Device and method for supporting wagering systems in games of chance

[0001] This application is a conversion of prior filed and commonly owned provisional patent application No. 60/455,472 filed Mar. 17, 2003 and titled Method and System For Supporting Betting Systems In Games of Chance.

[0002] The present invention relates to electronic gaming systems and devices and more particularly to methods and systems providing for a player to enter their desired wager amounts for games of chance.

[0003] Casino wagering games are very popular. Such games range from live games such as Blackjack, Craps, Pai Gow Poker, Baccarat to electronic video games such as video Poker, slot machines, video Blackjack and other virtual games. Modernly it has been known to provide live and virtual games through the Internet to remotely located players. These games are received by the player at their home, personal computer or personal data assistant (PDA) or cellular telephone for play. Play may be based upon actual money wagered or for purely entertainment by providing for the wagering of virtual credits.

[0004] For wagering with real money monetary and/or wagering with fictitious credits, there are a number of popular betting systems that recommend changing your bet size based on your prior outcomes. These betting systems are popular with many gamblers for many reasons, including: providing a structured approach to their wagering experience, giving the player a high likelihood of achieving a small gain by risking a much larger bankroll and appealing to people's intuitive sense of how game outcomes should normally occur.

[0005] Some examples of these systems are described below.

[0006] According to the Martingale System, if you lost your previous bet, then you should double your last bet for the next hand, play, round or spin. Otherwise you should drop your wager to your normal starting bet for the system sequence. This wagering system may be expressed as follows, where W is the player selected base, or initial series wager;

[0007] In this wagering strategy, it is very unlikely that you will lose a number of outcomes in a row, so by risking a large bankroll, you very high chance of winning the equivalent of his initial wager. For example, you chose 5 as your base wager to place on the BLACK bet in roulette. If you win, you are up 5 units. The next play you again wager 5 units. If you lose the first bet of 5 units, for the next game you bet 10 units. If you win this bet, then you will have bet 510 units over the two games and have 20 units in winnings, therefore you will be ahead 5 units. If you lose the 10 unit bet, you double the wager on the next game to 20. If you win this bet, you will have bet 51020 and have 40 in winnings so you will be up 5.

[0008] The Anti-Martingale System protocol is that if you won your previous bet, then double your last bet for the next round of play; otherwise wager the normal starting bet chosen for your sequence. Thus this wagering strategy may be expressed as follows, where W is the player chosen starting wager for the sequence,

[0009] This strategy appeals to people who believe in trying to take advantage of lucky streaks. This viewpoint may occasionally have some validity in a game like blackjack whereby depletion of certain cards in the deck may make improve expected payback for the player.

[0010] The Labouchere System (or cancellation system) requires you write down a series of numbers e.g. the numbers 1, 5, 15 and 25. The initial bet is sum of first and last numbers of the series multiplied by the selected base wager W for the series. If you lose, then the next bet is sum of 2nd and 2nd to last numbers, etc. until you either win or until you've completed the series. This wagering strategy may be expressed as follows,

[0011] The appeal of this system may lie in people's viewpoint that in order to lose on this betting system, the player must lose more than twice as often as he wins.

[0012] The d'Alembert System wager strategy is started with any base bet amount, if you win, increase your bet by 1 unit (which may be, for example $5, $10 or the amount of the strategy sequence starting wager W) for the next round of play. If you lose, decrease you bet by 1 unit. This strategy may be generally expressed as follows:

[0013] For the Regression System you start with a wager of 2 units, if you win, increase bet for the next round by 1 unit, if you lose, decrease by 1 unit. For the Parlay System, if you win, you add your winnings to your original bet for the next bet, for a specific number of times (e.g. only once or only twice). If you lose you drop your bet to the beginning amount.

[0014] This invention addresses two independent areas of improvement to assist people who wish to play a betting system.

[0015] Whether for a live table game, or video-based game or other gaming device, the player must mentally, or using paper and pencil, keep track of where they are in their chosen system progression to know how to vary their bet. It would be advantageous to provide a display for the player that indicates where they are in their betting series and what the next wager should be based upon their chosen betting system.

