U.S. patent application number 10/327158 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-14 for poker with bonus round and related method.
Invention is credited to Lisowski, James F. SR..
Application Number | 20030153377 10/327158 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23346565 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030153377 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lisowski, James F. SR. |
August 14, 2003 |
Poker with bonus round and related method
Abstract
A video poker machine includes a display screen and a processor.
The processor deals a winning hand of cards, which the screen
displays, and randomly selects a bonus prize if the winning hand is
a bonus hand. Alternatively, the processor randomly selects a bonus
prize regardless of whether the processor deals a winning hand or
whether the winning hand is a bonus hand. Such a bonus round can
increase the profitability of the poker machine. Specifically, the
availability of a bonus increases the appeal, and thus the take of
the machine. By selecting an appropriate bonus hand and appropriate
odds of winning in the bonus round, this increase in take can
increase the machine's profit as compared to the profit of a
conventional machine having the same payout schedule but without a
bonus round. Moreover, this increase in profit can typically be
achieved without a player's knowledge and without violating any
gaming laws.
Inventors: |
Lisowski, James F. SR.;
(Henderson, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GRAYBEAL, JACKSON, HALEY LLP
155 - 108TH AVENUE NE
SUITE 350
BELLEVUE
WA
98004-5901
US
|
Family ID: |
23346565 |
Appl. No.: |
10/327158 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60343550 |
Dec 21, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
G07F 17/3293 20130101; G07F 17/3267 20130101; G07F 17/3244
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/13 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A video poker machine, comprising: a display screen; and a
processor coupled to the display and operable to, deal a winning
hand of cards, cause the screen to display the dealing of the
winning hand, randomly select a bonus prize if the winning hand is
a bonus hand, cause the screen to display the random selection of
the bonus prize, and pay the bonus prize.
2. The video poker machine of claim 1, further comprising: an input
device coupled to the processor; and wherein the processor is
operable to deal the winning hand by: dealing a predetermined
number of cards, causing the screen to display the dealt cards,
allowing a player to discard at least one of the dealt cards and to
draw at least one additional card to replace the at least one
discarded card via the input device, and causing the screen to
display the drawn cards.
3. The video poker machine of claim 1, further comprising: an input
device coupled to the processor; and wherein the processor is
operable to deal the winning hand by, dealing five cards, causing
the screen to display the dealt cards, allowing a player to discard
at least one of the dealt cards and to draw at least one additional
card to replace the discarded cards via the selection device, and
causing the screen to display the drawn cards.
4. The video poker machine of claim 1 wherein the processor is
operable to randomly select the bonus prize by: generating a random
number; and selecting the bonus prize from a plurality of
predetermined bonus prizes based on the random number.
5. The video poker machine of claim 1 wherein the processor is
operable to randomly select the bonus prize if the winning hand is
four of a kind.
6. The video poker machine of claim 1, further comprising: an input
device coupled to the processor; and wherein the processor is
operable to randomly select the bonus prize only if a player
indicates a maximum allowed wager via the input device before the
processor deals the winning hand.
7. The video poker machine of claim 1 wherein the processor is
operable to: randomly select the bonus by, spinning a bonus wheel
marked with a plurality of bonus prizes, and selecting the bonus
prize based on the orientation of the bonus wheel when it stops
spinning, and causing the screen to display the random selection of
the bonus prize by causing the screen to display the spinning and
stopping of the bonus wheel.
8. The video poker machine of claim 1 wherein the processor is
further operable to: randomly select a number of cards from a
single deck of cards; and deal the winning hand from the randomly
selected cards.
9. The video poker machine of claim 1 wherein the winning hand of
cards comprises one of the following hands: a pair of jacks or
better; two pair; three of a kind; a straight; a flush; a full
house; four of a kind; a straight flush; and a royal flush.
10. A video poker machine, comprising: an input device; a display
screen; and a processor coupled to the input device and to the
display screen and operable to, receive a wager via the input
device, generate a random number in response to receiving the
wager, randomly select a number of cards from a single deck of
cards, deal a hand of cards from the randomly selected cards, cause
the screen to display the dealt hand, allow a player to alter the
dealt hand by using the input device to discard at least one of the
dealt cards and to draw at least one additional card to replace the
at least one discarded card; cause the screen to display the
altering of the dealt hand, cause the screen to display a spinning
bonus wheel if the altered hand is a bonus hand and if the
processor received a maximum wager, stop the bonus wheel to
indicate a bonus prize based on the random number, cause the screen
to display the stopped bonus wheel and the selected bonus prize,
and pay the bonus prize.
