Patent Application
20200394874
The present invention relates to the field of casino table games and bonus outcomes on the casino table games when predetermined event outcomes occur in an underlying casino table game.
Many different systems and configuration have been attempted to provide bonus events in casino table gaming systems. Each of these have their benefits and detractions. For example, AGS, of Las Vegas, Nev., acquired a virtual bonus spin wheel from Aristocrat Gaming that is a single wheel with a single bonus event indicator on it, like a simple candy wheel, that can be spun after a player has a winning outcome. It is used to benefit a single pre-identified player after a winning event has occurred.
A bonus providing element (BPE) is distinct from underlying game play. The BPE enables individual players unique benefits to an underlying game when winning outcomes or triggering outcomes occur.
In one embodiment, a bonus providing element distinct from an underlying game enables bonus awards to players at two or more player positions of the underlying game based upon receipt of a predetermined triggering outcome or event in the underlying game, by the bonus providing element providing an indication of at least three individual random indicators, such as: a) a first random indicator configured to provide an identification of a first award to be awarded to qualifying players of the players of the underlying game; b) a second random indicator configured to provide an identification of a single one of the two or more player positions; and c) a third random indicator configured to provide an identification of a second award to be awarded to the player at the single one of the two or more player positions indicated by the second random indictor.
In one embodiment, the bonus providing element comprises a plurality of wheels, such as concentric wheels, wherein each wheel includes a plurality of segments or sectors.
In one embodiment, the qualifying players comprise players of the underlying game that have placed a wager, such as a side wager.
In one embodiment, the bonus providing element is activated when a community event trigger occurs in the underlying game.
In one embodiment, the third indicator, such as a third concentric wheel, is only activated when the selected one of the player positions is a qualifying player.
In one embodiment, the bonus providing element is presented as a graphical representation on a video display. The underlying game may comprise at least one of: a game presented at an electronic gaming table, an online game, a mobile game and a game presented at physical gaming table.
In one embodiment, the first award is awarded to all qualifying players except the selected single one of the players that is awarded the second award.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough description of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.
One embodiment of the invention is a bonus providing element (BPE) distinct from underlying game play. The BPE enables individual player unique benefits to an underlying game winning outcome. The device may be electronic (e.g., with multiple player positions around a table or arena or viewing screen) or physical and describable as including a bonus providing element distinct from underlying game play that enables individual players or groups of players unique benefits to the underlying game winning outcome or triggering outcome.
In one embodiment, the bonus providing element provides a linear indication of at least three individual random indicators, wherein the at least three individual random indicators may comprise:
a) an identification of a single one of at least two different player positions;
b) at least one of an absolute amount or multiplier of a winning outcome payout; and
c) at least one of a multiplier, prize or an absolute amount larger than or smaller than any absolute amount or multiplier in b).
In one embodiment, when a winning outcome or triggering outcome by a first player position (any player position in a group of players) occurs in an underlying game, the bonus providing element is subsequently activated to randomly provide random outcomes for each of the at least three individual random indicators, and the random outcomes for the three individual random indicators is applied as i) one random outcome for the first player position, and ii) a combination of two remaining random outcomes indicates an award to at least one player position different from the first player position.
In the bonus providing element, linear indication may be provided by at least three distinct and randomly rotating concentric elements with a first rotating concentric element defining a sector of a first concentric circular wheel indicating one of a), b) and c), and a second rotating concentric element defining a sector of a second rotating concentric wheel one of a), b) and c) without repeating any one of a), b) and c), and a third rotating concentric element defining a sector of a third rotating concentric wheel one of a), b) and c) without repeating any one of a), b) and c).
The bonus providing element may have linear indication provided by at least two distinct and randomly rotating concentric elements with an inner element defining a sector of a circular wheel indicating one or two of a), b) and c), and at least one outer element defining a truncated sector at least one of a), b) and c) without repeating any one of a), b) and c) defined by inner element, with a total of exactly three of a), b) and c) provided by the inner element and the at least one outer element.
The bonus providing element may have linear indication provided by three distinct and randomly rotating concentric elements with an inner element defining a sector of a circular wheel indicating one of a), b) and c), and a first outer element defining a truncated sector with one of a), b) and c) without repeating any of a), b) and c) defined by the inner element; and a second outer element defining a truncated sector with one of a), b) and c) without repeating any of a), b) and c) defined by the inner element and the first outer element with a total of exactly three of a), b) and c) provided by the inner element, the first outer element and the second outer element.
The bonus providing elements may have the inner element provide exactly one of a), b) and c), and the outer element provide remaining ones of a), b) and c) not provided for in the inner element, or the outer element provide exactly one of a), b) and c), and the inner element provide remaining ones of a), b) and c) not provided for in the inner element.
The bonus providing element may have the bonus providing element providing a linear indication of at least three individual random indicators comprising three rows of at least six columns, all random outcomes for a), b) and c) distributed with all combinations of one of a), b) and c) distributed within respective ones of a top row, middle row and bottom row, and the linear indication comprising a single column.
The bonus providing element may alternatively have the bonus providing element is providing a linear indication of at least three individual random indicators comprising six rows of at least three columns, all random outcomes for a), b) and c) distributed with all combinations of one of a), b) and c) distributed within respective ones of a left column, middle column and right column, and the linear indication comprising a single row.
The bonus providing elements may be provided by physical elements including a rotating inner sector and rotating outer truncated sectors, or by virtual elements comprising a rotating inner sector and rotating outer truncated sectors provided on a video display in communication with a processor, memory and a random number generator, the random number generator providing random ones of a), b) and c) for display on the video display.
The bonus providing element in a virtual display may have random outcomes provided by virtually horizontally shifting columns on the video display or provided by virtually vertically shifting columns on the video display.
