“Buy a peek” gaming methods and devices

• US 9,317,990 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gail, Ted, Wolf, Bryan, Hollibaugh, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Tramar
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US12/709,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20100144416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 273/292
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for providing wagering games. A player pays an initial price to play a wagering game according to normal game rules. Game information that would normally be concealed from the player is offered for an additional price. In some implementations, the wagering game is a poker game and the game information is draw card information. The additional price may increase according to the amount of game information provided. In some implementations, a paytable percentage for the wagering game decreases according to the amount of game information provided.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of user input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of user input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout button; and

a controller configured to operate with the display device and the plurality of user input devices to;

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

(b) receive, via one of the plurality of user input devices, a first payment, the credit balance decreasable by the first payment;

(c) display a first stage of a poker game on the display device after receipt of the first payment, wherein the first stage of the poker game includes providing a player with a hand of cards;

(d) after displaying the first stage of the poker game, enable, via one of the plurality of user input devices, input of a second payment, the credit balance being decreasable by the second payment;

(e) when the second payment is received;

(i) before displaying a second stage of the poker game, for each of one or more of a number of first undealt cards in a plurality of undealt cards, reveal a face value of said first undealt card on the display device without requiring that any of the one or more first undealt cards be drawn and added to the player'"'"'s hand during the second stage;

(ii) display the second stage of the poker game on the display device, wherein the second stage includes providing the player the option to discard one or more cards in the hand of cards and replacing any discarded cards with replacement cards drawn from the plurality of undealt cards, and wherein at least one first undealt card whose face value has been revealed can replace any one of any discarded cards; and

(iii) determine any award associated with the poker game, the credit balance being increasable by any determined award; and

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

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the number of first undealt cards varies according to the amount of the second payment.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to apply a first paytable percentage if the second payment is not received.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to apply a second paytable percentage if the second payment is received.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

apply a first paytable percentage if the second payment is not received; and

apply a lower second paytable percentage if the second payment is received, wherein the first paytable percentage is higher than the second paytable percentage.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more first undealt cards are in a sequence, and wherein the controller is further configured to further enable, after receipt of the second payment, at least one of the one or more first undealt cards to be selected to be drawn as a replacement card without regard for the position in the sequence of each of the selected cards.

7. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after an acceptor of the gaming machine receives the physical item;

(b) receiving, via a wager acceptor, a first payment, the credit balance being decreasable by the first payment;

(c) after receipt of the first payment, causing at least one display device to display a first stage of a wagering game, wherein the first stage of the wagering game comprises providing a hand of cards;

(d) after displaying the first stage of the wagering game, enabling, via the wager acceptor, input of a second payment, the credit balance being decreasable by the second payment;

(e) when the second payment is received;

(i) before displaying a second stage of the wagering game, causing the at least one processor to, for each of one or more of a number of first undealt cards in a plurality of undealt cards, reveal on the at least one display device a face value of said first undealt card without requiring that any of the one or more first undealt cards be drawn and added to the player'"'"'s hand during the second stage;

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the second stage of the wagering game, wherein the second stage includes providing the player the option to discard one or more cards in the hand of cards and replacing any discarded cards with an equal number of replacement cards drawn from the plurality of undealt cards, and wherein at least one first undealt card whose face value has been revealed can replace any one of any discarded cards; and

(iv) causing the at least one processor to determine any award associated with the wagging game, the credit balance being increasable by any determined award; and

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

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the number of first undealt cards varies according to the amount of the second payment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the second payment varies according to the number of first undealt cards.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the second payment is not received, causing the at least one processor to use a higher paytable percentage in the wagering game than would have been used if the second payment had been received.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the second payment is received, causing the at least one processor to use a lower paytable percentage in the wagering game than would have been used if the second payment had not been received.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the wagering game is a poker game and the one or more first undealt cards are in a sequence reflecting a draw order, the method further comprising:

if the second payment is received, enabling selection of at least one of the one or more first undealt cards as replacement cards to be drawn without regard for the position in the sequence of each of the selected cards.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more first undealt cards are in a sequence reflecting an unmodified draw order, wherein the one or more first undealt cards includes a first card and a second card, and wherein the first card is earlier in the sequence than the second card, the method further comprising:

if the second payment is received, enabling the second card to be selected as a replacement card to be drawn without selecting the first card as a replacement card to be drawn.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more first undealt cards are in a sequence reflecting a draw order, wherein the one or more first undealt cards includes a first card and a second card, and wherein the first card is earlier in the sequence than the second card, the method further comprising:

if the second payment is received, enabling selection of the second card as a replacement card to be drawn contingent on selection of the first card as a replacement card to be drawn.

16. 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 at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after an acceptor receives the physical item;

(b) receive, via a wager acceptor, a first payment, the credit balance being decreasable by the first payment;

(c) after receipt of the first payment, cause a display device to display a first stage of a wagering game, wherein the wagering game comprises a card game and wherein the first stage of the card game includes providing a player with a hand of cards in relation to a first payment;

(d) after displaying the first stage of the wagering game, receive, via the wager acceptor, a second payment, the credit balance being decreasable by the second payment;

(e) when the second payment is received;

(i) before displaying a second stage of the wagering game, for each of one or more of a number of first undealt cards in a plurality of undealt cards, reveal a face value of said first undealt card on a display device without requiring that any of the one or more first undealt cards be drawn and added to the player'"'"'s hand during the second stage,

(ii) cause the display device to display the second stage of the wagering game, wherein the second stage includes providing the player the option to discard one or more cards in the hand of cards and replacing any discarded cards with an equal number of replacement cards drawn from a plurality of undealt cards, and wherein at least one first undealt card whose face value has been revealed can replace any one of any discarded cards; and

(iii) determine any award associated with the poker game, the credit balance being increasable by any determined award; and

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

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the number of first undealt cards varies according to the amount of the second payment.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the wagering game comprises a poker game and wherein the amount of the second payment varies according to the number of first undealt cards to be shown.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to use a first paytable percentage if the second payment is not received.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to use a second paytable percentage if the second payment is received.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to use a first paytable percentage if the second payment is not received;

and

use a second paytable percentage if the second payment is received, wherein the first paytable percentage is higher than the second paytable percentage.