METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AN ADVANTAGE TO A PLAYER IN A BONUS GAME

• US 20110111841A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E., Tessmer, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match

Abstract

A gaming method includes receiving a wager from a player, displaying an image representative of a primary game, determining if a bonus event trigger has occurred, displaying an image representative of a bonus game, the bonus game including a representation associated with the player and a representation associated with an opponent, the representations each having at least one attribute associated with the bonus game, if the bonus event trigger occurs, and determining a payout associated with an outcome of the bonus game. The method also includes offering the player at least one advantage option, the at least one advantage option affecting at least one of the at least one attribute of the representation associated with the player and the at least one attribute of the representation associated with the opponent. A gaming machines and system may be provided to carry out such a method.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a processor; and

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

(a) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game;

(b) display said play of the primary game;

(c) determine a primary game outcome for said play of the primary game and provide to the player any awards associated with the primary game outcome;

(d) enable the player to purchase at least one advantage associated with a bonus game, regardless of whether a bonus game triggering event occurs, said bonus game having an average expected payout;

(e) determine whether the bonus game triggering event occurs; and

(f) if the bonus game triggering event occurs;

(i) if the player purchased said at least one advantage, display at least one play of the bonus game with said at least one purchased advantage, and

(ii) if the player did not purchase at least one advantage, display at least one play of the bonus game without any said advantages, wherein the average expected payout of the bonus game for the wager placed with the at least one purchased advantage is greater than the average expected payout of the bonus game for the wager placed without any said advantages.

2. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming apparatuses, each of said gaming apparatuses including;

a display device;

an input device;

a gaming apparatus processor; and

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

(a) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game;

(b) display said play of the primary game;

(c) determine if an advantage credit triggering event occurs; and

(d) for each occurrence of the advantage credit triggering event, accumulate at least one advantage credit; and

a central server configured to communicate with each of the gaming apparatuses, said central server programmed to;

(a) determine if a bonus game trigger has occurred; and

(b) if the bonus game trigger has occurred;

(i) cause a display of a play of a bonus game, said bonus game configured for competitive play between at least a first player and a second different player of said plurality of gaming apparatuses, wherein for the first player, said play of the bonus game has a first average expected payout, and for the second player, said play of the game has a second different average expected payout,

(ii) cause the gaming apparatus of said first player to enable said first player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of at least one of;

(A) the first average expected payout, and

(B) the second different average expected payout,

(iii) cause the gaming apparatus of said second player to enable said second player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of at least one of;

(A) the first average expected payout, and

(B) the second different average expected payout, and

(iv) for each of said gaming apparatuses;

(A) determine an outcome for the play of the bonus game in accordance with a current average expected payout of the play of the bonus game for the player of said gaming apparatus, and

(B) cause said gaming apparatus to provide to said player any payout associated with the determined outcome for the play of the bonus game.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the central server is programmed, for each of the gaming apparatus of the first player and the gaming apparatus of the second player, to cause said gaming apparatus to receive a selection of the modification of at least one of the first average expected payout and second different average expected payout and deduct a number of advantage credits from a quantity of advantage credits accumulated based on the selection.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein for each gaming apparatus, the plurality of instructions, when executed by the gaming apparatus processor, cause the gaming apparatus processor to display the quantity of advantage credits accumulated.

5. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the central server is programmed, for each of the gaming apparatus of the first player and the gaming apparatus of the second player, to:

(i) cause said gaming apparatus to determine whether there are any accumulated advantage credits remaining after said selection is made, and (ii) cause said gaming apparatus to enable the player of said gaming apparatus to utilize the remaining accumulated advantage credits for at least one subsequent play of the bonus game.

6. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the quantity of accumulated advantage credits is stored in association with a player tracking system.

7. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the bonus game trigger is an outcome associated with the primary game.

8. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the bonus game trigger is a designated quantity of advantage credits accumulated.

9. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the central server is programmed to:

(i) cause the gaming apparatus of said first player to enable said first player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of both the first average expected payout and the second different average expected payout; and

(ii) cause the gaming apparatus of said second player to enable said second player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of both the first average expected payout and the second different average expected payout.

10. The gaming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the advantage credit triggering event includes at least one of:

an outcome associated with the primary game, an outcome associated with the bonus game, and a payment of a designated amount by the player.

11. The gaming apparatus of claim 10, wherein said payment can be made in association with the play of the primary game or the play of the bonus game.

12. A method of operating a gaming apparatus, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game;

(b) displaying said play of the primary game;

(c) determining a primary game outcome for said play of the primary game and providing to the player any awards associated with the primary game outcome;

(d) enabling the player to purchase at least one advantage associated with a bonus game, regardless of whether a bonus game triggering event occurs, said bonus game having an average expected payout;

(e) determining whether the bonus game triggering event occurs; and

(f) if the bonus game triggering event occurs;

(i) if the player purchased said at least one advantage, displaying at least one play of the bonus game with said at least one purchased advantage, and

(ii) if the player did not purchase at least one advantage, displaying at least one play of the bonus game without any said advantages, wherein the average expected payout of the bonus game for the wager placed with the at least one purchased advantage is greater than the average expected payout of the bonus game for the wager placed without any said advantages.

13. The method of claim 12, which is operated over a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

15. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) for each of a plurality of gaming apparatuses;

(i) enabling a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game;

(ii) displaying said play of the primary game;

(iii) determining if an advantage credit triggering event occurs; and

(iv) for each occurrence of the advantage credit triggering event, accumulating at least one advantage credit; and

(b) causing a central server to;

(a) determine if a bonus game trigger has occurred; and

(b) if the bonus game trigger has occurred;

(i) cause a display of a play of a bonus game, said bonus game configured for competitive play between at least a first player and a second different player of the plurality of gaming apparatuses, wherein for the first player, said play of the bonus game has a first average expected payout, and for the second player, said play of the game has a second different average expected payout,

(ii) cause the gaming apparatus of said first player to enable said first player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of at least one of;

(A) the first average expected payout, and

(B) the second different average expected payout,

(iii) cause the gaming apparatus of said second player to enable said second player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of at least one of;

(A) the first average expected payout, and

(B) the second different average expected payout, and

(iv) for each of said gaming apparatuses;

(A) determine an outcome for the play of the bonus game in accordance with a current average expected payout of the play of the bonus game for the player of said gaming apparatus, and

(B) cause said gaming apparatus to provide to said player any payout associated with the determined outcome for the play of the bonus game.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the central server, for each of the gaming apparatus of the first player and the gaming apparatus of the second player, to cause said gaming apparatus to receive a selection of the modification of at least one of the first average expected payout and second different average expected payout and deduct a number of advantage credits from a quantity of advantage credits accumulated based on the selection.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes displaying the quantity of advantage credits accumulated.

18. The method of claim 16, which includes causing the central server, for each of the gaming apparatus of the first player and the gaming apparatus of the second player, to:

(i) cause said gaming apparatus to determine whether there are any accumulated advantage credits remaining after said selection is made, and

(ii) cause said gaming apparatus to enable the player of said gaming apparatus to utilize the remaining accumulated advantage credits for at least one subsequent play of the bonus game.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the quantity of accumulated advantage credits is stored in association with a player tracking system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the bonus game trigger is an outcome associated with the primary game.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the bonus game trigger is a designated quantity of advantage credits accumulated.

22. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the central to:

(i) cause the gaming apparatus of said first player to enable said first player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of both the first average expected payout and the second different average expected payout; and

(ii) cause the gaming apparatus of said second player to enable said second player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of both the first average expected payout and the second different average expected payout.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the advantage credit triggering event includes at least one of:

an outcome associated with the primary game, an outcome associated with the bonus game, and a payment of a designated amount by the player.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said payment can be made in association with the play of the primary game or the play of the bonus game.

25. The method of claim 15, which is operated over a data network.

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