11. The video poker machine of claim 10 wherein the bonus hand
comprises a predetermined winning poker hand.
12. The video poker machine of claim 10 wherein the bonus hand
comprises a four-of a-kind poker hand.
13. The video poker machine of claim 10 wherein the processor is
operable to pay the bonus prize by crediting the bonus prize to an
amount available for a subsequent wager.
14. A video poker machine, comprising: a payout schedule for all
possible winning hands of a poker game, the payout schedule
yielding a potential hold percentage and a potential profit; and a
bonus feature that, in combination with the payout schedule, yields
an actual hold percentage that is less than the potential hold
percentage and an actual profit that is greater than the potential
profit.
15. The video poker machine of claim 14 wherein the poker game
comprises a five-card-draw poker game.
16. The video poker game of claim 14 wherein the payout schedule
comprises multiple payouts for each winning hand based on an amount
wagered.
17. A video poker machine, comprising: a display screen; and a
processor coupled to the display and operable to, randomly enter a
bonus round and select a bonus prize, cause the screen to display
the random selection of the bonus prize, and pay the bonus
prize.
18. The video poker machine of claim 17 wherein the processor is
further operable to: deal a winning hand of cards; and randomly
enter the bonus round and select a bonus prize regardless of
whether the winning hand is a bonus hand.
19. The video poker machine of claim 17 wherein the processor is
further operable to: deal a winning hand of cards; and enter the
bonus round and select a bonus prize if the winning hand is a bonus
hand.
20. The video poker machine of claim 17 wherein the processor is
operable to randomly enter the bonus round and select the bonus
prize by: generating first and second random numbers; entering the
bonus round based on the first random number; and selecting the
bonus prize from a plurality of predetermined bonus prizes based on
the second random number.
21. The video poker machine of claim 17 wherein the processor is
operable to randomly enter the bonus round and select a bonus prize
only if a player wagers a maximum number of credits.
22. A method for playing a card game, the method comprising:
dealing a winning hand of cards; and paying a randomly selected
bonus if the winning hand is also a bonus hand.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein dealing a winning hand
comprises: dealing a predetermined number of cards; and allowing a
player to discard at least one of the dealt cards and to draw at
least one additional card to replace the at least one discarded
card.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein dealing a winning hand
comprises: dealing five cards; and allowing a player to discard at
least one of the dealt cards and to draw at least one additional
card to replace the at least one discarded card.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein paying a randomly selected bonus
prizes comprises: generating a random number; and paying one of a
plurality of predetermined bonus prizes based on the random
number.
26. The method of claim 22 wherein paying a bonus prize comprises
paying a bonus prize if the winning hand is four of a kind.
27. The method of claim 22 wherein paying a bonus prize comprises
paying a bonus prize only if a player wagered a maximum allowable
amount before the dealing of the winning hand.
28. The method of claim 22 wherein paying a randomly selected bonus
prize comprises: spinning a wheel marked with different bonus
prize; and paying the bonus prize based on the position in which
the wheel stops.
29. The method of claim 22 wherein the bonus prize comprises
money.
30. The method of claim 22 wherein the bonus prize comprises a
non-monetary award.
31. The method of claim 22, further comprising: randomly selecting
cards from a single deck of cards; and wherein dealing the winning
hand comprises dealing the winning hand from the randomly selected
cards.
32. A method, comprising: receiving a number of wager credits;
generating a random number in response to receiving the wager
credits; randomly selecting cards from a single deck of cards;
dealing a hand of cards from the randomly selected cards; allowing
a player to discard at least one of the dealt cards and to draw at
least one additional card to replace the at least one discarded
card; spinning a bonus wheel if the resulting hand is a bonus hand
and the maximum number of wager credits was received; stopping the
bonus wheel to indicate a bonus prize based on the second random
number; and paying the indicated bonus prize.
33. A method, comprising: setting a payout schedule for all
possible winning hands of a card game, the payout schedule
resulting in a hold percentage and a-profit; and reducing the hold
percentage and increasing the profit without altering the payout
schedule.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein setting a payout schedule
comprises setting the payout schedule for all possible winning
hands of a five-card-draw poker game.
35. The method of claim 33 wherein setting a payout schedule
comprises setting multiple payouts for each winning hand based on
the amount wagered.
