Methods and systems for intelligent tracking and / or play and / or management of card gaming use an intelligent card distribution or holding device with detectors for determining the value and unique identity of individual cards and for recording card play. Playing cards are equipped with a read / write data storage connected to a
transponder and / or incorporated into electromagnetic writable particles or smart particles (smart dust). A
system of the invention records various
game play events on the playing cards themselves during
game play and optionally also in a
database on the
system. In specific embodiments, the principal scanning and writing elements and electronic and optical interfaces are embodied into a hand-held
card holder (HHCH). In specific embodiments, the
system utilizes various types of sensors and / or indicators and / or and electronic circuits and
software to scan, track, monitor, compute, and interface with electronic devices, to enable the automatic operation of Casino table games. The system can scan playing cards, scan gaming chips, indicate a players win / loss / draw, increase or decrease player betting positions, compute awards to players based on their playing activity, photograph individual players, and transmit player's images to casino security / surveillance departments and or other authorized casino personnel. The system may activate table displays that indicate each player's win / loss / draw of their bets, and / or dealers card count, indicate in the game of blackjack when a dealer has blackjack, or any other significant event that occurs such as indicating when a player has a winning / loss / draw on specific card combinations.