Method, computing device and computer readable medium for operating a game selection menu

Abstract

A method, computing device, and computer-readable medium for operating a game selection menu are disclosed. The method includes: displaying a plurality of game type labels in a label display area on a display device; receiving a first user input indicating a selection of a first label of the plurality of game type labels to select a first game type; in response to the first user input and on the display device, displaying a plurality of playable view panels in a playable view area adjacent to the label display area; receiving a second user input indicating a first bet on a first game instance in a first panel of the plurality of playable view panels; receiving a third user input indicating a selection of a second panel of the plurality of playable view panels; and receiving a fourth user input indicating a second bet on a second game instance in the second panel.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of August 10, 2018, application number 201810911217.6 and name “Method and device for operating a game selection menu”. Technical Field

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to computer software and hardware associated with electronic gaming systems. More specifically, aspects of the present disclosure may provide a multi-table view user interface that allows players to simultaneously view and play multiple instances of one or more games. Background Art

[0003] Games including games of chance and games of skill are increasingly provided in electronic form. Classic casino games (such as blackjack, Baccarat, dice and roulette) have been adapted to be presented to users on electronic game devices. The user interface on the electronic game device can be designed to reproduce the visual experience associated with playing these games in person. The user interface provides the display of available betting options to the player, and allows the user to place a bet on the game result. The game displayed by the user interface can correspond to an actual instance (such as, table) of a reality game operated by a real dealer, or can correspond to a virtual simulation instance of a game.

[0004] As electronic gaming devices become more popular, operators have developed machines that can support several different types of games. A user may be presented with a first user interface screen that prompts the user to select a type of game. After selecting the type of game, the electronic gaming device may present the user with a display of the game and allow the user to place a bet on the outcome of the game. The user interface may allow the user to switch to a different game type.

[0005] Players of such games may seek to track past results of games in order to assess the trend of results. Some game operators may provide users with means of tracking such trends, or may otherwise indicate past results through the implementation of games. In addition, with the widespread use of electronic devices, systems have been developed to track the results of specific casino games and present this information to current and potential players. For example, a realistic roulette table may be equipped with an electronic device that tracks the results of each rotation of the wheel. This information may be compiled and processed to present various statistics that players are interested in, such as the relative percentage of red numbers to black numbers, or indicate the last ten numbers that have been hit. For the benefit of current and potential players, this information may be highlighted on or near the table.

[0006] Each game may provide players with time to place bets before a round of the game (e.g., a spin of a roulette wheel) is performed. After the wheel is spun, an additional period of time may be required to confirm the results and pay out winning bets. In addition, each game may limit the number of ways a player can participate, such as by allowing only one hand per player or having a maximum number of hands per table.

[0007] Players may wish to participate in more than one game at a time to increase action or experience multiple independent results. The current system may allow players to participate in several games. However, users may be required to switch between different user interfaces of each game that the player wants to participate in. Limited screen size and resolution may make it difficult to display information associated with multiple game instances at the same time. As a result, the current system can present a user interface including information about a specific focused game instance, while allowing the user to navigate to other game instances. Players may be required to switch to the focused display of a specific game to place a bet or otherwise participate in the game, and cannot place a bet on another game without leaving the focused display. In such a system, players may be difficult to evaluate the trend of each game when deciding which games to play. And players may not like to switch to another user interface to view a game when they have an undecided bet in the second game.

[0008] The aspects described herein can solve these and other problems associated with electronic gaming devices, and can eliminate the above-mentioned shortcomings of current systems by providing a user interface with a multi-table view feature to the user. The features described herein provide many advantages over current systems, such as providing an improved display of trend information associated with multiple game instances. This can allow users to evaluate the status of many games at the same time and provide them with more information for determining which games to play. Other advantages can include allowing users to participate in multiple game instances simultaneously from a single user interface screen. This can improve the user experience by allowing users to observe activities in several games at once without requiring users to focus on a specific game result. This can also promote higher-level activities from users, because users can be encouraged to bet on more game instances, resulting in higher total bets. The user interface that implements one or more aspects described herein can allow users to more efficiently and accurately identify trends in multiple game instances on electronic gaming devices. Some aspects can improve the speed, accuracy and usability of electronic gaming devices and the interaction of users with them by presenting relevant information corresponding to multiple game instances to users at the same time, while still supporting a complete view of a separate game instance. Summary of the invention

