Gaming device method and apparatus employing modified payouts

• US 20030228902A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Friesen, Scott T., Walker, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,563,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention includes a system and method for a gaming device to determine when to offer a player an opportunity to play using a “jackpot only” pay table. The player may choose to accept the gaming device'"'"'s offer to switch from using a conventional pay table to using a pay table that only pays top payout amounts. Play with a jackpot only pay table may only require a small wager amount as compared to play with a conventional pay table. Play with a jackpot only pay table may be automated to generate outcomes quickly to allow a player to relatively inexpensively avoid spending time playing a gaming device perceived to be in a “cold period.”

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether to offer a player of a gaming device a choice to switch the gaming device from using a first payout table to using a second payout table, wherein the second payout table consists exclusively of winning outcomes that pay only jackpots and losing outcomes that pay nothing;

presenting the offer to the player based on the determining; and

receiving an election from the player to switch the gaming device from using the first payout table to using the second payout table.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the winning outcomes correspond to a plurality of different outcome indicia combinations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts and wherein a jackpot amount is greater than a predefined multiple of a number of standard deviations of an average payout amount of the first payout table.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the average payout amount of the first payout table is computed based upon at least one of:

an average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table, and

a weighted average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table wherein the weighting is based upon a probability associated with each payout amount in the first payout table.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts and wherein a jackpot amount for each jackpot is greater than a predefined amount.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predefined amount is based upon an amount determined based upon the first payout table.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the jackpots consist of a single jackpot amount.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the single jackpot amount is determined based upon the highest payout amount in the first payout table.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to offer includes monitoring play at the gaming device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to offer includes determining if the player perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining if the player perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period includes determining if a number of non-winning outcomes generated by the gaming device exceeds a predefined threshold number of non-winning outcomes.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to offer includes determining if the player is feeling frustrated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the player is feeling frustrated includes determining if the player is pressing a play activator with an amount of force that exceeds a predefined threshold amount of force.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to offer includes determining a wager amount associated with the second payout table.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein determining to offer includes determining a number of outcomes the gaming device will generate using the second payout table, to offer the player.

17. The method of claim 1 further including asking the player to indicate a number of outcomes the gaming device will generate using the second payout table that the player wants to purchase.

18. The method of claim 1 further including asking if the player wants the gaming device to switch back to using the first payout table.

19. The method of claim 1 further including switching the gaming device back to using the first payout table.

20. A method comprising:

monitoring play at a gaming device to determine if a player at the gaming device perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period;

offering, based on the monitoring, the player of the gaming device an opportunity to switch the gaming device from using a first payout table to using a second payout table, wherein the second payout table consists exclusively of winning outcomes that pay only jackpots and losing outcomes that pay nothing; and

receiving an acceptance of the offer from the player to switch the gaming device from using the first payout table to using the second payout table,

wherein the winning outcomes correspond to a plurality of different outcome indicia combinations,

wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts,

wherein each jackpot amount is greater than a predefined multiple of a number of standard deviations of an average payout amount of the first payout table,

wherein the average payout amount of the first payout table is computed based upon at least one of;

an average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table, and

a weighted average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table wherein the weighting is based upon a number of outcomes associated with each payout amount in the first payout table.

21. A gaming device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the memory stores a program and a database,

wherein the database includes a first payout table and a second payout table, and

wherein the program includes instructions executable on the processor that are operable to;

determine whether to offer a player of a gaming device a choice to switch the gaming device from using the first payout table to using the second payout table, wherein the second payout table consists exclusively of winning outcomes that pay only jackpots and losing outcomes that pay nothing;

present the offer to the player based on the determination of whether to offer the choice to switch; and

receive an election from the player to switch the gaming device from using the first payout table to using the second payout table.

22. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the winning outcomes correspond to a plurality of different outcome indicia combinations.

23. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts.

24. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts and wherein a jackpot amount is greater than a predefined multiple of a number of standard deviations of an average payout amount of the first payout table.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the processor is operative to compute the average payout amount of the first payout table based upon at least one of:

an average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table, and

a weighted average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table wherein the weighting is based upon a number of outcomes associated with each payout amount in the first payout table.

26. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts and wherein a jackpot amount for each jackpot is greater than a predefined amount.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein the predefined amount is based upon an amount determined based upon the first payout table.

28. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the jackpots consist of a single jackpot amount.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein the single jackpot amount is determined based upon a highest payout amount in the first payout table.

30. The gaming device of claim 21, further including means for monitoring play at the gaming device coupled to the processor to provide input for the determination of whether to offer the choice to switch payout tables.

31. The gaming device of claim 21, further including means for determining if the player perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period coupled to the processor to provide input for the determination of whether to offer the choice to switch payout tables.

32. The gaming device of claim 31 wherein the means for determining if the player perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period includes means for determining if a number of non-winning outcomes generated by the gaming device exceeds a predefined threshold number of non-winning outcomes.

33. The gaming device of claim 21, further including means for determining if the player is feeling frustrated, coupled to the processor.

34. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the means for determining if the player is feeling frustrated includes:

a play activator coupled to the processor; and

a sensor coupled to the play activator and the processor,

wherein the sensor is operable to generate a signal indicative of an amount of force that the player exerts on the play activator, and

wherein the processor is operable to receive the signal and determine if the amount of force exceeds a predefined threshold amount of force.

35. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the program further includes instructions operable to determine a wager amount associated with the second payout table.

36. The gaming device of claim 21 wherein the program further includes instructions operable to determine a number of outcomes the gaming device will generate using the second payout table, to offer the player.

37. The gaming device of claim 21 further including an input/output device coupled to the processor and operable to ask the player to indicate a number of outcomes the gaming device will generate using the second payout table that the player wants to purchase.

38. The gaming device of claim 21 further including an input/output device coupled to the processor and operable to ask if the player wants the gaming device to switch back to using the first payout table.

39. The gaming device of claim 21 further including means for switching the gaming device back to using the first payout table, coupled to the processor.

40. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

an input/output device coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the memory stores a program and a database,

wherein the database includes a first payout table and a second payout table, and

wherein the program includes instructions executable on the processor that are operable to;

monitor play at a gaming device to determine if a player at the gaming device is frustrated or perceives that the gaming device is in a cold period;

determine whether to offer, based on the determination of the player'"'"'s mood or perception, the player of the gaming device an opportunity to switch the gaming device from using a first payout table to using a second payout table, wherein the second payout table consists exclusively of winning outcomes that pay only jackpots and losing outcomes that pay nothing; and

receive, via the input/output device, an acceptance of the offer from the player to switch the gaming device from using the first payout table to using the second payout table,

wherein the winning outcomes correspond to a plurality of different outcome indicia combinations,

wherein the jackpots include a plurality of jackpot amounts,

wherein each jackpot amount is greater than a predefined multiple of a number of standard deviations of an average payout amount of the first payout table,

wherein the average payout amount of the first payout table is computed based upon at least one of;

an average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table, and

a weighted average of all possible payout amounts specified in the first payout table wherein the weighting is based upon a number of outcomes associated with each payout amount in the first payout table.