U.S. patent application number 11/165919 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-29 for gaming machine having a selection feature to yield a randomly-applied multiplier.
This patent application is currently assigned to WMS Gaming Inc.. Invention is credited to Englman, Allon G., Hornik, Jeremy M., Mastropietro, Michael W..
Application Number | 20050288093 11/165919 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35506657 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050288093 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Englman, Allon G. ; et
al. |
December 29, 2005 |
Gaming machine having a selection feature to yield a
randomly-applied multiplier
Abstract
A gaming machine is provided for playing a wagering game. The
gaming machine includes a wager-input device and at least one
display for displaying the wagering game. The wagering game
includes a plurality of player-selectable elements that mask
corresponding ones of a plurality of awards, and the plurality of
awards include a bonus-enhancement award. An input device receives
player-inputs associated with the plurality of player-selectable
elements that result in one or more of the plurality of awards
becoming unmasked awards. In response to the bonus-enhancement
award being unmasked, the bonus-enhancement award is randomly
applied to another one of the unmasked awards.
Inventors: |
Englman, Allon G.; (Chicago,
IL) ; Hornik, Jeremy M.; (Chicago, IL) ;
Mastropietro, Michael W.; (Chicago, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JENKENS & GILCHRIST, P.C.
225 WEST WASHINGTON
SUITE 2600
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
WMS Gaming Inc.
|
Family ID: |
35506657 |
Appl. No.: |
11/165919 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60582594 |
Jun 24, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/20 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3244
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/020 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A gaming machine for playing a wagering game, comprising: a
wager-input device; at least one display for displaying the
wagering game including a plurality of player-selectable elements
that mask corresponding ones of a plurality of awards, the
plurality of awards including a bonus-enhancement award; and an
input device for receiving player-inputs associated with the
plurality of player-selectable elements that result in one or more
of the plurality of awards becoming unmasked awards, wherein in
response to the bonus-enhancement award being unmasked, the
bonus-enhancement award is randomly applied to another one of the
unmasked awards.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the bonus-enhancement
award is a multiplier.
3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the unmasked awards
include credit awards that are displayed, and in response to the
multiplier being unmasked, one of the credit awards is multiplied
by the multiplier.
4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the input device includes
a touch screen.
5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the player-selectable
elements are displayed as an array and the player selects from the
player-selectable elements to unmask the awards.
6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the wagering game
includes a bonus game that awards free spins, the free spins being
utilized to accumulate selections of the player-selectable
elements, the selections being accumulated when a
selection-triggering symbol is displayed.
7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the at least one display
includes a first display and a second display, the first display
displaying a plurality of moveable reels having symbols located
thereon and the free spins being utilized to spin the moveable
reels, and second display displaying the plurality of the
player-selectable elements.
8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein each of the unmasked
awards is unmasked directly after the corresponding
player-selectable element is selected.
9. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the
method comprising: displaying a plurality of player-selectable
elements, each of the plurality of player-selectable elements being
associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of awards, the
plurality of awards including a bonus-enhancement award; receiving
selections of the player-selectable elements; and in response to
the bonus-enhancement award being achieved, the bonus-enhancement
award is randomly applied to less than all of the other awards that
are achieved from the selected player-selectable elements.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bonus-enhancement award is a
multiplier.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein credit awards associated with
the selected player-selectable elements are displayed, and in
response to one of the player-selectable elements associated with
the multiplier being selected, one of the credit awards is
multiplied by the multiplier.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the wagering game includes a
bonus game that awards free spins, the free spins being utilized to
accumulate selections of the player-selectable elements, the
selections being awarded when a selection-triggering symbol is
displayed.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the awards is displayed
directly after the corresponding player-selectable element is
selected.
14. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions
for directing a gaming device to perform the method of claim 9.
15. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, comprising: at
least one display; and a controller coupled to the display and
programmed to display a plurality of player-selectable elements,
each of the plurality of player-selectable elements having a
corresponding one of a plurality of awards, the plurality of awards
including a bonus-enhancement award; receive selections of the
player-selectable elements; and randomly apply the
bonus-enhancement award is to less than all of the other awards
that are achieved from the selected elements, in response to the
bonus-enhancement award being achieved.
16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the display and the
controller are both located within a gaming terminal.
17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the display is located
within a gaming terminal and the controller is located outside of
the gaming terminal.
18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the bonus-enhancement
award is a multiplier.