[0009] A simplified summary of various aspects described herein is presented below. This summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identify key or important elements or to describe the scope of the claims. The following summary merely presents some concepts in a simplified form as an introductory prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[0010] A method for operating a game selection menu is disclosed. The method includes: displaying a plurality of game type labels in a label display area on a display device, wherein each label of the plurality of game type labels corresponds to a different game type; receiving a first user input indicating a selection of a first label of the plurality of game type labels to select a first game type; in response to the first user input and on the display device, displaying a plurality of playable view panels in a playable view area adjacent to the label display area, wherein at least one of the plurality of playable view panels includes an inactive panel, the inactive panel including: a trend display element based on at least one past game round result of a first game round instance; and a timer element associated with the first game round instance; in response to the expiration of the timer element, updating the trend display element to indicate additional game round results of the first game round instance; receiving a second user input indicating a first bet on the first game round instance in a first panel of the plurality of playable view panels; receiving a third user input indicating a selection of a second panel of the plurality of playable view panels; receiving a fourth user input indicating a second bet on the second game round instance in the second panel, wherein the first game round instance and the second game round instance are at least partially played simultaneously.

[0011] A computing device is also disclosed, which includes: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the computing device executes the above method.

[0012] A computer readable medium storing instructions is also disclosed. When executed, the instructions cause the aforementioned method to be performed.

[0013] According to some aspects described herein, the user interface of electronic gaming device can present a panel view showing multiple game instances of the user to the user, and can allow the user to place a bet directly through the panel displayed. Each panel can correspond to a specific game instance, and can display information and functions associated with the instance. Some panels can be configured to display trend information about their corresponding game instances to help users determine which games to play. The user interface can also allow the user to view additional details about a specific game instance, and expand the panel corresponding to the specific game instance to replace other panels. The extended panel can present additional information and functions associated with the specific game instance.

[0014] According to some aspects, the electronic gaming device can provide a game selection menu user interface that implements a multi-table view feature, as further described herein. The electronic gaming device can operate to provide the game selection menu by displaying a plurality of game type tags in a tag display area on a display device. Each tag of a plurality of game type tags can correspond to a correspondingly different game type, such as blackjack, baccarat, roulette, dice treasure, etc. The electronic gaming device can receive a user input through an input device, and the user input indicates a selection of a first game type of the game type tag. The user input can be a user selection of a first tag in a plurality of game type tags corresponding to a desired game type.

[0015] In response to user selection, according to some aspects, the electronic game device can display multiple playable view panels in a playable view area adjacent to a label display area on a display device. The playable view panels can each correspond to different corresponding game bureau instances of a selected game type. A paging control can be provided on a user interface to allow a user to view additional instances of a selected game type. Each playable view panel can include controls or other elements that support user participation in a corresponding game bureau instance. The playable view panel can operate to allow a user to directly participate in the game, such as by placing a bet on a game outcome, without having to proceed to an independent user interface corresponding to the game. The electronic game device can receive user input in one or more playable view panels, and the user input indicates that the user places a bet on the corresponding game bureau instance.

[0016] One or more of the playable view panels may include trend display elements based on past game results of the corresponding game instance. For example, an inactive panel in which a player is not participating may use a portion of its display area to display a chart or other information showing the most recent results of the game. The playable view panel may also include a timer display element that indicates the remaining time before executing the next round of the game. The timer element may be updated to count down to the next round, and the trend display element and / or other parts of the playable view panel may be updated in response to the new results of the game.

[0017] According to some aspects, the user interface can allow the user to select a specific panel for expansion, so that the user can view the additional information and / or functions associated with the underlying game bureau instance. The electronic game device can receive a user input indicating the selection of a specific panel in a plurality of playable view panels for expansion through an input device. For example, each panel can include controls or other user interface elements for the user to select (e.g., tap or click) to indicate that the panel should be expanded. In response to the user input of the panel to be expanded, the electronic game device can expand the panel to replace other panels in a plurality of playable view panels in the playable view area (or otherwise adjust the display to include more information proportionally about the selected game bureau instance). The extended panel can include additional game content that was not depicted before the second panel was expanded. The additional game content can include additional information and / or additional functions that were unavailable in the selected playable view panel before expansion. For example, the additional game content can include a bonus bet control that is not a part of the compact view of the playable view panel. As another example, the additional game content can include a more detailed trend graph that displays additional statistics that are not a part of the compact view of the playable view panel. As yet another example, the additional game content may include video content (live and / or pre-recorded) of the dealer associated with the game instance.

