Methods and apparatus for a competitive bonus game with variable odds
First Claim
1. A gaming system for playing a competitive bonus game comprising:
- a first gaming apparatus comprising;
a game display unit;
a value input device;
a controller operatively coupled to said game display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,said controller being programmed to cause said game display unit to generate a game display relating to one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo,said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game;
a second gaming apparatus operatively coupled to said first gaming apparatus;
a bonus controller operatively coupled to said first and second gaming apparatuses, said bonus controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said bonus controller,said bonus controller being programmed to enter a first player at said first gaming apparatus into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with said game,wherein said competitive bonus game has a closed set of participants for said competitive bonus game, each of said participants attempting to achieve a goal, andwherein each of said participants has a probability of achieving said goal relative to all other participants in said closed set, said probability set to an initial value;
said bonus controller being programmed to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game,said bonus controller being programmed to only increase said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player, wherein increasing said probability for said participant decreases said probability for all other participants in said closed set,said bonus controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game, andsaid bonus controller being programmed to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game to said first and second gaming apparatuses.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A bonus controller for generating a competitive bonus game in a gaming system, the bonus controller having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The bonus controller being programmed to: receive wagering data corresponding to a casino game, enter a first player associated with a first gaming apparatus into the competitive bonus game when the first player obtains a qualifying win at the casino game, determine odds for the first player to win the competitive bonus game, vary odds of winning the competitive bonus game for at least a second player after entering the first player into the competitive bonus game, the second player having been previously entered into the competitive bonus game, determine an outcome of the competitive bonus game, and transmit data corresponding to the outcome of the competitive bonus game to a display unit.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A gaming system for playing a competitive bonus game comprising:
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a first gaming apparatus comprising; a game display unit; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said game display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to cause said game display unit to generate a game display relating to one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo,said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; a second gaming apparatus operatively coupled to said first gaming apparatus; a bonus controller operatively coupled to said first and second gaming apparatuses, said bonus controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said bonus controller, said bonus controller being programmed to enter a first player at said first gaming apparatus into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with said game, wherein said competitive bonus game has a closed set of participants for said competitive bonus game, each of said participants attempting to achieve a goal, and wherein each of said participants has a probability of achieving said goal relative to all other participants in said closed set, said probability set to an initial value; said bonus controller being programmed to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game, said bonus controller being programmed to only increase said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player, wherein increasing said probability for said participant decreases said probability for all other participants in said closed set, said bonus controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game, and said bonus controller being programmed to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game to said first and second gaming apparatuses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gaming system for playing a competitive bonus game comprising:
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a first gaming apparatus comprising; a display unit; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said first gaming apparatus, said controller being programmed to receive data representing a payline selection made by a first player, said controller being programmed to cause a game display to be generated by said display unit, said game display comprising images of a plurality of slot machine symbols each of which is associated with a respective slot machine reel, said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a first configuration of said slot machine symbols; a second gaming apparatus operatively coupled to said first gaming apparatus, said second gaming apparatus comprising; a display unit; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said second gaming apparatus, said controller being programmed to receive data representing a payline selection made by a second player, said controller being programmed to cause a game display to be generated by said display unit, said game display comprising images of a plurality of slot machine symbols each of which is associated with a respective slot machine reel, said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols; a bonus controller operatively coupled to said first and second gaming apparatuses, said bonus controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said bonus controller, said bonus controller being programmed to receive data from said first and second gaming apparatuses, said bonus controller being programmed to enter said first player at said first gaming apparatus into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with said slots game, wherein said competitive bonus game has a closed set of participants for said competitive bonus game, each of said participants attempting to achieve a goal, and wherein each of said participants has a probability of achieving said goal relative to all other participants in said closed set, said probability set to an initial value; said bonus controller being programmed to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game, said bonus controller being programmed to only increase said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player, wherein increasing said probability for said participant decreases said probability for all other participants in said closed set, said bonus controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game, and said bonus controller being programmed to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game to said first and second gaming apparatuses. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A bonus controller for generating a competitive bonus game in a gaming system, said bonus controller comprising:
