FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices and methods for operating games of chance. More specifically, it relates to devices and methods for operating a sequence of games of chance presenting enhanced payouts.
BACKGROUND Gambling has historically been a favourite pastime for many and has, over the years, enjoyed very rapid growth. However, it has recently become apparent that some of the most successful games, such as Roulette, have been recently slipping in popularity. As a result, there is a need for a new generation of games, one that will revive the interest of casino patrons and enable the casino industry to sustain its growth.
Some of the industry's leaders have been developing new games, new systems for operating games, and new incentives, most of which are designed to improve the overall gambling experience of casino patrons and hold their interest for extended periods of time.
SUMMARY It is an object of the present invention to provide an additional incentive in the form of enhanced payouts for bets placed with previously earned credits.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for operating a sequence of distinct games at predetermined intervals of time on a same platform.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a gaming system for providing enhanced payouts, the system comprising a terminal for accepting regular bets placed with regular credits and bonus bets placed with bonus credits on any of a same set of game outcomes, a game controller for providing game display instructions to the terminal and for selecting one the game outcomes in accordance with rules of the game, the main bet controller for multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets, a bonus bet controller for multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine credits earned with the bonus bets, wherein the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor, and a credit controller for incrementing the player's credit balance by at least some of the credits earned with the regular bets and bonus bets.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing an enhanced payout comprising providing regular credits and bonus credits in accordance with two different acquisition modalities, accepting regular bets placed with the regular credits or bonus bets placed with the bonus credits on any of a same set of game outcomes, selecting one the outcomes, if the regular bets are accepted, multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets, if the bonus bets are accepted, multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine the credits earned with the bonus bets, wherein the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor, and incrementing the player's credit balance by at least some of the credits earned with the regular bets and bonus bets.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a gaming system for operating a sequence of single games, the system comprising a sequencer for selecting a next one of the games of the sequence, a timer for enabling the sequencer at predetermined intervals of time, a terminal for accepting bets placed by a player on any of a set of outcomes of the last selected game, a single game controller for providing game display instructions to the terminal and for selecting one of the potential outcomes, the bet controller for determining the credits earned by the player with those of the bets placed on the selected outcome, and the credit controller for incrementing the player's credit balance by at least a portion of the earned credits.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a sequence of single games, the method comprising selecting a next one of the games of the sequence at predetermined intervals of time, accepting bets placed by a player on any of a set of outcomes of the last selected game, selecting one of the outcomes, determining the credits earned by the player with those of the bets placed on the selected outcome, and incrementing the player's credit balance by at least a portion of the earned credits.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is top plan view of an apparatus for playing a sequence of games offering enhanced payouts according to one embodiment, the apparatus comprising a center display for displaying game outcomes and four individual terminals for accepting bets, displaying earned credits, and displaying credit balances;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an environment for playing the sequence of games according to one embodiment, the environment comprising a center display for displaying game outcomes positioned, the center display positioned at the center of semicircular rows of horizontally mounted terminals for accepting bets, displaying earned credits, and displaying credit balances;
FIG. 3 illustrates a user interface displayed on the terminal for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the first of a sequence of six games;
FIG. 4 illustrates a visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the first game;
FIG. 5 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the first game's outcome;
FIG. 6 illustrates the user interface displayed on a terminal for informing the player of the outcome of the first game;
FIG. 7 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the first game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the second game's outcomes;
FIG. 8 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the second game;
FIG. 9 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the second game;
FIG. 10 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the second game's outcome;
FIG. 11 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the outcome of the second game;
FIG. 12 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the second game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the third game's outcomes;
FIG. 13 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the third game;
FIG. 14 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the third game;
FIG. 15 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the third game's outcome;
FIG. 16 illustrates the user interface displayed on a terminal for informing the player of the outcome of the third game;
FIG. 17 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the third game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the fourth game's outcomes;
FIG. 18 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the fourth game;
FIG. 19 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the fourth game;
FIG. 20 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the fourth game's outcome;
FIG. 21 illustrates the user interface displayed on a terminal for informing the player of the outcome of the fourth game;
FIG. 22 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the fourth game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the fifth game's outcomes;
FIG. 23 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the fifth game;
FIG. 24 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the fifth game;
FIG. 25 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the fifth game's outcome;
FIG. 26 illustrates the user interface displayed on a terminal for informing the player of the outcome of the fifth game;
FIG. 27 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the fifth game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the sixth game's outcomes;
FIG. 28 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player that no bets can be placed on outcomes of the sixth draw as no credits were earned in the fifth;
FIG. 29 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the fifth game and providing the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the sixth game's outcomes;
FIG. 30 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the sixth game;
FIG. 31 illustrates the visual interface displayed on the center display, the visual interface informing the player of the sixth game's outcome;
FIG. 32 illustrates the user interface displayed on the terminal for informing the player of the credits earned over the course of the sixth game;
FIG. 33 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system for operating a sequence of games presenting enhanced payouts according to a preferred embodiment;
FIG. 34 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a single game controller, a component of the system, according to a preferred embodiment;
FIG. 35 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a bet controller, a component of the system, according to a preferred embodiment;
FIG. 36 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a sequence controller, a component of the system, according to a preferred embodiment;
FIG. 37 is flowchart illustrating a method of providing enhanced payouts according to a preferred embodiment; and
FIG. 38 is flowchart illustrating a method of operating a sequence of games presenting enhanced payouts according to a preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION The system for operating sequential games and its inventive features are described herein below. For exemplary purposes and in order to clearly demonstrate the synergy between the features, a system for operating a sequence of six specific games is presented. However, it should be apparent to a person skilled in the art that other sequences of games may be operated by the system without departing from the spirit of the invention.
