Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods are described for shuffling a deck, group, stack or pile of cards. The cards are placed into a shuffler. The shuffler may be accessed under a lid, or via a slot or tray. Buttons, switches, or a touch screen and the like serve as an interface to access and control the shuffler. Cards are introduced into a substantially vertical shuffling chute. Cards are counted or audited. Sensors provide information as to the location of the cards. Static barriers and agitators encourage cards to remain in proper orientation and location. An elevator lifts cards from the shuffling chute. Sweeper arms or other mechanism manipulates the cards and returns the cards to a substantially horizontal orientation and exit position. Manual override is possible when errors are detected. Rubber-coated commodity rollers mountable to cantilevered axles engage and launch cards into the air when shuffled in the shuffling chute. Cards settle back into the stack of cards under the influence of gravity.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods are described for shuffling a deck, group, stack or pile of cards. The cards are placed into a shuffler. The shuffler may be accessed under a lid, or via a slot or tray. Buttons, switches, or a touch screen and the like serve as an interface to access and control the shuffler. Cards are introduced into a substantially vertical shuffling chute. Cards are counted or audited. Sensors provide information as to the location of the cards. Static barriers and agitators encourage cards to remain in proper orientation and location. An elevator lifts cards from the shuffling chute. Sweeper arms or other mechanism manipulates the cards and returns the cards to a substantially horizontal orientation and exit position. Manual override is possible when errors are detected. Rubber-coated commodity rollers mountable to cantilevered axles engage and launch cards into the air when shuffled in the shuffling chute. Cards settle back into the stack of cards under the influence of gravity.

Abstract: Playing card creation for wagering devices is provided. An example system for a wagering device includes a card generator for creating real playing cards in real time. The system may generate only those cards needed for a round or a hand of a card game from a more complete deck or decks of virtual playing cards being electronically processed by the wagering device. A random number generator creates random hands and decks, and ensures certifiable odds. Players may select or input some custom graphic aspects of the playing cards to be created. The real playing cards may also include coupons, advertisements, or prizes. The real playing cards generated can be disposable, and the system can replace a conventional shuffler.

Abstract: A virtual roulette game is provided. An example system models virtual roulette wheel operation and generates a repeating sequence of numbers associated with a rotating roulette wheel. Each roulette number is shown, in turn, across multiple individual player displays, effectively turning the collective displays into a view of the rotating virtual roulette wheel. A player may place many types of wagers on where a number or virtual roulette ball will end up. In one implementation, a player may be designated as the virtual roulette ball. The system may allow multiple virtual roulette balls to change odds or enable additional bets. Color-coded roulette balls may also provide rolled die outcome, so that roulette and dice games may be played simultaneously on the same setup. The player stations of multiple electronic game tables and multiple remote video displays may be collectively coupled to become a single virtual roulette wheel.

Abstract: A digital random outcome interactive display (“droid”) is provided. In one implementation, an example droid consists of a visual display accessory for a gaming environment, such as for conventional and electronic game tables in a casino. The droid can provide a random outcome for each round of a game being played. The random outcome may be displayed as virtual dice, coins, tiles, dominos, playing cards, numbered balls, spinner, roulette wheel, or combinations of such virtual game pieces. Droid devices may optionally be networked with each other to manage a progressive jackpot across multiple games and players, communicate identity of a winning player to multiple locations, broadcast an image, message, camera feed, video, sound, or television feed to multiple game locations, or administer side betting rounds and bonus rounds across multiple game locations. Droids networked with each other and a server may also provide interactive menus for services, food and drink, shopping, and Internet.

Abstract: Convertible rails for selecting player-tracking modes in an electronic game table are described. In one implementation, a rail or trim surrounds the periphery of the tabletop of an electronic game table. The rail has recessed bay openings for mounting user-interface hardware, such as for player-tracking. Player-tracking hardware may include, for example, touch-screen displays for manual input of user information, and player-identification card readers. A proprietor may install interchangeable rail section covers to expose some, all, or none of the bays. Thus, in a non-tracking mode, the bays may be covered, while in a tracking mode, some degree of player-tracking hardware mounted in the bays may be exposed to the user. In other implementations, interchangeable covers hide bays or expose hardware mounted on the tabletop itself.

Abstract: Electronic game systems with player-controllable security for display images are described. In one implementation, an exemplary multiplayer system hides the identity of virtual game artifacts, such as playing cards, being displayed as images, but allows the player to whom the virtual game artifacts are assigned to view the identities of the virtual game artifacts at will. A sensor or a player-controlled device, such as a switch or a touch screen display, can change a display image in order to hide or reveal at least part of the identity of the virtual game artifact. The display image being secured by the system can be a virtual representation of a playing card, die, dice, domino, game tile, game-piece, roulette number, slot symbol, icon, or token. The system can also shield the identity of the virtual game artifact while the display image is at one visual size, and reveal the identity of the virtual game artifact when shrinking the visual size of the display image to afford security.