Abstract:
A method for playing an auxiliary game depending on the results or events of a primary game is provided. The events of the primary game are divided in three classes: credit event, no-credit event and non-event hold, and those events have different influences on the auxiliary game. The method for playing the auxiliary game comprises keeping information coming from the primary game and awarding the player of the primary game when a certain criteria is achieved on the auxiliary game. The method also comprises a visual display of the information recorded by the auxiliary game to improve the pleasure and to maintain the interest of the player who plays the primary game. The preferred embodiment of the method is an electronic gaming apparatus in which Blackjack is the primary game. A loss is defined as a no-credit event in the auxiliary game, a win with 21 is a credit event and other games are non-event holds. The visual display could be a matrix display wherein credit and no-credit events would be shown sequentially.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for playing an auxiliary game along with a primary game, such as those played on casino tables or electronic gaming devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In recent years, numerous auxiliary games have been developed and added to primary games. The goals of these auxiliary games are 1) maintain the interest of the player on the game and 2) create a need for the player to keep playing the game so that the apparatus used generates more revenues for its owner. 
     One strategy used to maintain the interest of the player is a jackpot or a progressive jackpot with a possible award much more interesting than the one the player can win on the primary game. Therefore, when players play a game, their interest is increased by the possibility of winning this jackpot. However, the players do not feel that they own the game or the apparatus. The players see that the jackpot will also be available if they use another apparatus or play another game. 
     Another strategy used for electronic gaming apparatus is the addition of a secondary game that players can access when particular events occur during the primary game. These secondary games let the players increase the amount won on the primary game or let the player have a chance to win a special award that can only be won in this secondary game. The excitement created does not last for a number of consecutive games because the player does not know when the event will occur. The jackpot or the access to the secondary game is usually awarded one game at a time. Nothing suggests that the next game could let the player win the jackpot more than the one he/she played before. These games do not give prolonged thrills, only a fixed number of short thrills. 
     A third strategy used to maintain the interest of the player is the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,057. In this example, a bingo matrix display (the secondary game) is coupled to a poker game (the primary game). The occurrence of different events in the poker game can produce a modification of the bingo matrix display. According to the rules of standard bingo, the player can win a prize in the auxiliary game. This game requires winning with certain hands at the game of poker to complete the bingo matrix display of the auxiliary game and to win the prize associated with the auxiliary game. The players do not feel that all games are important, they only feel that they could skip over the winning one if they quit the game for a few moments. 
     Another strategy available is a progressive jackpot used with live casino tables or a network of electronic gaming apparatus. This game has the disadvantages of the above-mentioned strategies. 
     Another strategy used is to gather a number of events of the primary game and, when a predetermined number of these events is gathered, players access an auxiliary game which usually is a prize multiplier. Most of the time, the calculation of these events is not displayed to players so they do not know when they will access the auxiliary game. Often, they are not aware of what controls the access to the auxiliary game. 
     Still another strategy is to give access to an auxiliary game wherein players gather points or the like and are rewarded according to the number of points gathered. The points are attributed and accumulated in the auxiliary game and are not a function of the primary game. The only relationship between the auxiliary game and the primary game is that events in the primary game control the access to the auxiliary game. 
     There have been no successful strategies to maintain the interest of players throughout their participation in primary games and to give them a feeling that each game played is important, without exception. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of playing an auxiliary game which maintains the interest of players and improves their pleasure of playing the game. A second object of the invention is to make each game played in the primary game an important one. A third object of the invention is to make players think they own the game so that they will continue to play and generate profits for the owner of the apparatus. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a progressive payoff to maintain the interest of the player. Another object is to display information regarding credits obtained in a predetermined number of events to sustain the thrill. A further object of the invention is to maintain their thrill by letting players gather the number of credits needed to win prizes in a greater number of games than the number of outcomes influencing results in the auxiliary game. A player&#39;s chances of winning an auxiliary game prize are therefore increased. 
