Gaming system and method providing a video poker game with positional matching card winning opportunities

• US 9,547,958 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cole, James M., Capsouto, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US14/010,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a video poker game with additional winning opportunities. Upon receiving a primary wager, the gaming system provides the player with a quantity of player cards. The gaming system enables the player to discard zero, some, or all of the player cards. The discarded cards are replaced. The player cards are compared to a paytable to determine an award, if any, won by the player. In addition to the player cards, the player is provided five card indicators. If one or more of the player cards matches with corresponding card indicators, then the player is provided an additional win opportunity.

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 and a cashout device; 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) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;

(b) for a gaming session including at least two plays of a game, determine a predetermined set of card indicators wherein;

(i) a quantity of the predetermined set of card indicators is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity of player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(ii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators corresponds to one of the player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(iii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators has a predetermined relationship to at least one other card indicator, and

(iv) the predetermined set of card indicators does not change for any play of the game of the gaming session;

(c) for each of the at least two plays of the game of the gaming session, upon placement of a wager, initiate that play of the game, wherein the credit balance is decreasable based on the placed wager, and for that play of the game;

(i) for each of the predetermined set of card indicators, display the card indicator at one of a plurality of card indicator positions;

(ii) display each of the predetermined quantity of player cards at one of a plurality of player card positions, wherein each player card position corresponds with one of the plurality of card indicator positions, each of the player cards in the predetermined quantity selected randomly from at least one deck of cards;

(iii) after receiving at least one input to discard zero or more player cards from the quantity of player cards, replace each of the discarded player cards with another card selected from the at least one deck of cards;

(iv) for each card indicator determine a match, if any, with the player card in the player card position that corresponds with the card indicator position of said card indicator;

(v) for at least one card indicator matching any non-corresponding player card, if any switch is available, enable the player to switch one of;

(1) the matching player card in the non-corresponding player card position with the player card in the corresponding player card position, and (2) the card indicator in the non-corresponding card indicator position with the card indicator in the corresponding card indicator position;

(vi) for each card indicator matching its corresponding player card, provide an additional win opportunity; and

(vii) display an award, if any, based on the player cards and any additional win opportunity, wherein said credit balance is increasable based on any displayed award; and

(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of player cards is five.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined quantity of card indicators is equal to the predetermined quantity of player cards.

4. 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 input device to enable a player to select the card indicators.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the card indicators are selected prior to placement of the wager.

6. 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 display the card indicators prior to placement of the wager.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each additional win opportunity includes one of a wild card, a bonus round, a multiplier and a fever mode.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) same suit, (b) same rank, (c) consecutive rank, and (d) consecutive rank and same suit.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the switch is available if it has been accumulated via one of the group consisting of:

a wager-based accumulation, an accumulation awarded to the player, and an accumulation earned by the player.

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

(a) after a physical item associated with a monetary value is received via an acceptor supported by a housing of the gaming system, 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 monetary value associated with the physical item associated with the monetary value is received;

(b) for a gaming session including at least two plays of a game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a predetermined set of card indicators wherein;

(i) a quantity of the predetermined set of card indicators is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity of player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(ii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators corresponds to one of the player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(iii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators has a predetermined relationship to at least one other card indicator, and

(iv) the predetermined set of card indicators does not change for any play of the game of the gaming session;

(c) for each of the at least two plays of the game of the gaming session, after receiving an actuation of a wager button, placing the wager and initiating that play of the game, the credit balance being decreasable by the placed wager, and for that play of the game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to for each of the predetermined set of card indicators, display the card indicator at one of a plurality of card indicator positions;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display each of the predetermined quantity of player cards at one of a plurality of player card positions, wherein each player card position corresponds with one of the plurality of card indicator positions, each of the player cards in the predetermined quantity selected randomly from at least one deck of cards;

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive at least one input to discard zero or more player cards from the quantity of player cards;

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to replace each of the discarded player cards with another card selected from the at least one deck of cards;

(v) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a match for each card indicator, if any, with the player card in the player card position that corresponds with the card indicator position of said card indicator; and

(vi) for at least one card indicator matching any non-corresponding player card, if any switch is available, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enable the player to switch one of;

(1) the matching player card in the non-corresponding player card position with the player card in the corresponding player card position, and (2) the card indicator in the non-corresponding card indicator position with the card indicator in the corresponding card indicator position;

(vii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to provide an additional win opportunity for each card indicator matching its corresponding player card; and

(viii) 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 any, based on the player cards and any additional win opportunity, the credit balance being increasable by the displayed award; and

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

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of player cards is five.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined quantity of card indicators is equal to the predetermined quantity of player cards.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one input device to enable a player to select the card indicators.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the card indicators are selected prior to placement of the wager.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the card indicators prior to placement of the wager.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein each additional win opportunity includes one of a wild card, a bonus round, a multiplier and a fever mode.

17. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data network is an internet.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined relationship is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) same suit, (b) same rank, (c) consecutive rank, and (d) consecutive rank and same suit.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the switch is available if it has been accumulated via one of the group consisting of:

a wager-based accumulation, an accumulation awarded to the player, and an accumulation earned by the player.

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

(a) after a physical item associated with a monetary value is received via an acceptor, establish a credit balance based at least in part, on the monetary value associated with the physical item;

(b) for a gaming session including at least two plays of a game, determine a predetermined set of card indicators wherein;

(i) a quantity of the predetermined set of card indicators is less than or equal to a predetermined quantity of player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(ii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators corresponds to one of the player cards for each play of the gaming session,

(iii) each of the card indicators of the predetermined set of card indicators has a predetermined relationship to at least one other card indicator, and

(iv) the predetermined set of card indicators does not change for any play of the game of the gaming session;

(c) for each of the at least two plays of the game of the gaming session, after receiving an actuation of a wager button, place the wager and initiate that play of the game, the credit balance being decreasable by the placed wager, and for that play of the game;

(i) cause at least one display device to for each of the predetermined set of card indicators, display the card indicator at one of a plurality of card indicator positions;

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display each of the predetermined quantity of player cards at one of a plurality of player card positions, wherein each player card position corresponds with one of the plurality of card indicator positions, each of the player cards in the predetermined quantity selected randomly from at least one deck of cards;

(iii) cause at least one input device to receive at least one input to discard zero or more player cards from the quantity of player cards;

(iv) cause the at least one display device to replace each of the discarded player cards with another card selected from the at least one deck of cards;

(v) cause the at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a match for each card indicator, if any, with the player card in the player card position that corresponds with the card indicator position of said card indicator; and

(vi) for at least one card indicator matching any non-corresponding player card, if any switch is available, cause the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enable the player to switch one of;

(1) the matching player card in the non-corresponding player card position with the player card in the corresponding player card position, and (2) the card indicator in the non-corresponding card indicator position with the card indicator in the corresponding card indicator position;

(vii) cause the at least one display device to provide an additional win opportunity for each card indicator matching its corresponding player card; and

(viii) cause the at least one display device to display an award, if any, based on the player cards and any additional win opportunity, the credit balance being increasable by the displayed award; and

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

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the quantity of player cards is five.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the predetermined quantity of card indicators is equal to the predetermined quantity of player cards.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to enable a player to select the card indicators.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the card indicators are selected prior to placement of the wager.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display the card indicators prior to placement of the wager.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein each additional win opportunity includes one of a wild card, a bonus round, a multiplier and a fever mode.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the predetermined relationship is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) same suit, (b) same rank, (c) consecutive rank, and (d) consecutive rank and same suit.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the switch is available if it has been accumulated via one of the group consisting of:

a wager-based accumulation, an accumulation awarded to the player, and an accumulation earned by the player.