Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 20060025213A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Sabet, Bijan, Hardy, Dow, LaRocca, Paul, Yanowitz, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game includes a poker game, such as, for example, a pai gow poker game. In a version of this embodiment, the poker game provides for a player to arrange a plurality of cards dealt to the player into a first hand and a second hand. In another example, the poker game is coupled with a second level game in which the result is revealed. In a specific example, the second level game is a slot machine game.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game of chance comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket;

providing for the player to play a poker game on a different medium than the issued ticket wherein the poker game includes a hand including a plurality of cards dealt to the player and play of a first hand and a second hand;

providing for the player to arrange the plurality of cards dealt into the first hand and the second hand; and

revealing results of the game of chance to the player, wherein the code is used to gain security access to the results of the game of chance, and wherein the code is used to gain security access to play the poker game.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player competes against a dealer, and wherein the method further comprises an act of providing for the dealer to arrange a hand including a plurality of cards dealt to the dealer into two hands of the poker game according to a predefined set of rules.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first hand includes five cards, and wherein the second hand includes two cards.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of requiring that the five-card hand rank higher than the two-card hand.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising acts of:

permitting the player to arrange the plurality of cards dealt to the player into a five-card hand and a two-card hand;

permitting the dealer to arrange the plurality of cards dealt to the dealer into a five-card hand and a two-card hand;

comparing the five-card hand of the player with the five-card hand of the dealer;

comparing the two-card hand of the player with the two-card hand of the dealer; and

determining a result for the hand of the poker game from the acts of comparing.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of indicating that the player wins the hand of the poker game if the five-card hand of the player ranks higher than the five-card hand of the dealer, and the two-card hand of the player ranks higher than the two-card hand of the dealer.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of indicating that the dealer wins the hand of the poker game if the five-card hand of the player ranks lower than the five-card hand of the dealer, and the two-card hand of the player ranks lower than the two-card hand of the dealer.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising acts of:

providing a computer-based game which the player plays to reveal the results of the game of chance;

associating an object with the result of the game of chance; and

displaying the object within an interface of the computer-based game.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of displaying the object when the result for the hand of the poker game indicates that the player wins the hand.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of associating at least one of a prize and a fortune with the object.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising an act of associating the prize with the object when the result for the hand of the poker game indicates that the player wins the hand.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising an act of associating the fortune with the object when the result for the hand of the poker game indicates that the dealer wins the hand.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of revealing at least a partial result of the game of chance.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of revealing at least the partial result of the game of chance during the play of the poker game.

15. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of awarding the player a reveal element upon the completion of one or more hands of the poker game if the result for the one or more hands indicates that the player wins.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of the hands of the poker game comprise a game instance, and wherein the method further comprises an act of removing, at a completion of the game instance, at least one reveal element awarded to the player.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of revealing a prize awarded to the player.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acts of:

associating the ticket with an overall prize, the overall prize comprising a plurality of prizes; and

distributing the plurality of prizes across a plurality of game instances.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a game instance comprises a hand of the poker game.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a game instance comprises a plurality of hands of the poker game.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising acts of:

awarding a reveal element during the play of the poker game; and

removing the reveal element at a completion of the hand of the poker game.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of revealing a cash prize awarded to the player when the reveal element is removed.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of cash prizes are awarded to the player during play of the poker game, and the method further comprising an act of awarding the amount of the overall prize less a total amount of the plurality of cash prizes at a completion of a final game instance available with the ticket.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein non-cash prizes are awarded to the player during play of the poker game.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the non-cash prizes are selected from a group comprising merchandise, a coupon, rewards points and credits.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the poker game is a pai gow poker game.

27. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising an act of playing a slot machine game.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the poker game is a computer-based game involving a plurality of hands of the poker game, and wherein the player plays the plurality of hands of poker within an interface of the computer-based game.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of revealing, to the player, an item associated with a second level game.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the item associated with the second level game is used to play the second level game.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the item associated with the second level game is used by the player to reveal a prize won by the player.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the item associated with the second level game is a spin provided in the first level game, and wherein the method further comprises acts of:

permitting the player, in the second level game, to spin a slot machine game, the slot machine game having an associated pay table;

determining and displaying an outcome of the slot machine game; and

awarding a prize to the player if the slot machine outcome matches at least one entry of the associated pay table.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the slot machine game comprises a multi-reel slot machine game.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the multi-reel slot machine comprises a five-reel slot machine game.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the multi-reel slot machine comprises a plurality of paylines.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein a quantity of spins provided in the first level game depends, at least in part, on a player'"'"'s performance in the poker game.

37. The method according to claim 32, wherein the item associated with the second level game is a spin, the method further comprising an act of awarding the player at least one spin if the player wins both the first hand and the second hand.

38. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of associating a spin achieved in a first level game with an outcome revealed in the second level game.

39. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of displaying, if the slot machine outcome matches the at least one entry of the associated pay table, the prize awarded to the player.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the outcome is determined prior to play of the poker game.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the outcome is independent of play of the poker game.

42. The method according to claim 5, wherein the player elects to have the computer arrange the player'"'"'s cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand using predetermined rules.

43. A method for playing a game of chance comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket;

providing for the player to play a computer-based poker game on a different medium than the issued ticket;

allowing the player to arrange a hand of the computer-based poker game into a first hand and a second hand within an interface of the computer-based poker game;

obtaining results of the game of chance by using the code to gain security access to obtain the results, the results comprising at least one result; and

displaying a reveal element to reveal the at least one result of the game of chance within the interface.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the player elects to have the computer arrange the player'"'"'s cards into a five-card hand and a two-card hand using predetermined rules.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one result is a prize, and wherein the method further comprises an act of revealing the prize by removing the reveal element from within the interface.

46. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one result is a prize, and wherein the method further comprises an act of revealing the prize when the player selects the reveal element.

47. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one result is a prize, and wherein the method further comprises an act of revealing by displaying the prize instead of the reveal element.

48. The method according to claim 43, wherein a sequence of reveals is predetermined, and wherein at least one reveal element appears in the interface when the poker game begins.

49. The method according to claim 43, further comprising an act of adding at least one reveal element within the interface during the play of one or more hands of the computer-based poker game.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising acts of allowing the player to select the at least one added reveal element, and revealing at least one result of the game of chance.

51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising an act of revealing at least one of a prize and a fortune if the at least one reveal element is selected.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the reveal element is a fortune cookie.

53. A method for playing a game of chance comprising a game, the method comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket; and

providing for the player to play the game on different medium than the issued ticket; and

providing the player with an additional opportunity to reveal results of the game of chance outside of the game, wherein the code is used to gain security access to obtain the results of the game of chance.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the act of providing the player with the additional opportunity comprises an act of providing a separate game in which the player reveals results of the game of chance.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the act of providing a separate game comprises an act of providing a number matching game.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the results of the game of chance revealed outside the game include a prize.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the prize is at least a part of a prize available to the player during the play of the game.

58. The method according to claim 55, further comprising an act of associating one or more numbers with the player.

59. The method according to claim 58, further comprising an act of allowing the player to select the one or more numbers.

60. The method according to claim 58, further comprising an act of assigning the one or more numbers to the player.

61. The method according to claim 58, further comprising acts of:

associating one or more numbers with a win opportunity; and

determining whether the one or more numbers associated with the player match the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity.

62. The method according to claim 61, further comprising acts of:

revealing at least some of the results of the game of chance to the player during the play of the game; and

revealing previously unrevealed results of the game of chance to the player if the one or more numbers associated with the player match the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity.

63. The method according to claim 62, wherein the previously unrevealed results comprise one or more non-cash prizes, and wherein the method further comprises an act of awarding the one or more non-cash prizes to the player.

64. The method according to claim 63, wherein the one or more non-cash prizes are selected from a group comprising merchandise, coupons, discounts, reward points, credits and promotional items.

65. The method according to claim 62, further comprising an act of determining whether the one or more numbers associated with the player match the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity at a completion of a last game instance associated with the ticket.

66. The method according to claim 61, wherein the ticket is associated with a plurality of instances of the game of chance, wherein the results include a full prize associated with the ticket, and wherein the method further comprises an act of determining whether the full prize has been revealed to the player at a completion of a last game instance associated with the ticket.

67. The method according to claim 66, further comprising an act of revealing at least a portion of the full prize if, at the completion of the last game instance, the player has not been awarded the full prize associated with the ticket.

68. The method according to claim 66, further comprising an act of revealing results that do not include the full prize if, at the completion of the last game instance, the player has previously been awarded the full prize associated with the ticket.

69. The method according to claim 58, wherein the results may include at least one prize, the method further comprising acts of:

determining whether all prizes associated with an instance of the game of chance have been revealed to the player during the play of the game; and

if all the prizes have not been revealed;

associating one or more numbers with a win opportunity, wherein the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity match the one or more numbers associated with the player.

70. The method according to claim 61, wherein the second set of numbers represents a combination to open a locked object.

71. The method according to claim 70, further comprising an act of unlocking the locked object to reveal results of the game of chance.

72. The method according to claim 71, further comprising an act of revealing empty contents of the locked object if one of the game of chance has no prizes associated with it and all prizes associated with the game of chance have previously been revealed during play of the game.

73. The method according to claim 71, further comprising an act of revealing a prize to the player as contents of the locked object if at least one result of the game of chance has not been revealed during the playing of the game.

74. The method according to claim 62, wherein the second set of numbers automatically matches the first set of numbers if the player has not revealed an overall prize associated with the ticket when each instance of the game of chance associated with the ticket is complete.

75. The method according to claim 62, wherein the results are associated with an overall prize value, the method further comprising acts of:

awarding one or more individual prizes during the playing of the game; and

awarding a prize with a value that is the overall prize value less a combined value of all of the one or more individual prizes awarded during the play of the game.

76. The method according to claim 75, wherein the one or more individual prizes are revealed based on a performance by the player in the game.

77. The method according to claim 75, wherein the overall prize value is predetermined.

78. The method according to claim 62, wherein the at least one of the previously unrevealed results comprises a non-cash prize.

79. The method according to claim 61, further comprising acts of:

revealing results of the game of chance if the one or more numbers associated with the player match the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity.

80. The method according to claim 79, further comprising an act of awarding a prize to the player.

81. The method according to claim 79, further comprising acts of:

determining, upon completion of the game, whether all the results of the game of chance have been revealed to the player during play of the game;

if all the results of the game of chance have not been revealed;

associating one or more numbers with a win opportunity, wherein the one or more numbers associated with the win opportunity match the one or more numbers associated with the player; and

revealing previously unrevealed results of the game of chance to the player.

82. The method according to claim 53, further comprising acts of:

providing a pay table, the pay table having a plurality of entries distributed among one or more reveal elements; and

providing the player with an opportunity to be awarded reveal elements during the game of chance.

83. The method according to claim 82, wherein, upon completion of the game of chance, at least one unawarded reveal element associated with the game of chance remains, and wherein the method further comprises an act of awarding to the player an amount comprising a total of any pay table entries associated with the at least one unawarded reveal element.