Amusement devices and games including means for processing electronic data where users can change selections

• US 9,251,644 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P., Plott, Charles, Miller, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US13/620,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 463 21- 23, 463/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may be formulated to exploit biases such as long shot bias and favorite bias. Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may be formulated to exploit biases relating to the Monty Hall paradox. Games related to the provision of information are described. Games may include wagering on hands of cards, e.g., poker wagering games.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, the method comprising:

providing, by at least one processor, first information about a set of possible outcomes of an event, wherein at least a part of the first information identifies a characteristic of an actual outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

after providing the first information, receiving, by the at least one processor, a first selection of a first possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

after receiving the first selection, revealing, by the at least one processor, that a first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes does not comprise the actual outcome, wherein a second subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes comprises the actual outcome, and wherein the set of possible outcomes consists of the first and second subsets of possible outcomes; and

providing, by the at least one processor, an opportunity to change the first selection to a second selection of a second possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes if the second subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome, the second subset of possible outcomes comprising the second possible outcome.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection,

wherein the user loses the first wager if the first subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome, and

wherein the act of providing an opportunity to change the first selection to a second selection of a second possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes if the second subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome, the second subset of possible outcomes comprising the second possible outcome.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first subset of possible outcomes does not comprise the first possible outcome and the second subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome,

wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection, and

wherein the act of providing an opportunity to change the first selection to the second selection comprises providing an opportunity to change from the first bet to a second bet comprising the second selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes does not comprise the actual outcome comprises:

developing second information such that the second information, when combined with other information, permits at least a deductive inference that the first subset of possible outcomes does not comprise the actual outcome;

providing the second information to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assessing a premium to a user, the premium being assessed for changing from the first selection to the second selection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after providing the opportunity to change, providing a user an opportunity to select one or more possible outcomes from the second subset of possible outcomes to be revealed to the user as not comprising the actual outcome.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

assessing a premium for the opportunity to select, wherein a size of the premium depends on how many possible outcomes are included in the one or more possible outcomes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection, further comprising:

offering to pay a payout amount at least for successful wagers comprising selections of the actual outcome;

decreasing the payout amount from a first round of wagering to a second round of wagering.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection, further comprising:

providing one or more other users with an opportunity to wager on possible activity of the user with respect to the second subset of possible outcomes.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the first selection is received from a user, further comprising:

determining a first set of likelihood values corresponding to the set of possible outcomes using at least the first selection, wherein each likelihood value of the first set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

determining a second set of likelihood values corresponding to the second subset of possible outcomes after revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes does not comprise an actual outcome, wherein each likelihood value of the second set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective possible outcome of the second subset of possible outcomes;

providing the second set of likelihood values to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the second set of likelihood values further comprises:

determining the second set of likelihood values responsively to comparing the first set of likelihood values to one or more predetermined values, the one or more predetermined values being derived from data regarding expected biases of one or more users.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor, the at least one memory having instructions stored thereon that are configured to, when executed, direct the at least one processor to;

provide first information about a set of possible outcomes of an event to a user, wherein at least a part of the first information identifies a characteristic of an actual outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

after providing the first information, receive a first selection on a first possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

after receiving the first selection, reveal that a first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially unlikely to comprise the actual outcome, wherein a second subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially likely to comprise the actual outcome, and wherein the set of possible outcomes consists of the first and second subsets of possible outcomes; and

provide an opportunity to change from the first selection to a second selection of a second possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes, the second subset of possible outcomes comprising the second possible outcome.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein substantially likely comprises a greater than 90 percent likelihood, and substantially unlikely comprises a less than 10 percent likelihood.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection, and

in which the instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:

if the second subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome, assess a premium to the user for changing from the first selection to the second selection.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the act of revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially unlikely to comprise the actual outcome comprises:

revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes does not comprise the actual outcome.

16. An apparatus comprising:

one or more servers, the one or more servers configured to communicate with one or more devices via a communications network, the one or more servers comprising;

means for providing first information about a set of possible outcomes of an event, wherein at least a part of the first information identifies a characteristic of a true outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

means for receiving a first selection of a first possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes after providing the first information;

means for revealing, after receiving the first selection, that a first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially unlikely to comprise the true outcome, wherein a second subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially likely to comprise the true outcome, and wherein the set of possible outcomes consists of the first and second subsets of possible outcomes; and

means for providing an opportunity to change from the first selection to a second selection of a second possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes, the second subset of possible outcomes comprising the second possible outcome.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein substantially likely comprises a greater than 90 percent likelihood, and substantially unlikely comprises a less than 10 percent likelihood.

18. The apparatus of claim 16,

wherein the act of receiving the first selection comprises receiving from a user a first wager comprising the first selection, and

in which the instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:

if the second subset of possible outcomes comprises the first possible outcome, assess a premium to the user for changing from the first selection to the second selection.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the act of revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes is at least substantially unlikely to comprise the actual outcome comprises:

revealing to a user that the first subset of possible outcomes of the set of possible outcomes does not comprise the actual outcome.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the first selection is received from a user, further comprising:

determining a first set of likelihood values corresponding to the set of possible outcomes using at least the first selection, wherein each likelihood value of the first set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective possible outcome of the set of possible outcomes;

determining a second set of likelihood values corresponding to the second subset of possible outcomes after revealing that the first subset of possible outcomes does not comprise an actual outcome, wherein each likelihood value of the second set of likelihood values corresponds to a respective possible outcome of the second subset of possible outcomes;

providing the second set of likelihood values to the user.