SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING GAMING EXPERIENCES

• US 20180308320A1
• Filed: 06/25/2018
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Show Games, Inc.
• Original Assignee: King Show Games, Inc.
• Inventors: BERMAN, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 10,553,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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

Systems, apparatuses and methods for enhancing winning result opportunities in poker gaming activities. Embodiments involve identifying award-enhancing opportunities using dice to determine award-enhancing opportunities based on the dice results for a poker game played on a gaming device. Award-enhancing opportunities can be accumulated during multiple bonus rounds, or single bonus rolls of dice may be used to determine multipliers or other modifiers to enhance awards received in the poker games.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a display configured to show predefined number of card positions;

a user interface;

a memory configured to store a credit amount and at least one virtual deck of cards;

a wager acceptor structured to receive a physical item associated with a currency value; and

a processor operable to;

receive a signal from the wager acceptor indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;

increase the credit amount in memory based upon the received signal from the wager acceptor;

receive a signal on the gaming device to initiate a poker game, the signal indicating a wager amount, where the credit amount stored in the memory is reduced by the wager amount;

select a plurality of cards from the virtual card deck to present in the card positions to form a dealt poker hand;

determine if a dice feature is randomly triggered, where the determination of whether the dice feature is randomly triggered is independent of card ranks or card suits respectively associated with the selected cards of the dealt poker hand;

randomly roll at least one die to generate a bonus multiplier when the dice feature is randomly triggered;

present the selected cards of the dealt poker hand in the card positions on the display;

determine if any signals are received indicating that one or more of the presented cards in the dealt poker hand is to be held;

replace any cards in the dealt poker hand that are not held when a signal indicating a draw is received to form a final poker hand;

evaluate the final poker hand to determine awards associated with the final poker hand;

multiply any determined awards associated with the final poker hand by the bonus multiplier if the dice feature has been randomly triggered; and

increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the awards.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein multiple dice are used in the bonus dice feature, and wherein the dice value outcome is determined by summing the values of shown on the multiple dice as outcomes.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the bonus multiplier is equal to the dice value outcome.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the bonus multiplier is determined by ascertaining a predefined multiplier value associated with the dice value outcome in a table.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein determining if a bonus dice feature is triggered is completed prior to presenting the cards to form the dealt poker hand in the card positions of the display.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein determining if a bonus dice feature is triggered is completed prior to selecting the plurality of cards from the virtual deck to form the dealt poker hand.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising awarding a consolation prize when a dice feature is triggered and the final poker hand is not associated with any awards.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the consolation prize is an award equal to the value of the bonus multiplier.

9. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the consolation prize is a predefined award.

10. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the consolation prize is randomly determined.

17. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising awarding a consolation prize when a dice feature is triggered and the final poker hand is not associated with any awards.

18. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the consolation prize is an award equal to the value of the bonus multiplier.

19. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the consolation prize is a predefined award.

11. A gaming device comprising:

a display configured to show predefined number of card positions;

a user interface;

a memory configured to store a credit amount and at least one virtual deck of cards;

a wager acceptor structured to receive a physical item associated with a currency value; and

a processor operable to;

receive a signal from the wager acceptor indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;

increase the credit amount in memory based upon the received signal from the wager acceptor;

receive a signal on the gaming device to initiate a poker game, the signal indicating a wager amount, where the credit amount stored in the memory is reduced by the wager amount;

select a plurality of cards from the virtual card deck to present in the card positions to form a dealt poker hand;

present the selected cards of the dealt poker hand in the card positions on the display;

determine if any signals are received indicating that one or more of the presented cards in the dealt poker hand is to be held;

receive a signal to draw replacement cards for any cards that are not held in the dealt poker hand;

select a number of replacement cards from the virtual card deck to present in the card positions associated with cards that were not held in the dealt poker hand to form a final poker hand;

determine if a dice feature is randomly triggered, where the determination of whether the dice feature is randomly triggered is independent of card ranks or card suits respectively associated with the selected replacement cards;

randomly roll at least one die to generate a bonus multiplier when the dice feature is randomly triggered;

present the selected replacement cards in the cards positions associated with any card that was not held from the dealt poker hand to show the final poker hand on the display;

evaluate the final poker hand to determine awards associated with the final poker hand;

multiply any determined awards associated with the final poker hand by the bonus multiplier if the dice feature has been randomly triggered; and

increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the awards.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein multiple dice are used in the bonus dice feature, and wherein the dice value outcome is determined by summing the values of shown on the multiple dice as outcomes.

13. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the bonus multiplier is equal to the dice value outcome.

14. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the bonus multiplier is determined by ascertaining a predefined multiplier value associated with the dice value outcome in a table.

15. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein determining if a bonus dice feature is triggered is completed prior to presenting the cards to form the final poker hand in the card positions of the display.

16. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein determining if a bonus dice feature is triggered is completed prior to selecting the replacement cards from the virtual deck to form the final poker hand.

20. A gaming device comprising:

a display configured to show a predefined number of card positions including a first set of card positions associated with a first poker hand, and a second set of card positions associated with second poker hand;

a user interface;

a memory configured to store a credit amount, a first virtual deck of cards, and a second virtual deck of cards;

a wager acceptor structured to receive a physical item associated with a currency value; and

a processor operable to;

receive a signal from the wager acceptor indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;

increase the credit amount in memory based upon the received signal from the wager acceptor;

receive a signal on the gaming device to initiate a poker game, the signal indicating a wager amount, where the credit amount stored in the memory is reduced by the wager amount;

select a plurality of cards from the first virtual deck of cards to present in the first set of card positions to form a dealt poker hand;

determine if a dice feature is randomly triggered, where the determination of whether the dice feature is randomly triggered is independent of card ranks or card suits respectively associated with the selected cards of the dealt poker hand;

randomly roll at least one die to generate a bonus multiplier when the dice feature is randomly triggered;

present the selected cards of the dealt poker hand in the first set of card positions on the display;

determine if any signals are received indicating that one or more of the presented cards in the dealt poker hand is to be held;

copy any held cards from the dealt poker hand to corresponding ones of the second set of card positions for the second poker hand;

replace any cards in the dealt poker hand that are not held with replacement cards selected from the first virtual deck of cards when a signal indicating a draw is received to form a first final poker hand;

selecting cards from the second virtual card deck of cards to fill any card positions in the second set of cards positions that are not occupied by a card copied from a card held in the dealt poker hand to form a second final poker hand;

evaluate the first final poker hand and the second final poker hand to determine awards associated with the first final poker hand and the second final poker hand;

multiply any determined awards associated with the first final poker hand and the second final poker hand by the bonus multiplier if the dice feature has been randomly triggered; and

increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the awards.