U.S. patent application number 12/112324 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-30 for gaming device and method utilizing at least two rng outcomes.
This patent application is currently assigned to ACRES-FIORE, INC.. Invention is credited to John F. Acres.
Application Number | 20080268935 12/112324 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39887630 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080268935 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Acres; John F. |
October 30, 2008 |
GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD UTILIZING AT LEAST TWO RNG OUTCOMES
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to electronic
gaming devices utilizing at least two randomly generated outcomes
along with methods of implementing the multiple randomly generated
outcomes during game play. In one embodiment, a gaming device
includes a display, a first game initiating button associated with
a first random outcome, and a second game initiating button
associated with a second random outcome.
Inventors: |
Acres; John F.; (Corvallis,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARGER JOHNSON & MCCOLLOM, P.C.
210 SW MORRISON STREET, SUITE 400
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Assignee: |
ACRES-FIORE, INC.
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
39887630 |
Appl. No.: |
12/112324 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60926870 |
Apr 30, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3211 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/34 20130101; G07F 17/42 20130101; G07F
17/3246 20130101; G07F 17/3225 20130101; G07F 17/3213 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/16 |
International
Class: |
A63F 13/00 20060101
A63F013/00 |
Claims
1. A gaming device comprising: a display; a first game initiating
button associated with a first random outcome; and a second game
initiating button associated with a second random outcome.
2. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising: a first random
number generator to generate the first random outcome; and a second
random number generator to generate the second random outcome.
3. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a random number
generator to generate the first random outcome and the second
random outcome.
4. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a side bet
device to automatically select one of the first random outcome and
the second random outcome based on respective award amounts
associated with the first and second random outcomes.
5. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a side bet
device to award amounts associated with each of the first random
outcome and second random outcome.
6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display is configured
to show past outcomes associated with the first game initiating
button and the second game initiating button.
7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein the display is configured
to show at least five past outcomes associated with each of the
first and second game initiating buttons.
8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display is configured
to show multiple possible outcomes associated with each of the
first and second game initiating buttons.
9. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the display is further
configured to scroll the multiple possible outcomes associated with
each of the first and second game initiating buttons.
10. A method of operating a gaming device comprising: receiving a
wager from a player on the gaming device; activating a first game
initiating button and a second game initiating button; determining
if the first or second game initiating button is selected by the
player; thereafter, determining a first random outcome associated
with the first game initiating button; determining a second random
outcome associated with the second game initiating button;
displaying the first and second outcomes; and awarding a prize
associated with the selected one of the first or second game
initiating buttons.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining if an
outcome guaranteeing side bet is made by the player; and awarding a
larger one of the prizes associated with the first and second
outcomes when an outcome guaranteeing side bet is made by the
player.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein awarding a larger one of the
prizes associated with the first and second outcomes when an
outcome guaranteeing side bet is made by the player further
comprises: determining if an award amount of the outcome associated
with the selected one of the first or second game initiating
buttons is greater than or equal to an award amount of the outcome
associated with a non-selected one of the first or second game
initiating buttons when an outcome guaranteeing side bet is made by
the player; switching the outcome associated with the selected one
of the first or second game initiating buttons with the outcome
associated with the non-selected one of the first or second game
initiating buttons when the award amount of the outcome associated
with the selected one of the first or second game initiating
buttons is less than the award amount of the outcome associated
with a non-selected one of the first or second game initiating
buttons and an outcome guaranteeing side bet is made by the
player.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising associating the
first random outcome with the first game initiating button and
associating the second random outcome with the second game
initiating button.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying past
outcomes associated with the first game initiating button and the
second game initiating button on the game display prior to
activating the first and second game initiating buttons.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising highlighting the
larger of each pair of past outcomes.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: scrolling multiple
possible outcomes associated with each game initiating button; and
stopping the scrolling of the multiple possible outcomes in
response to a player input to determine the first random outcome
and the second random outcome.
17. The method of claim 10 further comprising locking in a game
initiating button selection over a plurality of gaming events.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the game initiating button
selection is locked for a predetermined amount of time.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the game initiating button
selection is locked for a predetermined number of games.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising unlocking a locked
game initiating button selection upon request from the player.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein unlocking the locked game
initiating button selection requires an additional wager.
22. A gaming device comprising: a display configured to show a
gaming event output in response to a wager placed on the gaming
device by a player; a first random number generator; a second
random number generator; at least one game initiating button
configured to initiate a gaming event on the gaming device; a first
outcome display configured to show a first random outcome generated
by the first random generator in response to initiation of a gaming
event; and a second outcome display configured to show a second
random outcome generated by the second random generator in response
to initiation of the gaming event.
23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the at least one game
initiating button comprises: a first game initiating button to
initiate a gaming event, the first game initiating button
associated with the first random outcome; and a second game
initiating button to initiate a gaming event, the second game
initiating button associated with the second random outcome.
24. The gaming device of claim 22, further comprising: a first
bonus initiating button to generate a first bonus outcome for a
bonus event; and a second bonus initiating button to generate a
second bonus outcome for the bonus event.
25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the first bonus outcome
is generated by the first random number generator, and the second
bonus outcome is generated by the second random number
generator.
26. The gaming device of claim 24, further comprising a bonus
indicator configured to output at least one of the first bonus
outcome and the second bonus outcome.
27. The gaming device of claim 26, further comprising a top box
portion housing the first bonus initiating button, the second bonus
initiating button, and the bonus indicator.
28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the bonus indicator is a
rotatable indicator including a plurality of output values
displayed on the indicator.
29. The gaming device of claim 22, further comprising a gaming
display to show the display configured to show a gaming event
output, the first outcome display, and the second outcome
display.
30. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the display configured
to show a gaming event output includes a plurality of physical
spinning reels.
31. The gaming device of claim 30, further comprising a secondary
gaming display to show the first outcome display and second outcome
display.
32. The gaming device of claim 30, further comprising a first
number meter and a second number meter to respectively show the
first outcome display and second outcome display.
33. A method of operating a gaming device comprising: receiving a
wager placed by a player on a gaming event controlled by the gaming
device; receiving a player input to initiate the gaming event;
generating a first random outcome for the gaming event; and
generating a second random outcome for the gaming event; displaying
the first random outcome on a first outcome display; and displaying
the second random outcome on a second outcome display.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first random outcome is
generated by a first random number generator and the second random
outcome is generated by a second random number generator.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first random outcome and
the second random outcome are generated by a single random number
generator.
36. The method of claim 33, further comprising activating a first
game initiating button and a second game initiating button in
response to receiving a wager placed by the player on the gaming
device.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving a player input to
initiate the gaming event includes receiving a player input on
either the first game initiating button or the second game
initiating button.
