Keno machine with two separate plays

• US 5,651,735 A
• Filed: 11/01/1994
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Baba, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/332,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138 A, 273/139, 273/85 CP, 273/144 R, 273/269, 273/272, 273/294, 463/18
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

The keno playing machine according to the present invention comprises selecting means for selecting a plurality of the keno balls less than a set number out of keno balls displayed on a display screen in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation, extracting means for extracting at random a required number of the keno balls out of the keno balls displayed on the display screen, first counting means for comparing the extracted keno balls to the selected keno balls to count hit winning balls, additionally extracting means for additionally extracting a required number of the keno balls out of the rest keno balls except said extracted keno balls when a number of the winning balls counted by the first counting means is above a set number, second counting means for comparing the additionally extracted keno balls to the selected keno balls to count a number of hit winning balls, and paying means for paying odds, based on a total of said number of the winning balls counted by the first counting means and said number of the additional winning balls counted by the second counting means, whereby addition of extra games can increase higher hit probabilities without changes to total hit probabilities.

Claims

1. A keno playing machine comprising:

a monitor for displaying a set number of keno balls;

selecting means for selecting a plurality of keno balls from the keno balls displayed on said monitor in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation to start a keno game;

first extracting means for extracting at random a first required number of the keno balls displayed on the monitor;

first win judging means for comparing the extracted keno balls to the selected keno balls and identifying first winning balls therefrom to judge a first win;

second extracting means for causing an extra game to be conducted in response to the first win, wherein said second extracting means extracts at random a second set number of keno balls out of the rest of said displayed keno balls except for said extracted keno balls;

second win judging means for comparing the extracted additional keno balls to said selected keno balls and identifying second winning balls therefrom to judge a second win; and

payout means for adding a number of second winning balls corresponding to the second win to a number of the first winning balls to pay odds based on a total of the first and the second winning ball numbers.

2. The game playing machine of claim 1, wherein the first win judging means disables the second extracting means when the number of extracted keno balls that correspond to the selected keno balls does not exceed a first threshold number.

3. The game playing machine of claim 1, wherein the first win judging means disables the second extracting means when each of the selected keno balls corresponds to one of the first extracted keno balls.

4. A keno playing machine comprising:

a monitor for displaying a set number of keno balls which are distinguishable from each other;

selecting means for selecting a plurality of the keno balls out of keno balls on the monitor by an operation of a player to start a keno game;

extracting means for extracting at random a first required number of the keno balls;

first win judging means for comparing the extracted keno balls by the extracting means to the selected keno balls selected by the selecting means and identifying first winning balls therefrom to judge a first win;

extra game means for causing an extra game to be played based on the first winning keno balls wherein the extra game means additionally extracts at random a second required number of the keno balls on the monitor except for the extracted keno balls;

second win judging means for comparing the additionally extracted keno balls to the selected keno balls and identifying second winning balls therefrom to judge a second win; and

paying means for adding a number of the second winning balls to a number of the first winning balls to pay odds corresponding to a total of the first and the second winning ball numbers.

5. The keno playing method of claim 4, wherein the step of causing an extra game to be conducted is not performed when the number of extracted keno balls that correspond to the selected keno balls does not exceed a first threshold number.

6. The game playing machine of claim 4, wherein the step of causing an extra game to be conducted is not performed when each of the selected keno balls corresponds to one of the first extracted keno balls.

7. A keno playing method comprising the steps of:

displaying keno balls on a monitor;

selecting a plurality of the keno balls out of the displayed keno balls in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation to start a keno game;

extracting at random a first required number of the displayed keno balls;

comparing the extracted keno balls to the selected keno balls to identify first winning balls therefrom to judge a first win;

causing an extra game to be conducted, based on a number of first winning balls corresponding to the first win, thereby extracting at random a second set number of keno balls out of the rest of the keno balls except said extracted keno balls;

comparing the extracted additional keno balls to said selected keno balls to identify second winning balls therefrom to judge a second win; and

adding a number of second winning balls corresponding to the second win to a number of the first winning balls to pay odds based on a total of the first and second winning ball numbers.

8. The keno playing method of claim 7, wherein the step of causing an extra game to be conducted is not performed when the number of first winning balls does not exceed a first threshold number.

9. The game playing machine of claim 7, wherein the step of causing an extra game to be conducted is not performed when each of the selected keno balls corresponds to one of the first extracted keno balls.

10. A keno playing machine, comprising:

a display screen configured to display a set of balls;

a control panel that accepts input from a player to

conduct a keno game; and

a controller, wherein

the controller selects, in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation, a plurality of keno balls from the set of keno balls displayed on the display screen;

the controller extracts at random a first number of keno balls from the set of keno balls displayed on the display screen;

the controller compares the extracted keno balls to the plurality of selected keno balls to judge a first win;

the controller causes an extra game to be conducted in response to the first win, wherein the controller extracts at random a second number of keno balls from the remaining, unextracted keno balls displayed on the display screen;

the controller compares the second number of extracted keno balls to the plurality of selected keno balls to judge a second win; and

the controller pays odds based on a combined total number of first winning balls and second winning balls.

11. The game playing machine of claim 10, wherein the controller prevents the extra game from being played when the number of first winning balls does not exceed a threshold number.

12. The game playing machine of claim 10, wherein the controller prevents the extra game from being played when each of the selected keno balls corresponds to one of the first extracted keno balls.

13. A keno playing machine, comprising:

a display screen configured to display a set of balls;

a control panel that accepts input from a player; and

a controller, wherein

the controller selects a plurality of the keno balls out of keno balls on the display screen by an operation of a player;

the controller extracts at random a first number of keno balls from the set of keno balls displayed on the display screen;

the controller judges a first win by comparing the extracted keno balls to the plurality of selected keno balls;

in the event of a first win, the controller extracts at random a second number of keno balls from the remaining, unselected keno balls displayed on the display screen;

the controller judges a second win by comparing the second set of extracted keno balls to the plurality of selected keno balls; and

the controller pays odds based on a total number of first winning balls and second winning balls.

14. The game playing machine of claim 13, wherein the controller prevents the extra game from being played when the number of first winning balls does not exceed a threshold number.

15. The game playing machine of claim 13, wherein the controller prevents the extra game from being played when each of the selected keno balls corresponds to one of the first extracted keno balls.

16. The machine of claim 13, wherein the displayed keno balls are each identified by a unique number.