"Buy a peek" gaming methods and devices

• US 20060025193A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan, Gail, Ted, Hollibaugh, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,359 B2
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for providing wagering games. A player pays an initial price to play a wagering game according to normal game rules. Game information that would normally be concealed from the player is offered for an additional price. In some implementations, the wagering game is a poker game and the game information is draw card information. The additional price may increase according to the amount of game information provided. In some implementations, a paytable percentage for the wagering game decreases according to the amount of game information provided.

Claims

1. A gaming method, comprising:

conducting a wagering game until a decision point is reached, the decision point based in part upon game information concealed from a player;

offering, for a price, to provide the player with an amount of the game information; and

reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning the wagering game when the player accepts the offer.

2. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game and wherein the concealed game information comprises draw card information.

3. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the price varies according to the amount of game information provided to the player.

4. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the step of reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning comprises decreasing a paytable percentage when the player accepts the offer.

5. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the player'"'"'s odds of winning decrease according to the amount of game information provided to the player.

6. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing a maximum win amount when the player accepts the offer.

7. The gaming method of claim 2, further comprising the step of allowing the player to select draw cards according to normal rules of the poker game.

8. The gaming method of claim 2, further comprising the step of allowing the player to select draw cards in any order, whether or not the order would violate normal rules of the poker game.

9. The gaming method of claim 4, wherein the paytable percentage is reduced to a percentage that is above an actual payout percentage that applies when players do not accept the offer.

10. A gaming method, comprising:

providing, for a first payment, a first stage of a wagering game;

providing a second stage of the wagering game according to game decisions of a player made prior to the second stage, and

offering, prior to the second stage, to provide first information about the second stage in exchange for a second payment.

11. The gaming method of claim 10, wherein the amount of first information varies according to an amount of the second payment.

12. The gaming method of claim 10, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game.

13. The gaming method of claim 10, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game, wherein the step of offering to provide first information comprises offering to show at least one draw card and wherein the second payment varies according to a number of draw cards to be shown.

14. The gaming method of claim 10, further comprising the step of applying a first paytable percentage when a player rejects an offer to provide first information.

15. The gaming method of claim 10, further comprising the step of applying a second paytable percentage when a player accepts an offer to provide first information.

16. The gaming method of claim 10, further comprising:

applying a higher paytable percentage when a player rejects an offer to provide first information; and

applying a lower paytable percentage when a player accepts an offer to provide first information.

17. The gaming method of claim 12, further comprising the step of allowing the player to select draw cards according to normal rules of the poker game.

18. The gaming method of claim 12, further comprising the step of allowing the player to select draw cards in any order, whether or not the order would violate normal rules of the poker game.

19. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein the first information comprises an identity of at least one draw card.

20. A method of playing an electronic bingo game, comprising:

conducting an electronic bingo game involving a plurality of players to allow at least one of the plurality of players to achieve a game-winning outcome, the conducting step comprising displaying a simulation of a bingo card;

displaying a hand of playing cards, each card of the hand corresponding with a corresponding area of the bingo card;

allowing players to optionally select cards of the hand;

offering players, for a price, the opportunity to view at least one of a plurality of draw cards;

permitting players to select draw cards;

displaying a pattern of the bingo card as a result of a card game; and

selecting a winning card player who achieves the highest-ranking pattern.

21. A method of playing an electronic bingo game, comprising:

forming a plurality of bingo cards by mapping each of a plurality of numbered areas of each bingo card to corresponding playing cards;

providing at least some of the plurality of bingo cards to bingo players;

conducting a conventional bingo game until a player daubs a game-winning pattern of numbered areas of the player'"'"'s bingo card;

displaying a first hand of playing cards for each player, each card in the hand corresponding to one of the numbered areas of the player'"'"'s bingo card;

allowing players to optionally select cards of the hand;

offering players, for a price, the opportunity to view at least one of a plurality of draw cards;

permitting players to select draw cards;

displaying a second hand of playing cards, the second hand including selected draw cards, if any; and

paying out a prize to a player who achieves the highest-ranking second hand.

22. A method of providing an electronic bingo game, comprising:

selecting a number of balls for an electronic simulation of a ball drop;

selecting a type of bingo card, the type including a number of areas and a game-winning pattern;

assigning ball numbers of the ball drop to areas of bingo cards;

mapping areas of the bingo card to corresponding playing cards;

displaying to players a bingo card, a ball drop display, a playing card display and means for daubing;

displaying a first ball drop session to players, the first ball drop session including hits that complete a game-winning pattern on at least one player'"'"'s bingo card;

providing the players a predetermined first time to daub hits on their bingo card;

displaying a second ball drop session to players, the second ball drop session including hits that complete all players'"'"' bingo cards;

providing the players a predetermined second time to daub hits on their bingo card;

displaying a first hand of playing cards in the playing card display corresponding to selected hits;

allowing players to select cards from their hand to hold;

offering players, for a price, the opportunity to view at least one of a plurality of draw cards;

allowing players who did not select all cards in their hand the opportunity to select one or more draw cards;

displaying a second hand of playing cards in the playing card display corresponding to held cards and drawn cards, if any;

determining a winning hand of cards; and

indicating the winning hand of cards.

