System and method for communicating game session information

• US 7,862,416 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Santisi, Steven M., Gilman, Norman C., Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M., Fincham, Magdalena M., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCulloch; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/423,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 463/12, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/12
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• 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

Abstract

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a contract is established for a session comprising two or more plays of at least one gaming device. Information about the game play session, such as outcomes generated at the at least one gaming device, is communicated to a player device. The information is presented to a player via the player device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

offering a flat rate play session to a player of a table game;

causing at least one processor to calculate a flat rate price for the flat rate play session based, at least in part, on an expected payout associated with the flat rate play session, wherein;

(a) the flat rate play session enables the player to participate in at least three plays of the table game in exchange for an upfront payment of the flat rate price,

(b) each of the at least three plays of the table game of the flat rate play session is associated with a wager amount, and

(c) the flat rate price has a corresponding value which is less than a cumulative total of the wager amounts associated with each of the at least three plays of the table game of the flat rate play session;

enabling the player to initiate the flat rate play session upon receiving the value corresponding to the flat rate price from the player;

providing chips corresponding to the wager amount for each play of the table game of the flat rate play session for use by the player in the flat rate play session such that the player is not obligated to provide any funds other than the value corresponding to the flat rate price for any play of the table game following the first play of the table game during the flat rate play session; and

for each play of the table game of the flat rate play session, providing an award to the player if said play of the table game results in a winning game outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes offering the flat rate play session to the player while the player is at a table at which the table game is played.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes offering the flat rate play session to the player when the player requests to cash in one or more chips used in the table game.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes offering the flat rate play session to the player when the player requests to purchase one or more chips for use in the table game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flat rate play session includes a first set of pay combinations, at least one of which is different from a second set of pay combinations available to the player for a single play of the table game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a hold percentage of the table game is a first hold percentage for each of at least three plays of the table game if the player purchases the at least three plays individually and wherein the hold percentage for the table game is a different second hold percentage for each of the at least three plays of the table game if the player provides the value corresponding to the flat rate price to initiate the flat rate play session, the second hold percentage being greater than the first hold percentage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to initiate the flat rate play session includes providing a tangible indicator of the flat rate play session to the player, the tangible indicator indicating to a dealer of the table game that the player has initiated the flat rate play session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tangible indicator includes a token.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the table game includes a card game and wherein the at least three plays of the table game include at least three hands of the card game.

10. A flat rate play session gaming apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one support member;

(b) at least one display device configured to display an offer of a flat rate play session to a player of a table game, the flat rate play session associated with a flat rate price based, at least in part, on an expected payout associated with the flat rate play session, wherein;

(i) the flat rate play session enables the player to participate in at least three plays of the table game in exchange for an upfront payment of the flat rate price,

(ii) each of the at least three plays of the table game of the flat rate play session is associated with a wager amount, and

(iii) the flat rate price has a corresponding value which is less than a cumulative total of the wager amounts associated with each of the at least three plays of the table game of the flat rate play session; and

(c) at least one playing surface supported by the at least one support member, the at least one playing surface configured to enable the player to provide the value corresponding to the flat rate price to initiate the flat rate play session, the at least one playing surface including;

(i) a betting area configured to enable a dealer to provide at least one chip corresponding to the wager amount for each play of the table game of the flat rate play session for use by the player in the flat rate play session in exchange for the player providing the value corresponding to the flat rate price, such that the player is not obligated to provide any funds other than the value corresponding to the flat rate price for any play of the table game during the flat rate play session, and

(ii) a game play area configured to enable the dealer to cause a display of each of the at least three plays of the table game of the flat rate play session.

11. The flat rate play session gaming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one display device includes a physical sign supported by the at least one playing surface.

12. The flat rate play session gaming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one display device includes a portion of the at least one playing surface, and wherein the offer of the flat rate play session is displayed on the portion of the at least one playing surface.

13. The flat rate play session gaming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one display device includes an electronic display device.

14. The flat rate play session gaming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic display device is configured to operate with at least one processor to:

(a) calculate the flat rate price for the flat rate play session based, at least in part, on the expected payout associated with the flat rate play session, and

(b) display the calculated flat rate price to the player.