Gaming System and Method of Operation Thereof

Abstract

A gaming system includes a gaming server operate under program control to regulate the progress of a game of chance, a player station capable of displaying a simulation of the game of chance, a communication network that provides communication between the gaming server and the player station, and a means by which the player can place a wager on an outcome of a turn of the game of chance. The outcome of the game of chance is determined by the gaming server as a function of a sequence of randomly generated binary variables. The player station displays the simulation of the game of chance as an animation of a multistage decision tree in which the number of stages is equal to the number of binary variables in the sequence of randomly generated binary variables.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a gaming system that enables a user thereof to place a wager on and to play a game and, more particularly, to a system which enables a user thereof to place a wager on and to play a game of chance. The invention extends to a method of operation of the gaming system.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Gaming systems for playing wagering games are widely known and utilised. Such systems can be used in land-based casino establishments or can be applied in an online environment. It has become increasingly common for such gaming systems to operate under the control of a stored software program.

A disadvantage of such gaming systems is that players can quickly tire of a particular game, leading to player attrition and consequent reduced turnover and reduced profitability for an operator of the gaming system.

It is desirable to have a gaming system that provides players with a new and interesting game of chance and that will stimulate player's interest in playing the game.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a gaming system, and a method of operation thereof, that will, at least partially, alleviate the above-mentioned difficulties and disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A gaming system, comprising:

a gaming server operable under program control to regulate the progress of a game of chance;

a player station remote from the gaming server, the player station being operable to display a simulation of the game of chance;

a communication network providing communication between the gaming server and the player station;

a wagering means operable by a player to place a wager on an outcome of a turn of the game of chance, the outcome being either a successful outcome in which the player wins a prize, and an unsuccessful outcome in which the player forfeits the wager

characterised in that

the outcome of the turn of the game of chance is determined by the gaming server as a function of a sequence of a predetermined number of independent randomly generated binary variables.

Further features of the invention provide for the player station to display the simulation of the game of chance as an animation of a multistage decision tree, for the number of stages in the multistage decision tree to be equal to the predetermined number of binary variables in the sequence of randomly generated binary variables, and for each stage of the multistage decision tree to consist of a simulation of a binary decision corresponding to a respective one of the predetermined number of randomly generated binary variables.

Still further features of the invention provide for the player station to display the animation of the multistage decision tree as a plurality of pivots and sinks arranged in a pyramidical structure, for the pyramidical structure to have a plurality of levels, preferably seven, for the animation of the multistage decision tree to display a ball descending under gravitational influence from the apex of the pyramidical structure until a sink is reached, for the pyramidical structure to include a first plurality of sinks that are associated with corresponding successful outcomes of the game of chance, and for a second plurality of sinks to be associated with corresponding unsuccessful outcomes of the game of chance.

A method of operation of a gaming system, comprising the steps of:

operating a gaming server under program control to regulate the progress of a game of chance;

displaying a simulation of the game of chance on a player station remote from the gaming server;

providing communication between the gaming server and the player station;

placing a wager on an outcome of a turn of the game of chance, the outcome being either a successful outcome in which a prize is won, and an unsuccessful outcome in which the wager is forfeited

characterised in that

the outcome of the turn of the game of chance is determined by the gaming server as a function of a sequence of a predetermined number of independent randomly generated binary variables.

There is further provided for displaying the simulation of the game of chance as an animation of a multistage decision tree, for displaying a number of stages in the multistage decision tree equal to the predetermined number of binary variables in the sequence of randomly generated binary variables, and for displaying each stage of the multistage decision tree as a simulation of a binary decision corresponding to a respective one of the predetermined number of randomly generated binary variables.

There is still further provided for displaying the animation of the multistage decision tree as a plurality of pivots and sinks arranged in a pyramidical structure, for defining the pyramidical structure to have a plurality of levels, for displaying the animation of the multistage decision tree to include a ball descending under gravitational influence from the apex of the pyramidical structure until a sink is reached, for including in the pyramidical structure a first plurality of sinks that are associated with corresponding successful outcomes of the game of chance and a second plurality of sinks that are associated with corresponding unsuccessful outcomes of the game of chance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a gaming system according to the invention; and

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic representations of a simulation of a game of chance produced by the gaming system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a gaming system is indicated generally by reference numeral (1).

