Gaming device having offer/acceptance advance threshold and limit bonus scheme

• US 6,890,257 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US09/838,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

The present invention includes an improved offer acceptance game for a gaming or wagering device. One embodiment comprises: (i) an offer provided to a player; (ii) an input device by which the player accepts the offer; (ii) an input device by which the player rejects the offer; (iii) an advance threshold communicated to the player; and (iv) an advance provided to said player if the offer exceeds the advance threshold. The gaming device preferably includes at least one additional offer that is provided upon rejection of the first offer, wherein the game provides the advance if the final provided offer exceeds the advance threshold. The advance preferably includes another bonus game. The gaming device also preferably includes a limit communicated to said player, wherein the player does not obtain the advance if the second offer exceeds the limit.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to a player;

a plurality of offers adapted to be displayed to said player, at least one of said offers exceeding the advance threshold;

an offer generator adapted to generate a first and a second offer, said first offer being one of said plurality of offers;

an accept offer input;

a reject offer input; and

an advance,

whereby said offer generator generates said first offer, the player is enabled to accept or reject said first offer, said first offer is awarded to the player if the player accepts the first offer, said advance is provided to said player if said first offer exceeds said advance threshold, wherein said offer generator generates the second offer if the player rejects the first offer, and said advance is provided to the player if said second offer exceeds said advance threshold.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the offer generator is a wheel.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the offer generator is a reel.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the offer generator is at least one die.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the offer generator is a mechanical device.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second offer is one of said plurality of offers.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second offer is the combination of the first offer and one of said plurality of offers.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a limit adapted to be communicated to said player, whereby (i) said advance is provided to said player if said player accepts said first offer, said first offer exceeds said advance threshold and said first offer does not exceed said limit, and (ii) said advance is provided to said player if said player rejects said first offer, said second offer exceeds said advance threshold and said second offer does not exceed said limit.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes a consolation award awarded to said player if said second offer exceeds said limit.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a limit award awarded to said player if said second offer equals said limit.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a limit adapted to be communicated to said player, whereby said advance is provided to said player if said first offer provided to said player exceeds said advance threshold and does not exceed said limit.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes a consolation award awarded to said player if said first offer exceeds said limit.

13. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes a limit award awarded to said player if said first offer equals said limit.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the limit award is selected from a range from zero to an amount equal to the limit.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said advance is a bonus game which yields an award.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said advance is a bonus game which potentially yields an award.

17. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said advance includes a game event selected from the group consisting of:

a primary game, a bonus game and a portion of a bonus game.

18. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said advance is provided to the player if the player accepts said first offer.

19. A gaming device comprising:

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to a player;

a limit adapted to be communicated to said player;

a range at least partially defined by one of said advance threshold and said limit;

a plurality of offers adapted to be displayed to said player, at least one of said offers in said range;

an offer generator adapted to generate a first offer and a second offer, said first offer being one of said plurality of offers;

an accept offer input;

a reject offer input; and

an advance whereby said offer generator generated said first offer, the player is enabled to accept or reject said first offer, said first offer is awarded to the player if the player accepts said first offer, said advance is adapted provided to the player if said first offer is in said range, said offer generator generates said second offer if the player rejects said first offer, and said advance is provided to the player if said second offer is in said range.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein said advance threshold and said limit are numbers and said range includes said advance threshold, said limit and the numbers between said advance threshold and said limit.

21. The gaming device of claim 19, which includes a bonus award provided to said player if the first offer equals said limit.

22. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein said second offer is the combination of the first offer and one of said plurality of offers.

23. The gaming device of claim 19, which includes a consolation award provided to said player if said second offer exceeds said limit.

24. The gaming device of claim 19, which includes a limit award awarded to said player if said first or second offer equals said limit.

25. The gaming device of claim 19, which includes a limit award adapted to be provided to the player if said first offer or said second offer equals said limit.

26. The gaming device of claim 25, wherein the limit award is adapted to be determined by the offer generator.

27. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein said advance is provided to the player if the player accepts said first offer.

40. The method of claim 27, which includes the step of providing an advance to said player if said second offer exceeds said advance threshold.

