CONTROLLING AND REWARDING WAGERING GAME SKILL
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- allocating a winnable award used exclusively for payouts on a wagering game network, wherein any portion of the winnable award can be won during at least some portion of a skill-based wagering game;
presenting the skill-based wagering game;
providing one or more skilled game goals for a player account to accomplish during the at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game;
determining a goal completion amount, of the one or more skilled game goals, that the player account accomplishes;
awarding at least some portion of the winnable award amount to the player account based on the goal completion amount, the at least some portion of the winnable award amount totaling a total earned award amount;
determining a surplus amount that was not won by the player from the winnable award amount, the surplus amount representing the total earned award amount subtracted from the winnable award amount; and
awarding the surplus amount during subsequent activity on the wagering game network.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include presenting a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine. The skill-based wagering game can have a limited winnable award amount for the skill-based wagering game. The operations can also include tracking skilled game goals that a player accomplishes during the skill-based wagering game and awarding the player from the limited winnable award amount. The operations can also include determining a surplus amount that was not earned from the limited winnable award amount, and awarding some, or all, of the surplus amount during subsequent activity. In some embodiments, the operations can also include allocating the surplus amount to wagering game pools, distributing the surplus amount as tokens based on triggered activities, and presenting game modifiers that enable players to enhance performance in a skill-based game.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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allocating a winnable award used exclusively for payouts on a wagering game network, wherein any portion of the winnable award can be won during at least some portion of a skill-based wagering game; presenting the skill-based wagering game; providing one or more skilled game goals for a player account to accomplish during the at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game; determining a goal completion amount, of the one or more skilled game goals, that the player account accomplishes; awarding at least some portion of the winnable award amount to the player account based on the goal completion amount, the at least some portion of the winnable award amount totaling a total earned award amount; determining a surplus amount that was not won by the player from the winnable award amount, the surplus amount representing the total earned award amount subtracted from the winnable award amount; and awarding the surplus amount during subsequent activity on the wagering game network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
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presenting a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine, the skill-based wagering game having a limited winnable award amount, wherein at least some portion of the limited winnable amount can be won during at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game for skillful performance during the skill-based wagering game; determining a surplus amount that was not won by a player account from the limited winnable award amount in the skill-based wagering game; processing subsequent activity on the wagering game machine; determining a trigger activity that occurs during the subsequent activity; and providing at least some portion of the surplus amount based on the trigger activity. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A system, comprising:
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a wagering game machine comprising an activity tracking unit configured to track accomplishments of skill-based goals in a skill-based networked wagering game, the skill-based networked wagering game having a limited award amount used exclusively for payouts, wherein at least some portion of the limited award amount can be awarded during the skill-based networked wagering game, and award monetary amounts, from the limited award amount, based on skill-based goals achieved by a player account during the skill-based networked wagering game; and a wagering game server comprising a winnable award tracking unit configured to determine an unearned portion of the limited award amount for the skill-based networked wagering game, and distribute the unearned portion of the limited award amount to one or more of the wagering game machine and additional wagering game machines that are below a theoretical payout percentage. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus, comprising:
a wagering game module configured to present a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine, the skill-based wagering game having a limited winnable award amount allocated from one or more known award sources that can be won during at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game, determine a surplus amount that was not won by a player account from the limited winnable award amount in the skill-based wagering game, generate one or more tokens with values equivalent to the surplus amount, persist at least some of the one or more tokens, and use the one or more tokens to pay out some portion of the surplus amount. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for presenting a first wagering game on a wagering game machine; means for tracking wagering game activity during the first wagering game; means for awarding one or more game modifiers, based on the wagering game activity, the one or more game modifiers configured to enhance performance during a second wagering game, the second wagering game configured to respond to a wagering game player'"'"'s skillful manipulation of one or more controllable wagering game elements, and the second wagering game having a winnable award amount that can be won during at least some portion of the second wagering game; and means for activating the one or more game modifiers during the second wagering game to improve performance for the second wagering game. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification