U.S. patent application number 12/544106 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-24 for wagering system with volatility adjustment.
Invention is credited to Clint A. Owen.
Application Number | 20110045894 12/544106 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43605795 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110045894 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Owen; Clint A. |
February 24, 2011 |
WAGERING SYSTEM WITH VOLATILITY ADJUSTMENT
Abstract
Gaming systems, methods, and software are provided which adjust
the volatility of a gaming machine based on the player's current
bankroll. A preferred embodiment includes a method that determines
a game player's bankroll amount including cash or credits available
for wagering. It then determines the desired payout volatility
based on the game player's bankroll amount. From the desired
volatility, the method selects a payout table based on the desired
volatility. The method then includes receiving a wager input from
the player effective to place a wager and conduct a game at a
player station with the selected payout table. In some versions, a
paytable may be selected directly using bankroll information,
without the intermediate step of identifying a desired volatility
level. Further, other factors may be considered in choosing the
desired volatility or paytable.
Inventors: |
Owen; Clint A.; (Austin,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Multimedia Games Inc
206 Wild Besin South
Austin
TX
78701
US
|
Family ID: |
43605795 |
Appl. No.: |
12/544106 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3244
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for adjusting the volatility of payouts in a wagering
game, the method comprising: (a) determining a game player's
bankroll amount comprising cash or credits available for wagering;
(b) determining a desired volatility based on the game player's
bankroll amount; (c) selecting a payout table based on the desired
volatility; (d) receiving a wager input from the game player
effective to place a wager from a gaming machine; (e) conducting a
game with the selected payout table; and (f) displaying results of
the conducted game at the gaming machine.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility after detecting a change in the game player's bankroll
level.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility after the wager input is received.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on the game player's wager level as well as the
game player's bankroll amount.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on a time of play by the game player as well as
the game player's bankroll amount.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on a change in player stations as well as the game
player's bankroll amount.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on a history of the game player as well as the
game player's bankroll amount.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on a number of possible bets remaining in the game
player's bankroll as well as the game player's bankroll amount.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired
volatility based on a time before closing of a gaming
establishment, as well as the game players bankroll amount.
10. A gaming system comprising: (a) a number of gaming machines,
each gaming machine including (i) a display arrangement having one
or more display devices, and including (ii) a player input device
arrangement having one or more player input devices; (b) an award
controller adapted for (i) determining a desired volatility based
on a game player's bankroll amount, for (ii) selecting a payout
table based on the desired volatility, for (iii) receiving a wager
input from the player effective to place a wager from a gaming
machine, for (iv) conducting a game with the selected payout table;
and (c) a game controller arrangement adapted for causing the
display arrangement for one or more of the number of gaming
machines to display gaming results for the conducted game.
11. The gaming system of claim 10 in which the award controller
further comprises a tangible computer readable medium storing a
bankroll data structure including multiple bankroll levels each
associated by the bankroll data structure to a respective desired
payout table.
12. The gaming system of claim 11 in which the bankroll data
structure further includes a desired volatility level for each of
the multiple bankroll levels.
13. The gaming system of claim 10 in which the award controller is
adapted for determining the desired volatility after detecting a
change in the game player's bankroll level.
14. The gaming system of claim 10 in which the award controller is
adapted for determining the desired volatility based on a change in
player stations in addition to the game player's bankroll.
15. The gaming system of claim 10 in which the award controller is
adapted for determining the desired volatility based on a metric
indicator of the game player's risk aversion.
16. A program product embodied in one or more tangible computer
readable media, the program product comprising program code
executable for: (a) determining a game player's bankroll amount
comprising cash or credits available for wagering; (b) determining
a desired volatility based on the game player's bankroll amount;
(c) selecting a payout table based on the desired volatility; (d)
receiving a wager input from the game player effective to place a
wager from a gaming machine; (e) conducting a game with the
selected payout table; and (f) displaying results of the conducted
game at the gaming machine.
17. The program product of claim 16 further comprising program code
executable for reading a first tangible computer readable medium
storing a bankroll data structure including multiple bankroll
levels each associated by the data structure to a respective
desired payout table.
