Gaming system and method configured to change the odds of a player obtaining a winning game outcome or a designated game outcome for a play of a game without changing the paytable of the game

• US 8,162,746 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US11/864,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 463/21
• US Class Current: 463/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and method that enables the odds of obtaining a winning outcome or a designated outcome for a play of a game to change without modifying the paytable of the game. The gaming system makes a first determination using a first processor based on a paytable of a game. The gaming system makes a second determination using a second processor, where the second determination may be based, at least in part, on the wager amount. The gaming system displays a single game outcome to the player and either provides the player with the highest award resulting from the determinations or any awards resulting from the determinations.

Claims

1. A gaming system 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and a first paytable;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and a second paytable;

(d) determine if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is a designated game outcome, and display a single game outcome for the play of the game, wherein if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the designated game outcome, and

if neither of the first game outcome and the second game outcome are the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the first game outcome;

(e) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated with said displayed single game outcome; and

(f) display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed single game outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said awards is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory device stores the plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to simultaneously determine the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome increases linearly with an increasing amount of the wager.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a probability of said second game outcome being the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on an amount of the wager.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least processor includes a first processor and a second processor and the first processor makes said first random determination.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the gaming system includes a housing and at least one of the first processor and the second processor resides in the housing.

8. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device and at least one display device to;

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and a first paytable;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and a second paytable;

(d) determine if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is a designated game outcome, and display a single game outcome for the play of the game, wherein

if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the designated game outcome, and

if neither of the first game outcome and the second game outcome are the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the first game outcome; and

(e) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated with said displayed single game outcome; and

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed single game outcome.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of said awards is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

10. The method of claim 8, which includes causing the at least one processor to simultaneously determine the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

11. The method of claim 8, which includes causing the at least one processor to increase linearly a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome with an increasing amount of the wager.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein includes causing the at least one processor to base, at least in part a probability of said second game outcome being the designated game outcome on an amount of the wager.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least processor includes a first processor and a second processor and the first processor makes said first random determination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the gaming system includes a housing and at least one of the first processor and the second processor resides in the housing.

15. The method of claim 8, which is provided through a data network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data network is the internet.

17. A memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device and at least one input device to:

(a) upon placement of a wager, provide a play of a game including a plurality of symbols;

(b) determine a first game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a first random determination and a first paytable;

(c) determine a second game outcome for said play of said game, said determination based on a second random determination and a second paytable;

(d) determine if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is a designated game outcome, and display a single game outcome for the play of the game, wherein

if at least one of the first game outcome and the second game outcome is the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the designated game outcome, and

if neither of the first game outcome and the second game outcome are the designated game outcome, the displayed single game outcome is the first game outcome;

(e) determine if any award from a plurality of awards is associated with said displayed single game outcome; and

(f) display an indication of any determined award associated with the displayed single game outcome.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said awards is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award and a physical award.

19. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to simultaneously determine the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

20. The memory device of claim 17, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome increases linearly with an increasing amount of the wager.

21. The memory device of claim 17, wherein a probability of said second game outcome being the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on an amount of the wager.