[0016] For live table games, it is relatively easy for the player to manipulate their money, coins, chips or other monetary tokens in order to vary their bet size. However for a video-based game or other gaming device, including an Internet video game, where the player controls their wager by control buttons, either as part of a video touch screen and/or as physical buttons, keys or knobs or by manipulating a cursor on a video screen by a mouse, joystick or other pointing device, it can be cumbersome for the player to vary their bet. For example, some video based games require the player to increase or decrease their bet by 1 unit by making a separate button press on a BET UP or BET DOWN button for each 1 unit change. So, to raise your bet from 20 to 40, you may need to press the BET UP button 20 times. Other video game systems offer the player a bet control interface that is based upon casino chips of different size. The player can raise his bet by the selected size, by, for example, clicking on the selected chip icon on the video screen or by dragging and dropping the chip icon from the chip area to the bet area or by clicking on the betting icon on the video screen after having clicked on the appropriate chip icon on the betting screen. For a player to place a 40-credit bet, he may have to first select the 5 chip and then add this bet eight times. Alternately, he could select the 25 chip, add this bet once, then select the 5 chip and bet it three times.

[0017] It would be useful in video-based game applications, especially for video-based applications over the Internet to provide the player with keys, buttons or shortcuts for quickly wagering according to betting system strategies.

[0018] Finally, it should be pointed out that some of the bet control features described in this invention may be of use to players who are not necessarily following a betting system but who which to take advantage of these innovative betting conveniences. For example, a player who wishes to easily increase their bet to take advantage of a higher bankroll made possible by winning outcomes may wish to use a Double Bet feature. Likewise, a player whose bankroll is diminishing may wish to quickly lower his betting size with a HALF BET feature.

[0019] There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention an improved device and method which simplifies and provides shortcuts for a player to place wagers on a series of games according to one or more wagering strategies.

[0020] Toward this end, there is set forth an improved gaming device and method for a player to play a series wagering game plays A_1-N of the type which, for each play, produces at least one of a winning or losing outcome and where, if a losing outcome is produced, the player loses their wager on that play and where if a winning outcome is produced the player wins an award based upon their wager. For example the games may be Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker or other wagering card games, Roulette, Craps or even video based games such as video Poker or slot machines. The games may be computer generated or may be live games such as a live Blackjack game broadcast over the Internet to players playing the games from remote terminals or computers.

[0021] The device includes an electronic display. Means are provided to select and display at said display game indicia according to the rules of the game to serially produce said game play outcomes. These means may include a game computer to generate the game symbols on a player's terminal or may be a broadcast system to broadcast images of live play for players to play from a remote terminal.

[0022] A processor is provided, as is a data input device in communication with said processor, for a player to input a wager for each of said game plays The input device includes a plurality of wager value input keys arranged to allow a player to more easily wager according to a betting strategy by allowing player to specify a new wager based upon their previous wager. That is, for example, if the preceding game play was a loss, a particular wagering strategy or system (such as Martingale or Anti-Martingale) may suggest doubling the player's next game play wager. Hence a key for this system may be a DOUBLE key which, if actuated by the player, doubles his previous bet. Data corresponding to the player's wager amounts are stored by said processor.

[0023] Means are provided for a player and for a first game play A₁ according to said wager strategy, to select with the input device an initial wager W. That is, for example under the Martingale System and for the first wager of the wagering strategy, the player may select $5. Data corresponding to said selected initial wager transmitted to said processor. The processor is configured to determine if the outcome of play A₁ is a winning or losing outcome. The data input device value input keys are operable by the player, based upon said outcome of play A₁, to input the game wager for the next play based upon said strategy. For example, for the Martingale System or Anti-Martingale System, there may be the DOUBLE bet key as described above to double the previous wager for a loss and a SAME BET key to make the same wager as was made for the previous game play.

[0024] The device and method may be configured to include other shortcut keys for players to implement one or more wagering system strategies.

[0025] These and other features and advantages will become better appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to the description wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a display illustrating one embodiment of the present invention showing the key features according to the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a partial display illustrating a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a partial display illustrating yet a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows an example of a presentation of the keys according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a logic diagram for a Martingale wagering system strategy that can be implemented with the key features of the present invention.

[0031] 1. Overview

[0032] This invention covers the addition of possible mechanisms to give the player easier control over their bet amounts, especially when done in conjunction with popular betting systems and strategies. These are most appropriate in situations where the player is betting via some form of computer interface, or via control buttons, keys or other input devices.

[0033] The present invention can be used in regards to displays for the play of live table games or for electronic games, electro-mechanical game and games played over the Internet.

