US20100004058A1 - Shared bonus on gaming device - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that facilitates wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. Also provided is a method of implementing a bonus on such a gaming device, where the method may include receiving a bonus trigger, determining if the bonus is a shared bonus, and transferring game play from base games being played on multiple gaming stations of the gaming device to a shared bonus when the bonus is determined to be a shared bonus.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• Commonly assigned U.S. patent applications:
• Ser. No. 12/______, to John Acres, filed concurrently herewith, for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING WAGERING BY MULTIPLE PLAYERS OF GAMING MACHINES (Attorney Docket No. 1351-0007); Ser. No. 12/______, to John Acres, filed concurrently herewith, for METHOD OF ALLOCATING CREDITS FOR GAMING DEVICES (Attorney Docket No. 1351-0043); and Ser. No. 12/______, to John Acres, filed concurrently herewith, for SHARED GAME PLAY ON GAMING DEVICE (Attorney Docket No. 1351-0044).
• The disclosures of the above-listed applications are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• This disclosure relates generally to electronic gaming devices, and more particularly to electronic gaming devices that facilitate wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device.
BACKGROUND
• Gaming has conventionally been a social activity for many players. That is, part of the enjoyment of gaming is sharing an exciting experience with others. This can easily be seen at craps tables, sports books, poker tournaments, and other types of gaming. With electronic gaming devices, such as slot machines, this social interaction can be hampered somewhat by the player-machine setup where individual devices typically support only play by a single player. Although players may select gaming machines adjacent to one another, or adjacent gaming stations at a multi-player electronic table, multiple players, e.g., a couple, may not be able to share a casino gambling experience as much as they might like. For example, if the couple selects adjacent gaming machines to play so that each can keep an eye on the other's betting, playing, and any jackpots or bonuses that might result, they typically cannot participate in the other's gaming experience or even focus on their own gaming experience. While this distraction may prevent the other player from fully engaging with his or her own game, it at least provides some semblance of a shared gaming experience.
• Gaming tournaments in which multiple players compete against one another are known. In such tournaments, each player bets his or her own money and competes with other players to see who can win the most. While the tournament format involves multiple players, it is typically based strictly on competition, i.e., each player bets his or her own money on separate games to compete against other players whom they may or may not know. Normally the competitors are distributed in a casino, or—at best—side by side on separate gaming devices. Hence, while gaming tournaments provide some interaction between players, this interaction is limited in its ability to provide a rewarding shared gaming experience. Further, while tournaments provide some semblance of competition, this competition can be tempered by the player's intense focus on his or her own gaming results.
• Community betting has also increased in popularity. With community betting, two or more players pool their money to play a single gaming machine. With this technique, the players typically all stand near a single gaming device where they deposit their pooled money and take turns initiating the gaming device. Typically, this type of betting is popular for large jackpot type machines, such as Mega-Bucks®, where a max bet is needed to be eligible for the big prize and the prize is large enough that the players can split any winnings and still feel successful. While community betting provides a shared gaming experience, it can quickly lead to boredom by the player not currently placing the wagers. In addition, the shared gaming experience is usually limited to the bond of the pooled money. Hence, there is usually no direct competition or way to compare the wagering results of one player versus the wagering results of the other players.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram that illustrates a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 1B is an isometric view of the gaming device illustrated inFIG. 1A.
• FIGS. 2A,2B, and2C are detail diagrams of exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of networked gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIGS. 5-7 are detail diagrams of exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIGS. 8A,8B, and8C are flow diagrams of credit sharing procedures according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a bonus procedure according to embodiments of the invention.
• FIGS. 10A,10B, and10C are detail diagrams of bonus procedures according to embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that enables a shared gaming experience by facilitating wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. In one embodiment, a gaming device includes a first station to accommodate a first player, a second station to accommodate a second player, and at least one display for displaying game outcomes at both the first and second stations. The gaming device may include a common meter that stores credits available for wagering at the first and second station, or may include separate meters for displaying credits or scores for each gaming station.
• In one aspect of the present development, a single game having a wide video screen, such as an LCD or plasma display, includes a pair of stations—one for each player—in front of the screen. One player may be stationed in front of the left half of the screen and the other in front of the right half. Alternatively, two separate screens may be used. In either situation, a double wide chair or two separate seats may be provided so that each player is positioned in front of each station.
• The gaming machine may be implemented to permit each player to play separate games. For example, each player may play a separate video poker game in which each player wagers and initiates a game, using separate control buttons, at his or her own pace regardless of the rate of wagering and playing by the other player, i.e., the gaming is asynchronous. Or there may be a common game initiation, via a single control button, but with separate outcomes displayed, one on each screen.
• In another aspect, the players find the bets from a single pool of money, which may be implemented by a single credit meter on the gaming machine. The wager for each player could be identical or different from one another. Any winnings, e.g., from jackpots or bonuses, could go to a single winning pool, such as the credit meter that funds the bets. Alternatively, each player could have a jackpot meter upon which wins from the respective games are stored.
• FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate example gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
• Referring toFIGS. 1A and 1B, agaming device10 is an electronic gaming machine. Although an electronic gaming machine or “slot” machine is illustrated, various other types of devices may be used to wager monetarily based credits on a game of chance in accordance with principles of the invention. The term “electronic gaming device” is meant to include various devices such as electromechanical spinning-reel type slot machines, video slot machines, and video poker machines, for instance. Other gaming devices may include computer-based gaming machines, wireless gaming devices, multi-player gaming stations, modified personal electronic gaming devices (such as cell phones), personal computers, server-based gaming terminals, and other similar devices. Although embodiments of the invention will work with all of the gaming types mentioned, for ease of illustration the present embodiments will be described in reference to theelectronic gaming machine10 shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B.
• Thegaming device10 includes acabinet15 housing components to operate thegaming device10. Thecabinet15 may include agaming display20, abase portion13, atop box18, and aplayer interface panel30. Thegaming display20 may include mechanical spinning reels (FIG. 2A), a video display (FIGS. 2B and 2C), or a combination of both spinning reels and a video display (not shown). Thegaming cabinet15 may also include acredit meter27 and a coin-in or betmeter28. Thecredit meter27 may indicate the total number of credits remaining on thegaming device10 that are eligible to be wagered. In some embodiments, thecredit meter27 may reflect a monetary unit, such as dollars. However, it is often preferable to have thecredit meter27 reflect a number of ‘credits,’ rather than a monetary unit. Thebet meter28 may indicate the amount of credits to be wagered on a particular game. Thus, for each game, the player transfers the amount that he or she wants to wager from thecredit meter27 to thebet meter28. In some embodiments, various other meters may be present, such as meters reflecting amounts won, amounts paid, or the like. In embodiments where thegaming display20 is a video monitor, the information indicated on the credit meters may be shown on the gaming display itself20 (FIG. 2B).
• Thebase portion13 may include a lightedpanel14, a coin return (not shown), and agaming handle12 operable on a partially rotating pivot joint11. The game handle12 is traditionally included on mechanical spinning-reel games, where the handle may be pulled toward a player to initiate the spinning ofreels22 after placement of a wager. Thetop box18 may include a lightedpanel17, a video display (such as an LCD monitor), a mechanical bonus device (not shown), and acandle light indicator19. Theplayer interface panel30 may include various devices so that a player can interact with thegaming device10.
• Theplayer interface panel30 may include one ormore game buttons32 that can be actuated by the player to cause thegaming device10 to perform a specific action. For example, some of thegame buttons32 may cause thegaming device10 to bet a credit to be wagered during the next game, change the number of lines being played on a multi-line game, cash out the credits remaining on the gaming device (as indicated on the credit meter27), or request assistance from casino personnel, such as by lighting thecandle19. In addition, theplayer interface panel30 may include one or moregame actuating buttons33. Thegame actuating buttons33 may initiate a game with a pre-specified amount of credits. On some gaming devices10 a “Max Bet”game actuating button33 may be included that places the maximum credit wager on a game and initiates the game. Theplayer interface panel30 may further include abill acceptor37 and aticket printer38. Thebill acceptor37 may accept and validate paper money or previously printed tickets with a credit balance. Theticket printer38 may print out tickets reflecting the balance of the credits that remain on thegaming device10 when a player cashes out by pressing one of thegame buttons32 programmed to cause a ‘cashout.’ These tickets may be inserted into other gaming machines or redeemed at a cashier station or kiosk for cash.
• Thegaming device10 may also include one ormore speakers26 to transmit auditory information or sounds to the player. The auditory information may include specific sounds associated with particular events that occur during game play on thegaming device10. For example, a particularly festive sound may be played during a large win or when a bonus is triggered. Thespeakers26 may also transmit “attract” sounds to entice nearby players when the game is not currently being played.
• Thegaming device10 may further include asecondary display25. Thissecondary display25 may be a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma screen, or the like. Thesecondary display25 may show any combination of primary game information and ancillary information to the player. For example, thesecondary display25 may show player tracking information, secondary bonus information, advertisements, or player selectable game options.
• Thegaming device10 may include a separate information window (not shown) dedicated to supplying any combination of information related to primary game play, secondary bonus information, player tracking information, secondary bonus information, advertisements or player selectable game options. This window may be fixed in size and location or may have its size and location vary temporally as communication needs change. One example of such a resizable window is International Game Technology's “service window”. Another example is Las Vegas Gaming Incorporated's retrofit technology which allows information to be placed over areas of the game or the secondary display screen at various times and in various situations.
• Thegaming device10 includes amicroprocessor40 that controls operation of thegaming device10. If thegaming device10 is a standalone gaming device, themicroprocessor40 may control virtually all of the operations of the gaming devices and attached equipment, such as operating game logic stored in memory (not shown) as firmware, controlling thedisplay20 to represent the outcome of a game, communicating with the other peripheral devices (such as the bill acceptor37), and orchestrating the lighting and sound emanating from thegaming device10. In other embodiments where thegaming device10 is coupled to anetwork50, as described below, themicroprocessor40 may have different tasks depending on the setup and function of the gaming device. For example, themicroprocessor40 may be responsible for running the base game of the gaming device and executing instructions received over thenetwork50 from a bonus server or player tracking server. In a server-based gaming setup, themicroprocessor40 may act as a terminal to execute instructions from a remote server that is running game play on the gaming device.
