Claims
- 1. A method of playing a wagering game on an electronic device, the electronic device having game software for providing an underlying game, the underlying game requiring a player to perform an indefinite number of game playing actions to complete a game cycle, the method comprising the following steps:
(A) the player making at least one credit available to the electronic device; (B) the player initiating a game cycle; (C) the player performing a game playing action to play the game; (D) the electronic device determining whether the performed game playing action is skilled actions; (E) the electronic device charging the player a predefined amount of credits for each predefined chargeable action the player performs; and (F) the electronic device awarding a prize to the player if a predefined prize event occurs.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the underlying game is selected from the group consisting of blackjack, poker, slots, solitaire, keno, and bingo.
- 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating the game if a point of termination is reached.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a prize event may occur more than once per game cycle.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein an occurrence of a subsequent prize event receives a prize of higher value than an occurrence of a previous event.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein an occurrence of prize events in immediate succession receives a prize of higher value than an occurrence of prize events in non-immediate succession.
- 7. The method of claim 3 wherein an occurrence of a combination of different prize events receives a prize of higher value than an occurrence of an individual event.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a predefined combination of game symbols.
- 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising presenting the player with game symbols, wherein the game symbols comprise indicia of playing cards or indicia of gaming balls.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the playing cards comprise a standard deck of cards, wherein the standard deck of cards comprises four suits, each suit having two through ten, jack, queen, king, and ace.
- 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a predefined combination of game symbols on playing cards that amounts to a twenty-one hand.
- 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the prize winning hand comprises the player obtaining a combination of game symbols on gaming balls that match symbols on a predefined gaming card.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the gaming card is a keno gaming card or a bingo gaming card.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the skilled actions are chargeable actions.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the player is charged more credits for skilled actions than for unskilled actions.
- 16. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising the following steps:
(A) providing an electronic device adapted to operate software; (B) providing game software on the electronic device, the game software being adapted to present a game, the game requiring a player to perform an indefinite number of game playing actions to complete a game cycle, the game playing actions being other then an action to begin a game cycle; (C) the player initiating a game cycle; (D) providing a plurality of game symbols; (E) the player performing game playing actions; (F) the electronic device determining whether the performed game playing actions are skilled actions; (G) the electronic device charging the player a predefined amount of credits for each predefined chargeable action the player performs, the chargeable action being a game playing action, wherein the credits charged the player are an immediate debit to the player not dependent upon the occurrence of a future event, and wherein the player is charged a different rate for skilled actions than for unskilled actions; and (H) the electronic device awarding a prize to the player if a prize winning event occurs.
- 17. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of the player making credits available to play the game.
- 18. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of storing the credits in a virtual bank.
- 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of the electronic device terminating the game if a point of termination is reached.
- 20. The method of claim 17 wherein a prize event may occur more than once per game cycle.
- 21. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of awarding prize events that occur in immediate succession than for prize events that occur in non-immediate succession.
- 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of awarding a prize of higher value for the occurrence of a combination of different prize events than for an occurrence of an individual event.
- 23. The method of claim 21 further the step of awarding a prize of higher value of an occurrence of a subsequent prize event than for an occurrence of a previous prize event.
- 24. The method of claim 17 wherein a prize winning event comprises the player obtaining predefined combination of game symbols together.
- 25. The method of claim 25 wherein the game symbols comprise indicia of playing cards or indicia of gaming balls.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a predefined combination of game symbols on playing cards that amounts to a twenty-one hand.
- 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a combination of game symbols on gaming balls that match symbols on a predefined gaming card.
- 28. The method of claim 28, wherein the gaming card is a keno gaming card or a bingo gaming card.
- 29. The method of claim 17, wherein the underlying game is selected from the group consisting of blackjack, poker, slots, solitaire, keno, and bingo.
- 30. The method of claim 17 wherein a chargeable action comprises dealing at least one game symbol.
- 31. An electronic wagering device for playing an underlying game comprising the following:
(A) a computer, the computer being adapted to operate software, receive input commands, and display information; (B) game software installed on the computer, the game software being adapted to perform the following:
(a) operate a game and generate a game display, the game requiring a player to perform an indefinite number of game playing actions to complete a game cycle, the game playing actions being other than an action to begin a game cycle, the game display comprising a plurality of game symbols; (b) determine whether the performed game playing actions are skilled actions; (c) charge the player a predefined amount of credits for each predefined chargeable action the player performs, the chargeable action being a game playing action, wherein the credits charged the player are an immediate debit to the player not dependent upon the occurrence of a future event; and (d) award a prize to the player when a prize winning event occurs.
- 32. The electronic wagering device wherein the underlying game is selected from the group consisting of blackjack, slots, solitaire, poker, keno, and bingo.
- 33. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 further comprising means for accepting credits from a player.
- 34. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein the game software is further adapted to store credits in a virtual bank.
- 35. The electronic wagering device of claim 38 wherein the game software is further adapted to deduct credits from the virtual bank.
- 36. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein the game symbols are presented in a random order.
- 37. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein the game software is further adapted to award a combination prize when a combination of prize events occur.
- 38. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein the game software is further adapted to award a prize of greater value for the occurrence of a subsequent prize event than for a previous prize event.
- 39. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein a prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a predefined combination of game symbols.
- 40. The electronic wagering device of claim 35 wherein the game symbols comprise indicia of playing cards or indicia of gaming balls.
- 41. The electronic wagering device of claim 44 wherein the playing cards comprises a standard deck of cards, wherein the standard deck of cards comprises four suits, each suit having two through ten, jack, queen, king, and ace.
- 42. The electronic wagering device of claim 43 wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a combination of symbols on playing cards that total a twenty-one hand.
- 43. The electronic wagering device of claim 43 wherein the prize winning event comprises the player obtaining a combination of indicia on gaming balls that match symbols on a predefined gaming card.
- 44. The electronic wagering device of claim 47, wherein the gaming card is a keno gaming card or a bingo gaming card.
- 45. The electronic wagering device of claim 35, wherein the skilled actions are chargeable actions, and wherein the player is charged more credits for skilled actions than for unskilled actions.
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/665,742, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/267,126, filed on Mar. 10, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,632, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/866,931, filed on May 31, 1997, now abandoned.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08866931 |
May 1997 |
US |
Child |
09267126 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09267126 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
Child |
09665742 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09665742 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
10045754 |
Jan 2002 |
US |