GAMING MACHINE AND METHOD PROVIDING A MULTI-PLAY HIGH-LOW GAME

• US 20080108436A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oberberger, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,449,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A gaming machine and method having a high-low game including a plurality of ranked symbols. The gaming machine enables the player to select a number of ranked symbols to play in the game and to make a wager. The gaming machine displays the number of ranked symbols. For each of the displayed ranked symbols, the gaming machine associates another one of the ranked symbols, a comparison symbol, with the displayed ranked symbol and enables the player to make an input to indicate whether the comparison symbol will be of a higher rank or a lower rank than the displayed ranked symbol. After the player makes the input, the gaming machine generates the comparison symbol and determines if the player'"'"'s input was correct. The gaming machine provides an award to the player if the player makes a predetermined number of correct inputs.

Claims

1. A gaming device operated under the control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a game operable upon a wager by a player and controlled by the processor;

a plurality of ranked symbols in the game;

at least one display device; and

at least one input device;

said processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for a play of the game to;

(a) enable the player to select a number of the ranked symbols to play in the play of the game, said number being at least two and less than a maximum number;

(b) randomly select a quantity of the ranked symbols from all of the ranked symbols, said quantity of ranked symbols being equal to the number of ranked symbols selected to be played by the player;

(c) display each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols;

(d) enable the player to make an input to indicate whether a comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than one of the displayed ranked symbols not previously played by the player;

(e) generate said comparison symbol for said displayed ranked symbol;

(f) determine if said comparison symbol is ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol;

(g) determine and display if the player'"'"'s input was correct;

(h) repeat (d) to (g) for each of the displayed ranked symbols not previously played by the player; and

(i) provide an award to the player if the player makes a predetermined number of correct inputs, wherein said predetermined number is based on the number of ranked symbols selected by the player to play in said play of the game.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the ranked symbols are numbers.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the ranked symbols are associated with cards.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols sequentially.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols simultaneously.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display the comparison symbols.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to enable the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol before the generation of the comparison symbol.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to enable the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol after the generation of the comparison symbol.

9. A gaming device operated under the control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a game operable upon a wager by a player and controlled by the processor;

a plurality of cards in the game, wherein each card includes a value;

at least one display device; and

at least one input device;

said processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for a play of the game to;

(a) enable the player to select a number of the cards to play in the play of the game, said number being at least two and less than a maximum number;

(b) randomly select a quantity of the cards from all of the cards, said quantity of cards being equal to the number of cards selected to be played by the player;

(c) display the selected quantity of cards to the player;

(d) enable the player to make an input to indicate whether the value of a comparison card will be ranked higher or lower than the value of one of the displayed cards not previously played by the player;

(e) generate the comparison card for said displayed card;

(f) determine if said comparison card value is ranked higher or lower than said value of the displayed card;

(g) determine and display if the player'"'"'s input was correct;

(h) repeat (d) to (g) for each of the displayed cards not previously played by the player; and

(i) provide an award to the player if the player makes a predetermined number of correct inputs, wherein said predetermined number of correct inputs is based on the number of cards selected by the player.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display each of the selected quantity of cards sequentially.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display each of the selected quantity of cards simultaneously.

12. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to enable the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison card value will be ranked higher or lower than the value of said displayed card before the generation of the comparison card.

13. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to enable the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison card value will be ranked higher or lower than the value of said displayed ranked card after the generation of the comparison card.

14. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein each card may only be generated once in the play of the game.

15. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device for the play of the game to display said comparison cards.

16. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to select a number of the ranked symbols from a plurality of ranked symbols to play in a play of a game operable upon a wager by the player;

(b) randomly selecting a quantity of the ranked symbols from all of the ranked symbols, said quantity of ranked symbols being equal to the number of ranked symbols selected to be played by the player;

(c) displaying each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols;

(d) enabling the player to make an input to indicate whether a comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than one of the displayed ranked symbols not previously played by the player;

(e) generating said comparison symbol for said displayed ranked symbol;

(f) determining if said comparison symbol is ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol;

(g) determining and displaying if the player'"'"'s input was correct;

(h) repeating (d) to (g) for each of the displayed ranked symbols not previously played by the player; and

(i) providing an award to the player if the player makes a predetermined number of correct inputs, said predetermined number based on the number of ranked symbols selected be played by the player.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ranked symbols are numbers.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the ranked symbols are associated with cards.

19. The method of claim 16, which includes displaying each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols sequentially in the play of the game.

20. The method of claim 16, which includes displaying each of the selected quantity of ranked symbols simultaneously in the play of the game.

21. The method of claim 16, which includes displaying the comparison symbols.

22. The method of claim 16, which includes enabling the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol before generating the comparison symbol.

23. The method of claim 16, which includes enabling the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison symbol will be ranked higher or lower than said displayed ranked symbol after generating the comparison symbol.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is provided through a data network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data network is an internet.

26. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to select a number of cards from a plurality of cards each including a value to play in a play of a game operable upon a wager by the player, said number being at least two and less than a maximum number;

(b) randomly selecting a quantity of the cards from all of the cards, said quantity of cards being equal to the number of cards selected to be played by the player;

(c) displaying each of the selected quantity of the cards to the player;

(d) enabling the player to make an input to indicate whether the value of a comparison card will be ranked higher or lower than the value of one of the displayed cards not previously played by the player;

(e) generating the comparison card for said displayed card;

(f) determining if said comparison card value is ranked higher or lower than said value of the displayed card; and

(g) determining and displaying if the player'"'"'s input was correct;

(h) repeating (d) to (g) for each of the displayed cards not previously played by the player; and

(i) providing an award to the player if the player makes a predetermined number of correct inputs, said predetermined number of correct inputs based on the number of cards selected by the player.

27. The method of claim 26, which includes displaying each of the selected number of cards sequentially in the play of the game.

28. The method of claim 26, which includes displaying each of the selected number of cards simultaneously in the play of the game.

29. The method of claim 26, which includes enabling the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison card value will be ranked higher or lower than the value of said displayed card before generating the comparison card.

30. The method of claim 26, which includes enabling the player to make the input to indicate whether said comparison card value will be ranked higher or lower than the value of said displayed ranked card after generating the comparison card.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein each card may only be generated once in the play of the game.

32. The method of claim 26, which includes displaying said comparison cards.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the method is provided through a data network.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the data network is an internet.