• Themicroprocessor40 may be coupled to a machine communication interface (MCI)42 that connects thegaming device10 to agaming network50. TheMCI42 may be coupled to themicroprocessor40 through a serial connection, a parallel connection, an optical connection, or in some cases a wireless connection. Thegaming device10 may include memory41 (MEM), such as a random access memory (RAM), coupled to themicroprocessor40 and which can be used to store gaming information, such as storing total coin-in statistics about a present or past gaming session, which can be communicated to a remote server or database through theMCI42. TheMCI42 may also facilitate communication between thenetwork50 and thesecondary display25 or aplayer tracking unit45 housed in thegaming cabinet15.
• Theplayer tracking unit45 may include anidentification device46 and one ormore buttons47 associated with theplayer tracking unit45. Theidentification device46 serves to identify a player, by, for example, reading a player-tracking device, such as a player tracking card that is issued by the casino to individual players who choose to have such a card. Theidentification device46 may instead, or additionally, identify players through other methods. Player tracking systems using player tracking cards andcard readers46 are known in the art. Briefly summarizing such a system, a player registers with the casino prior to commencing gaming. The casino issues a unique player-tracking card to the player and opens a corresponding player account that is stored on a server or host computer, described below with reference toFIG. 3. The player account may include the player's name and mailing address and other information of interest to the casino in connection with marketing efforts. Prior to playing one of the gaming devices in the casino, the player inserts the player tracking card into theidentification device46 thus permitting the casino to track player activity, such as amounts wagered, credits won, and rate of play.
• To induce the player to use the card and be an identified player, the casino may award each player points proportional to the money or credits wagered by the player. Players typically accrue points at a rate related to the amount wagered, although other factors may cause the casino to award the player various amounts. The points may be displayed on thesecondary display25 or using other methods. In conventional player tracking systems, the player may take his or her card to a special desk in the casino where a casino employee scans the card to determine how many accrued points are in the player's account. The player may redeem points for selected merchandise, meals in casino restaurants, or the like, which each have assigned point values. In some player tracking systems, the player may use thesecondary display25 to access their player tracking account, such as to check a total number of points, redeem points for various services, make changes to their account, or download promotional credits to thegaming device10. In other embodiments, theidentification device46 may read other identifying cards (such as driver licenses, credit cards, etc.) to identify a player and match them to a corresponding player tracking account. AlthoughFIG. 1A shows theplayer tracking unit45 with a card reader as theidentification device46, other embodiments may include aplayer tracking unit45 with a biometric scanner, PIN code acceptor, or other methods of identifying a player to pair the player with their player tracking account.
• During typical play on agaming device10, a player plays a game by placing a wager and then initiating a gaming session. The player may initially insert monetary bills or previously printed tickets with a credit value into thebill acceptor37. The player may also put coins into a coin acceptor (not shown) or a credit, debit or casino account card into a card reader/authorizer (not shown). One of skill in the art will readily see that this invention is useful with all gambling devices, regardless of the manner in which wager value-input is accomplished.
• Thecredit meter27 displays the numeric credit value of the money inserted dependent on the denomination of thegaming device10. That is, if thegaming device10 is a nickel slot machine and a $20 bill inserted into thebill acceptor37, the credit meter will reflect 400 credits or one credit for each nickel of the inserted twenty dollars. Forgaming devices10 that support multiple denominations, thecredit meter27 will reflect the amount of credits relative to the denomination selected. Thus, in the above example, if a penny denomination is selected after the $20 is inserted the credit meter will change from 400 credits to 2000 credits.
• A wager may be placed by pushing one or more of thegame buttons32, which may be reflected on thebet meter28. That is, the player can generally depress a “bet one” button (one of the buttons on theplayer interface panel30, such as32), which transfers one credit from thecredit meter27 to thebet meter28. Each time thebutton32 is depressed an additional single credit transfers to thebet meter28 up to a maximum bet that can be placed on a single play of theelectronic gaming device10. The gaming session may be initiated by pulling the gaming handle12 or depressing thespin button33. On somegaming devices10, a “max bet” button (another one of thebuttons32 on the player interface panel30) may be depressed to wager the maximum number of credits supported by thegaming device10 and initiate a gaming session.
• If the gaming session does not result in any winning combination, the process of placing a wager may be repeated by the player. Alternatively, the player may cash out any remaining credits on thecredit meter27 by depressing the “cash-out” button (anotherbutton32 on the player interface panel30), which causes the credits on thecredit meter27 to be paid out in the form of a ticket through theticket printer38, or may be paid out in the form of returning coins from a coin hopper (not shown) to a coin return tray.
• If instead a winning combination (win) appears on thedisplay20, the award corresponding to the winning combination is immediately applied to thecredit meter27. For example, if thegaming device10 is a slot machine, a winning combination ofsymbols23 may land on a played payline onreels22. If any bonus games are initiated, thegaming device10 may enter into a bonus mode or simply award the player with a bonus amount of credits that are applied to thecredit meter27.
• FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.FIG. 2A illustrates an example spinning-reel gaming machine10A,FIG. 2B illustrates an examplevideo slot machine10B, andFIG. 2C illustrates an examplevideo poker machine10C.
• Referring toFIG. 2A, a spinning-reel gaming machine10A includes agaming display20A having a plurality ofmechanical spinning reels22A. Typically, spinning-reel gaming machines10A have three to fivespinning reels22A. Each of the spinningreels22A hasmultiple symbols23A that may be separated by blank areas on the spinningreels22A, although the presence of blank areas typically depends on the number ofreels22A present in thegaming device10A and the number ofdifferent symbols23A that may appear on the spinningreels22A. Each of thesymbols22A or blank areas makes up a “stop” on thespinning reel22A where thereel22A comes to rest after a spin. Although the spinningreels22A ofvarious games10A may have various numbers of stops, many conventional spinning-reel gaming devices10A havereels22A with twenty two stops.
• During game play, the spinningreels22A may be controlled by stepper motors (not shown) under the direction of the microprocessor40 (FIG. 1A). Thus, although the spinning-reel gaming device10A has mechanical based spinningreels22A, the movement of the reels themselves is electronically controlled to spin and stop. This electronic control is advantageous because it allows a virtual reel strip to be stored in thememory41 of thegaming device10A, where various “virtual stops” are mapped to each physical stop on thephysical reel22A. This mapping allows thegaming device10A to establish greater awards and bonuses available to the player because of the increased number of possible combinations afforded by the virtual reel strips.
• A gaming session on a spinningreel slot machine10A typically includes the player pressing the “bet-one” button (one of thegame buttons32A) to wager a desired number of credits followed by pulling the gaming handle12 (FIGS. 1A,1B) or pressing thespin button33A to spin thereels22A. Alternatively, the player may simply press the “max-bet” button (another one of thegame buttons32A) to both wager the maximum number of credits permitted and initiate the spinning of thereels22A. The spinningreels22A may all stop at the same time or may individually stop one after another (typically from left to right) to build player anticipation. Because thedisplay20A usually cannot be physically modified, some spinningreel slot machines10A include an electronic display screen in the top box18 (FIG. 1B), a mechanical bonus mechanism in thetop box18, or a secondary display25 (FIG. 1A) to execute a bonus.
• Referring toFIG. 2B, avideo gaming machine10B may include avideo display20B to displayvirtual spinning reels22B and variousother gaming information21B. Thevideo display20B may be a CRT, LCD, plasma screen, or the like. It is usually preferable that thevideo display20B be a touchscreen to accept player input. A number ofsymbols23A appear on each of thevirtual spinning reels22B. AlthoughFIG. 2B shows fivevirtual spinning reels22B, the flexibility of thevideo display20B allows forvarious reel22B and game configurations. For example, somevideo slot games10B spin reels for each individual symbol position (or stop) that appears on thevideo display20B. That is, each symbol position on the screen is independent of every other position during the gaming sessions. In these types of games, very large numbers of pay lines or multiple super scatter pays can be utilized since similar symbols could appear at every symbol position on thevideo display20B. On the other hand, othervideo slot games10B more closely resemble the mechanical spinning reel games where symbols that are vertically adjacent to each other are part of the same continuousvirtual spinning reel22B.
• Because thevirtual spinning reels22B, by virtue of being computer implemented, can have almost any number of stops on a reel strip, it is much easier to have a greater variety of displayed outcomes as compared to spinning-reel slot machines10A (FIG. 2A) that have a fixed number of physical stops on each spinningreel22A.
• With the possible increases inreel22B numbers and configurations over themechanical gaming device10A,video gaming devices10B often havemultiple paylines24 that may be played. By havingmore paylines24 available to play, the player may be more likely to have a winning combination when thereels22B stop and the gaming session ends. However, since the player typically must wager at least a minimum number of credits to enable eachpayline24 to be eligible for winning, the overall odds of winning are not much different, if at all, than if the player is wagering only on a single payline. For example, in a five line game, the player may bet one credit perpayline24 and be eligible for winning symbol combinations that appear on any of the five playedpaylines24. This gives a total of five credits wagered and five possible winningpaylines24. If, on the other hand, the player only wagers one credit on onepayline24, but plays five gaming sessions, the odds of winning would be identical as above: five credits wagered and five possible winningpaylines24.
• Because thevideo display20B can easily modify the image output by thevideo display20B, bonuses, such as second screen bonuses are relatively easy to award on thevideo slot game10B. That is, if a bonus is triggered during game play, thevideo display20B may simply store the resulting screen shot in memory and display a bonus sequence on thevideo display20B. After the bonus sequence is completed, thevideo display20B may then retrieve the previous screen shot and information from memory, and re-display that image.
• Also, as mentioned above, thevideo display20B may allow variousother game information21B to be displayed. For example, as shown inFIG. 2B, banner information may be displayed above the spinningreels22B to inform the player, perhaps, which symbol combination is needed to trigger a bonus. Also, instead of providing a separate credit meter27 (FIG. 1A) andbet meter28, the same information can instead be displayed on thevideo display20B. In addition, “soft buttons”29B such as a “spin” button or “help/see pays” button may be built using the touchscreen video display20B. Such customization and ease of changing the image shown on thedisplay20B adds to the flexibility of thegame10B.
• Even with the improved flexibility afforded by thevideo display20B, severalphysical buttons32B and33B are usually provided onvideo slot machines10B. These buttons may includegame buttons32B that allow a player to choose the number ofpaylines24 he or she would like to play and the number of credits wagered on eachpayline24. In addition, a max bet button (one of thegame buttons32B) allows a player to place a maximum credit wager on the maximum number ofavailable paylines24 and initiate a gaming session. A repeat bet orspin button33B may also be used to initiate each gaming session when the max bet button is not used.