FIG. 1 is top plan view of an apparatus for playing a sequence of games offering enhanced payouts according to one embodiment, the apparatus comprising a center display 103 for displaying game outcomes and four individual terminals 101 for accepting bets, displaying earned credits, and displaying credit balances.
The terminals 101, also known in the field of gaming as consoles or stations, are detachably mounted on a same platform and positioned in a substantially circular configuration with respect to the display 103, also known in the field of gaming as a communal or central panel. Each of the terminals 101 comprises a touch screen, a set of speakers, a currency acceptor, a prepaid casino card reader, a dedicated ticket-in ticket-out printer, as well as a system that enables the interaction of these various components with a player, with each other, and with components of the display 103 for the purposes of the game.
As for the display 103, it comprises a screen, a set of speakers, as well as a system that enables the interaction of these various components with each other and with components of the terminals. Furthermore, the screens of the terminals 101 and display 103 are mounted in a substantially horizontal manner and those of the terminals 103 are positioned in proximity of that of the display 103 such that a player standing in front of any of the terminals 101 may easily shift his attention between the screen of the terminals 101 and that of the display 103. The number of the terminals 101 mounted on the platform may be readily modified as a function of parameters such as spatial constraints and operation costs.
Although the terminals 101 have been described as detachably mounted on the platform, they may be fixedly mounted thereon in order, for instance, to reduce costs associated with the manufacture of such an apparatus. Furthermore, although the terminals 101 have been described as positioned in a substantially circular configuration with respect to the display 103, they may be positioned otherwise such as in a substantially semicircular configuration with respect to the display 103, wherein the display 103 is vertically mounted to provide all players with an unobstructed view. Moreover, although each of the terminals 101 has been described as comprising a touch screen, it may alternatively comprise an elaborate set of keys or a screen coupled with a set of keys. Also, although the display 103 has been described as comprising a screen, it may alternatively comprise a display surface upon which images are projected. Finally, although the screens of the terminals 101 and display 103 have been described as mounted in a substantially horizontal manner, they may be mounted otherwise such as in a substantially vertical manner to comply with spatial constraints. Alternatively, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the game may be played in an environment comprising a center display 203 for displaying game outcomes positioned, the center display positioned at the center of semicircular rows of horizontally mounted terminals 201 for accepting bets, displaying earned credits, and displaying credit balances.
For the purposes of the specification, and describing the game within the context of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, a graphical element is said to be displayed on the terminal 101 or display 103 if the element is displayed on the screen of the terminals 101 or display 103. Finally, a player is said to select a graphical element if the player applies pressure on a portion of the touch screen of one of the terminals 101 within which the element is displayed.
Referring now to FIG. 33, there is presented a schematic block diagram illustrating a system for operating a sequence of games presenting enhanced payouts according to a preferred embodiment. Prior to turning the system on, graphics for each of the games are stored in a user interface controller 3303 and a visual interface controller 3315. Furthermore, standard and bonus payout factors are stored in a bet controller 3307, and game specifications, in a single game controller 3305. Once the system has been customized in accordance with the specific sequence of games to be played, it is turned on and parameters of its various components are initialized.
Once the system is customized and the generic parameters are initialized, a sequence controller 3313 provides transition selections to the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315. The transition selections consist in display instructions that inform the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315 of graphics to be displayed on the terminal 101 and the center display 103 between games. At the beginning of a sequence, the graphics serve the purpose of informing players of the manner in which the sequence is operated, the applicable rules, and the first game of the sequence. Within a sequence, the transition graphics serve the purpose of introducing the next game of the sequence while the single game controller 3305 loads the game specifications. At the end of the sequence, the transition graphics serve the purpose of signalling the end of the sequence and inform the players of an upcoming sequence.
The sequence controller 3313 provides a game selection signal to the single game controller 3305, which signal identifies the first game of the sequence. Referring now to FIG. 36, there is provided a schematic block diagram illustrating the sequence controller 3313, a component of the system, according to the preferred embodiment. A sequencer 3601 retrieves from a store of sequence rules 3605 the next game of the sequence, which happens to be the first game, and the time settings, namely duration of the first game. The sequencer 3601 provides the selected game to the single game controller 3305 and the time settings to a timer 3609.
Referring now to FIG. 34, and in response to the received game selection signal, the single game controller 3305 retrieves the specifications of the first game from a store of game specifications 3405 and provides game display instructions to the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315, which instructions consist in specific references to graphics associated with a betting phase of the first game for display on the terminal 101 and the center display 103.
One of the main purposes of the terminals 101 consists in providing a user interface that enables players to place bets on one or more outcomes for each game of the sequence in an efficient and intuitive manner. When the user interface associated with the first game's betting phase is displayed for the first time on the terminals since the system has been turned on, players who wish to participate in the first game may slide their prepaid card in their terminal's card reader to enter their credit balance into the system. The card data is read and provided to the user interface controller 3303, which in turn stores the player's credit balance in a store of player credits 3311. Once the user interface controller 3303 receives confirmation that the credit balance has indeed been stored, it retrieves and assembles graphics for informing the player of the stored credit balance and provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display.