38. The method of claim 37 further comprising: displaying the first
random outcome on a first outcome display; and displaying the
second random outcome on a second outcome display.
39. The method of claim 38, further comprising awarding the first
random outcome to the player when a player input on the first game
initiating button is received and awarding the second random
outcome to the player when a player input on the second game
initiating button is received.
40. The method of claim 38, further comprising awarding the larger
of the first random outcome and the second random outcome to the
player.
41. The method of claim 38, further comprising awarding the sum of
the first random outcome and the second random outcome to the
player.
42. The method of claim 37, further comprising: displaying the
first random outcome on the first outcome display if a player input
on the first game initiating button is received or displaying the
second random outcome on the second outcome display if a player
input on the second game initiating button is received; allowing
the player a choice to keep the displayed random outcome or give up
the displayed random outcome for the non-displayed random outcome;
receiving a selection from the player; and awarding the displayed
random outcome to the player when the player chooses to keep the
displayed random outcome or awarding the non-displayed random
outcome to the player when the player chooses to give up the
displayed random outcome for the non-displayed random outcome.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/926,870 filed Apr. 30, 2007,
entitled "IMPROVEMENTS ON GAMBLING MACHINES," the contents of which
are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, commonly
assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/______, to John Acres,
is filed concurrently herewith, for MULTIPLE OUTCOME DISPLAY FOR
GAMING DEVICE (Attorney Docket No. 1351-0053), the disclosure of
which is also incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to electronic gaming
devices, and more particularly to electronic gaming devices
utilizing at least two randomly generated outcomes along with
methods of implementing the multiple randomly generated outcomes
during game play.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Most modern gaming devices are electronically controlled by
a computer or processer rather than by mechanical or other means.
Even on slot machines that have physical reels that spin upon a
pull of a gaming handle ("arm") or pressing of a game initiation
("spin") button, the outcome of the game is electronically
controlled by processor circuitry within the gaming device or a
remote computer connected to the gaming device over a network.
Typically, an outcome for the game is determined almost immediately
after the arm has been pulled or the spin button has been pressed.
However, to build player anticipation, the reels each remain
spinning for certain periods of time, where they are generally
stopped from left to right to slowly show the outcome of the game.
Generally, the reels are controlled by stepper motors or other
mechanical motors controlled by the processor of the gaming device.
As such, these motors are controlled to stop the reel at particular
locations such that the "reel stop" or symbol corresponding to the
determined outcome is shown on a payline.
[0004] To ensure that the outcomes of the games cannot be
predicted, a random number generator (RNG) is typically implemented
with the processor or remote computer to determine the outcomes of
the games. More specifically, the RNG is utilized to randomly
choose an outcome from the game's paytable. Since jackpot wins
typically award far more money than was wagered, the game's
paytable is typically weighted such that large value awards do not
occur often. By weighting outcomes on the paytable or using virtual
reels with a large number of reel stops, game designers can
manipulate the payback percentage while maintaining the random
nature of the game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram that illustrates a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0006] FIG. 1B is an isometric view of the gaming device
illustrated in FIG. 1A.
[0007] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are detail diagrams of exemplary types
of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of networked gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram that illustrates a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0010] FIGS. 5A and 5B are detail diagrams of exemplary gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a detail diagram of another exemplary gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a detail diagram of yet another exemplary gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of operating a gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of another method of operating a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of yet another method of operating
a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate example gaming devices according
to embodiments of the invention.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a gaming device 10 is an
electronic gaming machine. Although an electronic gaming machine or
"slot" machine is illustrated, various other types of devices may
be used to wager monetarily based credits on a game of chance in
accordance with principles of the invention. The term "electronic
gaming device" is meant to include various devices such as
electromechanical spinning-reel type slot machines, video slot
machines, and video poker machines, for instance. Other gaming
devices may include computer-based gaming machines, wireless gaming
devices, multi-player gaming stations, modified personal electronic
gaming devices (such as cell phones), personal computers,
server-based gaming terminals, and other similar devices. Although
embodiments of the invention will work with all of the gaming types
mentioned, for ease of illustration the present embodiments will be
described in reference to the electronic gaming machine 10 shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B.
[0018] The gaming device 10 includes a cabinet 15 housing
components to operate the gaming device 10. The cabinet 15 may
include a gaming display 20, a base portion 13, a top box 18, and a
player interface panel 30. The gaming display 20 may include
mechanical spinning reels (FIG. 2A), a video display (FIGS. 2B and
2C), or a combination of both spinning reels and a video display
(not shown). The gaming cabinet 15 may also include a credit meter
27 and a coin-in or bet meter 28. The credit meter 27 may indicate
the total number of credits remaining on the gaming device 10 that
are eligible to be wagered. In some embodiments, the credit meter
27 may reflect a monetary unit, such as dollars. However, it is
often preferable to have the credit meter 27 reflect a number of
`credits,` rather than a monetary unit, so that the player
partially disassociates credit losses with particular amounts of
money loss. The bet meter 28 may indicate the amount of credits to
be wagered on a particular game. Thus, for each game, the player
transfers the amount that he or she wants to wager from the credit
meter 27 to the bet meter 28. In some embodiments, various other
meters may be present, such as meters reflecting amounts won,
amounts paid, or the like. In embodiments where the gaming display
20 is a video monitor, the information indicated on the credit
meters may be shown on the gaming display itself 20 (FIG. 2B).
[0019] The base portion 13 may include a lighted panel 14, a coin
return (not shown), and a gaming handle 12 operable on a partially
rotating pivot joint 11. The game handle 12 is traditionally
included on mechanical spinning-reel games, where the handle may be
pulled toward a player to initiate the spinning of reels 22 after
placement of a wager. The top box 18 may include a lighted panel
17, a video display (such as an LCD monitor), a mechanical bonus
device (not shown), and a candle light indicator 19. The player
interface panel 30 may include various devices so that a player can
interact with the gaming device 10.
[0020] The player interface panel 30 may include one or more game
buttons 32 that can be actuated by the player to cause the gaming
device 10 to perform a specific action. For example, some of the
game buttons 32 may cause the gaming device 10 to bet a credit to
be wagered during the next game, change the number of lines being
played on a multi-line game, cash out the credits remaining on the
gaming device (as indicated on the credit meter 27), or request
assistance from casino personnel, such as by lighting the candle
19. In addition, the player interface panel 30 may include one or
more game actuating buttons 33. The game actuating buttons 33 may
initiate a game with a pre-specified amount of credits. On some
gaming devices 10 a "Max Bet" game actuating button 33 may be
included that places the maximum credit wager on a game and
initiates the game. The player interface panel 30 may further
include a bill acceptor 37 and a ticket printer 38. The bill
acceptor 37 may accept and validate paper money or previously
printed tickets with a credit balance. The ticket printer 38 may
print out tickets reflecting the balance of the credits that remain
on the gaming device 10 when a player cashes out by pressing one of
the game buttons 32 programmed to cause a `cashout.` These tickets
may be inserted into other gaming machines or redeemed at a cashier
station or kiosk for cash.
