Gaming system, gaming device, and method providing poker game with awards based on odds of winning

• US 9,230,405 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US13/898,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A gaming device includes a poker game where two cards are dealt face-up to at least one player and to a dealer. The gaming device enables the player to place an optional wager based on the initially dealt two card hand. A pay out for the optional wager is determined based on the probability that the final player hand will outrank the final dealer hand. The pay out is inversely proportional to the probability that the player will win. Therefore, if the player has a high probability of winning, the associated pay out will be relatively small. Also, if the player has a low probability of winning, the associated pay out will be relatively large. The gaming device enables the player to place multiple wagers after each of a plurality of community cards are dealt, where the associated pay out changes according to a revised probability of winning.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) establish a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the acceptor receives the physical item;

(b) after receiving an actuation of a game initiation button, place a separate wager for each of a plurality of different stages of a game, the credit balance being decreasable by the wagers;

(c) after placement of the wagers, for each of the plurality of different stages of the game;

(1) determine a probability of achieving a winning outcome of the game based on a state of the game in said stage;

(2) determine a payout associated with said stage of the game, the payout being inversely related to the probability of achieving the winning outcome of the game associated with said stage of the game;

(3) display the determined payout;

(4) enable withdrawal of the wager associated with said stage of the game;

(5) if a withdrawal input is received for said stage, withdraw the wager associated with said stage of the game and not determine any awards for said stage of the game; and

(6) complete said stage of the game;

(d) after all of the plurality of different stages of the game have been completed, determine an outcome of the game;

(e) display an award if the determined outcome is the winning outcome, said award including a sum of each non-withdrawn wager multiplied by the payout associated with the stage associated with said non-withdrawn wager, the credit balance being increasable by said award; and

(f) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after receiving an actuation of a cashout button.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of said wagers is of an equal amount.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game is a card game including a two-card player hand, a two-card dealer hand, and a plurality of community cards.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein a first stage of the game occurs after the two-card player hand is dealt, a second stage of the game occurs after a first set of the community cards has been dealt, and a third stage of the game occurs after a second set of the community cards has been dealt.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the second set of the community cards is a single card.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored on at least one memory device to establish a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with a physical item after an acceptor of the gaming system receives the physical item;

(b) after receiving an actuation of a game initiation button, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to place a separate wager for each of a plurality of different stages of a game, the credit balance being decreasable by the wagers;

(c) after placement of the wagers, for each of the plurality of different stages of the game;

(1) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a probability of achieving a winning outcome of the game based on a state of the game in said stage;

(2) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a payout associated with said stage of the game, the payout being inversely related to the probability of achieving the winning outcome of the game associated with said stage of the game;

(3) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the determined payout;

(4) enabling withdrawal of the wager associated with said stage of the game;

(5) if a withdrawal input is received for said stage, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to withdraw the wager associated with said stage of game and not determine any awards for said stage of the game;

(6) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to complete said stage of the game;

(d) after all of the plurality of different stages of the game have been completed, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an outcome of the game;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an award if the determined outcome is the winning outcome, said award including a sum of each non-withdrawn wager multiplied by the payout associated with the stage associated with said non-withdrawn wager, the credit balance being increasable by said award; and

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after receiving an actuation of a cashout button.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of said wagers is of an equal amount.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the game is a card game including a two-card player hand, a two-card dealer hand, and a plurality of community cards.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first stage of the game occurs after the two-card player hand is dealt, a second stage of the game occurs after a first set of the community cards has been dealt, and a third stage of the game occurs after a second set of the community cards has been dealt.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second set of the community cards is a single card.

11. The method of claim 6, which is at least partially provided through a data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data network is an internet.

13. 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:

(a) establish a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with a physical item after an acceptor receives the physical item;

(b) after an actuation of a game initiation button is received, place a separate wager for each of a plurality of different stages of a game, the credit balance being decreasable by the wagers;

(c) after placement of the wagers, for each of the plurality of different stages of the game;

(1) determine a probability of achieving a winning outcome of the game based on a state of the game in said stage;

(2) determine a payout associated with said stage of the game, the payout being inversely related to the probability of achieving the winning outcome of the game associated with said stage of the game;

(3) cause at least one display device to display the determined payout;

(4) enable withdrawal of the wager associated with said stage of the game;

(5) if a withdrawal input is received for said stage, withdraw the wager associated with said stage of the game and do not determine any awards for said stage of the game; and

(6) complete said stage of advance the game;

(d) after all of the plurality of different stages of the game have been completed, determine an outcome of the game;

(e) cause the at least one display device to display an award if the determined outcome is the winning outcome, said award including a sum of each non-withdrawn wager multiplied by the payout associated with the stage associated with said non-withdrawn wager, the credit balance being increasable by said award; and

(f) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein each of said wagers is of an equal amount.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the game is a card game including a two-card player hand, a two-card dealer hand, and a plurality of community cards.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a first stage of the game occurs after the two-card player hand is dealt, a second stage of the game occurs after a first set of the community cards has been dealt, and a third stage of the game occurs after a second set of the community cards has been dealt.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second set of the community cards is a single card.