18. The program product of claim 17 in which the bankroll data
structure further includes a desired volatility level for each of
the multiple bankroll levels.
19. The program product of claim 16 in which the program code is
executable for determining the desired volatility after detecting a
change in the game player's bankroll level.
20. The program product of claim 16 in which the program code is
executable for determining the desired volatility based on a metric
indicator of the game player's risk aversion.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to wagering systems such as slot
machine systems that vary payout volatility based on certain player
characteristics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Different types of gaming machines have been developed that
may change the payout distribution, or paytable, used to award
results for player's wagers. One such system is described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/531,222, by Brian Watkins, filed
Sep. 12, 2006, and entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING
BINGO GAMING RESULTS USING MULTIPLE PRIZE DISTRIBUTIONS." This
application describes a bingo player terminal that operates
operations in two different game states with different pattern
tables. The system changes states based on game results, thereby
changing the bingo pattern table that is used to award results in
the game. Other games have also been developed that change the
operating paytable based on game outcomes.
[0003] Changing the active paytable in a game will often change the
payout volatility of the game, thereby varying the frequency and
size of payouts. One common way to measure such a change is to
calculate a "volatility index," which is a mathematical value used
to measure the distribution of sizes and probabilities of slot
machine payouts. (This value may also be referred to simply as
"volatility.") For example, many slot machines have a relatively
steady payout progression and therefore have low volatility
indices. This means there is a relatively steady progression of
many payoff values from the lowest to the highest, with each payoff
corresponding probability decreasing as the value of the payoff
increases. "Expected value" ("EV") is another mathematical value
used in the industry to describe the probability-weighted average
of all possible outcomes of a chance event. That is, the EV is
often defined as the percentage of the total wager that the machine
will pay out over the cycle of the game, where the cycle is defined
to be the set of all outcomes possible in the game. In one respect,
the volatility is used to refer to the standard deviation of the
distribution of possible values about the expected value. Methods
of calculating the volatility index and EV are known in the art,
and are described, for example, in the book Casino Operations
Management, Second Edition, by Jim Kilby, Jim Fox, and Anthony
Lucas (2004, Wiley Publishers). This book describes ways of
calculating volatility at pages 125-126. This description and the
entire book Casino Operations Management are hereby incorporated by
reference in this application for all purposes.
[0004] Game manufacturers are continuously pressed to develop new
game presentations, formats, and game graphics in an attempt to
provide high entertainment value for players and thereby attract
and keep players. Typically different game titles in different
formats will provide a volatility level that players can become
familiar with. For example, a player may know that a certain game
provides small prizes but awards prizes often, while another game
may be known to provide a greater number of large prizes, but award
them less frequently. What is needed is various ways to increase
the excitement of gaming by providing wagering games with varying
volatility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Gaming systems, methods, and software are provided that
adjust the volatility of a gaming machine based on the player's
current bankroll. A preferred embodiment includes a method that
determines a game player's bankroll amount including cash or
credits available for wagering. It then determines the desired
payout volatility based on the game player's bankroll amount. From
the desired volatility, the method selects a payout table based on
the desired volatility. The method then includes receiving a wager
input from the player effective to place a wager and conduct a game
at the player station with the selected payout table. The desired
volatility is typically determined after detecting a change in the
game player's bankroll level, but may be conducted at any suitable
step in the game play cycle that includes a wager, conducting a
game, and awarding a result.
[0006] In some versions, a paytable may be selected directly using
bankroll information, without the intermediate step of identifying
a desired volatility level. Even in such a situation, a desired
volatility is implied on the conditions that the paytables have
different volatilities and the paytables are being chosen because
of their volatility. Further, other factors may be considered in
choosing the desired volatility or paytable. The process may employ
changes in the player's bet size as an indication that the player
is more or less risk averse, and change the volatility accordingly.
