Interactive streak game

• US 20040116179A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Doug, Nicely, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• 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 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Techniques for providing a streak game are described. A streak wager on a streak game is received and a representation of the streak wager is displayed. The streak game is made up of a number of consecutive main games and a selected outcome for each main game. An outcome of a main game is received. Whether the received outcome is the same as the selected outcome for the main game associated with the streak game is determined. The number of received consecutive outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the main game associated with the streak game is tracked. If more than one streak game is in play at the same time, the streak games are each individually tracked. A new streak wager can be placed at any time, such that one streak wager need not be completed before a new streak wager is received.

Claims

1. A method of providing a streak game, comprising:

receiving a first streak wager on a first streak round and a second streak wager on a second streak round and displaying a representation of the first and second streak wagers, wherein the first streak wager is associated with the first streak round having a selected first number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round and the second streak wager is associated with the second streak round having a selected number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round;

receiving an outcome of a current main round;

determining whether the received outcome is the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the first streak round;

determining whether the received outcome is the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the second streak round;

tracking the number of received consecutive outcomes that are the same as the selected type of outcomes for the main round for the first streak round; and

tracking the number of received consecutive outcomes that are the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the second streak round, where the tracking for the first streak round is performed separately from the tracking from the second streak round.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating an end to the first or second streak round.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the first streak wager does not include receiving a wager for the main round.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying a representation of the first and second streak wagers indicates a point value of the wagers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying a representation of the first and second streak wagers indicates a monetary value of the wagers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a third streak wager on a third streak round and displaying a representation of the third streak wager, wherein the third streak wager is associated with the third streak round having a selected third number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the third streak wager is received before the first or second streak rounds have ended, wherein the first or second streak rounds have ended when either, after the first or second streak wager has been made, a non-selected outcome occurs or the first or second number of consecutive main rounds equals the number of consecutive main rounds that have ended with a corresponding selected outcome.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the third selected number is equal to the first selected number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

more than one streak round is associated with a single main round.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a payout for the player based on the first or second selected number of consecutive main rounds.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the payout is determined based on a multiplier associated with the first or second selected number of consecutive main rounds.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

tracking the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first and second streak rounds includes moving the representation of the first or second streak wager to a new position.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

tracking the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first and second streak rounds includes changing an element of the representation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

tracking the number of determined outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first streak round includes;

displaying a graph that indicates a ratio of the main rounds having had an outcome that is the same as the selected outcome for the first streak round to the selected number of main rounds that make up the first streak round; and

updating the graph to show a new ratio.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying the representation including displaying the representation electronically.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first main round has had at least one outcome after the first streak wager is received and the second streak wager is received after the outcome of the first main round and before the end of the first streak round.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selected first streak combination is the same as the second streak combination; and

a first main round has had at least one outcome after the first streak wager is received and the second streak wager is received after the outcome of the first main round and before the end of the first streak round.

18. A method of providing a streak game, comprising:

receiving a first streak wager associated with a first streak round and displaying a representation of the first streak wager, wherein the first streak wager specifies a first selected number of consecutive main rounds and a selected outcome of each main round;

receiving an outcome of a main round;

determining whether the received outcome is the same as the selected outcome for the first streak round;

if the determined outcome is the same as the selected outcome, moving the representation of the wager; and

when the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes of the streak round equals the selected number of consecutive main rounds that make up the streak round, indicating an end to the first streak round.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a second streak wager associated with a second streak round and displaying a representation of the second streak wager, wherein the second streak wager specifies a second selected number of consecutive main rounds and the selected outcome of each main round;

tracking the received outcome of a main round and whether the selected outcome for the second streak round equals the received outcome of the main round; and

tracking the received outcome of a main round and whether the selected outcome for the second streak round equals the received outcome of the main round, wherein the tracking of the selected outcome of the first streak round and the selected outcome of the second streak round is performed separately.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a second streak wager and displaying a representation of the second streak wager, wherein the second streak wager specifies a second selected number of consecutive main rounds and the selected outcome of each main round, wherein the first streak wager is received before receiving the outcome of the main round and the second streak wager is received after receiving the outcome of the main round.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the first and second selected number of consecutive main rounds are equal and are the first and second streak rounds are in play during a single main round.

22. An apparatus for wagering on the outcome of a streak game, comprising:

a display that includes positions into which a representation of a wager is moved to indicate progress in a streak round.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a representation of a wager, where the representation of the wager can be represented at the positions.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the representation is an electronic representation.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the representation includes a chip.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the representation includes a game piece.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the representation identifies a player.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the display is an electronic display.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the display is printed on a table or a table covering.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the display is a three dimensional structure.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

a number of positions for a type of streak correlates to the number of consecutive main rounds that make up the streak round.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the positions are linearly aligned.

33. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the positions are aligned along an arc.

34. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the display includes a graph or chart.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein:

the graph is a bar graph.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein:

the chart is a pie chart.

37. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the display is an electronic display and the positions are parts of an image.

38. apparatus for wagering on an outcome of a game, comprising:

a display that indicates a streak round where the streak round has a number of main rounds associated with the streak round and each of the main rounds has a position on the display.

39. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for providing a streak game, the computer program product comprising instructions to cause a computer system to:

receive a first streak wager on a first streak round and a second streak wager on a second streak round and display a representation of the first and second streak wagers, wherein the first streak wager is associated with the first streak round having a selected first number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round and the second streak wager is associated with the second streak round having a selected number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round;

receive an outcome of a current main round;

determine whether the received outcome is the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the first streak round;

determine whether the received outcome is the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the second streak round;

track the number of received consecutive outcomes that are the same as the selected type of outcomes for the main round for the first streak round; and

track the number of received consecutive outcomes that are the same as the selected type of outcome for the main round for the second streak round, where the first streak round is tracked separately from the second streak round.

40. The computer program product of claim 39 further comprising instructions to cause a computer system to:

indicate an end to the first or second streak round, including paying the player.

41. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the instructions to receive the first streak wager do not include instructions to cause a computer system to receive a wager for the main round.

42. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the instructions to display a representation of the first and second streak wagers include instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

indicate a point value of the wagers.

43. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the instructions to display a representation of the first and second streak wagers include instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

indicate a monetary value of the wagers.

44. The computer program product of claim 39 further comprising instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

receive a third streak wager on a third streak round and display a representation of the third streak wager, wherein the third streak wager is associated with the third streak round having a selected third number of consecutive main rounds and a selected type of outcome for each main round.

45. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein:

the third streak wager is received before the first or second streak rounds have ended, wherein the first or second streak rounds have ended when either, after the first or second streak wager has been made, a non-selected outcome occurs or the first or second number of consecutive main rounds equals the number of consecutive main rounds that have ended with a corresponding selected outcome.

46. The computer program product of claim 45 wherein:

the third selected number is equal to the first selected number.

47. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein:

more than one streak round is associated with a single main round.

48. The computer program product of claim 39 further comprising instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

determine a payout for the player based on the first or second selected number of consecutive main rounds.

49. The computer program product of claim 48 wherein:

the payout is determined based on a multiplier associated with the first or second selected number of consecutive main rounds.

50. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the instructions to track the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first and second streak rounds includes instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

move the representation of the first or second streak wager to a new position.

51. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein the instructions to track the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first and second streak rounds includes instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

change an element of the representation.

52. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the instructions to track the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes for the first and second streak rounds includes instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

display a graph that indicates a ratio of the main rounds having had an outcome that is the same as the selected outcome for the first streak round to the selected number of main rounds that make up the first streak round; and

update the graph to show a new ratio.

53. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the instructions to display the representation includes instructions operable to cause a computer system to:

display the representation electronically.

58. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein:

a first main round has had at least one outcome after the first streak wager is received and the second streak wager is received after the outcome of the first main round and before the end of the first streak round.

59. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein:

the selected first streak combination is the same as the second streak combination; and

a first main round has had at least one outcome after the first streak wager is received and the second streak wager is received after the outcome of the first main round and before the end of the first streak round.

54. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for providing a streak round, the computer program product comprising instructions to cause a computer system to:

receive a first streak wager associated with a first streak round and display a representation of the first streak wager, wherein the first streak wager specifies a first selected number of consecutive main rounds and a selected outcome of each main round;

receive an outcome of a main round;

determine whether the received outcome is the same as the selected outcome for the first streak round;

if the determined outcome is the same as the selected outcome, move the representation of the wager; and

when the number of received outcomes that are the same as the selected outcomes of the streak round equals the selected number of consecutive main rounds that make up the streak round, indicate an end to the first streak round.

55. The computer program product of claim 54, further comprising instructions to cause a computer system to:

receive a second streak wager associated with a second streak round and display a representation of the second streak wager, wherein the second streak wager specifies a second selected number of consecutive main rounds and the selected outcome of each main round;

track the received outcome of a main round and whether the selected outcome for the second streak round equals the received outcome of the main round; and

track the received outcome of a main round and whether the selected outcome for the second streak round equals the received outcome of the main round, wherein the first streak round is tracked separately from the second streak round.

56. The computer program product of claim 54, further comprising instructions to cause a computer system to:

receive a second streak wager and displaying a representation of the second streak wager, wherein the second streak wager specifies a second selected number of consecutive main rounds and the selected outcome of each main round, wherein the first streak wager is received before receiving the outcome of the main round and the second streak wager is received after receiving the outcome of the main round.

57. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein:

the first and second selected number of consecutive main rounds are equal and are the first and second streak rounds are in play during a single main round.