US 5,669,817 · Granted 1997-09-23
The 1997 Patent That Put Video Screens Inside Casino Card Tables
Imagine a poker table where instead of a dealer handing out paper cards, each player has a private video screen showing only their hand, while the dealer's screen shows everyone's cards at the end. This patent describes exactly that setup—a high-tech card table that replaces physical cards with displays.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a casino card table equipped with multiple video displays: one private screen for each player position that shows only that player's cards, and a dealer display visible to everyone that reveals the dealer's hand and final game cards. What's protected here is the specific arrangement and functionality of these screens integrated into the table's physical structure, along with the game control systems the dealer uses to manage play.
Why it matters
This patent arrived in 1997 as casinos were beginning to explore digital alternatives to traditional card games. By replacing physical cards with secure video displays, the table could reduce cheating, streamline game management, and create new revenue opportunities through digital logging and analytics. The innovation sat at the intersection of furniture design and gaming technology—a novel combination that gave the assignee a foothold in an emerging market.
Real-world use
Walk into a high-end casino's private poker room and you might see a dealer seated at one end of a sleek table with a built-in screen, while players on each side watch their cards appear on their own personal displays—no cards to mark, no physical tells to hide.
Original USPTO abstract
A casino game table for card games such as poker includes a plurality of displays that operate to display dealt card representations in lieu of actual dealt cards. The game table includes a dealer position and a number of player positions. Each player position has a video display upon which is displayed, during game play, representations of game cards viewable substantially only by the associated player. The dealer position has a video display viewable by players and the dealer, upon which are displayed representations of cards dealt the dealer during game play, and cards of the dealer and participating players at the conclusion of game play. The dealer position includes game controls for initiating and maintaining game play.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,669,817
- Filing date
- 1996-01-25
- Grant date
- 1997-09-23
- Assignee
- Tarantino; Elia R.
- Inventor(s)
- TARANTINO; ELIA R.
- CPC class
- A47B21/007
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