Other factors may also be considered or combined in some metric to
indicate how risk averse a player may be, and such measurement may
be used together with the bankroll size to determine a desired
volatility or choose a paytable. Another factor that may be used in
determining any volatility adjustment is the length of the player's
gaming session. The time of day may also be used, with different
volatilities given at closing time or near meals. The direction of
changes in player's bankroll, and the rate of change in a player's
bankroll, may also be considered. Other aspects of the player's
history may also be taken into account, such as their typical
betting amount or the type of gaming machines at which they
typically play (especially whether they prefer high or low
volatility machines). The decision may also take into account the
number of possible wagers remaining in a player's bankroll. Yet
another factor that may be added into the determination of what
desired volatility to use is the player's movement between gaming
machines. That is, moving to a different gaming machine may
sometimes be interpreted as the player's desire to play a different
game with a different volatility. Any of the above-listed factors
may be used separately or together in any subcombination with the
player's bankroll in the process of determining the desired
volatility.
[0007] A method embodying principles of the invention may be
implemented in a gaming machine using one or more display devices
such as CRTs, LCDs, plasma displays, or other types of video
display devices. The display device or devices are used to present
the game results, but in some cases will present some visual
indicator that the volatility has changed. Other embodiments may
not provide an indicator. As used in this disclosure and the
accompanying claims, a gaming machine through which the present
invention may be implemented will be referred to generally as a
gaming machine regardless of the nature of the display device
arrangement used to display graphical elements of the game to the
player, and regardless of the manner in which the display device
arrangement operates.
[0008] A gaming system according to one embodiment includes (i) a
display arrangement having one or more display devices, (ii) a
player input device arrangement having one or more player input
devices, and (iii) a game controller arrangement. The gaming
controller arrangement may cooperate with a server to accomplish
one or more if its functions. The controller conducts the game by
causing the display device to display the game and subsequent
results. The controller also implements the decision of whether to
adjust payout volatility based on the methods disclosed herein.
Different implementations may implement different parts of the
gaming controller arrangement on the gaming machine or the gaming
server.
[0009] The present invention may also be embodied in a program
product stored in one or more computer readable media. That is, the
invention may take the form of a computer program that can be
installed and run on one or more machines. A preferred computer
program version of the invention includes several software modules
or sections referred to as "program code." This version of the
program product includes gaming activation program code executable
for receiving a wager input from the player on the gaming machine's
special purpose input hardware. Also included is the game
controller program code executable for conducting the wagering
game. Award program code is included executable for, in response to
determining a winning result, awarding a wager win result to the
player. Volatility adjustment program code is included to adjust
the volatility according to the methods disclosed herein. Also
included is display control program code executable for causing a
display arrangement to (i) display the conduct of the wagering game
and (ii) display the results of the wagering game.
[0010] These and other advantages and features of the invention
will be apparent from the following description of the preferred
embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a view in front perspective of a gaming machine
which may be used in a gaming system embodying the principles of
the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing various electronic
components of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a network arrangement
connecting a number of gaming machines according to one embodiment
of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a volatility adjustment process
that may be performed according to one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 shows two data tables that may be used in different
embodiments of the variable volatility process of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a volatility adjustment process
according to another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a gaming machine 100 that may be used to
implement a volatility adjustment process according to the present
invention. The block diagram of FIG. 2 shows further details of
gaming machine 100. Referring to FIG. 1, gaming machine 100
includes a cabinet 101 having a front side generally shown at
reference numeral 102. A primary video display device 104 is
mounted in a central portion of the front surface 102, with a ledge
106 positioned below the primary video display device and
projecting forwardly from the plane of the primary video display
device. In addition to primary video display device 104, the
illustrated gaming machine 100 includes a secondary video display
device 107 positioned above the primary video display device.
Gaming machine 100 also includes two additional smaller auxiliary
display devices, an upper auxiliary display device 108 and a lower
auxiliary display device 109. It should also be noted that each
display device referenced herein may include any suitable display
device including a cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, plasma
display, LED display, or any other type of display device currently
known or that may be developed in the future.
[0018] Gaming machine 100, illustrated in FIG. 1, also includes a
number of mechanical control buttons 110 mounted on ledge 106.