[0034] Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows one display 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention where the betting system. The display 10 is controlled by a computer processor (not shown) of conventional design. The processor controls the display 10 to display information for the play of the game. In a game area 12 the indicia for the play of the game are displayed for wagering action by the player as well for, when appropriate, play of the game. For example, if the game is a live game the game area 12 may display representation of the dealt playing cards or of virtual cards dealt for the play of the game. Where the game is played from a remote location such as for play through the Internet, the game area 12 would display the playing cards for the chosen game. Based upon the indicia or cards dealt in the game area 12, the player may be required to take action such as to complete the hand of cards of a hand a Blackjack according to the rules of the game. Other games may be played as well such as Caribbean Stud Poker, Baccarat, Roulette or other such games.

[0035] The display 10 may also be controlled to display, for example, a pay table 14 for the game to provide information to the player as to the awards available for designated outcomes.

[0036] The display is also controlled to display to the player the amounts paid at 16, as well as the amount previously bet at 18. To help the player enter chosen wagers, certain keys, buttons or other data input means are provided such as unit keys 20a-d for the player to designate the units being wagered, e.g. a 5 unit wager at 20a, a ten unit wager at 20b, a twenty-five unit wager at 20c and a one hundred unit wager at 20d. Where the display 10 is a player's computer monitor, the display 10 may be a touch screen display whereby by touching the keys the corresponding units are wagered. Other data input means may include a mouse to locate a cursor on the selected key, keyboard or other data input means.

[0037] For facilitating the wagering according to known betting systems, the device and method of the present invention also includes system keys 22a-c. Key 22a clears any prior wager and permits the player to begin a new wager or series of wagering according to a betting system. Key 22b is a double the bet button or key that prompts the processor to enter a wager for the next hand or round of play that is twice the prior bet. For example, under one wagering system protocol such as the Martingale system, if the player has lost the previous game, the system suggests wagering double the previous wager for the next game play. This key can be used in conjunction with re-bet button or key (FIGS. 2 and 3)) that would wager the same amount as in the previous hand or round. The double the bet key 22b could then cause this value to double as is suggested in the Martingale and Anti-Martingale betting systems. Optionally, the double the bet key 22b could be used to always double the current bet every time it is activated.

[0038] If bet doubling would cause the wager to exceed table maximum, the processor could be configured as follows: the key 22b could be come inactive when it cannot do a full double the bet could be increased to match the table maximum prompting the player to ask them if they wish to

[0039] do nothing

[0040] increase their bet to the table maximum

[0041] move to a higher denomination table, if available (with a starting bet equal to twice the current wager)

[0042] Likewise, if the players balance is not large enough to exactly double the bet, then similar options are possible:

[0043] the button could be come inactive when there is insufficient funds to do a full double

[0044] the button could be increased up to the remaining amount available

[0045] the player could be prompted, telling them of the state of their balance and offering to

[0046] do nothing

[0047] apply remainder of balance to the bet

[0048] go to screen allowing player to add more money to their balance

[0049] Like the double the bet key 22b, there may be provided a halve the bet Button or key: This key (not shown) is similar to the double the bet key but instead it cuts your bet in half every time it is pressed or entered. Instead of table maximum, this would be limited by table minimum. If a bet cannot be evenly cut in half, it could be rounded up to the nearest betable unit.

[0050] Also not shown but which may be provided is an add 1 unit key. This button or key adds 1 unit to the last bet for the next round of play. In combination with a Subtract 1 unit key, this would provide support for a d'Alembert betting system. While some video-based gambling games have as their sole betting interface, an Add 1 button and a Subtract 1 button, (which can be found, for example, in Microgaming's online casino game user interface)s, the innovation here is the addition of an Add 1 button and Subtract 1 button as an adjunct to a chip based betting control for the purpose of making systems betting easier to accomplish.

[0051] Current chip based betting controls currently do not support the easy adjustment of a bet by one unit up or down. For example, if your current bet is $10, and you want to make it $9, you usually have to remove $5 and then add four $1 bets or remove all $10 and then add a $5 (if available) and four $1 bets or add nine $1 bets.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 3 there may also be provided a feature of adding N units, e.g. 5 units as shown by key 30. This key, if prompted would add the N unit increment to the next wager to accommodate, for example, the d'Alembert System. Like Add 1 Unit, but where the player gets to specify the increment amount.

[0053] The Subtract N unit key 32 may be provided as the converse to the Add X units key 30 to also accommodate certain betting systems.

