Method of playing a group participation game

Details Method of playing a group participation game Method of playing a group participation game

2002-06-07

2004-02-17

Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3714)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

In a chance application

C463S017000, C463S018000, C463S019000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06692354

ABSTRACT:

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
“Not Applicable”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to games of chance, and more particularly to a method of playing a group wagering game in which all entrants win or lose simultaneously as a group.
In known wagering games, each individual entrant places a wager on the outcome of an event such as a roll of dice, a selection of one or more randomly generated indicia such as cards or numbers, a horse or dog race, a Jai Alai game, a sporting event, or the like, and the wager is won or lost depending on the outcome of the event. Typically, entrants are able to place their wagers on one or more of several possible outcomes of an event such that the actual outcome creates both winners and losers among the group of entrants of a particular game.
Some wagering games are designed around a particular apparatus such that the entrants must seek out a gaming table or machine in order to play. Other games can be played anywhere people are gathered and wagering is available. Regardless of the game being played or the venue in which it is presented for wagering, there is a need for a gaming method that will attract new entrants to wagering games and hold the attention of existing entrants so that such games remain attractive relative to the many new games and diversions constantly being developed.
Because the development of new games and diversions is costly and time consuming without any certain outcome of whether the game will be accepted by the gaming public, the use of a bonus feature on established and accepted games is desirable. Bonus features take many forms. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,874 to Adams, a player may qualify for a bonus game on a gaming machine after achieving a predetermined winning outcome. Since this bonus feature is only available to those players who achieve the predetermined winning outcome, a player who has not achieved the bonus initiating winning outcome typically becomes bored and is more likely to cease playing the game. There is, therefore, a need to provide a bonus game in which a bonus or winning outcome is established prior to the initiation of the primary individual event and in which the bonus is awarded to all subsequent winning combinations of the primary event.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus for allowing a plurality of entrants to participate in a primary game and a secondary game, wherein each entrant may make an entry and place a primary wager in connection with the primary game, and wherein a subset of the entrants may each place a secondary wager in connection with the secondary game associated with the primary game. The gaming apparatus may include at least one display device capable of displaying images associated with the primary game and the secondary game, and a central processing unit operatively coupled to the display device. The central processing unit may be programmed to determine a primary game outcome for the primary game, to cause the display device to display images corresponding to the primary game outcome for the primary game, to compare the primary game outcome for the primary game to the entry of each entrant for the primary game, and to determine whether each entrant has a winning entry for the primary game based on the comparison of the primary game outcome to the entry of each entrant.
The central processing unit may be further programmed to determine a primary game award amount for each entrant determined by the central processing unit to have a winning entry for the primary game, to determine a secondary game outcome for the secondary game associated with the primary game, wherein the secondary game outcome may have an associated multiplier value, and to cause the display device to display images corresponding to the multiplier value for the secondary game. Still further, the central processing unit may be programmed to determine a secondary game award amount for each entrant that placed a secondary wager on the secondary game associated with the primary game and that is determined by the central processing unit to have a winning entry for the primary game, wherein the secondary game award amount may be equal to the product of the primary game award amount multiplied by the multiplier value.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of conducting a group participation wagering game in combination with an individual participation wagering game. The method may include receiving entries from a plurality of entrants wherein each of the entrants may have made a first wager on an outcome of the individual participation wagering game and a second wager to participate in the group participation wagering game, and determining whether a winning outcome is achieved for each entrant in the individual participation wagering game wherein if a winning outcome is achieved by an entrant in the individual participation wagering game, an individual prize amount may be determined for the entrant. The method may further include allocating a multiplier value to the group participation wagering game, wherein the multiplier value may be allocated from a plurality of multiplier values capable of being applied to the individual prize amount for each entrant achieving a winning outcome, and determining a total prize amount for each entrant achieving a winning outcome in the individual participation wagering game, wherein the total prize amount for each entrant may be equal to the entrant's individual prize amount multiplied by the multiplier value.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a method for conducting a primary game in combination with a secondary game. The method may include receiving an entry and a primary wager for the primary game from a plurality of entrants, wherein each entry made by one of the plurality of entrants for the primary game may include a first subset of primary game indicia selected from a set of primary game indicia, and may include receiving a secondary wager for the secondary game associated with the primary game from at least one of the entrants. The method may further include determining a primary game outcome for the primary game, wherein the primary game outcome for the primary game may include a second subset of primary game indicia selected from the set of primary game indicia, comparing the second subset of primary game indicia for the primary game to the first subset of primary game indicia for the primary game for each entrant, and determining a primary game award amount for each entrant for the primary game that may be based on a level of correspondence between the first subset of primary game indicia for the entrant and the second subset of primary game indicia for the primary game. Still further, the method may include determining a secondary game outcome for the secondary game associated with the primary game, wherein the secondary game outcome may have an associated multiplier value, and determining a secondary game award amount for each of the plurality of entrants that placed a secondary wager on the secondary game associated with the primary game and that is determined to have a winning entry for the primary game, wherein the secondary game award amount may be equal to the product of the primary game award amount multiplied by the multiplier value.
In a still further aspect, the invention is directed to a method for allowing a plurality of entrants to participate in a primary game and a secondary game. The method may include receiving an entry and a primary wager for the primary game from the plurality of entrants, receiving a secondary wager for the secondary game associated with the primary game from a subset of the entrants, determining a primary game outcome for the primary game, and comparing the primary game outcome for the primary game to the entry of each entrant for the primary game. The method may also include determining whether each entrant has a winning entry for the primary game based on the compari

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