# US 8,465,021 B2 · Managing odds bets in a blackjack game

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- Number: US 8,465,021 B2
- Document ID: US8465021B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/584,358
- Filed: 2012-08-13
- Published: 2012-12-06
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2004-10-12
- Assignees: Cantor Index, LLC
- Applicants: Joseph M. Asher; Lewis C. Findlay; Guy Iain Oliver Riches
- Inventors: Joseph M. Asher; Lewis C. Findlay; Guy Iain Oliver Riches
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465021B2

## CPC

- G07F 17/3293: {Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack}
- G07F 17/32: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
- G07F 17/3223: {Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, leader-follower, wireless communication}
- G07F 17/326: {Game play aspects of gaming systems}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

A method of managing a blackjack game is provided. A blackjack game bet comprising a bet against a house entity on a blackjack hand is received from a player. A pair of cards is determined for a hand for the house entity, and another pair of cards is determined for a hand for the player. The odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events are determined based at least in part on one or more of the pair of cards selected for the house entity's hand and one or more of the pair of cards selected for the player's hand. The odds for an additional bet are determined based at least on the determined odds for the one or more subsequent events, and the additional bet is offered to the player at the determined odds for the additional bet.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving by a computing platform from a player a blackjack game bet comprising a bet against a house entity on a blackjack hand;
determining by the computing platform at least a pair of cards for a hand for the house entity;
determining by the computing platform at least a pair of cards for a hand for the player;
determining by the computing platform the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events based at least in part on at least one of:
(a) one or more of the cards selected for the house entity's hand, and
(b) one or more of the cards selected for the player's hand;
determining by the computing platform the odds for an additional bet based at least in part on the determined odds for the one or more subsequent events; and
offering by the computing platform the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving the additional bet from the player;
determining the occurrence of the one or more subsequent events;
determining a result of the additional bet based on the determined occurrence of the one or more subsequent events; and
determining a payment between the player and the house entity for the additional bet based at least in part on the result of the additional bet and the determined odds for the additional bet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
determining a unit stake for the additional bet based at least in part on the determined odds for the additional bet;
wherein offering the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet comprises offering the player the additional bet at the determined unit stake; and
wherein receiving the additional bet from the player comprises receiving the additional bet in the amount of the determined unit stake.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the additional bet comprises a bet regarding whether the house entity will bust; and
determining the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds that the house entity will bust.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
receiving the additional bet from the player;
determining whether the house entity busts;
determining a result of the additional bet based on the determination of whether the house entity busts; and
determining a payment between the player and the house entity for the additional bet based at least in part on the result of the additional bet and the determined odds for the additional bet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising determining one or more hit cards for the house entity's hand; and
wherein determining whether the house entity has busted comprises determining whether the house entity has busted based at least in part on the at least pair of cards determined for the house entity's hand and the one or more hit cards determined for the house entity's hand.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein:
determining the odds that the house entity will bust comprises determining the odds that the house entity will bust on a single hit card determined for the house entity's hand;
the method further includes determining the single hit card for the house entity's hand; and
determining whether the house entity has busted comprises determining whether the house entity has busted based on the at least pair of cards determined for the house entity's hand and the single hit card determined for the house entity's hand.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein:
determining at least a pair of cards for a hand for the house entity comprises determining a face-up card and a face-down card for the house entity's hand; and
determining the odds that the house entity will bust comprises determining the odds that the house entity will bust based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity's hand and the cards determined for the player.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
accessing a set of optimal player strategies defining an optimal playing strategy for the player for each of a plurality of potential situations that will optimize the player's odds of winning the blackjack hand; and
identifying the situation from the plurality of potential situations based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity's hand and the cards determined for the player; and
identifying the optimal playing strategy for the player for the identified situation from the set of optimal player strategies; and
wherein determining the odds that the house entity will bust comprises determining the odds that the house entity will bust based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity's hand, the cards determined for the player, and the identified optimal playing strategy.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein determining the odds that the house entity will bust comprises assuming that the player will not bust.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein offering the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet comprises communicating to the player the determined odds that the house entity will bust.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the additional bet comprises a bet regarding whether the player will win the blackjack hand; and
