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US 12,190,685 B2Granted
Gaming device having poker lock and improve feature
OwnerBradley Bermaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for providing a lock and improve feature in gaming devices. Accordingly, a gaming device can be configured to include a video poker game where items associated with cards in poker hand, or card positions where the cards in the poker hand are displayed, can be locked, held, stuck, or otherwise maintained and a secondary game event is played where additional items can be received. The items may provide credits, bonus opportunities, progressives, multipliers, or other types of awards, modifiers, or beneficial game enhancements.
Claims20
A gaming device comprising:
- a display including a video screen having a poker game play grid having a plurality of card positions and a plurality of activation indicators respectively associated with each of the plurality of card positions, where each activation indicator is associated with a displayed state, the displayed state including an active state and an inactive state;
- a player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
- a memory configured to store a virtual deck of cards and a credit amount;
- a wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive a signal indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value associated with the received physical item;
- receive a primary game initiation signal including a total wager amount, the total wager amount including a base wager amount and a side wager amount, where the total wager amount deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
- update the displayed states of the activation indicators on the display based on the side wager amount;
- randomly deal an initial poker hand from the virtual deck of cards to the card positions in the poker game play grid on the display;
- randomly determine if a bonus sub-symbol is to be associated with each of the card positions in the poker game play grid on the display, each bonus sub-symbol associated with a random credit value;
- lock the one or more bonus sub-symbol relative to their respective card position on the poker game play grid associated with the card having the bonus sub-symbol;
- receive signals indicating cards to be held in the initial poker hand;
- randomly provide replacement cards from the virtual deck of cards to replace any cards in the initial poker hand that were not held to form a final poker hand on the display;
- evaluate the final poker hand for poker awards;
- determine a bonus award by summing the credit values associated with each bonus sub-symbol that appears in a card position that is respectively associated with an activation indicator that is displayed in the active state;
- and
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory by any poker awards and bonus awards.
16 more elements
A gaming device comprising:
- a display including a video screen configured to display a poker game play grid showing at least a first poker hand, a second poker hand, and a third poker hand, where each of the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand include a respective plurality of card positions that are aligned in vertical columns, and where the video screen is further configured to display a plurality of activation indicators respectively associated with each of the aligned vertical columns of card positions, where each activation indicator is associated with a displayed state, the displayed state including an active state and an inactive state;
- a player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
- a memory configured to store a virtual deck of cards and a credit amount;
- a wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive a signal indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value associated with the received physical item;
- receive a primary game initiation signal including a total wager amount, the total wager amount including a base wager amount and a side wager amount, where the total wager amount deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
- randomly determine if a bonus sub-symbol is to be associated with each of the card positions in the poker game play grid on the display, each bonus sub-symbol associated with a modifier value;
- randomly deal cards from the virtual deck of cards to the first poker hand on the poker game play grid of the display;
- receive signals indicating cards to be held from the dealt cards in the first poker hand;
- copy any cards held in the first poker hand to associated card positions in the second poker hand and the third poker hand;
- randomly provide replacement cards from the virtual deck of cards to replace any cards that were not held in the first poker hand;
- randomly draw cards to complete any empty card spots in the second poker hand and the third poker hand;
- evaluate the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand for poker awards;
- determine a bonus award by using the modifier values of each bonus sub-symbol that appears in a card position that is respectively associated with an activation indicator that is displayed in the active state;
- and
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory by any poker awards as modified by the bonus award.
16 more elements
A gaming device comprising:
- a display including a video screen having a poker game play grid having a plurality of card positions and a plurality of activation indicators respectively associated with each of the plurality of card positions, where each activation indicator is associated with a displayed state, the displayed state including an active state and an inactive state;
- a player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
- a memory configured to store a virtual deck of cards and a credit amount;
- a wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive a signal indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value associated with the received physical item;
- receive a primary game initiation signal including a total wager amount, the total wager amount including a base wager amount and a side wager amount, where the total wager amount deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
- update the displayed states of the activation indicators on the display based on the side wager amount;
- randomly deal an initial poker hand from the virtual deck of cards to the card positions in the poker game play grid on the display;
- randomly determine if a bonus sub-symbol is to be associated with each of the card positions in the poker game play grid on the display, each bonus sub-symbol associated with a modifier value;
- lock the one or more bonus sub-symbol relative to their respective card position on the poker game play grid associated with the card having the bonus sub-symbol;
- receive signals indicating cards to be held in the initial poker hand;
- randomly provide replacement cards from the virtual deck of cards to replace any cards in the initial poker hand that were not held to form a final poker hand on the display;
- evaluate the final poker hand for poker awards;
- determine a bonus award by using the modifier values associated with each bonus sub-symbol that appears in a card position that is respectively associated with an activation indicator that is displayed in the active state;
- and
- increase the credit amount stored in the memory by any poker awards as modified by any bonus awards.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.