19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein credit awards associated
with the selected player-selectable elements are displayed, and in
response to one of the player-selectable elements associated with
the multiplier being selected, one of the credit awards is
multiplied by the multiplier.
20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the wagering game
includes a bonus game that awards free spins, the free spins being
utilized to accumulate selections of the player-selectable
elements, the selections being awarded when a selection-triggering
symbol is displayed.
21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein each of the awards is
displayed directly after the corresponding player-selectable
element is selected.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119 of provisional application Ser. No. 60/582,594,
filed Jun. 24, 2004, the contents of which are hereby incorporated
by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth.
COPYRIGHT
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark
Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates generally to gaming machines,
and methods for playing wagering games, and more particulaly, to a
gaming machine having a selection feature to yield a
randomly-applied multiplier.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines
and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for
several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with
players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of
winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value
of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where
the available gaming options include a number of competing machines
and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same
(or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to
the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators
consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting
machines, features, and enhancements available because such
machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to
the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming industry,
there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to
continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements
that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment
value to the player.
[0005] One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance
the entertainment value of a game is that of a "secondary" or
"bonus" game which may be played in conjunction with a "basic"
game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar
to or completely different from the basic game, and is entered upon
the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game.
Such a bonus game produces a significantly higher level of player
excitement than the basic game because it provides a greater
expectation of winning than the basic game.
[0006] Another concept that has been employed is the use of a
progressive jackpot. In the gaming industry, a "progressive"
involves collecting coin-in data from participating gaming
device(s) (e.g., slot machines), contributing a percentage of that
coin-in data to a jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount
to a player upon the occurrence of a certain jackpot-won event. The
percentage of the coin-in is determined prior to any result being
achieved and is independent of any result. A jackpot-won event
typically occurs when a "progressive winning position" is achieved
at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot
machine, a progressive winning position may, for example,
correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along a
certain pay line. The initial progressive jackpot is a
predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however,
progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming
machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming
machines are linked together such that several players at several
gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot
progressively increases at a much faster rate, which leads to
further player excitement.
[0007] There are bonus games that provide credits and/or other
bonuses such as a multiplier to the player. However, the bonus
multiplier is often obvious to the player at the time it is
awarded. Accordingly, although the awarding of a multiplier can
increase the player's payout, the bonus game play may become
monotonous and boring, and the player might seek additional
excitement from a different gaming machine. Wagering games need to
include additional features that will maintain the player's
interest and enhance entertainment. The present invention is
directed to satisfying this and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a gaming
machine is provided for playing a wagering game. The gaming machine
includes a wager-input device and at least one display for
displaying the wagering game. The wagering game includes a
plurality of player-selectable elements that mask corresponding
ones of a plurality of awards, and the plurality of awards include
a bonus-enhancement award. An input device receives player-inputs
associated with the plurality of player-selectable elements that
result in one or more of the plurality of awards becoming unmasked
awards. In response to the bonus-enhancement award being unmasked,
the bonus-enhancement award is randomly applied to another one of
the unmasked awards.
[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of
conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine includes displaying
a plurality of player-selectable elements. Each of the plurality of
player-selectable elements is associated with a corresponding one
of a plurality of awards. The plurality of awards include a
bonus-enhancement award. Selections of the player-selectable
elements are received. In response to the bonus-enhancement award
being achieved, the bonus-enhancement award is randomly applied to
less than all of the other awards that are achieved from the
selected player-selectable elements.
[0010] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer
readable storage medium is encoded with instructions for directing
a gaming device to perform the method described above.
[0011] An additional aspect of the invention is directed to a
gaming system for playing a wagering game. The gaming system has at
least one display and a controller coupled to the display and
programmed to display a plurality of player-selectable elements.
Each of the plurality of player-selectable elements has a
corresponding one of a plurality of awards. The plurality of awards
include a bonus-enhancement award. Selections of the
player-selectable elements are received. The bonus-enhancement
award is randomly applied is to less than all of the other awards
that are achieved from the selected elements, in response to the
bonus-enhancement award being achieved.