Once the credit balance is displayed on the terminal 101, the player may place one or more bets on the first game's outcome at any time before the betting phase elapses. Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated the user interface displayed on the terminal 101 for placing bets on one or more outcomes of the first of a sequence of six games. A credit meter 303 indicates that five thousand and two credits are available in the player's credit balance. Four control keys 305, each of which is assigned a predetermined number of credits, can be manipulated by the player to select a desired number of credits to be placed on one of the first game's outcomes. Once the desired number of credits is selected, the player may select one of three betting areas 307, each of which is associated to an outcome of the game.
Referring back to FIG. 33, upon accepting from the terminal 101 player input defining a bet request, the user interface controller 303 provides the bet request to a credit controller 3309, which retrieves the player's credit balance from the store of player credits 3311 and verifies whether the retrieved credit balance holds a sufficient number of credits for the bet to be placed. If sufficient credits are available, the credit controller 3309 decrements the credit balance by the selected number of credits, stores the updated credit balance in the store of player credits 3311, and provides the approved bets to the bet controller 3307.
More specifically, and referring to FIG. 35, which presents a schematic block diagram illustrating the bet controller 3307 according to a preferred embodiment, the credit controller 3309 stores the approved bet in a store of approved bets 3509. A main bet controller 3501 retrieves the approved bet from the store of approved bets 3509, retrieves a game-appropriate factor from a store of factors 3507, and multiplies the retrieved bet and factor to obtain the potential payout, namely the number of credits to be earned should the retrieved bet turn out to be a winning bet. The potential payout is provided to a bonus bet controller 3503, which in turn retrieves bonus factors of the five subsequent games, and multiplies the potential payout by the retrieved bonus factors to obtain a payout table, namely a table that indicates the number of credits to be earned if the player successfully bets each credit earned in a previous game throughout the sequence. The bonus bet controller 3503 provides the payout table to the user interface controller 3303.
The user interface controller 3303 routines retrieves updated credit balances from the store of player credits 3311 and approved bets from the store of approved bets 3509. It then retrieves and assembles graphics informing the player of the approved bet, the resulting credit balance decrement, and the resulting payout table before providing the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display. Referring back to FIG. 3, the graphics include an updated credit meter 303, chips 309 placed within the player-selected one of the betting areas 307, and updated payout table tabs 313. More specifically, the credit meter 303 indicates that five thousand two credits remain in the credit balance. The chips 309 within the betting area 307 indicate that two credits are placed on a dice roll inferior to seven. The first of the payout table tabs 313 indicates that four credits will be earned if the placed bet turns out to be a winning bet. Finally, the remaining payout table tabs 313 indicate that twelve, fifty, five hundred, ten thousand, and twenty thousand credits can be earned if the placed bet turns out to be a winner and the player successfully bets each credit earned over the course of the previous game without investing any additional credits.
However, if the credit controller 3309 determines that the player's credit balance holds an insufficient number of credits for the bet to be placed, no approved bet and updated credit balance are provided to the user interface controller 3303, and as a result, the user interface displayed on the terminal 101 is not updated to reflect the requested bet.
A time pane 315 is displayed in the top-left corner of the user interface 301 for indicating the amount of time left until the end of the bet phase, following which players may no longer place bets on outcomes of the first game. Once the bet phase expires, and referring back to FIG. 34, an outcome generator 3403, which is a component of the single game controller 3305, retrieves the first game's specifications from the store of game specifications 3405 to determine a number of potential outcomes, randomly selects one of the potential outcomes, and provides the selected outcome to a main game controller 3401, which in turn provides the selected outcome to other components of the system. More specifically, and referring back to FIG. 33, the main game controller 3401 provides the selected outcome to the user interface controller 3303, the visual interface controller 3315, and the bet controller 3307.
The visual interface controller 3315 retrieves and assembles an animation for informing the players of the selected outcome in an entertaining manner, and provides the retrieved and assembled animation to the center display 103 for display. Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a visual interface 401 displayed on the center display 103, the visual interface 401 presenting an animation of the selection of an outcome for the first game, wherein the animation consists in a roll of dice 403. Referring now to FIG. 5, there is illustrated the visual interface 401 displayed on the center display 103, the visual interface 401 informing the player of the first game's outcome, namely a dice roll of seven, within a results pane 405.
Referring back to FIG. 33, once the animation is displayed on the center display 103, the user interface controller 3303 retrieves and assembles graphics for informing the players of the selected outcome, and provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display. Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated the user interface 301 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the outcome of the first game through a message 601. It is important to note that the outcome illustrated in FIG. 5 is not consistent with the message 601 as the illustrated outcome is only provided for exemplary purposes.
Referring back to FIG. 35, the selected outcome is provided to the main bet controller 3501 and the bonus bet controller 3503. The main bet controller 3501 retrieves from the store of approved bets 3509 those of the approved bets placed on the selected outcome, namely the winning bets, retrieves the game-appropriate factor from the store of factors 3507, multiplies the winning bets by the retrieved factor to calculate the credits earned with approved bets, stores the calculated credits in a store of earned credits 3515, and provides the winning bets to the user interface controller 3303. The bonus bet controller 3503 retrieves from a store of bonus bets 3514 those of the bonus bets placed on the selected outcome, namely the winning bonus bets, retrieves the game-appropriate bonus factor from a store of bonus factors 3511, multiplies the retrieved bonus bets by the retrieved bonus factors to calculate the credits earned with the bonus bets, stores the calculated credits in the store of earned credits 3515, and provides the winning bonus bet to the user interface controller 3303.