These control buttons 110 may allow a player to select a bet level,
select pay lines, select a type of game or game feature, and
actually start a play in a primary game. Other forms of gaming
machines according to the invention may include switches,
joysticks, or other mechanical input devices, and/or virtual
buttons and other controls implemented on a suitable touch screen
video display. For example, primary video display device 104 in
gaming machine 100 provides a convenient display device for
implementing touch screen controls.
[0019] It will be appreciated that gaming machines may also include
a number of other player interface devices in addition to devices
that are considered player controls for use in playing a particular
game. Gaming machine 100 also includes a currency/voucher acceptor
having an input ramp 112, a player card reader having a player card
input 114, and a voucher/receipt printer having a voucher/receipt
output 115. Audio speakers 116 generate an audio output to enhance
the user's playing experience. Numerous other types of devices may
be included in gaming 2 machines that may be used according to the
present invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows that gaming machine 100 includes a central
processing unit (CPU) 205 along with random access memory (RAM) 206
and nonvolatile memory or storage device 207. All of these devices
are connected on a system bus 208 with an audio interface device
209, a network interface 210, and a serial interface 211. A
graphics processor 215 is also connected on bus 208 and is
connected to drive primary video display device 104 and secondary
video display device 107 (both mounted on cabinet 101 as shown in
FIG. 1). A second graphics processor 216 is also connected on bus
208 in this example to drive the auxiliary display devices 108 and
109 also shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, gaming machine 100
also includes a touch screen controller 217 connected to system bus
208. Touch screen controller 217 is also connected via signal path
218 to receive signals from a touch screen element associated with
primary video display device 104. It will be appreciated that the
touch screen element itself typically comprises a thin film that is
secured over the display surface of primary video display device
104. The touch screen element itself is not illustrated or
referenced separately in the figures.
[0021] Those familiar with data processing devices and systems will
appreciate that other basic electronic components will be included
in gaming machine 100 such as a power supply, cooling systems for
the various system components, audio amplifiers, and other devices
that are common in gaming machines. These additional devices are
omitted from the drawings so as not to obscure the present
invention in unnecessary detail.
[0022] All of the elements 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, and 211
shown in FIG. 2 are elements commonly associated with a personal
computer. These elements are preferably mounted on a standard
personal computer chassis and housed in a standard personal
computer housing which is itself mounted in cabinet 101 shown in
FIG. 1. Alternatively, the various electronic components may be
mounted on one or more circuit boards housed within cabinet 101
without a separate enclosure such as those found in personal
computers. Those familiar with data processing systems and the
various data processing elements shown in FIG. 2 will appreciate
that many variations on this illustrated structure may be used
within the scope of the present invention. For example, since
serial communications are commonly employed to communicate with a
touch screen controller such as touch screen controller 217, the
touch screen controller may not be connected on system bus 208, but
instead include a serial communications line to serial interface
211, which may be a USB controller or a IEEE 1394 controller for
example. It will also be appreciated that some of the devices shown
in FIG. 2 as being connected directly on system bus 208 may in fact
communicate with the other system components through a suitable
expansion bus. Audio interface 209, for example, may be connected
to the system via a PCI bus. System bus 208 is shown in FIG. 2
merely to indicate that the various components are connected in
some fashion for communication with CPU 205 and is not intended to
limit the invention to any particular bus architecture. Numerous
other variations in the gaming machine internal structure and
system may be used without departing from the principles of the
present invention.
[0023] It will also be appreciated that graphics processors are
also commonly a part of modern computer systems. Although separate
graphics processor 215 is shown for controlling primary video
display device 104 and secondary video display device 107, and
graphics processor 216 is shown for controlling both auxiliary
display devices 108 and 109, it will be appreciated that CPU 205
may control all of the display devices directly without any
intermediate graphics processor. The invention is not limited to
any particular arrangement of processing devices for controlling
the video display devices included with gaming machine 100. Also, a
gaming machine implementing the present invention is not limited to
any particular number of video display devices or other types of
display devices, provided some display arrangement is included for
displaying the symbol shifting graphic, the selectable objects, and
the display modifications resulting from the selection of the
various selectable objects.