The bonus providing elements may be associated with a single a casino table configured for use with a physical playing card game, dice game, or wheel game (e.g., roulette or Big Six), multiple linked tables, an arena set up of multiple player positions, a multiplayer platform with individual players sharing a common screen or dealer and the like. The bonus providing element may be associated with a single casino table configured for use with a physical playing card game, dice game, or wheel game. The virtual or physical playing card game, dice game, or wheel game may be selected from the group consisting of blackjack, baccarat, poker, craps, sic bo, and roulette.
The wheel system is a progressive/side bet bonus system for table games. In one embodiment, all players must place a separate wager before the table game begins is to participate. The system is triggered by a specific event that occurs during the underlying game. In this embodiment, the trigger is a community event (e.g. Boxcars in craps, a 0 or 00 in roulette, trips in Sic Bo, a dealer 3 card seven in Baccarat). The wheel system contains 3 randomly generated events. In one version, the first event is a community prize that all participating players win. The second event is a player position at the table. The third event is an enhanced prize (either a multiplier of the community prize, a fixed dollar amount, a physical prize (car), or a progressive jackpot) which the player position selected in the second event wins. The selected player position must be participating in the bonus wager to receive the prize. The system may reveal the three randomly generated events in any order. In another embodiment, the trigger is an event unique to at least one participating player (e.g. A dealt blackjack in Blackjack, a flush in Pal Gow). The wheel system contains 3 randomly generated events. The first event is a prize that the at least one participating player with the triggered event wins. The second event is a player position at the table. The third event is an Envy prize which the player position selected in the second event wins (the third event may be a percentage of the prize selected in the first event, or an absolute amount). The selected player position must be participating in the bonus wager to receive the prize. The system may reveal the three randomly generated events in any order.
The Wheel Bonus System is for all formats and all table games—Live, ETG, Virtual, Online, Mobile.
A common problem with community games is that all combinations of cards, dice and roulette results that trigger a progressive jackpot do so for all of the participating players, and the players have to share the progressive.
A method for providing bonus events to an underlying gaming event including multiple players at identified player positions may be performed by:
1) at least one player placing a wager in the underlying gaming event;
2) executing an event to conclusion of an outcome of the underlying gaming event; identifying the outcome as a predefined triggering outcome;
3) after identifying the outcome as the predefined triggering outcome, activating a bonus providing element distinct from underlying game play to enable individual players or groups of players unique benefits in the underlying game triggering outcome, the bonus providing element providing a linear indication of at least three individual random indicators, the three individual random indicators including:
a) an identification of a single one of at least two different player positions;
b) outcomes of at least one of an absolute amount or multiplier of a winning outcome payout; and
c) outcomes of at least one of a multiplier, prize or an absolute amount larger than or smaller than any absolute amount or multiplier in b); wherein, in combination with the triggering outcome by a first player position in the underlying game, the bonus providing element randomly provides random outcomes for each of the three individual random indicators, and the random outcomes for the three individual random indicators is applied as i) one random outcome for at least the first player position, and ii) a combination of two remaining random outcomes indicates an award to at least one player position that may be different from the first player position.
The method may have the bonus events available to only players wagering a predetermined minimum amount on the underlying game or available to only players wagering a side bet or progressive wager.
In one embodiment of the method, a single one of at least five different player positions may be awarded only one of a), b) or c), and at least one of at least four remaining player positions in the underlying game are awarded a fixed award different from the only one of a), b) and c) awarded to the single one of the at least five player positions.
The underlying game may be a playing wagering event executed on a physical gaming table, and the bonus providing event comprises a separate physical random 25 event generator or electronic random generator comprising the three individual random indicators. The method may be executed wherein b) and c) are each unequally weighted among frequencies of b) and c) outcomes and a) is equally weighted among individual different player position frequencies.
The three randomly generated events can be displayed in several different formats.
One embodiment uses a wheel with three rings (
A 3rd ring determines what the enhanced prize is (either a multiplier of the community prize, a fixed dollar amount, a physical prize (car), or a progressive jackpot). The wheel may display the three rings in any order (SEE
Another embodiment uses a wheel with two rings. One ring of the wheel determines the community prize won. The second ring determines a player position AND an enhanced prize (either a multiplier of the community prize, a fixed dollar amount, a physical prize (car), or a progressive jackpot). This second ring can be displayed in two ways. The second ring can have a number of sections which display the enhanced prizes. Each of these sections can be divided into different sectors to determine which player position wins the enhanced prize (
Another embodiment uses 3 individual wheels—each wheel displaying one of the three randomly generated events.
To enhance security at casinos, more and more table games, bonus events and secondary games use electronic wagering systems, such as player input is controls, video display screens and a processor with memory configured to store and receive credit, and debit and credit accrual in credit. The gaming system may operate as an electronic device (table, console, bank of games machines, etc.). Each table and/or each player position may have a value-in-value-out component selected from the group consisting of a currency validator with a currency scanner 20 and currency-advancing motor, a ticket-in-ticket-out reader and printer combination, a magnetic or bar code reader accessible through an input opening, and an electronic wallet near-field communication reader.
The electronic alternative of this technology may be provided by components similar to or identical to a standard EGM, with software and display images in memory that can implement a reproduction or duplication of the operation of a physical device.
Other options are within the scope of the invention such as automated highlighting of individual random outcomes on the bonus device, and the like.
It will be understood that the above described arrangements of apparatus and the method there from are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/936,400, filed Mar. 26, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/539,576, filed Aug. 1, 2017. The present application claims priority to each of said applications and incorporates by reference each of said applications as if set forth fully herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62539576 | Aug 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15936400 | Mar 2018 | US |
| Child | 17004974 | US |
