WAGERING A POTENTIAL FUTURE AWARD FOR A GREATER AWARD OPPORTUNITY

• US 20100210344A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Louie, Daniel, Edidin, Orrin, Hornik, Jeremy M., Englman, Allon G., Mastropietro, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

A wagering game has an overall payback percentage and a portion of the wagering game has a default expected value. A gamble feature is offered to the player prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after a wager has been received. The gamble feature has a possibility of a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome. The outcome of the gamble feature affects the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game. The default expected value of the portion of the wagering game is altered based on the outcome of the gamble feature. The portion of the wagering game is conducted using the altered expected value.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions for directing a gaming system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player to play a wagering game, the wagering game having an overall payback percentage, a portion of the wagering game having a default expected value;

offering an option to the player to play a gamble feature prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after receiving the wager, the gamble feature having a possibility of a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, the outcome of the gamble feature affecting the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game;

receiving an input from the player to exercise the option to play the gamble feature;

in response to the receiving, displaying on a display a plurality of game symbols associated with play of the gamble feature;

indicating the outcome of the gamble feature with the plurality of game symbols;

altering the default expected value of the portion of the wagering game based on the outcome of the gamble feature; and

conducting the portion of the wagering game using the altered expected value.

2. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the outcome of the gamble feature is a successful outcome and the altering of the default expected value results in an increased expected value.

3. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the default expected value is altered by increasing one or more credit award values.

4. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a slots game and the one or more credit award values are associated with symbol combinations within the slots game.

5. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a picking game and the one or more credit award values are associated with award outcomes within the picking game.

6. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the default expected value is altered by increasing the number of wild symbols available within the portion of the wagering game.

7. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a slots game including standard wild symbols, the default expected value being altered by changing the standard wild symbols to expanding wild symbols.

8. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a free-spin game having a number of free spins, the default expected value being altered by changing the number of free spins provided in the free-spin game.

9. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a picking game having a predetermined number of player picks, the default expected value being altered by changing the number of predetermined player picks.

10. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the portion of the wagering game is a picking game having a predetermined number of end-game outcomes, the default expected value being altered by changing the number of predetermined end-game outcomes.

21. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the gamble feature is odds balanced such that the possibility of the successful outcome is not equal to the possibility of the unsuccessful outcome.

22. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the portion of the wagering game is configured to have a first expected value in response to the determined outcome being the unsuccessful outcome and a second expected value in response to the determined outcome being the successful outcome, the relationship between the first expected value, the default expected value, and the second expected value being non-linear.

11. A gaming system, comprising:

a value-input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game, the wagering game having an overall payback percentage, a portion of the wagering game having a default expected value;

a display for displaying the wagering game; and

a controller operative to

display an option for exercising a gamble feature on the display, the option being displayed prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after receiving the wager, the gamble feature having a possibility of a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, the outcome of the gamble feature affecting the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game, the gamble feature being odds balanced such that the possibility of the successful outcome is not equal to the possibility of the unsuccessful outcome,

determine the outcome of the gamble feature,

alter the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game based on the determined outcome of the gamble feature, and

conduct the wagering game on the primary display using the altered expected value.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the controller only displays the option for exercising the gamble feature when the value-input device has received a maximum wager.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the wagering game has a plurality of possible outcomes, the controller altering the default expected value by adjusting the possibility of achieving at least one of the possible outcomes.

14. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the controller alters the default expected value by adjusting at least one multiplier value within the wagering game.

15. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the default expected value is equal to the overall payback percentage for the wagering game.

23. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the portion of the wagering game is configured to have a first expected value in response to the determined outcome being the unsuccessful outcome and a second expected value in response to the determined outcome being the successful outcome, the relationship between the first expected value, the default expected value, and the second expected value being non-linear.

16. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player to play the wagering game, a portion of the wagering game having a default potential award;

offering an option to play a gamble feature prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after receiving the wager;

determining whether the option to play the gamble feature has been accepted or declined;

conducting, in response to the option being declined, the portion of the wagering game utilizing the default potential award;

in response to the option being accepted, displaying on a display a plurality of game symbols associated with play of the gamble feature;

indicating, in response to the option being accepted, an outcome of the gamble feature with the plurality of game symbols;

determining, in response to the option being accepted, whether outcome of the gamble feature is successful or unsuccessful;

conducting, in response to the gamble feature being successful, the portion of the wagering game having an increased potential award, the increased potential award being greater than the default potential award; and

conducting, in response to the gamble feature being unsuccessful, the portion wagering game having a decreased potential award, the decreased potential award being lower than the default potential award.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, offering a second option to play another gamble feature prior to play of the wagering game in response to the gamble feature being successful.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the likelihood of the gamble feature being successful is substantially identical to the likelihood of the gamble feature being unsuccessful.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the gamble feature is a double-up type gamble feature.

20. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions for directing a gaming system to perform the method of claim 16.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the gamble feature is odds balanced such that the likelihood of a successful outcome of the gamble is not equal to the likelihood of an unsuccessful outcome.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the portion of the wagering game is configured to have a first potential award in response to the gamble feature being unsuccessful and a second potential award in response to the gamble feature being successful, the relationship between the first potential award, the default potential award, and the second potential award being non-linear.

26. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, via an input device associated with the wagering game, a wager to play the wagering game, the wagering game having an overall payback percentage, a portion of the wagering game having a default expected value;

offering, on a display associated with the wagering game, an option to play a gamble feature prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after receiving the wager, the gamble feature having a possibility of a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, the outcome of the gamble feature affecting the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game, the gamble feature being odds balanced such that the possibility of a successful outcome is not equal to the possibility of an unsuccessful outcome.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the portion of the wagering game is configured to have a first expected value in response to the unsuccessful outcome and a second expected value in response to the successful outcome, the relationship between the first expected value, the default expected value, and the second expected value being non-linear.

28. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, an input indicative of a wager to play the wagering game;

offering, on a display, an option to play a gamble feature prior to play of a game segment of the wagering game but after receiving the wager;

receiving, via an input device, an input for accepting or declining the option; and

conducting, by one or more processors, the game segment according to whether the option is accepted or declined and whether the gamble feature has a successful or unsuccessful outcome;

wherein the game segment has (i) a default expected value in response to the option being declined, (ii) a first expected value less than the default expected value in response to the option being accepted and the gambling feature having an unsuccessful outcome, and (iii) a second expected value greater than the default expected value in response to the option being accepted and the gambling feature having a successful outcome, a relationship between the default expected value, the first expected value, and the second expected value being non-linear;

wherein the gamble feature is odds balanced such that the odds of the successful outcome is not equal to the odds of the unsuccessful outcome to account for the non-linear relationship between the default expected value, the first expected value, and the second expected value.