Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-01
2001-10-09
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S042000, C463S027000, C273S309000, C273S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299533
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A gambling establishment has a number of games which appeal to a person's temptation to take a risk, with the hope and expectation that the risk taken at the right time and under the right circumstances will result in a return which far exceeds the investment. A typical casino provides many games to a prospective customer including black jack, poker, baccarat, roulette, craps and slots.
Recently, progressive games have been introduced into casino play. The progressive game includes a jackpot and participants who wish to wager on the progressive game contribute a fixed wagering amount by token or cash into a jackpot, and if the participant does not win, a portion of his contribution is added to the jackpot. Accordingly the jackpot becomes progressively larger with each unsuccessful bet until a winner is determined.
Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 taught a method whereby a progressive game could be offered as a side bet to a game of poker. In our prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,248 we taught a method whereby a progressive game could be offered as a side bet to a game of craps. In our prior application Ser. No. 08/961,357 we taught a method whereby a progressive game could be offered as a side bet to a game of baccarat.
Casinos have found that progressive games facilitate in the attraction of players into games, the retention of players who have already engaged in a game, and on the whole, increase table or slot profitability. Casinos are, therefore, seeking to incorporate a progressive game with each type of game played within the casino. It would also be desirable to provide a progressive game which would interact with a number of different games in the casino. For example, it would be desirable to have a universal progressive whereby a player at a black jack table could participate and win a portion of the progressive jack pot in the event of the occurrence of a given winning combination in a poker hand at a distant table in the casino.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the present invention is embodied in a universal progressive game wherein a player is provided the opportunity to wager an additional bet to win an additional reward where there are a plurality of gaming tables. In accordance with the invention, each gaming table has a playing surface suitable for use by the game for which the playing surface is intended, and all the game tables participating in the universal progressive game have the same number of play stations, each of which is suitable for use by one player. Each play station also has an identification number or symbol and an additional wagering receptor for receiving a suitable wagering token, such as a coin, for participating in the progressive game.
In accordance with the present invention, each casino game has a set of winning conditions under which a player positioned at a given play station is entitled to win a portion of the progressive game jackpot. A player at play station number
4
of a black jack table, for example, would win a progressive black jack game if he deposited money in the receptor of his station before the commencement of a hand and he was dealt a pair of fours, and the dealer was likewise dealt a pair of fours on both of their first two cards. The set of conditions under which a player at a numbered play station of a black jack table, therefore, has a winning combination if the cards dealt to both the dealer and the player are identical to the number of his play station.
For roulette, a player at a play station bearing a given number who deposits a token in the receptor to participate in the progressive game would win if the player bets on a number associated with his play station, the ball comes to rest in the hole for that number, and the rotating portion of the wheel stops with the ball against a section of the surrounding race which bears the same number as the player's play position.
A player at a play station of a poker table who has deposited money in the receptor for the progressive game has a winning combination when the dealer has a hand of four of a kind and the four cards bear the number of his play position.
A player at a slot machine would win if he deposits the maximum number of coins in the machine, including one for the progressive game, and the top award combination occurs on the reels after the handle has been pulled, and the top award includes a number corresponding to the number of the player's play station.
The invention includes a record keeping means such as a computer which will record the occurrence of the selected set of conditions for winning a portion of the jackpot by a progressive player.
In accordance with the invention, when the selected set of conditions for winning a reward occurs for a first player at a first play station having a given first number, a portion of the jackpot is paid to a second player positioned at a second play station for which a token has been deposited into the receptor for the progressive game and the number for the play station of the second player is identical to that of the first play station.
In our patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,248 we disclosed a craps game and table having six play stations for receiving six players at the game and a progressive game employing a first pair of dice for playing a conventional craps game and a third die for playing the progressive part of the game. In the parent to the present application we also disclosed a baccarat game in which a player at a play station with a given number will win if the first two cards in the player's hand and the first two cards in the banker's hand all bear numbers identical to the number of the play station.
In accordance with the present invention, a universal progressive game is provided in which a winner will participate in the jackpot upon the occurrence of a winning combination in any of a number of types of casino games. To integrate a number of types of games into a universal progressive game, the number of play stations that on each game table participating in the universal progressive game must be the same for all tables. In the preferred embodiment the play tables of all games will have six play stations to accommodate six players. A gaming table for craps was disclosed in our prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,248 which would accommodate six players. The table disclosed by Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 can be adapted to accept six players and in like manner all of the game tables of each type of game in the casino participating in the progressive game would have six play stations, each of which is numbered one through six. A computer records the occurrence of a winning combination at any of the tables participating in the progressive game, and when a first player at a first play station receives a winning combination, a player at a second table at a play station having a number identical to that of the first play station will share in the universal progressive jackpot if he has deposited a token in the appropriate receptor.
The invention further envisions a proxy progressive jackpot wherein a player may wager on the possibility that the progressive jackpot award will be won at a play station identified by a number different from the player's own play station number. The proxy progressive game may be played by either requiring the player to deposit six tokens instead of one, thereby depositing a token for each of the six play stations, or by providing a selection means, such as a key pad, whereby the progressive game player may deposit less than six tokens and the key pad is punched to enter play station numbers for which he wishes to participate in the progressive game.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4836553 (1989-06-01), Suttle et al.
patent: 4861041 (1989-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5248142 (1993-09-01), Breeding
patent: 5564700 (1996-10-01), Celona
patent: 5573248 (1996-11-01), Parra et al.
patent: 5626341 (1997-05-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5797794 (1998-08-01), Angell
Parra Anthony C.
Parra Debra L.
Layno Benjamin H.
Marsh Robert L.
LandOfFree
Universal progressive game for live casino games does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Universal progressive game for live casino games, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Universal progressive game for live casino games will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2615411