Abstract: Various gaming machine design features and functionalities are described herein relating to gaming machine display screens, access doors and toppers. In some embodiments, the gaming machine may include a main door support assembly which includes a stabilizing strut between flat components arranged into parallel planes forming a four-member linkage, and facilitates an upward and outward movement of the main door assembly from a closed position. In some embodiments, the gaming machine may include a topper assembly which is configurable in a hands-free intermediate service position and a final installed position.

Abstract: A progressive pool controller within a gaming environment can have programmable contents thereof retrieved or changed without need for user interaction with the controller other than inserting a dynamically-linkable and reprogrammable storage device (e.g., a USB flash drive) into an I/O receptacle of the controller. The controller has a service automatically repeatedly executing therein, checking for insertion of the storage device, checking for recognizable commands within the inserted storage device after it is inserted, executing command following programs for the recognizable commands, saving output results of the executed programs into the inserted storage device and signaling that the storage device should be removed from the I/O receptacle upon completed execution of all the command following programs. Contents of the storage device remain encrypted when in transit and are exposed within secured confines of the controller.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to a gaming device including a memory, a processor, a display, a plurality of display areas located on the display, and a plurality of external lights located at an outer area of a front surface of the electronic gaming device. The plurality of external lights forming au-shape with a left side, a right side, and a bottom where each of the left side, the right side, and the bottom includes a first light column, a second light column, and a third light column. The gaming device including a processor that initiates a base game via the plurality of display areas located on the display.

Abstract: Gaming tables that support wager-based gaming are provided with input receiving devices that are structured to intuitively message to players what kind of wagers are permitted at which betting positions and when and then to automatically detect timely placement of such wagers at corresponding betting positions. This allows for faster unfolding of gaming action in that player confusion is minimized with respect to which wagers are being called for, when and where. An integrated compact sensor system is provided occupying slightly more table area than that needed for supporting wagering tokens of different denominations. The sensor system includes a large array of full color pixels (e.g., RGB capable pixels) for messaging to the players and proximity detection functionality for detecting 3D player hand gestures.

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to improved electronic gaming device (“EGD”) designs for facilitating access and serviceability of the EGD's service light assembly. In at least some embodiments, the improved EGD design features allow for the EGD's service light assembly to be fully assembled, disassembled and/or serviced from the front of the EGD by accessing the interior of the EGD cabinet from a hinged main door assembly which configured to open upwards.

Abstract: A gaming machine produces boosted feature areas of different sizes and/or shapes and/or locations based on chance and alerts players and bystanders of such changes when they happen.

Abstract: The configuring of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) to participate in pools managed by a progressive pools managing controller (PPMC) can be complex. The process is simplified in accordance with the present disclosure by automatically transmitting from an EGM and to its corresponding PPMC, an auto-configuration request identifying the EGM and a predetermined wagering game supported by the EGM; responsively receiving from the PPMC and within the EGM a listing of one or more progressive pools that are managed by the PPMC and that have been determined within the PPMC to be progressive pools that the predetermined wagering game of the requesting EGM is qualified to or required to participate in; and causing the predetermined wagering game of the EGM to begin participating in at least one of the listed progressive pools.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) learning machine is integrated into a gaming system to adaptively learn to predict when and where excessive chronological clustering of winning hits is likely to occur for a progressive jackpot (e.g., a high frequency one) within the gaming system, to preemptively prepare for such occurrences by prefunding one or more smart-awards funds to cope with such excessive chronological clusterings of hits and to use the one or more smart-awards funds to pay off not-first-in-time winners with a same jackpot award amount as is paid to the true first-in-time winner of the jackpot if such runner up winners hit their respective win conditions within a predetermined smart-awards time span after the first-in-time winner hits. This can avoid or reduce feelings of unfairness by the not-first-in-time winners especially when the latter hit just a split second after the true first-in-time winner hits the jackpot.

Abstract: A progressive pool controller within a gaming environment can have programmable contents thereof retrieved or changed without need for user interaction with the controller other than inserting a dynamically-linkable and reprogrammable storage device (e.g., a USB flash drive) into an I/O receptacle of the controller. The controller has a service automatically repeatedly executing therein, checking for insertion of the storage device, checking for recognizable commands within the inserted storage device after it is inserted, executing command following programs for the recognizable commands, saving output results of the executed programs into the inserted storage device and signaling that the storage device should be removed from the I/O receptacle upon completed execution of all the command following programs. Contents of the storage device remain encrypted when in transit and are exposed within secured confines of the controller.

Abstract: Gaming tables that support wager-based gaming are provided with input receiving devices that are structured to intuitively message to players what kind of wagers are permitted at which betting positions and when and then to automatically detect timely placement of such wagers at corresponding betting positions. This allows for faster unfolding of gaming action in that player confusion is minimized with respect to which wagers are being called for, when and where. An integrated compact sensor system is provided occupying slightly more table area than that needed for supporting wagering tokens of different denominations. The sensor system includes a large array of full color pixels (e.g., RGB capable pixels) for messaging to the players and proximity detection functionality for detecting 3D player hand gestures.

