Secondary game mechanism for wagering game tables

• US 8,376,838 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schulhof, Scott H., Thomas, Alfred, Ward, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/840,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/26, 463/17
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include detecting, via one or more sensory devices of a wagering game table, one or more game events associated with a wagering table game being played by a plurality of players on the wagering game table. The operations can also include determining that the one or more game events trigger a secondary game for the plurality of players playing the wagering table game, and presenting the secondary game on a plurality of display devices of the wagering game table. The operations can further include detecting, via one or more input devices of the wagering game table, player input associated with the secondary game, determining results associated with the secondary game based, at least in part, on the player input, and presenting the results associated with the secondary game on the plurality of display devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, via one or more sensory devices of a wagering game table of a wagering game system, one or more game events associated with a wagering table game being played by a plurality of players on the wagering game table;

determining, at the wagering game table, that the one or more game events trigger a secondary game for the plurality of players playing the wagering table game;

presenting the secondary game on a plurality of display devices of the wagering game table;

detecting, via one or more input devices of the wagering game table, player input associated with the secondary game;

determining, at the wagering game table, results associated with the secondary game based, at least in part, on the player input; and

presenting the results associated with the secondary game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining, at the wagering game table, the results associated with the secondary game comprises determining the results associated with the secondary game based on the player input and results associated with the wagering table game.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the wagering game table, random numbers from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communications network; and

determining, at the wagering game table, the results associated with the secondary game based on the player input and the random numbers received from the wagering game server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining, at the wagering game table, results associated with the secondary game comprises receiving results from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communication network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensory devices comprises a plurality of infrared cameras for detecting one or more game events associated with the wagering table game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more game events associated with the wagering table game include at least one of an act of dealing cards in a card table game, a player'"'"'s hand after the cards are dealt in a card table game, an act of rolling dice in a dice table game, a dice roll result in dice table games, an act of spinning a roulette wheel in a roulette table game, a roulette spin result in a roulette table game, a bet above a predefined bet amount, an award above a predefined award amount, and a predefined number of wins in a row.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering table game is one of a blackjack table game, a poker table game, a roulette table game, a craps table game, and a Texas hold'"'"'em table game.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table, a mechanism for the plurality of players to enter a bet in order to play the secondary game.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is a side game, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting, on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table, a mechanism for the plurality of players to enter a side bet in order to play the side game; and

determining, at the wagering game table, the results associated with the side game based on the player input and results associated with the wagering table game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is a cooperative secondary game, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, via the one or more sensory devices, a plurality of game events associated with the wagering table game;

determining, at the wagering game table, that the plurality of players have met a plurality of objectives associated with the cooperative secondary game based on the plurality of game events; and

presenting a bonus game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table in response to the players meeting the objectives associated with the cooperative secondary game.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

awarding, at the wagering game table, secondary economy assets to one or more of the players based on the results associated with the secondary game.

12. A wagering game table comprising:

one or more sensory devices configured to detect one or more game events associated with a wagering table game being played by a plurality of players on the wagering game table; and

a game management unit configured to determine that the one or more game events trigger a secondary game for the plurality of players playing the wagering table game, and configured to

present the secondary game on a plurality of display devices of the wagering game table;

detect player input associated with the secondary game;

determine results associated with the secondary game based, at least in part, on the player input; and

present the results associated with the secondary game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table.

13. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein the game management unit is configured to determine the results associated with the secondary game based on the player input and results associated with the wagering table game.

14. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein the game management unit is configured to receive random numbers from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communications network, and determine the results associated with the secondary game based on the player input and the random numbers received from the wagering game server.

15. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein, to determine the results associated with the secondary game, the game management unit is configured to receive results from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communication network.

16. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensory devices comprises a plurality of infrared cameras for detecting one or more game events associated with the wagering table game.

17. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein the one or more game events associated with the wagering table game include at least one of an act of dealing cards in a card table game, a player'"'"'s hand after the cards are dealt in a card table game, an act of rolling dice in a dice table game, a dice roll result in dice table games, an act of spinning a roulette wheel in a roulette table game, a roulette spin result in a roulette table game, a bet above a predefined bet amount, an award above a predefined award amount, and a predefined number of wins in a row.

18. The wagering game table of claim 12, wherein the wagering table game is one of a blackjack table game, a poker table game, a roulette table game, a craps table game, and a Texas hold'"'"'em table game.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, via one or more sensory devices of a wagering game table of a wagering game system, a start of a wagering table game being played by a plurality of players on the wagering game table;

presenting a cooperative secondary game on a plurality of display devices of the wagering game table for the plurality of players in response to detecting the start of the wagering table game;

detecting, via the one or more sensory devices, a plurality of game events associated with the wagering table game;

determining, at the wagering game table, that the plurality of players collectively have met a plurality of objectives associated with the cooperative secondary game based on the plurality of game events associated with the wagering table game;

presenting a bonus game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table in response to the players meeting the objectives associated with the cooperative secondary game;

determining, at the wagering game table, results associated with the bonus game; and

presenting the results associated with the bonus game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting, via one or more input devices of the wagering game table, player input associated with the bonus game;

receiving, at the wagering game table, random numbers from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communications network; and

determining, at the wagering game table, the results associated with the bonus game based on the player input and the random numbers received from the wagering game server.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining, at the wagering game table, results associated with the bonus game comprises receiving results from a wagering game server of the wagering game system via a communication network.

22. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media, having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, via one or more sensory devices of a wagering game table, one or more game events associated with a wagering table game being played by a plurality of players on the wagering game table;

determining that the one or more game events trigger a secondary game for the plurality of players playing the wagering table game;

presenting the secondary game on a plurality of display devices of the wagering game table;

detecting, via one or more input devices of the wagering game table, player input associated with the secondary game;

determining results associated with the secondary game based, at least in part, on the player input; and

presenting the results associated with the secondary game on the plurality of display devices of the wagering game table.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise providing a monetary or non-monetary award to one or more of the players based on the results associated with the secondary game.