[0021] The gaming device 10 may also include one or more speakers
26 to transmit auditory information or sounds to the player. The
auditory information may include specific sounds associated with
particular events that occur during game play on the gaming device
10. For example, a particularly festive sound may be played during
a large win or when a bonus is triggered. The speakers 26 may also
transmit "attract" sounds to entice nearby players when the game is
not currently being played.
[0022] The gaming device 10 may further include a secondary display
25. This secondary display 25 may be a vacuum fluorescent display
(VFD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a
plasma screen, or the like. The secondary display 25 may show
ancillary information to the player. For example, the secondary
display 25 may show player tracking information, secondary bonus
information, advertisements, or player selectable game options. 5
The gaming device 10 includes a microprocessor 40 that controls
operation of the gaming device 10. If the gaming device 10 is a
standalone gaming device, the microprocessor 40 may control
virtually all of the operations of the gaming devices and attached
equipment, such as operating game logic stored in memory (not
shown) as firmware, controlling the display 20 to represent the
outcome of a game, communicate with the other peripheral devices
(such as the bill acceptor 37), and orchestrating the lighting and
sound emanating from the gaming device 10. In other embodiments
where the gaming device 10 is coupled to a network 50, as described
below, the microprocessor 40 may have different tasks depending on
the setup and function of the gaming device. For example, the
microprocessor 40 may be responsible for running the base game of
the gaming device and executing instructions received over the
network 50 from a bonus server or player tracking server. In a
server-based gaming setup, the microprocessor 40 may act as a
terminal to execute instructions from a remote server that is
running game play on the gaming device.
[0023] The microprocessor 40 may be coupled to a machine
communication interface (MCI) 42 that connects the gaming device 10
to a gaming network 50. The MCI 42 may be coupled to the
microprocessor 40 through a serial connection, a parallel
connection, an optical connection, or in some cases a wireless
connection. The gaming device 10 may include memory 41 (MEM), such
as a random access memory (RAM), coupled to the microprocessor 40
and which can be used to store gaming information, such as storing
total coin-in statistics about a present or past gaming session,
which can be communicated to a remote server or database through
the MCI 42. The MCI 42 may also facilitate communication between
the network 50 and the secondary display 25 or a player tracking
unit 45 housed in the gaming cabinet 15.
[0024] The player tracking unit 45 may include an identification
device 46 and one or more buttons 47 associated with the player
tracking unit 45. The identification device 46 serves to identify a
player, by, for example, reading a player-tracking device, such as
a player tracking card that is issued by the casino to individual
players who choose to have such a card. The identification device
46 may instead, or additionally, identify players through other
methods. Player tracking systems using player tracking cards and
card readers 46 are known in the art. Briefly summarizing such a
system, a player registers with the casino prior to commencing
gaming. The casino issues a unique player-tracking card to the
player and opens a corresponding player account that is stored on a
server or host computer, described below with reference to FIG. 3.
The player account may include the player's name and mailing
address and other information of interest to the casino in
connection with marketing efforts. Prior to playing one of the
gaming devices in the casino, the player inserts the player
tracking card into the identification device 46 thus permitting the
casino to track player activity, such as amounts wagered, credits
won, and rate of play.
[0025] To induce the player to use the card and be an identified
player, the casino may award each player points proportional to the
money or credits wagered by the player. Players typically accrue
points at a rate related to the amount wagered, although other
factors may cause the casino to award the player various amounts.
The points may be displayed on the secondary display 25 or using
other methods. In conventional player tracking systems, the player
may take his or her card to a special desk in the casino where a
casino employee scans the card to determine how many accrued points
are in the player's account. The player may redeem points for
selected merchandise, meals in casino restaurants, or the like,
which each have assigned point values. In some player tracking
systems, the player may use the secondary display 25 to access
their player tracking account, such as to check a total number of
points, redeem points for various services, make changes to their
account, or download promotional credits to the gaming device 10.
In other embodiments, the identification device 46 may read other
identifying cards (such as driver licenses, credit cards, etc.) to
identify a player and match them to a corresponding player tracking
account. Although FIG. 1A shows the player tracking unit 45 with a
card reader as the identification device 46, other embodiments may
include a player tracking unit 45 with a biometric scanner, PIN
code acceptor, or other methods of identifying a player to pair the
player with their player tracking account.
[0026] During typical play on a gaming device 10, a player plays a
game by placing a wager and then initiating a gaming session. The
player may initially insert monetary bills or previously printed
tickets with a credit value into the bill acceptor 37. The player
may also put coins into a coin acceptor (not shown) or a credit
card into a card reader/authorizer (not shown). The credit meter 27
displays the numeric credit value of the money inserted dependent
on the denomination of the gaming device 10. That is, if the gaming
device 10 is a nickel slot machine and a $20 bill inserted into the
bill acceptor 37, the credit meter will reflect 400 credits or one
credit for each nickel of the inserted twenty dollars. For gaming
devices 10 that support multiple denominations, the credit meter 27
will reflect the amount of credits relative to the denomination
selected. Thus, in the above example, if a penny denomination is
selected after the $20 is inserted the credit meter will change
from 400 credits to 2000 credits.
[0027] A wager may be placed by pushing one or more of the game
buttons 32, which may be reflected on the bet meter 28. That is,
the player can generally depress a "bet one" button (one of the
buttons on the player interface panel 30, such as 32), which
transfers one credit from the credit meter 27 to the bet meter 28.
Each time the button 32 is depressed an additional single credit
transfers to the bet meter 28 up to a maximum bet that can be
placed on a single play of the electronic gaming device 10. The
gaming session may be initiated by pulling the gaming handle 12 or
depressing the spin button 33. On some gaming devices 10, a "max
bet" button (another one of the buttons 32 on the player interface
panel 30) may be depressed to wager the maximum number of credits
supported by the gaming device 10 and initiate a gaming
session.
[0028] If the gaming session does not result in any winning
combination, the process of placing a wager may be repeated by the
player. Alternatively, the player may cash out any remaining
credits on the credit meter 27 by depressing the "cash-out" button
(another button 32 on the player interface panel 30), which causes
the credits on the credit meter 27 to be paid out in the form of a
ticket through the ticket printer 38, or may be paid out in the
form of returning coins from a coin hopper (not shown) to a coin
return tray.