The system (1) includes a gaming server (2) and a player station in the form of a computer workstation (3) remote from the gaming server. The computer workstation (3), which has an associated display, is located remotely from the gaming server (2) and is connected thereto by means of an open communication network (4) that is, in this embodiment, the Internet.

The computer workstation (3) is a conventional personal computer operating under a Windows XT operating system, which is well known and commercially available from the Microsoft Corporation of Seattle, Wash., USA. The computer workstation (3) executes a stored simulation software program (5) that simulates the progress of a game of chance. The operation of the stored simulation software program (5) will be described in more detail in the description that follows.

A user wishing to play the game of chance is first required to register and to create an account on the gaming server (2). The user is then require to pre-fund the account by purchasing credit that will, for convenience, be denominated in this description in “units”. The gaming server (2) stores a credit balance corresponding to the user's account at all times.

In order to commence play, the user uses the computer workstation (3) to log onto the gaming server (2) and initiates execution of the stored simulation software program (5), which provides the user with a wagering facility (6) in the form of a bet placement icon that enables the user to place a wager on a turn of the game. The user now enters a betting phase of the game by activating the bet placement icon in order to place the wager. The size of the wager is displayed to the user on the computer workstation (3). There must be sufficient credit in the user's account to cover any wager that is made. Data relating to the size of the wager made by the user is transmitted by the computer workstation (3) across the communication network (4) to the gaming server (2) for storage on an associated storage device (not shown).

Once the user has placed a wager in the above manner, the stored simulation software program (5) displays to the user of the system (1) an animation of a multistage decision tree on the computer workstation (3). The multistage decision tree is indicated generally by reference numeral (10) in FIGS. 2 to 4.

The multistage decision tree (10) is represented as a plurality of pivots (11) and a plurality of sinks (12) arranged in a pyramidical structure (13). The pyramidical structure (13) has 7 levels with the following arrangement of pivots and sinks at various levels of the structure from top to bottom:

Level 1	Pivots	Sinks
1	1	0
2	2	0
3	3	0
4	4	0
5	3	2
6	6	0
7	0	7

Each sink (12) is associated with a corresponding multiplier value, which can be zero, 2, 4 or 8. Thus, in FIGS. 2-4, the two sinks (12) on level 5 of the pyramidical structure (13) are each associated with a multiplier value of zero (shown as blank), while the sinks in level 7 of the pyramidical structure of arranged as follows: two with a multiplier value of 8, two with a multiplier value of 4, two with a multiplier value of 2, and one with a multiplier value of zero (shown as blank).

The animation of the multistage decision tree (10) depicts a ball (14) being dropped on the single pivot (11) at level 1 of the tree, as indicated in FIG. 2. The pivot (11) on which the ball (14) rests will tilt, allowing the ball to fall to the next level of the pyramidical structure (13). FIG. 3 shows the topmost pivot (11) tilted to the right and the ball (14) having descended on to the right-hand pivot (11) at level 2 of the structure.

It is an essential element of the invention that the direction of tilt of any pivot (11) in the pyramidical structure (13) is random. Referring now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the right-hand pivot (11) at level 2 of the structure has tilted to the left and allowed the ball (14) to descend on to the middle pivot (11) at level 3 of the structure.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the ball (14) will thus trace a random path from the top of the pyramid until it reaches one of the sinks (12), whereupon the turn of the game is over. The wager placed by the user is paid according to the multiplier value of the sink (12) in which the trajectory of the ball terminates. A terminating sink (12) with a multiplier value of zero (shown as blank) means that the outcome of the turn of the game is unsuccessful and that the user's wager is forfeited.

In order to determine the random path travelled by the ball (14) from the top of the pyramid to one of the sinks (12), the computer workstation (3) instructs the gaming server (2) to generate, randomly, seven binary numbers, one for each of the 7 levels in the multistage decision tree (10). In response to the instruction from the computer workstation (3), the gaming server (2) executes a stored program (8) and a software random number generator (9) that generates the seven binary numbers that determine the progress of the ball (14) from apex to sink in the pyramidical structure (13). The operation of such a software random number generator (9) is well known in the art and will not be described here in detail. The gaming server (2) then transmits the 7 generated binary numbers to the computer workstation (3) along the communication network (4) for interpretation and display by the stored simulation software program (5) to the user on the display of the computer workstation (3). In order to provide the animation, each generated random binary number is interpreted as follows: a value of “0” is represented as a tilting of a pivot (11) to the left at the corresponding level of the pyramidical structure (13), while a value of “1” is represented as a tilting of the pivot to the right. The stored program (8) in the gaming server (2) determines the outcome of user's wager according to the rules of the game described above.

