Gaming system and method providing a video poker game with modifiers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10755529-B2
Application number	US-201414495079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a multi-hand video poker game in which the hands are displayed as an arrangement. One or more modifiers are applied to at least one row or column of the arrangement. All the hands are evaluated against one or more paytables and awards are determined. The awards for the hands that have applied modifiers are modified based on the respective modifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a payment acceptor;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor, modify a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein the physical item is selected from the group consisting of: a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency;
thereafter, enable placement of a wager, via at least one input device, on a single play of a game, the credit balance being decreasable based on the placed wager;
for the single play of the game:
determine one and only one multiplier in addition to the wager;
communicate data which results in at least one display device displaying a plurality of player hand display areas including a first player hand display area and a plurality of second player hand display areas arranged to form at least two rows and at least two columns;
enable one and only one selection between: (1) any one of the at least two rows, and (2) any one of the at least two columns;
responsive to one and only one of the at least two rows being selected, apply the multiplier to the selected row;
responsive to one and only one of the at least two columns being selected, apply the multiplier to the selected column;
randomly select a plurality of cards of a set of multiple cards to form a first player hand;
communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying the cards of the first player hand at the first player hand display area;
for each of the cards of the first player hand, enable placement of a hold input via the at least one input device;
for each received hold input, designate the card of the first player hand associated with that hold input as a held card;
for each of any non-held cards of the first player hand:
randomly select a replacement card from the set of cards, and
communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying a replacement of that non-held card with the replacement card;

communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying a second quantity of player hands at the second player hand display areas, wherein each of the second quantity of player hands includes each of any held cards of the first player hand and, if at least one of the cards of the first player hand was not held, one or more randomly determined cards;
determine an award, if any, based on the first player hand, the second quantity of player hands, and the applied multiplier, if any, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award; and

responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select the one and only one of: (1) any one of the at least two rows, or (2) any one of the at least two columns responsive to receipt, via the at least one input device, of a player selection input that indicates the selected row or column.

3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 2 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying a revelation of the multiplier after receipt of the player selection input.

4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the first player hand entirely occupies one of the at least two rows.

5. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a payment acceptor;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor, modify a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein the physical item is selected from the group consisting of: a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency;
thereafter, enable placement of a wager for a play of a game via at least one input device, the credit balance being decreasable based on the placed wager;
determine a quantity of multipliers in addition to the wager to include in a set of multipliers to be provided for the play of the game, the quantity of multipliers being at least one and the quantity of multipliers being less than a total quantity of player hands which any awards are determined for in the play of the game;
determine which of a plurality of multipliers to include in the set of multipliers for the play of the game;
communicate data which results in at least one display device displaying a plurality of player hand display areas including a first player hand display area and a plurality of second player hand display areas arranged to form at least two rows and at least two columns;
for each multiplier in the set of multipliers:
enable one and only one selection between: (1) any one of the at least two rows, and (2) any one of the at least two columns,
responsive to one and only one of the at least two rows being selected, apply that multiplier to the selected row, and
responsive to one and only one of the at least two columns being selected, apply that multiplier to the selected column;

randomly select a plurality of cards of a set of multiple cards to form the first player hand;
communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying the cards of the first player hand at the first player hand display area;
for each of the cards of the first player hand, enable placement of a hold input via the at least one input device;
for each received hold input, designate the card of the first player hand associated with that hold input as a held card;
for each of any non-held cards of the first player hand:
randomly select a replacement card from the set of cards, and
communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying a replacement of that non-held card with the replacement card;

communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying a second quantity of player hands at the second player hand display areas, wherein each of the second quantity of player hands includes each of any held cards of the first player hand and, if at least one of the cards of the first player hand was not held, one or more randomly determined cards;
determine an award, if any, based on the first player hand, the second quantity of player hands, and the set of applied multipliers, the credit balance being increasable based on any determined award; and
responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 5 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of the set of multipliers, select the one and only one of: (1) any one of the at least two rows, or (2) any one of the at least two columns responsive to receipt, via the at least one input device, of a player selection input that indicates the selected row or column.

7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 6 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to communicate data which results in the at least one display device displaying, for each of the set of multipliers, a revelation of that multiplier after r

Assignees

• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Brown Bradford
• O'Steen-Wilson Wendy
• Holsclaw Benjamin R
• Marquez Gerardo
• Cole James M
• Howe David

Classifications

• G07F17/3293 Primary

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• G07F17/3244

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title