Abstract:
A gaming device such as a video based slot machine provides a player the ability to modify at least one parameter of the slot machine. The slot machine then modifies other parameters to ensure a desired house advantage. Odds, payout schedules and wager amounts may be customized by a player, and the slot machine automatically determines changes in other parameters which were not customized to maintain a constant house advantage. Software running on the slot machine uses an equation that takes into account pertinent parameters or variables such as size of jackpot, amount wagered taken in at each pull, and probability of hitting the jackpot at each pull. Based on the equation, the software adjusts parameters other than the one(s) specified by the player so that the outcome (the house advantage) remains constant with each pull. A player interface provides an easy to use method of modifying selected parameters.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/052,291 filed Mar. 31, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,552. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to slot machines and, more specifically, to slot machines which are customizable by the player. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One of the main goals of a casino is to keep its customers playing as long as possible, since longer play generates higher revenues. Casinos are thus interested in maintaining player interest and excitement, especially with regard to slot machine play, which encompasses a large portion of the casino&#39;s revenues and profits. 
     There are several ways in which casinos currently attempt to maintain player interest in slot machines. One of these ways is the provision of various slot machines that pay out different prizes or jackpots. If a player is tired of playing for the $10,000 jackpot with low odds of winning, he or she can go to another slot machine that has a smaller payout but better odds of winning. The disadvantage of this is that the player must leave one machine and walk across the casino floor in search of another. The casino is not generating any revenue from that player while he or she is searching for a new machine having the desired payout. There is also the risk that the patron may get distracted during the walking time and never make it to another slot machine, or find some other game which does not provide as high a return to the casino. Players may also not find a convenient unoccupied slot machine with a desired payout and leave the casino in search of another machine in another casino. They can also simply change their minds and decide not to play the slots anymore. 
     Another way casinos currently attempt to keep player interest is to have slot machines with a menu of available games from which the player can choose. While this may provide some variety to a novice player, the choices are limited and will not keep the interest of a regular casino patron for long, since he or she will eventually become familiar with the games. 
     One video poker game allows for altered payout tables because each card is drawn from an independent deck. U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,784 to Furry (“Method And Apparatus For Directly Generating A Random Final Outcome Of A Game”) describes a system which modifies odds and potential payout between games based on the most recent games played. Furry also suggests that it may be preferable to modify the odds to make it harder to obtain a larger payout immediately after a large payout has been issued. This can be done without modifying any tables within memory and is also done by the gaming device without direct player input. 
     People generally are more likely to be interested in something over which they have some say or control. They are more likely, on the other hand, to get easily frustrated, or bored, with something that they perceive to be determined purely by chance or luck, pre-defined, or in some other way completely out of their influence. Many players are also illustrated after losing for many spins in a row. They would love to improve their odds of winning but have no way of doing so. Players on a “hot streak”, on the other hand, sometimes believe that they are almost certain to hit a jackpot soon. The only way to get higher payouts is to move to a different machine, but this means abandoning the “lucky” machine. 
     There is, therefore, a need for a slot machine that induces the player to continue playing for extended periods of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a gaming device such as a slot machine provides a player the ability to modify at least one parameter of the slot machine. The slot machine then modifies other parameters to ensure a desired house advantage. In one embodiment, the slot machine allows the player to customize odds, payout schedules, or wager amount by trading off one variable for another to maintain a constant house advantage. 
     In a further embodiment, in order to compensate for a higher or lower payout chosen by the player, a gaming device alters the probability of attaining certain payouts, the amounts of payouts not customized by the player, or the amount of coins required per pull (wager amount), while keeping the house advantage constant. In one embodiment, gaming device software implements an equation that takes into account pertinent parameters or variables such as size of jackpot, amount of payment taken in at each pull, and probability of hitting the jackpot at each pull. Based on the equation, the software adjusts parameters other than the one(s) specified by the player so that the house advantage would remain constant with each pull. If, for example, the “house” decided that for every $1.00 wagered the machine was to give out $0.87, that payout ratio would remain true no matter what the choices made by the player were and the casino would not need to worry about increasing or decreasing the payout ratio. The player could also be given the ability to customize combinations needed for the smaller prizes. For instance, a player could specify that cherry-cherry-cherry will pay out 50 coins, not 30, or the player could specify how many times the combination with the low payout comes up. 