• Referring toFIG. 2C, a videopoker gaming device10C may include avideo display20C that is physically similar to thevideo display20B shown inFIG. 2B. Thevideo display20C may show a poker hand of fivecards23C and variousother player information21C including a paytable for various winning hands, as well as a plurality of player selectablesoft buttons29C. Thevideo display20C may present a poker hand of fivecards23C and variousother player information21C including a number of player selectable soft (touch-screen)buttons29C and a paytable for various winning hands. Although the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 3C shows only one hand of poker on thevideo display20C, various othervideo poker machines10C may show several poker hands (multi-hand poker). Typically,video poker machines10C play “draw” poker in which a player is dealt a hand of five cards, has the opportunity to hold any combination of those five cards, and then draws new cards to replace the discarded ones. All pays are usually given for winning combinations resulting from the final hand, although somevideo poker games10C may give bonus credits for certain combinations received on the first hand before the draw. In the example shown inFIG. 2C a player has been dealt two aces, a three, a six, and a nine. Thevideo poker game10C may provide a bonus or payout for the player having been dealt the pair of aces, even before the player decides what to discard in the draw. Since pairs, three of a kind, etc. are typically needed for wins, a player would likely hold the two aces that have been dealt and draw three cards to replace the three, six, and nine in the hope of receiving additional aces or other cards leading to a winning combination with a higher award amount. After the draw and revealing of the final hand, thevideo poker game10C typically awards any credits won to the credit meter.
• The player selectablesoft buttons29C appearing on the screen respectively correspond to each card on thevideo display20C. Thesesoft buttons29C allow players to select specific cards on thevideo display20C such that the card corresponding to the selected soft button is “held” before the draw. Typically,video poker machines10C also includephysical game buttons32C that correspond to the cards in the hand and may be selected to hold a corresponding card. A deal/draw button33C may also be included to initiate a gaming session after credits have been wagered (with abet button32C, for example) and to draw any cards not held after the first hand is displayed.
• Although examples of a spinningreel slot machine10A, avideo slot machine10B, and avideo poker machine10C have been illustrated inFIGS. 2A-2C, gaming machines and various other types of gaming devices known in the art are contemplated and are within the scope of the invention.
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating networked gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention. Referring toFIG. 3, multiple electronic gaming devices (EGMs)70,71,72,73,74, and75 may be coupled to one another and coupled to aremote server80 through anetwork50. For ease of understanding, gaming devices orEGMs70,71,72,73,74, and75 are generically referred to as EGMs70-75. The term EGMs70-75, however, may refer to any combination of one or more ofEGMs70,71,72,73,74, and75. Additionally, thegaming server80 may be coupled to one ormore gaming databases90. Thesegaming network50 connections may allow multiple gaming devices70-75 to remain in communication with one another during particular gaming modes such as tournament play or remote head-to-head play. Although some of the gaming devices70-75 coupled on thegaming network50 may resemble thegaming devices10,10A,10B, and10C shown inFIGS. 1A-1B and2A-2C, other coupled gaming devices70-75 may include differently configured gaming devices. For example, the gaming devices70-75 may includetraditional slot machines75 directly coupled to thenetwork50, banks ofgaming devices70 coupled to thenetwork50, banks ofgaming devices70 coupled to the network through abank controller60, wirelesshandheld gaming machines72 andcell phones73 coupled to thegaming network50 through one or more wireless routers orantennas61,personal computers74 coupled to thenetwork50 through theinternet62, and banks ofgaming devices71 coupled to the network through one or more optical connection lines64. Additionally, some of thetraditional gaming devices70,71, and75 may include electronic gaming tables, multi-station gaming devices, or electronic components operating in conjunction with non-gaming components, such as automatic card readers, chip readers, and chip counters, for example.
• Gaming devices71 coupled over anoptical line64 may be remote gaming devices in a different location or casino. Theoptical line64 may be coupled to thegaming network50 through an electronic tooptical signal converter63 and may be coupled to thegaming devices71 through an optical toelectronic signal converter65. The banks ofgaming devices70 coupled to thenetwork50 may be coupled through abank controller60 for compatibility purposes, for local organization and control, or for signal buffering purposes. Thenetwork50 may include serial or parallel signal transmission lines and carry data in accordance with data transfer protocols such as Ethernet transmission lines, Rs-232 lines, firewire lines, USB lines, or other communication protocols. Although not shown inFIG. 3, substantially theentire network50 may be made of fiber optic lines or may be a wireless network utilizing a wireless protocol such as IEEE 802.11a, b, g, or n, Zigbee, RF protocols, optical transmission, near-field transmission, or the like.
• As mentioned above, each gaming device70-75 may have an individual processor40 (FIG. 1A) andmemory41 to run and control game play on the gaming device70-75, or some of the gaming devices70-75 may be terminals that are run by aremote server80 in a server based gaming environment. Server based gaming environments may be advantageous to casinos by allowing fast downloading of particular game types or themes based on casino preference or player selection. Additionally, tournament based games, linked games, and certain game types, such as BINGO or keno may benefit from at least someserver80 based control.
• Thus, in some embodiments, thenetwork50,server80, anddatabase90 may be dedicated to communications regarding specific game or tournament play. In other embodiments, however, thenetwork50,server80, anddatabase90 may be part of a player tracking network. For player tracking capabilities, when a player inserts a player tracking card in the card reader46 (FIG. 1A), theplayer tracking unit45 sends player identification information obtained on thecard reader46 through theMCI42 over thenetwork50 to theplayer tracking server80, where the player identification information is compared to player information records in theplayer database90 to provide the player with information regarding their player account or other features at thegaming device10 where the player is wagering. Additionally,multiple databases90 and/orservers80 may be present and coupled to one ormore networks50 to provide a variety of gaming services, such as both game/tournament data and player tracking data.
• The various systems described with reference toFIGS. 1-3 can be used in a number of ways. For instance, the systems can be used to track data about various players. The tracked data can be used by the casino to provide additional benefits to players, such as extra bonuses or extra benefits such as bonus games and other benefits as described above. These added benefits further entice the players to play at the casino that provides the benefits.
• FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
• Referring toFIG. 4, agaming device100 may include agaming cabinet110 that has multiple player stations to facilitate wagering by multiple players. That is, thegaming cabinet110 of thegaming device100 may include adisplay120 and aplayer interface panel130 that are both configured into multiple gaming stations. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, afirst gaming station115A may include afirst display portion125A and a firstplayer interface panel135A, while asecond gaming station115B may include asecond display portion125B and a secondplayer interface panel135B. Here, thefirst gaming station115A corresponds to the left-side portion of thegaming device100, and thesecond gaming station115B corresponds to the right-side portion of thegaming device100. This correspondence, however, is exemplary only and may be reversed in other embodiments. Further, although only two gaming stations are shown for thegaming device100 inFIG. 4, additional gaming stations may be present in other embodiments.
• Thegaming display120 may include a single widescreen display unit (FIGS. 5 and 6) or separate display units (FIG. 7). As discussed above, thegaming display120 includes afirst display portion125A and asecond display portion125B that respectively correspond to thefirst gaming station115A andsecond gaming station115B. If thegaming display120 is a single widescreen display unit, the first andsecond display portions125A and125B may respectively correspond to the left and right halves of the gaming display. In some embodiments (FIG. 6), thegaming display120 may be partitioned into two display areas (i.e., the first andsecond display portions125A and125B) that each display a separate game playable by different players. Alternatively, in other embodiments (FIG. 5), thegaming display120 may display a common game where the first andsecond display portions125A and125B simply correspond to respective sides of thegaming display120 that may contain player specific information. Some of the various configurations of thegaming display120 will be discussed in further detail below in the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 5-7.
• Theplayer interface panel130 may include a plurality ofbuttons132A,133A,132B, and133B that are configured into a firstplayer interface panel135A and a secondplayer interface panel135B. Because the first and secondplayer interface panels135A,135B are configured to facilitate separate wagering by two players, some of thebuttons132A,133A,132B, and133B may perform similar functions for the respective gaming station with which it corresponds. For example, the firstplayer interface panel135A may include one ormore game buttons132A and agame initiating button133A. Likewise, the secondplayer interface panel135B may include one ormore game buttons132B and agame initiating button133B. Since thegame buttons132A and132B include wagering buttons, such as a “bet-one” button and/or a “max bet” button, some of thegame buttons132A that correspond to thefirst player station115A will be similar to thegame buttons132B that correspond to thesecond player station115B.Other game buttons132A and132B, however, may not need to be functionally duplicated for the separate gaming stations because only one such button for thegaming device100 is necessary. Examples of these types of buttons include a “cash out” button or a “change”/“help” button. Each of the first and secondplayer interface panels135A and135B may include agame initiating button133A and133B, respectively, to allow each of the players to wager on thegaming device100. However, in other embodiments, each player station may sharegame buttons32B and/or agame initiation button33B (FIG. 2B) such that the layout of the player interface panel may be similar in some respects to a single station gaming device. In some of theseembodiments game buttons32B may be shared while the game includes first and secondgame initiation buttons233A,233B. As described in reference toFIGS. 2A-2C, the particular layout and function of thebuttons32A,33A,32B, and33B will depend largely on the type ofgaming device100 being played.
• Thegaming device100 may also include one ormore seats150. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 4, thegaming device100 includes adouble seat150 that can accommodate two players. In other embodiments, however, thegaming device100 may include two separate chairs or stools. In either type of embodiment, each player is preferably positioned in front of agaming station115A or115B to allow for a comfortable playing environment. Thedouble seat150 shown inFIG. 4 includes twosupports155 for stability. Other embodiments, however, may include only onesupport155 oradditional supports155.
• The gaming device may have multiple player tracking units (45 inFIG. 1) with multiple card readers (46 inFIG. 1) or may utilize a singleplayer tracking unit45 with acard reader46 that keeps player tracking data after each player has inserted and removed his or her player card. The players may be able to use the one or more buttons (47 inFIG. 1) associated with theplayer tracking unit45 to assign a particular player tracking card to aparticular gaming station115A and115B. This may ensure that each player gets credit for their wagering activities. Alternatively, thegaming device100 may only accept a single player tracking card and simply credit the wagering activity from both players on the single player account. In this situation, players may choose to switch which player card in inserted is thegaming device100 after a certain time period or amount wagered.
• It is also noted, that these embodiments of gaming devices facilitating wagering by multiple players may be playable by a single player. That is, to prevent the gaming device from going unused when only one person is looking to play it, the gaming device may be played in a single player mode using one of thegaming stations115A,115B in a similar manner to a conventional gaming device. When a single player is playing thegaming device100, a second player may join. If the casino chooses to encourage multiple players to play thegaming device100, the casino may choose to implement game play on the gaming device that gives a better pay back percentage when there are multiple players playing thegaming device100. One method of implementing a better pay back percentage is to have shared bonuses available with higher average payouts, or have random bonuses occur more frequently when there are multiple players playing thegaming device100.
• In other embodiments, a single player may be enabled or even encouraged to play both gaming stations. Since some players play multiple adjacent gaming devices substantially simultaneously, these embodiments would allow such players to play multiple games on a single gaming device. In further embodiments, a singlegame initiation button133A or133B may be configured to initiate games at bothgaming stations15A,115B substantially simultaneously. Credits awarded on each of thegaming stations115A,115B may be transferred to a single credit meter or may be kept separate to promote the feeling of playing two separate games.
