Gaming device having multiple selection groups with related picks

• US 7,544,129 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2003
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US10/657,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A game for a wagering gaming device including a plurality of levels of selections. The game provides the player with a number of picks. When the player makes a pick from one of the selection levels, the game reveals an outcome. The outcome can be a “repeat” outcome, wherein the pick counts and the player picks again from the same level. The outcome can be an “advance” outcome, wherein the pick counts and the player picks from a next selection level. The outcome can be a “pass” outcome, wherein the pick does not count against the player'"'"'s total picks and which enables the player to pick from a next selection level. In general, the player'"'"'s award is greater the more the player can pick from higher levels. In one embodiment, the pass enables the player to pick from a previous selection level.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device; and

at least one processor configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, for each of a plurality of plays of a game;

select one of a plurality of different levels, each of said plurality of different levels including a clue associated with that level and a plurality of responses to that clue, wherein the clue indicates at least two but less than all of the plurality of responses which are preferred responses,

randomly select one of the at least two preferred responses to be a designated preferred response, wherein for a first of the plurality of plays of the game, a first one of the at least two preferred responses is the designated preferred response to a designated clue, and wherein for a second of the plurality of plays of the game, a different second one of the at least two preferred responses is the designated preferred response to said same designated clue,

randomly associate each of a plurality of masked selections with one of the responses to the clue, wherein the masked selection associated with the designated preferred response includes a pay outcome,

display the clue, the plurality of masked selections, and the plurality of associated responses of the selected one of the plurality of different levels,

enable a player to make a number of picks of one of the masked selections, said number of picks being greater than one, wherein, for each of said picks of one of the masked selections;

(a) display a first result if said picked masked selection includes the pay outcome and a count against said number of picks,

(b) display a second result if said picked masked selection includes a move to a next one of the levels outcome and a count against said number of picks,

(c) display a third result if said picked masked selection includes another pick from the same selection level outcome and a count against said number of picks, and

(d) display a fourth result if said picked masked selection includes a move to a next level outcome and does not include a count against the player'"'"'s number of picks, and

thereafter provide an award to the player based on any displayed first results resulting from the picks of the selections.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display a fifth result if said picked masked selection includes another pick from the same level outcome and does not include a count against said number of picks.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different levels includes a final level, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display the first result for any masked selection of said final level which is picked by the player.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable the player to make an additional pick from said determined one of the plurality of levels if the third result is displayed.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one input device to enable the player to make said additional pick only after at least one pick has been made from each of the plurality of different levels for the play of the game.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(i) at least one value provided upon reaching a next one of the plurality of different levels;

(ii) at least one value provided upon a display of the second result;

(iii) at least one value provided upon a display of the third result; and

(iv) at least one value provided upon a display of the fourth result.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein an increasing average pay outcome is associated with each of a plurality of subsequent levels.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on at least one value associated with a next selection level which is provided upon reaching said next selection level, wherein the at least one value associated with each subsequent level increases on average for a plurality of subsequent levels.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on at least one additional value provided upon a display of the second result, said at least one additional value increasing on average for a plurality of subsequent levels.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on at least one additional value provided upon a display of the third result, said at least one additional value increasing on average for a plurality of subsequent levels.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on at least one additional value provided upon a display of the fourth result, said at least one additional value increasing on average for a plurality of subsequent levels.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, which is provided via at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a data network and a computer storage medium.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the data network includes an internet.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein any results to be displayed for any of the number of picks are determined prior to the player picking a first one of the masked selections for the play of the game.

15. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device; and

at least one processor configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, for each of a plurality of plays of a game;

select one of a plurality of different levels, each of said plurality of different levels including a clue associated with that level and a plurality of responses to that clue, wherein the clue indicates at least two but less than all of the plurality of responses which are preferred responses to the clue,

randomly select one of the at least two preferred responses to be a designated preferred response, wherein for a first of the plurality of plays of the game, a first one of the at least two preferred responses is designated preferred response to a designated clue, and wherein for a second of the plurality of plays of the game, a different, second one of the at least two preferred responses is the designated preferred response to said same designated clue,

randomly associate each of a plurality of masked selections with one of the responses to the clue, wherein the masked selection associated with the designated preferred response includes a payout outcome,