     In one embodiment, a touch screen provides an easy to use method of modifying selected parameters. This enables the player to control the slot machine and reconfigure it to provide desired characteristics. By providing players this control, they are less likely to leave a machine in search of a different machine having the characteristics desired. This in turn may prevent them from moving to a different casino, thus optimizing the overall return of the casino. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an architecture of a programmable slot machine. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the slot machine of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the slot machine of FIG. 1 showing a menu operable for customization. 
     FIG. 4A is an illustration of a payout customization menu screen for the slot machine of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4B is an illustration of an alternative payout customization menu screen for the slot machine of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is an illustration of a specific payout customization menu screen for the slot machine of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is an illustration of adjusted ‘current payout’ output based on the player&#39;s choices in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of an alternate embodiment of a slot machine having a screen display appear in place of the payout schedule. 
     FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of an alternate embodiment of a slot machine having a screen display built into the middle part of the body of the machine. 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B together comprise a flowchart representation of a customization step for a slot machine. 
     FIG. 10 is a table representative of customized payouts and the corresponding compensating payouts. FIGS. 11A and 11B are tabular representations of customized payouts and the corresponding compensating probabilities. 
     FIG. 12 is a tabular representation of customized payouts and the corresponding compensating wager amount. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 
     An architecture for a customizable slot machine is first described, followed by a description of several different embodiments of the slot machine. Several payout tables are referenced. Various equations showing how parameters may be adjusted in accordance with the present invention, once a player modifies other parameters, are also referenced. Like components in the figures are commonly represented by the same reference number which should be clear from the context of use. Further, the reference numbers generally follow a convention wherein the hundreds and thousands digits correspond to the figure number in which the reference number first appears. 
     As used herein, the term “slot machine” means gaming machines including slot machines, video poker, keno, bingo, video roulette, and video blackjack machines wherein a paid play generates a random or pseudo-random outcome used to determine a payout. 
     A block diagram of a slot machine indicated generally at  100  in FIG. 1 comprises a central processing unit (CPU)  102  and a data storage device  104  in communication with the CPU  102 . Further connected to CPU  102  are: slot network interface  106 , a starting controller  108 , a random number generator  112 , an input/output (I/O) device  114 , a reel controller  116 , a video display  118 , a hopper controller  122 , and a coin acceptor  124 . 
     Referring again to CPU  102 , the device comprises one of many well known processing units, for example a Pentium class CPU manufactured by Intel Corp. Data storage device  104  comprises an appropriate combination of magnetic and optical memory, such as disk drive memory, and semiconductor memory such as random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). Data storage device  104  stores a probability table  126 , a house advantage value  127 , a house advantage formula  128  and a payout table  129  as well as appropriate operating system and control software (not shown), functional to operate slot machine  100  in the manner described below. Random number generator  112  comprises one of many well known random or pseudo-random number generators suitable for use in a gaming device. As will be further described below, during game play, data storage device  104  also stores a player credit balance. 
     Coin acceptor  124  is operative to receive one or more coins, and to transmit an appropriate value signal to CPU  102 . Hopper controller  122 , and hopper  130  connected thereto, are operative under the control of CPU  102  to dispense coins to a player. Reel controller  116  is operative to control the spin and outcome displayed by first, second, and third reels  132 ,  134 ,  136 , respectively, which may be mechanical in nature, or graphical and displayed on video display  118 . Different numbers of reels may be used, or selected for use in further embodiments. In the present embodiment, slot machine  100  comprises a “ 22  stop” machine, such that  22  indicia are contained on each of reels  132 ,  134 ,  136 . Video display  118  comprises any appropriate video display apparatus, for example, a touchscreen, a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display screen. 
     Starting controller  108  comprises a player-operated device such as a handle or button for initiating the play of a game. I/O device  114  comprises a conventional player interface including a card reader  138  for receiving a player tracking card, a display  142  for communicating alpha/numeric messages to the player, and a keypad  140  for receiving player input such as a player identifier. 