[0029] If instead a winning combination (win) appears on the
display 20, the award corresponding to the winning combination is
immediately applied to the credit meter 27. For example, if the
gaming device 10 is a slot machine, a winning combination of
symbols 23 may land on a played payline on reels 22. If any bonus
games are initiated, the gaming device 10 may enter into a bonus
mode or simply award the player with a bonus amount of credits that
are applied to the credit meter 27.
[0030] FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate exemplary types of gaming devices
according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A illustrates an
example spinning-reel gaming machine 10A, FIG. 2B illustrates an
example video slot machine 10B, and FIG. 2C illustrates an example
video poker machine 10C.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 2A, a spinning-reel gaming machine 10A
includes a gaming display 20A having a plurality of mechanical
spinning reels 22A. Typically, spinning-reel gaming machines 10A
have three to five spinning reels 22A. Each of the spinning reels
22A has multiple symbols 23A that may be separated by blank areas
on the spinning reels 22A, although the presence of blank areas
typically depends on the number of reels 22A present in the gaming
device 10A and the number of different symbols 23A that may appear
on the spinning reels 22A. Each of the symbols 22A or blank areas
makes up a "stop" on the spinning reel 22A where the reel 22A comes
to rest after a spin. Although the spinning reels 22A of various
games 10A may have various numbers of stops, many conventional
spinning-reel gaming devices 10A have reels 22A with twenty two
stops.
[0032] During game play, the spinning reels 22A may be controlled
by stepper motors (not shown) under the direction of the
microprocessor 40 (FIG. 1A). Thus, although the spinning-reel
gaming device 10A has mechanical based spinning reels 22A, the
movement of the reels themselves is electronically controlled to
spin and stop. This electronic control is advantageous because it
allows a virtual reel strip to be stored in the memory 41 of the
gaming device 10A, where various "virtual stops" are mapped to each
physical stop on the physical reel 22A. This mapping allows the
gaming device 10A to establish greater awards and bonuses available
to the player because of the increased number of possible
combinations afforded by the virtual reel strips.
[0033] A gaming session on a spinning reel slot machine 10A
typically includes the player pressing the "bet-one" button (one of
the game buttons 32A) to wager a desired number of credits followed
by pulling the gaming handle 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B) or pressing the spin
button 33A to spin the reels 22A. Alternatively, the player may
simply press the "max-bet" button (another one of the game buttons
32A) to both wager the maximum number of credits permitted and
initiate the spinning of the reels 22A. The spinning reels 22A may
all stop at the same time or may individually stop one after
another (typically from left to right) to build player
anticipation. Because the display 20A usually cannot be physically
modified, some spinning reel slot machines 10A include an
electronic display screen in the top box 18 (FIG. 1B), a mechanical
bonus mechanism in the top box 18, or a secondary display 25 (FIG.
1A) to execute a bonus.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 2B, a video gaming machine 10B may include
a video display 20B to display virtual spinning reels 22B and
various other gaming information 21B. The video display 20B may be
a CRT, LCD, plasma screen, or the like. It is usually preferable
that the video display 20B be a touchscreen to accept player input.
A number of symbols 23A appear on each of the virtual spinning
reels 22B. Although FIG. 2B shows five virtual spinning reels 22B,
the flexibility of the video display 20B allows for various reel
22B and game configurations. For example, some video slot games 10B
spin reels for each individual symbol position (or stop) that
appears on the video display 20B. That is, each symbol position on
the screen is independent of every other position during the gaming
sessions. In these types of games, very large numbers of pay lines
or multiple super scatter pays can be utilized since similar
symbols could appear at every symbol position on the video display
20B. On the other hand, other video slot games 10B more closely
resemble the mechanical spinning reel games where symbols that are
vertically adjacent to each other are part of the same continuous
virtual spinning reel 22B.
[0035] Because the virtual spinning reels 22B, by virtue of being
computer implemented, can have almost any number of stops on a reel
strip, it is much easier to have a greater variety of displayed
outcomes as compared to spinning-reel slot machines 10A (FIG. 2A)
that have a fixed number of physical stops on each spinning reel
22A.
[0036] With the possible increases in reel 22B numbers and
configurations over the mechanical gaming device 10A, video gaming
devices 10B often have multiple paylines 24 that may be played. By
having more paylines 24 available to play, the player may be more
likely to have a winning combination when the reels 22B stop and
the gaming session ends. However, since the player typically must
wager at least a minimum number of credits to enable each payline
24 to be eligible for winning, the overall odds of winning are not
much different, if at all, than if the player is wagering only on a
single payline. For example, in a five line game, the player may
bet one credit per payline 24 and be eligible for winning symbol
combinations that appear on any of the five played paylines 24.
This gives a total of five credits wagered and five possible
winning paylines 24. If, on the other hand, the player only wagers
one credit on one payline 24, but plays five gaming sessions, the
odds of winning would be identical as above: five credits wagered
and five possible winning paylines 24.
[0037] Because the video display 20B can easily modify the image
output by the video display 20B, bonuses, such as second screen
bonuses are relatively easy to award on the video slot game 10B.
That is, if a bonus is triggered during game play, the video
display 20B may simply store the resulting screen shot in memory
and display a bonus sequence on the video display 20B. After the
bonus sequence is completed, the video display 20B may then
retrieve the previous screen shot and information from memory, and
re-display that image.
[0038] Also, as mentioned above, the video display 20B may allow
various other game information 21B to be displayed. For example, as
shown in FIG. 2B, banner information may be displayed above the
spinning reels 22B to inform the player, perhaps, which symbol
combination is needed to trigger a bonus. Also, instead of
providing a separate credit meter 27 (FIG. 1A) and bet meter 28,
the same information can instead be displayed on the video display
20B. In addition, "soft buttons" 29B such as a "spin" button or
"help/see pays" button may be built using the touch screen video
display 20B. Such customization and ease of changing the image
shown on the display 20B adds to the flexibility of the game
10B.
[0039] Even with the improved flexibility afforded by the video
display 20B, several physical buttons 32B and 33B are usually
provided on video slot machines 10B. These buttons may include game
buttons 32B that allow a player to choose the number of paylines 24
he or she would like to play and the number of credits wagered on
each payline 24. In addition, a max bet button (one of the game
buttons 32B) allows a player to place a maximum credit wager on the
maximum number of available paylines 24 and initiate a gaming
session. A repeat bet or spin button 33B may also be used to
initiate each gaming session when the max bet button is not
used.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 2C, a video poker gaming device 10C may
include a video display 20C that is physically similar to the video
display 20B shown in FIG. 2B. The video display 20C may show a
poker hand of five cards 23C and various other player information
21C including a paytable for various winning hands, as well as a
plurality of player selectable soft buttons 29C. The video display
20C may present a poker hand of five cards 23C and various other
player information 21C including a number of player selectable soft
(touch-screen) buttons 29C and a paytable for various winning
hands. Although the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3C shows only
one hand of poker on the video display 20C, various other video
poker machines 10C may show several poker hands (multi-hand poker).