[0018] Other areas may be included on the user interface of the electronic gaming device, such as a credit area and / or a menu area, which may be displayed adjacent to the tab display area and the playable view area. The credit area may include information associated with a player's balance and current activity between various game instances in which the player is participating. The credit area may also include one or more controls that allow the user to adjust their bets, such as via controls corresponding to a plurality of chip symbols. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following description, claims and accompanying drawings.The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate similar elements.

[0020] Figure 1 and 2 An exemplary system is shown in which the various features described herein may be implemented.

[0021] Figure 3

[00136] An example method by which a game round may be conducted in accordance with some aspects described herein is shown.

[0022] Figure 4 An exemplary user interface with multiple table views is shown according to some aspects described herein.

[0023] Figure 5A and 5BAdditional details of some elements of an example user interface with multiple table views according to some aspects described herein are shown.

[0024] Figure 6 and 7 Other exemplary user interfaces with multiple table views according to aspects described herein are shown.

[0025] Figure 8 and 9 An exemplary user interface providing more detailed information about a selected table according to some aspects described herein is shown.

[0026] Fig.10 An exemplary method for providing a multi-table view feature to a gaming user interface according to some aspects described herein is shown.

[0027] Fig.11 An example user interface with a multi-table view providing mixed game types is shown according to some aspects described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Aspects disclosed herein can provide a game user interface that allows users to view and interact with multiple game instances from a single screen. The user interface can allow users to select a desired game type, and multiple instances of the game type can be presented to the user. When multiple game instances are presented, the user interface can utilize a compact panel display of the game interface, which provides reduced functions and information about each game instance. Each compact panel display may include functions that allow users to interact with the corresponding game instance, such as by allowing users to place bets on game results. The user may be able to select controls on the user interface to expand a specific panel corresponding to a specific game instance. In response to the selection of controls, the user interface can expand a specific panel to replace other panels of a multi-table view. The extended panel can provide additional functions and information not available in the compact panel.

[0029] The features described herein provide numerous advantages over current systems as described above, such as providing an improved display of trend information associated with multiple game instances and allowing a user to simultaneously participate in multiple game instances from a single user interface screen. Before discussing these features in further detail, the discussion will turn to an exemplary gaming system and network used in some implementations, such as Figure 1 and 2 as shown in .

[0030] Figure 1An example of a gaming system 100 for use in some implementations of one or more aspects described herein is depicted. The gaming system 100 may include a set of player terminals 110 arranged around one or more dealer stations 120, one or more processors defining a central controller 130, an administrative terminal 140, and a set of large screen community displays 150 or a single large screen community display.

[0031] Each player terminal 110 may include a video display including a touch screen interface 111 to enter bets and display the results of each game offered on the gaming system. Figure 1 It is explicitly noted in the that each player terminal 110 may include a card reader, a ticket reader and / or printer, and a ticket validator to allow a player to transfer monetary funds to and from the player terminal 110.

[0032] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the gaming system 100 includes three dealer terminals or stations 120 provided on independent gaming tables, but any number of dealer terminals or stations 120 may be provided. Each dealer station 120 may be configured to run the game provided on the gaming table, and may include a dealer video touch screen interface 124 to allow the dealer to interact with the dealer station 120 to manage the game and for other purposes. Each dealer station 120 may include one or more physical objects and a camera 125 for presenting the game results. The physical object for generating random game results may be a dice vibrator 121, a card shoe 122 suitable for reading the cards distributed from the box to form a game hand, a roulette wheel 123 and / or the form of any other type of gaming device that generates random or pseudo-random results. The camera 125 may be located at the dealer station 120 to provide a real-time visual feed of the game progress to the player terminal 110 and the associated display in the group of large screen displays 150. Electronic signage displays 126 may also be provided to further differentiate each gaming table when more than one gaming device of the same type is provided at an individual table in gaming system 100.