display the clue, the plurality of masked selections, and the plurality of associated responses of the selected one of the plurality of different levels,

enable a player to make a number of picks of one of the masked selections from the plurality of different levels, said number of picks being greater than one, wherein for each of the picks of one of the masked selections;

display a “

pay”

symbol if said picked masked selection results in the payout outcome and a count against said number of picks,

display an “

advance”

symbol if said picked masked selection results in a move to a next level outcome and a count against said number of picks,

display a “

repeat”

symbol if said picked masked selection results in another pick from the same level outcome and a count against said number of picks, and

display a “

pass”

symbol if said picked masked selection results in a move to a next level outcome without a count against said number of picks, and

thereafter provide an award to the player based on any displayed “

pay”

symbols resulting from the picks of the masked selections.

16. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display a “

stay”

symbol if said picked masked selection results in another pick from the same level outcome without a count against said number of picks.

17. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of different levels includes a final level, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display the “

pay”

symbol for any picked masked selection of the final level.

18. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display the “

advance”

symbol as being associated with the “

pay”

symbol and to determine said award based on that association.

19. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one selected from the group consisting of:

the “

advance”

symbol, the “

repeat”

symbol, and the “

pass”

symbol as being associated with the “

pay”

symbol and to determine said award based on that association.

20. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein at least two different levels include at least two different percentages of the masked selections of those levels which result in a display of the “

advance”

, “

repeat,”

or “

pass”

symbols.

21. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the levels does not include any masked selection which, if picked, results in a display of the “

advance”

, “

repeat,”

or “

pass”

symbols.

22. The gaming device of claim 15, which is provided via at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a data network and a computer storage medium.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the data network includes an internet.

24. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein any symbols to be displayed for any of the number of picks of the masked selections are determined before the player picks a first one of the masked selections for the play of the game.

25. A method of operating a gaming device providing a plurality of plays of a game, each play of the game operable upon a wager, said method comprising:

(a) selecting a first selection level of a plurality of selection levels, wherein each selection level includes a clue and a plurality of responses to that clue, wherein the clue indicates at least two but less than all of the plurality of responses which are preferred responses to the clue;

(b) randomly selecting one of the at least two preferred responses to be a designated preferred response, wherein for a first of the plurality of plays of the game, a first one of the at least two preferred responses is the designated preferred response to a designated clue, and wherein for a second one of the plurality of plays of the game, a different second one of the at least two preferred responses is designated preferred response to the same designated clue;

(c) randomly associating each of a plurality of masked selections with one of the responses to the clue, wherein the masked selection associated with the designated preferred response includes a first type of outcome;

(d) causing a display device of the gaming device to display the clue, the plurality of masked selections, and the plurality of associated responses of the first selection level;

(e) providing a player a total number of picks of the masked selections;

(f) enabling the player to pick one of the masked selections associated with the first selection level;

(g) counting the pick against the total number of picks and enabling the player to pick from a next selection level if the pick results in the first type of outcome;

(h) counting the pick against the total number of picks and enabling the player to pick again from the first selection level if the pick results in a second type of outcome;

(i) not counting the pick against the total number of picks and enabling the player to pick from the next selection level if the pick results in a third type of outcome; and

(j) providing an award to the player based on any picks of any masked selections.

26. The method of claim 25, which includes, if said pick results in the first type of outcome or the third type of outcome, determining the next selection level from the plurality of selection levels and displaying the clue and the plurality of masked selections associated with said next selection level.

27. The method of claim 25, which includes determining the next selection level from the plurality of selection levels and repeating (b) to (i) at least once for said next selection level.

28. The method of claim 25, which includes providing the award to the player based on at least one value associated with at least one of the picked masked selections.

29. The method of claim 25, which includes providing the award to the player upon enabling the player to pick from the next selection level.

30. The method of claim 25, which includes providing the award to the player upon the player picking one of the masked selections associated with the first outcome.

31. The method of claim 25, which includes providing the award to the player upon the player picking one of the masked selections associated with the second outcome.

32. The method of claim 25, which includes providing the award to the player upon the player picking one of the masked selections associated with the third outcome.

33. The method of claim 25, which is provided via at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a data network and a computer storage medium.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the data network includes an internet.