     Slot network interface  106  comprises a conventional network interface for connecting slot machine  100  to a centrally controlled network, thereby facilitating remote loading of new programs and values into data storage device  104  as desired. 
     A front elevation view of a typical slot machine is shown as indicated generally at  200  in FIG.  2 . It should be noted that the arrangement of player interfaces may be varied significantly and still remain within the scope of the present invention. Slot machine  200  is generally divided into three sections: an upper panel  210 , a central panel  212 , and a lower panel  214 . Upper panel  210  provides display of a first reel  232 , a second reel  234  and a third reel  236  which, as previously mentioned with respect to the reel representations in FIG. 1, can be mechanical based or electronic in nature. In this embodiment, it is a conventional electronic graphical display capable of displaying computer generated data, such as a VGA monitor or LCD display. Central panel  212  comprises a card reader  238 , a coin acceptor  224 , a starting controller  208 , various bet buttons  217 ,  218  and  219 , and a customization button  215 , which initiates display of a customization menu which will be described further below. The starting controller  208  may be, for example, a handle or a button. Lower panel  214  comprises a display of a pay schedule  229  comprising, for example, painted ‘belly’ glass. The details of pay schedule  229  are discussed below, and will change with customization by the player. Basically, the pay schedule describes the amount paid for the reel combinations shown, based on the number of coins or credits wagered. When a player actuates the customize button  215 , which may be a mechanical button that is pushed, a capacitive switch, a touch screen button, or any other number of devices which sense a player selection, upper panel  210  provides display of a main customization menu as indicated at  310  in FIG.  3 . The elements displayed in menu  310  comprise three selections, a payout selection  312 , a probability selection  314  and a wager amount selection  316 . These selection elements comprise a predefined area on a touch screen allowing a player to touch the area in order to invoke function to allow user customization of parameters associated with each selection. The customization menu may also be presented on a VGA monitor and the player selections signaled by a cursor associated with well known cursor control devices, such as a touchpad, trackball, or mouse. 
     FIG. 4A illustrates a payout customization menu  410  which is displayed upon selection of payout selection  312 . Menu  410  comprises an outcome display  412  comprising sample representations of three potential winning outcomes such as three “7&#39;s”, three bars and three cherries. Current payout displays  416  show corresponding current payouts for the winning outcomes. The values shown in current payout displays of FIG. 4A are the default payouts (i.e. before customization begins) of“100”, “50” and “20”. As the player customizes the payouts, his selection(s) will replace the values shown in the “current payouts” displays  416 . This process will be further illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Customization choices displays  418  show alternative payouts which may be selected by a player as by touch screen or other selection device. Further selections comprise a “Return to Main Menu” button  420 , which brings up the previous menu allowing customization of another parameter, and a “Customization Completed” button  422  which, when selected, causes the slot machine to adjust other parameters which were not selected in order to maintain a desired house advantage. The adjustment of other parameters is described further below following a description of the player interfaces. The outcomes available for customization, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, are meant as examples only. Any number and variety of outcomes could be available to the player for customization. 
     FIG. 4B shows a variation of the customization menu  410  wherein a new customization choices display element  430  contains “Increase” and “Decrease” buttons  432  and  434 . These buttons allow a user to incrementally increase or decrease payouts for each corresponding outcome without being limited to selecting from predetermined values. In this embodiment, as the player presses the “Increase” and/or “Decrease” buttons, the corresponding “current payout” value changes accordingly. For example, if the player presses the “Increase” button corresponding to the “7-7-7” outcome once, the current payout value for that outcome would change from “100” to “101.” 