41. The method of claim 27, which includes the step of communicating a limit to said player.

42. The method of claim 41, which includes the step of awarding a limit award to said player if said initial offer equals said limit.

43. The method of claim 41, which includes the step of awarding a limit award to said player if said second offer equals said limit.

44. The method of claim 43, which includes the step of combining the limit award with an extra award achieved through a random generation of a predetermined condition.

45. The method of claim 41, which includes the step of awarding a consolation award to said player if said second offer exceeds said limit.

28. A gaming device comprising:

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to a player;

a limit adapted to be communicated to said player;

a range at least partially defined by said advance threshold and said limit;

a plurality of offers adapted to be provided to said player, at least one of said offers in said range;

an accept offer input;

at least one reject offer input;

an offer generator adapted to generate a first offer from said plurality of offers, and adapted to generate a second offer, said second offer being a combination of the first offer and one of said plurality of offers; and

an advance,

whereby (a) the first offer is awarded to the player if the player accepts the first offer, (b) said advance is provided to said player if said first offer is in the range and the player accepts the first offer, (c) said offer generator generates said second offer if the player rejects the first offer, and (d) said advance is provided to said player if said second offer is in said range.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, which includes a consolation award adapted to be provided to the player if the second offer exceeds the limit.

30. The gaming device of claim 28, which includes a limit award awarded to said player if said first offer or said second offer equals said limit.

31. The gaming device of claim 28, which includes a limit award is a bonus event.

32. A gaming device comprising:

a limit adapted to be communicated to said player;

a plurality of offers adapted to be provided to said player;

an accept offer input;

at least one reject offer input;

an offer generator adapted to generate a first offer and a second offer if said first offer is rejected;

a limit award adapted to be provided to said player if the first offer or second offer equals said limit; and

a consolation award adapted to be provided to said player if said second offer exceeds said limit.

33. The gaming device of claim 32, which includes

an advance;

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to said player; and

a range at least partially defined by said advance threshold and said limit, whereby said advance is provided to said player if said player accepts said first offer and said first offer is in said range, or the first offer is rejected and said second offer is in said range.

34. A gaming device comprising:

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to a player;

a plurality of offers adapted to be made to said player, at least one of said offers exceeding the advance threshold;

an offer generator;

means for the player to accept or reject said offers; and

an advance,

whereby (a) the offer made to the player is awarded to the player if the player accepts said offer, (b) the advance is provided to said player if the player accepts the offer made to the player and said offer exceeds said advance threshold, (c) said offer generator generates another offer if the player rejects the offer made to the player and the offer is not a last offer, and (d) said advance is provided to said player if said last offer exceeds said advance threshold.

35. A gaming device comprising:

an advance threshold adapted to be communicated to a player;

a limit adapted to be communicated to said player;

a range at least partially defined by one of said advance threshold and said limit;

a plurality of offers adapted to be provided to said player, at least one of said offers is within said range;

an offer generator;

means for enabling the player to accept or reject said offers, wherein if the player accepts one of said offers, said accepted offer is provided to the player and if the player rejects one of said offers, another one of said offers is provided to the player; and

an advance adapted to be provided to said player if one of the offers provided to the player is within said range.

36. A gaming device comprising:

a first bonus game including an advance threshold;

means in said first bonus game for enabling a player to risk an offer made to the player to achieve said advance threshold; and

a second bonus game adapted to be played if the advance threshold is achieved by the player in the first bonus game.

37. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the first bonus game includes a limit and a range at least partially defined by said advance threshold and said limit, whereby the player must obtain an offer within the range to play the second bonus game.

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

(a) providing an initial offer to a player;

(b) communicating an advance threshold to said player;

(c) enabling the acceptance of said initial offer;

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

(e) enabling said player to reject said initial offer;

(f) providing at least another offer to the player, if the player rejects said initial offer; and

(g) providing an advance to said player if said initial offer exceeds said advance threshold.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein enabling said acceptance includes automatically accepting said offer when said offer exceeds said advance threshold.

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

(a) communicating an advance threshold to said player;

(b) communicating a limit to said player;

(c) providing an offer to a player;

(d) enabling said player to accept said offer;

(e) enabling said player to reject said offer; and

(f) providing an advance to said player if said offer is in a range defined by said advance threshold and said limit.