ONLINE AND LAND POKER CONVERGING?

(477) (19-September-2006)

An intriguing patent that brings Internet and physical poker closer

ZDNet carried details of an intriguing patent application that brings virtual and real poker playing closer this week.
 
United States Patent #20060205508 filed on March 14, 2004, was published on September 14, 2006. In it, the listed inventor Darryl Green of a company called Original Deal, Inc . claims to have developed a way in which a computer user at home (or office!) can be connected via the Internet in such a way that play is possible against live action players inside poker rooms of brick-and-mortar casinos.

The technology is apparently not limited to the game of poker, but can be applied to most gaming tables putting online players in touch with other and more physical elements of gambling, such as dealers, croupiers, betting chips, cards, dice, and even a roulette wheel.

It is thought that the system will involve the use of radio frequency identification devices placed into cards or weighted chips. RFD technology allows live and televised audiences to keep track of the essential elements of a game.  

Green's application claims that, "Online table gaming via the Internet, wireless networks, interactive television, and private networks is very popular. In one example, an online player sees on his computer monitor a virtual table and his virtual dealt cards. Other online players see their own cards displayed. Dealing is performed by a remote application server, running a program where a pseudo-random number generator (RNG) deals virtual cards to the players. The online players bet via a touchscreen, a keyboard, or a mouse, and the game is conducted by the application server using conventional rules. At the end of the hand, the result is determined, and the players' accounts are debited and credited based on the results."