Typically, video poker machines 10C play "draw" poker in which a
player is dealt a hand of five cards, has the opportunity to hold
any combination of those five cards, and then draws new cards to
replace the discarded ones. All pays are usually given for winning
combinations resulting from the final hand, although some video
poker games 10C may give bonus credits for certain combinations
received on the first hand before the draw. In the example shown in
FIG. 2C a player has been dealt two aces, a three, a six, and a
nine. The video poker game 10C may provide a bonus or payout for
the player having been dealt the pair of aces, even before the
player decides what to discard in the draw. Since pairs, three of a
kind, etc. are typically needed for wins, a player would likely
hold the two aces that have been dealt and draw three cards to
replace the three, six, and nine in the hope of receiving
additional aces or other cards leading to a winning combination
with a higher award amount. After the draw and revealing of the
final hand, the video poker game 10C typically awards any credits
won to the credit meter.
[0041] The player selectable soft buttons 29C appearing on the
screen respectively correspond to each card on the video display
20C. These soft buttons 29C allow players to select specific cards
on the video display 20C such that the card corresponding to the
selected soft button is "held" before the draw. Typically, video
poker machines 10C also include physical game buttons 32C that
correspond to the cards in the hand and may be selected to hold a
corresponding card. A deal/draw button 33C may also be included to
initiate a gaming session after credits have been wagered (with a
bet button 32C, for example) and to draw any cards not held after
the first hand is displayed.
[0042] Although examples of a spinning reel slot machine 10A, a
video slot machine 10B, and a video poker machine 10C have been
illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, gaming machines various other types of
gaming devices known in the art are contemplated and are within the
scope of the invention.
[0043] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating networked gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to
FIG. 3, multiple electronic gaming devices (EGMs) 70, 71, 72, 73,
74, and 75 may be coupled to one another and coupled to a remote
server 80 through a network 50. For ease of understanding, gaming
devices or EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 are generically referred
to as EGMs 70-75. The term EGMs 70-75, however, may refer to any
combination of one or more of EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75.
Additionally, the gaming server 80 may be coupled to one or more
gaming databases 90. These gaming network 50 connections may allow
multiple gaming devices 70-75 to remain in communication with one
another during particular gaming modes such as tournament play or
remote head-to-head play. Although some of the gaming devices 70-75
coupled on the gaming network 50 may resemble the gaming devices
10, 10A, 10B, and 10C shown in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2C, other coupled
gaming devices 70-75 may include differently configured gaming
devices. For example, the gaming devices 70-75 may include
traditional slot machines 75 directly coupled to the network 50,
banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50, banks of
gaming devices 70 coupled to the network through a bank controller
60, wireless handheld gaming machines 72 and cell phones 73 coupled
to the gaming network 50 through one or more wireless routers or
antennas 61, personal computers 74 coupled to the network 50
through the internet 62, and banks of gaming devices 71 coupled to
the network through one or more optical connection lines 64.
Additionally, some of the traditional gaming devices 70, 71, and 75
may include electronic gaming tables, multi-station gaming devices,
or electronic components operating in conjunction with non-gaming
components, such as automatic card readers, chip readers, and chip
counters, for example.
[0044] Gaming devices 71 coupled over an optical line 64 may be
remote gaming devices in a different location or casino. The
optical line 64 may be coupled to the gaming network 50 through an
electronic to optical signal converter 63 and may be coupled to the
gaming devices 71 through an optical to electronic signal converter
65. The banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50 may be
coupled through a bank controller 60 for compatibility purposes,
for local organization and control, or for signal buffering
purposes. The network 50 may include serial or parallel signal
transmission lines and carry data in accordance with data transfer
protocols such as Ethernet transmission lines, firewire lines, USB
lines, or other communication protocols. Although not shown in FIG.
3, substantially the entire network 50 may be made of optical lines
64 or may be a wireless network.
[0045] As mentioned above, each gaming device 70-75 may have an
individual processor 40 (FIG. 1A) and memory 41 to run and control
game play on the gaming device 70-75, or some of the gaming devices
70-75 may be terminals that are run by a remote server 80 in a
server based gaming environment. Server based gaming environments
may be advantageous to casinos by allowing fast downloading of
particular game types or themes based on casino preference or
player selection. Additionally, tournament based games, linked
games, and certain game types, such as BINGO or keno may benefit
from at least some server 80 based control.
[0046] Thus, in some embodiments, the network 50, server 80, and
database 90 may be dedicated to communications regarding specific
game or tournament play. In other embodiments, however, the network
50, server 80, and database 90 may be part of a player tracking
network. For player tracking capabilities, when a player inserts a
player tracking card in the card reader 46 (FIG. 1A), the player
tracking unit 45 sends player identification information obtained
on the card reader 46 through the MCI 42 over the network 50 to the
player tracking server 80, where the player identification
information is compared to player information records on in the
player database 90 to provide the player with information regarding
their player accounts or other features at the gaming device 10
where the player is wagering. Additionally, multiple databases 90
and/or servers 80 may be present and coupled to one or more
networks 50 to provide a variety of gaming services, such as both
game/tournament data and player tracking data.
[0047] The various systems described with reference to FIGS. 1-3
can be used in a number of ways. For instance, the systems can be
used to track data about various players. The tracked data can be
used by the casino to provide additional benefits to players, such
as extra bonuses or extra benefits such as bonus games and other
benefits as described above. These added benefits further entice
the players to play at the casino that provides the benefits.
[0048] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram that illustrates a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, a gaming device 100 includes a gaming
cabinet 115 having a top box 118, a game output display 120, a
player interface panel 130, a secondary display 125, a processor
140, and a player identifying unit 145. Similar to the gaming
device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the gaming device 100 may include
speakers 126, credit meters 127/128, a gaming handle 112, a memory
141 connected to the processor 140, and an MCI 142 connected to a
network 147. However, the processor 140 may include only a first
random number generator (RNG) 155A, or may include a first RNG 155A
and a second RNG 155B. In addition, the player interface panel 130
may include a first game initiating button 133A and a second game
initiating button 133B.