[0054] Not shown, there may also be provided a Next Button or key: This key, if prompted, updates your bet to be the next value in the series. This could be a use-once button that sets the bet value to the proper value. Alternately, if pressed multiple times, it could continue to advance as if the next outcome were the same as the last. For example, for a Martingale system where the player lost a $10 bet, first press of Next would bet $20, the 2nd press would bet $40 (as if you had a loss on the $20).

[0055] A Previous button or key compliments of the Next button. This key allows the player to go the other direction in the sequence. For example, if you double press the Next button, then pressing the Previous Bet button brings you to state equal to single Next, and another press of Previous button yields your prior bet.

[0056] All of the above buttons or keys could work in conjunction with a CLEAR or CLEAR BETS button, which removes all placed wager. At this point, REBET, DOUBLE, NEXT etc. would-work just as they would right after the end of the prior game.

[0057] Instead of, or in addition to, the previous button control, there could also be presented a series of possible bet amounts that the player could pick. For example, this could present the forward and reverse series, as well as the base bet for the player to pick. As a further example, for a base bet of 5 in a Martingale System after a $40 loss, the series could be $5-$20-$40-$80-$160, which correspond to base bet, prior to last bet, last bet, recommended next bet, bet after next (which is same as double-double). The $80 would be the default value but the player can choose any of the others via mouse click or screen press or pressing navigation buttons or navigation keys and an activation button or activation key, etc.

[0058] A special bet series display may optionally be provided. This could show the bet history through a given series. For example, showing the history of lost bets, and their singular values and cumulative value until a bet is won or until the player decides to start again. For a Labouchere System, the display 10 could display the number series being worked upon, including those numbers scratched off the series due to losing bets.

[0059] Game specific support for most of the betting innovations described herein can be provided. For example, for games like Pai Gow Poker or wagers like the Bank bet in Baccarat with a 5% commission on wins, then pure doubling of your bets won't necessarily guarantee that you will be ahead after successfully finishing a sequence. Therefore, a Smart Double or Smart Next could provide a sufficient boost above double in order to guarantee that the player will end a successful streak with a positive increase in balance.

[0060] Another example special steps can be taken for outcomes involving adjustments to bets during the course of play, such as double down and split in Blackjack, or making a Raise bet in Caribbean Stud Poker or based on whether wagers are withdrawn from Let It Ride. Additionally, there are sometimes exceptional pays in games such as a natural 21 in Blackjack or a particularly high hand outcomes in Caribbean Stud Poker. For the d'Alembert System, these kinds of mid-play betting adjustments or extra large pays result in an additional unit being applied for each extra original wager. For doubling systems, the bet in the series could be based on the actual amount won (Martingale) or lost (Anti-Martingale.) instead of just the initial size of the previous wager.

[0061] Players could be given control over a number of these functions. For example, for the Next or Next button and Previous buttons, the player could select their betting system of choice. Additionally, if a Labouchere System is supported, the player might be able to chose from a number of different series and/or specify their own series.

[0062] The device and these methods can be applied to almost any gambling game, but especially those in games with high hit frequencies, such as game with hit frequency of 30% or more, including Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Stud Poker, Casino War, Video Poker, Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Let it Ride, etc.

[0063] Additionally there could be offered and Auto Play key. One could offer the above features in conjunction with an auto-play mode whereby you establish a starting bankroll, a starting bet size, a betting strategy (including bet the same amount) and betting strategy options, if any, and your ending criteria which could include: quit after X credits won, quit after Y credits lost, quit after N hands won, quit after M hands lost, quit after K hands played, quit after J hands lost in a row, quit after L hands won in a row, etc. This could be done for game that requires no play strategy, such as roulette, or for games of skill where an auto-hold feature is available, such as Pai Gow Poker, or for games where a customizable auto-hold feature could be possible, such as a selecting play criteria for Blackjack.

[0064] The Auto Play feature can also be offered with display options which represent the history of play and current state of exit criteria, etc. For example, you could represent wining and losing outcomes, amounts won and lost in these outcomes, etc. You might also be able to give some indication of how many more trials might be possible. This could be optimistic and/or pessimistic. For example, for a game with straight betting with a 20 hands stopping criteria, you could show minimum number of possible hands in one color and maximum number (20) in a different color. The display could also include summary statistics including data such as hands won, hands lost, betting sequences completed successfully, betting sequences finished without a success, total amount won (or lost), total remaining in the active bankroll, estimate of minimum and maximum hands remaining, number of special wins (like Blackjack or Double Down in the game of blackjack), number of streak wins (2 in a row, 3 in a row, etc.), number of streak losses (2 in a row, 3 in a row, etc.).