The display of the selected outcome on the terminal 101 coincides with the end of the first game. Referring back to FIG. 35, once the period of time provided by the sequencer 3601 elapses, the timer 3609 provides the sequencer 3601 a time signal indicating the end of the first game. In response, the sequencer 3601 retrieves the next game of the sequence, namely the second game, from the store of sequence rules 3605, and provides the game selection to an eligibility controller 3603, which in turn retrieves from the store of sequence rules 3605 the requirements to be met for players to benefit from bonus conditions.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the bonus conditions are exclusively available to players that have earned credits in an immediately preceding game of a same sequence. The eligibility controller 3603 determines that the selected game is not the first one of the sequence, retrieves the credits earned by the players from the store of earned credits 3515, identifies those of the players that have not earned credits, and provides the resulting restrictions, which consist in a list of the identified players, to the sequencer 3601, which in turn dispatches the restrictions to the user interface controller 3303, and provides transition instructions to the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315.
Referring back to FIG. 33, the user interface controller 3303 retrieves each player's earned credits from the bet controller 3307, and according to the transition instructions provided by the sequence controller 3313, retrieves and assembles graphics for informing each of the of the players not found on the restricted list of their winning bets and earned credits. The graphics also provide the players with an opportunity to benefit from advantageous payout factors in the second game in exchange for a commitment to place bets with the earned credits, wherein the advantageous factors are exclusively applicable to the committed credits. Bets placed under these bonus conditions are referred to as bonus bets, and the advantageous payout factors, as bonus factors. The user interface controller 3303 provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display.
As for the visual interface controller 3315, it retrieves and assembles graphics in accordance with the transition instructions provided by the sequence controller 3313, which graphics present the second game of the sequence to the players, and provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the center display 3317.
Referring now to FIG. 7, there is illustrated a user interface 701 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the winning bet, namely the one placed on a roll of dice inferior to 7, and the credits earned over the course of the first game, namely four credits. The user interface 701 also provides the option of placing a bet with the earned credits on one of the second game's outcomes.
If the eligible player wishes to take advantage of the proposed bonus conditions, a bonus request must be submitted within a limited time frame by selecting a control key 705. Otherwise, the player may select a control key 707 or wait for the time frame to expire.
Referring back to FIG. 33, if the player submits a bonus request through the terminal 101, the user interface controller 3303 provides the request to the bet controller 3307. More specifically, and referring to FIG. 35, the user interface controller 3307 stores the bonus request in the store of bonus bets 3513. A payout controller 3505 retrieves the bonus request from the store of bonus bets 3513 and updates the store of earned credits 3515 accordingly. However, it the player does not submit a bonus request through the terminal 101, no bonus request is stored in the store of bonus bets 3513, and no bonus request is retrieved by the payout controller 3505. As a result, the payout controller 3515 retrieves the player's earned credits from the store of earned credits 3515 and provides the earned credits as payouts to another component of the system. More specifically, and referring to FIG. 33, the payout controller 3505 provides the payout to the credit controller 3309, which retrieves the player's credit balance from the store of player credits 3311, increments the retrieved credit balance by the provided payout, and stores the updated credit balance in the store of player credits 3311.
The sequence controller 3313 also provides the game selection to the single game controller 3305, which loads the game specifications of the second game and provides game display instructions to the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315. Upon being provided the game display instructions, the user interface controller 3303 retrieves and assembles graphics for enabling the player to place bets on one of the outcomes of the second game, and provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101. Referring now to FIG. 8, there is illustrated a user interface 801 displayed on the terminal 101 for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the second game, wherein each of the outcomes is assigned to a bet area 807. If the player had previously submitted a bonus request, the committed credits, also referred to as the bonus credits, are placed on the outcome assigned to the first of the bet areas 807 selected by the player. Referring back to FIG. 33, upon accepting the player's selection, the terminal 101 provides the player's input to the user interface controller 3303, which in turn provides the corresponding outcome to the bet controller 3307. More specifically, and referring back to FIG. 35, the user interface controller 3303 stores the outcome in the store of bonus bets 3513, wherein the outcome completes the bonus credits to form a bonus bet. However, and referring back to FIG. 8, if the player had not previously submitted a bonus request, the interface 801 can be manipulated in a similar manner as the interface 301 illustrated in FIG. 3.
According to the preferred embodiment, in order to benefit from the bonus factors, all credits earned over the course of an immediately preceding game must be placed on a single outcome. However, according to another embodiment, in order to benefit from the bonus factors, all credits earned over the course of an immediately preceding game must be placed on one or more outcomes. According to yet another embodiment, in order to benefit from the bonus factors, all credits earned over the course of any preceding game must be placed either entirely or in part on one or more outcomes.
According to one embodiment, bonus credits are awarded by casino operators to players in exchange of comp points. According to yet another embodiment, bonus credits are awarded by casino operators to their best clients. According to yet another embodiment, a payout for some games consists in converting a winning player's entire credit balance into bonus credits. According to yet another embodiment, a payout for some games consists in converting a percentage of a winning player's credit balance into bonus credits.
According to one embodiment, bonus credits are awarded in the form of physical tokens that can be readily recognized by the terminals. According to one embodiment, bonus credits are redeemable for cash. According to another embodiment, bonus credits are not redeemable for cash. According to one embodiment, bonus credits have a lesser cash value than regular credits. According to one embodiment, bonus credits have a greater cash value than regular credits.