[0050] The first and second game initiating buttons 133A, 133B may
each function in a similar manner to the game initiating button 33
described with reference to FIG. 1. That is, each of the first and
second game initiating buttons 133A, 133B may initiate a gaming
event or gaming session on the gaming device 100 where a wager
placed by a player on a gaming device is risked in connection with
the gaming event initiated by the game initiating buttons 133A,
133B. For example, each of the first and second game initiating
buttons 133A, 133B may be a "SPIN" button, a "REPEAT BET" button,
or a "DEAL/DRAW" button. Although only two game initiating buttons
are shown in FIG. 4, any number of game initiating buttons may be
implemented in other embodiments of the present invention, where a
separate random outcome is associated with each of the game
initiating buttons. Additionally, the multiple game initiating
buttons 133A, 133B may be used in bonus events. That is, different
random outcomes in bonus events, such as second screen bonuses, top
box bonuses, networked bonuses, mystery bonuses, etc. may be
associated with each of the game initiating buttons 233A, 233B such
that the bonus events have different outcomes depending on which of
the buttons is selected by a player.
[0051] The first game initiating button 133A may be associated with
a first random outcome and the second game initiating button 133B
may be associated with a second random outcome. In some
embodiments, the first and second random outcome may be generated
by a single RNG 155A, or may be respectively generated by a first
RNG 155A and a second RNG 155B. In gaming devices, random number
generators are typically computer controlled pseudo-random number
generators operated from a seed value. These random number
generators generally are generating random numbers at a relatively
fast rate, often in the order of thousands of numbers per second.
The present invention may, however, be realized using any type of
random number generating system from these computerized random
number generators to more elaborate random number generating
systems utilizing physical phenomena, such as thermal noise in
Zener diodes or even nuclear decay.
[0052] In embodiments utilizing only a single RNG 155A, a first
random outcome may be generated by the single RNG 155A a short time
before a second random outcome is generated by the RNG 155A. These
outcomes may be generated nearly simultaneously because of the
generating speed of the RNG 155A. On the other hand, in embodiments
utilizing multiple RNGs, such as a first RNG 155A and a second RNG
155B, the first and second random outcomes may be generated
substantially simultaneously. Since it is preferable to have the
first random outcome be different than the second random outcome as
a general matter, the first and second RNGs 155A and 155B may be
preferably seeded differently or initialized at different times so
that identical output results are not generated.
[0053] The operation of the gaming devices will be discussed in
further detail with reference to the exemplary gaming devices shown
in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, as well as in the operational flow charts
shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10. However, it should be noted that while
the following exemplary gaming devices (shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7)
are video based spinning reel games, the concepts of this invention
may be implemented on any type of gaming device, such as a spinning
reel slot, video poker machine, computerized table game, etc.
[0054] FIGS. 5A and 5B are detail diagrams of exemplary gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 5A, a gaming device 200 includes a gaming
display 220 and a player interface panel having one or more game
buttons 232, a first game initiating button 233A, and a second game
initiating button 233B. The gaming display 220 may include a
portion to show a game output 222 such as video reels, a banner
area 221 to display game information, one or more soft buttons 229
to access See Pays or Help screens, a first outcome portion 250A,
and a second outcome portion 250B. The first outcome portion 250A
may be on the same side of the gaming display 220 as the
corresponding first game initiating button 233A is on the gaming
device 200 for ease of playability and player understanding.
[0056] The first outcome portion 250A may include a soft button for
initiating a game and a first outcome indicator 255A. The second
outcome portion 250B may include a soft button for initiating a
game and a second outcome indicator 255B. In embodiments where a
video monitor is not used in displaying a game result (such as with
a physical spinning reel slot machine), the results of the first
and second outcome may be displayed on the secondary display 125
(FIG. 4), on meters similar to credit meters 127/128, on a top box
display 118, or on other display devices.
[0057] In operation, after the player has placed a wager or added
credits to the game device 200, the player may choose to initiate
the gaming event with either first game initiating button 233A (or
corresponding soft button in the first outcome potion 250A) or the
second game initiating button 233B (or corresponding soft button in
the second outcome portion 250B). Regardless of which game
initiating button 233A, 233B is selected by the player, a first
random outcome is generated for the first outcome portion 250A and
may be shown at the first outcome indicator 255A. A second random
outcome is also generated for the second outcome portion 250B and
may be shown at the second outcome indicator 255B. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5A, the outcome for the first
outcome portion (the RED side) is 5 credits while the outcome for
the second outcome portion (the BLUE side) is 85 credits. Thus, if
the player had selected the first game initiating button 233A, he
or she would have won 5 credits. On the other hand, if the player
had selected the second game initiating button 233B, he or she
would have won 85 credits.
[0058] By showing the player what they could have won had they
chosen the other game initiating button, the gaming device 200 may
make a player feel "lucky" for making the right choice, or "close"
to winning a larger prize. In other embodiments, however, the
player may be awarded the sum of the two outcomes or may be able to
select another outcome that has not yet been revealed. For example,
in an embodiment utilizing four game initiating buttons that each
have a separate random outcome associated with the button, a player
may only be shown the outcome for the button he or she selected.
However, the player may be given the choice to give up his or her
present outcome for a chance to pick one of the other buttons that
does not have its associated outcome yet revealed. This switching
chance may require an additional wager in some embodiments, or may
be part of a player club promotion or bonus event in other
embodiments.
[0059] The game result shown on the game output portion 222 may
reflect the random outcome associated with the selected one of the
game initiating buttons 233A, 233B. For example, the video reels
222 may still stop in a left to right fashion before the first and
second random outcomes are respectively displayed at the first and
second outcome indicator 255A, 255B. In some embodiments, the
outcome indicator 255A, 255B associated with the selected game
initiating button 233A, 233B may be highlighted to emphasize the
amount won by the player. In other embodiments, the larger of the
amounts shown on the outcome indicators 255A, 255B may be
highlighted. The other player information 221 such as the player
banner or credit meter may also reflect the results of the random
outcomes. For example, the player banner may announce which "side"
had the better result or may display how much the player won with
the selection they made.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 5B, the gaming device 200 may include a
top box 218 having a bonus indicator 299 and a plurality of bonus
initiating buttons 231. Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B
shows a rotating type of bonus indicator 299, any style of bonus
indicator may be implemented in other embodiments. Additionally,
although a plurality of bonus initiating buttons 231 are shown in
the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5B, game buttons 232 or game
initiating buttons 233A, 233B may be used to initiate a bonus.
[0061] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, each of the bonus
initiating buttons 231 may generate a separate random outcome
associated with a position on the bonus indicator 299. That is,
once a bonus has been triggered, a player may select among the
plurality of bonus initiating buttons 231 where each of the bonus
initiating buttons 231 generate individual random outcomes
associated with the bonus indicator 299. A single RNG 155A (FIG. 4)
or multiple RNGs 155A, 155B, etc. may be used to generate these
separate random outcomes associated with each of the bonus
initiating buttons 231. In some embodiments, the outcome of each
bonus initiating button 231 may be shown on the gaming display 220.