[0024] In the illustrated gaming machine 100, CPU 205 executes
software which ultimately controls the entire gaming machine
including the receipt of player inputs and the presentation of the
graphic symbols displayed according to the invention through
display devices 104, 107, 108, and 109 associated with the gaming
machine. As will be discussed further below, CPU 205 either alone
or in combination with graphics processor 215 may implement a
presentation controller for performing functions associated with a
primary game that may be available through the gaming machine and
may also implement a game client for directing one or more display
devices at the gaming machine to display portions of a volatility
adjustment process according to the present invention. CPU 205 also
executes software related to communications handled through network
interface 210, and software related to various peripheral devices
such as those connected to the system through audio interface 209,
serial interface 211, and touch screen controller 217. CPU 205 may
also execute software to perform accounting functions associated
with game play. Random access memory 206 provides memory for use by
CPU 205 in executing its various software programs while
nonvolatile memory or storage device 207 may comprise a hard drive
or other mass storage device providing storage for programs not in
use or for other data generated or used in the course of gaming
machine operation. Network interface 210 provides an interface to
other components of a gaming system in which gaming machine 100 is
included. In particular, network interface 210 provides an
interface to a game server which controls certain aspects of the
multiplayer, variable volatility adjustment process as will be
discussed below in connection with FIG. 3.
[0025] It should be noted that the invention is not limited to
gaming machines employing the personal computer-type arrangement of
processing devices and interfaces shown in example gaming machine
100. Other gaming machines through which a variable volatility
adjustment process is implemented may include one or more special
purpose processing devices to perform the various processing steps
for implementing the present invention. Unlike general purpose
processing devices such as CPU 205, these special purpose
processing devices may not employ operational program code to
direct the various processing steps.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 3, a gaming system 300 according to
the present invention includes a number of gaming machines 100 in
this example implementation. For purposes of describing system 300,
each gaming machine 100 in FIG. 3 is shown as including a video
display device 107 and a player interface that may include buttons,
switches, or other physical controls and/or touch screen controls
as discussed above in connection with FIG. 1. This player interface
is labeled 301 in FIG. 3. System 300 further includes a game server
302 and a respective game client 303 (abbreviated "GC" in FIG. 3)
included with each respective gaming machine 100. In the form of
the invention shown in FIG. 3, these two components, game 8 server
302 and game client components 303, combine to implement a game
control arrangement which will be described in detail below. System
300 also includes an award controller 305, which is shown in FIG. 3
as being associated with game server 302 to indicate that the two
components may be implemented through a common data processing
device/computer system. Gaming machines 100, game server 302, and
award controller 305 are connected in a network communication
arrangement including first and second network switches 306 and
307, connected together through various wired or wireless signal
paths, all shown as communications links 308 in FIG. 3.
[0027] Each gaming machine 100, and particularly player interface
301 associated with each gaming machine, allows a player to make
any inputs that may be required to make the respective gaming
machine eligible for a volatility adjustment process as described
herein. Player interface 301 also allows a player at the gaming
machine to initiate plays in a primary game available through the
gaming machine. The respective video display device 107 associated
with each respective gaming machine 100 is used according to the
invention to generate the graphic displays to show the various
elements of the games in progress, and gaming results, at the
various gaming machines.
[0028] The game control arrangement made up of game server 302 and
the respective game client 303 at a given gaming machine functions
to control the respective video display device 107 for that gaming
machine to display a symbol shifting symbol matrix according to the
techniques described herein. In preferred embodiments, an award
controller 305 is responsible for implementing a player's
participation in a volatility adjustment process, and maintaining
historical data employed in certain versions of the volatility
adjustment process. In some embodiments, parts or all of the
volatility adjustment process may be performed in the game
controller 303 of each machine 100, as will be further described
below.
[0029] Various implementations of the present invention employ
various communications between game server 302 and the various
gaming machines 100 included in system 300. The network arrangement
made up of network switches 306 and 307, and the various
communication links 308 shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated merely as an
example of a suitable communications arrangement. The present
invention is not limited to any particular communications
arrangement for facilitating communications between game server 302
and various gaming machines 100. Any wired or wireless
communication arrangement employing any suitable communications
protocols (such as TCP/IP for example) may be used in an apparatus
according to the invention.
