Method and apparatus for skill game play and awards

Abstract

A skill game operates according to the look and feel of a game of chance. The skill game is, for example, a traditional game of chance modified so that a player's skill substantially determines the outcome of the game. In one embodiment, the skill game is a card game with face down cards and the chance elements of the card game are reduced or eliminated by providing a player of the skill game information about the face down cards. An example embodiment is wager acceptance, random prize determination, then skill game play. In one embodiment, the amount of skill required is adjustable to meet varying regulatory and gaming guidelines and / or operator goals. In one embodiment, the skill game pits players against each other and is played on a skill game machine that does not resemble a slot machine.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE [0001] This application is a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 125,975, filed Apr. 19, 2002 and entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SKILL GAME AWARDS.COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of Invention [0004] The present invention relates to gaming devices and particularly to skill games. The present invention also relates to systems and methods for providing awards to players of skill games, and more particularly, to systems and methods for providing awards to players of skill games where the awards are selected, based upon various factors, prior to playi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] In the gaming machine industry, an award that is based upon or determined by machine profitability or “machine hold” may be termed a reflexive pay and is generally and typically not permitted due to its use to reduce player win amount. Reflexive pay is normally used in gray area games to forcefully decrease player win until machine hold is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. In the present invention, reflexive pay is used to increase amount of award to a player rather than decrease it. In the present invention, if machine hold is greater than a predetermined amount said excess machine hold is placed in an adjustment pool that can be used to increase player awards. A portion of the excess machine hold is randomly selected and added to a randomly selected award a player can win thus increasing the potential payout amount and keeping machine hold within predetermined boundaries; this process is not a mystery pay, but is applied in the present invention to act to adjust machine hold downward and to increase player enjoyment.

[0030] The method described above is different from general and typical skill games in that an award amount is calculated for each buy-in from which a management fee may be subtracted. Generally and typically an award amount is predetermined and fixed for completion of a skill game and said skill game is made to be extremely difficult to successfully complete. The skill game described in the present invention does not rely upon a player not being able to successfully complete the game of skill and therefore does not require that the game be nearly impossible to complete successfully by a person of average capability. Additionally, if machine hold exceeds a certain threshold amount in the present invention, provision is made to make said threshold amount available to players for awards. The skill game in the present invention can be made reasonably simple for an average player to successfully complete since operator profit is assured by management fee and means of subtracting said fee for each game. Player award is assured by the aforesaid and randomly drawing amounts from the adjustment pool to supplement calculated award amounts for successful completion of each game adds an element of excitement and, additionally, assures that payback to players will always be a guaranteed amount.

Problems solved by technology

Said classification is a regulatory matter, but can have very significant economic ramifications.

A significant risk to an operator exists if game outcome depends entirely upon player skill as a very skillful player can win every game with disastrous economic results for the operator.

If game outcome can be influenced by normal human capabilities the operator of said game is in danger of losing money.

Unfortunately the outcome of a game that uses aforesaid method is more or less a random process and the operator of said game is violating statutes if it is to be operating as a skill game.

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