Abstract: A device for automatically calibrating for card size during card handling is disclosed. The device includes a card receiving area, a card stacking area and a card moving system for moving cards from the card receiving area to the card stacking area. An elevator located in the card stacking area has a movable platform for moving a stack of cards, and has a collection surface on the platform. A motor moves the platform within the elevator. At least one sensor senses at least one of a) position of the platform, b) height of the platform, c) position of a card in the elevator, d) height of a card or cards in the elevator, e) pressure applied to a card in the elevator, e) presence of the platform at a predetermined height, f) presence of the platform at a predetermined position, g) presence of card(s) on the platform, and h) absence of card(s) on the platform. A method for calibrating a card handling device during shuffling is also disclosed.

Abstract: A card shuffling device includes a top surface, a card receiving area for receiving an initial set of playing cards, a randomizing or arranging system for the initial set of playing cards, a collection surface in a card collection area for receiving randomized playing cards, the collection surface receiving cards positioned so that all cards collected are below the top surface of the device, and an elevator for raising the collection surface so that at least some randomized cards are elevated above the top surface of the device. An automatic card shuffler includes a microprocessor with memory. An automated calibration system is provided that calibrates the precise position of the card supporting platform on the elevator so that precise insertion of cards can be performed during card handling procedures.

Abstract: A card shuffling device reads suit and value of individual cards that are moved through the card shuffler. Reading of the cards is effected after cards have been received into a card holding area and before cards have been delivered into a card collection area from which cards are removed from the device for use.

Abstract: A playing card shuffling device has a visual display in information communication with the playing card shuffling device. At least one processor is programmed to provide displayable information to the visual display indicative of an amount of time remaining or time expired in a procedure performed by the shuffling device.

Abstract: A discard rack moves and reads suit and rank of individual cards. The cards are provided to a card in-feed area and moved to a card collection area. Both suit and rank of each card is read in the card in-feed area or between the card in-feed area and the card collection area. The discard rack comprises a) a card in-feed area with card moving elements that move only a bottom card from a set of cards in the card in-feed area, b) a card collection area that receives cards from the card moving area in the same sense as cards are received in the card in-feed area, c) an image capture device that captures data from a card while the card is between the card in-feed area and the card collection area, d) preferably a communication port to send out captured data to a processor, and e) an elevator that lowers to maintain a level at which cards are received in the card collection area.

Abstract: A playing card delivery shoe is used in the play of the casino table card game of baccarat or blackjack or any game where cards are pulled one at a time from the shoe. The apparatus comprises a reader or an imager that scans lines bisecting the image at spaced intervals. The scanning occurs on playing cards in at least the region where suit and rank symbols are provided. The scanner output is a series of voltages that are converted to binary information. This binary information is compared to stored binary information to determine rank and suit. The upper surface of the output end of the shoe contains a partial barrier for cards being scanned. The partial barrier has an elevated surface and limits a size of a pathway so that only one card can be removed at a time.

Abstract: An apparatus is for shuffling a plurality of playing cards used in gaming. The apparatus includes a card support adapted to support the unshuffled cards on-edge. An exciter is also included, and is adapted to impart vibrational action to the supported cards. Cards drop in a random fashion such as by controlling the relative position of the cards and passage through one or more card slots in a card rest. In at least some of the apparatus, a medial receiver is adapted to receive at least one card dropped from the card support and to retain the at least one received card to substantially block a card slot to prevent further cards from dropping. A positioner is preferably included to change a relative position of the unshuffled deck and card slots though which the cards drop.

Abstract: The present invention features a playing card shuffling device, which through the use of a small image capturing means, captures an image of the face value of each card and stores the image in memory. This image is sorted in the format of a bitmap image. The operator of the machine would be able to recall through the use of a keypad, the images of the cards that comprised the individual hands in the previous game. This feature allows for verification of a winning hand after a game has been completed. Thereby, a quick recheck of hands before playing a winning hand is performed. The face value of each card is determined by character recognition software. These card values would be stored in memory for archival access for use in monitoring the randomness of the game and determining the number of winnings hands.