     Returning now to the embodiment first illustrated in FIG. 4A, FIG. 5 shows the customization choices of the player. For an outcome of “7-7-7”, the player has chosen “200” at  512  as opposed to the default payout of“100”. For the outcomes Bar, Bar, Bar, and Cherry, Cherry Cherry the player has left the default values of “50” and “20” respectively, as indicated at  416 . The player has thus obtained a feeling of control and is more likely to stay with the current machine. Upon selection of the customization completed button  422 , the current payout displays  416  change. The customized payout selection of “200” corresponding to the outcome “7-7-7” is displayed at  612 . The machine calculated value of “15” corresponding to the outcome Cherry, Cherry, Cherry is displayed at  616 . The payout associated with the outcome Cherry, Cherry, Cherry has been decreased to compensate for the increase in the “7-7-7” payout to ensure that the house advantage remains constant. 
     In a further embodiment, menus similar to menu  410  may be provided for selection of other parameters. For example, by substituting “current probabilities” for the “current payout” of display  416 , and selecting probabilities in the customization choices  418  display, the menu represented in FIG. 4A is easily changed to handle customization of probabilities. To change the wager amount, only two display areas are required, such as represented at  416  and  418  since the wager amounts pertain to all outcomes. Hence the display area  416  would represent the current wager amount, and display area  418  represents the choices as determined by the casino. In an alternate embodiment, the wager amount button. on main menu  310  represents multiple amounts which may be selected directly from the main customization menu  310  without having to navigate to a secondary menu. In a still further embodiment, rather than selecting from predetermined choices, a player may enter a desired amount either via a keypad, or by selecting up and down arrows  432  and  434  displayed on the payout customization menu  410  as shown in FIG.  4 B. Such selection will cause display of a customized payout value which may then be selected by pressing button  420  or  422 . Further buttons may be provided to cancel customization at any point in the process of operating the menu. 
     There are many examples of player customization. In one example, a player chooses to double the top jackpot. The slot machine compensates by lowering the odds of hitting the top jackpot in order to maintain a pre-defined house advantage of 7% or other desired percentage. In another example, the player may choose to increase the odds of hitting a jackpot and decrease the wager per pull. The slot machine compensates by decreasing the value of the jackpot payout. Alternatively, the player may choose to increase the value of smaller prizes. In this case, the slot machine compensates by lowering the odds of hitting combinations that yield those prizes. The above-described menus that allow customization are provided by software, referred to as a player input module. The player input module receives a modification to one or more game parameters through menus and player interaction with the slot machine. The software is stored in storage device  104 . 
     In FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment of a slot machine  710  includes screen display  712 , which comprises a main customization menu in the lower portion of the slot machine. In this embodiment, the display  712  is electronic and shows the payout schedule when a player is not in the process of customization. FIG. 8 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of a slot machine  810  where a main customization menu  812  is built into the middle part of the body of the machine. 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B together comprise a flowchart of the customization process. In one embodiment, the flowchart represents the steps carried out by CPU  102  while executing a program, including a parameter modification module and the player input module stored on data storage device  104 . The program may be stored on any machine readable medium and may be downloaded from a remote device via network interface  106  which may comprise an ethernet card, modem or other suitable communications card or port. The customization process begins at  900  and is represented by blocks in flowchart form. The blocks represent steps performed by software modules or objects. 
     A player request to customize a game is received at step  910  and the main customization menu is displayed at step  912 . The customization step  912  is illustrated in FIG. 3 as “MAIN CUSTOMIZATION MENU”  310 . At  914 , a signal from a player, indicating a parameter to customize, is received. At  916 , the customization menu of the selected parameter is displayed to the player. At  918 , parameter customization choices are generated and displayed to the player. The customization steps  916  and  918  are illustrated for the payout parameter in FIG. 4A as menu  410 . Similar menus may be generated for other parameters. The customization choices may be preprogrammed and stored in a table, or may be generated by the casino at a central server and downloaded into storage device  104  for use by this process. Alternatively, the player may choose any value between a selected range for parameters, as illustrated for the payout parameter in FIG.  4 B. At  920 , a choice for parameter customization in FIG. 5 is received from the player. The customization step  920  is illustrated for the payout parameter in FIG. 5 at  512 . At  922 , if the player wishes to customize another parameter flow is returned to  912  where the main customization menu is once again displayed to the player. The customization step  922  is illustrated in FIG. 5 at  420  and  422 . If no further customization requests are indicated by the player, recalculation of other parameters occurs. At  924 , a house advantage value and formula are retrieved from memory  104 , and at  926 , remaining parameter values are calculated. At  928 , the resulting parameter values (player selected and machine recalculated) are used to replace the default values and are displayed to the player at  928  as indicated at elements  612  and  616 . The recalculation of internal parameters is a process executed within the machine and, therefore, is not shown in the Figures. The customization step  928  is illustrated in FIG. 6 at  612  and  616 . 
