Gaming device with offer/acceptance game having offer chosen from multiple formed offers

• US 20050055115A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gerrard, Peter, Evans, Michael, Jones, Aaron T., Randall, Dov L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• 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

Abstract

A primary or secondary game for a gaming device. In one embodiment, the player is provided up to three picks, i.e., picks three contestants. The first two contestants both form potential award offers. The game then provides the greater of the two potential award offers to the player as an initial offer. This initial sequence alternatives includes more than two picks, contestants and potential offers. The offer acceptance feature arises after the initial offer. The player must decide whether to keep the initial offer or forego that offer for a final offer. If the player keeps the offer the game provides that initial offer to the player and ends if the player rejects that initial offer, the game proceeds to build a third and final offer, which is then provided to the player automatically.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least two potential award offers adapted to be formed and displayed to a player, wherein

(a) a first one of the potential award offers is formed from a first number of first values, wherein the first number is greater than one;

(b) a second one of the potential award offers formed from a second number of second values, wherein the first number is, on average, greater than the second number, and the second values are, on average, greater than the first values; and

a display device operable to offer the greater of the first and second potential award offers to the player as an initial offer, which the player can accept or reject to receive instead a third award offer.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of values used to form the first award offer is selected from a first range of numbers having a greater upper end than a second range of number employed to select the number of values used to form the second award offer.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second ranges is weighted so that at least one number of values is selected more often than at least one other number of values.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of values used to form the second award offer is selected from a first range of numbers having a greater upper end than a second range of number employed to select the number of values used to form the third award offer.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second ranges is weighted so that at least one number of values is selected more often than at least one other number of values.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the values are selected randomly from different groups of varying values, wherein the values of each of the groups are each taken in an order from lowest to highest, the values used to form the first award offer selected before selecting the values used to form the second award offer, which are selected before selecting the values used to form the third award offer.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the groups is weighted to be selected randomly more often than at least one of the other groups.

8. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein the groups are arranged in a grid, and wherein values of a same relative amount within their respective groups are arranged adjacently in the grid.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein at least some of the values of the same relative amount between the groups are the same values.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the values are added to form the first, second and third award offers.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of selections displayed to the player, wherein a first one of the selections picked by the player initiates formation of the first potential award offer, a second one of the selections picked by the player initiates formation of the second potential award offer, and a third one of the selections picked by the player rejects the higher of the first and second potential award offers to instead accept the third award offer.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first and second potential award offers and the third award offer each have approximately the same expected value.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the data network includes an internet.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes an on-board or remote processor that forms the award offers.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the values are placed in groups and the potential award offers and the third award offer are each formed by selecting sequentially from the groups to determine whether to include one or more values from each of the groups until, in each group, selecting not to include one of the values.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the groups are weighted so that at least one value is more likely to be included in one of the award offers than at least one other value.

18. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes means for ensuring each of the potential award offers and the third award offer is a combination of at least two values.

19. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes means for automatically awarding the player one of the potential award offers when that potential offer is greater than the other potential award offer or third award offer could possibly be.

20. A gaming device comprising:

at least two potential award offers each adapted to be formed from a plurality of values displayed to a player; and

a display device operable to display and offer a highest one of said potential award offers to the player as an initial offer, which the player can accept or reject to receive instead a third award offer.

21. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein a first one of the potential award offers is formed from a first number of first values, a second one of the potential award offers is formed from a second number of values, the third award offer is formed from a third number of third values, wherein the first number is, on average, greater than the second number, the second number is, on average, greater than the third number, the first values are, on average, less than the second values, and the second values are, on average, less than the third values.

22. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein the values of a first one of the potential award offers are displayed before the values of a second one of the potential award offers, which are both displayed before the values of the third award offer.

23. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein the values of at least one of the potential award offers and the third offer are displayed sequentially from a lowest value to a highest value.

24. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein the potential award offers and the third award offer are each totals that are predetermined before the display of the values, and wherein the values for each of the award offers are selected to add to the predetermined totals.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the display device is operable to display to the player of a plurality of values from which the offers are formed, wherein the display is modified to include values sized and provided in a frequency to enable each of the predetermined totals to be accumulated.

26. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein different value levels are provided and weighted so that at least one value level is selected more often to form the award offers than at least one other value level.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein a first one of the potential award offers is formed, on average, from a higher number of values from lower value levels, a second one of the potential award offers is formed, on average, from an intermediate number of values from intermediate value levels, and the third award offer is formed, on average, from a lower number of values from higher value levels.

28. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein the potential award offers and the third award offer each have approximately the same expected value.

29. The gaming device of claim 20, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

30. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein the data network includes an internet.

31. The gaming device of claim 29, which includes an on-board or remote processor that forms the award offers.

32. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein the values are placed in groups and the potential award offers and the third award offer are each formed by selecting sequentially from the groups to determine whether to include one or more values from each of the groups until, in each group, selecting not to include one of the values.

33. The gaming device of claim 32, wherein the groups are weighted so that at least one value is more likely to be included in one of the offers than at least one other value.

34. The gaming device of claim 20, which includes means for ensuring each of the potential award offers and the third award offer are each is a combination of at least two values.

35. The gaming device of claim 20, which includes means for automatically awarding the player one of the potential award offers when that potential offer is greater than the other potential award offer or third offer could possibly be.

36. A gaming device comprising:

a first offer formed, on average, from a first number of first values;

a second offer formed, on average, from a lower number of higher values than the first values used to form the first offer;

a third offer formed, on average, from a lower number of higher values than the values used to form the second offer; and

a display device operable to display at least one option provided to a player to accept one of the first or second offers, and if one of said offers is rejected to accept or reject the third offer.

37. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the option includes enabling the player to keep the larger of the first and second offers or forgo the offers to receive the third offer.

38. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the offers each have approximately the same expected value.

39. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the values of the first offer are displayed before the values of the second offers, which are both displayed before the values of the third offer.

40. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the values of at least one of the offers are displayed sequentially from a lowest value to a highest value.

41. The gaming device of claim 36, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

42. The gaming device of claim 41, wherein the data network includes an internet.

43. The gaming device of claim 36, which includes an on-board or remote processor that forms the offers.

44. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the values are placed in groups and the potential offers and the third offer are each formed by selecting sequentially from the groups to determine whether to include one or more values from each of the groups until, in each group, selecting not to include one of the values.

45. The gaming device of claim 44, wherein the groups are weighted so that at least one value is more likely to be included in one of the offers than at least one other value.

46. A gaming device comprising:

at least two potential award offers each adapted to be formed from a plurality of values displayed to a player;

a display device operable to display a greatest one of the potential offers made to the player as an initial offer, which the player can accept or which the player can reject to receive instead a third offer; and

wherein the potential offers and the third offer are each totals that are predetermined before the display of the values, and wherein the values for each of the offers is selected to add to the predetermined totals.

47. The gaming device of claim 46, wherein the display device is operable to display to the player of a plurality of values from which the offers are formed, wherein the display is modified to include values sized and provided in a frequency to enable each of the predetermined totals to be accumulated.

48. The gaming device of claim 46, wherein the values of the potential award offers are displayed before the values of the third offer.

49. The gaming device of claim 46, wherein the values of at least one of the offers are displayed sequentially from a lowest value to a highest value.

50. The gaming device of claim 46, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

51. The gaming device of claim 50, wherein the data network includes an internet.

52. The gaming device of claim 51, which includes an on-board or remote processor that forms the offers.

53. The gaming device of claim 46, wherein the values are placed in groups and the potential offers and the third offer are each formed by selecting sequentially from the groups to determine whether to include one or more value from each groups until, in each group, selecting not to include one of the values.

54. The gaming device of claim 53, wherein the groups are weighted so that at least one value is more likely to be included in one of the offers than at least one other value.