• The configuration of thegaming device100 intomultiple gaming stations115A,115B allows players to play independently on separate games on thesame gaming device100, as well as allowing players to play in a more interactive manner through shared displays, common credit meters, shared bonuses, etc. Some of the various features of these configurations are described in further detail below.
• FIGS. 5-7 are detail diagrams of exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.FIG. 5 illustrates agaming device200 with a common display,FIG. 6 illustrates agaming device300 with a partitioned display, andFIG. 7 illustrates agaming device400 with separate displays.
• Referring toFIG. 5, thegaming device200 includes acommon display220, afirst gaming station215A, and asecond gaming station215B. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, thecommon display220 is a video display. However, in a spinning reel slot machine (e.g.,FIG. 2A) thecommon display220 may include a plurality of spinning reels. Thecommon display220 may display a single base game, such as a video slot game or a video poker game. In addition, thecommon display220 may showplayer information221 common to both players, such as a banner or a common credit meter. Thecommon display220 may also include commonsoft buttons229 to interact with the gaming device.
• Thecommon display220 may, however, include player specific information, such as individual player scores260A,260B and aplayer turn indicator240. These player specific items may correspond to the first andsecond player stations215A and215B. That is, theplayer1score260A may be positioned on the side of thecommon display220 corresponding to thefirst player station215A, while theplayer2score260B may be positioned on an opposite side of thecommon display220 corresponding to thesecond player station215B. Each of the first andsecond player stations215A,215B may includegame buttons232A,232B andgame initiating buttons233A,233B.
• In operation, thegaming device200 may allow a player at thefirst player station215A and a player at thesecond player station215B to alternately play the base game that appears on thecommon display220. For example,player1 may start the wagering by choosing to play five lines at one credit per line and pushing thegame initiating button233A in thefirst player station215A. The credits bet by player1 (in this case, five) may be deducted from a common credit meter (part of the player information221) or from an individual credit meter (FIG. 6). If the wager made byplayer1 results in a win, either thecommon credit meter221 orplayer1's individual credit meter is incremented by the amount of the wagering win.
• In addition, events that happen duringplayer1's wager may accumulate points on theplayer1point meter260A. Similarly, events that occur duringplayer2's wager may accumulate points on theplayer2point meter260B. This way, if a common credit meter is used, the players have an opportunity to compare the relative success each has had against the other. The scores shown on theplayer1point meter260A and theplayer2point meter260B may be based on a comparison of the respective player's payback versus the theoretical payback percentage of thegaming device200. In addition, a normalized scoring scheme may be used to normalize the scores shown on theplayer1point meter260A and theplayer2point meter260B so that scores based on the relative wagering success of each player can be compared irrespective of amounts wagered, the respective wagering rate, etc. For example, one normalizing scoring scheme may include dividing an amount awarded by an amount wagered in generating a player score.
• Afterplayer1 has completed a gaming session, theplayer indicator240 may change to indicate that it isplayer2's turn to wager. In addition to having theplayer indicator240 indicate which player is allowed to wager, thegame buttons232B andgame initiating button233B corresponding to thesecond player station215B may become illuminated and activated while thegame buttons232A andgame initiating button233A corresponding to thefirst player station215A may have any back lighting turned off and become inactive. That is, even ifplayer1 attempts to wager duringplayer2's turn, he or she will be unable to place a wager using the buttons associated with thefirst player station215A. Afterplayer2 has placed a wager and completed a gaming session, theplayer indicator240 may again indicate that it isplayer1's turn and the button illumination and activation procedure may be reversed.
• Although the above operational example indicates thatplayer1 andplayer2 switch wagering turns after each gaming session, multiple gaming sessions by each player may be implemented with each player's turn. In addition, the number of gaming sessions per turn may be varied by casino personnel, by the players themselves, or set through a player preference setting associated with the player tracking information. Further, the number of gaming sessions per turn may not necessarily be equal. For example, thegaming device200 may be set so thatplayer1 receives three wagering opportunities per turn whileplayer2 receives only one opportunity. This may allow players to contribute different amounts of money to a common credit meter and wager a corresponding percentage of the time. In the above example (whereplayer1 gets three turns to every one for player2),player1 may have contributed $75.00 to the common credit meter whileplayer2 contributed $25.00.
• Further, althoughFIG. 5 shows that theplayer point meters260A,260B,credit meter221 andplayer indicator240 are displayed on thecommon display220, separate credit meters (such as27 and28 inFIG. 1) and/or a mechanical indicator (not shown) may be implemented in other embodiments.
• Bonuses awarded during a gaming session may be played by the player who triggered the bonus or had the turn when the bonus was awarded. For example, ifplayer1 triggered a second screen bonus during a gaming session,player1 would get to play the bonus or at least get any award from the bonus credited to his or herplayer point meter260A or individual credit meter. In other embodiments, however, a bonus triggered by one player may provide a bonus that is interactive for both players. That is, a bonus may be triggered that requires interaction by both players. This dual-player interactive bonus may be preferable because it keeps both players involved in the gaming experience. These dual-player interactive bonuses may include bonuses where both players are competing for prizes, bonuses where both players are cooperating to achieve a bonus goal, or bonuses where the non-triggering player can place a side bet on whether the triggering player reaches a certain bonus threshold. In some embodiments, a non-triggering player may be able to participate in an interactive bonus, but the credits earned by the non-triggering player will be added to the triggering player's credit meter. That is, the interactive bonus may allow both players to be involved in a bonus while only providing credits to a triggering one of the players. In other embodiments, an interactive bonus may be configured so that when one player triggers the bonus, the other player plays the bonus. The credits awarded in the bonus may still be credited to the triggering player's credit meter. The interactive bonus procedure is described in additional detail below with reference toFIG. 9 and exemplary dual-player interactive bonuses are described below with reference toFIGS. 10A-10C.
• As mentioned above, it may be advantageous to haveplayer score meters460A and460B to keep track of the players wagering results. The scoring may be based primarily on the total wins for each player. Other scoring, besides total win, could be kept, however. Such scoring could be win based, but not based on total win, or could be based on activity other than wins. For example, some scoring/award could be offered if both players achieve specific outcomes back to back. In another version players could work in tandem to accomplish a specific goal, such as completing a bonus game. In another version, scoring could be determined by how much each player won as a percentage of total wagers made. For example, if Mary wins $130 on $170 of wagers, her score is 130/170*100=76. Ted wins $150 on $210 wagered but has a score of 150/210*100=71, therefore Mary wins even though Ted won more in jackpots. These scoring procedures may instill a sense of competition between friendly players.
• Referring toFIG. 6, thegaming device300 includes adisplay320 that is partitioned into afirst display portion325A and asecond display portion325B. Thefirst display portion325A and thesecond display portion325B respectively correspond to thefirst gaming station315A and thesecond gaming station315B. The partitioning of thedisplay320 may be only a virtual partition. That is, thedisplay320 may be capable of displaying single screen images. This capability may be useful in displaying “see pays” or “help screens” that are useful to both players. Additionally, second screen bonuses may be conducted as single screen cooperative or dual-player interactive bonuses. Thus, while the base games at eachplayer station315A and315B may be separate, a cooperative bonus triggered by either player or thegaming device300 may be carried out on thefull display screen320. Additionally,common player information321, such as banners may be displayed using bothportions325A and325B of thedisplay320. Somesoft buttons329 that are not used in wagering, or rarely used, such as a “help button” may appear on only one portion of thedisplay320. On the other hand,soft buttons365A,365B that are used during wagering, such as a “spin” button may appear on eachportion325A and325B of thedisplay320. Again, each player interface panel of eachgaming station315A and315B may includegame buttons332A,332B andgame initiating buttons333A,333B.
• As shown inFIG. 6, eachplayer station315A,315B may have arespective credit meter360A,360B. Havingseparate credit meters315A,315B may allow players who play at different speeds or use different wagering amounts to use equal shares of any inputted credits. For example, if 5000 credits were input into thegaming device300 and split evenly between the two players, each player would have 2500 credits to wager. This may prevent a situation on a common credit meter where a player playing max bet uses a larger percentage of the credits on the common credit meter than another player who is playing less than max bet. Additional details about splitting credits input into thegaming device300 are discussed below with reference toFIGS. 8A-8C.
• In operation, thegaming device300 using a partitioneddisplay320 may allow each player to wager on separate base games. In some embodiments, the base games may be similar in theme. In other embodiments, however, each player may have the opportunity to select a theme they would like to play on their player station. For example, a player on thefirst player station315A may choose to play a video slot machine with a tropical theme while another player on thesecond player station315B may choose to play a video keno game. If the players are playing a similar type of game, thegaming device300 may be configured to carry out the gaming sessions substantially simultaneously after each player has placed a wager at theirrespective gaming station315A,315B. This configuration may be preferable to heighten competition between players since the outcome of each gaming session can be immediately and directly compared between the players. Alternatively, thegaming device300 may be configured to allow each player to play at a rate that is comfortable to them. In other words, each gaming session on theplayer stations315A,315B may be substantially independent of each other in timing.
• Some embodiments may take advantage of having gaming sessions configured to occur substantially simultaneously by allowing each of the multiple players to place multiple bets on the outcomes of the gaming sessions. For example, in agaming station300 that includes afirst player station315A and asecond player station315B, a first player at thefirst player station315A may be able to place a wager on the game outcome at thefirst player station315A and on the game at thesecond player station315B. Additionally, the first player may be able to place an additional wager on the better of the two game outcomes at the first andsecond player stations315A and315B. When making a wager on the better of the two game outcomes, the amount of the wager may be higher than a wager on a single gaming station because of the better odds afforded to the player.
• In other embodiments, each of the first and second players may be limited to placing only one wager, but may have several options as to where and how they place that wager. For example, a first player at afirst player station315A may place the wager on the game outcome at thefirst player station315A, on the game outcome at thesecond player station315B, or on the better of the two game outcomes at the first andsecond player station315A,315B. Again, the wager on the better of the two game outcomes may require an additional wager amount or side bet to be made. In these embodiments, it may still be preferable to have the gaming sessions occur substantially simultaneously so that the wagering and game outcomes are relatively synchronized.
• Implementing agaming device300 to include each of the wagering possibilities above may result in each player having up to seven different possible wagers that may be made at thegaming device300 when thegaming device300 includes twoplayer stations315A,315B. Table 1 below sets out each of these options (the symbol “Δ” means the better of the game outcomes from the first andsecond player stations315A,315B):

