Player-selected variable jackpot gaming method and device

• US 5,851,147 A
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bob Stupak, David Sklansky
• Original Assignee: Bob Stupak, David Sklansky
• Inventors: Stupak, Bob, Sklansky, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US08/717,383
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 463/10, 463/11, 463/12, 463/13, 463/18, 463/19, 463/20, 463/21, 463/25, 463/26, 463/27, 273/143 R
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

An electronic gaming method and device in which the player is able to choose from among a variety of jackpots and associated pay-out schedules varying from low to high jackpot amounts. Best suited to video poker machines, the invention permits the player to choose between higher Royal Flush jackpots tied to lower pay-outs for lower-ranked hands, and lower Royal Flush jackpots tied to higher pay-outs for more frequently achieved lower-ranked hands. In this way, a quarter ($0.25) video poker machine may have a jackpot for a "Royal Flush" ranging up to $25,000 (on the basis of a $1.25 bet) without the need to accumulate funds in a "progressive" jackpot or to interconnect groups of machines. Special jackpots can also be awarded for "Sequential," "Pat" or "Pat Sequential" Royal Flushes allowing jackpots up to $1,000,000 on quarter ($0.25) video poker machines without the need for the player to choose between machines and/or locations to locate desired jackpot amounts.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

(a) means for accepting a wager from a player;

(b) means for displaying a multiplicity of alternative jackpots;

(c) means responsive to said player'"'"'s input for selecting from among said multiplicity of said jackpots;

(d) means for indicating the jackpot selected by the player;

(e) means for storing a pay-out schedule of one or more winning outcomes associated with the selected jackpot in memory storage means;

(f) means for randomly selecting an outcome for the game;

(g) means for comparing the selected outcome with the payout schedule of winning outcomes to determine if the selected outcome is a winning outcome;

(h) means for awarding a prize for obtaining a winning outcome;

(i) means for determining said prize to be awarded including at least one algorithm which iteratively tests said resulting payout schedule against optimum characteristics stored in said memory storage means to choose the most optimal pay-out schedule.

2. A gaming device of the type including a processor adapted to randomly select for each game a winning and losing outcomes, means for accepting a wager to play the device and means for paying the player for obtaining designated winning outcome(s), said device comprising:

a payout display;

data storage means including data for each of a plurality of payout schedules, each schedule adapted to provide a house take within a preselected range and each schedule providing a preselected jackpot payout for at least one designated winning outcome;

a selector for the player to select prior to the play of any game from the data storage means a desired payout schedule, said schedule including said jackpot associated with the desired schedule displayed at the display;

means for rewarding the player for obtaining a winning outcome according to the payout schedule selected by the player.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the gaming device is of the type for playing a video Poker game, said data storage means including for each payout schedule a jackpot payout for obtaining a Royal Flush.

4. The device of claim 3 including substantially the pay out schedules set forth in Table 1 below

5. The device of claim 3 including substantially the pay schedules set forth in Table 2 below

6. A method for playing a casino game providing player selected pay out schedules comprising:

providing a game which provides for each play of the game a plurality of randomly selected outcomes, certain of said outcomes designated as winning outcomes and at least one of said winning outcomes designated as a jackpot outcome;

the player making a wager to play each game;

the player, prior to playing a game, opting to select from a plurality of provided pay out schedules, each schedule providing at least one unique winning outcome payoff and each schedule adapted to provide the casino with substantially the same house take; and

playing the game to obtain an outcome and if the outcome is a winning outcome providing a pay out to the player based upon the player selected pay out schedule.

7. The method of claim 6 including providing the game as a video Poker-type game and designating the Royal Flush as a jackpot outcome.

8. The method of claim 7 including the player selecting from at least a plurality of the pay out schedules set forth in Table 1

9. The method of claim claim 7 including the player selecting from at least a plurality of the pay out schedules set forth in Table 2