Gaming device having a bonus scheme with multiple selection groups

• US 20030013514A1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cregan, Karen M., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Rodgers, Paulina
• Granted Patent: US 7,273,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A gaming device having a bonus round with multiple selection groups is provided. The gaming device provides a plurality of selection groups including a final selection group. Each non-final selection group includes selections that yield awards and at least one selection that yields an advance indicator. The advance indicator signals the end of a player'"'"'s picking from one selection group and the start of the player'"'"'s picking from a subsequent selection group. The gaming device provides the player with a total number of picks. The player uses the picks to advance through as many selection groups as possible, wherein the awards increase as the player advances.

Claims

1. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a first selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields an award and at least one selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selections from the first selection group;

a second selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields an award and at least one selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selections from the second selection group;

a third selection group having at least one selection that yields an award; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which to pick from the first selection group, and if picks are remaining to pick from the second selection group and if picks are remaining to pick from the third selection group.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of the selections in the third selection group yields an award.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the awards are selected from the group consisting of:

gaming device credits, award multipliers, a number of picks from a prize pool, a number of additional picks from the selection groups, a number of free spins, free game award multipliers, an incrementing of a progressive game and any combination thereof.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the awards yielded by selections from the second selection group have a higher value, on average, than awards yielded by selections from the first selection group.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of total selections is predetermined.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of total selections is randomly determined.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a pick of one of the selections that yields an advance indicator counts as one of the total number of selections.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the advance indicators includes an additional award outcome.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the advance indicators additionally provides a number of extra picks from the selection groups.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the selection groups are displayed by a single display.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the selection groups are displayed in separate displays.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a repeat of the game upon an occurrence of a predetermined event.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined event is the player'"'"'s accumulated award having a value below a predetermined value.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of total picks is based on a wager made by the player in a primary game.

16. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the awards yielded by selections from the final second group have a higher value, on average, than awards yielded by selections from the selection group.

17. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the number of total picks is at least equal to the number of sections in the selection group.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein the awards yielded by selections from a subsequent selection group have a higher value, on average, than awards yielded by selections from a prior selection group.

20. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein the number of total picks is at least equal to the number of selection groups.

15. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields an award and at least one selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selections from the selection group;

a final selection group having at least one selection that yields an award; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which to pick from the selection group and if picks are remaining to pick from the final selection group.

18. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a plurality of selection groups each having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection of each group yields an award and at least one selection of each group yields an advance indicator, the advance indicators each ending a picking of the selections from their respective selection group;

a final selection group having at least one selection that yields an award; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which to pick from the plurality of selection groups and if picks are remaining to pick from the final selection group.

21. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a first selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields a number of free games, at least one selection yields a multiplier, and at least on selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selections from the first selection group;

a second selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields a number of free games, at least one selection yields a multiplier, and at least one selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selection from the second selection group;

a third selection group having at least one selection that yields a number of free games and at least one selection that yields a multiplier; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which to pick from the first selection group, and if picks are remaining to pick from the second selection group and if picks are remaining to pick from the third selection group.

22. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a selection group having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection yields a number of free spins of a plurality of reels, at least one selection yields a multiplier, and at least one selection yields an advance indicator that ends a picking of the selections from the selection group;

a final selection group having at least one selection that yields an award; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which to pick from the selection group and if picks are remaining to pick from the final selection group.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes a low probability that the player will advance to a final selection group based on the number of picks of the selections provided to the player and the number of selections in the selection groups.

26. The method of claim 24, which includes an increasing probability of obtaining the advance indicator in each subsequent selection group.

27. The method of claim 24, which includes a decreasing probability of obtaining the advance indicator in each subsequent selection group.

28. The method of claim 24, which includes the step of increasing, from each previous selection group to each subsequent selection group, values of awards provided by picks of the selections.

29. The method of claim 24, which includes the step of providing an award to the player upon yielding an advance indicator outcome.

30. The method of claim 24, which includes the step of enabling the player to accept or reject an outcome of a selection from at least one of the selection groups.

31. The method of claim 24, which includes repeating steps (a) to (c) if the award associated with the picked selections are below a predetermined value.

32. The method of claim 24, which is operated through a data network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the data network is an internet.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the number of picks of selections is an initial number of picks, and which includes providing an award selection group having selections that yield awards and a picks selection group, prior to the award selection group, the picks group having selections that yield a number of picks from the award selection group, wherein the initial number of picks is sufficient to enable the player to reach the picks group.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one of the awards is a number of free activations of a primary game.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one of the awards is a multiplier of any award obtained in the free activations of the primary game.

23. A gaming device having a gaming comprising:

a plurality of selection groups each having a plurality of selections, wherein at least one selection of one of the selection groups yields an award including at least one free activation of a primary game, at least one selection yields a multiplier of the awards, if any, in the free activation of the primary game, and at least one selection of each group yields an advance indicator, the advance indicators each ending a picking of the selections from their respective selection group;

a final selection group having at least one selection that yields an award; and

a number of total picks of the selections provided to a player with which picks from the plurality of selection groups and if picks are remaining to pick from the final selection group.

24. A method of operating a gaming device comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a number of picks of selections to a player from a plurality of selection groups, wherein at least one selection in each selection group yields an award;

(b) enabling the player to pick selections from one of the plurality of groups of selections, not previously picked from until a selection picked from said group yields an advance indicator outcome; and

(c) enabling the player repeat step (b) until the player makes the total number of picks.