Methods and systems for playing baccarat jackpot

Abstract

A method and system for playing jackpot and live baccarat games are provided. One feature of the jackpot method involves the use of card combinations that may include, e.g., at least one zero-point card. Another feature of the jackpot method involves initial jackpot contribution from the banker who operates the baccarat game. It is also provided a software program or a set of software program for carrying out any or all the steps of the disclosed gaming method.

1 . A method of playing a live baccarat game which allows a player to bet on jackpot, comprising 
 dealing cards to a player hand and a bank hand according to a set of conventional baccarat rules,    allowing at least a first player to place a bet on live baccarat,    allowing at least a second player to place a bet on jackpot where the second player can be the same as or different from the first player,    determining the outcome of the live baccarat game according to the set of conventional baccarat rules, and    determining the outcome of the jackpot according to a combination of cards that comprises at least one zero-point cards.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banker who operates the live baccarat game makes an initial contribution to the jackpot.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of conventional baccarat rules are Las Vegas baccarat rules.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of conventional baccarat rules are Macau baccarat rules.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bet on live baccarat is selected from the group consisting of a bet on player hand win, a bet on bank hand win, a tie bet, a bet on player pair, and a bet on bank pair, 
 where the bet on player hand win or the bet on bank hand win can combine with any or all of the tie bet, the bet on player pair and the bet on bank pair.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot is won by a combination of cards that comprises A, K, Q, J, and 10, regardless of the suit.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the jackpot is won by a combination of cards that comprises A, K, Q, J, 10 in spade, regardless of the sequence.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the jackpot is won by a combination of cards that comprises K, Q, J, 10 in spade and A in either heart, club or diamond, regardless of the sequence.  
   
   
       9 . A method of playing a live baccarat game which allows a player to bet on jackpot, comprising 
 dealing cards to a player hand and a bank hand according to a set of conventional baccarat rules,    allowing at least a first player to place a bet on live baccarat,    allowing at least a second player to place a bet on jackpot where the second player can be the same as or different from the first player,    determining the outcome of the live baccarat game according to the set of conventional baccarat rules, and    determining the outcome of the jackpot according to Rule (I), which provides that Paradise Jackpot™ is won if any of the following is met: 
 1) any five cards forming a sequence, regardless of the order they are drawn,  
 2) five cards of a kind,  
 3) four cards of a kind, regardless of the order they are drawn,  
 4) three cards of a kind plus a pair, regardless of the order they are drawn,  
 5) three cards of a kind, regardless of the order they are drawn,  
 6) two pairs, regardless of the order they are drawn, or  
 7) all the 5 cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond,  
   
   
   
       10 . A method of playing a live baccarat game which allows a player to bet on jackpot, comprising 
 dealing cards to a player hand and a bank hand according to a set of conventional baccarat rules,    allowing at least a first player to place a bet on live baccarat,    allowing at least a second player to place a bet on jackpot where the second player can be the same as or different from the first player,    determining the outcome of the live baccarat game according to the set of conventional baccarat rules, and    determining the outcome of the jackpot according to Rules (II)(A-C), which provide that the Paradise Jackpot™ is won by any specific combination of the first four, three or two cards drawn in the live baccarat game, wherein:    Rules (II)(A) specifies that the first four cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the first four cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the first four cards of a kind;  
 3) three cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) two cards of a kind plus a pair, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn, which is a two pair sequence;  
 5) two cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 6) all the four cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond,  
   Rule (II)(B) specifies that the first three cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the first three cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the first three cards of a kind;  
 3) two cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) two cards forming a pair, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 5) all the three cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond, and  
   Rule (II)(C) specifies that the first two cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the first two cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the first two cards of a kind, which is also a pair; and  
 3) the first two cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond.  
   
   
   
       11 . A method of playing a live baccarat game which allows a player to bet on jackpot, comprising. 
 dealing cards to a player hand and a bank hand according to a set of conventional baccarat rules,    allowing at least a first player to place a bet on live baccarat,    allowing at least a second player to place a bet on jackpot where the second player can be the same as or different from the first player,    determining the outcome of the live baccarat game according to the set of conventional baccarat rules, and    determining the outcome of the jackpot according to Rules (III)(A-E), which provide that the Paradise Jackpot™ is won by any specific combination of the last six, five, four, three or two cards drawn in the live baccarat game, with regard to/regardless of the drawn sequence they are drawn, wherein:    Rule (III)(A) provides that the last six cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the last six cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the drawn sequence they are drawn;  
 2) six cards of a kind;  
 3) five cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) four cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 5) four cards of a kind plus a pair, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 6) three cards of a kind plus a pair, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 7) three cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 8) three pairs, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 9) all the six cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond,  
   Rule (III)(B) provides that the last five cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the last five cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) five cards of a kind;  
 3) four cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) three cards of a kind plus a pair, regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 5) three cards of a kind, regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 6) two pairs, regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 7) all the 5 cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond,  
   Rule (III)(C) provides that the last four cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the last four cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the last four cards of a kind;  
 3) three cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) two cards of a kind plus a pair, regardless of the order they are drawn, which is a two pair sequence;  
 5) two cards of a kind, regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 6) all the four cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond,  
   Rule (III)(D) provides that the last three cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the last three cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the last three cards of a kind;  
 3) two cards of a kind, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 4) two cards forming a pair, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn; and  
 5) all the last three cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond, and  
   Rule (III)(E) provides that the last two cards that are drawn form a combination selected from the group consisting of: 
 1) the last two cards forming a sequence, with regard to/regardless of the order they are drawn;  
 2) the last two cards of a kind, which is also a pair; and  
 3) the last two cards of the same symbols (same suit): spade, heart, club or diamond.  
   
   
   
       12 . A system for playing live baccarat game which allows a player to place a bet on jackpot, comprising 
 (1) a control unit (CU) for that comprises a shuffle mechanism and control buttons,    (2) a unit for betting computation and track record central processing (BCPU), and    (3) at least one betting terminal for players (BT),    wherein the CU is capable of: 
 receiving control button input generated by the dealer of the live baccarat game,  
 receiving shuffle mechanism input;  
 sending visual output to screen; and  
 sending card results to BCPU,  
   wherein the BCPU is capable of: 
 receiving betting from BT;  
 receiving card results from CU;  
 sending betting results to BT; and  
 sending credit to BT, and  
   wherein the BT is capable of: 
 sending betting to BCPU;  
 receiving betting results from BCPU; and  
 receiving credit from BCPU.  
   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the shuffle mechanism is an automatic shuffle master.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of betting terminals (BTs) comprising between about 2 and about 250 BTs.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising about 50 BTs.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the CU, the BCPU, and the BTs are connected via a local area network (LAN).  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the BTs are located in several gaming establishments.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a dealing table that allows a dealer to deal cards to a Player and a Banker.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the dealing table comprises a lighting mechanism capable of indicating the order for the dealer to deal the cards to the Player or the Banker.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the dealing table further comprises a mechanism for signaling the start of a dealing process.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the mechanism for signaling comprises a touch screen.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the dealing table further comprises an overhead video camera.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a software program or a plurality of software programs capable of performing any of the functions of CU, BCPU, and/or BT according to  claim 12 .  
   
   
       24 . A software program or a plurality of software programs that allows one to play a baccarat game according to the method as defined in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       25 . A software program or a plurality of software programs that allows one to play a baccarat game according to the method as defined in  claim 9 .  
   
   
       26 . A software program or a plurality of software programs that allows one to play a baccarat game according to the method as defined in  claim 10 .  
   
   
       27 . A software program or a plurality of software programs that allows one to play a baccarat game according to the method as defined in  claim 11 .  
   
   
       28 . A system for playing live baccarat game which allows a player to place a bet on jackpot, comprising the software program as defined in  claim 24 .  
   
   
       29 . A system for playing live baccarat game which allows a player to place a bet on jackpot, comprising the software program as defined in  claim 25 .  
   
   
       30 . A system for playing live baccarat game which allows a player to place a bet on jackpot, comprising the software program as defined in  claim 26 .  
   
   
       31 . A system for playing live baccarat game which allows a player to place a bet on jackpot, comprising the software program as defined in  claim 27 .  
   
   
       32 . An electronic device or entertainment gaming machine comprising the software program or the plurality of software programs as defined in  claim 24 .  
   
   
       33 . An electronic device or entertainment gaming machine comprising the software program or the plurality of software programs as defined in  claim 25 .  
   
   
       34 . An electronic device or entertainment gaming machine comprising the software program or the plurality of software programs as defined in  claim 26 .  
   
   
       35 . An electronic device or entertainment gaming machine comprising the software program or the plurality of software programs as defined in  claim 27 .  
   
   
       36 . The electronic device of  claim 32 , which is a laptop or desktop computer.  
   
   
       37 . The electronic device of  claim 33 , which is a laptop or desktop computer.  
   
   
       38 . The electronic device of  claim 34 , which is a laptop or desktop computer.  
   
   
       39 . The electronic device of  claim 35 , which is a laptop or desktop computer.