Abstract: A distributed players' club network comprised of a plurality of games positioned in a plurality of locations that are interconnected by a wide area network to a central computer which has files for each player who has enrolled to play in a bonus club system. The gaming machines have communication devices which send information to the central computer indicative of a player playing at the game and also receive information from the central computer. The communication devices are configured to allow the player to enroll directly at the game by selecting a member ID number and a personal identification number which are then transmitted to the central computer causing the central computer to open a file for the particular player. Further, the gaming machine provides information to a processor within the communication device while the player is playing the game and the processor, in conjunction with the central computer, determines whether the player is entitled to receive a bonus award based upon his or her play.

Abstract: A system whereby a plurality of players can play a plurality of different gaming machines. The performance of the plurality of players is recorded through multiple rounds of the game and awards are provided based upon the performance of a player over multiple rounds of the game. In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of gaming machines are video poker machines and the players play these machines in order to obtain the well-known winning combinations. The gaming machines provide signals to a central computer that records in files for each of the players the winning combinations received by the players and the number of rounds played by the players. The central computer also determines whether the player has received a set of winning combinations, e.g., all thirteen possible different four-of-a-kinds, within a pre-selected number of rounds.

Abstract: A system is adaptable to any game where a player sequentially receives a number of elements having identifying characteristics, with certain combinations of elements defined to be winning combinations. After all or part of an initial set of elements is obtained, the system offers the player an award to stop play prior to receiving a final set of elements. The amount of the offer is preferably based, at least in part, upon the probabilities of obtaining a winning combination using the initial set of elements received by the player. In accepting the "stop play" offer, the play of the game may cease, with the player forfeiting the right to win an award based on the final winning combinations, or, in an alternate embodiment, play can continue with an award, if any, based upon a modified pay schedule.

Abstract: A modified video poker game where the game initially assigns five cards to the player and the player can then select one of thirty two possible discard strategies to replace any number of the five cards. The video poker game computes the expected value of each discard strategy and then determines which discard strategy is the optimum strategy. If the player selects a discard strategy other than the optimum discard strategy, the award values for winning combinations of cards are adjusted from their default values so that when the expected value of the selected discard strategy is calculated using the adjusted awards, it is substantially equal to the expected value of the optimum strategy calculated using the default awards.