     According to the objects of the invention, a method of awarding a prize in an auxiliary game played along with a principal game is provided. The method comprises the steps of establishing a first class of outcomes in the principal game associated with a no-credit event in the auxiliary game, establishing a second class of outcomes associated with a non-event hold in the auxiliary game, establishing a third class of outcomes associated with a credit event in the auxiliary game, monitoring credits in the auxiliary game over a predetermined number of events and awarding a prize when a predetermined number of credits are present in this predetermined number of events in the auxiliary game, whereby avoiding no-credit events within a series of non-event holds and credit events increases a player&#39;s chances of winning an auxiliary game prize. 
     A preferred embodiment of this invention comprises an electronic gaming apparatus in which a primary game is linked to an auxiliary game that works according to the method defined above. A display of the information monitored by the auxiliary game should be placed above the display of the primary game and should be easy to understand by an untrained player. In the preferred embodiment, the primary game comprises a Blackjack game wherein a win with a card sum of 21 produces a credit event in the auxiliary game, a loss produces a no-credit event and a win with a card sum of 20 or below produces a non-event hold in the auxiliary game. A gaming matrix display showing a trace of credit and no-credit events is displayed above the primary game. A number of progressive prizes associated with the gaming matrix display can be awarded following criteria based on the number of credit events monitored and displayed in the gaming matrix display. 
     A second embodiment is provided in which the auxiliary game is played in association with another primary game, such as Poker. In this embodiment, the definition of the three classes of outcomes are preferably different from the definition used with Blackjack and follow the rules of Poker. Also, the prizes associated with the auxiliary game are preferably different along with the criteria used to award these prizes. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention uses the same method of playing an auxiliary game and is integrated in live casino table games such as Blackjack or Poker. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a schematic representation of an electronic gaming apparatus built in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the playing screen of the electronic gaming apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 3, steps further in the game; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 4, steps further in the game; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 5, steps further in the game; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 6, steps further in the game; 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the matrix display of the auxiliary game of FIG. 7, steps further in the game; 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of an alternative to the playing screen of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of an alternative to the display shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of an alternative to the display shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of a schematic representation of a table auxiliary electronic apparatus built in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment; and 
     FIG. 14 is a flow chart of the steps of playing the auxiliary game according to a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As can be seen in FIG. 1, the electronic gaming apparatus  101  built in accordance with the present invention, includes a primary game, such as an electronic Blackjack game  102  that is electronically coupled to the auxiliary game  103 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary game is an electronic Blackjack game  102 , but other electronic games can be used. The electronic gaming apparatus  101  includes a playing screen  105 . Some buttons  106  enable the player to input information in order to play the primary game. An auxiliary button  107  is available to input a command directly to the auxiliary game  103 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, when a player begins playing on the electronic gaming apparatus  101 , the gaming matrix display  110  of the auxiliary game  103  should be empty. If it is not empty, the player can choose to press on the auxiliary button  107  which erases all the entries in the gaming matrix display  110 . The player puts some coins or credits in the electronic gaming apparatus  101  to play a normal primary game such as Blackjack or Poker. 
     The information display outputs  115  through  124  let the player know what prizes can be won in the auxiliary game  103 . 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     The present invention will be more readily understood with particular reference to the following example which is given to illustrate the invention rather than to limit its scope. 
     A hypothetical game would be played as follows: the player puts enough money in the electronic gaming apparatus  101  to play a full primary game and an auxiliary game  103 . For the purpose of demonstration, the player chooses to empty the gaming matrix display  110  by activating the auxiliary button  107 . The primary game played is Blackjack. 
