Methods and apparatus for facilitating a flat rate play session including surrender and / or session strategy features

• US 20070254732A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James, Sparico, Thomas, Gelman, Geoffrey, Santisi, Steven, Walker, Jay, Tedesco, Robert, Fincham, Magdalena, Gilman, Norman
• Application Number:
  US11/266,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20070254732A1
• 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

The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for operating a gaming device having a flat rate play session costing a flat rate price. The flat rate play session spans multiple plays on the gaming device over a preestablished duration that may span, for example, a predetermined period of time or a period of time that ends upon the occurrence of a predetermined number of game plays or handle pulls, or upon the occurrence of another event. In one or more embodiments, a player is offered a surrender payout and fractional surrender payouts are accumulated for a player until an end of a flat rate play session. In one embodiment, a session strategy may be determined and implemented for a game play of the flat rate play session. The session strategy may be determined, for example, based on a current value of a parameter associated with the flat rate play session (e.g., a value of a credit meter balance and/or a remaining duration of the flat rate play session).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, during play of a flat rate play session, an initial set of indicia output to a player, wherein a final set of indicia is determined based on a player selection and a payout corresponding to the final set of indicia is determined;

determining a forfeit payout to offer the player in exchange for the player forfeiting a right to a payout that corresponds to a final set of indicia that may be determined based on the initial set of indicia;

outputting an offer for the forfeit payout prior to the final set of indicia being determined;

receiving an acceptance of the offer;

determining that the forfeit payout is a fractional amount; and

adding the forfeit payout that is the fractional amount to a sum of fractional forfeit payouts accepted by the player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial set of indicia comprises an initial set of cards dealt in a video poker game.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the forfeit payout based on the initial set of indicia and a probability of obtaining the final set of indicia.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an end of the flat rate play session; and

adding the sum of fractional forfeit payouts to a credit balance associated with the player.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

rounding the sum of fractional forfeit payouts to the next highest number prior to adding the sum of fractional forfeit payouts to the credit balance.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the credit balance, after the addition of the sum of the fractional forfeit payouts, is an amount greater than zero; and

outputting monetary value to the player in the amount only if the amount is greater than zero.

7. A method, comprising:

determining that a flat rate play session has been initiated;

determining an initial set of indicia for a game play of the flat rate play session;

determining a session strategy for the game play;

determining, based on the session strategy, a draw strategy for the game play; and

implementing the draw strategy for the initial set of indicia.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flat rate play session is for a video poker game and wherein the initial set of indicia comprises an initial set of dealt cards.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining that a flat rate play session has been initiated is performed by a gaming device and in response to an indication from a player associated with the flat rate play session.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the session strategy and the draw strategy is determined based on an indication from a player associated with the flat rate play session.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication comprises an indication of at least one goal for the flat rate play session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one goal specifies a desired credit meter balance to be achieved at an end of the flat rate play session.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the desired credit meter balance is based on a price paid for the flat rate play session.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication comprises an indication of a condition to be satisfied prior to implementing at least one of the determined session strategy and the draw strategy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the condition is a combination of a specified value of a credit meter balance associated with the flat rate play session and a specified remaining duration of the flat rate play session, such that the session strategy is determined if it is determined that at a time the game play is conducted the credit meter balance associated with the flat rate play session is not greater than the specified value and the remaining duration of the flat rate play session is not greater than the specified duration.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a goal for the flat rate play session; and

determining at least one condition which, if satisfied, corresponds to a session strategy that maximizes the likelihood of achieving the goal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the at least one condition is performed by a device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one condition is selected by a gaming device during the flat rate play session.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the session strategy comprises determining the session strategy based on a current value of a parameter associated with the flat rate play session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the current value of the parameter comprises a current value of a credit meter balance associated with the flat rate play session.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the current value of the parameter comprises a remaining duration of the flat rate play session.

22. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a gaming device on which the flat rate play session is being conducted is operating in an automatic play mode; and

wherein implementing the draw strategy comprises drawing, on behalf of a player associated with the flat rate play session, replacement indicia for the initial set of indicia in accordance with the determined draw strategy.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein implementing the draw strategy comprises outputting a recommendation of the determined draw strategy, thereby determining a recommended draw strategy.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving, from a player associated with the flat rate play session, an indication of an acceptance of the recommended draw strategy; and

causing replacement indicia for the initial set of indicia to be determined in accordance with the recommended draw strategy.

25. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

causing replacement indicia for the initial set of indicia to be determined in accordance with the determined draw strategy, thereby causing a final set of indicia to be determined;

determining whether the final set of indicia corresponds to a payout; and

causing, if the final set of indicia corresponds to a payout, the payout to be added to the credit meter balance associated with the flat rate play session.

26. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a request for a cash out of the credit meter balance associated with the flat rate play session has been received from a player associated with the flat rate play session; and

authorizing a value of the credit meter balance to be dispensed to a player only if the value is greater than zero.

27. A gaming device, comprising:

a display for displaying game indicia;

a processor for facilitating a wagering game; and

a memory storing a program, the program for directing the processor to;

determine that a flat rate play session has been initiated;

determine an initial set of indicia for a game play of the flat rate play session;

determine a session strategy for the game play;

determine, based on the session strategy, a draw strategy for the game play; and

implement the draw strategy for the initial set of indicia.

28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the gaming device is a video poker machine and wherein the initial set of indicia is an initial set of cards dealt for a video poker hand.