     Next, the program checks at  930  to see if the player has accepted the customized parameters. A player can so indicate by pressing the customization completed button  422  or the return to main menu button  420 . If the player has not accepted the customized parameters, control is returned to block  912  to display the main customization menu and offer the player a chance to change the customization or return to default values. In one embodiment, a timer is used to automatically reset the slot machine to the default values if no activity is detected for a predetermined time. Once the player has accepted the customized parameters at  930 , a game setup is modified by implementing the customized parameter values in a known manner at block  932 . A “Ready to Play” or other suitable indication is provided to the player at  934 . Internal customization tables are changed, and the game may then be played and the customization process ends at  940 . 
     These steps apply equally well to the customization of parameters other than payout. Such parameters are easily modifiable by following the above steps. In particular, at  912 , the player is shown the parameters available for customization. At steps  914  to  916 , the player selects at least one parameter to be customized. At step  920 , the player selects at least one value to substitute for the default values, and at step  926 , the machine adjusts other parameter values or a value to compensate for the player selected values. The resulting values are displayed at  928 , and the player accepts or rejects the resulting set at  930 . Finally, the machine applies the accepted values to game play at  932 . 
     Parameter Customization Operation 
     Multiple formulas may be stored within data storage device  104  and used by the above process to enable the CPU to calculate how much one or more parameters must change in order to accommodate the parameter customization by the player, while keeping the house advantage constant. The most basic equation (1) provides the relationship between the wager amount, payouts, probabilities, and the house advantage:                WagerAmount   -       ∑     i   =   1     n          (       Prob     x   i       ×     Pay     x   i         )         =   HouseAdvantage           (   1   )                                
     Where 
     n is the number of possible outcomes 
     x i  is the ith outcome 
     Prob x     i    is the probability of the ith outcome occurring 
     Pay x     i    is the payout associated with the ith outcome 
     Wager Amount is the number of coins wagered 
     House Advantage is the portion of the wager retained by the casino 
     In other words, the house advantage is equal to the wager amount less the sum of all potential payouts times the probability of each potential payout. This sum of all potential payouts multiplied by their respective probabilities is known as the expected value of the payouts. After altering one of the parameters and selecting another “compensating” parameter to change as a result, the above equation enables the slot machine  100  to determine how much the compensating parameter must change. 
     Although the above equation is sufficient to calculate any required changes, it requires that a compensating parameter be selected. By establishing rules for the selection of the compensating parameter change, the above equation may be simplified. For example, if it is assumed that for every payout change requested the machine is to calculate a new probability associated with that payout, and that any probability changes are compensated by a change to the probability of getting no payout, the equation collapses to:                CompensatingProbability     x   i       =       (       OldPay     x   i       ×     OldProb     x   i         )       NewPay     x   i                 (   2   )                                
     Where 
     Compensating Prob x     i    is the new probability generated to offset the payout change 
     Old Pay x     i    is the payout for outcome x     i    before the player made the change 
     Old Prob x     i    is the probability for outcome  x     i    before the player made the change 
     New Pay x     i    is the new payout for the outcome selected by the player 
     In another example, an equation can be generated to calculate a payout change to compensate for another payout change, assuming that the compensating payout is pre-determined.                Pay     c   new       =             [       (       Prob     c   old       ×     Pay     c   old         )     -                     (       Prob     x     i   new         ×     Pay     x     i   new           )     +     (       Prob     x     i   old         ×     Pay     x     i   old           )       ]             Prob     c   new                 (   3   )                                
     Where 
     c denotes the compensating parameter that the machine adjusts 
     x denotes the parameter customized by the player 
     In yet another example, an equation is developed to calculate a wager change to compensate for a payout change as follows: 
     
       
         NewWagerAmount=OldWagerAmount+( Prob   x     new   ×Pay x     new   )−( Prob   x     old   ×Pay x     old   )  (4) 
       
     
     Similar equations may of course be developed for other compensating requirements. In one embodiment, all parameters that are not modified by the player are modified to compensate for the player modified parameters. The above equations are examples only. It is understood that other equations may be developed by those skilled in the art. FIGS. 10-12 illustrate the use of some of the above equations. In all of the above equations, it should be noted that there may be restrictions on the number of parameters that may be changed by the player, so that the slot machine has enough remaining parameters to accommodate the amount of compensation required. 
