METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TEAM PLAY OF SLOT MACHINES

• US 20100167802A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Fincham, Magdalena M., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Tedesco, Robert C., Walker, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,235,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method of operating slot machines permits a machine to be identified as available for team play. Upon being identified for team play, the machine is grouped with other slot machines and subject to bonus conditions dependent on the team play. Bonus conditions typically including selected bonus outcomes and a bonus time period, during which bonus time period all outcomes of the grouped machines are monitored to determine the total bonus outcomes. If the total bonus outcomes of the team meet the bonus conditions within the bonus time period, then a bonus payout is awarded to all of the players. Players are thus encouraged to participate in a social, team environment with others of the team to win the group bonus. The invention is applicable to all slot machines, including video poker machines wherein the bonus outcomes include selected video poker hand ranks, and reeled slot machines wherein the bonus outcomes include selected reel outcomes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first card for a first player at a first gaming device;

determining a second card for a second player at a second gaming device,

in which the first card and the second card form part of a starting hand of a single game of poker;

receiving a first discard decision from the first player;

receiving a second discard decision from the second player;

determining a third card for the first player based on the first discard decision;

determining a fourth card for the second player based on the second discard decision;

determining a final hand of the game of poker based on the third card and the fourth card; and

providing, based on the final hand, a payout to a group comprising the first and second players.

2. The method of 1, further including:

determining a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh card for a third, a fourth, and a fifth player, respectively, in which the fifth, sixth, and seventh cards form part of the starting hand;

determining a third, a fourth, and a fifth discard decision from the third, the fourth, and the fifth player, respectively;

determining an eighth, a ninth, and a tenth card based on the third, the fourth, and the fifth discard decision, respectively;

in which determining a final hand includes determining a final hand based on the third, fourth, eighth, ninth and tenth cards; and

in which providing includes providing, based on the final hand, a payout to a group comprising the first, second, third, fourth and fifth players.

3. The method of 2 in which determining a final hand includes determining a final hand consisting only of the third, fourth, eighth, ninth, and tenth cards.

4. The method of 1 in which determining a first card includes determining only a first card for a first player at a first gaming device.

5. A method comprising:

determining a separate hand of video poker for each member of a team, in which the team comprises at least two players;

receiving from at least one of the members an indication of a preferred hand from among the determined hands; and

replacing each of the determined hands with the preferred hand.

6. The method of 5 in which receiving includes receiving from each team member a vote as to the preferred hand.

7. The method of 5 further including:

receiving from each member a separate indication of a set of discards;

replacing, for each member, cards from the preferred hand with new cards based on the member'"'"'s indication of a set of discards, thereby forming a final hand for each member; and

providing, to each member, a payout based on the member'"'"'s final hand.