[0012] Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed
description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to
the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gaming machine embodying
the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for
operating the gaming machine;
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a video slot game having five reels
according to an embodiment or the invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates the result when the "Handful of Money"
bonus game is triggered according to an embodiment of the
invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates the result of a spin where the "All in
the Cards Spin" bonus game is triggered according to an embodiment
of the invention;
[0018] FIGS. 6A-12B illustrate various stages of the "All in the
Cards Spin" bonus game according to an embodiment of the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 13 illustrates the "Pick 'n Match" mini-progressive
bonus game according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 14 illustrates a combination of five "Monopoly
Progressive" symbols on an active pay line that triggers the
progressive jackpot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be
described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the
embodiments illustrated.
[0022] Turning now to the drawings and referring initially to FIG.
1, there is shown a gaming machine 10 for conducting a wagering
game in accordance with the present invention. The gaming machine
10 comprises a display 12 that may, for example, be a mechanical
reel slot display or a video display. If implemented in video, the
display 12 may comprise a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal
display (LCD), plasma, or generally any other type of video display
known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine
10 is an "upright" version in which the display 12 is oriented
vertically relative to the player. It will be appreciated, however,
that any of several other models of gaming machines 10 are within
the scope of the present invention including, for example, a "slant
top" version in which the display is slanted at about a
thirty-degree angle toward the player. The gaming machine 10 may
include a secondary display 13 or in the top box of the gaming
machine 10, depending up the design of the wagering game.
[0023] The gaming machine 10 includes a button panel 14 with an
optional touch screen 16 for enabling a player to conduct the
wagering game. The button panel 14 and the touch screen 16 may have
some corresponding buttons for performing the same functions and
other buttons for performing different functions. By way of
example, a "$" button may be pressed to insert money to increase a
player's credits. A "Change Denom" button may be touched to change
denomination. A "Collect" button may be touched to see the game's
pay table. A "Select Lines" button may be touched to change the
number of pay lines bet. A "Bet Per Line" button may be touched to
change the amount of credits bet on each line. The number of lines
to play is generally selected prior to selecting the amount to bet
per line. A "Spin Reels" button may be touched to begin the game. A
"Stop Reels" button may be touched to stop the reels while they are
spinning. If the player does not touch the "Stop Reels" button, the
reels will stop on their own. A "Max Bet Spin" button may be
touched to play the maximum credits instantly.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for
operating the gaming machine. Money/credit detector 18 signals a
central processing unit (CPU) 20 when a player has inserted money
or played a number of credits. The money may be provided by coins,
bills, tickets, coupons, cards, etc. Using the button panel 14 or
touch screen 16, the player may select any game variable (e.g.,
number of pay lines in a reel slot game if more than one can be
selected) and place his/her wager to play the wagering game. In a
play of the game, the CPU 20 generates at least one random event
using a random number generator (RNG) and provides an award to the
player for a winning outcome of the random event. Alternatively,
the random event may be generated by a remote computer using an RNG
or pooling schema and then transmitted to the gaming machine 10.
The CPU 20 operates the display 12 to represent the random event(s)
and outcome(s) in a visual form that can be understood by the
player. In addition to the CPU 20, the control system may include
one or more additional slave control units for operating one or
more peripherals. The terms "processor" and CPU as used herein are
each intended to collectively cover the CPU 20 and any and all such
control units.
[0025] A system memory 22 stores control software, operational
instructions and data associated with the gaming machine. In one
embodiment, the system memory 22 comprises a separate read-only
memory (ROM) and battery-backed random-access memory (RAM).
However, it will be appreciated that the system memory 22 may be
implemented on any of several alternative types of memory
structures or may be implemented on a single memory structure. A
payoff mechanism 24 is operable in response to instructions from
the CPU 20 to award a payoff to the player. The payoff may, for
example, be in the form of a number of credits. The number of
credits are determined by one or more math tables stored in the
system memory 22.
[0026] The wagering game is described below wherein the basic game
is a multi-line, multi-coin video reel slot game. It should,
however, be understood that the basic game may be any type of
wagering game, including but not limited to video or mechanical
reel slots (one or more pay lines), poker, keno, bingo, blackjack,
or roulette.
[0027] Referring back to FIG. 1, to play a basic game in the form
of reel slots, a player may select a number of pay lines using the
"Select Lines" button, place a wager on each line using the "Bet
Per Line" button, and start the reels 26 in motion using the "Spin
Reels" button. Alternatively, the player may select all lines, play
the maximum bet on each line, and start the reels 26 in motion
using the "Max Bet Spin" button. In response to pressing the "Max
Bet Spin" button, or a "Spin Reels" button for a wager less than
the maximum, the CPU causes the spinning and the stopping of the
plurality of symbol-bearing reels 26 to randomly place symbols on
the reels 26 in visual association with a number of pay lines 28.