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a processor; a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said bonus controller being programmed to receive data corresponding to a game selected from one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo,said bonus controller being programmed to enter a first player associated with a first gaming apparatus into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with one of said games, wherein said competitive bonus game has a closed set of participants for said competitive bonus game, each of said participants attempting to achieve a goal, and wherein each of said participants has a probability of achieving said goal relative to all other participants in said closed set, said probability set to an initial value; said bonus controller being programmed to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game, said bonus controller being programmed to only increase said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player, wherein increasing said probability for said participant decreases said probability for all other participants in said closed set, said bonus controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game, and said bonus controller being programmed to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A gaming method, comprising:
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causing a game display of one of the following games to be generated on a display unit of a first gaming apparatus;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;causing a game display of one of the following games to be generated on a display unit of a second gaming apparatus;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;determining an event associated with said game represented by said game display generated on said display unit of said first gaming apparatus; transmitting data from said first gaming apparatus to a bonus controller; determining if said event is a qualifying event for a competitive bonus game; qualifying a first player at said first gaming apparatus for said competitive bonus game if said event is a qualifying event; limiting said competitive bonus game to a closed set of participants, each of said participants attempting to reach a goal; establishing an initial probability of achieving said goal for each of said participants relative to all other participants in said closed set; associating said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game; increasing only said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability and decreasing said probability for all other participants in said closed set, upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player; initiating said competitive bonus game; transmitting display data associated with said competitive bonus game from said bonus controller to a display unit; and determining a value payout associated with a bonus outcome of said competitive bonus game. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A gaming method, comprising:
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causing a video image representing a game to be generated at a first gaming apparatus, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus comprises video keno, and said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus comprises video bingo; and
,determining an event associated with said game represented by said video image generated at said first gaming apparatus; determining if said event is a qualifying event for a competitive bonus game; qualifying a first player for said competitive bonus game if said event is a qualifying event; limiting said competitive bonus game to a closed set of participants, each of said participants attempting to reach a goal; establishing an initial probability of achieving said goal for each of said participants relative to all other participants in said closed set; associating said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game; increasing only said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability and decreasing said probability for all other participants in said closed set, upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player; causing a video image representing said competitive bonus game to be generated, said video image representing a race-type competitive bonus game or a rotating wheel type competitive bonus game; initiating said competitive bonus game; generating a randomized computation of said participant modified according to said probability associated with said participant; and identifying which participant achieves its'"'"' goal first. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of providing a competitive bonus game in a gaming network, comprising:
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receiving data at a bonus controller, said data corresponding to play of one of the following games at a gaming apparatus;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;qualifying a first player for said competitive bonus game if an event associated with said game played at said gaming apparatus is a qualifying event; limiting said competitive bonus game to a closed set of participants, each of said participants attempting to reach a goal; establishing an initial probability of achieving said goal for each of said participants relative to all other participants in said closed set; associating said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game; increasing only said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability and decreasing said probability for all other participants in said closed set, upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player; initiating said competitive bonus game; transmitting display data associated with said competitive bonus game from said bonus controller to a display unit, said display unit being operatively coupled to said bonus controller; and determining a value payout associated with an outcome of said competitive bonus game. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A memory having a computer program stored therein, said computer program being capable of being used in connection with a bonus controller in a gaming system, said memory comprising:
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a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to receive data corresponding to a game, said game selected from one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to enter a first player into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with said game; a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to limit said competitive bonus game to a closed set of participants, each of said participants attempting to reach a goal; a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to establish an initial probability of achieving said goal for each of said participants relative to all other participants in said closed set; a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game; a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to increase only said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability and decreasing said probability for all other participants in said closed set, upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player; a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game; and a memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said bonus controller to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game to a display unit. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification