Game of chance

• US 6,210,277 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stefan, Alexander
• Original Assignee: Stefan, Alexander
• Inventors: Stefan, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasick, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/162,422
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/20, 463/25, 463/26, 463/27, 463/28, 463/42, 273/142 R, 273/143 R, 273/293, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/27
• 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

Abstract

A plurality of gaming machines are linked together and controlled by a central computer. A bonus system is incorporated into the play of the gaming machines and the central computer tracks the bonus system activity and makes the appropriates payouts. In the play of the gaming machines, a portion of the coins wagered are allocated to a bonus payout. Each player plays his gaming machines for a fixed time period (say 30 seconds) and the player with the highest payout during that time period wins the bonus jackpot. However, if two players tie during the time period, then the bonus payout money carries over to the next round of play. This allows the bonus payout to accumulate to a potentially large sum of money over a series of time periods if two or more players repeatedly tie each round of play. Eventually, a single player will have the highest winning amount during a time period and, not having been tied by another player, win a large bonus payout.

Claims

1. A method of playing a game of chance comprising:

a) providing a plurality of gaming machines linked together to a common computer, each machine having a maximum wager permitted to be played;

b) a plurality of players each playing one of the gaming machines;

c) each player playing the gaming machine for the same preselected period of time and each player making the maximum wager permitted to be played on the gaming machine to be eligible for a bonus payout;

d) allocating a portion of each wager to the bonus payout;

e) awarding the bonus payout to the player who achieves a winning combination ranked higher than that achieved by any other player during the preselected time period, unless two or more players tie by achieving the same higher-ranked winning combination during the time period;

f) if a tie occurs, carrying over the amount of the bonus payout to a next round of play wherein all of the plurality of players are eligible to play in the next round;

g) repeating steps c)-f) until only one player achieves a winning combination during a round of play ranked higher than all other players; and

h) awarding the bonus payout to said one player.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the preselected time period is thirty seconds.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the maximum wager is equivalent to five coins.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the portion of each wager allocated to the bonus payout is five percent.

5. The method of claim 1 in which at least one of the plurality of players is a fictional player programmed into the main computer, wherein a said fictional player is programmed to play each round of the game but does not contribute to the bonus payout.

6. A method of playing a game of chance comprising:

a) providing a plurality of video poker gaming machines linked together to a common computer;

b) a plurality of players each playing one of the video poker gaming machines;

c) each player playing the video poker gaming machine for a preselected period of time and each player making a required wager to be eligible for a bonus payout;

d) allocating a portion of each wager to the bonus payout;

e) awarding the bonus payout to the player who achieves a winning combination ranked higher than that achieved by any other player during the preselected time period, unless two or more players tie by achieving the same higher-ranked winning combination during the time period;

f) if a tie occurs, carrying over the amount of the bonus payout to a next round of play wherein all of the plurality of players are eligible to play in the next round;

g) repeating steps c)-f) until only one player achieves a winning combination during a round of play ranked higher than all other players; and

h) awarding the bonus payout to said one player.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the preselected time period is thirty seconds.

8. The method of claim 6 in which the maximum number of coins permitted to be played is five.

9. The method of claim 6 in which the portion of each wager allocated to the bonus payout is five percent.

10. The method of claim 6 in which the player must have at least a Three of a Kind in order to be eligible to win the bonus payout.