• 	TABLE 1
  		Other	Better	Both	Own	Other	Super
  	Own Player	Player	Player	Player	Station &	Station &	Combo
  	Station	Station	Station	Stations	Better	Better	Wager

  Player

  1	1	2	Δ	1 + 2	1 +Δ	2 +Δ	1 + 2 +Δ
  Player
  2	2	1	Δ	2 + 1	2 +Δ	1 +Δ	2 + 1 + Δ

• Thegaming device300 may be configured to allow some or all of these possible wagers. Some casinos may find it more advantageous to limit the types of wagers that can be made on thegaming device300 to avoid player confusion, while other casinos may choose to allow all of the different types of wagers to give players a wide variety of wagering options at the gaming device. Having a wide variety of wagering options may make the gaming device more appealing to experienced players because of the different wagering combinations possible. Further, giving players the ability to place multiple wagers may allow players to place larger bets when they feel that one player station or both player stations are “hot.” For example, if a player at thesecond player station315B acquires several winning outcomes in a row, the player at thefirst player station315A may wish to place a wager on the outcome at thesecond player station315B since it appears that the second player station may be “hot” or on a winning streak.
• In some embodiments the base games at eachplayer station315A,315B may be linked. For example, in a video slot embodiment, the gaming sessions may be configured to initiate substantially simultaneously so that the reel spins at each player station are substantially synchronized. After all of the reels have stopped, additional bonus pays may be given to the players for having similar winning combinations or for having a super line pay/super scatter pay. The similar winning combination bonuses may include situations where each player has a line pay including the same symbols (e.g., bothplayer1 andplayer2 have a three symbol cherry pay), each player has a certain number of wins (e.g., bothplayer1 and2 have 4 paying lines), each player has over a certain win amount (e.g., bothplayer1 and2 have win totals over 500 credits), or each player has a certain number of symbols in a win (e.g., bothplayer1 and2 have a five symbol pay). The super line pay/super scatter pay bonuses may include situations where reels from both of theplayer stations315A,315B are used in a win. For example, ifreels3,4, and5 of thefirst player station315A (the left gaming station) have a cherry symbol on a middle pay line andreels1 and2 of thesecond player station315B (the right gaming station) have a cherry symbol on a middle pay line (seeFIG. 6, for example), a bonus could be given for getting a combined five symbol cherry pay on a super pay line using bothplayer stations315A,315B. In another example, if a scatter symbol, such as the boomerang symbols inFIG. 6 appeared on bothdisplay portions325A,325B a predetermined number of times (e.g., six or more times), an additional bonus may be given to each player.
• In another embodiment, players could be given identical hands in video poker, but have the option to ‘hold’ different cards before the draw. This embodiment may enhance the competitive nature of the game since the players will be given equal initial cards; thus relying on their personal strategy of card holding to determine which player ends up with more credits. In some embodiments, the redraws for each hand may be from the same deck and hence may differ only by the specific cards held by each player. For example, if each player were initially given a hand of “Jack” “10” “4” “6” “4”, andplayer1 decided to hold the “Jack” and draw for the other four cards, whileplayer2 decided to hold the two “4”s and draw three cards, the result may look something like that illustrated in Table 2.