Once the animation has been completed and the user's wager has been settled by the stored program (8), the turn of the game is complete and the player may begin a further turn of the game by making another wager on the computer workstation (3).

Numerous modifications are possible to this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the number of levels in the pyramidical structure (13) may be larger or smaller than the seven levels described in this embodiment. Further the ratio of sinks (12) to pivots (11) in the pyramidical structure (13) may be decreased or increased from that described above in order to increase or decrease the probability of the user's wager being successful, respectively. Still further, the multiplier values associated with the sinks (12) may be different to those described in this embodiment.

The invention therefore provides a novel gaming system and a method of operation thereof that enables a user to place wagers on a novel amusement game in an on-line environment.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a gaming server operable under program control to regulate the progress of a game of chance;

a player station remote from the gaming server, the player station being operable to display a simulation of the game of chance;

a communication network providing communication between the gaming server and the player station;

a wagering means operable by a player to place a wager on an outcome of a turn of the game of chance, the outcome being either a successful outcome in which the player wins a prize, and an unsuccessful outcome in which the player forfeits the wager

characterised in that

the outcome of the turn of the game of chance is determined by the gaming server as a function of a sequence of a predetermined number of independent randomly generated binary variables.

2. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 in which the player station displays the simulation of the game of chance as an animation of a multistage decision tree.

3. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2 in which the number of stages in the multistage decision tree is equal to the predetermined number of binary variables in the sequence of randomly generated binary variables.

4. A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 in which each stage of the multistage decision tree consists of a simulation of a binary decision corresponding to a respective one of the predetermined number of randomly generated binary variables.

5. A gaming system as claimed in claim 4 in which the player station displays the animation of the multistage decision tree as a plurality of pivots and sinks arranged in a pyramidical structure.

6. A gaming system as claimed in claim 5 in which the pyramidical structure has a plurality of levels, preferably seven levels.

7. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6 in which the animation of the multistage decision tree displays a ball descending under gravitational influence from the apex of the pyramidical structure until a sink is reached.

8. A gaming system as claimed in claim 7 in which the pyramidical structure includes a first plurality of sinks that are associated with corresponding successful outcomes of the game of chance.

9. A gaming system as claimed in claim 8 in which the pyramidical structure includes a second plurality of sinks that are associated with corresponding unsuccessful outcomes of the game of chance.

10. A method of operation of a gaming system, comprising the steps of: operating a gaming server under program control to regulate the progress of a game of chance;

displaying a simulation of the game of chance on a player station remote from the gaming server;

providing communication between the gaming server and the player station;

placing a wager on an outcome of a turn of the game of chance, the outcome being either a successful outcome in which a prize is won, and an unsuccessful outcome in which the wager is forfeited

characterised in that

the outcome of the turn of the game of chance is determined by the gaming server as a function of a sequence of a predetermined number of independent randomly generated binary variables.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the simulation of the game of chance is displayed as an animation of a multistage decision tree.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 that includes a step of displaying a number of stages in the multistage decision tree equal to the predetermined number of binary variables in the sequence of randomly generated binary variables

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 in which each stage of the multistage decision tree is displayed as a simulation of a binary decision corresponding to a respective one of the predetermined number of randomly generated binary variables.

14. A method as claimed in 13 in which the animation of the multistage decision tree is displayed as a plurality of pivots and sinks arranged in a pyramidical structure.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 in which the pyramidical structure is defined to have a plurality of levels.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which the animation of the multistage decision tree is displayed as a ball descending under gravitational influence from the apex of the pyramidical structure until a sink is reached.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 in which a first plurality of sinks are included in the pyramidical structure, each one of the first plurality of sinks being associated with a corresponding successful outcome of the game of chance.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 in which a second plurality of sinks are included in the pyramidical structure, each one of the second plurality of sinks being associated with corresponding unsuccessful outcome of the game of chance.