23. A gaming network for playing an electronic bingo game, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines; and

a game server configured to transmit game data to the plurality of gaming machines for conducting an electronic bingo game that allows at least one of a plurality of players to achieve a game-winning outcome, the game data comprising simulated bingo cards for display on the plurality of gaming machines;

wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines is configured to do the following;

display a hand of playing cards, each card of the hand corresponding with a corresponding area of the bingo card;

allow players to optionally select cards of the hand;

offer players, for a price, the opportunity to view at least one of a plurality of draw cards;

permit players to choose draw cards; and

display a pattern of the bingo card as a result of a card game,

wherein the game server is further configured to select winning card players who achieve winning patterns.

24. Computer software embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer software including instructions for controlling devices in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

conducting an electronic bingo game involving a plurality of players to allow at least one of the plurality of players to achieve a game-winning outcome, the conducting step comprising displaying a simulation of a bingo card;

displaying a hand of playing cards, each card of the hand corresponding with a corresponding area of the bingo card;

allowing players to optionally select cards of the hand;

offering players, for a price, the opportunity to view at least one of a plurality of draw cards;

permitting players to choose draw cards;

displaying a pattern of the bingo card as a result of a card game; and

selecting a winning card player who achieves the highest-ranking pattern.

25. Computer software embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer software containing instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

conducting a wagering game until a decision point is reached, the decision point based in part upon game information concealed from a player;

offering, for a price, to provide the player with an amount of the game information; and

reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning the wagering game when the player accepts the offer.

26. The computer software of claim 25, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game and wherein the concealed game information comprises draw card information.

27. The computer software of claim 25, wherein the price varies according to the amount of game information provided to the player.

28. The computer software of claim 25, wherein the step of reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning comprises decreasing a paytable percentage when the player accepts the offer.

29. The computer software of claim 25, wherein the player'"'"'s odds of winning decrease according to the amount of game information provided to the player.

30. The computer software of claim 25, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to reduce a maximum win amount when the player accepts the offer.

31. The computer software of claim 26, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to allow the player to select draw cards according to normal rules of the poker game.

32. The computer software of claim 26, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to allow the player to select draw cards in any order, whether or not the order would violate normal rules of the poker game.

33. The computer software of claim 28, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to reduce the paytable percentage to a percentage that is above an actual payout percentage that applies when players do not accept the offer.

34. Computer software embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer software containing instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

provide, for a first payment, a first stage of a wagering game;

provide a second stage of the wagering game according to game decisions of a player made prior to the second stage, and

offer, prior to the second stage, to provide first information about the second stage in exchange for a second payment.

35. The computer software of claim 34, wherein the amount of first information varies according to an amount of the second payment.

36. The computer software of claim 34, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game.

37. The computer software of claim 34, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game, wherein the step of offering to provide first information comprises offering to show at least one draw card and wherein the second payment varies according to a number of draw cards to be shown.

38. The computer software of claim 34, further comprising the step of applying a first paytable percentage when a player rejects an offer to provide first information.

39. The computer software of claim 34, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to apply a second paytable percentage when a player accepts an offer to provide first information.

40. The computer software of claim 34, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

apply a higher paytable percentage when a player rejects an offer to provide first information; and

apply a lower paytable percentage when a player accepts an offer to provide first information.

41. The computer software of claim 36, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to allow the player to select draw cards according to normal rules of the poker game.

42. The computer software of claim 36, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to allow the player to select draw cards in any order, whether or not the order would violate normal rules of the poker game.

43. The computer software of claim 36, wherein the first information comprises an identity of at least one draw card.

44. A gaming network, comprising:

means for conducting a wagering game until a decision point is reached, the decision point based in part upon game information concealed from a player;

means for offering, for a price, to provide the player with an amount of the game information; and

means for reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning the wagering game when the player accepts the offer.

45. A gaming network, comprising:

means for providing, for a first payment, a first stage of a wagering game;

means for providing a second stage of the wagering game according to game decisions of a player made prior to the second stage, and

means for offering, prior to the second stage, to provide first information about the second stage in exchange for a second payment.

46. A gaming machine, comprising:

means for conducting a wagering game until a decision point is reached, the decision point based in part upon game information concealed from a player;

means for offering, for a price, to provide the player with an amount of the game information; and

means for reducing the player'"'"'s odds of winning the wagering game when the player accepts the offer.

47. A gaming machine, comprising:

means for providing, for a first payment, a first stage of a wagering game;

means for providing a second stage of the wagering game according to game decisions of a player made prior to the second stage, and

means for offering, prior to the second stage, to provide first information about the second stage in exchange for a second payment.

48. A gaming network, comprising:

a game server, comprising;

a first network interface for communication with gaming machines on a gaming network; and

a logic device for controlling the gaming machines, via the gaming network;

a plurality of gaming machines, comprising;

a second network interface for communication with the game server; and

means for conducting a wagering game according to instructions from the game server until a decision point is reached, the decision point based in part upon game information concealed from a player, wherein the conducting means comprises;

means for offering, for a price, to provide the player with an amount of the game information; and

means for informing the game server whether the player accepts an offer;

wherein the logic device reduces the player'"'"'s odds of winning the wagering game when the player accepts the offer.

49. A gaming network, comprising:

a game server, comprising;

a first network interface for communication with gaming machines on a gaming network; and

a logic device for controlling the gaming machines, via the gaming network;

a plurality of gaming machines, comprising;

a second network interface for communication with the game server; and

means for conducting a wagering game according to instructions from the game server, wherein the conducting means comprises;

means for providing, for a first payment, a first stage of a wagering game;

means for providing a second stage of the wagering game according to game decisions of a player made prior to the second stage, and

means for offering, prior to the second stage, to provide first information about the second stage in exchange for a second payment.