[0033] The central controller 130 may include a game server 131 and a game database 132 and one or more processors. The central controller 130 may be used as an interface between the player terminal 110 and the dealer terminal 120 of the gaming system 100. A wired or wireless communication network provides communication between the controller 130 and the gaming terminal 110.

[0034] A management terminal 140 , which is also connected to the network, may be used to initially configure the gaming system 100 , control various applications, and monitor the gaming system 100 .

[0035] The set of large screen displays 150 can be controlled by the controller 130 to display information such as game content, game progress information and historical results information. The displays can be arranged as rows of top and bottom display screens 151, 152 to display the status and statistics of each game respectively.

[0036] Figure 2 Depicted Figure 1 The network 200 of the gaming system of the present invention is a network 200. The network 200 may include a switch 210 (which may be a 24-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch), a switch 220 (which may be a 16-port PoE switch), and a switch 230 (which may be four 8-port PoE switches), which communicatively connect the player terminal 110, the dealer terminal 120, the management terminal 140, and the group of large-screen displays 150 to the central controller 130. The display screen 112 may also be connected to the network 200 and is located at the end of each row of player terminals 110 to display the game progress and information of each game provided by the system 100.

[0037] In the embodiment shown, The ESXi server serves as the central controller 130 . ESXi is a hypervisor system provided by VMware, Inc. of Palo Alto, California, and may allow game server 131 and game database 132 to be supported as virtual devices on one physical device 133. In this case, game server 131 and game database 132 may be communicatively connected to a network via a virtual switch 134.

[0038] Each dealer station 120A-120D may include a touch screen interface 124 and a game controller 127 (e.g., in the form of a mini ITX computer) to allow the dealer to interact with and manage the game running on the dealer terminal 120. Although not shown, an identification device, such as a magnetic or smart card reader, may be installed on each dealer station 120. In order to access the dealer station 120A-D, the dealer may need to swipe a personal authorization card at login to confirm that they have the authority to manage the game. Casino owners may also need to swipe their own authorization card through a card reader to authorize certain actions taken by the dealer during the management of the game as a means of preventing collusion between the dealer and the player.

[0039] Electronic signage displays 126 may be provided at each gaming table to display a unique identifier (e.g., symbol, letter, number, character, etc.) associated with each game so that players can easily identify which table they are betting on when two or more games of the same type are offered on the gaming system. Each table may also use a different colored gaming surface, in which case color may be used in the background of the signage displays 126 and large screen display 150 to further identify and differentiate the video feed, progress information, and historical results information for each game.

[0040] The game controller 127 of each dealer station 120A-120C can be communicatively connected to the corresponding physical gaming device / object 121, 122, 123 to allow the game outcome to be determined and transmitted directly to the game controller 127, which the dealer confirms by using the touch screen 124. It should be appreciated that the game controller 127 can include an automatic game mode so that inputs from the physical devices 121, 122, 123 are replaced by inputs from a random or pseudo-random number generator operating within the game controller 127, so that the dealer does not need to be present at the gaming table 120 to manipulate the physical devices 121, 122 or 123 and manage the game. As also described below, the system can support switching to an alternate virtual mode while still supporting the player terminal 110. Therefore, when there is no real dealer, the game can still be operated.

[0041] Cameras 125A-125C may be positioned at respective gaming devices 121, 122, 123 at each dealer station 120A-C to provide a real-time feed of gaming action that is relayed to the player terminals 130 and large screen displays 151A-151C via the network. Large screen displays 151A-151C may also be used to display all bets placed by the player terminals 110 participating in the game, as well as the current status of the game (i.e., new game, place your bet, no more bets, winning results). Large screen displays 152A-152C may provide additional information, such as game statistics, previous winning results, and minimum and maximum bets for the game running on the game controller 127 at each respective dealer station 120A-120C.

[0042] According to one or more alternative embodiments, the game controller 127 of the dealer station 120D may be configured to run a virtual game displayed on the large screen displays 151D and 152D and at each participating player terminal 11 when the system is in a second or virtual mode. In the virtual mode, the dealer station 120D may be configured to not use and / or disable the physical gaming devices 121, 122, 123 because all game results are automatically generated using an operating random number generator (RNG) module operating on a processor of the game controller 127 of the dealer station 120D, or in some embodiments, on the game controllers 127 of individual dealer stations 120A-120C.

