Gaming System and Method with Wager Variability
First Claim
1. A method of providing a wagering game on a gaming machine, the wagering game including a plurality of symbols that are displayed on a display to represent at least one outcome of the game, the plurality of symbols including a plurality of symbol classes, wherein a winning combination in the wagering game is represented as an occurrence of a combination of a plurality of symbols in the same class, the wagering game including a plurality of different winning combinations within two or more of the symbol classes, the method including:
- determining which one of a plurality of available wager options has been placed in a game play of the wagering game;
forming at least one outcome from the plurality of symbols by displaying a symbol in each of a plurality of symbol display positions; and
awarding an award according to a pay table of the gaming machine if a winning combination occurs;
wherein the method further includes, for at least one wager option, defining at least one, but less than all of the symbols in at least two different symbol classes as inactive for forming a winning combination.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming machine that provides a wagering game, including a user interface in communication with a game controller, through the operation of which a player selects one of a plurality of wager options that determine a number of symbols to be active and inactive in the wagering game. For at least one said wager option at least one, but not all of the plurality of symbols that define a possible said winning combination are rendered inactive for forming the winning combination.
39 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of providing a wagering game on a gaming machine, the wagering game including a plurality of symbols that are displayed on a display to represent at least one outcome of the game, the plurality of symbols including a plurality of symbol classes, wherein a winning combination in the wagering game is represented as an occurrence of a combination of a plurality of symbols in the same class, the wagering game including a plurality of different winning combinations within two or more of the symbol classes, the method including:
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determining which one of a plurality of available wager options has been placed in a game play of the wagering game;
forming at least one outcome from the plurality of symbols by displaying a symbol in each of a plurality of symbol display positions; and
awarding an award according to a pay table of the gaming machine if a winning combination occurs;
wherein the method further includes, for at least one wager option, defining at least one, but less than all of the symbols in at least two different symbol classes as inactive for forming a winning combination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of providing a wagering game on a gaming machine, the wagering game including presenting symbols on a display according to a random selection process, the method including:
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determining which one of a plurality of wager options has been placed in a game play of the wagering game;
rendering at least one symbol that is available to be selected for presentation o the display inactive, the number of symbols rendered inactive depending on the wager option that has been placed;
forming at least one outcome from a plurality of symbols, the number of outcomes formed being fixed, regardless of the said wager option that is placed; and
awarding an award if a winning combination of symbols occurs in a said outcome formed by active symbols in the formed at least one outcome and not awarding an award for the combination if one or more the symbols are inactive. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of providing a wagering game on a gaming machine, the wagering game including presenting a plurality of symbols on a display to form one or more outcomes, which are evaluated for a winning outcome, the method including:
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determining which one of a plurality of wager options has been placed in a game play of the wagering game;
selecting at least one symbol dependent on the wager option that has been placed and rendering each selected symbol inactive for forming a winning outcome, wherein at least two different classes or types of symbol are rendered inactive for a single wager option;
selecting in a random selection process symbols for display in symbol display positions to form the one or more outcomes, the selection made from a combined set including both active and the inactive symbols, whereby whether a symbol display position displays an active or inactive symbol is randomly determined;
paying an award for winning outcomes that occur which are defined by symbols that are active and not any symbols that have been rendered inactive. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of providing a spinning reel wagering game on a gaming machine, the wagering game including presenting on a display of the gaming machine a plurality of symbol positions on reels on a display to represent as symbols one or more outcomes of the game method including:
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determining which one of a plurality of wager options has been placed in a game play of the wagering game;
rendering the symbols in a variable number of symbol positions inactive for forming a winning outcome, the number of symbol positions in which a symbol is made inactive being dependent on the wager option that was placed;
during game play presenting the reels so that the inactive and active symbols are distinguishable to the eye of a player of the gaming machine;
playing the wagering game and not paying an award for winning outcomes that occur which are defined by one or more symbols that have been rendered inactive. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. A gaming system including or consisting of a gaming machine that provides a wagering game in which a plurality of symbols are presented on a display to represent one or more outcomes, play of the wagering game being controlled by a game controller in communication with the display, the gaming machine including a user interface in communication with the game controller, through the operation of which a player selects one of a plurality of wager options that determine a number of symbols to be active and inactive in the wagering game, wherein for at least one said wager option at least one, but not all of the plurality of symbols that define a possible said winning combination are rendered inactive for forming the winning combination and wherein for at least one said wager option the symbols presented on the display to represent one or more outcomes always includes at least one inactive symbol.
Specification