Gaming device having match game with award determined by prediction of correct matches

• US 20050049038A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cuddy, Ryan W., Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,513 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 17/3262 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A gaming device having a game which includes a predicted number of matches, and an actual number of matches. An award is provided to the player that is based on the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

Claims

14. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a game operable on a wager by a player;

a predicted number of matches;

an actual number of matches; and

a processor operable with said display device to determine and display the predicted number of matches, determine and display the actual number of matches, and provide an award to a player based on an absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the processor and display device are operable to provide a plurality of potential predicted number of matches and enable the player to pick one of the plurality of predicted number of matches.

16. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the processor determines the actual number of matches by:

(a) causing the display device to display a question;

(b) causing the display device to display a plurality of answer choices on the display device;

(c) enabling the player to pick one of the answer choices;

(d) revealing if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer; and

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) at least once if a terminating condition is not fulfilled.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to provide a prize value to the player for achieving a match between the player'"'"'s answer and the correct answer, wherein the prize value is related to the number of answer choices.

18. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the processor determines the actual number of matches by:

(a) causing the display device to display a plurality of selections, each selection corresponding to an indicia;

(b) enabling the player to pick a first selection;

(c) enabling the player to pick a second selection;

(d) determining if the indicia of the player'"'"'s first selection matches the indicia of the second selection; and

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) at least once if a terminating condition is not fulfilled.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein the processor is operable to provide a prize value to the player for achieving a match between the indicia of the player'"'"'s first selection and the indicia of the player'"'"'s second selection.

20. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the processor is operable to provide an award to a player based on a multiplier and an absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

21. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein the processor is operable to reduce a multiplier by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches, and the award is the product of the adjusted multiplier and a sum of the prize values.

22. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a game operable on a wager by a player;

a game sequence adapted to be displayed to the player by the display device to determine a predicted number of matches, the game sequence including a display of a plurality of potential predicted number of matches, a player pick of one of the plurality of predicted number of matches, and a display of the selected predicted number of matches;

a game sequence adapted to be displayed by the display device to the player to determine an actual number of matches, the game sequence including a display of a question, a plurality of answer selections, and at least one matching attempt by the player;

a prize value awarded to the player for each correct match between the selected answer and the predetermined answer;

a multiplier which is adjusted by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches; and

an award provided to the player that is the product of a sum of the prize values and the adjusted multiplier.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the multiplier is reduced by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

24. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the prize value is related to the number of answer choices.

25. The gaming device of claim 22, which includes at least one consolation award provided to the player for an incorrect answer.

26. The gaming device of claim 22, which includes a plurality of potential multipliers, each of the potential multipliers corresponding to one of the plurality of potential predicted number of matches, wherein the award is modified by the multiplier corresponding to the selected predicted number of matches.

27. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a game operable on a wager by a player;

a game sequence adapted to be displayed to the player by the display device and which displays a plurality of selections, each of the plurality of selections corresponding to a value;

a first pick of one of the selections;

a second pick of one of the selections; and

an award adapted to be provided to the player based on an absolute value of the difference between a number associated with first selection and a number associated with the second selection.

28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the award is based on a multiplier.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein the multiplier is reduced by an absolute value of the difference between a number associated with first selection and a number associated with the second selection.

30. A gaming device comprising;

a display device;

a game operable upon a wager by a player;

a first number;

a second number; and

an outcome adapted to be provided to the player based on an absolute value of the difference between the first number and the second number.

31. The gaming device of claim 30, wherein the outcome is based on a multiplier.

32. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the multiplier is reduced by an absolute value of the difference between a first number and a second number.

33. The gaming device of claim 30, wherein the outcome is selected from one of:

at least one credit, an award, a prize, at least one free game or spin.

34. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager, said method comprising:

(a) providing a game sequence to the player to determine a predicted number of matches;

(b) providing a game sequence to determine the actual number of matches;

(c) displaying the actual number of matches; and

(d) determining an award based on the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein determining the predicted number of matches includes:

(a) displaying a plurality of potential predicted number of matches; and

(b) enabling the player to pick one of the predicted number of matches.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein determining the predicted number of matches includes:

(a) displaying a plurality of selections;

(b) enabling the player to pick one of the selections; and

(c) displaying the predicted number of matches corresponding to the player'"'"'s selection.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein each selection corresponds to a different multiplier.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein determining the actual number of matches includes:

(a) displaying a question;

(b) displaying a plurality of answer choices;

(c) enabling the player to pick one of the answer choices;

(d) revealing if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer;

(e) displaying a prize value if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer; and

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) at least once if a terminating condition is not fulfilled.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the value of the prize for each question is directly related to the number of answer choices for each question.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein determining the actual number of matches include:

(a) displaying a plurality of selections, each selection corresponding to an indicia;

(b) enabling the player to pick a first selection;

(c) enabling the player to pick a second selection;

(d) determining if the indicia of the player'"'"'s first selection matches the indicia of the second selection;

(e) displaying a prize value if the player'"'"'s first selection matches the player'"'"'s second selection; and

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) at least once if a terminating condition is not fulfilled.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the award based on a multiplier.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the multiplier is adjusted by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

43. The method of claim 34, which is controlled through a data network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data network is an internet.

45. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of selections;

(b) enabling the player to pick one of the selections;

(c) displaying a predicted number of matches corresponding to the player'"'"'s selection;

(d) providing a game sequence to determine the actual number of matches;

(e) displaying the actual number of matches; and

(f) determining an award based on the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein determining the actual number of matches includes:

(a) displaying a question;

(b) displaying a plurality of answer choices;

(c) enabling the player to pick one of the answer choices;

(d) revealing if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer;

(e) displaying a prize value if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer; and

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) at least once if a terminating condition is not fulfilled.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the prize value is based on the number of answer choices for said question.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein determining the actual number of matches includes:

(a) displaying a plurality of selections, each selection corresponding to some indicia;

(b) enabling the player to pick a first selection;

(c) enabling the player to pick a second selection;

(d) determining if the indicia of the player'"'"'s first selection matches the indicia of the second selection;

(e) displaying a prize if the player'"'"'s first selection matches the player'"'"'s second selection; and

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) at least once if the terminating condition is not fulfilled.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the award is modified by a multiplier.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the multiplier is reduced by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

51. The method of claim 45, which is controlled through a data network.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the data network is an internet.

53. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager by a player, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of selections;

(b) enabling the player to input a pick one of the selections;

(c) displaying the predicted number of matches corresponding to the player'"'"'s picked selection;

(d) displaying a question;

(e) displaying a plurality of answer choices;

(f) enabling the player to input a pick one of the answer choices;

(g) revealing if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer;

(h) displaying a prize value if the player'"'"'s answer choice matches the correct answer;

(i) repeating steps (d) to (h) until a terminating condition is fulfilled; and

(j) determining an award to provide to the player based on a multiplier, a sum of the displayed prize values, and the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein determining an award includes reducing the multiplier by the absolute value of the difference between the predicted number of matches and the actual number of matches, and applying the modified multiplier to the sum of the prize values.

55. The method of claim 53, which is controlled through a data network.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the data network is an internet.

57. A method of operating a gaming device, having a game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising:

(a) displaying a determination of first number;

(b) displaying a determination of a second number; and

(c) providing an award to the player based on an absolute value of the difference between the first number and the second number.

58. The method of claim 57, which includes determining the award by modifying a multiplier by the absolute value of the difference between the first number and the second number, and applying the modified multiplier to at least one value.

59. The method of claim 58, which is controlled through a data network.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the data network is an internet.

61. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) initiating a game operable upon a wager by a player;

(b) after a designated event in the game, determining an award for the player based on an absolute value of the difference between two numbers.

62-1. The method of claim 62, wherein the data network is an internet.

63. A gaming device comprising:

a game operable upon a wager by a player;

a designated event in said game; and

an award adapted to be provided to the player based on an absolute value of the difference between two numbers.