[0065] This invention can be described as a device Information storage device to store prior game outcomes including size of wagers, size of winnings. Input device for player to control bet using mechanisms described above. Optional display device that can show things like:

[0066] game history

[0067] history of current bet series

[0068] state of betting series, if appropriate

[0069] suggested next bet size

[0070] 2. A Device

[0071] Turning to FIG. 4 there is illustrated an example of a device 100 configured according to the present invention. The device 100 has a housing 102 that mounts a display 104 such as a VRT, plasma display of other electronic display. Disposed within the housing is a processor 106 that controls the display 104 and the other features of the device 100.

[0072] The exemplary device 100 shown in FIG. 4 is configured for the play of a game of Casino War, which, by its nature, includes the display of a player hand card 108 in the player card display area 109 and a dealer hand card 110 in the dealer card display area 111. For this example, it is assumed that this game is defined as follows. The player places a wager, initiates play, and wins if his card is of higher rank than the dealer. In this example, the player loses if his rank is less than or matches that of the dealer (a tie), though in the traditional Casino War games offered in casinos, there are additional rules to handle player-dealer ties.

[0073] As referenced above, in one embodiment, the processor 106 may be configured and programmed to select and display at the display 104 the cards for each hand. Alternatively, where the play is live, the display 104 would display the cards for each hand of play as broadcast from a live gaming table as, for example, over the Internet. Suffice it to say, the processor 106 and display 104 are configured to display the cards selected for the player and dealer hands 108, 110. There is display area for game information 112, which could include winner designation information, player prompts, prior card history, marketing messages, etc. There is a display area for betting information, which can include such data as amount wagered, amount won, amount carried in balance, betting history, bet series status, etc. As is known in the art, the player using various control keys and buttons the player can control play to obtain an outcome for the game play. In this sample device, there is shown both touch screen controls 121-128 (soft buttons) in the screen control area 120 and the equivalent controls offered via hard buttons 131-138 in the hard button control area 130. The device 100 also features a mechanism for accepting wagers 140 and a mechanism for the player to cash out his winnings and or credit balance 142.

[0074] With continuing reference to FIG. 4, the device 100 has a plurality of game control buttons. A DEAL soft button 128 and the DEAL hard button equivalent 138 is a deal button that prompts the processor 106 to present the cards for an initial hand of play, e.g. one card to the player hand 108 and one card to the dealer hand 110. A CASH OUT soft button 121 and hard button equivalent 131, if actuated by the player, prompts the processor 106 to dispense the accumulated credits and funds to the player as by dispensing tokens or printing a credit voucher which is dispensed from a ticket writer 142. A BET One 1 soft button 124 and hard button equivalent 134 enables a player to wager in single credit or unit increments by depressing that button. A BET 1 soft button 123 and hard button equivalent 133 enables a player to reduce the wager in single credit or unit increments by depressing that button. A CLEAR BETS soft button 122 and hard button equivalent 132 enables a player to undo all wagers by depressing that button.

[0075] The DOUBLE BET soft button 126 and hard button equivalent 136, if actuated by the player, doubles the wager from the immediately preceding game play hand for the next hand of play. For example, if the player on the last hand wagered $10, actuation of the DOUBLE BET soft button 126 or the DOUBLE BET hard button 136 would input a wager to the processor 106 of $20. Without the DOUBLE BET soft button 126 or the DOUBLE BET hard button 136 the player would not have to remember their prior bet and manipulate the bet buttons to make the doubling wager. As stated above, according to some systems (Martingale and Anti-Martingale) the outcome of the previous hand controls whether the next bet should be doubled. The DOUBLE BET soft button 126 and DOUBLE BET hard button 136, if depressed when a wager is already present, will double the value of that wager. This provides a convenient method to allow the player to increase his bet size.

[0076] The REBET soft button 127 and REBET hard button equivalent 137, is active when no wager is yet placed and if depressed when active, causes the wager amount from the prior game to be placed. This provides a quick and convenient method to restore the prior bet.

[0077] The BASE BET soft button 125 and hard button equivalent 135, if depressed, causes the current wager amount to be set the amount from the last game whose wager amount was directly set. This is useful for supporting certain betting systems as can be shown in the following example.