36. The method of claim 33 wherein reducing the hold percentage
comprises setting a schedule of bonus prizes for one of the
possible winning hands.
37. A method for playing a card game, the method comprising:
randomly entering a bonus round and selecting a bonus prize; and
paying the randomly selected bonus prize.
38. The method of claim 37, further comprising: dealing a winning
hand of cards; and wherein randomly entering the bonus round
comprises randomly entering the bonus round and selecting a bonus
prize regardless of whether the winning hand is a bonus hand.
39. The method of claim 37, further comprising: dealing a winning
hand of cards; and entering the bonus round and selecting a bonus
prize if the winning hand is a bonus hand.
40. The method of claim 37, further comprising: generating first
and second random numbers; entering the bonus round based on the
first random number; and selecting the bonus prize from a plurality
of predetermined bonus prizes based on the second random
number.
41. The method of claim 37 wherein randomly entering the bonus
round comprises randomly entering the bonus round and selecting the
bonus prize only if a player wagers a maximum number of credits.
Description
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 60/343,550 filed on Dec. 21, 2001,
which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In recent years computerized video poker has become a
popular form of entertainment. A conventional video poker machine
typically includes a computer system that includes a computer
processor for executing a program that controls a display screen, a
credit receptacle, and a payout dispenser. The video poker machine
also typically includes a means of player input such as pushbuttons
that allow the player to select a wager from available credits (if
any credits are available) and to select which cards to hold and
which to discard. The computer program also controls the features
of the game play and, via the display, presents a player with an
opportunity to wager credits against known odds of being dealt one
of a number of possible winning hands.
[0003] Unfortunately, as discussed below, the profit margin of a
video poker machine is typically limited by the inherent nature of
poker itself. Theoretically, there are two major techniques for
increasing a machine's profit margin. The first technique is to
increase the machine's hold percentage, which is the percentage of
the machine's take--the machine's take is the total amount of money
that players wager--that the machine does not pay out for winning
hands, and which is thus equal to 100% minus the payout percentage.
But as discussed below, increasing the machine's hold percentage
may reduce the machine's take, and thus reduce the machine's
profit. The second technique is to increase the machine's take. One
way to increase a machine's take is to increase the appeal of the
machine so that more players play it. For example, the machine may
allow wild cards or provide some other features that increase a
player's chance of winning. But although such features may increase
the appeal, and thus the take, of the machine, they often reduce
the machine's hold percentage to an extent that does not increase,
and may actually decrease, the machine's profit.
[0004] Consequently, a need has arisen for a technique that
increases the profit of a video poker machine.
Overview of Conventional Video Poker
[0005] Table I is an example payout schedule for a conventional
video "draw poker" machine. This payout schedule is typically
conspicuously located on the machine so that players can see
it.
1 TABLE I Credits(e.g., coins) in: 1 2 3 4 5 Payout: 1 2 3 4 5 Pair
of Jacks or Better 2 4 6 8 10 Two Pair 3 6 9 12 15 Three of a Kind
4 8 12 16 20 Straight 5 10 15 20 25 Flush 8 16 24 32 40 Full House
25 50 75 100 125 Four of a Kind 50 100 150 200 250 Straight Flush
250 500 750 1000 4000 Royal Flush
[0006] To start play, a player deposits one or more credits into
the machine, and a display shows the number of credits deposited
and available for wagering. As discussed below, a winning hand will
increase the number of available credits by the number of credits
won, and a losing hand will decrease the number of available
credits by the number of credits wagered.
[0007] The machine then prompts the player to wager one or more
credits up to a maximum number of credits (here five credits per
Table I) by pushing a button or via other input means.
[0008] When the player makes his wager, the processor randomly
selects ten cards from a single deck (five for the initial hand and
five reserved for draw). The specifics of how the processor selects
the ten cards are well-known in the gaming industry, and,
therefore, are not discussed further.
[0009] After the player makes his wager, the processor deals the
initial hand of five cards. The remaining five cards make up the
draw.
[0010] Once the player sees his initial hand of five cards, he
discards the desired number of cards (zero to five), and the
processor replaces the discarded cards with the same number of
cards from the draw. If the resulting hand is one of the winning
hands from Table I, then the processor increases the displayed
available credit count accordingly. For example, referring to Table
I, if the resulting hand is two pair and the player wagered two
credits, then the processor increases the displayed available
credit count by four credits. If, however, the resulting hand is
not a winning hand, then the processor decreases the displayed
available credit count by two credits. After the game is over, the
player may choose to play again by placing another wager (by
depositing additional credits or using the available credits) or
may choose to have the machine payout his winnings in the amount of
the available credits displayed.
