US 6,386,975 B1Granted

Wagering game and system for its implementation

OwnerVernon J. Petersoninventor

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Abstract

Multi-round game played on survivor principle. Survivor of each round enters succeeding round until one survivor remains. Retirees from each round may enroll in subsidiary game, the number of such games being defined by the number of positions in the set of symbols with which the games is played, e.g., a five-position set of symbols allows one primary game and four subsidiary games, all of which are governed by the same symbol-selection sequence. Each symbol-set which is active to the final selection is eligible to enroll in a summary game, in which a single winning symbol-set may receive a major jackpot, or all players may share in division of the jackpot. Implementation of the game involves data processing means for game-hosting and accounting purposes; and varied communication means for interaction between all parties.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A wagering game in which a player enrolls in a predefined manner and, upon enrolling, is assigned a unique set of symbols (symbol-set), said symbol-set consisting of a combination of commonly-recognized unique indicia such as;

numerals, alphabetical characters, animal figures, names of precious metals or gems, colors or their names, household objects or other common unique indicia subject to differential characterization,
said symbol-sets ordered in a predetermined progression determined by a position, such as numerals in the first position, alphabetical characters in the second position, then animal figures in the third position, and so forth;
the wagering game proceeding by addressing, one position at a time, each position in the predetermined progression, and selecting, by predetermined means, said unique indicia one at a time from a collection of unique indicia assigned to that position until only one unique indicia remains unselected in each position, thereby identifying said unique indicia from the symbol-set assigned to the player which has survived the selection process;
and whereby the player assigned said unique indicia is identified as a winner of the wagering game for the first position, the winner being eligible to continue playing the wagering game in the next position of the predetermined progression.

1 more element

I claim a wagering game with the following:

means to enable players to enroll with a defined game-host;
means to assign unique indicia, selected by predefined means from predefined universes of unique indicia, to enrolled players, and to array assigned unique indicia in a symbol-set in a predetermined order such that each unique indicia occupies a position in the array reserved for that universe of unique indicia;
means to select unique indicia, position by position, retiring each unique indicia selected, until one unique indicia remains unselected per position, the totality of unselected unique indicia defining the surviving symbol-set, the player assigned that surviving symbol-set being the winner of the wagering game;
means to utilize symbol-sets enrolled in the wagering game, but retired by virtue of having a unique indicia selected, are utilized to create a derivative secondary wagering game, played in like manner;
and symbol-sets retired from the secondary wagering game utilized to create a derivative tertiary game, played in like manner;
with this process of derivative game creation continuing until identification of the final surviving unique indicia of the first wagering game is accomplished;
and wherein such final unique indicia identification resolves the original wagering game and all of the wagering games derived from it;
means to communicate predetermined types of information between and among enrolled players, and between players and the host of the wagering game, including a set of instructions promulgated before the wagering game begins, by use of which a designated agent of the enrolled player may, by adhering to the set of instructions, play the game as a proxy for the enrolled player;
means to enroll players in a summary wagering game, for participation in which players will have qualified by persisting in the original wagering game or any of the derivative wagering games through final unique indicia identification in those games, and in which the summary wagering game is resolved by polling the enrolled players to select unique indicia to be retired, such selection proceeding position by position, with the unique indicia receiving the fewest votes being the surviving unique indicia for each position, the symbol-set so defined being the winning symbol-set for the summary game;
means to distribute the payout for the summary game to the enrolled players, in predetermined proportions, in the event that the surviving symbol-set is not assigned to an enrolled player;
means for players to exercise predetermined options during the course of the initial and derivative games, from the group consisting of:
increasing wagers on assigned symbol-sets, agreeing to retire assigned symbol-sets in return for a specific and predetermined multiple of the fee paid to enroll said symbol-sets, auctioning all or part of the equity in an assigned symbol-set to other parties, and pari-mutuel wagering on predefined eventualities which might occur dining the course of the wagering games.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.