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 8,496,520 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• 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:
  US13/431,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20120184361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 storing 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;

(b) determine if an amount of said wager is above a first threshold amount; and

(c) if the wager amount is above the first threshold amount;

(i) determine a first game outcome by making at least one first random determination;

(ii) determine a second game outcome by making at least one second random determination;

(iii) determine if at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(iv) if at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome;

(v) if neither of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is the designated game outcome, display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome; and

(vi) determine and display an indication of any award associated with the displayed game outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, if the wager amount is below the first threshold amount:

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the at least one first random determination;

(ii) display the determined first game outcome; and

(iii) determine and display an indication of any award associated with the displayed determined first game outcome.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first random determination includes a plurality of random determinations.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one second random determination includes a plurality of random determinations.

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

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor includes a first processor and a second processor, and the first processor makes at least one of the at least one 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. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the first game outcome being the designated game outcome.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination of the first game outcome is also based on a first paytable.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination of the second game outcome is also based on a second paytable.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(d) determine if the wager amount is above a second threshold amount;

(e) if the wager amount is below the second threshold amount and above the first threshold amount, repeat (c); and

(f) if the wager amount is above the second threshold amount;

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the at least one first random determination;

(ii) determine the second game outcome by making the at least one second random determination;

(iii) determine a third game outcome by making at least one third random determination;

(iv) determine if any of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome is the designated game outcome;

(v) if at least one of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third outcome is the designated game outcome, display the designated game outcome;

(vi) if none of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome is the designated game outcome, display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome; and

(vii) determine and display an indication of any award associated with the displayed game outcome.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein a probability of the third game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the second threshold amount is greater than the first threshold amount.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a number of random determinations of the at least one second random determination is greater than a number of random determinations of the at least one first random determination.

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

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold amount defines an upper limit of a wager range.

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

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to;

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

(b) determine if an amount of said wager is above a first threshold amount; and

(c) if the wager amount is above the first threshold amount;

(i) determine a first game outcome by making at least one first random determination;

(ii) determine a second game outcome by making at least one second random determination;

(iii) determine if at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is a designated game outcome;

(iv) if at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is the designated game outcome, operate with at least one display device to display the designated game outcome;

(v) if neither of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome is the designated game outcome, operate with the at least one display device to display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome and the determined second game outcome; and

(vi) determine and operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of any award associated with the displayed game outcome.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, if the wager amount is below the first threshold amount:

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the at least one first random determination;

(ii) operate with the at least one display device to display the determined first game outcome; and

(iii) determine and operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of any award associated with the displayed determined first game outcome.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one first random determination includes a plurality of random determinations.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one second random determination includes a plurality of random determinations.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one award is selected from the group consisting of a jackpot award, a progressive award, and a physical award.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor includes a first processor and a second processor, and the first processor makes at least one of the at least one first random determination.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the gaming system includes a housing, and at least one of the first processor and the second processor resides in the housing.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the first game outcome being the designated game outcome.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination of the first game outcome is also based on a first paytable.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination of the second game outcome is also based on a second paytable.

27. The method of claim 17, which includes:

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if the wager amount is above a second threshold amount;

(e) if the wager amount is below the second threshold amount and above the first threshold amount, repeating (c); and

(f) if the wager amount is above the second threshold amount, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) determine the first game outcome by making the at least one first random determination;

(ii) determine the second game outcome by making the at least one second random determination;

(iii) determine a third game outcome by making at least one third random determination;

(iv) determine if any of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome is the designated game outcome;

(v) if at least one of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third outcome is the designated game outcome, operate with the at least one display device to display the designated game outcome;

(vi) if none of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome is the designated game outcome, operate with the at least one display device to display a game outcome corresponding to at least one of the determined first game outcome, the determined second game outcome, and the determined third game outcome; and

(vii) determine and operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of any award associated with the displayed game outcome.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein a probability of the third game outcome being the designated game outcome is higher than a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second threshold amount is greater than the first threshold amount.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein a number of random determinations of the at least one second random determination is greater than a number of random determinations of the at least one first random determination.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein a probability of the second game outcome being the designated game outcome is based, at least in part, on the wager amount.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the first threshold amount defines an upper limit of a wager range.

33. The method of claim 17, which is provided through a data network.

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