[0011] Referring to Table I, this payout schedule is designed to
provide a video poker machine with a predetermined hold percentage
of approximately 4%. Typically, gaming laws require that a video
poker machine payout a predetermined percentage of its take over
time. With the payout schedule of Table I, this predetermine payout
percentage is approximately 100%-4%=96%. If the machine pays out
less than this predetermined percentage, then the gaming commission
may require the owner to remove the machine from service.
Conversely, if the machine pays out more than this predetermined
percentage, then the machine's profit may decline. Consequently,
because the pattern of play, which is often unpredictable, affects
the payout percentage, the machine's processor is programmed to
alter the odds of winning as necessary to maintain the machine's
payout at the predetermined percentage. That is, the processor
compensates for the pattern of play so as to maintain the payout
percentage at a substantially constant level over time.
[0012] As stated above, it is difficult to increase the profit of a
video poker machine by increasing the machine's hold percentage.
One way to increase the hold percentage is to reduce the payouts
for one or more of the winning hands. But because the machine
displays the payout schedule--gaming laws typically require such a
display--players will tend to play other machines having higher
payouts. Therefore, even though this payout reduction increases the
hold percentage, it often reduces the machine's take, and thus the
machine's profit.
[0013] Also as stated above, it is difficult to increase the profit
of a video poker machine by increasing the machine's player appeal
as compared to the player appeal of other video poker machines. For
example, one can increase the player appeal by adding features that
increase the player's chances of winning or that increase the
payouts for the respective winning hands. But as stated above,
although such features and increased payouts may increase the
machine's take, they typically reduce the machine's holding
percentage to an extent that reduces the machine's profit as
compared to a video poker machine having the payout schedule of
Table I. That is, the increase in the take is typically not enough
to offset the decrease in the machine's hold percentage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] One aspect of the invention is a video poker machine that
includes a display screen and a processor. The processor deals a
winning hand of cards, which the screen displays, and randomly
selects a bonus prize if the winning hand is a bonus hand.
[0015] In another aspect of the invention, the processor randomly
selects a bonus prize regardless of whether the processor deals a
winning hand or whether the winning hand is a bonus hand.
[0016] Such a bonus round can increase the profitability of the
poker machine. Specifically, the availability of a bonus increases
the appeal, and thus the take of the machine. By selecting an
appropriate bonus hand and appropriate odds of winning in the bonus
round, this increase in take can increase the machine's profit as
compared to the profit of a conventional machine having the same
payout schedule but without a bonus round. Moreover, this increase
in profit can typically be achieved without a player's knowledge
and without violating any gaming laws.
[0017] Because of the number of video poker machines played
throughout the world, even a slight increase in a machine's
profitability can amount to vast sums of money for the owners of
many such machines.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages
of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same
become better understood by reference to the following detailed
description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a video poker machine according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the video poker
machine of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 is the display screen of FIG. 1 displaying an initial
hand of cards according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is the display screen of FIG. 1 displaying a
resulting bonus hand of cards according to an embodiment of the
invention; and
[0023] FIG. 5 is the display screen of FIG. 1 displaying a bonus
round of play according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The following discussion is presented to enable a person
skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The general
principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and
applications other than those detailed below without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present
invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown,
but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the
principles and features disclosed or suggested herein.