Other mechanisms, such as a handle, may be used to set the reels 26
in motion. The number of pay lines may, for example, be nine,
fifteen, or twenty, but more or less pay lines may be provided if
desired. As noted above, the display 12 on which the reels are
implemented may be mechanical or video. If the display 12 is video,
the reels are simulated with moving graphics. If, however, the
display 12 is mechanical, the reels are physical and rotatably
driven by stepper motors.
[0028] The CPU may use an RNG to select a game outcome (e.g.,
"basic" game outcome) corresponding to a particular set of reel
"stop positions." The CPU then causes each of the reels 26 to stop
at the appropriate stop position. Symbols are displayed on the
reels 26 to graphically illustrate the reel stop positions and
indicate whether the stop positions of the reels 26 represent a
winning game outcome. Winning basic game outcomes (e.g., symbol
combinations resulting in payment of coins or credits) are
identifiable to the player by a pay table. The pay table may be
affixed to the machine 10 and/or displayed by the display 12 in
response to a command by the player (e.g., by pressing the "Pay
Table" button). A winning basic game outcome occurs when the
symbols appearing on the reels 26 along an active pay line 28
correspond to one of the winning combinations on the pay table. A
winning combination could, for example, be three or more matching
symbols along an active pay line 28, where the award is greater as
the number of matching symbols along the active pay line 28
increases. If the displayed symbols stop in a winning combination,
the game credits the player an amount corresponding to the award in
the pay table for that combination multiplied by the number of
wagered credits. The player may collect the amount of accumulated
credits by pressing the "Collect" button.
[0029] Included among the plurality of basic game outcomes are one
or more start-bonus outcomes for triggering play of bonus games. A
start-bonus outcome may be defined in any number of ways. For
example, a start-bonus outcome may occur when a special start-bonus
symbol or a special combination of symbols appears on one or more
of the reels 26. A start-bonus outcome may require the combination
of symbols to appear along an active pay line 28, or may
alternatively require that the combination of symbols appear
anywhere on the display regardless of whether the symbols are along
an active pay line 28. The appearance of a start-bonus outcome
causes the CPU to shift from the basic slot game to the bonus game
associated with the start-bonus outcome.
[0030] Embodiments of the invention implement a wagering game
having a Monopoly.TM. theme called "All in the Cards" with several
available bonuses. A "Handful of Money" bonus may be triggered when
a combination of three money hand symbols are present on an active
pay line. FIG. 3 illustrates a video slot game having five reels
300, 305, 310, 315, and 320. As shown, the middle symbol on reels
300, 305, and 310 is a money hand symbol 325 that resembled a fan
of bills. In the event that the money hand symbols are located on
an active pay line, the "Handful of Money" bonus is triggered. In
some embodiments, "Handful of Money" bonus is triggered according
to a scattered combination of the money hand symbols 325 (i.e., the
bonus would be triggered when three money hand symbols 325 are
located anywhere on the reels). In other embodiments, the player is
only eligible for the "Handful of Money" bonus when the player has
wagered on the maximum number of pay lines.
[0031] After the "Handful of Money" bonus is triggered, a second
hand appears and pulls out one of the bills from the fan of bills
on each money hand symbol 325. Alternatively, each of the money
hand symbols 325 morphs or is converted to or replaced with a
currency symbol. As shown in FIG. 4, the money hand symbols 325 are
converted into a "20" symbol 330, a "10" symbol 335, and a "500"
symbol 340 across reels 300, 305, and 310, respectively. The
currency symbols are then summed and awarded to the player.
Accordingly, the player is awarded a total of 530 credits for
achieving the "Handful of Money" bonus.
[0032] The "All in the Cards" wagering game provides an "All in the
Cards Spin" bonus that may be triggered when the player achieves a
combination of three or more scattered bonus-triggering symbols
during the basic game. In other embodiments, the bonus-triggering
symbols have to all be located on the same pay line to trigger the
bonus. FIG. 5 illustrates the result of a spin that triggers the
"All in the Cards Spin" bonus game. The dog symbol 350 is the "All
in the Cards Spin" bonus triggering symbol in the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 5. As shown, the middle symbol of the first
reel 300, the bottom symbol of the third reel 310, and the middle
symbol of the fifth reel 320 are all dog symbols 350. Accordingly,
this scattered combination of three dog symbols 350 triggers the
"All in the Cards Spin" bonus.
