Gaming method and a gaming system

A game controller comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• establish a first credit balance associated with a first monetary value at a first gaming machine and a second credit balance associated with a second monetary value at a second gaming machine using at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, and a card reader associated with each of the first and gaming machines;
• receive a first wager at the first gaming machine and a second wager at the second gaming machine for a base game, the first wager decreasing the first credit balance and the second wager decreasing the second credit balance;
• and
• execute instructions to implement:
• a symbol selector configured to:
• allocate, for play of the base game, a first base hand to a first player and a second base hand to a second player, wherein the first and second base hands include respective non-overlapping pluralities of symbols selected from a set of symbols;
• and
• allocate, for play of a jackpot game, a first jackpot hand to the first player and a second jackpot hand to the second player, wherein the first and second jackpot hands include respective pluralities of symbols selected from the set of symbols;
• and
• an outcome evaluator configured to determine whether to award a jackpot prize in the jackpot game in response to the first base hand matching the first jackpot hand, the jackpot prize awarded irrespective of an outcome of the base game, and wherein when the second base hand also matches the second jackpot hand, respective pluralities of additional symbols are randomly selected for the first and second players, and the jackpot prize is awarded to the first player when the first player has the plurality of additional symbols with a highest rank according to at least one predefined criterion,
• wherein the processor is further configured to increase the first credit balance at the first gaming machine according to the jackpot prize.

A gaming system comprising:

• a display configured to display a plurality of symbols in a set of display positions to a player;
• a credit mechanism including at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, and a card reader;
• a processor configured to:
• establish a first credit balance associated with a first monetary value using the credit mechanism;
• receive a first wager for a base game, the first wager decreasing the first credit balance;
• and
• execute instructions to implement:
• a symbol selector configured to:
• allocate, for play of the base game, a first base hand to a first player, the first base hand including a plurality of symbols selected from a set of symbols, wherein a second base hand allocated to a second player at a second gaming system includes a respective plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols, the first and second base hands non-overlapping;
• and
• allocate, for play of a jackpot game, a first jackpot hand to the first player, the first jackpot hand including a plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols, wherein a second jackpot hand allocated to the second player includes a respective plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols;
• and
• an outcome evaluator configured to determine whether to award a jackpot prize in the jackpot game in response to the first base hand matching the first jackpot hand, the jackpot prize awarded irrespective of an outcome of the base game, and wherein when the second base hand also matches the second jackpot hand, respective pluralities of additional symbols are randomly selected for each player of the first and second players, and the jackpot prize is awarded to the first player when the first player has the plurality of additional symbols with a highest rank according to at least one predefined criterion,
• wherein the processor is further configured to increase the first credit balance according to the jackpot prize.

A gaming system comprising:

• a player interface comprising a game play mechanism mounted to a cabinet and a display mounted within the cabinet, a credit mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, and a card reader, and a game controller disposed within the cabinet comprising a processor and a memory storing game control instructions that enable the game controller to operate in response to operation of the game play mechanism by the player, the processor configured to:
• establish a first credit balance associated with a first monetary value using the credit mechanism;
• receive a first wager for a base game, the first wager decreasing the first credit balance;
• and
• execute the game control instructions to implement:
• a symbol selector configured to:
• allocate, for play of the base game, a first base hand to a first player, the first base hand including a plurality of symbols selected from a set of symbols, wherein a second base hand allocated to a second player at a second gaming system includes a respective plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols, the first and second base hands non-overlapping;
• and
• allocate, for play of a jackpot game, a first jackpot hand to the first player, the first jackpot hand including a plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols, wherein a second jackpot hand allocated to the second player includes a respective plurality of symbols selected from the set of symbols;
• and
• an outcome evaluator configured to determine whether to award a jackpot prize in the jackpot game in response to the first base hand matching the first jackpot hand, the jackpot prize awarded irrespective of an outcome of the base game, and wherein when the second base hand also matches the second jackpot hand, respective pluralities of additional symbols are randomly selected for each player of the first and second players, and the jackpot prize is awarded to the first player when the first player has the plurality of additional symbols with a highest rank according to at least one predefined criterion,
• wherein the processor is further configured to increase the first credit balance according to the jackpot prize.

A computer readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• establish a first credit balance associated with a first monetary value at a first gaming machine and a second credit balance associated with a second monetary value at a second gaming machine using at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, and a card reader associated with each of the first and second gaming machines;
• receive a first wager at the first gaming machine and a second wager at the second gaming machine for a base game, the first wager decreasing the first credit balance and the second wager decreasing the second credit balance;
• allocate, for play of the base game, a first base hand to a first player and a second base hand to a second player, wherein the first and second base hands include respective non-overlapping pluralities of symbols selected from a set of symbols;
• allocate, for play of a jackpot game, a first jackpot hand to the first player and a second jackpot hand to the second player, wherein the first and second jackpot hands include respective pluralities of symbols selected from the set of symbols;
• award a jackpot prize in the jackpot game in response to the first base hand matching the first jackpot hand, the jackpot prize awarded irrespective of an outcome of the base game, and wherein when the second base hand also matches the second jackpot hand, respective pluralities of additional symbols are randomly selected for each of the first and second players, and the jackpot prize is awarded to the first player when the first player has the respective plurality of additional symbols with a highest rank according to at least one predefined criterion;
• and
• increase, at the first gaming machine, the first credit balance according to the jackpot prize.