     FIG. 10 shows a table indicated generally at  1010  of payouts having multiple columns comprising an outcome column  1012 , a default payout column  1014  and a customized payout column  1016 . There are  18  records or rows corresponding to payouts for each of 18 outcomes. Columns  1014  and  1016  indicate the number of coins paid out on a game play where a random number results in the generation of a particular combination shown in outcome column  1012 . More particularly, the payout columns indicate the number of coins paid out on a game play where a random number results in the generation of a particular combination or outcome  1012 . This table shows customized payouts where the player adjusted the payout of the top jackpot from 100 to 200 coins in a row  1020  and the machine automatically adjusted the cherry-cherry-cherry payout from 20 to 15 coins in row  1022 , using equation 3 above. The customized and compensating payouts of FIG. 10 correspond to those of the customization process illustrated in FIGS. 4A,  5 , and  6 . A payout other than cherry-cherry-cherry could have been designated as the compensating payout if desired. Such&#39;selections are more easily programmed in by the house, but, in an alternate embodiment, could be selected by the player. The important aspect of the compensating payout is that it is determined such that a constant house advantage is maintained (5.5% in this example). 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B are a payout table  1100  and a probability table  1120  which illustrate another embodiment of the current invention. In this embodiment, the slot machine  100  adjusts the probabilities of hitting the prize-winning outcomes corresponding to the player customized payouts, using equation 2. Payout table  1100  comprises an outcome column  1112 , a default payout column  1114  and a customized payout column  1116  as in FIG.  10 . Probability table  1120  comprises an outcome column  1122 , default random number column  1124  and expected hits per cycle column  1126 , and two corresponding customization columns comprising random number column  1128  and expected hits per cycle column  1130 . Specifically, FIG. 11A shows the player&#39;s payout customization choices (for 7-7-7, bar-bar-bar, and plum-plum-plum corresponding to rows  1117 ,  1118  and  1119 ) while FIG. 11B shows the corresponding probability changes made by the slot machine, determined by using formula 2 at rows  1137 ,  1138  and  1139  respectively. It should be noted that while the tables have been shown as two separate figures, they may actually be part of the same table, or further broken into smaller tables for programming efficiencies. 
     The above random number columns contain values which indicate a range of random numbers associated with each record, or outcome. For example row or record  1139  corresponding to plum-plum-plum comprises a default range of  10534  to  10583 . Thus, when random number generator  112  generates a random number in the range of  10534  to  10583  for a game play, reel controller  116  controls reels  132 ,  134 ,  136  to display the described plum-plum-plum combination. Further, when customized, the range of  10568 - 10592  causes the same display to appear when a random number is generated in that range. As seen in the expected hits column, the values in the fields corresponding to those columns at that record show that a random number will fall in the customized range about half that of the default range. With a cycle of 10,648 plays, plum-plum-plum is expected to occur in the default range 50 times, and in the customized range of random numbers, 25 times. 
     FIG. 12 is a representation of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, slot machine  100  compensates for the player customization of the payout parameter by adjusting the wager amount, using equation 4. As with previously shown payout tables, payout table  1200  has an outcome column  1210 , a default payout column  1212  and a customized payout column  1214 . Allowing the player to customize the top jackpot by raising it from 100 coins to 10,548 coins at record  1220  raises the required wager amount from 1 coin to 2 coins at record  1230  with no change in the probability of hitting the 7-7-7 outcome. 