The cycle described above is repeated for each of the four subsequent games, which will be briefly described below. FIG. 9 illustrates a visual interface 901 displayed on the center display 103 to present an animation of the selection of an outcome for the second game. The animation consists in opening three chests 903 to find a hidden diamond. FIG. 10 illustrates the visual interface 901 displayed on the center display 103 to present the second game's outcome by revealing a diamond in the chest 1001. Winning bets were therefore those placed on the chest 1001. The display of the outcome signals the end of the second game.
FIG. 11 illustrates the user interface 801 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the second game's outcome through a message 1101. The interface 801 is followed by an interface 1201 illustrated in FIG. 12. The interface 1201 informs the player of a number of credits earned over the course of the second game, namely five, and provides the player with the option of committing the earned credits to the third game. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of twenty, two hundred, four thousand, and eight thousand credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence.
FIG. 13 illustrates a user interface 1301 displayed on the terminal 101 for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the third game. The player had earned credits in the previous game, but decided not to commit them, and as a result, no bonus credits are displayed. However, the player placed five credits 1309 in one of bet areas 1307 assigned to the ace of hearts. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of seven, seventy, a thousand four hundred, and two thousand eight hundred credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence. It is important to note that the potential payouts presented in FIG. 13 are significantly inferior to those presented in FIG. 12, even if the bet is in the same amount, namely five credits, and the sets of outcomes on which bets can be placed are identical. This is attributable to the difference between regular and bonus factors.
FIG. 14 illustrates a visual interface 1401 displayed on the center display 103 to present an animation of the selection of an outcome for the third game. The animation consists in a shuffle of four ace cards 1403 of a standard deck of playing cards. FIG. 15 illustrates the visual interface 1401 displayed on the center display 103 to present the third game's outcome by selecting one of the ace cards 1403. The ace of hearts 1501 is displayed as distinguished from the other ace cards 1403 following the shuffle. Therefore, winning bets are those placed on the ace of hearts 1501. The display of the outcome signals the end of the third game.
FIG. 16 illustrates a user interface 1301 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the outcome of the third game through a message 1601. The interface 1301 is followed by an interface 1701 illustrated in FIG. 17. The interface 1701 informs the player of a number of credits earned over the course of the third game, namely seven, and provides the player with the option of committing the earned credits to the fourth game. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of seventy, a thousand four hundred, and two thousand eight hundred credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence.
FIG. 18 illustrates a user interface 1801 displayed on the terminal 101 for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the fourth game. The player had earned credits in the previous game, but decided not to commit them, and as a result, no bonus credits are displayed. However, the player placed two credits 1809 in one of bet areas 1807 assigned to number five. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of eighteen, three hundred fifty, and seven hundred credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence.
FIG. 19 illustrates a visual interface 1901 displayed on the center display 103 to present an animation of the selection of an outcome of the fourth game, the animation consisting in a wheel spin. FIG. 20 illustrates the visual interface 1901 displayed on the center of the display to present the fourth game's outcome. A tab 1905 is aligned with section five 2001 of a wheel 1903. Therefore, winning bets are those placed on number five. The display of the outcome signals the end of the fourth game.
FIG. 21 illustrates the user interface 1801 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the outcome of the fourth game through a message 2101. The interface 1801 is followed by an interface 2201 illustrated in FIG. 22. The interface 2201 informs the player of a number of credits earned over the course of the fourth game, namely eighteen, and provides the player with the option of committing the earned credits to the fifth game. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of three hundred fifty and seven hundred credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence.
FIG. 23 illustrates a user interface 2301 displayed on the terminal 101 for placing a bet on one or more outcomes of the fifth game. The player had earned credits in the previous game, but decided not to commit them, and as a result, no bonus credits are displayed. However, the player placed two credits 2309 in three bet areas 2307 assigned to numbers one, fifteen, and seventeen. The payout table tabs 313 inform the player that payouts of thirty-five and seventy credits are within reach should the earned credits be committed repeatedly, depending on the length of the winning streak within the sequence.
FIG. 24 illustrates a visual interface 2401 displayed on the center display 103 to present an animation of the selection of an outcome of the fifth game, the animation consisting in a ball shuffle. FIG. 25 illustrates the visual interface 2401 displayed on the center of the display to present the fifth game's outcome. Following the shuffle, ball eighteen 2405 is selected. The display of the outcome signals the end of the fifth game.
FIG. 26 illustrates the user interface 2301 displayed on the terminal 101 for informing the player of the outcome of the fifth game through a message 2601. The interface 2301 is followed by an interface 2701 illustrated in FIG. 27. The interface 2701 informs the player of a number of credits earned over the course of the fifth game, namely thirty-five, and provides the player with the option of committing the earned credits to the fifth game. The payout table tab 313 informs the player that a payout of seventy credits is within reach should the earned credits be committed.
However, if the player does not earn credits in the fifth game, the interface 2801 illustrated in FIG. 28 is displayed on the terminal 101 to inform the player that only those that that earned credits in the fifth game may take part in the sixth through a message 2805. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the payout factor for the sixth game does not confer any advantage to the house. Still according to the preferred embodiment, only credits earned in the fifth game can be placed on an outcome of the sixth. However, according to another embodiment, eligible players can also place bets with credits retrieved from their credit balance. According to yet another embodiment, all players are eligible to participate in all the games.
FIG. 29 illustrates a user interface 2901 displayed on the terminal 2901 for placing a bet on an outcome of the sixth and last game of the sequence. The player placed the previously earned credits 2909 in one of bet areas 2907 assigned to tails. The last payout table tab 313 informs the player that a payout of seventy credits is within reach should the outcome of the coin toss be tails.
FIG. 30 illustrates a visual interface 3001 displayed on the center display 103 to present an animation of the selection of an outcome of the sixth game, the animation consisting in coin toss. FIG. 31 illustrates the visual interface 3001 displayed on the center of the display to present the sixth game's outcome. Following the toss, a coin 3003 lands on tails. The display of the outcome signals the end of the sixth game.
FIG. 32 illustrates the user interface 2901 displayed on the terminal 101 to inform the player of a number of credits earned over the course of the sixth game, namely seventy. The display of the selected outcome on the terminal 101 coincides with the end of the sequence. Referring back to FIG. 36, once the period of time provided by the sequencer 3601 expires, the timer 3609 provides the sequencer 3601 a time signal indicating the end of the last game. In response, the sequencer 3601 retrieves the next game of the sequence, namely the first game, from the store of sequence rules 3605, and provides the game selection to an eligibility controller 3603, which in turn retrieves from the store of sequence rules 3605 the requirements to be met for players to benefit from bonus conditions. The eligibility controller 3603 determines that the selected game is the first one of the sequence and provides the resulting restrictions, which consists in a status signal indicating the end of the sequence, to the sequencer 3601.
FIG. 37 is flowchart illustrating a method of providing enhanced payouts according to the preferred embodiment. The steps of the method are explained below with reference to FIG. 33 to FIG. 36 in order to clarify the correspondence between the steps and the components of the system.
In a step 3701, bonus bets are accepted on any of the last selected game's set of outcomes. As mentioned above, bonus bets differ from regular bets in that they are placed with bonus credits. Furthermore, bonus credits may be obtained from a variety of sources. For instance, casino operators may award their best customers bonus credits in the form of physical tokens that can be easily distinguished from regular tokens by at least some of the game devices. However, according to the preferred embodiment, bonus credits correspond to credits earned in an immediately preceding game and committed to the last selected game. Referring back to FIG. 33, the step 3701 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the terminal 101 receives the player's input, which includes a request to place a bonus bet, and provides it to the user interface controller 3303. In response, the user interface controller 3303 identifies the request within the player's input, and provides the request to the bet controller 3307. Referring now to FIG. 35, the user interface controller 3303 stores the bonus bet in the store of bonus bets 3513. The payout controller 3505 retrieves the bonus bet from the store of bonus bets 3513, and resets the player's earned credits stored in the store of earned credits 3515.
In a step 3703, bet requests are accepted and approved on any of the last selected game's set of outcomes. Referring back to FIG. 33, the step 3703 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the terminal 101 receives the player's input, which includes a request to place a bet, and provides it to the user interface controller 3303. In response, the user interface controller 3303 provides the request to the credit controller 3309, which retrieves the player's credit balance from the store of player credits 3311, and determines whether the retrieved credit balance holds a sufficient number of credits to accept the bet. If the credit balance does hold a sufficient number of credits, the credit controller 3309 decrements the credit balance by the credits involved in the bet, stores the updated credit balance in the store of player credits 3311, and provides the approved bet to the bet controller 3307. Referring now to FIG. 35, the credit controller 3307 stores the approved bet in the store of approved bets 3509.
Once all bonus bets are accepted, and all regular bets are accepted and approved, one of the potential outcomes of a last selected game is randomly selected in a step 3707. Referring back to FIG. 34, the step 3707 is performed by the outcome generator 3403, which can be a random number generator or any other random selection mechanism. The outcome generator 3403 retrieves from the store of game specifications 3405 all potential outcomes of the last selected game, randomly selects one of the retrieved outcomes, and provides the selected outcome to the main game controller 3401, which in turn dispatches the outcome to other components of the system.
Once the outcome of the game is selected, and in accordance with a step 3709, those of the bets that were placed on the selected outcome are identified as winning bets. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3709 involves several components of the bet controller 3307. More specifically, the single game controller 3305 provides the selected outcome to the main bet controller 3501 and the bonus bet controller 3503. In response, the main bet controller 3501 retrieves all approved bets from the store of approved bets 3509, compares the retrieves bets with the selected outcome, and identifies those of the approved bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bets. Similarly, the bonus bet controller 3503 retrieves all bonus bets from the store of bonus bets 3513, compares the retrieves bonus bets with the selected outcome, and identifies those of the bonus bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bonus bets.
Credits earned from a winning bet are calculated differently from those earned from a winning bonus bet. Therefore, and in a step 3709, the winning bets are distinguished from the winning bonus bets. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3709 is performed by the main bet controller 3501 and the bonus bet controller 3503. As mentioned previously, the main bet controller 3501 identifies those of the approved bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bets, and the bonus bet controller 3503, those of the bonus bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bonus bets.
If winning bets are identified, and in steps 3713 and 3715, a game-appropriate factor is retrieved, the sum of the number of credits involved in all identified winning bets is calculated, and the calculated sum is multiplied by the retrieved factor to obtain the number of credits earned with the approved bets. Referring back to FIG. 35, the steps 3713 and 3715 are performed by the main bet controller 3501, which retrieves the game-appropriate factor from the store of factors 3507, calculates the sum of the number of credits involved in the winning bets, and multiplies the calculated sum by the retrieved factor to obtain the credits earned with the approved bets. The main bet controller stores the earned credits in the store of earned credits 3515.
If winning bonus bets are identified, and in steps 3717 and 3719, a game-appropriate bonus factor is retrieved, the sum of the number of credits involved in all identified winning bonus bets is calculated, and the calculated sum is multiplied by the retrieved factor to obtain the number of credits earned with the bonus bets. Referring back to FIG. 35, the steps 3717 and 3719 are performed by the bonus bet controller 3503, which retrieves the game-appropriate factor from the store of bonus factors 3511, calculates the sum of the number of credits involved in the winning bets, and multiplies the calculated sum by the retrieved factor to obtain the credits earned with the bonus bets.
Once the credits earned with the bonus bets are calculated, they are added to the credits earned with the approved bets in a step 3721. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3721 is performed by the bonus bet controller 3503, which increments the credits stored by the main bet controller 3501 in the store of earned credits 3515 by the credits earned with the bonus bets.
Subsequently, and in a step 3723, players are provided with an opportunity to benefit from bonus factors in the following game in exchange for a commitment to place their earned credits on a single outcome. Referring back to FIG. 33, the step 3723 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the sequence controller 3313 provides transition instructions to the user interface controller 3303, which retrieves the credits earned from the store of earned credits 3515, retrieves and assembles graphics in accordance with the transition instructions to inform the play of the opportunity to benefit from bonus factors in exchange for a commitment to place the retrieved credits on a single outcome in the following game, and provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display. Thereafter, the terminal 101 accepts the player's input and provides it to the user interface controller 3303, which interprets the provided input to determine whether the player wishes to benefit from the provided opportunity.
If it is determined that the player wishes to benefit from the provided opportunity, and in a step 3701, a corresponding bonus bet is accepted. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3701 involves several components of the system. More specifically, if the player submits a bonus request through the terminal 101, the user interface controller 3303 provides the request to the bet controller 3307. More specifically, and referring to FIG. 35, the user interface controller 3307 stores the bonus request in the store of bonus bets 3513. A payout controller 3505 retrieves the bonus request from the store of bonus bets 3513 and updates the store of earned credits 3515.
However, if the player does not submit a bonus request, and in a step 3725, the earned credits are added to the credit balance. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3725 involves several components of the system. More specifically, if the player does not submit a bonus request through the terminal 101, no bonus request is stored in the store of bonus bets 3513, and no bonus request is retrieved by the payout controller 3505. As a result, the payout controller 3515 retrieves the player's earned credits from the store of earned credits 3515 and provides the earned credits as payouts to another component of the system. Referring now to FIG. 33, the payout controller 3505 provides the payout to the credit controller 3309, which retrieves the player's credit balance from the store of player credits 3311, increments the retrieved credit balance by the provided payout, and stored the updated credit balance in the store of player credits 3311.
FIG. 38 is flowchart illustrating a method of operating a sequence of games presenting enhanced payouts according to the preferred embodiment. The steps of the method are explained below with reference to FIG. 33 to FIG. 36 in order to clarify the correspondence between the steps and the components of the system.
In a step 3801, the next game of the sequence and its time settings are retrieved. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3801 is performed by the sequencer 3601, which retrieves from the store of sequence rules 3605 the next game of the sequence and the time settings, namely the duration of the selected game. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the sequence of games is predetermined. However, in accordance with another embodiment, the games are randomly selected, and as a result, the sequence is not predetermined. In accordance with yet another embodiment, the game is selected by a dealer operating a game-selection switch.
In a step 3803, a timer is set to signal the moment at which the selected game ends and the following game of the sequence is to be selected. Referring back to FIG. 36, the sequencer 3601 provides the time settings of the selected game to the timer 3609.
Subsequently, it is determined whether the selected game is the first game of the sequence in a step 3805. Referring back to FIG. 36, the step 3805 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the sequencer 3601 provides the game selection to the eligibility controller 3601, which then retrieves from the store of sequence rules 3605 the requirements to be met for players to benefit from bonus conditions. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the bonus conditions are exclusively available to players that have earned credits in an immediately preceding game of a same sequence. Therefore, the eligibility controller 3603 determines whether the selected game is the first game.
If the selected game is not the first game, and in accordance with a step 3807, winners of the immediately preceding game and their earned credits are retrieved. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3807 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the eligibility controller 3603 retrieves the credits earned by the players from the store of earned credits 3515, identifies those of the players that have not earned credits, and provides the resulting restrictions, which consist in a list of the identified players, to the sequencer 3601, which in turn dispatches the restrictions to the user interface controller 3303, and provides transition instructions to the user interface controller 3303 and the visual interface controller 3315. Referring back to FIG. 33, the user interface controller 3303 retrieves each player's earned credits from the bet controller 3307, and according to the transition instructions provided by the sequence controller 3313, retrieves and assembles graphics for informing each of the of the players not found on the restricted list of their winning bets and earned credits. The graphics also provide the players with an opportunity to benefit from advantageous payout factors in the following game in exchange for a commitment to place bets with the earned credits, wherein the advantageous factors are exclusively applicable to the committed credits. Bets placed under these bonus conditions are referred to as bonus bets, and the advantageous payout factors, as bonus factors. The user interface controller 3303 provides the retrieved and assembled graphics to the terminal 101 for display.
