Gaming device having a selection award revealing game

• US 7,413,508 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne, Haag, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US10/446,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 463/11
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A gaming device and method having a selection award revealing bonus game, where during the primary game the player is awarded indicators. The gaming device reveals the values associated with selections in the bonus game, and the bonus game is initiated upon the player accumulating a predetermined combination of indicators. The player is allowed to pick the selections which the associated values have been previously revealed to the player and the gaming device provides awards associated with the picked selections to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to control each play of a game by;

(a) causing a plurality of masked selections to be displayed to a player, said plurality of masked selections associated with a plurality of awards including a largest award, each of said awards associated with at least one of said masked selections,

(b) unmasking at least one of said masked selections to reveal to the player the award associated with said at least one of the masked selections before enabling the player to pick any of the masked selections to inform the player that said award is associated with said selection for said play of the game, wherein one of the selections which is unmasked includes said masked selection associated with the largest award,

(c) enabling the player to pick at least one of the masked selections, and

(d) providing the player with at least one award associated with the player picked masked selection or selections, wherein the award provided to the player is determined after said player picks the masked selections, and wherein the award provided to the player does not have to be the displayed largest award.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes an animation which reveals to the player the award associated with a predetermined one of the masked selections, wherein if, after said processor enables the player to pick at least one of the masked selections, the player does not pick said predetermined one of the masked selections, the processor is programmed to cause the display device to display the animation and enable the player to pick again.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein if said player does not pick the masked selection associated with said largest award, the processor is programmed to enable the player to pick again.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the awards is not revealed to the player prior to enabling the player to pick at least one of the masked selections.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor is programmed to reveal the award associated with the at least one of the masked selections in a manner which gives an illusion that the gaming device is broken.