Gaming device having risk evaluation bonus round

• US 6,758,750 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Webb, Bayard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHBURN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US10/454,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 463/10, 463/11, 463/16-20, 463/25, 463/30, 463/31, 463/36, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273/292, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A gaming device and preferably a bonus round game of a gaming device that provides an offer/acceptance game, wherein the player preferably knows all the necessary information to make an informed decision whether to risk a currently held award and attempt to obtain a higher value award. The game determines the success or failure of a game event regardless of whether the player risks the offer award. If the player keeps an offer award, the game still displays a success or failure outcome, so that the player can see what the player missed, good or bad. The game also includes a plurality of levels or offers, wherein the player can sequentially trade up a currently held offer award a plurality of preferably predetermined times. The game is preferably embodied in a plurality of sequentially more difficult motorcycle jumps.

Claims

1. A gaming device under the control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a success award displayed by said display device, said success award provided to a player if said processor randomly generates a success outcome;

an offer award displayed by said display device, said offer award provided to the player if the player forgoes an opportunity to achieve said success award;

a probability of generating said success outcome displayed by said display device;

a selector for enabling the player to keep said offer award or, forgo the offer award and try for said success outcome; and

an exhibition displayed by said display device that reveals whether said success outcome is randomly generated, wherein said random generation and said exhibition take place even if the player keeps said offer award.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a consolation award displayed by said display device, said consolation award provided to the player if said success award is not randomly generated.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of attempts, a number of said attempts enabling the player to keep an offer award or try for a success outcome.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, which includes at least two different success award pools, wherein said success award is selected from one of said success award pools.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, which includes different probabilities associated with the success awards in the success award pools.

6. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein each subsequent attempt includes a lower probability that the success outcome will be generated.

7. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the success award increases in each subsequent attempt.

8. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein an offer award for a subsequent attempt is said success award from a previous attempt.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said success outcome is randomly generated based on said probability.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of success awards, offer awards and attempts, wherein each attempt includes one of the offer awards and one of the success awards.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the offer award for one of the attempts is said success award from a previous one of the attempts.

10. A gaming device comprising:

a success award;

an offer award;

a probability of obtaining said success award;

an exhibition that reveals whether a player obtains or would have obtained said success award;

a display device; and

a processor operable with said display device to enable the player to keep said offer award or, forgo the offer award and try for said success award, provide said offer award to the player if the player keeps said offer award, determine based on the probability whether the player obtains said success award if the player tries for said success award, display said exhibition, based on the determination of success even if the player keeps said offer award and does not try for said success award and provide said success award to the player if the player tries for said success award and the determination is to provide the success award to the player.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein said processor is operable to simultaneously display said offer award, said success award and said probability to the player.

12. The gaming device of claim 10, which includes a consolation award.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein said processor is operable to provide the player said consolation award if the player does not receive said success award.

14. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein said probability includes a percentage of obtaining said success award.

15. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein said probability includes odds of obtaining said success award.

18. A gaming device comprising:

a primary wagering game operable upon a wager by a player;

a success award;

a probability of obtaining said success award;

an offer award;

an exhibition that reveals whether the player obtains or would have obtained said success award; and

a triggering event in said primary wagering game, wherein after the occurrence of said triggering event the player is enabled to keep said offer award or, forgo the offer award and try for said success award, the offer award is provided to the player if the player keeps said offer award, a random determination is made based on the probability whether to provide the success award to the player if the player tries for said success award, said exhibition is displayed to the player, based on the determination of success even if the player keeps said offer award and does not try for the success award and the success award is provided to the player if the player tries for said success award and the determination is to provide the success award to the player.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, said offer award, said success award and said probability are simultaneously displayed to the player.

20. The gaming device of claim 18, which includes a consolation award.

21. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein said consolation award is provided to the player if the player is not provided said success award.

22. A gaming device comprising:

a plurality of success awards, wherein each success award is associated with a probability of being selected;

a plurality of probabilities of obtaining each of said success awards, wherein each probability is associated with a probability of being selected;

an offer award;

an exhibition that reveals whether the player obtains or would have obtained one of said success awards;

a display device; and

a processor operable with said display device to;

(a) select one of said success awards based on said associated probability;

(b) select one of said probabilities of obtaining said selected success award wherein said selected probability is based on said associated probability;

(d) enable the player to keep said offer award or, forgo the offer award and try for said selected success award;

(e) provide said offer award to the player if the player keeps said offer award;

(f) determine based on said selected probability whether to provide the success award to the player if the player tries for said selected success award;

(g) display said exhibition to the player, based on the determination in step (f), even if the player keeps said offer award and does not try for the success award; and

(h) provide said selected success award to the player if the player tries for said selected success award and the determination is to provide the success award to the player.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, which includes a consolation award.

24. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein said consolation award is provided to the player if the player is not provided said success award.

25. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein said processor is operable to simultaneously display to the player said offer award, said selected success award and said selected probability associated with said selected success award.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the game is provided to the player through a data network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the data network is an internet.

26. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a success award;

(b) displaying a probability of whether an event of said gaming device will be successful;

(c) enabling a player to input a decision whether to initiate said event, forgo the offer award and try for said success award or not to initiate said event and keep an offer award;

(d) receiving an input from the player; and

(e) displaying whether said event of said gaming device is successful based on the determination of success, based on said displayed probability, even if the player inputted the decision not to initiate said event and keep said offer award.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein selecting a success award includes selecting a consolation award.

28. The method of claim 27, which includes the step of displaying at least one of said success award, said offer award and said consolation award after step (a).

29. The method of claim 27, which includes the step of providing said consolation award to the player if the player inputs a decision to initiate said event and if said event is not successful.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein enabling the player to input a decision whether to initiate said event or not includes enabling the player to keep said offer award or risk said offer award and try for said success award.

31. The method of claim 26, which includes the step of providing said offer award to the player if the player inputs a decision to keep said offer award.

32. The method of claim 26, which includes the step of returning to step (a) if the player inputs a decision to initiate said event and if said event is successful.

33. The method of claim 32, which includes the step of assigning said success award to the next offer award if the player inputs a decision to initiate said event and said event is successful.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying whether said event of said gaming device is successful is based on said displayed probability.

37. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling the player to accept an offer award, forgo the offer award and or try to obtain a success award;

(b) providing said offer award to the player, if the player accepts the offer award;

(c) determining based on a probability of obtaining the success award whether the player obtains the success award, if the player tries to obtain the success award;

(d) displaying an exhibition which reveals whether, based on the determination in step (c), the player obtains said success award, even if the player accepted said offer award and did not try for the success award; and

(e) providing the obtained success award to the player if the player tries to obtain the success award and the determination in step (c) is to provide the success award to the player.

38. The method of claim 37, which includes the step of displaying said offer award, said success award and said probability to the player.

39. The method of claim 37, which includes the step of providing a consolation award to the player if the player tries to obtain said success award and does not obtain said success award.

40. The method of claim 37, which includes the step of repeating steps (a) through (e) if the player obtains said success award.

41. The method of claim 40, which includes the step of assigning said obtained success award to the next offer award.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the steps are provided to the player through a data network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the data network is an internet.

44. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a success award from a plurality of success awards, wherein said success award is selected based on a probability associated with said success award;

(b) selecting a probability of obtaining said selected success award from a plurality of probabilities, wherein said probability of obtaining said selected success award is selected based on a probability associated with said probability of obtaining said selected success award;

(c) enabling the player to accept an offer award or, forgo the offer award and try to obtain said selected success award;

(d) providing said offer award to the player, if the player accepts the offer award;

(e) determining based on said selected probability of obtaining said selected success award whether the player obtains the selected success award, if the player tries to obtain the selected success award;

(f) displaying an exhibition which reveals whether, based on the determination in step (e), the player obtains said selected success award, even if the player accepted said offer award and did not try for the selected success award; and

(g) providing the obtained selected success award to the player if the player tries to obtain the selected success award and the determination in step (c) is to provide the selected success award to the player.

45. The method of claim 44, which includes the step of displaying said offer award, said selected success award and said selected probability of obtaining said selected success award to the player.

46. The method of claim 44, which includes the step of providing a consolation award to the player if the player tries to obtain said selected success award and does not obtain said selected success award.

47. The method of claim 44, which includes the step of repeating steps (a) through (g) if the player obtains said selected success award.

48. The method of claim 47, which includes the step of assigning said obtained selected success award to the next offer award.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the steps are provided to the player through a data network.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the data network is an internet.