card camera to obtain images of said face down playing cards so as to display the face-down playing cards dealt to said designated seat assigned to said player at said remote location, said client side software program also used to input poker game instructions from said player at said remote location via said remote computer to said game logic server.

An on-line poker game system, comprising:

• a. a card room containing a poker table with designated seats located thereon;
• b. at least one dealer assigned to said poker table, said dealer deals playing cards used in a poker game to designated seats on said poker table assigned to players physically located at said poker table or players remotely located from said card room;
• c. at least two players assigned to said designated seats at said poker table with at least one player being located at a remote location from said card room;
• d. a wide area network;
• e. a means for imaging face down playing cards includes a transparent panel located on said poker table at or near said designated seat and a private card camera aimed to view the bottom surface of a playing card placed face down on said transparent panel, said means for imaging located at each said designated seat assigned to each said player at a remote location, said private card camera being coupled to said wide area network to transmit an image of the face down cards only to said remote player assigned to said designated seat;
• f. a deck of fifty-two playing cards to be played on said poker table;
• g. at least one public card camera located above said poker table or at or near each said designated seat used to create and transmit an image of face up cards dealt on said poker table;
• h. at least one table camera used to transmit images of said dealer when dealing cards at said poker table;
• i. a game logic server including working memory with at least one poker game managing software program loaded therein, said poker game managing software program enabling said game logic server to act as a state machine configured to manage a poker game played between said players assigned to said designated seats at said poker table;
• j. a web server connected to said wide area network and to said game logic server;
• k. a remote computer operated by said each player at a remote location and assigned to one said designated seat at said poker table, said remote computer including working memory, said remote computer connected to said wide area network, and a display;
• and,
• l. a client side software program loaded into said working memory of each said remote computer operated by a player located at said remote location and configured to connect to said game logic server via said web server and said wide area network, said client side software program used to send and receive instructions and data from said game logic server, said client side software program used to present a menu that lists the types of poker game available or a list of poker tables available, said client side software program used to display an interface that presents a simulated poker table showing the locations of said designated seats occupied by players at said poker table or at a remote location, said menu also presents a separate image of face-up cards on said table from said public card camera, a separate image, which is received from said table camera, of said dealer when said dealer is dealing cards, and a separate image, which is received from said means for imaging face down playing cards, of face-down playing cards dealt to said designated seat assigned to said remote player, said client side software program also used to input poker game instructions from said player at said remote location to said game logic server.