Auxiliary game with random prize generation

• US 5,743,800 A
• Filed: 08/16/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BCD Mecanique Ltee
• Inventors: Berube, Real, Huard, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/698,972
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/12, 463/13, 463/27, 463/17, 463/26, 465/25, 273/292, 273/148.13, 364/410, 364/412
• US Class Current: 463/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/003 Blackjack; Twenty one
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0017 progressive jackpot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/142 with pay-out or rewarding with a prize
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

An auxiliary game provides an auxiliary opportunity for players at a casino to win a prize by participating with a relatively small contribution each time they play a round in the principal casino game. To increase the element of random chance or luck in winning a prize in the game, a method and apparatus is provided for randomly choosing a winning card or combination of cards, or randomly selecting a person or group of persons eligible to win upon possession of the card or combination of cards. The amount of the prize can also be randomly selected either as a fixed amount or percentage of a maximum amount or a progressive jackpot.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game consisting of an auxiliary prize game played along with a principal casino game played by a plurality of players located at a plurality of player positions around a casino table, each one of said players possessing a number of gaming symbols as a result of playing said principal casino game, said auxiliary prize game being played at the same time as playing the principal casino game, the method comprising the following steps:

said players paying to participate in said game;

choosing at random a winning set of gaming symbols;

playing said principal casino game to its normal conclusion;

displaying to said players said winning set of gaming symbols;

determining as being eligible to win a prize in said auxiliary game ones of said players possessing gaming symbols matching said winning set of gaming symbols; and

awarding said prize to said players determined to be eligible in the previous step.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining further comprises said players paying an auxiliary wager to be eligible to win said prize.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

choosing at least one of none, one and some of said player positions at an end of the principal game to obtain a chosen set of player positions; and

indicating which of said player positions are chosen, said step of determining further comprising excluding ones of said players not located at a randomly selected one of said player positions from being eligible to win said prize.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising steps of:

choosing at random one of none, one and some of said player positions at an end of the principal game to obtain a chosen set of player positions; and

indicating which of said player positions are chosen, said step of determining further comprising excluding ones of said players not located at a randomly selected one of said player positions from being eligible to win said prize.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of randomly selecting as a maximum amount of a prize in the auxiliary prize game an amount value randomly picked according to a predetermined distribution from a range of values, wherein said step of awarding comprises awarding a predetermined fraction of said maximum prize amount to said players determined to be eligible.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

choosing at random one of none, one and some of said player positions at an end of the principal game to obtain a chosen set of player positions; and

indicating which of said player positions are chosen, said step of awarding further comprising awarding a bonus prize amount to ones of said players possessing cards matching said winning set of cards who are also located at one of said chosen player positions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said principal casino game is a card game, and said gaming symbols represent playing cards.

8. A method for playing a game consisting of an auxiliary prize game played along with a principal casino card game played by a plurality of players located at a plurality of player positions around a casino table, each one of said players possessing a number of cards as a result of playing said principal casino game, said auxiliary prize game being played at the same time as playing the principal casino game, the method comprising the following steps:

said players paying to participate in said game;

choosing at random one of none, one and some of said player positions at an end of the principal game to obtain a chosen set of player positions;

playing said principal casino game to its normal conclusion;

indicating said chosen set of said player positions;

determining as being eligible to win a prize in said auxiliary game ones of said players located in said chosen player positions and possessing cards matching a winning set of cards; and

awarding said prize to said players determined to be eligible in the previous step.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of determining further comprises said players paying an auxiliary wager to be eligible to win said prize.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of choosing at random said winning set of cards.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of choosing at random said winning set of cards.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of randomly selecting as a maximum amount of a prize in the auxiliary prize game an amount value randomly picked according to a predetermined distribution from a range of values, wherein said step of awarding comprises awarding a predetermined fraction of said maximum prize amount to said players determined to be eligible.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said prize is a bonus prize awarded in addition to a regular prize in said auxiliary game, said regular prizes being awarded independently of player position selection.

14. A method of playing a game consisting of an auxiliary prize game played along with a principal casino game played by a plurality of players located at a plurality of player positions around a casino table, each one of said players possessing a number of gaming symbols as a result of playing said principal casino game, said auxiliary game being played at the same time as playing the principal casino game, the method comprising the following steps:

said players paying to participate in said game;

randomly selecting as an amount of a prize in the auxiliary prize game an amount value randomly picked according to a predetermined distribution from a range of values;

playing said principal casino game to its normal conclusion;

determining as being eligible to win the prize ones of said players possessing gaming symbols matching a predetermined winning set of gaming symbols; and

awarding a predetermined fraction of said maximum prize amount to said players determined to be eligible in the previous step.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising steps of:

accepting an auxiliary game participation amount from ones of said players who want to participate in said auxiliary prize game; and

indicating which one of said players have given said participation amount and are participating in said auxiliary game;

wherein said step of determining includes excluding ones of said players who are not participation as being eligible to win.

16. An apparatus for playing a game consisting of an auxiliary prize game played along with a principal casino game played by a dealer and a plurality of players seated at a plurality of player positions at a casino gaming table, the players possessing a number of gaming symbols as a result of playing said principal casino game, the apparatus comprising:

input means for generating a game state signal in response to a dealer command input;

random selection means for generating at random a value representing at least one of;

(a) a set of said player positions, said set consisting of one of none, some and all of said player positions,

(b) a winning set of gaming symbols associated with normal play of said principal casino game,

(c) an amount of a prize to be won in said auxiliary game, said value being an amount value randomly picked according to a predetermined distribution from a range of values; and

selection indicating means for indicating based on said value and in response to said state signal at least one of;

ones of said player positions having been selected;

the selected winning set of gaming symbols; and

the selected prize amount, whereby players enjoy an extra random component in the determination of winnings in said auxiliary prize game.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising indicator means provided at each of said player positions for indicating whether a player at each position has contributed an amount at the beginning of said principal game to participate in the auxiliary game, said indicator means being reset at an end of said principal game.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said indicator means include a token accepting apparatus and a light at each of said player positions.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said random selection means randomly select a group of said player positions located at a common gaming table of said principal game.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said principal casino game is a card game, said gaming symbols represent playing cards, and said random selection means select a winning playing card symbol, whereby eligible players must possess the winning card to collect the prize.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said principal casino game is a card game, said gaming symbols represent playing cards, and said random selection means select a winning hand or combination of playing card symbols, whereby eligible players must possess the winning card combination to collect the prize.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said selected prize amount is a maximum prize amount to be awarded, said selection indicating means comprising display means for displaying said maximum prize amount.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said auxiliary prize is a cumulative jackpot whose value is a function of player contribution, said maximum prize amount being calculated as a random percentage of a total value of said progressive jackpot.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said state is at an end of said principal game, said indicator means comprising a reset switch for resetting said indicator means after determination of winners in said auxiliary game.

25. A method for playing a game consisting of an auxiliary prize game played along with a principal casino game played by a plurality of players located at a plurality of player positions around a casino table, each one of said players possessing a number of gaming symbols as a result of playing said principal casino game and being eligible to win a prize in said auxiliary prize game if in possession of gaming symbols matching a winning set of gaming symbols displayed to said players, said auxiliary prize game being played at the same time as playing the principal casino game, the method comprising the following steps:

said players paying to participate in said game;

choosing at random said winning set of gaming symbols, said winning set of gaming symbols normally representing gaming symbols of low value in said principal casino game;

playing said principal casino game to its normal conclusion;

determining as being eligible to win a prize in said auxiliary game ones of said players possessing gaming symbols matching said winning set of gaming symbols; and

awarding said prize to said players determined to be eligible in the previous step.