Roulette game using cards as an indication of game outcome

Abstract

A method and system for providing an electronic wagering game that simulates the game play of roulette. The system comprises a dealer control terminal for managing the wagering game, a display in communication with the dealer control device for presenting a virtual and animated display of a traditional roulette wagering layout, a plurality of player terminals configured for wagering on the wagering game, and a game outcome determining device. The outcome determining device is preferably a card handling and/or shuffling device which is used in conjunction with cards having indicia corresponding to the numbers and colors present on a standard casino roulette wheel. The preferred method includes the steps of receiving wagers according to conventional roulette rules, randomly shuffling cards using the shuffling device, dealing one randomly shuffled card from the card handling device, inputting the indicia on the one dealt card into the game to resolve all wagers, and actuating an animated presentation designed to display events leading to a virtual roulette conclusion substantially similar to the indicia on the one dealt card.

1 . A system for playing an electronic wagering game of simulated roulette comprising:
 a) one or more player stations at a gaming table having touch-screen interfaces for player input, wherein the touch-screen interfaces permit players to place a wager electronically on a simulated roulette game outcome;   b) a game control device operatively associated with the player stations for comparing said wagers to the roulette game outcome, and determining whether the wager is won;   c) a game outcome determining device for providing a randomly selected game outcome comprising a playing card delivery device;   d) a randomized set of playing cards within the playing card delivery device, each card representative of a roulette outcome; and   e) a display device operatively associated with the game control device for providing a visual presentation of a roulette game outcome,   
       wherein the visual presentation of the roulette game outcome culminates with a representation of the roulette game outcome that substantially corresponds to the randomly selected game outcome determined from a playing card removed from the playing card delivery device. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the playing card delivery device comprises a playing card shuffler. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the visual display is an animated display of a roulette wheel and ball. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein image files are available in memory for display of the roulette game outcome as images of a roulette ball and wheel, the images designed to convey a random series of events or indicia selection process. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the images comprising the roulette ball spinning on the wheel and the ball dropping into a canoe indicating the roulette game outcome. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the game control device also can credit winning proceeds directly to the player stations. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the random cards comprise 37 or 38 cards with roulette outcomes identified by readable symbols on each of the 37 or 38 cards. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein a playing card reading system automatically reads one card at a time within the playing card delivery device, the card reading system having a communication connection for transmission of read information to at least one of the game control device and the dealer input console. 
     
     
         9 . A method for playing a game of roulette without a physical ball and wheel determining event outcomes comprising:
 at least one player placing at least one roulette wager at a gaming terminal;   a dealer removing a single playing card from a card handling device to determine an event outcome in the play of the game of roulette;   the dealer entering the event outcome into a dealer input console or a value of the single playing card is read and automatically entered into a processor, generating a visual display of a game outcome; and   the processor determining an event outcome with respect to the at least one wager and resolving the at least one wager with respect to the at least one player.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the entered event outcome is displayed on a visual display device at the table. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the visual display is an animated display of a ball dropping into a roulette canoe matching the event outcome. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the single card is withdrawn from a shuffler, and after removal of the single playing card, all cards are removed from the shuffler. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein when a new set of playing cards is inserted into the shuffler and shuffling begins, an indication is provided to players of a time limit for placing wagers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the time limit is at least a majority of time until conclusion of the shuffling. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the dealer must enter the event outcome into the dealer input console. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the single playing card is read within the shuffler or as the single card is removed from the shuffler. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a camera takes an image of the single card, or an image file for the roulette event indicated by the single file is retrieved, and an image of the single card, or image from the image file for the roulette event indicated by the single file is displayed to all players.