55. The gaming device of claim 46, which includes means for ensuring each of the potential offers and the third offer is a combination of at least two values.

56. The gaming device of claim 46, which includes means for automatically awarding the player one of the potential offers when that potential offer is greater than the other potential offer or third offer could possibly be.

57. A gaming device comprising:

at least two potential award offers each formed from a plurality of values selected from a plurality of value levels displayed to a player, wherein different value levels are weighted so that at least one value level is selected more often to form the potential offers than at least one other value level; and

a display device operable to display a greatest one of the potential offers made to the player as an initial offer, which the player can accept or which the player can reject to receive instead a third offer.

58. The gaming device of claim 57, wherein the third offer is formed from a plurality of values selected from a plurality of value levels displayed to the player.

59. The gaming device of claim 57, wherein a first one of the potential offers is formed, on average, from a higher number of values from lower value levels, a second and subsequent potential offers are formed, on average, from an intermediate number of values from intermediate value levels, and a final offer is formed, on average, from a lower number of values from higher value levels.

60. The gaming device of claim 57, wherein the potential offers and the third offer each have approximately the same expected value.

61. The gaming device of claim 57, wherein the values of at least one of the offers is displayed sequentially from a lowest value to a highest value.

62. The gaming device of claim 57, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

63. The gaming device of claim 62, wherein the data network includes an internet.

64. The gaming device of claim 57, which includes an on-board or remote processor that forms the offers.

65. The gaming device of claim 57, wherein the values are placed in groups and the potential offers and the third offer are each formed by selecting sequentially from the groups to determine whether to include one or more value from each groups until, in each group, selecting not to include one of the values.

66. The gaming device of claim 65, wherein the groups are weighted so that at least one value is more likely to be included in one of the offers than at least one other value.

67. The gaming device of claim 57, which includes means for ensuring each of the potential offers and the third offer is a combination of at least two values.

68. The gaming device of claim 57, which includes means for automatically awarding the player one of the potential offers when that potential offer is greater than the other potential offer or third offer could possibly be.

69. A gaming device comprising:

at least two potential award offers adapted to be formed and displayed to a player, wherein

(a) a first one of the potential award offers is formed from a first number of first values, wherein the first number is greater than one;

(b) a second one of the potential award offers formed from a second number of second values, wherein the first number is greater than the second number, and the second values are, on average, greater than the first values; and

a display device operable to indicate one of the first and second potential award offers to the player which the player can accept or reject.

70. A method of operating a gaming device comprising:

(a) forming different groups of values;

(b) forming a first offer by sequentially determining in the groups whether or not to include one of more values from the groups in the first offer until in each group determining not to include one of the values in the group;

(c) enabling the player to accept the first offer or reject the offer for a second offer; and

(d) if the first offer is rejected, forming and awarding to the player a second offer by sequentially determining in the groups whether or not to include one or more values from the groups in the second offer until determining in each group not to include one of the values in the group.

71. The method of claim 70, which for the second offer includes beginning decision making in each group with the value that terminated selection in the group for the first offer.

72. The method of claim 70, which includes weighing a likelihood that at least one of the values of at least one of the groups is in one of the offers more often than at least one other value from the same group.

73. The method of claim 72, which includes structuring at least a plurality of the values of the weighted groups so that the values are inversely proportional to their associated likelihood of being included in one of the offers.

74. The method of claim 70, which includes forming at least two first offers according to step (a) and providing the highest first offer to the player to accept or reject.

75. The method of claim 70, which includes forming at least one of the first and second offers by placing the groups in an order and analyzing the groups according to the order.

76. The method of claim 70, which includes displaying to the player randomly whether values in different groups are included in one of the offers.

77. The method of claim 70, which for each group includes displaying to the player which values in that group are included in one of the offers form lowest value to highest values.

78. The method of claim 70, which is controlled through a data network or a computer storage device.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the data network includes an internet.