Shared game play on gaming device

• US 8,192,267 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay Trent
• Application Number:
  US12/167,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that facilitates wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. Also provided is a method of sharing game play on such a gaming device, where the method includes receiving a wager from a first player at a first gaming station, receiving a wager from a second player at a second gaming station, initiating a gaming event that is displayed at the first and second gaming stations, and awarding prizes associated with gaming outcomes displayed at the first and second gaming stations.

Claims

1. A method of sharing game play on a gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a first player at a first gaming station of the gaming device;

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a second player at a second gaming station of the gaming device;

showing a first video poker hand dealt from a first card deck on a display at the first gaming station;

showing a second video poker hand dealt from a second card deck on a display at the second gaming station;

displaying an indicator to designate one of the first or second player to provide an option of switching a dealt video poker hand with a video poker hand dealt to the other one of the first or second player, the indicator alternately designating one of the first or second player to provide the switching option;

awarding prizes associated with a first gaming outcome displayed on a display at the first gaming station; and

awarding prizes associated with a second gaming outcome displayed on a display at the second gaming station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding prizes associated with a combined gaming outcome of the first gaming outcome and the second gaming outcome.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand include identical poker hands.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an order of draw cards for each of the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand is identical.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand receive draw cards from separate card decks.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first player an option of switching the first video poker hand dealt with the second video poker hand dealt.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator designates the other one of the first or second player after an initially designated player utilizes the switching option.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated one of the first or second player must place a side bet to utilize the switching option.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an amount of the side bet is awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing each of the first player and the second player an option to switch an initially dealt video poker hand with another player, the switching option requiring a first side bet to be placed to utilize the option;

providing each of the first player and the second player with an option to block the switch of the initially dealt video poker hands, the blocking option requiring a second side bet to be placed to utilize the option.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second side bets are placed in a common pot, the common pot awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the both the first gaming outcome displayed at the first gaming station and the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager received from one of the players is on a better one of the first and second gaming outcomes respectively displayed at the first and second gaming stations.

15. A method of sharing game play on a gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a first player at a first gaming station of the gaming device;

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a second player at a second gaming station of the gaming device;

showing a first video poker hand dealt from a first card deck on a display at the first gaming station;

showing a second video poker hand dealt from a second card deck on a display at the second gaming station;

displaying an indicator to designate one of the first or second player to provide an option of switching a dealt video poker hand with a video poker hand dealt to the other one of the first or second player, the indicator designating the other one of the first or second player after an initially designated player utilizes the switching option;

awarding prizes associated with a first gaming outcome displayed on a display at the first gaming station; and

awarding prizes associated with a second gaming outcome displayed on a display at the second gaming station.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising awarding prizes associated with a combined gaming outcome of the first gaming outcome and the second gaming outcome.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand include identical poker hands.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an order of draw cards for each of the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand is identical.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand receive draw cards from separate card decks.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the first player an option of switching the first video poker hand dealt with the second video poker hand dealt.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the indicator alternatively designates one of the first or second player to provide the switching option.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the designated one of the first or second player must place a side bet to utilize the switching option.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein an amount of the side bet is awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing each of the first player and the second player an option to switch an initially dealt video poker hand with another player, the switching option requiring a first side bet to be placed to utilize the option;

providing each of the first player and the second player with an option to block the switch of the initially dealt video poker hands, the blocking option requiring a second side bet to be placed to utilize the option.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first and second side bets are placed in a common pot, the common pot awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the both the first gaming outcome displayed at the first gaming station and the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the wager received from one of the players is on a better one of the first and second gaming outcomes respectively displayed at the first and second gaming stations.

29. A method of sharing game play on a gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a first player at a first gaming station of the gaming device;

receiving a wager via the gaming device from a second player at a second gaming station of the gaming device;

showing a first video poker hand dealt from a first card deck on a display at the first gaming station;

showing a second video poker hand dealt from a second card deck on a display at the second gaming station;

providing each of the first player and the second player an option to switch an initially dealt video poker hand with another player, the switching option requiring a first side bet to be placed to utilize the option;

providing each of the first player and the second player with an option to block the switch of the initially dealt video poker hands, the blocking option requiring a second side bet to be placed to utilize the option;

awarding prizes associated with a first gaming outcome displayed on a display at the first gaming station; and

awarding prizes associated with a second gaming outcome displayed on a display at the second gaming station.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising awarding prizes associated with a combined gaming outcome of the first gaming outcome and the second gaming outcome.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand include identical poker hands.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein an order of draw cards for each of the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand is identical.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the first video poker hand and the second video poker hand receive draw cards from separate card decks.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing the first player an option of switching the first video poker hand dealt with the second video poker hand dealt.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying an indicator to designate one of the first or second player to provide an option of switching a dealt video poker hand with a video poker hand dealt to the other one of the first or second player.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the indicator alternatively designates one of the first or second player to provide the switching option.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the indicator designates the other one of the first or second player after an initially designated player utilizes the switching option.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the designated one of the first or second player must place a side bet to utilize the switching option.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein an amount of the side bet is awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the first and second side bets are placed in a common pot, the common pot awarded to one of the first or second player that receives a better final poker hand.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

42. The method of claim 29, wherein the wager received from the first player at the first gaming station is on the both the first gaming outcome displayed at the first gaming station and the second gaming outcome displayed at the second gaming station.

43. The method of claim 29, wherein the wager received from one of the players is on a better one of the first and second gaming outcomes respectively displayed at the first and second gaming stations.