1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates, generally, to the field of gaming, and more particularly to playing cards used in games.
2. Description of Related Art
Various games require the use of one or more playing cards. While there are many possible variations of playing cards, a standard deck of playing cards generally consists of fifty-two playing cards, each with different markings. The fifty-two cards may be categorized by their markings into four different suits with thirteen ranks in each suit. The four suits are generally hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. The thirteen ranks are generally Ace (A), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (I), Queen (Q), and King (K). The suits and ranks may have different values and/or significance in different games. Occasionally, a standard deck is packaged with one or more Joker cards.
Each playing card in a standard deck is generally constructed of a sheet of paper or plastic. One side, the face side, displays the suit and rank. The other side, the back side, generally does not indicate the markings on the face side. This back side may instead display a variety of designs. Possible designs may include a manufacturer's logo, a distributor's design, an artistic design, a novelty design, or any of various custom designs. In a standard deck of cards, all fifty-two cards generally display the same design on their back side.
Examples of games commonly played with at least one standard deck of playing cards includes poker, blackjack, bridge, gin rummy, go fish, and various others. Many of these card games may include elements of chance. To ensure a fair game in a game of chance, players must be dealt playing cards at random. Such randomization may be achieved through shuffling of the cards. Shuffling the playing cards randomly reorders a deck to produce a different permutation in the order of the playing cards of the deck, which contributes to the random distribution of playing cards to each player
There are a variety possible shuffling techniques and a wide range in the quality of randomization resulting from these techniques. Good randomization of a deck of cards may require multiple shuffles using different shuffling techniques. Some games require that a deck be randomized multiple times throughout the course of the game or series of games. These multiple acts of randomization may consume a good deal of playing time. Furthermore, shuffling skills may vary from player-to-player due to differences in experience and/or manual dexterity. There are also many opportunities for mistakes, such as inadvertently revealing the markings on one or more cards during the act of shuffling. In the event of such a mistake, the exposed card may simply be returned to the deck, which may be shuffled again or subjected to more extensive shuffling to ensure the randomization of the deck. Some games and/or the players of the same may regard such mistakes very seriously. As such, some players may choose to abort the current game and start a new one as a result of the card exposure. In, the hands of an inexperienced and/or unskilled player, shuffling may be even more time-consuming than it already needs to be and possibly even disruptive to the game.
Inexperienced and/or unskilled shuffles may also result in poorly randomized cards. Poor randomization may decrease the chance element in games of chance, which may give some players an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Poor randomization may also affect a player's ability to bluff if other players can predict what cards he or she actually holds. The ability to bluff may be a very important part of the strategy in various card games (e.g., poker). Bluffing depends, in part, on restricting players from seeing or knowing the suit or rank of the playing cards dealt to their opponents. Dealing playing cards face-down may be one way to allow a player to access and see only his or her own playing cards. Different types of playing cards, decks of playing cards, and/or card games may utilize different systems of markings, shuffling, and/or dealing.
Another possible danger with respect to randomization is intentional and illicit manipulation of the cards by a player who is highly skilled at shuffling and/or dealing. A player with a stake in the outcome of the game may be capable of manipulating that outcome by deliberately shuffling and/or dealing the cards into a non-randomized and/or predictable order to achieve a predetermined, unfair result. To minimize manipulation, players may perform a procedure commonly referred to as ‘cutting the deck.’ After the deck is shuffled, a non-shuffling party may ‘cut the deck’ by selecting a random number of contiguous cards from anywhere in the deck and moving those cards elsewhere in the deck, while keeping all cards face-down. This procedure, when combined with shuffling and dealing, further adds to the time-consuming nature of ensuring proper randomization of the deck of cards, especially if shuffling, dealing, and cutting have to be performed multiple times. There is, therefore, a need for improved systems and methods for efficiently maintaining the randomness and secrecy of playing card distribution.