System, method and apparatus for generating large jackpots on live game card tables

摘要

A system to generate large (e.g. $1 million) jackpots for live card games such as blackjack is disclosed. Multiple live card tables are placed in one or more gaming establishments. A coin acceptor is assigned to each player position on the tables and includes a sensor for determining the presence of a coin to generate a signal indicating that a jackpot side bet has been placed and to correspondingly increase the available jackpot that is being accumulated from the side bets on all tables. The coin acceptors are mounted directly to the playing tables. The acceptors have a low profile above the table top and include sloping surfaces to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of coins from them. Each coin acceptor communicates with a central computer or processor. The computer keeps track of jackpot accumulations, deducts winnings therefrom, controls strategically positioned displays to inform players and dealers of the size of the available jackpot or jackpots, and the table includes controls adjacent the dealer position to prevent late betting and pay winning players their jackpots. To generate the large jackpots, blackjack is played with six full decks of cards, and winning blackjack hands are selected to have the requisite low probability of occurrence.