     As in usual electronic Blackjack games, the player places a wager. Then, on the playing screen  105 , a virtual dealer gives cards  130 ,  131  and  132  to the player and the dealer: two cards facing up  130  for the player and one card face up  131  and one face down  132  for the dealer. The player chooses to hold his/her cards or take new cards to complete his/her hand  130 . If the player has a card sum higher than 21, the player automatically looses. If the player holds, the dealer turns his second card  132  face up and chooses to hold or add new cards. If the dealer has a card sum greater than 21, then the player automatically wins. The player wins if the sum of his/her cards  130  is closer to 21 than the dealer&#39;s sum. 
     For clarity purposes, we will assume the following results for the electronic Blackjack game  102 . In the first game, the player has a card sum of 21 and the dealer&#39;s cards  131  and  132  add up to 17. This is one type of event in the electronic Blackjack game  102  that produces an output in the gaming matrix display  110 . The result is determined to be a credit event. The first column  141  of the display of the auxiliary game  103  is filled in with winning symbols  160 , as shown in FIG.  3 . The player then wins multiple hands without a card sum of 21. Because it is not the kind of result producing an output in the auxiliary game  103  (non-event holds), nothing changes on the gaming matrix display  110 . Then, the player loses a game, this result is determined to be a no-credit event. The winning symbols  160  of the first column  141  are transferred onto the second column  142  and all the spaces on the first column  141  are filled with losing symbols  161  as seen on FIG. 4. A new winning game occurs, as shown in FIG. 5, with a player&#39;s card sum of 21, the symbols  160  and  161  on the columns  141  and  142  are respectively transferred on the columns  142  and  143  and column  141  is filled with new winning symbols  160 . 
     As can be seen on FIG. 5 there are two winning symbols  160  in the first line  151  of the gaming matrix display  110 . From the information display outputs  115  and  120  of FIG. 2, the player wins a prize of 2$. The amount is paid to the player and the winning symbols  160  of the bottom line  151  are replaced by payment symbols  162  as shown on FIG.  6 . 
     For the purposes of this example, the symbols have been chosen to be “*”, “-” and “.” It will be understood that any symbol could be used to illustrate the possibilities. 
     After a number of winning games without a sum of 21 (non-event holds), a new player&#39;s card sum of 21 occurs. The symbols  160 ,  161  and  162  are moved in the gaming matrix display  110  and new winning symbols  160  fill the column  141 . Three winning symbols  160  are now on the second line  152  of the gaming matrix display  110 . The information display outputs  116  and  121  show that the electronic gaming apparatus  101  pays a new prize of 5$. The winning symbols  160  of the second line  152  are replaced by payment symbols  162 , yielding a gaming matrix display  110  as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     The player then loses a game and wins another one with a card sum of 21. Two new columns of symbols are inserted in the gaming matrix display  110 . The gaming matrix now displays two winning symbols  160  on the first line  151  and four on the third line  153 . The electronic gaming apparatus pays a prize of 17$ (2$+15$) according to the information display outputs  115 ,  120 ,  117  and  122 . The winning symbols  160  of the first and third lines  151  and  153  are replaced by payment symbols  162 , yielding a gaming matrix display  110  as shown in FIG.  8 . The auxiliary game  103  continues until someone activates the auxiliary button  107 . When the gaming matrix display  110  is full, the oldest column  148  is erased and a new column of symbols corresponding to the event is introduced in column  141  of the gaming matrix display  110 . Prizes are awarded when the required number of winning symbols  160  is obtained, regardless of the position of the symbols on the line. 
     To obtain a number of winning symbols  160 , players can play numerous games in the primary game  102  without influencing the auxiliary game  103  as long as the outcomes of those games produce non-event holds. Players can therefore play on the primary game  102  without decreasing their chances of winning auxiliary prizes as long as they do not gather no-credit events. It will be readily understood that emptying the gaming matrix display  110  prior to using the auxiliary game  103  can consist in assigning no-credit events to all previous events. 
     A different embodiment includes the use of this auxiliary game within an electronic Poker game, as shown in FIG.  9 . In this embodiment, the class of outcomes producing credit events could be defined following the rules of Poker to be a hand corresponding to &lt;&lt;(three of a kind))&gt;&gt; or better. The class of non-event hold could be a pair and any other hand could be no-credit event. The prizes and the criteria to win the prizes in the auxiliary game should be modified according to the difficulty to achieve the criteria. This embodiment will be more readily understood with reference to the following example. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     A new hypothetical game would be played as follows. A player begins with an empty auxiliary game matrix display  110 . Let us assume that a series of outcomes in the Poker game  104  occurred as shown in Table 1. Also shown is the result of the outcomes in the Poker game and the corresponding events in the auxiliary game  103 : 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Hypothetical Poker game with auxiliary game. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Outcomes 
                 Primary Game 
                 Auxiliary Game 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 1) pair of Jack 
                 win 
                 non-event hold 
               
