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US 2018/0322727 A1Published application
Reel-based wagering games
OwnerRyan Strandinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Reel-based wagering games and associated methods and gaming apparatuses are disclosed. Examples of reel-based wagering games comprise a number of reels and multiple paylines or a multi-way payout scheme associated with the number of reels. Evaluation of payouts associated with the multiple paylines or the multi-way payout scheme starts with a first reel to stop and resets at a subsequent reel to stop when the subsequent reel does not result in a payout with previously stopped reels.
Claims20
A reel-based wagering game method implemented on a gaming apparatus comprising a game display, a user interface, and a controller, the reel-based wagering game method comprising:
- (1) displaying, by the game display, changing reels, wherein the changing reels comprise at least a first reel, a second reel, and one or more additional reels;
- (2) stopping, by the controller, the changing reels to display, by the game display, stopped reels, wherein the stopped reels comprise at least a stopped first reel, a stopped second reel, and one or more additional stopped reels, and wherein each stopped reel comprises displayed game symbols;
- (3) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel and the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel correspond to a first predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to a payout condition;
- (4) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel and the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel not corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
- (4a) altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a first altered payout condition;
- (4b) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to a second predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to the first altered payout condition;
- (4c) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the second predetermined arrangement of game symbols, altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a second altered payout condition;
- and
- (4d) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the second predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition;
- (5) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the first stopped reel and the displayed game symbols of the second stopped reel corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
- (5a) not altering, by the controller, the payout condition;
- (5b) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols;
- (5c) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
- (5c1) altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a third altered payout condition;
- (5c2) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to a third predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to the third altered payout condition;
- (5c3) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the third predetermined arrangement of game symbols, altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a fourth altered payout condition or ending the game with no payout;
- and
- (5c4) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the third predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition;
- and
- (5d) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition.
17 more elements
A gaming apparatus configured to implement a reel-based wagering game, the gaming apparatus comprising:
- a game display configured to display at least a portion of game reels of the reel-based wagering game;
- a user interface configured to receive user input for controlling and engaging with the reel-based wagering game;
- a wager input device structured to receive physical currency or currency based structure, the currency or currency based structure establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity received from a player via the user interface;
- a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the game display, the user interface, the wager input device, and the cashout device, wherein the controller is operable to:
- responsive at least to initiation of a play, cause the game display to display the game reels as spinning game reels or changing game reels;
- cause the game display to display a first set of the game reels as stopped reels;
- evaluate whether the first set of the game reels corresponds to a first payout condition;
- responsive to the first set of the game reels not corresponding to the first payout condition:
- alert the player of a first subsequent opportunity for payout based on then spinning game reels or then changing game reels;
- cause the game display to display a second set of the game reels as stopped reels;
- and
- evaluate whether the second set of the game reels corresponds to a second payout condition;
- responsive to the first set of the game reels corresponding to the first payout condition:
- cause the game display to display one or more additional game reels as stopped reels;
- evaluate whether the first set of the game reels and the one or more additional game reels correspond to the first payout condition;
- responsive to the first set of the game reels and the one or more additional game reels not corresponding to the first payout condition, alert the player of a second subsequent opportunity for payout based on then spinning game reels or then changing game reels;
- and
- responsive to the first set of the game reels and the one or more additional game reels corresponding to the first payout condition, cause the game display to display one or more yet additional game reels as stopped reels.
17 more elements
A gaming apparatus configured to implement a reel-based wagering game, the gaming apparatus comprising:
- a game display;
- and
- a controller programmed to:
- display, on the game display, a number of game reels;
- and
- evaluate payout conditions based on multiple paylines or a multi-way payout scheme associated with the number of game reels, wherein evaluation of the payout conditions starts with a first reel to stop and resets at a subsequent reel to stop when the subsequent reel does not result in a payout with previously stopped reels.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.