Patents by Inventor Roger M. Snow

Roger M. Snow has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240075392
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises player gaming devices presenting digital table games, a blockchain access system, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to receive, via a first player gaming device, a player initiation request for a first player to participate in the digital table games, generate, in response to the request, a first player avatar by assigning an avatar identifier to a blockchain address associated with the first player as a non-fungible token (NFT), generate a set of player characteristic parameters for the first player avatar and link the set of parameters to the NFT, collect game data representing player actions of the first player, update the set of parameters for the first player avatar based on the game data, and generate automatic player actions for the first player avatar without direct player intervention based on the updated set of parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Joel R. JAFFE, Sarah LEGGETT, Roger M. SNOW, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Patent number: 11210892
    Abstract: A system including a gaming table with multiple player positions, a shoe containing a shuffled set of cards, a layout positioned on the gaming table and marked with indicia to indicate the player positions, and a game controller. A card sensor of the shoe generates rank data indicating an identified rank of each card drawn from the shoe. Each player position is marked with a unique identifier matching a rank of a subset of the cards. The game controller receives the rank data for a set of four drawn cards from the shoe and, in response to determining that at least two of the four drawn cards have a rank that is equal to the unique identifier of one player position and that a secondary wager has been registered for that unique identifier, provides a visual indication of a payout to a player at the player position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 11045715
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed for a method and apparatus for administering a blackjack game. In some instances, administering the blackjack game comprises receiving at least one wager in a designated player wager area on a gaming surface associated with the blackjack game. In some instances, the at least one wager is associated with at least one tangible gaming chip. Furthermore, in some instances, the blackjack game is associated with a physical gaming table with a play surface and at least one deck of physical card. In some instances, administering the blackjack game comprises dealing, after receiving the at least one wager, at least one hand from the at least one deck for the blackjack game; determining that an outcome of the hand necessitates a dice roll of a set of specialized physical dice associated with a secondary game; determining a payout value on the at least one wager based on an outcome of the dice roll; and resolving the at least one wager according to the payout value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoff Hall, Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20200388101
    Abstract: A system including a gaming table with multiple player positions, a shoe containing a shuffled set of cards, a layout positioned on the gaming table and marked with indicia to indicate the player positions, and a game controller. A card sensor of the shoe generates rank data indicating an identified rank of each card drawn from the shoe. Each player position is marked with a unique identifier matching a rank of a subset of the cards. The game controller receives the rank data for a set of four drawn cards from the shoe and, in response to determining that at least two of the four drawn cards have a rank that is equal to the unique identifier of one player position and that a secondary wager has been registered for that unique identifier, provides a visual indication of a payout to a player at the player position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventor: Roger M. SNOW
  • Publication number: 20200155922
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed for a method and apparatus for administering a blackjack game. In some instances, administering the blackjack game comprises receiving at least one wager in a designated player wager area on a gaming surface associated with the blackjack game. In some instances, the at least one wager is associated with at least one tangible gaming chip. Furthermore, in some instances, the blackjack game is associated with a physical gaming table with a play surface and at least one deck of physical card. In some instances, administering the blackjack game comprises dealing, after receiving the at least one wager, at least one hand from the at least one deck for the blackjack game; determining that an outcome of the hand necessitates a dice roll of a set of specialized physical dice associated with a secondary game; determining a payout value on the at least one wager based on an outcome of the dice roll; and resolving the at least one wager according to the payout value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Geoff HALL, Roger M. SNOW
  • Publication number: 20200074811
    Abstract: A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows for rules of play of one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 10546457
    Abstract: Methods of administering games of roulette may involve accepting a wager may from a player and using a ball launching system to launch at least one roulette ball into a track of a roulette wheel. A number and associated color may be randomly generated from within a range of numbers and associated colors. The triggering event may be identified by determining whether the randomly generated number is identical to a randomly generated number from an immediately preceding round. Upon identifying a triggering event, one or more additional special games of roulette may be played and a payout may be paid to the player according to a paytable associated with the outcome of the special game play. The amount of the wager may be collected for the house when the triggering event is not identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Haven A. Mercer, Troy D. Nelson, James P. Helgesen, Paul K. Scheper, Jamal Hani Kotifani, Georg Fekete
  • Publication number: 20190385416
    Abstract: An online variant of the game of Hold 'Em poker allows one or all of the players to remain in a game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Louis J. Castle, II
  • Patent number: 10410465
    Abstract: A physical playing card gaming system includes a gaming table including at least one dealer position and at least one player position. The system includes a physical playing card handling device that is configured to read at least one of a card rank and card suit of physical playing cards. The system also includes at least one processor in communication with the physical playing card handling device and a video monitor. The at least one processor is programmed to determine the composition of at least one dealer hand and at least one player hand based on the at least one of card rank and card suit read. The at least one processor is programmed to cause game information based on the determined hands to be displayed in response to dealer input. Methods of operating such a physical playing card gaming system include displaying the game information upon dealer request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 10357706