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to improved access panel assembly safety mechanisms which may be incorporated into various gaming machine designs in order to help mitigate or facilitate reductions in safety hazards associated with such gaming machines and/or components thereof.

Abstract: In a method of presenting a game, a player places a game play wager and one or more optional bonus bets, such as via an input receiving device of a gaming table. Seven cards are dealt to each player and a dealer. The player and dealer attempt to form a highest ranking Straight, Flush or Straight Flush hand. The outcome of the player's game play wager is determined with reference to a rank of the dealer's hand or the player's hand as compared to the dealer's hand. The optional bonus bets are resolved with reference to the rank of the player's hand. Awards for winning game play wagers or bonus bets may be awarded in accordance with a pay table or via a wheel spin or other award selection event which is initiated by the player, such as to the input receiving device.

Abstract: Table-based gaming actions are disclosed where additional prizes or other gains can be awarded when a community event occurs at a given table and the event had been wagered upon by side bets placed at that table. One of the possible awards is that for a shared multi-table progressive jackpot prize that receives contributions from side bets placed at different kinds of gaming tables including ones that have community events of different probabilities of occurrence and/or ones that have different numbers of operational betting positions. Methods are disclosed for equalizing the chance at each betting position for winning the multi-table progressive jackpot prize despite the differences in probability of occurrence of the respective community event and/or different numbers of operational betting positions at the respective tables.

Abstract: Various gaming machine design features and functionalities are described herein relating to gaming machine display screens, access doors and toppers. In some embodiments, the gaming machine may include a main door support assembly which includes a stabilizing strut between flat components arranged into parallel planes forming a four-bar linkage, and facilitates an upward and outward movement of the main door assembly from a closed position. In some embodiments, the gaming machine may include a topper assembly which is configurable in a hands-free intermediate service position and a final installed position.

Abstract: In a method of presenting a game, a player places an ante wager, a secondary wager and one or more optional bonus or side bets via an input receiving device of a gaming table. Three cards are dealt to the player and a dealer, and thereafter two pairs of community cards are dealt. The player must place a tertiary wager to continue the game. The player and dealer attempt to form a highest ranking five card flush hand from their three cards and the community cards. The outcome of the player's ante, secondary and tertiary wagers are determined with reference to at least one of the dealer's hand and the player's hand. The optional bonus or side bets may be resolved relative to certain criteria for cards dealt in the game. Awards for winning wagers or bets may be awarded in accordance with a pay table or via a wheel spin or other award selection event which is initiated by the player.

Abstract: Nonconventional playing cards, nonconventional decks of playing cards and method of playing and presenting games using such cards are provided. A nonconventional deck of playing cards may comprise a plurality of playing cards each having a card face bearing at least a primary indicium and a secondary indicium, the primary indicium comprising a card rank, at least a first number of the plurality of playing cards having a first card rank and a second number of the plurality of playing cards having a second card rank, the first and second numbers of cards being different. The primary indicia may comprise characters and the secondary indicia may comprise card background colors. A deck may comprise cards of 6 ranks and cards of each rank varying between 6 and 12 cards.

Abstract: The configuring of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) to participate in pools managed by a progressive pools managing controller (PPMC) can be complex. The process is simplified in accordance with the present disclosure by automatically transmitting from an EGM and to its corresponding PPMC, an auto-configuration request identifying the EGM and a predetermined wagering game supported by the EGM; responsively receiving from the PPMC and within the EGM a listing of one or more progressive pools that are managed by the PPMC and that have been determined within the PPMC to be progressive pools that the predetermined wagering game of the requesting EGM is qualified to or required to participate in; and causing the predetermined wagering game of the EGM to begin participating in at least one of the listed progressive pools.

Abstract: A gaming machine is provided having a cabinet (and optionally an internal locked box) enclosing one or more heat generating components such that the heat generating components are enclosed within an air-tight gas-filled volume having a convective loop configuration. A clean thermal transfer gas is circulated about the loop so as to flow past and absorb heat energy from the heat generating components and then continue in sealed fashion through at least one flow-through path of a multi-flow heat exchanger having a plurality of flow-through paths in heat exchange coupling with one another. At least one of the other flow-through paths of the heat exchanger has ambient air flowing by or in it so as to remove heat energy from the clean thermal transfer gas. The gaming machine further includes a plurality of computer-controlled blowers operatively coupled to the heat exchanging flow-through paths.

Abstract: A method of playing and presenting a game, such as at an electronic gaming device, offers players the opportunity for multi-tier wagering and side or proposition bets. In one embodiment a card game offers an ante, secondary, tertiary and quaternary wagering options on a player hand against a dealer hand and proposition bets on the player and/or dealer hands. The game may comprise a card game in which initial cards are dealt to each player and the dealer and then community flop, river and turn cards are dealt, with each player and the dealer forming a best five card poker hand from seven cards.