     Alternate Embodiments 
     The following embodiments generally fit into the flow diagrams of FIGS. 9A and 9B. The steps in the diagrams represent the same steps used to implement each of the alternate embodiments described below. 
     In one embodiment, the player may pick how the jackpot will be awarded. Jackpots may be awarded as one lump sum, or as payments over a number of years. For example, a player could be given the option of customizing a top $1 million jackpot to be given out as one lump sum or in portions over a 10, 15 or 20 year period of time. Awarding jackpots as payments over a number of years allows the casino to collect interest on the money over those years and also effectively lowers the payout when the time value of money is taken into account. 
     The number of reels could also be allowed to be chosen by the player. This embodiment addresses the variability of the overall chances of hitting the jackpot. As the number of reels changes and the odds of each individual reel are maintained at a constant level, the overall odds of hitting the jackpot decrease (If the slot machine starts out with 4 reels, each having a 2/22 chance of coming up with a jackpot symbol, the resulting probability of hitting the top jackpot is 16/234,256. Adding one more reel, also with 2/22 odds, the results in a probability of hitting the jackpot of 32/5,153,632). Casino reward points could also be allowed to be traded off for improved odds or higher jackpots. The machine could access the player&#39;s point balance based on an identifier read off of a player&#39;s card and deduct points from his account if he indicates that that is his preference on the pertinent menu. For example, some programs offer up to 0.5% cash back on all money wagered. The player could elect to forego this payback in exchange for increasing the probability of hitting the top jackpot. 
     Another customizable parameter could be the symbols on the reels where the reels are electronic in nature. The player may be allowed to choose how many of a certain symbol appear on a given reel or what symbols make up a winning outcome. In the case of altering the number of a given symbol on a given reel, the probabilities of hitting the outcomes with that symbol would have to be adjusted accordingly. In the case of choosing what symbols make up a winning outcome, the selected symbols would simply be substituted into the reels and the probability and payout tables accordingly. This may appeal to players that consider one particular symbol their “lucky” one (e.g. “my jackpots were always won with a lemon as one of the symbols so lemons are lucky for me.”). 
     The player could customize the top jackpot to be the “paying off” of one of the player&#39;s credit card balances. The player would enter in his credit card account number before play begins and if he won the top jackpot the casino would pay the balance due on the credit card account as of the time of the win. There would be a limit as to how large the balance could be (e.g. the casino will pay any balance up to $10,000) and the house advantage for the machine would be determined under the assumption that all of the jackpot wins would be worth $10,000. 
     The machine could prompt the player with customization offers upon certain event triggers. After a series of losing spins, the machine might suggest that the player increase the probability of a winning outcome in exchange for lowering one or more payouts. 
     In a further embodiment, the player&#39;s preferences for customizing the slot machine could be stored on the slot server and retrieved by means of the player identifier when the player inserts a player-tracking card into a machine. The touch screen presented in the preferred embodiment could alternately be a computer screen accompanied by a keypad that allows the player to select and enter data. 
     Video Poker Alternate Embodiments 
     The player may add more cards to a deck, substitute extra cards for existing ones in a deck, or designate a wild card in a deck. For example, a player may choose to add two more Jacks of spades to the conventional one in a deck, substitute an extra ace of diamonds for a two of clubs, and make all threes wild cards. 
     The player could alter the probability of getting a top payout after being dealt his initial five cards. For example, a player dealt four cards to a royal flush typically holds these four cards and draws one. Only one card in the 47 remaining cards will give the player the royal flush. In order to improve his odds, the player might be shown a representation of all of the remaining 47 cards and allowed to select one or more cards which will not be dealt. The player could thus eliminate the four of clubs, eight of diamonds, and six of spades, improving his chances of hitting the royal flush to one in 44. This change in probability is compensated by a decrease in the payout for the royal flush. Alternatively, the player could add cards to the 47 in exchange for a higher payout. Other video poker game parameters may also be modified based on the player modification to the deck of cards. 
     It is to be understood that the above embodiment descriptions are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.