In a step 3809, those of the winners who wish to benefit from the provided opportunity are identified. Referring back to FIG. 33, the step 3809 involves several components of the system. More specifically, if the terminal 101 accepts the player's request to benefit from the provided opportunity, it provides the player's input to the user interface controller 3303, which in turn interprets the provided player input to identify the player's bonus request, and provides the request to the bet controller 3307. Referring to FIG. 35, the user interface controller 3307 stores the bonus request in the store of bonus bets 3513. A payout controller 3505 retrieves the bonus request from the store of bonus bets 3513 and updates the store of earned credits 3515 accordingly.
In a step 3811, it is determined whether the selected game is the last game of the sequence. Referring back to FIG. 36, the step 3811 involves several components of the system. More specifically, once the eligibility controller 3601 is provided with the last selected game, it retrieves from the store of sequence rules 3605 the requirements to be met for players to participate in the selected game. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, a bet on an outcome of the last game can only be placed with credits earned over the course of the penultimate game of the sequence. Therefore, the eligibility controller 3603 determines whether the selected game is the last game.
If the selected game is the last game, the bet phase for the selected game is only activated for those of the players identified in the step 3809, namely the winners who accepted the bonus conditions. More specifically, referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3809 is performed by the eligibility controller 3603, which provides restrictions, namely a list of all the players that may not take part in the last game, to the sequencer 3601, which in turn provides the restrictions and corresponding display instructions to the user interface controller 3303. If the terminal 101 with which the user interface controller 3303 communicates is operated by a player on the restricted list, the user interface controller 3303 disables the betting interface displayed on the terminal 101 in accordance with the provided instructions.
However, if it is determined that the selected game is not the last game in the step 3811 or is the first game in the step 3805, the bet phase is activated for all players in a step 3813. Referring back to FIG. 33, the step 3805 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the single game controller 3305 provides display instructions to the user interface controller 3303, which, in the absence of any conflicting instructions from the sequence controller 3313, provides the graphics of the bet phase to the terminal 101.
In a step 3817, one of the potential outcomes of a last selected game is randomly selected. Referring back to FIG. 34, the step 3817 is performed by the outcome generator 3403, which can be a random number generator or any other random selection mechanism. The outcome generator 3403 retrieves from the store of game specifications 3405 all potential outcomes of the selected game, randomly selects one of the retrieved outcomes, and provides the selected outcome to the main game controller 3401, which in turn dispatches the outcome to other components of the system.
Once the game outcome is selected, and according to a step 3819, the credits earned by the player for bets placed on the selected outcome are calculated. Referring back to FIG. 35, the step 3819 involves several components of the system. More specifically, the main bet controller 3501 identifies those of the approved bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bets, and the bonus bet controller 3503, those of the bonus bets that were placed on the selected outcome as winning bonus bets. If winning bets are identified, the main bet controller 3501 retrieves the game-appropriate factor from the store of factors 3507, calculates the sum of the number of credits involved in the winning bets, and multiplies the calculated sum by the retrieved factor to obtain the credits earned with the approved bets. The main bet controller stores the earned credits in the store of earned credits 3515. If winning bonus bets are identified, the bonus bet controller 3503 retrieves the game-appropriate factor from the store of bonus factors 3511, calculates the sum of the number of credits involved in the winning bets, multiplies the calculated sum by the retrieved factor to obtain the credits earned with the bonus bets, and adds the calculated credits to those stored in the store of earned credits 3515 by the main bet controller 3501.
Finally in a step 3825, it is determined whether the timer set in the step 3801 has expired. Referring back to FIG. 36, once the period of time provided by the sequencer 3601 elapses, the timer 3609 provides the sequencer 3601 a time signal indicating the end of the first game. In response, the sequencer 3601 retrieves the next game of the sequence in accordance with the step 3801.
It is important to note that while the steps of the invention have been described as performed by automated operation of circuitry, they may very well be performed by a dealer. For instance, the timing of the sequence can be controlled by a dealer operating a game-selection switch.
While the game has been described as involving a sequence of games having no particular relation to other casino games, the game may, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, involve another sequence of games, each of the corresponds to a sample of a distinct casino game, and whereby the player is introduced to several games in an efficient manner.
Furthermore, while the game has been described as involving a sequence of games having no particular relation to one particular casino game, the game may, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, involve another sequence of games, each of which corresponds to a distinct sample covering a distinct aspect of a same game, and whereby the player is introduced to various aspects of a same game in an efficient manner.
According to one embodiment, the terminal 101 is a personal computer, the remaining components of the system are stored on a server, and the terminal 101 communicates with the user interface controller 3303 through a network such as the Internet. Preferably, the communication protocol applied by the terminal 101 and the server is highly reliable and provides for enhanced confidentiality of the player's information.
While the game has been described as involving six sequential games, it may be configured to involve a lesser or greater number of games. Furthermore, while the game has been described as generated and displayed electronically, it may be generated and displayed mechanically. Also, while the game has been described as played on an apparatus comprising four terminals 101, it may be played on an apparatus comprising a lesser or greater number of terminals 101, or connected to a network of terminals 101 whereby a larger number of players may participate. Also while the individual terminals 101 have been described as enabling players to place bets on a game generated by and displayed on a center display 103, each of these terminals 101 may generate and display their own, distinct games, wherein a player may place bets on games generated by and displayed on the center display 103 as well as those generated and displayed by the individual terminal.