    Abstract: An online casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards. Each player places an initial wager. A first and a second number of cards are dealt to a dealer and to each player, respectively. The first and the second numbers are greater than the number of cards to be used in determining a poker rank hand for the dealer and for each player, respectively. The dealer and each player discard at least one card to form a dealer hand and a player hand, respectively, having an equal number of cards. Each player hand is resolved against the dealer hand according to predetermined game rules. The initial wager must be at least matched with a game wager (play wager), which may be a multiple of the initial wager (e.g., 1× to 5×, at the option of the player), for the player to remain in the game after receiving his cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Louis J. Castle, II
  • Patent number: 10343053
    Abstract: Methods of administering wagering games may involve accepting an ante wager. Initial cards may be dealt, at least one card face up. A suit selected from spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts may be randomly designated to be a power suit for a current round of play. A play wager may be accepted, after presenting the option to place the play wager or make a player election to fold. An additional card available may be dealt for each of the initial cards of the power suit. A payout on the ante and play wagers may be paid when the best poker hand formable is a predetermined winning hand, and the ante and play wagers may be collected when the best poker hand formable is not a predetermined winning hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard M. Milosevich, Roger M. Snow, Jeremie Moll
  • Patent number: 10339766
    Abstract: A card game is played against a pay table, wherein a player receives a partial hand that is preferably completed by community cards, but may be completed by cards dealt directly to a hand or a combination of cards dealt directly to a hand and at least one community card or wild card. After placement of an ante wager, each player will have an opportunity to place a game wager before receiving another card for the player's hand (whether dealt directly to the player or as a community card revealed to all players). At least some or all game wagers may be an amount within a range of multiples of the player's ante wager, such as one times, two times, three times, four times, or five times the amount of the ante wager. The range of wagers may remain the same or vary with the number of dealt cards or community cards revealed to the players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark L. Yoseloff, Louis J. Castle, II, Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 10339755
    Abstract: A casino wagering game is played with a progressive jackpot and a second bonus event. At least one player places a wager to play a casino wagering game. The at least one player places a second wager that is optionally varying in amount wagered at the election of the player. The second wager enters both the progressive jackpot event and the second bonus event. The casino retains a portion of the second wager to become part of the progressive jackpot, while the second wager also is required to enter the at least one player in the second bonus event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 10147267
    Abstract: Methods of administering games of roulette may involve accepting a wager may from a player. A multiplier may be randomly selected from a group of fixed multipliers for a payout on the wager. A number and associated color may be randomly generated from within a range of numbers and associated colors. The wager may be resolved by determining whether the randomly generated number is identical to a randomly generated number from an immediately preceding round. A payout may be paid to the player when the randomly generated number is identical to the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round, an amount of the payout being equal to an amount of the wager multiplied by the randomly selected multiplier. The amount of the wager may be collected for the house when the randomly generated number is different from the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Masao Yee, Roger M. Snow, John Hemberger, Zbigniew Czyzewski, Elliot Frome
  • Patent number: 10147280
    Abstract: Gaming table systems configured to at least partially automatically administer wagering games may include a gaming table with player positions having wagering areas for accepting wagers. An automatic card-handling device configured to output subsets of cards may be supported by the gaming table. An electronic display device may be positioned and oriented to be visible by at least one of a player participating in the wagering game and a dealer aiding in administration of the wagering game. A processing unit may be programmed to dynamically select a pay table corresponding to a number of eligible hands from a set of pay tables and cause the electronic display device to display the dynamically selected pay table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Jennifer K. Farrar
  • Publication number: 20180276937
    Abstract: A casino wagering game is played with a progressive jackpot and a second bonus event. At least one player places a wager to play a casino wagering game. The at least one player places a second wager that is optionally varying in amount wagered at the election of the player. The second wager enters both the progressive jackpot event and the second bonus event. The casino retains a portion of the second wager to become part of the progressive jackpot, while the second wager also is required to enter the at least one player in the second bonus event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20180276953
    Abstract: A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows for rules of play of one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20180221756
    Abstract: A casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player's hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in the resulting player's hands and the resulting dealer's hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer's hand according to predetermined game rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20180225928
    Abstract: A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows one or all players to remain in the game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, while limiting the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibiting the one or all players from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made. The one or all players also have at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities, in the stages in the play of a hand, to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20180200609
    Abstract: A playing card wagering game has a player hand compete against a dealer hand according to rank or count of the player hand and dealer hand. At least one player places a first wager on the card wagering game and a second wager on at least one side bet event. The player hand and dealer hand are completed with playing cards. Relative rank or relative count of the player hand and dealer hand are determined. The first wager is resolved based upon the determined relative rank or relative count by determining if the dealer hand wins or the player hand wins, thereby also determining a losing hand. The second wager is resolved according to rules that comprise comparing rank or count of the losing hand to a pay table, preferably only the losing rank of either the player or dealer hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Robert Scott