• 	TABLE 2
  	Card #1	Card #2	Card #3	Card #4	Card #5

  Player #1	Jack (held)	10	4	6	4
  Player #2	Jack	10	4 (held)	6	4 (held)
  Player #1 -	Jack (held)	8	4	Jack	Queen
  After Draw
  Player #2 -	8	4	4 (held)	Jack	4 (held)
  After Draw

  
  Note that the same cards in the same order were given to each player in this embodiment. That is, on the draw the cards “8” “4” “Jack” “Queen” were dealt in that order to each player. This embodiment may provide competition that varies only by each player's decisions regarding which cards to hold before the draw.
• In other embodiments, however, while the initial cards may be the same for each player, the cards shown after the draw may come from separate decks. This embodiment is more similar to multi-hand poker games, such as DOUBLE PLAY POKER or TRIPLE PLAY POKER where the initial hand is the same, but each ‘hand’ draws from a different deck of cards. Using a similar example as above, the results of this embodiment may look something like that illustrated in Table 3.

• 	TABLE 3
  	Card #1	Card #2	Card #3	Card #4	Card #5

  Player #1	Jack (held)	10	4	6	4
  Player #2	Jack	10	4 (held)	6	4 (held)
  Player #1 -	Jack (held)	2	Queen	7	Jack
  After Draw
  Player #2 -	King	4	4 (held)	King	4 (held)
  After Draw

  
  Note that different cards are given to each player on the draw (although it is statistically possible in this embodiment that both players receive the same cards). That is,player1 receives the cards “2” “Queen” “7” “Jack” on the draw whileplayer2 receives the cards “King” “4” “King” on the draw. This embodiment may allow for larger differences in the credits earned by each player, because each player will have different decks to draw from. Hence, even if two players hold the same cards from the initial hand, they may end up with different final hands and different credit awards.
• In yet other embodiments, a video poker game may deal each player a separate or unique poker hand and allow at least one of the players the option of switching hands with another player prior to allowing the players to hold cards and draw replacement cards. In some of these embodiments, an indicator, such as an arrow240 (FIG. 5) may be implemented to illustrate which of the players has the choice of switching the initially dealt poker hands. For example, if the indicator shows thatplayer1 has the choice to switch the initial hands,player1 may be prompted to keep his or her existing hand, or switch cards withplayer2. There may also be a time limit in whichplayer1 must make a decision or a default action, such as each player maintaining their current hand may occur. Ifplayer1 chooses to switch hands withplayer2, the poker hands on the respective gaming stations may be switched, after which time each player may hold cards and draw cards. In some embodiments, making the choice to switch hands may result in theindicator240 changing to show that another player has the choice of switching hands for the next game. Thus, in the example above, theindicator240 may point toplayer2 ifplayer1 makes the choice to switch hands. On the other hand, ifplayer1 chooses to keep his or her dealt hand, the indicator may continue to point toplayer1. In other words, the ability to switch hands may only change to another player when the player currently with the switching ability makes the choice to switch hands. In other embodiments, however, the indicator may switch between players each hand regardless of whether a player uses a hand switching choice or not. Alternatively, a player may get multiple choices (either a set number of turns or a number of times actually using the switch choice) before the indicator changes to another player.
• If the indicator only changes to another player when the player uses the option of switching initial hands, some strategy may be employed by the player to determine when to switch hands. For example, if the player's initial hand is significantly better, about equal, or even a little worse than the other player's initial hand, that player may choose to play their own hand and use the hand-switching option during a later gaming event. However, in some embodiments, there may be a set limit on how long a player can hold the switching option. This set limit may be based on time or number of games played.
• In yet another embodiment, each player may have the option to place a side bet or buy the switching option. This additional side bet may be included in a common pool or pot that is awarded to the player with the better final hand (i.e., the hand after the draw has been made). Therefore, if one player opts to buy the switching option and ends up having the better final hand, the side bet turns into a wash because they simply get the credits back from the side bet. However, if that player opts to buy the switching option and ends up not having the better hand, they lose those credits to the other player. If the gaming device is configured so that the players are sharing a common credit meter, additional points may be risked instead of credits for the side bet. In other embodiments, the other player may place a similar side bet to “block” the side bet from the first player trying to buy the switching option. In this scenario, each player's side bet may be put in a common pot and won by the player with the better final hand. In addition, some embodiments may allow a bidding game between the two players as to whether a hand-switch occurs or not. That is, if a first player attempts to buy a switch, a second player may match or exceed the first player's side bet to prevent the switch. The first player may then be given the option to up the side bet, while the second player may again be given another chance to match. As the stakes go higher, it may become more risky for each of the players to continue betting or bidding. Additionally, in embodiments where only the highest bidding player has to front the credits (i.e., risk credits in the common pot), the bidding part of the game may become even more competitive. There may be a bid cap to prevent players from bidding too many credits and/or substantially slowing down game play. If there is a cap on the bidding or the gaming device is configured to only allow one side bet and one reciprocal side bet to block, the blocking player may have final say over whether a switch is made or not made. That is, if a first player attempts to buy a switch by placing a side bet, the second player may block the side bet by matching the first player's side bet. Here, the side bet credits may be returned to each player, may be placed in a common pot awarded to the player with a higher final hand, or may be partially returned and partially entered into a common pot awarded to the player with a higher final hand. By having at least a portion of the side bet entered into a common pot awarded to the player with the higher final hand, the first player may only attempt to switch initial hands when the hands are similarly matched. For example, if the second player has a much better hand, such as drawing an initial flush while the first player has five random cards, the first player may not risk trying to buy a switch because the second player would likely block the switch by placing a similar side bet and likely winning the first player's side bet amount if the flush ends up beating whatever the first player draws. However, if the initial hands are closer, such as the first player drawing an ace (with four lower cards) and the second player drawing a pair of low cards (with three other low cards), then the first and second player have an interesting decision to make in either placing a side bet to switch hands and/or placing a blocking side bet if a switching side bet is made. In other embodiments, a portion of the side bets made by each player may be allocated to the casino or gaming establishment.
• Separate side bets may also be made regarding any aspect of gaming to increase the competition among the players. In some embodiments, a side bet pot or pool may be set up on the gaming device such that each player can wager on their respective success or even the other player's success or failure. For example, the players may be able to place a side bet on who wins a 500 credit pay first, who triggers a bonus first, who has a higher score after a predetermined amount of time, who wins a total of $100.00 first, who runs out of credits from an initial credit stake first, who gets the most hands above a straight in a predetermined amount of time, who has a better payback percentage after fifty gaming events, etc. After each player contributes to the side bet pool and an event happens that was wagered upon in the pool, the player who won the side bet may be awarded the total amount of the side bet pool. In other embodiments, however, the gaming device may deduct a small “handling” or “administrative” fee from the pool before awarding the remainder to the winning player.
• Different embodiments may allow player's to “buy” a duplicate of the other player's initial hand. This additional wager or side bet may be made before the initial hands are shown, or in some embodiments, may be allowed after the initial hand is shown or a potion of the initial hand is shown. In embodiments where the side bet is allowed after the initial hand is displayed, the ability to place such a side bet to buy a duplicate hand may be restricted to situations where the initial hand does not include a winning combination of cards or a winning combination of cards above a specific value (e.g., a combination with a pay above the amount of the side bet).
• Referring toFIG. 7, thegaming device400 includes afirst display420A and asecond display420B. The first andsecond displays420A and420B are separate displays that are spaced apart on thegaming device400. This spacing may be very small so that the first andsecond display420A and420B can showimage portions425A,425B corresponding to a full image displayed across both displays, or the spacing may be relatively large to provide improved viewing angles and comfort at theindividual gaming stations415A and415B. As compared to the singlepartitioned display320 inFIG. 6, themultiple displays420A and420B may have more individualized player information on eachdisplay420A,420B. This individualized player information may includeindividual credit meters460A,460B and individualsoft buttons465A,465B. Again, eachplayer station415A,415B includesseparate game buttons432A,432B and separategame initiating buttons433A,433B.
• The more individualized nature of these embodiments havingseparate displays420A,420B may be advantageous in that the layout of the displays may more closely resemble conventional gaming device displays (e.g., be less cluttered) allowing experienced players to feel more comfortable with the display layout. However, it may be preferable to include aplayer score meter470A,470B on eachdisplay420A,420B to keep the sense of competition between the players.
• Bonuses may be implemented in a substantially similar manner to the bonuses described above with respect to the partitioneddisplay320 illustrated inFIG. 6. The separation of thedisplays420A,420B, however, may allow for different types of competitive bonuses. For example, if a temporary or permanentphysical partition490 is positioned between thedisplays420A,420B, bonuses requiring strategy against the other player may be advantageously implemented. For example, a bonus requiring the matching of turned-over cards (e.g., a positional-memory type of game) may be preferably implemented in agaming device400 having separateddisplays420A,420B where the players are competing against each other for the highest bonus score. In another example, a Battle Ship® styled bonus may be implemented where players compete against each other for varying bonus award levels. Similarly, in the linked video poker competition described above, it may be preferable to have separateddisplays420A,420B to obfuscate a poker holding strategy.
• FIGS. 8A,8B, and8C are flow diagrams of credit sharing procedures according to embodiments of the invention.FIG. 8A illustrates a credit sharing procedure utilizing a common credit meter,FIG. 8B illustrates a credit sharing procedure utilizing primary and secondary credit meters, andFIG. 8C illustrates a credit sharing procedure utilizing separate credit meters.
• Referring toFIG. 8A, the credit sharing procedure utilizing a common credit meter places credits input into the gaming device (500) in the common credit meter. Whenplayer1 places a wager (510), the amount of the wager is deducted from the common credit meter. If the wager placed byplayer1 does not result in a win, the credits are simply forfeited in a similar manner to a conventional gaming device. Ifplayer1, however, receives a winning combination in his or her gaming session, the award won byplayer1 is transferred back (515) to the common credit meter. If the gaming device is configured to record a player score, a winning gaming session based onplayer1's wager may alsoincrement player1's score (512).
• Similarly, whenplayer2 places a wager (520), the amount of the wager is deducted from the common credit meter. If the wager placed byplayer2 does not result in a win, the credits are again simply forfeited. Ifplayer2, however, receives a winning combination in his or her gaming session, the award won byplayer2 is transferred back (525) to the common credit meter. If the gaming device is configured to record a player score, a winning gaming session based onplayer2's wager may alsoincrement player2's score (522).
• If the gaming device is configured to include shared bonuses (i.e., cooperative bonuses or dual-player interactive bonuses) where bothplayer1 andplayer2 are eligible to receive credits and score points, any credits won from these bonuses will be transferred (599) to the common credit meter and the player scores will be incremented accordingly (585/595). These shared bonuses can be triggered during a gaming session wagered on by either player1 (580) or player2 (590).
• As discussed above, a credit sharing procedure utilizing a common credit meter may be preferable in embodiments where players are taking turns wagering on a common display (FIG. 5). In addition, a common credit meter may be preferable where the two players are playing with jointly-owned money, such as with a husband and wife. A common credit meter may also foster a more cooperative player environment where each player is rooting for the other to do as well as possible. This shared gaming experience is much more difficult to satisfyingly achieve with conventional gaming devices. Even if separate player scores are kept, any competition will be friendlier because both players are working towards the common goal of increasing the number of credits on the common credit meter as much as possible.
• Referring toFIG. 8B, the credit sharing procedure utilizing the primary and secondary credit meters places credits input into the gaming device (500) in the primary credit meter. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 8B, the primary credit meter is attributed toplayer1. In other embodiments, however, the primary credit mater may be attributed to any of the players. Here,player1 may be thought of as the pilot andplayer2 as the copilot. That is,player1 may decide how many credits to pass along to the secondary credit meter (505), which is used byplayer2.
• In operation, wagers placed byplayer1 are deducted from the primary credit meter (510) and any awards won byplayer1 during the gaming session will be credited back to the primary credit meter (515). In addition, these wins mayincrement player1's score meter (512). Wagers placed byplayer2 are deducted from the secondary credit meter (520). In some embodiments, awards won byplayer2 during the gaming session will be credited back to the secondary credit meter (523). In other embodiments, however, these awards won byplayer2 may be credited back to the primary credit meter (521). In both type of embodiments, these wins byplayer2may increment player2's score meter (522).
• If the gaming device is configured to include shared bonuses (i.e., cooperative bonuses or dual-player interactive bonuses) where bothplayer1 andplayer2 are eligible to receive credits and score points, credits won that are attributed toplayer1 are transferred to the primary credit meter (598). Credits won in the shared bonus that are attributed toplayer2 may, depending on the embodiment of the gaming device, be transferred to the secondary credit meter (597) or to the primary credit meter (598). The player scores, however, may be incremented according to each of the player's performance/results from the bonus (585/595). As mentioned above, these shared bonuses can be triggered during a gaming session wagered on by either player1 (580) or player2 (590).
• This credit sharing procedure illustrated inFIG. 8B may be preferable when all money input into the gaming device belongs to the primary or pilot player. For example, if one of two friends has already lost all of his or her daily budgeted money, the other friend may direct some of his or her credits to the secondary credit meter so that the friends can still have a shared gaming experience while the friend with the remaining money controls the amount loaned or given to the other friend. This situation may be similar to a craps player allowing another player to place a “gift” $20 bet for having a favorable streak of dice rolling.
• Referring toFIG. 8C, the credit sharing procedure utilizing separate credit meters automatically splits credits input into the gaming device (500) between a first credit meter (502) and a second credit meter (504). In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 8C, the first credit meter is attributed to theplayer1 and the second credit meter is attributed toplayer2. In other embodiments, however, this attribution can be reversed or changed for additional players playing on additional gaming stations. The gaming device may be configured to split the credits equally between the players or the players may select how the credits should be split. For example, ifplayer1 contributes $100.00 andplayer2 contributes $20.00, the players may set the gaming device to split the credits at a 5:1 ratio forplayer1. In other embodiments, the gaming device may simply ask for one player to input credits to increment the first credit meter (502) before asking for the other player to input credits to increment the second credit meter (504). In these embodiments, the gaming device may track the amounts contributed by each player and automatically split awards according to the tracked contribution ratio.
• In operation, wagers placed byplayer1 are deducted from the first credit meter (510) and any awards won byplayer1 during the gaming session will be credited back to the first credit meter (515). In addition, these wins mayincrement player1's score meter (512). Similarly, wagers placed byplayer2 are deducted from the second credit meter (520) and any wins byplayer2 during the gaming session will be credited back to the second credit meter (525). In addition, these wins byplayer2may increment player2's score meter (522).
• If the gaming device is configured to include shared bonuses (i.e., cooperative bonuses or dual-player interactive bonuses) where bothplayer1 andplayer2 are eligible to receive credits and score points, credits won that are attributed toplayer1 may be transferred to the first credit meter (598). Credits won in the shared bonus that are attributed toplayer2 may be transferred to the second credit meter (597). In shared bonuses where players share a final award, the final award may be automatically split (599) between the first credit meter (502) and the second credit meter (504) according to the split ratio established earlier. The player scores, however, may be incremented according to each of the player's performance/results from the bonus ((585/595). As mentioned above, these shared bonuses can be triggered during a gaming session wagered on by either player1 (580) or player2 (590).
• This credit sharing procedure may be advantageous where players are playing separate base games with separate credit meters or where players have each input a different amount of money, but still want to participate in shared bonuses.
• When cashing out credits using the ticket printer38 (FIG. 1) or coin hopper (not shown), each of these various embodiments of the gaming device may be handled differently. For embodiments where the players share a common credit meter (FIG. 8A), a single ticket may be printed to reflect the amount shown by the common credit meter. In embodiments where there is a primary credit meter and a secondary credit meter (FIG. 8B), a single ticket could be printed out for the combined total of the primary and secondary credit meters, or individual tickets for each of the credit meters may be printed. In embodiments where there is a first credit meter and a second credit meter, individual tickets for each of the credit meters may preferably be printed.
• FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a bonus procedure according to embodiments of the invention.
• Referring toFIG. 9, a bonus game is initiated (600) by a bonus trigger. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 9, a bonus game has been initiated (600) becauseplayer1 has triggered a bonus.Player2, however, may also initiate a bonus game (600) by triggering a bonus, or the gaming device (or gaming server) may randomly trigger a bonus for either player. After the bonus has been triggered, the gaming device determines if the bonus is a shared bonus. If the bonus is a shared bonus (640), the gaming device next determines whetherplayer2 has joined the bonus. That is, with some embodiments having a shared bonus, the non-triggering player may decide not to participate in the shared bonus (particularly if the non-triggering player is at risk of losing credits). In these situations, the triggering player will play the bonus by himself or herself, or a single-player bonus may be substituted with a similar average payback (650). If, on the other hand, the second player chooses to join the shared bonus (660), the shared bonus is played and any credits awarded during the bonus will be allocated to each of the players (670).
• Returning to the gaming devices determination of bonus type, if the gaming device determines that the bonus is not a shared bonus (610), the gaming device next determines ifplayer2 is allowed to make a side bet on the bonus. In some embodiments, side bets from a non-triggering player may increase the friendly competition among the players. For example, a side bet may be made thatplayer1 does not reach a certain award threshold. In another example, a side bet may be made such thatplayer1 will only make two successful picks before picking a bonus stopping symbol. Various other side bets may be presented to the second player based on the performance or luck of the first player. The side bet may deduct a certain number of credits from the second player's credit meter (or from the common credit meter as a form of an insurance bet). If the second player is allowed to place a side bet (620), the gaming device determines the form and amount of the side bet and then allowsplayer1 to play the bonus (630). If the gaming device determines that a side bet is not available,player1 begins play of the bonus (630).
• Afterplayer1 has completed the bonus (680), any awards from the bonus including side bet awards are determined and allocated to the proper credit meters. After the credit allocation has been completed, the gaming device returns to the one or more base games (690) on the gaming device. If player scores are being kept, points attributable to each player may be incremented on the respective player point meters (695) before returning to the base games (697).
• FIGS. 10A,10B, and10C are detail diagrams of bonus procedures according to embodiments of the invention.FIG. 10A illustrates a bonus procedure implemented on common display, whileFIGS. 10B and 10C illustrate bonus procedures implemented on partitioned or separate displays.
• Referring toFIG. 10A, the bonus implemented on the shareddisplay710 is a shared bonus where the players can compete for a better bonus score. In this embodiment,player1 andplayer2 are presented a screen oftenselectable objects715 and take turns choosing available selectable objects715. Aplayer turn indicator712 may be used to keep track of which player has the next pick.FIG. 10B, andFIG. 10C, embodiments of a secondary bonus procedure are described. Thecommon display710 may also include player scoremeters716,718 that respectively keep the total score forplayer1716 and the total score forplayer2718.
• Each player may be allowed to choose a predetermined number (e.g., three) of theselectable objects715 or the bonus may continue until a “stop bonus” symbol is chosen or all of theobjects715 have been chosen. The player who triggered the bonus may be awarded the first selection. Once the first player makes a selection, a value is revealed for that selection on both bonus screens and theobject715 becomes unselectable for both players. The second player may then select one of the remaining nine objects. Alternate selections are made until both players have exhausted their three selections. Each value corresponding to a player's selection may be added to that player'sscore meter716,718. At the end of the bonus the player with the larger value on theirplayer score meter716,718 may be indicated as winning the bonus competition. In some embodiments, each of the player score meter values may be added to the player's respective credit meter or to the common credit meter. However, in other embodiments, only the winning player's win meter is added to that player's credit meter or the common credit meter.
• Referring toFIG. 10B, the illustrated bonus is a shared bonus that is implemented on a partitioned display orseparate displays720,730 where the players can compete for a better bonus score. This embodiment may be similar to the embodiment described above with reference toFIG. 10A, except that it is implemented on different portions of a display orseparate displays720,730. Like the embodiment described above, each player is presented with 10selectable objects725,735. Here, eachobject725 on thefirst display720 corresponds to similarly locatedobject735 on thesecond display730. Thus, ifplayer1 selects the upper middle object on thefirst display720, which is revealed to be worth 250 credits, the revealed object and credit amount is also shown on thesecond display730. Eachdisplay720,730 may also include player scoremeters726,728,736,738 that show each player's score. Thefirst display720 may highlight the first player'sscore726 sinceplayer1 is playing on thefirst display720. Similarly, thesecond display730 may highlight the second player'sscore738 sinceplayer2 is playing on thesecond display730. Additionally, each of thefirst display720 and thesecond display730 may have a respectiveplayer turn indicator722,732 to show which player has the next selection.
• Referring toFIG. 10C, the illustrated bonus is a shared bonus that is implemented on a partitioned display orseparate displays740,750. As with the embodiment described with reference toFIG. 10B, eachdisplay740,750 shows tenselectable objects745,755. In this embodiment, however, theselectable objects745,755 do not directly correspond to one another. That is, a similarly positioned selectable object does not necessarily have a similarly located corresponding object on the other display. Rather, in this embodiment, each player makes selections independent of the other player. Thus, as shown inFIG.10C player1 has made three selections on thefirst display740 with a total of 475 credits that is reflected on theplayer score meter746 on thefirst display740 and is reflected on theplayer score meter756 on thesecond display750.Player2, on the other hand, has made three selections on thesecond display750 with a total of 400 credits that is reflected on theplayer score meter748 on thefirst display740 and reflected on theplayer score meter758 on thesecond display750.
• In this embodiment, each player may be given a predetermined number of selections (e.g., three selections) or each player may continue choosingselectable objects745,755 until a “stop bonus” symbol is selected. In some embodiments, the same distribution of bonus values is given to both players, although not arranged behind the sameselectable objects745,755, so that the only variable in the player's scores is based on the particular selections made by each player. In other embodiments, a script may be used to determine the order of the selections made by each player.
• Some embodiments of the invention have been described above, and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles set out in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A method of implementing a bonus on a gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a bonus trigger;

determining if the bonus is a shared bonus where a first player playing at a first gaming station and a second player playing at a second gaming station both interact with the gaming device to play the shared bonus; and

transferring game play from a base game being played on the first gaming station of the gaming device to a shared bonus and transferring game player from a base game being played on the second gaming station of the gaming device to the shared bonus when the bonus is determined to be a shared bonus.

2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising:

requesting player inputs from the first player at the first gaming station after game play has been transferred to the shared bonus;

requesting player inputs from the second player at the second gaming station; and

awarding credits to the first and second player as result of the player inputs from the first player and the player inputs from the second player, respectively.

3. The method ofclaim 2, further comprising:

incrementing a first player score in response to the player inputs from the first player; and

incrementing a second player score in response to the player inputs from the second player.

4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the player inputs from the first player and the player inputs from the second player are requested alternatively during the shared bonus.

5. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

monitoring a base game play of a first player playing at a first gaming station on the gaming device and a base game play of a second player playing at a second gaming station on the gaming device;

receiving a bonus trigger from the first player to initiate a bonus event;

determining if the bonus event is a shared bonus event where both the first and second players interact with the gaming device during the bonus event;

inviting the second player to participate in the bonus event when it is determined that the bonus event is a shared bonus event;

operating the shared bonus event by receiving player inputs from the first and second players when the second player accepts the invitation to participate in the shared bonus event; and

returning operation of the gaming device to the base game play on the first and second gaming stations after the completion of the shared bonus event.

6. The method ofclaim 5, further comprising:

inviting the second player to place a side bet regarding a bonus outcome of the first player when it is determined that the bonus event is not a shared bonus event;

determining if the second player has placed the side bet;

operating the bonus event after determining if the side bet has been placed;

analyzing the bonus outcome after operation of the bonus event when the side bet has been placed; and

awarding credits to the second player for the side bet based on the analysis of the bonus outcome.

7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the side bet placed by the second player includes a side bet regarding at least one of the bonus outcomes including a minimum bonus outcome amount, a maximum bonus outcome amount, a minimum number of bonus picks made, or a maximum number of bonus picks made.

8. The method ofclaim 5, further comprising operating a single-player bonus event for the first player when the second player declines the invitation to participate in the shared bonus event.

9. The method ofclaim 5, further comprising respectively incrementing a first player score and a second player score in proportion to credits earned by the first player and the second player during the bonus event.

10. A method of operating a shared bonus event on a gaming device, the method comprising:

transferring game play from a base game being played on a first gaming station of the gaming device to the shared bonus event;

transferring game player from a base game being played on a second gaming station of the gaming device to the shared bonus event;

displaying a plurality of selectable objects at the first gaming station and the second gaming station;

receiving a player input from the first player, the player input indicating a first object from the plurality of selectable objects;

revealing a first prize value associated with the first object;

awarding the first prize value to the first player;

receiving a player input from the second player, the player input indicating a second object from the plurality of selectable objects;

revealing a second prize value associated with the second object; and

awarding the second prize value to the second player.

11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the first player station and the second player station share a common gaming display, the plurality of selectable objects being displayed across the common gaming display.

12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising:

rendering the first object unselectable for the remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the first player; and

rendering the second object unselectable for the remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the second player.

13. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the first player station and the second player station share a common gaming display partitioned into a first display portion and a second display portion, the plurality of selectable objects being repetitively displayed on the first and second display portions of the common gaming display.

14. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising:

rendering the first object unselectable for the remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the first player; and

rendering the second object unselectable for the remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the second player.

15. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the first player station and the second player station share a common gaming display partitioned into a first display portion and a second display portion, a first portion of the plurality of selectable objects displayed on the first display portion and a second portion of the plurality of selectable objects displayed on the second display portion.

16. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the first player station and the second player station respectively include a first gaming display and a second gaming display, the plurality of selectable objects being repetitively displayed on the first and second gaming displays.

17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising:

rendering the first object unselectable for a remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the first player; and

rendering the second object unselectable for a remainder of the shared bonus event after receiving the player input from the second player.

18. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the first player station and the second player stations respectively include a first gaming display and a second gaming display, a first portion of the plurality of selectable objects displayed on the first gaming display and a second portion of the plurality of selectable objects displayed on the second gaming display.

19. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising:

alternately receiving additional player inputs from the first and second players until a predetermined threshold of player selections has been met; and

transferring game play from the shared bonus event back to the respective base games being played at the first and second gaming stations.

20. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising:

alternately receiving additional player inputs from the first and second players until a first bonus-ending symbol is selected by one of the first or second player;

receiving additional player inputs from the player that did not select the first bonus-ending symbol until a second bonus-ending symbol is selected; and

transferring game play from the shared bonus event back to the respective base games being played at the first and second gaming stations.

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