[0025] FIG. 1 is a video poker machine 10 that implements a bonus
round according to an embodiment of the invention. The machine 10
includes a conventional display screen 12 for displaying cards (not
shown in FIG. 1) and other game information. For example, the
screen 12 may be a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid-crystal (LCD)
display. The machine 10 also includes a conventional input device
14--here five buttons 16a-16e--for allowing a player (not shown) to
enter information such as the amount of his wager and which cards
he selects for holding and which for discarding. Alternatively, the
buttons 16a-16e may be touch-screen buttons that are displayed on
the screen 12, or the device 14 may include additional buttons (not
shown) or other input components. In addition, the machine 10
includes a conventional credit receptacle 18 for receiving wager
credit. For example, the receptacle 18 may accept coins, tokens,
bills, debit cards, or other means of payment. As discussed below
in conjunction with FIGS. 3-5, the machine 10 implements a bonus
round that can increase the profit of the machine as compared to
the profit of a machine implementing the same payout schedule with
no bonus round. Specifically, the bonus round can increase the take
of the machine 10 by increasing the machine's player appeal without
excessively reducing the machine's hold percentage. That is, even
if the bonus round decreases the machine's hold percentage, the
increase in take is sufficient to increase the machine's profit
despite the decrease in hold percentage.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the video poker
machine 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The machine
10 includes a control circuit 20, which communicates with the
screen 12, input device 14, and credit receptacle 18 and which
includes a conventional processor 22 coupled to a conventional
memory 24. The processor 22 controls the overall operation of the
machine 10. Specifically, the processor 22 implements at least one
type of video poker game on the screen 12 by executing at least one
program stored in the memory 24. The program dictates the
attributes (e.g., the payout schedule, the bonus schedule, and the
game rules) of the video poker game. Consequently, one can change
the game attributes by changing the program. In one embodiment, the
processor 22 is programmed to implement five-card-draw poker with
the payout schedule of Table I and the bonus schedule discussed
below in conjunction with FIG. 5.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the operation of the video poker
machine 10 of FIGS. 1-2 is discussed according to an embodiment of
the invention. Each of FIGS. 3-5 shows the display screen 12 at
various stages of a poker game. For purposes of discussion, it is
assumed that the processor 22 is programmed to implement five-card
draw poker, to pay out winnings according to the schedule of Table
I, and to enter a bonus round when a player (not shown) achieves
four of a kind.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 3, the processor 22 (FIG. 2) causes the
screen 12 to display the number 30 of available playing credits,
and a player (not shown) initiates game play by using the input
device 14 (FIG. 1) to wager a number 32--here five--of the
available credits. Each credit typically represents a convenient
amount of money such as $0.05 (nickel), $0.10 (dime), or $0.25
(quarter) although it can represent any amount of money. If the
player wishes to wager more than the available credits, he can
purchase additional credits via the credit receptacle 18 (FIG. 1).
In this example, the player has wagered a maximum five credits
(Table I) such that he is eligible for the bonus round, which is
discussed below.
[0029] In response to the player (not shown) wagering a number 32
of credits, the processor 22 "deals" an initial hand 34 of cards in
positions 36a-36e, and causes the screen 12 to display the hand,
which in this example is the jack of diamonds, four of diamonds,
four of hearts, queen of clubs, and four of clubs. More
specifically, in response to receiving the wager via the input
device 14, the processor 22 randomly selects ten cards from a
single deck as discussed above, and generates a random number
having a value between 0 and 1 for the bonus round as discussed
below in conjunction with FIG. 5. The processor 22 then deals the
first five of the ten selected cards to generate the initial hand
34, and maintains the remaining five cards in reserve for the
player to draw from.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, the player (not shown) decides which
cards to hold and which to discard, and presumably will attempt a
four of a kind so that the processor 22 will cause the machine 10
(FIG. 1) to enter a bonus round of play. More specifically, because
the initial hand 34 (FIG. 3) has three "4's" and the player
presumably wants to enter the bonus round, he uses the input device
14 (FIG. 1) to discard the jack and the queen in the respective
card positions 36a and 36d. Alternatively, the player uses the
input device 14 to hold the "4's" in the positions 36b, 36c, and
36c. The processor 22 may suggest via the screen 12 which cards the
player should hold and which he should discard, although the player
is free to hold whichever cards he wishes.
[0031] Still referring to FIG. 4, once the player (not shown)
selects which cards to hold and which to discard, the processor 22
causes the screen 12 to display "held" atop the held cards, and
generates a resulting hand 38 by drawing replacements for the
discarded cards, in order, from the five-card reserve.
[0032] Because in this example one of the drawn cards (position
36d) is the four of spades, the resulting hand 38 is four of a kind
(here four "4's"), which is both a winning hand and the bonus hand.
Consequently, the processor 22 may cause the screen 12 to display a
winning-hand banner 40 and an entering-bonus-screen banner 42 or a
similar display to indicate entry into the bonus round.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 5, because the resulting hand 38 (FIG. 4)
is the bonus hand, the processor 22 (FIG. 1) enters the bonus round
and causes the screen 12 to display a bonus wheel 50 and optional
banners 52 and 54. The wheel 50 includes wedge-shaped segments 56
that each have a bonus prize written therein. In one embodiment,
the wheel 50 has eight segments 56a-56h, which respectively
indicate the following bonus prizes: "125", "250", "400", "800",
"1600", "3200", "6400" (the numbers indicate respective numbers of
bonus credits), and "Jackpot". Because the lowest bonus prize is
125 credits, the player will win at least the same amount he would
have won under the payout schedule of Table I. Alternatively, the
wheel 50 may have more or fewer than eight segments that indicate
different bonus prizes. Also, multiple segments 56 may indicate the
same bonus prize, and some segments may indicate no bonus prize at
all.