[0030] The example system 300 shown in FIG. 3 shows two different
groups of four gaming machines 100, but this is not limiting and
typically a game server and award controller will service many more
gaming machines. FIG. 3 shows other server(s) 310 included in the
network. This illustrated "other server(s)" element 310 may include
one or more data processing devices for performing various
functions related to games conducted through system 300 and any
other games that may be available to players through gaming
machines 100. For example, apparatus 300 may provide support for
cashless gaming or various forms of mixed cash/cashless gaming
through the various gaming machines 100. In this example, one or
more other servers 310 will be included in apparatus 300 for
supporting these types of wagering and payout systems. As another
example, the various gaming machines 100 included in system 300 may
allow players to participate in a game (primary game) other than a
volatility adjustment process, and this other game may rely on a
result identified at or in cooperation with a device that is remote
from the gaming machines. In this example, another server 310 may
be included in the system for identifying results for the primary
game and communicating those results to the various gaming machines
100 as necessary. Generally, the other server(s) 310 shown in FIG.
3 are shown only to indicate that numerous other components may be
included along with the elements that participate in providing
volatility adjustment process according to the present invention.
Other server(s) 310 may provide record keeping, player tracking,
accounting, or result identifying services, or any other services
that may be useful or necessary in a gaming system.
[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart 400 of a volatility adjustment process
that may be performed at the various gaming machines 100 included
in gaming system 300 shown in FIG. 3. In particular, process 400
illustrates the interaction between a primary game that may be
available at a respective gaming machine 100, and a volatility
adjustment process implemented through the gaming machine. The
player logs in at gaming machine 100 or otherwise activates the
gaming machine as indicated at process block 402. Next at process
block 404, the process determines the bankroll amount available to
the player, either from the amount deposited at the gaming machine,
or from a player account. This bankroll amount is used to determine
a desired volatility to be used with the player's wagers, as
indicated at block 405. This process will be described in further
detail below. After a desired volatility is determined, a paytable
is chosen to be used in the player's first wager at block 406. This
choice is made based at least upon the desired volatility, as will
be further discussed.
[0032] With the paytable chosen at block 406, the process receives
the first wager from the player as shown at block 408. In response
to the wager, the process determines a gameplay result (block 410),
which may include base and bonus game results as is known in the
art. This result is applied to the previously selected paytable to
produce a payout amount due to the player in response to their
wager, as shown at process block 412. At this point, the player's
bankroll may have changed, because either their original wager was
lost, or a prize was won which may increase the player's bankroll.
At block 414, the process determines if the player's bankroll level
has changed (for example, changed levels from a set of defined
levels such as high, medium, and low). If so, the process
determined a new desired volatility level based on the new bankroll
level (block 416). Next, at block 418, the new desired volatility
level is used to choose a new paytable. At this point, the game is
ready to receive the next wager from the player and returns to
block 408. In such a manner, the wagering or payout volatility of
the gaming machine is adjusted based on the bankroll deposited by
the player.
[0033] FIG. 5 shows two data tables that may be used in different
embodiments of the variable volatility process. The depicted data
tables, or other suitable data structure, are used to determine the
desired volatility (i.e., block 416 in FIG. 4) and to determine a
payout table, or paytable, based on the desired volatility (block
418 in FIG. 4).
[0034] Table 501 is a data table having, in this embodiment, three
columns. The first column, the Game Player Bankroll, is used as the
index to the table to look up the other values. That is, when the
volatility adjustment process of this embodiment needs to determine
what volatility and associated paytable are needed (blocks 416 and
418 in FIG. 4, for example), it uses the current player payroll
level to look up access table 501 and look up the Desired
Volatility and associated Payout Table to be used. The Game Player
Bankroll field may be implemented in a variety of ways, such as
using a range of the actual credit values in the bankroll, or using
a metric indicating the same. As an example of a version using a
range of credits, the Large Bankroll field identified in table 501
may contain simply a lookup range in credit denominations for the
current game, such as, for example, the range of 1000 credits to
the maximum bankroll. The Medium Bankroll value may contain the
range of 500 credits to 999 credits, and the Small Bankroll value
may contain the range of 1 credit to 499 credits. In such
implementation, when the bankroll changes (for example, block 414
in FIG. 4), the new bankroll is used to access table 501 and used
as an index. For example, if a prize were awarded and the bankroll
changed from 450 credits to 550 credits, the volatility adjustment
process would use the new bankroll value of 550 credits to index
table 501, would index into the example ranges described above and
determine that a medium bankroll is now in use, and would look up
the desired volatility value and the payout table associated with
the medium bankroll level.
