US20050098952A1

US20050098952A1 - Flush mounted discard rack

Info

Publication number: US20050098952A1
Application number: US10/702,920
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark ungaro; Christopher Nichols
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-07
Filing date: 2003-11-07
Publication date: 2005-05-12

Abstract

A device used for the discarded cards on a live casino gaming table. The device is used to hold the used playing cards after being played in a pass or hand of a card game preferably Black Jack, 3 Card Poker, Poker, Pai Gow Poker or any other game of chance.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

All existing games of chance use a discard rack to hold the used cards after a hand has been dealt or played. All discard racks are usually fixed or placed to the right side of the dealer. When a dealer deals a hand to the player or players and a decision has been made depending on the out come of the game.
Black Jack, for instance, is the most popular game of all. Black Jack's popularity is so high because, if played right, the odds are much higher than in any other casino game. The rules vary little from area to area and from casino to casino. Black Jack is played only against the dealer not against other players. The main objective in Black Jack is to get a hand higher than the dealer's without going over 21. Some professional Black Jack players count the cards that are discarded in the discard rack and then count the cards that have been played and can pace themselves accordingly. Most casinos have table limits from as low as $1 up to $100. The values of the cards in Black Jack from two to ten are face value. Jacks, Queens and Kings count as ten and the Ace will either count eleven or one. Most card counters always look for the penetration of the deck that is being dealt and then bet a much higher average bet when it is beneficial for them. All this is done by counting or averaging the cards that have been dealt. The card player today is savvier to the game because he or she can see the discards in the standard discard rack and count backwards; therefore, putting the house on an uneven playing field. The device disclosed in Cranford (U.S. Pat. No. 20,020,072,419) “automatic discard rack” is used for holding and mixing cards after they have been in play. The device includes features for randomly picking up a portion of cards placed in the rack to allow other cards to be inserted into and randomly mixed by his device. The device clamps, moves up and down and is sensed by electronic means for movement. The device also needs a controller for all movements of the cards. The device has many moving parts and is more prone for overhaul. The Flush Mounted Discard Rack has only three moving parts: the plunger and two spring loaded doors. A light emitting diode and an infrared phototransistor can be added to sense the depth of the cards to let the dealer know that the devise is full and needs to be emptied for re-shuffling. The electronic portion can be powered by a 9 volt battery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is designed to put all players and the house on an even playing field. By the flush mounted discard rack being embedded in the table surface, the cards cannot be seen or observed by the player or dealer. The dealer simply deals the cards as standard practice to the players. When the hand is finished, the dealer simply inserts the discarded cards in the same style discard rack. Except that the new device has a bottom that will accept quite a few decks more if necessary. The bottom of the Flush Mounted Discard Rack has a section that moves downward as the cards enter the rack. The weight of the cards drives the bottom down as it fills. The device is designed to accept from one deck to nine decks of cards depending on the house's preference. By having the device in service on the table, there can no longer be an advantage by the dealer or the player. When a dark or solid colored shoe is being used for dealing the cards, you cannot see the cards from the side or top of the shoe. A card counter utilizes the favor ability of the un-played cards in the shoe to determine the size bet to place. It also works in reverse for the discard rack. A card counter may play all hands, and bet a minimum bet whenever the count is critical, and bet heavily whenever the count is positive. A key portion of the card counter advantage is gained by betting when conditions are favorable. By using a strategy such as the high low strategy, the card counter has better information on the composition of the cards remaining in the shoe. Therefore, the player or dealer has to wait until that hand is finished and discarded. Cards are counted when they are discarded. By observing the cards dealt, one can estimate what cards are likely to come out of the shoe. The odds are much greater as the cards pile up in the discard rack. By using the device, there is no counting the cards.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. depicts the receiver portion of the unit that is embedded in the table.
FIG. 2. depicts the discard rack itself with the card shelf 30 floating inside the rack.
FIG. 3. is a side view of the device embedded in the playing surface 32
FIG. 4. is a top view of playing surface with the device installed.

DETAILED DISCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Flush Mounted Discard Rack 10 is placed in the table surface 32 and ready for the acceptance of discarded cards 38. As the dealer plays and uses the up the cards in the finished hands dealt to the players by the existing shoe, he deposits the cards in the device 10. The cards will hit the backstop portion 18 of the inside portion 20 and fall directly onto the card shelf 30. As the cards 38 build up and get heaver, the shelf 30, at the center of the inside portion 20, will depress by means of the plunger 26 compressing the spring 36 in side the plunger receiver tube 40. The sensors 34 will alert the dealer that the inside portion 20 is full and needs to be emptied. As the dealer removes the inside portion 20, the spring loaded doors 24 hold the cards in position so as not to let the cards fall out of the front of the device as the inside portion 20 is removed from the rack 10. The doors 24 are designed so as to let the cards pass uninterrupted. After the cards pass or are pulled thru the doors 24, the doors spring shut allowing the inside portion 20 to be replaced back into the rack 10. At this point in time, the device is ready for the process to start over again.

Claims

1. A device that is used in handling playing cards of a live casino game that is embedded into the table surface.

2. A device used for accepting discarded hands of a card game so as:

a. to protect the live casino game from cards being counted after they have been used in a previous hand.

b. to protect any marked or dubbed playing cards that have been used in a previous play from being counted or observed and re-shuffled to use in future play of a casino card game.

3. A device used for holding and accepting cards of a live casino game so as the cards can be re-introduced into action with a minimum of difficulty.

4. A device used on a live casino gaming table to reduce clutter and increase visibility of a live casino gaming table using playing cards.

5. A device used on a live casino gaming table by means of accepting discarded playing cards so the cards cannot be observed by players who have intentions of cheating the game for which the cards are being used.