[0033] The "All in the Cards Spin" bonus primarily focuses on
"Chance" and "Community Chest" cards that turn into monetary
awards. The bonus game provides the player with free spins of the
symbol-bearing reels. The player uses the free spins and in the
event that the player receives a "Chance" symbol on one of the
reels, the player is awarded a pick from a screen of
player-selectable elements that mask bonus awards such as credits
and multipliers. In the event that a player-selectable element is
selected that unmasks a multiplier, the multiplier is randomly
applied to a credit award already unmasked by the player.
[0034] More specifically, after the "All in the Cards Spin" bonus
is triggered, the player is awarded a number of free spins during
bonus play. For example, 8 free spins may be awarded to the player.
Alternatively, a different number of free spins may be awarded. The
number of free spins awarded may be randomly selected, may be based
on a selection by the player at the commencement of the bonus, may
be based on the number of symbols that triggered the bonus, or may
be based on the number of pay lines on which the player had wagered
prior to being awarded the "All in the Cards Spin" bonus. During
the "All in the Cards Spin" bonus, both the primary display 12 and
the secondary display 13, as shown in FIG. 1, may be utilized.
FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate the game screens displayed on the
secondary display 13 and the primary display 12, respectively. The
secondary display 13 displays a matrix of player-selectable
elements 400. Each of the player-selectable elements 400 may be
shown as a "Chance" card in the Monopoly.TM. themed wagering game.
A dog symbol 405 may also be displayed on the secondary display.
Each of the player-selectable elements 400 masks an award, such as
credits or a random multiplier, which multiplies a credit award, as
described below with respect to FIGS. 11A and 11B. The primary
display 12 displays the reels 300, 305, 310, 315, and 320. The
player is given the opportunity to use each of the accumulated free
spins in an attempt to achieve bonus awards. More specifically,
when the player uses a free spin, the reels 300, 305, 310, 315, and
320 begin to spin, as shown in FIG. 6B.
[0035] The purpose of the free spins is to allow the player to
accumulate selections of the player-selectable elements 400 during
the free spins and then make selections of the player-selectable
elements 400 at the conclusion of all of the free spins. When one
of the "Chance" symbols is shown on one of the reels after a free
spin, the player earns the right to make a selection of one of the
player-selectable elements 400. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the
bonus game when a "Chance" symbol 410 is achieved. As shown, the
"Chance" symbol 410 is achieved as the middle symbol of the first
reel 300. When a "Chance" symbol 410 is achieved, Mr. Monopoly.TM.
415 is displayed and grabs the "Chance" symbol 410. While the
"Chance" symbol 410 is being grabbed, the dog 405 displayed on the
secondary display 13 turns so that it is looking down, in a
direction facing toward the primary display 12.
[0036] Next, Mr. Monopoly.TM. 415 throws the "Chance" symbol 410
toward the top of the screen on the primary display 12, as shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B. A meter 420 is displayed on the primary display 12
and illustrates the number of free spins the player has accumulated
but not yet used. The meter 420 also displays the number of
"Chance" picks (i.e., selections of the player-selectable elements
400) accumulated. When Mr. Monopoly.TM. 415 throws a "Chance"
symbol 410 to the top of the primary display 12, the number of
"Chance" picks shown on the meter 420 increases. In some
embodiments, Mr. Monopoly.TM. 415 throws the "Chance" symbol up to
the dog symbol 405 which catches it on the secondary display
13.
[0037] After all of the free spins have been used up, the screen of
the player-selectable elements 400 moves from the secondary display
13 to the primary display 12, replacing the screen of the video
slot reels. A new screen is then displayed on the secondary display
13. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the secondary display 13 shows the
dog symbol 405 sitting below a $100 bill 440, which may be
representative of 100 credits. Accordingly, by reaching this level,
the player is initially awarded 100 credits. Alternatively, the
amount of the initial bill 440 may be randomly selected or may be
dependent upon the number of credits wagered by the player, for
example. The primary display 12 displays the matrix of
player-selectable elements 400 and also displays the meter 420
which indicates how many unused "Chance" picks the player has
remaining. As shown in the meter 420 of FIG. 9B, the player has a
total of 7 "Chance" picks.