[0035] The second column in the depicted table 501 is the Desired
Volatility column. Some versions of the volatility adjustment
process may not explicitly include a desired volatility value such
as that held in the data fields of the Desired Volatility column,
and instead may simply directly look up a payout table to use based
on the player bankroll. In such case, the newly selected paytable
has been provided in the table because it has a specific associated
payout volatility that provides the desired volatility for each
bankroll level. Other embodiments, such as that shown, may
explicitly identify a desired volatility. Such a scheme may be
useful, for example, in abstracting the paytables from the bankroll
levels, providing ability to change the paytables for a particular
volatility level, or provide multiple alternative paytables for a
desired volatility level. The fields in this column each hold a
value indicating (for different embodiments) either a volatility
value, a volatility range, or a metric of a desired value or range
such as the example metric values of High, Medium, and Low that are
shown in table 501.
[0036] The third column in table 501 is the Payout Table Used
column. This provides a link or identifier to a respective paytable
stored locally or on the gaming network, to be used for each
respective bankroll level in the table. The paytables identified
here are constructed such that they provide the desired volatility.
In this embodiment, when the player's bankroll is high, the
volatility adjustment process provides a paytable with a high
volatility, and when the bankroll is low the process provides a low
volatility.
[0037] Table 502 has similar data to that of table 501, but
includes another level for a minimal bankroll, that is, a bankroll
that will only provide a few wagers. Table 502 provides that the
volatility adjustment process changes the volatility back to high
when the player bankroll is reduced to this level, for providing
the player a chance for a bigger win that could possibly replenish
their bankroll. Note that in preferred embodiments, while the
various paytables used have different volatilities, they have the
same payout percentage (or hold amount). That is, wagering games
typically provide some form of notice regarding the payout
percentage and this preferably should not be changed over the
course of play, unless in some allowed circumstances such as a
bonus game or a "hot" game mode with a different advertised payout
percentage. In other embodiments, the different paytables may in
fact have different payout percentages. This should be done only
when properly advertised to the player and approved by regulatory
authorities. While two different embodiments are depicted having a
certain number of paytables, this is not limiting and various
embodiments may have fewer or many more volatility levels
associated with different paytables. Also, while the depicted
embodiments generally show a higher volatility level with a higher
bankroll, other embodiments may sometimes provide a lower
volatility level with a higher bankroll, or have a distribution of
volatility levels that is related inversely to the bankroll levels.
The correlation between volatility level and bankroll level may
also vary--that is, volatility may rise with bankroll to a certain
level, and then fall as bankroll rises, and then rise again. That
is, the desired volatility may vary proportionally to bankroll at
some bankroll ranges, and vary inversely at other ranges. The
depicted scheme in table 502 has one uneven point in the
distribution because the lowest bankroll level is associated with
the high volatility level as discussed above. Note that while a
table is shown, this is not limiting and any suitable data
structure or structures may be used, stored on computer readable
medium, if it is suitable to express the relationships described
may be used. For example, the table may be in the form of a
database, or may be in the form of individual data structures to
represent each row of the depicted tables.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a volatility adjustment process
according to another embodiment of the invention. The depicted
process 600 is similar to that of FIG. 4, but illustrates some
variations that may be made to the process by considering
additional factors in the volatility adjustment decision (at block
616, further described below). Process 600 begins when the player
logs in at gaming machine 100 or otherwise activates the gaming
machine as indicated at process block 602. Next at process block
604, the process determines the bankroll amount available to the
player, either from the amount deposited at the gaming machine, or
from a player account. This amount is used to determine a desired
volatility to be used with the player's wagers, as indicated at
block 605. After a desired volatility is determined, a paytable is
chosen to be used in the player's first wager at block 606. This
choice is made based at least upon the desired volatility, as will
be further discussed.
[0039] With the paytable chosen at block 606, the process receives
the first wager from the player as shown at block 608. In response
to the wager, the process determines a game play result (block
610), which may include base and bonus game results as is known in
the art. This result is applied to the previously selected paytable
to produce a payout amount due to the player 8 in response to their
wager, as shown at process block 612. At this point, the player's
bankroll may have changed, because either their original wager was
lost, or a prize was won which may increase the player's bankroll.
At block 614, the process determines if the player's bankroll level
has changed (for example, changed levels from a set of defined
levels such as high, medium, and low).
[0040] If the player's bankroll level has changed at block 614, the
depicted alternative process will consider one or more additional
factors to determine a new desired volatility level based on the
new bankroll level (block 616). The additional factors may be
considered directly (that is, employed directly in the decision
logic), or combined in some metric such as a metric to indicate how
risk averse a player may be. These factors or metric are used, in
this embodiment, together with the bankroll size to determine a
desired volatility or choose a paytable. Some additional factors
are shown in FIG. 6, items 617-622, although this is not limiting
and a variety of other factors may be used. Each one of the
depicted factors is considered in the system herein by using one or
more variables having a value indicating the factor as it is
calculated or measured. A change in bet level (item 617) is one of
the possible factors that may be employed along with a bankroll
change to adjust the desired volatility. Another factor that may be
employed is an indicator of player risk aversion (item 618). This
may be calculated from one or more of a variety of factors such as
bankroll size, wager size, and time between wagers. Item 619
provides another factor which may be considered to determine any
volatility adjustment, which is the length of the player's gaming
session. The time of day may also be used (item 620), with
different volatilities given at closing times or near meals. Item
621 takes into consideration the direction of changes in player's
bankroll, and item 622 considers the rate of change in a player's
bankroll, which may be calculated over a specified time period or
over a specified number of wagers. Other aspects of the player's
history may also be taken into account, such as their typical
betting amount or the type of gaming machines at which they
typically play (especially whether they prefer high or low
volatility machines). The decision may also take into account the
number of possible wagers remaining in a player's bankroll. Yet
another factor that may be added into the determination of what
desired volatility to use is the player's movement between gaming
machines. That is, moving to a different gaming machine may
sometimes be interpreted as the player's desire to play a different
game with a different volatility. Any of the above-listed factors
may be used separately or together in any subcombination with the
player's bankroll in the process of determining the desired
volatility.
[0041] After determining the additional factors to be used at block
616, the new desired volatility level is determined at block 624.
This desired volatility is used to choose a new paytable to
activate in the game at block 626. At this point, the game is ready
to receive the next wager from the player and returns to step 608.
In such a manner, the wagering or payout volatility of the gaming
machine is adjusted based on the bankroll deposited by the player.
It should be noted that the process at block 626, and the similar
function described with regard to FIG. 4, block 418, may include
displaying a visual indication to the player that the paytable has
changed to a different volatility. This may take the form of
changing the symbols used to convey the game, for example in
preferred 5-reel slot machine game embodiments, the symbols on the
reels may change. The volatility change may also be indicated by
changing the background graphics or colors, or changing a visible
indication of the paytable or partial paytable displaying, for
example, the bonus prizes or maximum prizes available. Other
embodiments may not include a visual indication of the volatility
change when it happens, but instead may list the various possible
volatilities in the gaming machines "payout" screen or similar
screen, accessible to the player through the gaming machine
controls.
[0042] The above described preferred embodiments are intended to
illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the
scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications
to these prefelTed embodiments may be made by those skilled in the
art without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0043] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including,"
"carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," and the like are
to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but
not limited to.
[0044] Any use of ordinal terms such as "first," "second," "third,"
etc., to refer to an element does not by itself connote any
priority, precedence, or order of one element over another, or the
temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather,
unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used
merely as labels to distinguish one element having a certain name
from another element having a same name.
* * * * *