Self-learning gaming machine

• US 6,485,367 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Joshi, Shridhar P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Esquivel, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/917,040
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/20, 463/21, 463/23, 463/11
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A self-learning gaming machine comprises a game of chance executed by a processor in response to a wager. The game includes a plurality of symbol-bearing indicia and an adjustable parameter. The adjustable parameter is adjusted by the processor for future plays of the game based on a player'"'"'s selections affecting outcomes of at least one previous plays. During the previous play, the player'"'"'s selection is made after the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are displayed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a game of chance on a gaming machine, comprising:

(a) receiving a wager to initiate a play of the game;

(b) displaying a plurality of symbol-bearing indicia during the play;

(c) after displaying the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia during the play, receiving a player'"'"'s selection affecting an outcome of the play; and

(d) based on the player'"'"'s selection, adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is a card game and the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are playing cards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is a slot reel game and the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are mechanical or simulated slot reels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the player'"'"'s selection identifies which of the symbol-bearing indicia to hold or discard.

5. The method of claim 4, further including making a recommendation to the player as to which of the symbol-bearing indicia to hold or discard, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting the recommendation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game includes a plurality of winning outcomes, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting a frequency of hitting any of the winning outcomes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the game includes a pay table having a plurality of winning outcomes and payouts associated with the respective winning outcomes, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting one or more of the payouts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the game includes a plurality of possible outcomes and probabilities of hitting the respective possible outcomes, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting one or more of the probabilities.

9. The method of claim 1, further including presenting a plurality of player-selectable strategy options;

wherein receiving a player'"'"'s selection affecting an outcome of the play includes receiving a player'"'"'s selection of one or more of the strategy options, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting the content of one or more of the strategy options presented to the player.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is characterized by a volatility index, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting the volatility index.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the game includes a basic game and a bonus game, the basic game including a plurality of possible outcomes, the plurality of possible outcomes including a start-bonus outcome for triggering the bonus game, and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays includes adjusting a frequency of hitting the start-bonus outcome.

12. The method of claim 1, further including repeating steps (a), (b), and (c), and wherein adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays is based on the player'"'"'s selections during one or more of the previous plays.

13. A self-learning gaming machine, comprising:

means for receiving a wager to initiate a play of a game of chance;

means for displaying a plurality of symbol-bearing indicia during the play;

means, after the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are displayed during the play, for receiving a player'"'"'s selection affecting an outcome of the play; and

means, based on the player'"'"'s selection during one or more of the previous plays, for adjusting a parameter of the game for future plays.

14. A self-learning gaming machine, comprising a game of chance executed by a processor in response to a wager, the game including a plurality of symbol-bearing indicia and an adjustable parameter, the adjustable parameter being adjusted by the processor for future plays of the game based on a player'"'"'s selection affecting an outcome of at least one previous play, the player'"'"'s selection being made after the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are displayed during the previous play.

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game is a card game and the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are playing cards.

16. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game is a slot reel game and the plurality of symbol-bearing indicia are mechanical or simulated slot reels.

17. The machine of claim 14, wherein the player'"'"'s selection identifies which of the symbol-bearing indicia to hold or discard.

18. The machine of claim 17, wherein the game makes a recommendation to the player as to which of the symbol-bearing indicia to hold or discard, the adjustable parameter being the recommendation.

19. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game includes a plurality of winning outcomes, the adjustable parameter being a frequency of hitting any of the winning outcomes.

20. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game includes a pay table having a plurality of winning outcomes and payouts associated with the respective winning outcomes, the adjustable parameter being one or more of the payouts.

21. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game includes a plurality of possible outcomes and probabilities of hitting the respective possible outcomes, the adjustable parameter being one or more of the probabilities.

22. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game includes a plurality of player-selectable strategy options presented to a player for selection, the adjustable parameter being the content of one or more of the strategy options.

23. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game is characterized by a volatility index, the adjustable parameter being the volatility index.

24. The machine of claim 14, wherein the game includes a basic game and a bonus game, the basic game including a plurality of possible outcomes, the plurality of possible outcomes including a start-bonus outcome for triggering the bonus game, the