MULTI-PLAYER BINGO GAME WITH MULTIPLE CARDS PER PLAYER

• US 20130231172A1
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a multi-player wagering game in which at least one of the players may win the occurrence of the wagering game by matching a game-winning pattern of game indicia on one or more game arrays having unique combinations of game indicia based on matching the game indicia on the game arrays to game indicia randomly selected for the occurrence of the wagering game. Each player matching a game-winning pattern may receive game winning award, and may receive a game-winning award for each game array on which a game-winning pattern is matched. The method and gaming unit may further include an alternate outcome display wherein an outcome of a second wagering game may be displayed that corresponds to the outcome for the player on the one or more game arrays for the occurrence of the multi-player wagering game.

Claims

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of real players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of indicia of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled real player, providing said enrolled real player with one or more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a number of the game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays;

(d) if the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enroll one or more virtual players for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(e) for each enrolled virtual player, providing said enrolled virtual player with one or more of the game arrays not provided to the enrolled real players;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(g) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled real player and each enrolled virtual player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player and cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled player to display any said matches;

(h) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine one or more of the game arrays that each include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a game-winning pattern; and

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award for said enrolled real player.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes, for each enrolled real player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display an outcome of a second wagering game, wherein said outcome of ties second wagering game corresponds to an outcome of said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game for said enrolled real player.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine a desired statistical distribution of the randomly selected game indicia for at least one game array to match the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

determine criteria for selecting the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game based on the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled players in said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game such that a statistical distribution of the randomly selected game indicia for at least one enrolled player to match the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game is proximately the same as the desired statistical distribution; and

select the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering gams based on the determined criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the award is determined based on a number of randomly selected game indicia required to match the game-winning pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the game-winning pattern is determined based on the total number of game arrays.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine whether any of the game arrays include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a secondary pattern; and

for each enrolled real player having at feast one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the secondary pattern, determine a secondary award for said enrolled real player.

7. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data network is an internet.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of in of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled real player, providing said enrolled real player with one or more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(d) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player and cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled player to display any said matches; and

(e) for each enrolled player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) determine a game outcome for said play of the multiplayer wagering game based on any matched game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player;

(ii) cause the at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled player to display an outcome of a second wagering game, wherein the outcome of the second wagering game corresponds to the game outcome of the multiplayer wagering game for said enrolled player, the second wagering game has a plurality of wagering options, a number of game arrays of said enrolled player corresponds to one of said wagering options, and the displayed outcome of the second wagering game is an outcome for the wagering option corresponding to the number of game arrays of said enrolled player; and

(iii) map a win frequency of achieving the game outcome of the multi-player wagering game with a win frequency of achieving the outcome of the second wagering game.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second wagering game is a spinning reel game associated with a plurality of paylines, and each wagering option is associated with a number of the paylines on which wagers are made.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a wager amount per payline is equal to a fixed wager amount per payline regardless of the number of game arrays for the player for the occurrence of the multi-player wagering game.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes, for each enrolled player, enabling said enrolled player to select a number of the paylines, and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide a number of game arrays corresponding to the selected number of the paylines to said enrolled player.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein, for each enrolled player, a wager amount per game array is equal to a fixed wager amount per game array regardless of the number of game arrays provided to said enrolled player.

14. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine whether any of the game arrays include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a secondary pattern; and

for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the secondary pattern determine a secondary award for said enrolled real player.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes, for each enrolled player, enabling said enrolled player to select one of the plurality of wagering options, and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the number of game arrays corresponding to the selected wagering option to said enrolled player.

16. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) during a predetermined enrollment time period, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of indicia of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled player, providing said enrolled real player with one more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game;

(c) upon conclusion of the enrollment time period, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a number of the game arrays provided to the enrolled players;

(d) if the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled players is at least equal to a threshold number of game arrays, begin said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(e) causing the at least on processor to execute the plurality instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(f) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player and cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled player to display any said matches;

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instruction to determine one or more of the game arrays that each include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a game-winning pattern; and

(h) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award for said enrolled player.

19. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network.