In other embodiments, each bonus initiating button 231 may include
a small display capable of showing the outcome associated with that
button. However, these outcomes may not be displayed until the
bonus indicator is activated (in this case spun) such that the
outcome appears on the bonus indicator 299. For example, the a
player may choose the GREEN SPIN button and the rotating bonus
indicator 299 may spin until a 50 credit award is shown as won on
the rotating bonus indicator 299. Afterwards, the random outcomes
of the other bonus initiating buttons 231 may be displayed so that
the player sees how lucky he is she was in picking a bonus
initiating button 231.
[0062] In various bonus events, a player may be able to select more
than one of the bonus initiating buttons 231 are receive the sum of
random outcomes associated with each of the bonus initiating
buttons 231. In other bonus events, a player may only see the
outcome associated with the bonus initiating button 231 he or she
selected, and may be given the opportunity to keep that outcome or
trade that pick for one of the still-yet-to-be-revealed outcomes
associated with one of the other non-selected buttons. Various
other bonus arrangements may be used in conjunction with the bonus
initiating buttons 231 and bonus indicator 299.
[0063] FIG. 6 is a detail diagram of another exemplary gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 6, a gaming device 300 includes a gaming
display 320 and a player interface panel having one or more game
buttons 332, a first game initiating button 333A, and a second game
initiating button 333B. The gaming display 320 may include a
portion to show a game output 322 such as video reels, a banner
area 321 to display game information, a first outcome portion 350A,
a second outcome portion 350B, a first outcome history portion
370A, and a second outcome history portion 370B.
[0065] The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may be similar in operation
to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A except that the embodiment shown
in FIG. 6 includes a first outcome history portion 370A of the
display 320 and a second outcome history portion 370B of the
display 320. The first and second outcome history portions 370A,
370B may display a list of recent random results for each game
initiating button 333A, 333B. For example, in the embodiment shown
in FIG. 6, each outcome history portions 370A, 370B shows the past
ten outcomes for each "side." With this feature, a player may look
over the recent outcome history to determine if one side is "hot"
or is "due" for a big win. Outcomes that were larger for one side
may be highlighted to distinguish them over the awards from the
other side. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the
"BLUE" side has had a larger outcome in six of the last 10 games,
the "RED" side has had a larger outcome in three of the last 10
games, and neither side had a better award in one of the last 10
games. Hence, a player may decide to initiate the next gaming event
using the second game initiating button 333B corresponding to the
"BLUE" side because the "BLUE" side appears to be doing better.
However, another player may decide to initiate the next gaming
event using the first game initiating button 333A corresponding to
the "RED" side because the "RED" side appears to be due for a
better outcome.
[0066] After a gaming outcome has been displayed on the first and
second outcome indicators 355A and 355B respectively included in
the first and second outcome portions 350A, 350B, the outcomes may
move to the top (or bottom) of the lists shown in the outcome
history portions 370A, 370B. As more recent outcomes are added to
the first and second outcome portions 350A, 350B, the more distant
outcomes may be removed from the respective lists. Although ten
outcomes for each of the first and second outcome portions 350A,
350B are shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, more or
fewer outcomes may be listed. Additionally, in other embodiments,
all of the outcomes of a gaming session may be downloaded to a
player club account and reviewed by a player at a later time. The
first and second outcome portions 350A, 350B may also be hidden
during the actual game event to maximize the space on the game
display 320.
[0067] Although not shown, the gaming device 300 may make a visual
or auditory indication when one of the "sides" has hit a
particularly good streak of outcomes. For example, if one of the
"sides" receives five straight outcomes that return more credits
than were wagered, an auditory or visual indicator may draw
attention to that "side" of the gaming device 300 or to the gaming
device itself 300.
[0068] FIG. 7 is a detail diagram of yet another exemplary gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 7, a gaming device 400 includes a gaming
display 420 and a player interface panel having one or more game
buttons 432, a first game initiating button 433A, a second game
initiating button 433B, and a side bet button 434. The gaming
display 420 may include a portion to show a game output 422 such as
video reels, a banner area 421 to display game information, a first
outcome portion 450A, a second outcome portion 450B, a first
multiple outcome portion 480A, and a second multiple outcome
portion 480B.
[0070] The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may be similar in operation
to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A except that the embodiment shown
in FIG. 6 includes a first multiple outcome portion 480A and a
second multiple outcome portion 480B. Multiple outcome portions are
thoroughly discussed in copending application Ser. No. 12/______
entitled MULTIPLE OUTCOME DISPLAY FOR GAMING DEVICE, the disclosure
of which is incorporated by reference. The quickly reiterate one of
the functions of the multiple outcome portions 480A, 480B, once a
wager is received and/or a game initiating button is selected
multiple possible outcomes are displayed in each of the multiple
outcome portions 480A, 480B. These displayed outcomes may be actual
possible outcomes or arbitrary outcomes as described in the
"MULTIPLE OUTCOME DISPLAY FOR GAMING DEVICE" application. As the
outcomes scroll, a player may press the corresponding game
initiating button, the soft button in the outcome display portion,
or the multiple outcome portion itself to stop the scrolling of the
multiple outcomes so as to reach an outcome awarded to the player.
In some embodiments, a received outcome window 490A, 490B may be
present in each of the multiple outcome portions 480A, 480B to
indicate received outcomes. The outcome values reflected in these
received outcome windows 490A, 490B may also be displayed at the
outcome indicators 455A, 455B. The multiple outcome portions 480A,
480B may be advantageous in showing a player how close they were to
a large prize. To further emphasize this point, higher value
outcomes may be highlighted to draw the player's attention to them.
In addition, a player may see a large value appear on the multiple
outcome portions 480A, 480B and try to stop the scrolling outcomes
such that they receive that value. In some embodiments, the player
cannot stop the scrolling outcomes to reach a specific value as
this may take away some of the randomness of the gamine device
400.
[0071] The side bet button 434 may allow a player to place an
additional wager such that they receive the higher of the two
random outcomes displayed on the outcome indicators 455A, 455B.
That is, the player may be able to place an additional wager such
that the selection of the first game initiating button 433A or the
second game initiating button 433B does not affect the ultimate
outcome awarded to the player. In some instances, this feature may
be beneficial to the player because they may have selected a "side"
with a lower value. In other instances, the player may have
selected the "side" with the larger award; rendering the additional
wager unnecessary.