               
                   
                 2) 3 of a kind 
                 win 
                 credit event 
               
               
                   
                 3) loss 
                 loss 
                 no-credit event 
               
               
                   
                 4) pair of 3 
                 loss 
                 non-event hold 
               
               
                   
                 5) flush 
                 win 
                 credit event 
               
               
                   
                 6) pair of 7 
                 loss 
                 non-event hold 
               
               
                   
                 7) pair of aces 
                 win 
                 non-event hold 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The result of this series of outcomes in the gaming matrix display  110  is the same as the one shown in FIG.  6 . As can be seen from Table 1, the outcomes are three losses and four wins, but the results shown in the gaming matrix display  110  demonstrate that the player might prefer to change its Poker game strategy in order to win or get non-event holds in the auxiliary game. The classes of outcomes defined above give new criteria to play Poker such as getting a credit event in the auxiliary game  103  even with a loss in the primary game  104 . Depending on the probabilities of winning a prize in the auxiliary game  103  with the above defined classes of events, the prizes and criteria to win prizes in the auxiliary game  103  could differ from the ones used when the primary game is Blackjack. 
     Some variants could be implemented in the auxiliary game when Poker is the primary game because of the number of different outcomes and the different probabilities associated with each of these outcomes. For example, a straight flush or better could erase a no-credit event and add a new credit event in the auxiliary game. Another example of a variant could be that two credit events are only paid when they are entered sequentially in the auxiliary game. 
     Different displays can be used in accordance with the invention. In the gaming matrix display  110 , the columns and rows could be interchanged to yield a different embodiment of the display  110 . The number of columns  141  through  148  and rows  155  through  151  can be modified to allow for different types of prize payouts. The information display outputs  115  through  124  would be modified accordingly. FIG. 10 illustrates a different display wherein the winning symbols  160  and losing symbols  161  are displayed on a single line and payment symbols  162  are not needed. The prizes paid  175  move along the symbols  160  and  161  in the auxiliary game display when new prizes are paid according to winning symbols  160 . The prizes paid  175  move along with the last winning symbol  160  paid for this prize. The unpaid prizes  176  in the last eight entries of the display stay beside the line of symbols  160  and  161 . The number of entries can vary for effect and motivation. 
     FIG. 11 shows a totally different display wherein the credit events are monitored as blocks  181  and  182  on a scale  180 . In this embodiment, no-credit blocks  182  are weight free and credit event blocks  181  have a standard weight. A block from a bank of available blocks  183  is placed on the scale each time a new event occurs in the primary game  102 . A limited number of blocks  181 , 182  and  183  can be used with the scale  180 . As can be imagined, with this embodiment of displaying information in the auxiliary game  103 , the number of events monitored is fixed (in this case, the height of the scale is used to control the total number of events) and a prize can be won when all the blocks are attributed and displayed (blocks  181 , 182  and all of the blocks  183  are distributed on the scale  180 ). After that, the scale  180  is emptied, the bank of available blocks  183  is renewed and a new game can begin in the auxiliary game  103 . The advantage of this game is that it motivates the player to empty the bank of available blocks  183  by placing them all on the scale  180 . The player can win a prize corresponding to the accumulation of credit events regardless of the order. 
     In a different embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary game is used in live games like Blackjack on casino tables. The same rules are used to determine classes of events. In this embodiment, the use of an electronic gaming apparatus  170 , such as the one shown in FIG. 12, is preferred. One embodiment of this electronic gaming apparatus  170  includes an auxiliary playing screen  171  with a gaming matrix display  110  and information outputs  180 . Also, four buttons are added: a losing hand button  172  filling columns with losing symbols  161 , a winning hand button  173  filling columns with winning symbols  160 , a clear button  177  emptying the whole gaming matrix display  110  and a paying button  178  activating the calculation of prizes, displaying them on the auxiliary playing screen  171  as payed outputs  180  and activating the replacement of the corresponding winning symbols  160  by payment symbols  162 . 
     To obtain a gaming matrix display  110  corresponding to that seen on FIG. 6, the live Blackjack game must be played as described in example 1. To reproduce the events of the example, a dealer using the electronic gaming apparatus  170  would activate, in order, the clear button  177 , the winning hand button  173  one time, the losing hand button  172  one time, the winning hand button  173  another time and then the paying button  178  and would then obtain a similar display. 
     FIG. 13 shows a block diagram of the first preferred embodiment, i.e. the electronic Blackjack game. It shows the principal game controller  201  which transmits the results  220  of the principal game to a class determination controller  202 . If the result is determined to be a non-event hold  221 , the information is held constant  203 . If it is not a non-event hold (credit event or no-credit event  222 ), a matrix controller  204  updates the matrix information  205  and sends the updated information to a payoff controller  206 . The payoff controller  206  evaluates the situation using a payoff table  207 . If a prize is won, it informs the player, with the payoff display  208 , of what prize is won. Then, the matrix controller  204  receives updated information about the winning or non-winning status and updates the display  209  of the auxiliary game according to this information. 
     FIG. 14 shows a flow chart of the sequence of events when playing the auxiliary game with the preferred embodiment. A player plays the primary game to a final outcome  209 . Then, the apparatus determines the class of event for the auxiliary game  210 . If the class of event is a credit or a no-credit event  211 , the auxiliary game display is updated  212 . Then the auxiliary game evaluates  213  if the new event produces a winning status for the player and, if it is the case, a payoff message is displayed  214 . Then, a new principal game can be played  209 . 
     Different criteria could be used to attribute prizes in accordance with the invention using or without relying on the display. One of them could be to have bonus prizes awarded when a predetermined number of credit event symbols are monitored consecutively by the auxiliary game. Another one could be to award a player that has accumulated two winning event symbols only if these symbols are entered consecutively in the auxiliary game without any no-credit event between them. Another one could be to first fill up all of the spaces of the display and then award the player for the number of credit events gathered. Different prizes are awarded for different numbers of credit events. After rewarding the player, the auxiliary game is automatically emptied. 
     As stated above, there are no constraints on the definition of the criteria for winning prizes. The criteria are examples and preferred embodiments. Someone skilled in the art of gaming and of building gaming apparatus could find other criteria pleasing players. These criteria could be a particular sequence of credit events, particular outcomes generating special outputs, fixed number or never ending sequences of events monitored, single prizes or series of increasing amounts associated with criteria of different levels of difficulty, etc. The different types of prize awarding techniques do not change the method of playing an auxiliary game with prize rewarding system of the present invention. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features herein before set forth, and follows in the scope of the appended claims.