Game of chance and system and method for playing games of chance

• US 20040152504A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Roseman, Stuart, Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Yanowitz, Jason
• Application Number:
  US10/728,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A game of chance is provided in which a predetermined fixed number of winning cell content drawn from a predetermined set of cell content. The drawn content is matched to the content on game cards and if the matched game card content covers a predetermined winning pattern then the game card is a winner. Numerous winners may occur per game session because the game continues until the predetermined fixed number of winning cell content is drawn and not until a win occurs.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a game, the method comprising acts of:

providing for an entry of at least one player in the game; and

providing, to the at least one player, an alternative method of entry (AMOE) to the game.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game is a wagering game of chance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game is a wagering game of skill.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game has fixed odds of winning the game.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game has non-fixed odds of winning the game.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of conducting the game over a communication network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry of the at least one player in the game includes an act of entering the at least one player in a game session following a processing of an entry request of the at least one player by the alternative method of entry (AMOE):

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing to the at least one player an indication of a game session to be entered by the alternative method of entry (AMOE).

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising an act of conducting the wagering game of chance, the act of conducting further comprising acts of:

determining, for the at least one player, the at least one game card having a pattern;

determining, prior to a game session, a winning pattern;

drawing winning cell content from a predetermined set of cell content;

determining if, for the at least one player, whether the pattern of cell content on the game card matching the drawn winning cell content makes a pattern matching the winning pattern; and

if so, determining a payout.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the act of determining the payout includes an act of determining the payout based upon a fixed odds of winning.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing for the alternative method of entry (AMOE) includes providing for an entry of the at least one player in at least two game sessions.

12. A wagering game wherein a game player plays the wagering game through the use of an alternative method of entry (AMOE).

13. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the wagering game is available to be played on a communication network.

14. The wagering game according to claim 13, wherein the communication network includes at least one of a cable system, the Internet, or wireless network.

15. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the AMOE is performed by an act of submitting an entry to the wagering game by mail.

16. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the AMOE is performed by an act of submitting an entry to the wagering game over the Internet.

17. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein a game session associated with the wagering game is provided with an entry by AMOE.

18. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the game session entered is the next starting game session after the AMOE is received and logged by the game operator.

19. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the game session entered is the next starting game session designated for AMOE game players after the AMOE is received and logged by the game operator.

20. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the wagering game is a wagering game of chance.

21. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the wagering game is a wagering game of skill.

22. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the wagering game has fixed odds of winning the game.

23. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the wagering game has non-fixed odds of winning the game.

24. The wagering game according to claim 12, wherein the alternative method of entry (AMOE) includes an entry of the at least one player in at least two game sessions.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a method for conducting a game, the method comprising acts of:

providing for an entry of at least one player in the game; and

providing, to the at least one player, an alternative method of entry (AMOE) to the game.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises an act of conducting the game over a communication network.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the act of providing an entry of the at least one player in the game includes an act of entering the at least one player in a game session following a processing of an entry request of the at least one player by the alternative method of entry (AMOE).

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises an act of providing to the at least one player an indication of a game session to be entered by the alternative method of entry (AMOE).

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the method further comprises an act of conducting the wagering game, the act of conducting further comprising acts of:

determining, for the at least one player, the at least one game card having a pattern;

determining, prior to a game session, a winning pattern;

drawing winning cell content from a predetermined set of cell content;

determining if, for the at least one player, whether the pattern of cell content on the game card matching the drawn winning cell content makes a pattern matching the winning pattern; and

if so, determining a payout.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 29, wherein the act of determining the payout includes an act of determining the payout based upon a fixed odds of winning.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the game is a wagering game of chance.

32. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the game is a wagering game of skill.

33. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the game has fixed odds of winning the game.

34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the game has non-fixed odds of winning the game.

35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the alternative method of entry (AMOE) includes an entry of the at least one player in at least two game sessions.