[0034] After the processor 22 (FIG. 1) enters the bonus round, it
"spins" the wheel 50, and the player (not shown) wins the bonus
prize identified by the segment 56 pointed to by a pointer 58 when
the wheel stops. The processor 22 (FIG. 1) may spin the wheel 50
spontaneously or in response to player input via the input device
14, and in either case may cause the screen 12 to display a human
or other character (not shown) who spins the wheel. The processor
22 stops the wheel 50 in a position that is predetermined by the
random number generated as discussed above in conjunction with FIG.
3, and is programmed such that the bonus prizes on the wheel 50
respective have desired winning odds.
[0035] Still referring to FIG. 5, the processor 22 causes the
machine 10 (FIG. 1) to credit the won bonus prize to the player
(not shown) by increasing the number 30 (FIG. 4) of available
credits, expelling coins/tokens, by signaling an attendant, or in
any other manner. Although the bonus prize is discussed as being in
lieu of the standard (i.e., non-bonus) payout for four of a kind,
the bonus prize may be in addition to the standard payout. For
example, the machine 10 may payout 125 credits for four of a kind,
and the bonus wheel 50 may have 0 credits as its lowest prize.
Furthermore, the jackpot may be a stand-alone progressive jackpot
or a linked progressive jackpot. The amount of a stand-alone
progressive jackpot is typically related to the funds collected by
the machine 10 (FIG. 1), whereas the amount of a linked progressive
jackpot is typically related to the funds collected by a number of
linked machines. Because machines in different locations can be
linked electronically, a linked progressive jackpot is typically
much larger than a stand-alone progressive jackpot. For example,
the former may grow to be in the millions of dollars, whereas the
latter may grow to be in the hundreds of dollars. Consequently,
although it typically has much lower odds, a linked progressive
jackpot is typically more appealing to a player than a stand-alone
progressive jackpot, and, therefore, may increase the take and
profit of the machine more than a stand-alone jackpot.
[0036] Still referring to FIG. 5, the bonus round often increases
the profit of the machine 10 by increasing the take of the machine.
As discussed above, the hold percentage of a poker machine is
predetermined, and, for the payout schedule of Table I, is
approximately 4%. With the addition of the bonus round, however,
the hold percentage will be lower; how much lower depends on the
odds of winning the bonus prizes greater than 125 credits (the
conventional payout for four of a kind). However, the increase in
player appeal due to the bonus round increases the take such that
the machine's profit is increased despite this decrease in the hold
percentage. And because the payout schedule need not be altered,
this increase in profit is transparent to the player (not shown).
Furthermore, selecting four of a kind as the bonus hand helps
maximize the player appeal. Specifically, the odds for a four-of
a-kind hand are one for approximately every 423 hands. These odds
are high enough so that the lure of a bonus prize, and possibly a
jackpot, will entice players to attempt four of a kind, but are not
so high that the game becomes boring by entering the bonus round
too frequently.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, alternative embodiments of the video
poker machine 10 are contemplated. For example, the machine 10 may
enter the bonus round in response to a winning hand other than four
of a kind, or may enter the bonus round in response to more than
one winning hand. Furthermore, the machine 10 may enter the bonus
round randomly regardless of whether a player achieves a winning or
bonus hand, and this random entry may be in addition to entry for a
bonus hand. For example, the machine 10 may enter the bonus round
once every 10,000 hands (all hands or only hands where the maximum
number of credits are wagered) on average in addition to entering
the bonus round for a bonus hand. The machine 10 may implement such
a random bonus round by generating two random numbers, one for
entry in to the random bonus round and the other for random
selection of the bonus prize. Moreover, the bonus round may include
a bonus indicator other than the bonus wheel 50. In addition, the
bonus round may be included on video poker machines that deal more
or fewer than five cards or with other poker games such as table
(non-machine) poker. In addition, the machine 10 may enter the
bonus round when fewer than the maximum number of credits are
wagered, and the bonus prizes may vary depending on the number of
credits wagered.
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