determining the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
receiving the additional bet from the player;
determining whether the player has won the blackjack hand;
determining a result of the additional bet based on the determination of whether the player has won the blackjack hand; and
determining a payment between the player and the house entity for the additional bet based at least in part on the result of the additional bet and the determined odds for the additional bet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising determining one or more hit cards for at least one of the house entity's hand and the player's hand; and
wherein determining whether the player has won the blackjack hand comprises determining whether the player has won the blackjack hand based at least in part on the cards determined for the house entity's hand, the cards determined for the player's hand, and the one or more determined hit cards.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand comprises determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand based at least in part on a face-up card selected for the house entity and the cards selected for the player.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
determining at least a pair of cards for a hand for the house entity comprises determining a face-up card and a face-down card for the house entity; and
determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand comprises determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity and the cards determined for the player.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
determining at least a pair of cards for a hand for the house entity comprises determining a face-up card and a face-down card for the house entity;
the method further comprises determining one or more hit cards for the player;
determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand comprises determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity and the at least pair of cards and the one or more hit cards selected for the player; and
offering the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet comprises offering the player the additional bet after determining the one or more hit cards for the player.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand comprises determining the maximum possible odds that the player will win the blackjack hand based at least in part on a face-up card selected for the house entity and the cards selected for the player.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
accessing a set of optimal player strategies defining an optimal playing strategy for the player for each of a plurality of potential situations that will optimize the player's odds of winning the blackjack hand; and
identifying the situation from the plurality of potential situations based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity's hand and the cards determined for the player; and
identifying the optimal playing strategy for the player for the identified situation from the set of optimal player strategies; and
wherein determining the maximum possible odds that the player will win the blackjack hand comprises determining the odds that the player will win the blackjack hand based at least in part on the face-up card determined for the house entity's hand, the cards determined for the player, and the identified optimal playing strategy.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein offering the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet comprises communicating to the player the determined odds that the player will win the blackjack hand.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the additional bet comprises a bet regarding whether the player's next hit card will be better than the dealer's next hit card, without busting; and
determining the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds that the player's next hit card will be better than the dealer's next hit card, without busting.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the odds that the player's next hit card will be better than the dealer's next hit card, without busting, are determined based at least in part on a face-up card selected for the house entity and the cards selected for the player.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the additional bet comprises a bet regarding whether the player's hand will achieve a particular total; and
determining the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds that the player's hand will achieve the particular total.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
receiving from a player a selection of a particular number;
wherein offering the player the additional bet comprises offering the player an additional bet regarding whether the player's hand will achieve a particular total equaling to the particular number selected by the player.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the additional bet comprises a bet regarding whether the dealer's hand will achieve a particular total; and
determining the odds of the occurrence of one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds that the dealer's hand will achieve the particular total.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising:
receiving from a player a selection of a particular number;
wherein offering the player the additional bet comprises offering the player an additional bet regarding whether the dealer's hand will come to a particular total equaling to the particular number selected by the player.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the odds for the additional bet based at least in part on the determined odds for the one or more subsequent events comprises determining the odds for the additional bet such that the odds for the additional bet and the determined odds for the one or more subsequent events differ by a predetermined amount.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the predetermined amount is a predetermined percentage.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein offering the player the additional bet at the determined odds for the additional bet further comprises allowing the player to select a unit stake for the additional bet.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein allowing the player to select a unit stake for the additional bet comprises allowing the player to select a unit stake for the additional bet within a range of unit stakes.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein the range of unit stakes is predetermined.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein:
the blackjack game bet has an associated unit stake; and
the method further comprises determining the range of unit stakes based at least in part on the unit stake associated with the blackjack game.