[0072] In other embodiments, the ability of the player to get the
better of the two outcomes may be tied to a bonus or player
criterion without an additional wager. For example, a casino may
wish to reward a player playing high stakes gaming devices 400, or
a casino may wish to tie the best spin feature to a player tracking
benchmark. In bonus scenarios, the best spin feature may only be
enabled for a predetermined number of gaming events or a
predetermined amount of time. This limited duration may give the
player a favorable perk while not affecting the long term payback
of the gaming device 400.
[0073] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of operating a gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 8, the method of operating the gaming
device includes receiving a wager 505 from a player playing the
gaming device. After a wager is received, a first game initiating
button and a second game initiating button are activated 510 such
that the player may press either button to initiate a gaming event
on the gaming device. In some embodiments, the first and second
game initiating buttons may be activated if a there are credits on
the gaming device that are available for wagering. For example,
each of the first or second game initiating buttons may be
activated with a predetermined amount to be wagered if pressed by
the player without an alteration of the wager prior to pressing
either of the buttons.
[0075] Once the first and second game initiating buttons have been
activated, the gaming device determines if either of the first or
second game initiating buttons have been pressed 515. In other
embodiments utilizing other game initiating means (such as a game
handle), the gaming device would determine if a game initiating
device had been manipulated in order to initiate a gaming event. If
neither game initiating button has been pressed, the gaming device
may periodically check to see if either of the game initiating
buttons is pressed or the gaming device may simply wait for a
signal indicative of one of the game initiating buttons being
pressed.
[0076] When either of the first or second game initiating buttons
has been pressed, the gaming device determines a first random
outcome and a second random outcome 520. As described above with
reference to FIG. 4, the first and second random outcomes may be
generated by a single RNG or may be respectively generated by a
first RNG and a second RNG. The first random outcome is then
associated with the first game initiating button and the second
random outcome is associated with the second game initiating button
525.
[0077] The gaming device may then display the appropriate outcome
associated with the game initiating button selected by the player
530 and may display the outcome associated with the non-selected
game initiating button 535. As discussed above, the game device may
highlight the outcome associated with the game initiating button
selected by the player. Credits or other prizes from the outcome
associated with the game initiating button selected by the player
may then be awarded to the player on the gaming device 550.
[0078] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of another method of operating a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0079] Referring to FIG. 9, the method shown in FIG. 9 includes
some processes that are similar to the processes discussed above
with respect to FIG. 8. For example, the method of operating the
gaming device shown in FIG. 9 may include receiving a wager from a
player playing the gaming device 605, activating first and second
game initiating buttons 610, and determining if the either of the
game initiating buttons is pressed by the player 615. In addition,
the method shown in FIG. 9 may include determining first and second
random outcomes 620, respectively associating the first and second
random outcomes with the first and second game initiating buttons
625, and displaying each of the random outcomes 630, 635.
[0080] Thereafter, the gaming device may determine if an outcome
guaranteeing side bet (or buy-a-pay) was made by the player 640 to
secure the higher valued outcome regardless of which game
initiating button was selected. As discussed above, this side bet
may ensure that the player receives the higher valued outcome of
the first and second random outcomes. In some embodiments, the side
bet may require an additional wager be made by the player prior to
either game activating button being pressed. In other embodiments,
the side bet may be automatically made for the player based on a
bonus or a player criterion, as discussed above.
[0081] If a side bet has not been made, the method may proceed to
awarding prizes from the outcome associated with the selected game
initiating button 650 as described above with reference to FIG. 8.
However, if a side bet has been made, the gaming device may
determine if the random outcome associated with the selected game
initiating button is less than the random outcome associated with
the non-selected game initiating button 645. Alternatively, the
gaming device may determine if the random outcome associated with
the selected game initiating button is greater than or equal to the
random outcome associated with the non-selected game initiating
button. In either case, if the random outcome associated with the
selected game initiating button is at least as large as the random
outcome associated with the non-selected game initiating button,
the game device may simply award any prizes from the outcome
associated with the selected game initiating button 650 as
described above. On the other hand, if the random outcome
associated with the non-selected game initiating button is larger
than the random outcome associated with the selected game
initiating button, the gaming device may award prizes from the
outcome associated with the non-selected game initiating
button.
[0082] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of yet another method of operating
a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0083] Referring to FIG. 10, the method shown in FIG. 10 includes
some processes that are similar to the processes discussed above
with respect to FIG. 8. For example, the method of operating the
gaming device shown in FIG. 10 may include receiving a wager from a
player playing the gaming device 705, activating first and second
game initiating buttons 710, and determining if the either of the
game initiating buttons is pressed by the player 715. When it is
determined that one of the game initiating buttons has been
pressed, however, the method shown in FIG. 10 includes locking in
the button selection for a predetermined number of games or for a
predetermined time period 717. The method shown in FIG. 10 may then
include similar processes as the embodiments shown in FIG. 8 in
determining first and second random outcomes 720, respectively
associating the first and second random outcomes with the first and
second game initiating buttons 725, displaying each of the random
outcomes 730, 735, and awarding prizes from the random outcome
associated with the selected game initiating button 750. In other
embodiments, the method may include determining if a side bet has
been made and the processes associated with awarding a higher one
of the selected or non-selected outcomes as described above with
reference to FIG. 8.
[0084] After any prizes have been awarded, the gaming device may
determine if the button selection is still locked in 770. As
mentioned above, the button selection may be locked in for a
predetermined number of games or for a predetermined amount of
time. If the button selection lock has ended, the gaming device may
wait for additional wagers from the player 780 or prompt the player
to place additional wagers. If the button selection lock has not
ended, the gaming device may again determine first and second
random outcomes 720 and continue through the processes of
displaying the random outcomes 730, 735 and awarding prizes
750.
[0085] In some embodiments, the initial wager received in process
705 may include a sufficient amount to cover multiple gaming
events. In these embodiments, the game may automatically transition
from one gaming event to another gaming event without the need for
additional player input. This may resemble a conventional free-spin
format. Because the selection of the game initiating button is
"locked," the player receives any awards during the multiple game
events associated with the game initiating button that was
initially selected.
[0086] In other embodiments, however, additional wagers may be
required by the player to play additional games. In these
embodiments, when it is determined that the game button selection
lock has not ended, the gaming device may wait for additional
wagers or the player may be prompted to place additional wagers
785. In some of these embodiments, the player may be given the
option to "break" the button selection lock with a newly placed
wager.
[0087] Providing a selection button lock may be advantageous in
speeding up game play, giving players a larger sampling of outcomes
to compare against outcomes associated with a non-selected game
initiating button, and enabling bonus features such as
free-spins.
[0088] Some embodiments of the invention have been described above,
and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of
illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other
arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive
principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes
have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the
invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction
with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is
not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention
is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents
that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles
set out in the appended claims.
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