Abstract: Gaming systems are configured to present wagering-type games to players. In one embodiment, players use portable devices such as cellular phones to play a game in which they receive a score. Players with winning scores are awarded winnings from a jackpot which is funded from charges associated with air time. In another embodiment, games are presented on gaming machines which may be located in one territory and which are associated with a gaming server located in another territory. Communication occurs via transmitter/receivers located in each territory and a communication link extending there between and through one or more satellites.

Abstract: A game and gaming apparatus include a main game and a bonus game. A player is entitled to participate in the bonus game without an additional wager beyond that required to play the main game. Winning outcomes of the main game determine the indicia used to play the bonus game. In one embodiment upon a winning outcome of the main game, an indicia, such as an image of a winning amount, is transferred to the bonus game. In another embodiment, the bonus event includes categories associated with winning outcomes of the main game, the categories activated based upon wins of the main game. In one embodiment, the main game is a game of video poker. Winning hands are associated with or activate positions of the bonus game. Play of the bonus game comprises selection of at least one of the indicia or positions/categories which have been activated.

Abstract: A variety of methods of playing dice games and apparatus for implementing the games are disclosed. In one embodiment, the game involves the step of accepting a wager, displaying indicia such as images of the sides of dice, determining if identical indicia are connected, and providing a payout for winning combinations of connected dice. In one embodiment, a player places a bet and at least two indicia are displayed. If the indicia are the same, the player has the opportunity to have at least one additional indicia displayed, such as upon placing another bet. Play continues so long as the indicia match. If the player receives at least two matching indicia in sequence, the player may end play and be paid a winning. In another embodiment, a matrix of indicia positions is provided and indicia are displayed in one or more of the positions. Winning combinations of indicia comprise two or more indicia located in adjoining or connecting relationship within the matrix.

Abstract: A multi-player game includes both individual and bonus game aspects. Players play individual games for a score. In one embodiment, game scores comprise an aggregate of scores from individual rounds of play in which indicia are displayed, held and replaced in an attempt to obtain the maximum number of matching indicia. If a player achieves a sufficiently high score, the player is permitted to play the game in a bonus round for a bonus score. A pool of players is determined from the bonus scores of players who play during a predetermined interval of time. A jackpot is awarded to one or more of the players of the pool based upon their bonus scores, such as the players with the highest bonus scores. In one embodiment, players use portable devices such as cellular phones to play the game and the jackpot is funded from charges associated with air time.

Abstract: A game having a bonus feature and a gaming apparatus for presenting the game are disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of a player placing a wager, spinning a plurality of first reels having indicia thereon, determining if indicia displayed by the plurality of first reels associated with a first pay line comprises a predetermined winning combination, and if so, paying a first award and then associating that first award with at least one bonus reel, permitting a player to spin the at least one bonus reel or otherwise participate in the bonus event, and determining if an award associated with the at least one bonus reel is associated with a second pay line, and if so, paying a bonus award.

Abstract: A game having a bonus feature and a gaming apparatus for presenting the game are disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of a player placing a wager, spinning a plurality of first reels having indicia thereon, determining if indicia displayed by the plurality of first reels associated with a first pay line comprises a predetermined winning combination, and if so, paying a first award and then associating that first award with at least one bonus reel, spinning the at least one bonus reel, and determining if an award associated with the at least one bonus reel is associated with a second pay line, and if so, paying a bonus award. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes three first mechanical or video-generated reels for playing the first game, one second mechanical or video-generated reel for playing the bonus event, and associated mechanisms for accepting wagers, paying winnings, and associating win amounts from the first game with the at least one bonus reel.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method facilitate single user and tournament play of wagering games. A player provides control input in order to control the game. The machine simulates the rolling of dice to obtain scoring combinations, and the player makes strategic gaming decisions concerning the holding, releasing and re-rolling of the dice, and the assignment of the resulting dice combinations to scoring categories. A game progresses as a player attempts to fill a plurality of scoring categories in order to achieve a high total score. A player wagers on each simulated roll of the dice, and is paid for wining assignments of combinations to categories. The computer-controlled slot machines are generally linked to a wide area network, facilitating tournament play among multiple players and progressive jackpots. Computer-controlled slot machines include machine-readable media reading and writing devices, allowing players to save and restore games in progress.

Abstract: A gaming apparatus and a method of playing a game are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention comprises a method including the steps of providing at least sixty-five cards, or card symbols, the cards comprising the standard 52 cards comprising 13 cards of a first, a second, a third and a fourth suit, and 13 additional cards of a fifth suit; presenting at least five of the cards to a player, the cards comprising a hand; and determining if the hand comprises a winning combination of cards. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of presenting the cards on five reels of a gaming machine, each reel containing 13 cards from the five suits. In one embodiment, the cards or other indicia are arranged so that normal poker hand combinations can be received, with each card value (of any suit) appearing only once on a reel.

Abstract: A game and gaming apparatus include a main game and a bonus game. A player is entitled to participate in the bonus game without an additional wager beyond that required to play the main game. Winning outcomes of the main game determine the indicia used to play the bonus game. In one embodiment upon a winning outcome of the main game, an indicia, such as an image of a winning amount, is transferred to the bonus game. In another embodiment, the bonus event includes categories associated with winning outcomes of the main game, the categories activated based upon wins of the main game. In one embodiment, the main game is a game of video poker. Winning hands are associated with or activate positions of the bonus game. Play of the bonus game comprises selection of at least one of the indicia or positions/categories which have been activated.

Abstract: A game having a bonus feature and a gaming apparatus for presenting the game are disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of a player placing a wager, spinning a plurality of first reels having indicia thereon, determining if indicia displayed by the plurality of first reels associated with a first pay line comprises a predetermined winning combination, and if so, paying a first award and then associating that first award with at least one bonus game, permitting at one or more times the player to participate in the bonus event, and determining if the outcome of the bonus event is a winning outcome and if so, paying a bonus award. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes three first mechanical or video-generated reels for playing the first game, one second mechanical or video-generated reel for playing the bonus event, and associated mechanisms for accepting wagers, paying winnings, and associating win amounts from the first game with the at least one bonus reel.

Abstract: A multi-hand poker game is disclosed. In one embodiment, the game includes the steps of dealing a set of cards and selecting one or more or all of the cards from the set to be used in a first hand and selecting one or more or all of the cards from the set to be used in at least one additional hand. Cards are added to the first hand and each additional hand, as necessary, to create hands of a predetermined number of cards. It is then determined if any of the hands are winning hands. In one embodiment, the hands are five card poker hands. In one embodiment, the game is implemented on a computing device and a computer may select the cards to be duplicated and the cards to be held. In one embodiment, the game is a wager-type game.

Abstract: A variety of methods of playing games using dice or other indicia and apparatus for implementing the games are disclosed. In one embodiment, the game involves the step of accepting a wager, displaying indicia such as images of the sides of dice and determining if identical indicia are connected. Winning combinations of indicia comprise two or more indicia located in adjoining or connecting relationship within the matrix. In one embodiment, a player's bet determines how many indicia are displayed in the matrix. In one embodiment a bonus or separate game comprises using the existing displayed indicia or displaying a new set of indicia and determining the maximum number of identical indicia. If the maximum number exceeds a predetermined number, the outcome is a winning outcome.

Abstract: A variety of methods of playing dice games and apparatus for implementing the games are disclosed. In one embodiment, the game involves the step of accepting a wager, displaying indicia such as images of the sides of dice, determining if identical indicia are connected, and providing a payout for winning combinations of connected dice. In one embodiment, a player places a bet and at least two indicia are displayed. If the indicia are the same, the player has the opportunity to have at least one additional indicia displayed, such as upon placing another bet. Play continues so long as the indicia match. If the player receives at least two matching indicia in sequence, the player may end play and be paid a winning. In another embodiment, a matrix of indicia positions is provided and indicia are displayed in one or more of the positions. Winning combinations of indicia comprise two or more indicia located in adjoining or connecting relationship within the matrix.

Abstract: A multi-hand poker game is disclosed. In one embodiment, the game includes the steps of dealing a first hand of a predetermined plurality of cards, selecting cards from the first hand to be duplicated into a second hand, selecting cards to be held from the first hand, discarding cards from the first hand which are not held, replacing the discarded cards in the first hand to complete the first hand, adding cards to the second hand to complete the second hand of a predetermined plurality of cards, and determining if the first or second hands comprise a predetermined combination of winning cards. In one embodiment, none, one or more or all of the cards of the first hand may be duplicated in to the second hand, and none, one or more or all of the cards in the first hand may be held. The cards which are duplicated and the cards which are held may be different.

Abstract: A multi-hand poker game is disclosed. In one embodiment, the game includes the steps of dealing a first hand of a predetermined plurality of cards, selecting cards from the first hand to be duplicated into a second hand, selecting cards to be held from the first hand, discarding cards from the first hand which are not held, replacing the discarded cards in the first hand to complete the first hand, adding cards to the second hand to complete the second hand of a predetermined plurality of cards, and determining if the first or second hands comprise a predetermined combination of winning cards. In one embodiment, none, one or more or all of the cards of the first hand may be duplicated in to the second hand, and none, one or more or all of the cards in the first hand may be held. The cards which are duplicated and the cards which are held may be different.

Abstract: A method of playing a card game is disclosed in which a player attempts to determine if the value of a card will be higher or lower than another card. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of a player placing a wager, displaying to the player a first card from a deck of cards, the player selecting whether a second card from the deck of cards will have a value higher or lower than the first card, displaying to the player the second card, determining a result by comparing the second card to the first card, comparing the result with the player's selection, and declaring the outcome of the game a losing outcome if the selection differs from the result and declaring the outcome of the game a winning outcome if the selection is the same as the result. In the event the outcome is a winning outcome, the player is permitted to continue play by selecting whether a next card will have a value higher or lower than another card.

Abstract: A variety of methods of playing dice games and apparatus for implementing the games are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least two indicia are displayed, the indicia selected from a group of indicia including two indicia representing each side of a dice, the indicia representing each side of a dice having a distinguishing characteristic. In one embodiment, the group of indicia includes each side of a dice distinguishable by color. After display of the indicia, a player is permitted to hold none, one or more or all of the indicia. An indicia is then selected from the group of indica for each non-held indica. The resulting combination of indicia is then evaluated to determine if it comprises a predetermined winning combination of indicia. In one embodiment, a video machine is arranged to implement the game. Machine-readable media reading and writing devices allow players to save and restore games in progress. In one or more embodiments, two or more gaming devices are associated with a common controller.

Abstract: A game having a bonus feature and a gaming apparatus for presenting the game are disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of a player placing a wager, spinning a plurality of first reels having indicia thereon, determining if indicia displayed by the plurality of first reels associated with a first pay line comprises a predetermined winning combination, and if so, paying a first award and then associating that first award with at least one bonus game, permitting at one or more times the player to participate in the bonus event, and determining if the outcome of the bonus event is a winning outcome and if so, paying a bonus award. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes three first mechanical or video-generated reels for playing the first game, one second mechanical or video-generated reel for playing the bonus event, and associated mechanisms for accepting wagers, paying winnings, and associating win amounts from the first game with the at least one bonus reel.