[0038] The player may use the accumulated picks by individually
selecting player-selectable elements 400. As shown in FIGS. 10A and
10B, the first player-selectable element 450 has a 250 credit award
that is masked. The 250 credit award is displayed on the primary
display and then a $250 bill 455 is displayed on the secondary
display 13, next to the $100 bill 440. The number of the "Chance"
picks displayed on the meter 420 is then decremented. The player
continues to use the accumulated "Chance" picks until they are all
used up.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the player-selectable
elements 400 selected by the player mask awards of 250, 75, and 50
credits, each of which are displayed on bills 455, 460, and 465,
respectively, on the secondary display 13. However, with the
player's fourth pick, a multiplier 470 is revealed as the award
masked behind the player-selectable element 475. Mr. Monopoly.TM.
415 appears, and throws the multiplier 470 up to the dog symbol 405
on the secondary display 13. The multiplier 470 is representative
of a random multiplier. Once the dog symbol 405 receives the
multiplier 470, it begins walking up toward the various bills 455,
460, and 460 already accumulated in the secondary display 13. The
dog symbol 405 randomly drops the multiplier 470 onto one of the
bills, and the value of that bill is multiplied by the amount of
the multiplier 470. In some embodiments, the amount of the
multiplier 470 (e.g, 5.times.) is shown prior to the multiplier 470
being dropped on one of the accumulated bills. In other
embodiments, the amount of the multiplier 470 is shown only after
the multiplier 470 is dropped on one of the accumulated bills. In
other embodiments, the multiplier may be applied to more than one
of the bills.
[0040] FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate the primary 12 and secondary 13
displays after the dog symbol 405 has dropped the multiplier 470 on
one of the bills. As shown, the multiplier 470 has dropped on the
$250 bill 455. Accordingly, the player achieves a bonus equal to
five times this award, i.e., 1250 credits. The 1250 credit amount
is then displayed as a bill while the player uses the remaining
selections on remaining player-selectable elements 400 shown on the
primary display 12. When the multiplier 470 is awarded, Mr.
Monopoly.TM. 415 raises his arms to show excitement.
[0041] After all of the "Chance" picks of the player-selectable
elements 400 have been used, the player is awarded the sum of the
credit amounts listed on each of the bills shown on the secondary
display 13. Standard game play, as shown in, e.g., FIGS. 3 and 5,
then resumes.
[0042] Another type of bonus available in the Monopoly.TM. themed
game is the "Pick 'n Match" bonus, as shown in FIG. 13. The "Pick
'n Match" bonus is a mini-progressive bonus awarded, e.g., when the
player has bet the maximum number of pay lines and achieves a
mini-progressive bonus triggering symbol combination such as, e.g.,
a combination of five "Mini-progressive" symbols on a pay line. In
other embodiments, the "Mini-progressive" symbols may be scattered,
and fewer than five "Mini-progressive" symbols are required to
trigger the "Pick 'n Match" bonus.
[0043] After the "Pick 'n Match" bonus is triggered, a Mrs.
Monopoly.TM. symbol 500 is displayed celebrating. Also, a stack 505
of Monopoly property deeds and spaces (510, 515, 520, 525, 530,
535, and 540) for seven property deeds are displayed. The player is
given the opportunity to select seven of the property deeds from
the stack 505. The property deeds are color-coded and resemble the
property deeds from the famous Monopoly.TM. board game. For
example, the property deeds include purple "Mediterranean Avenue"
and "Baltic Avenue" deeds, as well as navy blue "Boardwalk" and
"Park Place" deeds. When the player selects property deeds from the
stack 505, they are placed in the spaces. If the player selects a
matching set of any of the color-coded deeds, the player is awarded
credits and the matching deeds are removed from the spaces and the
player selects additional property deeds from the stack 505 in the
spaces vacated by the matching deeds. This selection process
continues until the player has either selected all matching
property deeds from the stack 505 or has a set of seven property
deeds in the spaces, none of which form a complete set of any of
the property deeds. If the player does successfully match all of
the property deeds in the stack 505, the player is awarded the
mini-progressive jackpot and basic game play resumes.
[0044] The Monopoly.TM. themed wagering game also provides a
standard progressive award. For example, FIG. 14 illustrates a
combination of five "Monopoly Progressive" symbols 520 on an active
pay line that triggers the progressive jackpot. In the event that
the player achieves a combination of the five "Monopoly
Progressive" symbols 520, the player will be awarded the
progressive jackpot.
[0045] Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is
contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed
invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
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