GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD CONFIGURED TO CHANGE THE ODDS OF A PLAYER OBTAINING A WINNING GAME OUTCOME OR A DESIGNATED GAME OUTCOME FOR A PLAY OF A GAME WITHOUT CHANGING THE PAYTABLE OF THE GAME

• US 20090088252A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan D., Nicely, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,746 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and method that enables the odds of obtaining a winning outcome or a designated outcome for a play of a game to change without modifying the paytable of the game. The gaming system makes a first determination using a first processor based on a paytable of a game. The gaming system makes a second determination using a second processor, where the second determination may be based, at least in part, on the wager amount. The gaming system displays a single game outcome to the player and either provides the player with the highest award resulting from the determinations or any awards resulting from the determinations.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and a first paytable;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and a second paytable;

(d) determine if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(e) if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome;

(f) if neither of the first game outcome and the second game outcome are the designated game outcome, display the first game outcome;

(g) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated with said displayed game outcome; and

(h) display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said awards is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory device stores the plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to simultaneously determine the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome increases linearly with an increasing amount of the wager.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a probability of said second game outcome being the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on an amount of the wager.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least processor includes a first processor and a second processor and the first processor makes said first random determination.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the gaming system includes a housing and at least one of the first processor and the second processor resides in the housing.

8. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and a first paytable;

(c) determine if the first game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(d) if the first game outcome is not a designated game outcome and if the wager is above a threshold amount;

(i) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and a second paytable;

(ii) if the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome; and

(iii) if neither of the first game outcome or the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display the first game outcome;

(e) if the first game outcome is a designated game outcome or if the wager is not above a threshold amount, display the first game outcome;

(f) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated with said displayed game outcome; and

(g) display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein at least one award is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein a probability of said second game outcome being associated with the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on a wager amount.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein said at least processor includes a first processor and a second processor, and the first processor makes said first determination.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the gaming system includes a housing and at least one of the first processor and the second processor resides in the housing.

13. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game;

(b) determine if an amount of said wager is above a first threshold amount;

(c) if said wager amount is below the first threshold amount;

(i) determine a first game outcome by making a number of first random determinations based on a first paytable;

(ii) display the first game outcome based on at least one of said first determinations; and

(iii) determine and display an indication of any award associated with said displayed game outcome; and

(d) if said wager amount is above the first threshold amount;

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the number of first random determinations based on the first paytable;

(ii) determine a second game outcome by making a number of second random determinations based on a second paytable; and

(iii) determine if the determined first game outcome or second game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(iv) if at least one of the determined first game outcome and second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome;

(v) if the determined first game outcome and second game outcome are not the designated game outcome, display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome and second game outcome; and

(vi) determine and display an indication of any award associated with said displayed game outcome.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein at least one award is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said at least processor includes a first processor and a second processor and the first processor makes at least one first determination.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the gaming system includes a housing and at least one of the first processor or the second processor resides in the housing.

17. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the first game outcome being the designated game outcome.

18. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the least one memory device stores the plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:

(e) determine if the amount of said wager is above a second threshold amount,

(f) if said wager amount is below the second threshold amount, repeat (d); and

(g) if said wager amount is above the second threshold amount;

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the number of first random determinations based on the first paytable;

(ii) determine the second game outcome by making the number of second random determinations based on the second paytable;

(iii) determine a third game outcome by making a number of third random determinations based on a third paytable;

(iv) determine if any of the determined first game outcome, second game outcome and third game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(v) if at least one of the determined first game outcome, second game outcome or the third outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome;

(vi) if the determined first game outcome, second game outcome and third game outcome are not the designated game outcome, display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome, second game outcome and third game outcome; and

(vii) determine and display an indication of any award associated with said displayed game outcome.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein a probability of the third game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the second threshold amount is greater than the first threshold amount.

21. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the number of second determinations is greater than the number of first determinations.

22. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on an amount of the wager.

23. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the first threshold defines an upper limit of a wager range.

24. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, wherein a probability of winning a designated award from the second determination is based, at least in part, on an amount of the wager;

(d) display the second game outcome when the second game outcome is associated with the designated award;

(e) display the first game outcome when the second game outcome is not associated with the designated award; and

(f) display an indication of any award associated with the displayed game outcome.

25. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and on a first paytable;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and on a second paytable;

(d) determine which, if any, of the first game outcome or the second game outcome is associated with a higher value;

(e) if the first game outcome and the second game outcome have different values, display the game outcome which includes at least one symbol and is associated with the higher value;

(f) if the first game outcome and the second game outcome are associated with equal values, display one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome and which includes at least one symbol;

(g) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated said displayed game outcome; and

(h) display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome.