Abstract: Disclosed are compositions comprising metallic nanoparticles suitable for use in cohesive, highly conductive structures on substrates. Also disclosed are methods for synthesizing the compositions and methods for forming cohesive, highly conductive structures from the compositions.

Abstract: A gaming system for playing a video poker game includes a wager-input device, a display, and a controller. The wager-input device receives a wager input from a player and the display displays the video poker game having a plurality of cards. The controller is coupled to the display and the wager-input device, and is programmed to provide an initial poker hand that is randomly selected from the plurality of cards. In response to a bonus feature being triggered, a certain card in the initial poker hand is replaced with at least two substitute cards from the plurality of cards to form two distinct final poker hands.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a community game at linked gaming machines includes a best selection feature that allows players to make selections from a plurality of selectable objects. Each selected object is associated with an award and the highest award is awarded to each of the players at the linked gaming machines.

Abstract: A method of playing a poker game comprises receiving a primary wager to initiate game play and displaying a first card hand formed from a first group of cards. The method further comprises evaluating whether the first card hand is a winning hand payable according to a paytable. The method further comprises displaying a second card hand formed from a second group of cards, and if the second card hand satisfies a bonus award criteria, awarding a bonus award. In an embodiment, the first card hand comprises five cards and the second card hand comprises two cards.

Abstract: A gaming system for playing a video poker game includes a wager-input device, a display, and a controller. The wager-input receives a wager input from a player to purchase a plurality of poker hands, wherein the poker hands include a first hand and a second hand. The display displays a plurality of first cards as a first played hand of the first hand. The controller is coupled to the display and is programmed to create the second hand initially consisting of the plurality of first cards, if the first played hand is a predetermined ranked winning card combination. The controller is further programmed to allow the player to create a second played hand of the second hand. The second played hand includes at least one player-selected card of the first cards and at least one randomly selected card from a deck of cards.

Abstract: Method and system are disclosed for conducting a wagering game having increased excitement and enjoyment over existing wagering games. The method and system involve a bank of wagering game terminals connected to a bank controller. Each wagering game terminal allows players to play a basic wagering game that is independent of other wagering game terminals. The wagering game terminals also allow players to play a bonus game where players take turns playing to win a portion of a jackpot. The portion awarded to each player may be the actual amount won by that player, or it may be a percentage of the entire jackpot based on the actual amount won by the player relative to other players. In one implementation, only players at wagering game terminals that exceed a minimum level of wagering activity may play the bonus game.

Abstract: New progressive gaming machines and systems and related methods and components offer players opportunities to win a portion of a progressive jackpot. In one exemplary system, one or more gaming machines in a system payout a portion of a progressive jackpot value in response to a progressive winning event, with the pay amount determined as the ratio of the denomination of the winning machine to a maximum available denomination.

Abstract: System and method are disclosed for conducting a wagering game having increased excitement and enjoyment. The method/system of the invention involves a bank of wagering game terminals connected to a bank server. In addition to a basic wagering game, the wagering game terminals allow players to play a bonus game where only one or some of the players may win a prize. In one implementation, the prize is a jackpot composed entirely of game credits won by the players in the bonus game and pooled by the bank server. In another implementation, only players at wagering game terminals that exceed a minimum level of wagering activity may play the bonus game. The player that wins the bonus game receives the jackpot. If there are multiple winners, the jackpot is distributed amongst the winners based on their performance in the bonus game or some other criterion.

Abstract: A method and gaming terminal for playing a wagering game. The method includes conducting the wagering game at a gaming terminal. A plurality of player-selectable game elements are displayed, such that the game elements are divided into a plurality of types. A player selects at least one of the game elements and a predetermined award amount is then revealed. If the player selects an award-all-of-type element, then all of the game elements associated with that particular type are revealed. The player then receives a wagering game payoff based on the selection.

Abstract: A gaming machine is provided for playing a wagering game. The gaming machine includes a wager-input device and at least one display for displaying the wagering game. The wagering game includes a plurality of player-selectable elements that mask corresponding ones of a plurality of awards, and the plurality of awards include a bonus-enhancement award. An input device receives player-inputs associated with the plurality of player-selectable elements that result in one or more of the plurality of awards becoming unmasked awards. In response to the bonus-enhancement award being unmasked, the bonus-enhancement award is randomly applied to another one of the unmasked awards.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of conducting a wagering game is disclosed. The method comprises revealing a plurality of symbol-bearing objects to form a plurality of user-playable hands. At least one hand from the plurality of user-playable hands is discarded, via player selection. A first plurality of community symbol-bearing objects is revealed. The plurality of community symbol-bearing objects is capable of being combined with one or more of the non-discarded plurality of user-playable hands to form an individual best hand.

Abstract: A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal comprises displaying a plurality of player-selectable elements that initially mask a value, at least one of the player-selectable elements comprises an end-game outcome having a variable value, and in response to a player selecting one of the player-selectable elements that is not the end-game outcome, revealing the value of the selected one of the player-selectable elements and decreasing the value of the end-game outcome.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing additional selections of predefined objects during a wagering game is disclosed. In one embodiment, at the onset of the game, a fixed number of selections and selectable objects is defined by the game and is presented to the player. Each selectable object has identifiable similarities or identical characteristics with at least one other object creating the potential of selecting matched sets. If a matched set is selected within the predetermined allowed number of selections, the matched set is removed from the selected group of objects. A number identical to the number of objects in the matched set is added to the available selections count. This method gives more control to the player and provides another element to the wagering game by adding the possibility of additional selections to the possibility of other awards.

Abstract: Systems and methods utilize a game rules script that defines a set of winning outcomes. The games rules script may be parsed into a game rules data structure that may be utilized by a gaming application. The gaming system generates a game outcome, and uses the game rules data structure defined by the game rules script to determine if the game outcome matches at least one winning outcome in the set of winning outcomes defined in the script.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conducting a wagering game are disclosed. A value input device receives a wager from a player to play the wagering game. A processor is operative to define a plurality of possible destinations; define a plurality of possible different movement patterns for moving the objects to the destinations; and for a given one of the objects, assign probabilities to the respective possible movement patterns and select one of the possible movement patterns based on the assigned probabilities. A display depicts the object going to a selected one of the destinations in accordance with the assigned movement pattern. The assigned probabilities for the given object may, for example, depend upon the destination that is selected.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a dynamic, bonus limiting game feature. In response to a wager, the machine conducts a basic game that, among its plurality of possible outcomes, includes a start-feature outcome for triggering the game feature. In one game feature example, the machine receives a selection of at least one of a plurality of different bonus limiting elements, and then receives successive selections of a plurality of selectable game elements until the selected game element has a predefined association with the selected bonus limiting element. In another game feature example, the machine receives successive selections of a plurality of selectable game elements until the selected game element is associated with a bonus-limiting outcome. The bonus-limiting outcome is assigned to a varying number of the selectable game elements from game to game.