Abstract: A playing card delivery shoe is used in the play of the casino table card game of baccarat or blackjack or any game where cards are pulled one at a time from the shoe. The apparatus comprises a reader or an imager that scans lines bisecting the image at spaced intervals. The scanning occurs on playing cards in at least the region where suit and rank symbols are provided. The scanner output is a series of voltages that are converted to binary information. This binary information is compared to stored binary information to determine rank and suit. The upper surface of the output end of the shoe contains a partial barrier for cards being scanned. The partial barrier has an elevated surface and limits a size of a pathway so that only one card can be removed at a time.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus determines at least one of rank or suit of a playing card. The apparatus has at least one two-dimensional complementary metal oxide semiconductor imaging system that provides a signal when playing cards are moved over the system. The signal is a series of gray scale values that are converted into binary values. The sensed data is transmitted to a hardware component that identifies at least one of rank and suit to an external data storage device.

Abstract: A method of playing a Pai Gow Poker wagering card game is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: a) a player placing a wager on a Pai Gow Poker game, b) players placing a second wager against a pay table on a separate poker-type game that uses each player's best five-card hands from each player, c) dealing seven-card hands from a set of cards to six player positions and to one dealer position; d) resolving the Pai Gow game and awarding bonuses to players making the second wager that have a best five-card hand that exceeds a predetermined rank; and e) awarding an additional bonus to players with hands that exceed the predetermined rank if the dealer's best five-card hand is equal to or less than a predetermined rank. An optional envy hand event may be included with the second wager or a special qualifying second or third wager.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into a second group of cards, wherein the second group of cards is randomly arranged or shuffled. The apparatus comprises a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for moving the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack for moving cards one at a time into a selected one of the compartments, another card moving mechanism for moving cards from one of the compartments to a second card receiver and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanisms and the elevator. A count of cards within specified areas of the card handling system is maintained and card handling is halted and all cards counted by adding a count of all cards not within the specified areas to the total of cards counted within the specified areas.

Abstract: A sensing system for determining the rank and suit of playing cards is disclosed. The system includes a sensing module capable of reading a line of data from a printed image, a position sensor and a hardware component that combines the signals from the sensing module and position sensor, converts the signal to binary values and compares the converted signal to stored signals. The comparisons are correlated to identify card rank and Suit. The system can be used in a playing card delivery shoe used to control the game of baccarat. The shoe may be a customary dealing shoe equipped with a sensing module, or may be a mechanized shoe.

Abstract: A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.

Abstract: A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprises a card infeed area, a shuffling system, a card removal area; and a card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a CMOS sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit.

Abstract: A multiple mode card shuffling and/or card verification device includes a top surface, a card receiving area for receiving an initial set of playing cards, a randomizing or arranging system for the initial set of playing cards that can be disabled, a collection surface in a card collection area for receiving randomized playing cards, the collection surface receiving cards positioned so that all cards collected are below the top surface of the device, a card imaging system and an elevator for raising the collection surface so that at least some randomized cards are elevated above the top surface of the device. The processor is programmed such that cards can be verified without changing an order of cards present in the card feeder, verified during randomization, and randomized without card verification.

Abstract: A card shuffling device reads suit and value of individual cards that are moved through the card shuffler. Reading of the cards is effected after cards have been received into a card holding area and before cards have been delivered into a card collection area from which cards are removed from the device for use.

Abstract: A distinct dealing shoe having no shuffling functionality receives shuffled, randomized or ordered group of cards. The cards may be mechanically moved one at a time from a receiving area for the deck to a buffer area where more than one card is temporarily stored. The cards in the buffer area are then mechanically moved to a card delivery area where the cards may be manually removed, one-at-a-time, by a dealer. The cards are read one-at-a-time inside of the dealing shoe, either before the buffer area or after leaving the buffer area, but preferably before the cards are being manually removed from the card delivery area. The information from the card reading may be used for game tracking, hand tracking, player information, and other security issues at casino table card games.