Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-20
2002-04-09
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S017000, C463S019000, C463S025000, C273S269000, C273S138100, C273S138200, C273S139000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06368214
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for playing a wagering game. More particularly, the method is intended for use with an underlying game that requires a player to take multiple actions or game-playing steps to complete a single game cycle. In the method of the present invention, the player is charged a predefined amount for predefined chargeable actions the player performs to play the underlying game and the player may be awarded prizes when predefined events or conditions occur.
2. Description of Related Art
Multi-step games are well known in the art. These games require a player to take a number of actions or game-playing steps in order to complete a game cycle. For example, the game of solitaire requires a player to take multiple actions in order to play and ultimately win the game. The player must shuffle through a partial deck of cards, move cards from the deck to columns, move cards between the columns, turn over cards in the columns, move cards from the columns to sequential suited stacks, and move cards from the deck to the sequential suited stacks. In general, the longer the player plays, the more game-playing steps the player will perform and the closer the player will come to winning the game.
Many people enjoy playing long-duration, multi-step games because these games have a long game cycle and they tend to involve a large degree of skill. However, in the past, multi-step games have not lent themselves to wagering. Wagering games generally have a short game cycle so that more wagers can be made in a given period of time. Casinos and other wagering game operators generally do not profit from games that last a relatively long period of time because, before the present invention, only one wager is made during the course of the game. What has long been needed is a method and device by which multi-step games may be adapted to wagering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,715, issued to Ringo et al., appears to disclose a method and device that is capable of allowing players to play solitaire on an electronic device. The game is played in a tournament fashion where top ranked players win prizes. Players are ranked according to scores they obtain during the play of the game.
However, Ringo et al. does not provide a means for playing solitaire as a wagering game. Rather, the game is played like an arcade game where players pay to begin a game cycle. Furthermore, no prizes are awarded during the course of each game. Players must compete with other players in a tournament in order to win a prize.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
1. Advantages of the Present Invention
An advantage of the present invention is that it allows a casino to offer multi-step games as wagering games.
Another advantage of the present invention is that in allowing a casino to offer multi-step games, more players are attracted to the games and the players tend to play longer.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it charges a predefined amount for each predefined chargeable action or game-playing step the player performs. Therefore, the more a player plays, the more income tends to be generated by the game.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it is adapted to be used with electronic devices.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a multi-step wagering game that allows a player to use skill to prolong the game.
A further advantage of the present invention is that provides a wagering game that allows a player to win a large jackpot.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a wagering game that may have a long or indeterminate length of game cycle.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a multi-step wagering game that is enjoyable to play and attracts players who like to play multi-step games.
These and other advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the other portions of the specification, claims, and abstract.
2. Brief Description of the Invention
The present invention provides a method by which an underlying long-duration, multi-step game may be wagered upon. The method begins with a player making credits available to play the game. The credits may be deposited in a credit bank for access during the game. During the course of the game, credits may be added to or deducted from the credit bank.
Once the credits are made available, the player begins the game according to the rules of the particular underlying game. The game requires an indefinite number of game playing actions to play the game. During the course of the game, the player will perform certain actions which are predefined “chargeable” actions. A credit or credits are deducted from the player's credit bank whenever the player performs one of these actions. The credits charged the player are not additional wagers or antes; they are not required to initiate the game and they do not effect the size of any prize or jackpot which the player may receive. Credits are charged during the course of the game as chargeable actions are performed. The sizes of the prizes the player may win are determined substantially independently from the amount of credits charged. It is possible in some embodiments of the present invention for the player to be charged nothing and yet the player may win a prize.
If a predefined prize event or condition occurs during the course of the game, the player may be awarded a predefined prize. The prize amount may be credited to the player's bank and it may be any amount which is defined by the rules of the game.
The game would continue in this way until a point of termination is reached. A point of termination may occur when the player chooses to terminate play, no further game playing steps can be taken, or some predefined event or condition occurs.
The above description sets forth, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention so that the detail description which follows may be better understood so that present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5043818 (1991-08-01), Weingardt
patent: 5100137 (1992-03-01), Fulton
patent: 5192076 (1993-03-01), Komori
patent: 5401024 (1995-03-01), Simunek
patent: 5632485 (1997-05-01), Woodland et al.
patent: 5651735 (1997-07-01), Baba
patent: 2230373 (1990-10-01), None
Burns Ian F.
Layno Benjamin H.
Sierra Design Group
LandOfFree
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