Gaming system and method providing a card game associated with a supplemental pool funded upon an occurrence of a designated outcome and winnable by a player or a dealer

• US 9,129,486 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Basallo, Leandro, Isaacson, Timothy L., Lew, Ricky J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/626,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system of the present disclosure is configured to operate a card game. For a play of the card game, the gaming system receives a wager, determines a plurality of player cards from a plurality of cards, displays the player cards face up, determines a plurality of dealer cards from the plurality of cards, and displays at least one of the dealer cards face up. The gaming system determines an outcome of the play by comparing the player and the dealer cards. If the outcome is a designated outcome, the gaming system funds a supplemental pool with the received wager. If a supplemental pool payout condition is met, the gaming system provides the supplemental pool to a player. If a supplemental pool reset condition other than the player winning the supplemental pool is met, the gaming system resets the supplemental pool to an initial value.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one processor;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor, a validator, a wager button, and a cashout button; 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) receive, via the acceptor, a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) identify, via the validator, the received first physical item;

(c) establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received first physical item;

(d) for a play of a game associated with a plurality of symbols;

(i) receive an actuation of the wager button, said actuation of the wager button associated with a wager amount;

(ii) deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;

(iii) randomly determine a plurality of player symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(iv) display the player symbols;

(v) randomly determine a plurality of opponent symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(vi) display at least one of the opponent symbols;

(vii) determine an outcome of said play of the game based on a comparison of the player symbols and the opponent symbols;

(viii) if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, fund a supplemental pool with at least part of the received wager amount;

(ix) if a supplemental pool reset condition other than the player winning the supplemental pool is met, reset a value of the supplemental pool to an initial value; and

(x) if a supplemental pool payout condition is met, modify the credit balance based on the supplemental pool; and

(e) if an actuation of the cashout button is received, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first designated outcome is a push outcome.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the determined outcome is the push outcome when:

(a) a sum of values of the player symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one;

(b) a sum of values of the opponent symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one; and

(c) the sum of the values of the player symbols is equal to the sum of the values of the opponent symbols.

4. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the determined outcome is a push outcome when:

(a) a rank of a first player set of symbols formed from the player symbols is higher than a rank of a first opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols; and

(b) a rank of a second opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols is higher than a rank of a second player set of symbols formed from the player symbols.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when the opponent has won a first designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when the player has won a second designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the first designated quantity is greater than the second designated quantity.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when a rank of the opponent symbols is a first designated rank.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when a rank of the player symbols is a second designated rank.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first designated rank is the same as the second designated rank.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first designated rank and the second designated rank are different.

12. 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, if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with the entire received wager amount.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the determined outcome is the designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with an additional amount of credits equal to an amount of the received wager amount used to fund the supplemental pool.

14. 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, if the supplemental pool payout condition is met, reset the value of the supplemental pool to the initial value after modifying the credit balance based on the supplemental pool.

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

(i) receiving, via an acceptor, a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(ii) identifying, via a validator, the received first physical item;

(iii) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received first physical item;

(iv) for a play of a game associated with a plurality of symbols;

(a) receiving an actuation of a wager button, said actuation of the wager button associated with a wager amount;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a plurality of player symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the player symbols;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine a plurality of opponent symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one of the opponent symbols face up;

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an outcome of said play of the game based on a comparison of the player symbols and the opponent symbols;

(h) if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to fund a supplemental pool with at least part of the received wager amount;

(i) if a supplemental pool reset condition other than the player winning the supplemental pool is met, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reset a value of the supplemental pool to an initial value; and

(j) if a supplemental pool payout condition is met, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the credit balance based on the supplemental pool; and

(v) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first designated outcome is a push outcome.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined outcome is the push outcome when:

(a) a sum of values of the player symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one;

(b) a sum of values of the opponent symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one; and

(c) the sum of the values of the player symbols is equal to the sum of the values of the opponent symbols.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined outcome is a push outcome when:

(a) a rank of a first player set of symbols formed from the player symbols is higher than a rank of a first opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols, and

(b) a rank of a second opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols is higher than a rank of a second player set of symbols formed from the player symbols.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when the opponent has won a first designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when the player has won a second designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first designated quantity is greater than the second designated quantity.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when a rank of the opponent symbols is a first designated rank.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when a rank of the player symbols is a second designated rank.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first designated rank is the same as the second designated rank.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first designated rank and the second designated rank are different.

26. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with the entire received wager amount.

27. The method of claim 26, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, if the determined outcome is the designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with an additional amount of credits equal to an amount of the received wager amount used to fund the supplemental pool.

28. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, if the supplemental pool payout condition is met, reset the value of the supplemental pool to the initial value after modifying the credit balance based on the supplemental pool.

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

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

following receipt of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value by an acceptor and identification of the first physical item by a validator, establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received first physical item;

for a play of a game associated with a plurality of symbols;

(a) following receipt of an actuation of a wager button, said actuation of the wager button associated with a wager amount, deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;

(b) determine a plurality of player symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(c) cause at least one display device to display the player symbols;

(d) randomly determine a plurality of opponent symbols from the plurality of symbols;

(e) cause the at least one display device to display at least one of the opponent symbols;

(f) determine an outcome of said play of the game based on a comparison of the player symbols and the opponent symbols;

(g) if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, fund a supplemental pool with at least part of the received wager amount;

(h) if a supplemental pool reset condition other than the player winning the supplemental pool is met, reset a value of the supplemental pool to an initial value; and

(i) if a supplemental pool payout condition is met, modify the credit balance based on the supplemental pool; and

if an actuation of a cashout button is received, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first designated outcome is a push outcome.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the determined outcome is the push outcome when:

(a) a sum of values of the player symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one;

(b) a sum of values of the opponent symbols is less than or equal to twenty-one; and

(c) the sum of the values of the player symbols is equal to the sum of the values of the opponent symbols.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the determined outcome is a push outcome when:

(a) a rank of a first player set of symbols formed from the player symbols is higher than a rank of a first opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols; and

(b) a rank of a second opponent set of symbols formed from the opponent symbols is higher than a rank of a second player set of symbols formed from the player symbols.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when the opponent has won a first designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when the player has won a second designated quantity of consecutive plays of the game.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the first designated quantity is greater than the second designated quantity.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the supplemental pool reset condition is met when a rank of the opponent symbols is a first designated rank.

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the supplemental pool payout condition is met when a rank of the player symbols is a second designated rank.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the first designated rank is the same as the second designated rank.

41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the first designated rank and the second designated rank are different.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the determined outcome is a designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with the entire received wager amount.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the determined outcome is the designated outcome, fund the supplemental pool with an additional amount of credits equal to an amount of the received wager amount used to fund the supplemental pool.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the supplemental pool payout condition is met, reset the value of the supplemental pool to the initial value after modifying the credit balance based on the supplemental pools.