Central determination gaming system which provides a player a choice in outcomes

• US 7,192,348 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan D., Brosnan, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US10/442,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463/26, 463/27, 463 40- 43, 273/138.1, 273/193, 273/269, 273/144.R, 273/144.A, 273/144.B, 283/903, 379/93.13
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A central determination gaming system which provides a player a choice in outcomes. In one embodiment of the present invention, upon a player initiating a game play at one of a plurality of gaming terminals in communication with a central controller, the central controller selects a plurality of game outcomes from a pool of game outcomes. The selected game outcomes are communicated to the gaming terminal and the gaming terminal provides one of the selected game outcomes to the player based on at least one choice made by the player regarding the game play. The provided game outcome is prevented from further selections from the pool of game outcomes.

Claims

1. A central determination gaming system comprising:

a pool of predetermined game outcomes wherein at least two of said game outcomes are different; and

a central controller operable to store said pool of game outcomes, to select a plurality of game outcomes from said pool of game outcomes, to prevent said plurality of selected game outcomes from further selections from said pool, to communicate said plurality of selected game outcomes to a gaming terminal, to receive a notification from said gaming terminal of which one of said selected game outcomes was provided to a player based on at least one decision made by the player in a play of a wagering game and to allow the plurality of game outcomes not provided to the player in the play of the wagering game to be available for further selections from said pool for at least one subsequent play of the wagering game.

2. The central determination gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of pools of game outcomes.

3. The central determination gaming system of claim 1, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is based on a plurality of decisions made by the player.

4. The central determination gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selected game outcomes includes an initial game outcome and a plurality of potential game outcomes whereby the potential game outcomes are selected based on the initial game outcome.

5. A central determination gaming system comprising:

a pool of game outcomes, wherein said pool includes a plurality of predetermined game outcomes and at least two of said game outcomes are different;

a central controller operable to select a plurality of said game outcomes, to prevent said plurality of selected game outcomes from further selections from said pool, to output the plurality of selected game outcomes, to receive a notification of which one of said game outcomes was provided to a player based on at least one player decision in a play of a primary wagering game and to allow the plurality of game outcomes not provided to the player in the play of the primary wagering game to become available for further selections from said pool for at least one subsequent play of the primary wagering game; and

at least one gaming terminal including a display device and a processor operable with said central controller and said display device to enable the player to initiate the play of the primary wagering game wherein the primary wagering game includes a plurality of choices, to receive said plurality of selected game outcomes from the central controller, to enable the player to select one of said choices in the play of the primary wagering game, to provide the player one of said selected game outcomes based on the player'"'"'s choice in the play of the primary wagering game and to communicate to the central controller said notification of which game outcome was provided to the player.

6. The central determination gaming system of claim 5, which includes a plurality of pools of game outcomes.

7. The central determination gaming system of claim 5, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is based on a plurality of decisions made by the player.

8. The central determination gaming system of claim 5, wherein the processor of the gaming terminal is operable to associate the plurality of choices in the primary wagering game with the plurality of selected game outcomes.

9. The central determination gaming system of claim 8, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is the game outcome associated with the player'"'"'s choice in the play of the primary wagering game.

10. The central determination gaming system of claim 5, wherein said notification includes information based on said selected game outcomes not provided to the player.

11. The central determination gaming system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of selected game outcomes includes an initial game outcome and a plurality of potential game outcomes whereby the potential game outcomes are selected based on the initial game outcome.

12. The central determination gaming system of claim 11, wherein said processor of the gaming terminal is operable to present said initial game outcome to the player and enable the player to make at least one choice based on the presented initial game outcome.

13. A central determination gaming system comprising:

a pool of game outcomes, wherein said pool includes a plurality of predetermined game outcomes and at least two of said game outcomes are different;

a central controller operable to select a plurality of said game outcomes, to prevent said plurality of selected game outcomes from further selections from said pool and to output the plurality of selected game outcomes; and

at least one gaming terminal including a display device, a storage device and a processor operable with said central controller, said display device and said storage device to enable a player to initiate a play of a primary wagering game upon a wager placed by the player, wherein the primary wagering game includes a plurality of choices within the primary wagering game, to receive said plurality of selected game outcomes from the central controller, to associate said plurality of selected game outcomes with said plurality of choices in said primary wagering game, to enable the player to select one of said choices in the play of the primary wagering game, to provide the player said selected game outcome associated with said player'"'"'s choice in the play of the primary wagering game and to store said game outcomes not provided to the player for at least one subsequent play of the primary wagering game.

14. The central determination gaming system of claim 13, which includes a plurality of pools of game outcomes.

15. The central determination gaming system of claim 13, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is based on a plurality of decisions made by the player in said play of the primary wagering game.

16. The central determination gaming system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of selected game outcomes includes an initial game outcome and a plurality of potential game outcomes whereby the potential game outcomes are selected based on the initial game outcome.

17. A gaming terminal comprising:

a primary wagering game operable upon a wager by a player, wherein a play of said primary wagering game includes a plurality of choices within the play of said primary wagering game;

a display device; and

a processor in communication with said display device operable to enable the player to initiate the play of the primary wagering game, to receive a plurality of game outcomes from a central controller, to associate said plurality of game outcomes with said plurality of choices in the primary wagering game, to enable the player to select at least one of said choices in the play of the primary wagering game, to provide the player the game outcome associated with said player'"'"'s choice in the play of the primary wagering game and to communicate a notification of said provided game outcome to the central controller, wherein any received game outcomes not provided to the player are available for at least one subsequent play of the primary wagering game.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein said notification includes information based on said plurality of game outcomes not provided to the player.

19. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the plurality of received game outcomes includes an initial game outcome and a plurality of potential game outcomes whereby the potential game outcomes are based on the initial game outcome.

20. The gaming terminal of claim 19, wherein said processor is operable to present the initial game outcome to the player.

21. The gaming terminal of claim 20, wherein said plurality of choices in the primary wagering game are based on said presented initial game outcome.

22. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein said processor is operable to retain said received game outcomes not provided to the player for at least one subsequent play of the primary wagering game.

23. A method of operating a central determination gaming system said method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a plurality of game outcomes from a pool of game outcomes;

(b) flagging said selected game outcomes for a first play of a primary wagering game, wherein said flagged game outcomes are prevented from a subsequent selection from said pool;

(c) communicating said selected game outcomes to a gaming terminal, wherein said gaming terminal provides a player one of said selected game outcomes based on at least one decision made by the player in the first play of the primary wagering game;

(d) receiving a notification of which selected game outcome the gaming terminal provided to the player based on said decision by the player; and

(e) removing the flags from said selected game outcomes not provided to the player for a second play of the primary wagering game.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is based on a plurality of decisions made by the player.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of selected game outcomes includes an initial game outcome and a plurality of potential game outcomes whereby the potential game outcomes are selected based on the initial game outcome.

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

(a) enabling a player to initiate a play of a primary wagering game, wherein said primary wagering game includes a plurality of choices in said primary wagering game;

(b) receiving a plurality of game outcomes from a central controller;

(c) enabling the player to select at least one of said choices in the play of said primary wagering game;

(d) providing the player one of said game outcomes based on the player selected choice in the play of said primary wagering game; and

(e) communicating a notification of said provided game outcome to the central controller, wherein any received game outcomes not provided to the player are available for at least one subsequent play of the primary wagering game.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said game outcome provided to the player is based on a plurality of choices made by the player in the play of said primary wagering game.