Patent ID: 7704137

Claim:
A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game including a basic game and a bonus game, the method comprising: tracking a number of the basic games played on a wagering game machine or on a wagering game system since a predetermined event using a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to update the memory to count the number of basic games played since the predetermined event; providing a first probability of triggering the bonus game; providing, in the memory or in another memory, a schedule that triggers the bonus game responsive to the counted number of basic games played since the predetermined event, the schedule comprising a plurality of different probabilities, the probability of triggering the bonus game increasing in the schedule with an increasing number of basic games played since the predetermined event; and automatically altering the first probability of triggering the bonus game to a second probability based on the counted number attaining at least a first predetermined threshold, the second probability being greater than the first probability but less than one-hundred percent, wherein the predetermined event comprises a bonus name or a triggering event for a bonus game.