Table game

Abstract

The present invention involves live gaming tables where players make one or more wagers on the outcome of a game played according to a predetermined set of rules. The table game is characterized by having a progressive prize that may be won through the play of a plurality of different bonus games. Each bonus game has a different triggering event associated with it and is preferably differentiated from the other bonus games by the probability of winning the progressive prize through the bonus game. The triggering event for each bonus game is preferably a combination of cards formed by the players' hands, the dealer's hand and/or a combination thereof. In additional embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of different table games played with different rules employ a plurality of bonus games associated with the different tables that allows different table games with otherwise disparate and fixed odds to have fair odds of winning a communal progressive prize.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a table with a table layout designed for a play of a card game, the table having,
 1) a plurality of player positions wherein each player position includes
 i) a first location for placing one or more first gaming chips used as a primary wager on the play of the card game wherein the primary wager is required to play the card game at the player position and 
 ii) a second location for placing one or more second gaming chips used as a secondary wager at the player position wherein the secondary wager is required to be eligible for a progressive prize resulting from the play of the card game at the player position and wherein the primary wager and the secondary wager are placed prior to a beginning of the play of the card game at the player position, 
 
 2) a dealer position for a dealer, 
 3) a wager detection mechanism to detect whether the one or more second gaming chips are at the second location at each of the plurality of player positions and 
 4) a display device visible to the players at the plurality of player positions, 
 5) an input mechanism at the dealer position on the table where an indication of an occurrence of at least a first card hand in an instance of the play of the card game or an occurrence of a second card hand in the instance of the play of the card game is input; 
   a computer including a memory and at least one executable program, the computer operatively connected to the wager detection mechanism, the input mechanism and the display device,
 the computer programmed to
 i) determine an amount to increment the progressive prize in response to a detection of the one or more second gaming chips at each of plurality of player positions received from the wager detection mechanism, 
 ii) generate a plurality of bonus games including a generation of a graphical presentation for each of the plurality of bonus games wherein the plurality of bonus games include a) a first bonus game generated in response to an occurrence of the first card hand associated with the instance of the play of the card game at a first player position having the secondary wager or b) a second bonus game, from among the plurality of bonus games, generated in response to an occurrence of a second card hand associated with the instance of the play of the card game at the first player position having the secondary wager 
 wherein an equal amount is incremented to the progressive prize whether the first bonus game or the second bonus game is generated in the instance; 
 iii) when the first card hand occurs in the instance of the play of the card game having the secondary wager, output a play of the first bonus game on the display device 
 iv) when the second card hand occurs in the instance of the play of the card game having the secondary wager, output the play of the second bonus game on the display device; and 
 v) award the progressive prize in response to the play of the first bonus game or the play of the second bonus game, 
 wherein a first probability to award the progressive prize as an outcome to the first bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game is different from a second probability to award the progressive prize as an outcome to the second bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game 
 wherein an overall probability of awarding the progressive prize during the play of the instance of the card game is determined from at least the first probability and the second probability, 
 v) generate a random number; 
 vi) in response to receiving from the input mechanism a first indication of the occurrence of the first card hand in the instance of the play of the card game, generate the first bonus game including determining an award to the first bonus game using the random number and output the play of the first bonus game having the determined award to the display device and, 
 vii) in response to receiving from the input mechanism a second indication of the occurrence of the second card hand in the instance of the play of the card game, generate the second bonus game including determining the award to the second bonus game using the random number and output the play of the second bonus game having the determined award to the display device. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a third probability of the first card hand occurring during the play of the instance of the card game is different than a second probability of the second card hand occurring during the play of the instance of the card game. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first paytable that is used to generate the first bonus game, wherein the first paytable includes a third probability to award the progressive prize as an outcome to the first bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first pay table further includes a fourth probability to award a prize separate from the progressive prize as the outcome to the first bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a second paytable that is used to generate the second bonus game, wherein the second paytable includes a fifth probability, which differs from the third probability, to award the progressive prize as the outcome to the second bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the second pay table further includes a sixth probability to award a second prize separate from the progressive prize as the outcome to the second bonus game resulting from the play of the instance of the card game. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the card game is played with at least one predefined deck of playing cards. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the card game is one of either black jack, pai gow, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Crazy For Poker, 3 Hand Hold 'Em, Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em or a game based at least in part on traditional rules of poker. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein game rules of the card game comprise a plurality of predefined card hands made from at least one predefined deck of playing cards and a predefined hierarchy of card hands and wherein it is an object of the card game for a player to have a card hand that is higher in the hierarchy than the card hand made by a dealer. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first card hand or the second card hand is an occurrence of a player's card hand, a dealer's card hand or some combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first card hand or the second card hand is a predetermined combination of the playing cards used by one or more players, the dealer, a group of community cards or some combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the secondary wager, required to be eligible to win the progressive prize, is separate from the primary wager, and wherein the primary wager is resolved in favor of the player if a player's card hand beats a dealer's card hand according to game rules for the card game. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a multiplied return is awarded from the secondary wager required to be eligible to win the progressive prize and/or the primary wager upon the occurrence of one of a plurality of predetermined combinations of playing cards used by one or more of the players, the dealer, a group of community cards or some combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of possible multipliers associated with a multiplied return, and wherein a first portion of the multipliers are fixed for a portion of predetermined combinations of playing cards, and wherein a second portion of the multipliers are variably selected by one of the plurality of bonus games. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input mechanism includes a touch screen display accessible by the dealer and wherein the computer is further programmed to output a list of selectable card hands including at least the first card hand and the second card hand to the touch screen display. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a second computer, separate from the computer, configured to receive the amount to increment the progressive prize from the computer. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism includes a control pad or one or more input buttons. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the graphical presentation includes a wheel or a reel. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the outcome to the first bonus game or the second bonus game is presented using a mechanical device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the mechanical device is one of a mechanical wheel or a mechanical reel.