[0078] To play the game using, for example, a Martingale wagering system strategy, the player makes a first wager to begin the system series. For example, the player begins with a wager of 5 units by pressing the BET 1 button 124 five times and the pressing the DEAL button 120. The hand is played to produce, for example a player hand winning outcome. The processor 106 is configured to determine whether each outcome is a winning or losing outcome (where the game-type may produce a tie, those are recorded as well). Thus, since the player wagered 5 units and had a winning outcome he would win 5 units and be paid 10 units (paid back his wager plus the win amount). The table below sets forth an example of a series of outcomes (winning and losing) and the wagering that would be done by the player.

	Hand	Wager	Outcome	Pay
	A1	5 Units	Win	10
	A2	5 Units	Loss	Lost 5 Units
	A3	10 Units	Loss	Lost 10 Units
	A4	20 Units	Loss	Lost 20 Units
	A5	40 Units	Win	80 Units
	A6	5 Units	Win	10 Units

[0079] As stated above, under the Martingale system, when the player loses they continue to double the previous wager until they win. When they win they return to the base wager of, in this example, 5 units.

[0080] By providing the REBET soft button 127 and hard button equivalent 137, the player can easily restore his prior wager with one button press in hand A₂ By providing the DOUBLE BET soft button 126 and DOUOBLE BET hard button equivalent 136 according to the present invention, the player can easily implement the system strategy by allowing the player to double his prior bet with a single input. When there is a loss, such as after hands A₂through A₄, the player simply actuates the DOUBLE BET soft button 126 or DOUBLE BET hard button 136. When the player wins after one or more losses, he can restore his original wager by pressing the BASE BET soft button 125 or BASE BET hard button 135.

[0081] The processor 106 may be configured to keep and display an historical record of the player's wagers in the betting info display area 114 and the outcomes for each so the player may keep track of where they are in the wagering strategy process. Still further, the processor 106 may be configured for the player to select a wagering system to be implemented and based thereon, control the display 102 to display or highlight what would be the next wager according to the system. For the example above, the processor 106 would highlight the DOUBLE BET button 126 or DOUBLE BET hard button 136 when the outcome is a loss.

[0082] The processor 106 may be configured to detect that the player is wagering according to a system protocol. Accordingly the processor 106 would be programmed to historically compare the player's wagers and the outcomes to data that would correspond to a known wagering system. If the processor 106 detects a correspondence, it would control the display 102 to highlight the appropriate wager or wagering button for the next game play.

[0083] As can be appreciated with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the display 104 may be configured to have the keys or buttons as described with reference thereto.

[0084] Turning to FIG. 5, a logic diagram is shown for implementation of a Martingale wagering system according to the present invention. At 200 the player inputs a wager to play the game play, e.g. hand of casino War. At the beginning of a series this wager may be designated as W₁ and may be, for example, ten units. At 202 the device 100 selects of displays the game play outcome according to the rules of the game. At 204 the processor 106 (or the player) determines whether the outcome was a winning or a losing outcome. If the outcome is a winning outcome, the player, using the data input keys, enters the base wager W₁ (ten units) for the next game play as shown by rebet 206. If the outcome was a loss, the Martingale system suggests the player double his prior bet. At 208 the player would enter a wager that is double the prior wager, e.g. twenty units. At 210 the processor 106 compares the doubling bet to a predetermined maximum wager permitted for the game, e.g. 500 units. If the doubling wager is less than the maximum wager permitted, the doubling wager is entered and made for the next hand of play. If at 210 the processor 106 determines that the doubling wager would exceed the maximum permitted wager, the processor 106 at 212 controls the display 104 to display this condition and to set forth the maximum wager permitted (which is less than the doubling wager. The player would then (1) rebet the prior wager (not double) or (2) accept a wager of the maximum amount.

[0085] Thus the various data input keys of the present invention provide the player with easy shortcuts for the player to input wagers according to one or more wagering systems. It is believed that by providing the shortcut keys, the rate of play and/or the wager sizes can be increased, which results in more revenues to the casino. Further, the keys make wagering more convenient to the player and can actually reduce their overall betting exposure. For example, if the player is using a wagering system that recommends the following series: $10, $20, $40, $80, without this invention, a player would be likely to over wager with a wager series that is much easier to specify: $10, $25, $50, $100.

[0086] While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention it should be understood that it is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.