[0043] Figure 3 It is shown that the generally depicted Figure 2 1. The present invention provides a logic flow chart of the steps associated with the method of the game cycle of the game provided on the gaming system of FIG. As shown, the game goes through many game states during the game cycle. The dealer can start a new game at frame 300 by pressing a "new game" button on the touch screen of the dealer station 120, which can be any one of the dealer stations 120A-120C. The associated game controller 130 sends a "new game" notification to all active player terminals 110 associated with the dealer station 120 according to the game selected by each player at the active player terminal 110.

[0044] At frame 302, a timer that is generally synchronized with all player terminals 110 and dealer stations 120 through the network can start a timed countdown. According to the game selected by each player at the active player terminal 110, a "place your bet" message can be displayed on all active player terminals 110 associated with the dealer station 120. The countdown can start at the game controller 127 and the central controller 130 can be notified to change the game state to a countdown. During the period provided by the timer, each participating player can place a selected bet on the various propositions provided by the game. These propositions can include well-known traditional bets and bonus bets or proposition side bets about the selected game. The mode of placing bets will be discussed below.

[0045] When the next bet time has timed out, the central controller 130 will be notified at box 304 that no more bets will be accepted and each player terminal display will be controlled to display "No More Bet".

[0046] As an alternative to using a timed countdown, the dealer can directly control when to close the betting period. For example, frame 304 can be started by the dealer selecting a command on the interface 124 of the dealer terminal 120 to enable the game controller 127 to close the betting period, which is then relayed to the player terminal 110 by the central controller 130. As another alternative to using a timed countdown, the betting period can be closed by an action or condition detected by a physical gaming device for determining the outcome of the game. For example, the game controller 127 can be configured to close the betting period once the card shoe 122 detects that the card has been drawn. Similarly, the game controller 127 can be configured to close the betting period of the roulette game when the roulette wheel 123 detects a ball drop condition.

[0047] After the betting phase ends (or partly during the betting phase, such as in the case of roulette), a real dealer at dealer station 120 can operate the game, including using physical objects 121, 122 or 123, to produce a game result. For example, if the game is Baccarat, the dealer issues physical cards from a box to form dealer and player hands, as is known in conjunction with the game. When the cards are taken out of the box 122, the suit and size of the cards are read by the box. This data is sent to a controller 127, which controls community video displays 151, 152 to display graphics representing the size and suit of the cards. The display at the participating player terminal 110 also displays the cards. A running total of the sum of the player and dealer hands can also be displayed.

[0048] At block 306, the outcome or end of the game may be displayed at the community displays 151, 152, at the dealer terminal 124, and at each associated player terminal 110. In one or more embodiments, each participating player terminal 110 may be controlled to initially display a player hand face down until revealed by a player's action. For example, the player terminal touch screen display 124 may be configured to determine a "squeeze" gesture to gradually reveal a player hand to increase the suspense of the game.

[0049] At block 308, the dealer confirms the outcome. If there is no deviation, the outcome stands. If there is an error, mistake or other deviation, the dealer can invalidate the game at block 310. Otherwise, at block 312, the game outcome stands. The controller 130 analyzes all player bets and completes the game. Players who bet on the winning proposition will be paid based on their bets, while those who bet on the losing proposition will lose their bets.

[0050] Additional embodiments may include one, some or all of the following: The dealer's actions may be performed by a visual representation of the dealer, which is generated and / or displayed by a computer. The visual representation may be a virtual person (e.g., an animation), or may be a transmission of a real person (e.g., a live or pre-recorded video). The visual representation may be part of an online gaming experience of a public game. When used in an online environment, the actions described in this disclosure associated with the dealer may be represented in any manner, including dealing, displaying or flipping cards, receiving or paying bets, or any other action. For example, cards associated with dealer actions (described as being issued or otherwise operated by the dealer) may be presented as transmission pictures of virtual or physical cards. This may include the display of a virtual full deck of cards, where each deck, individual cards, and hands are displayed to online players in a manner consistent with the game disclosed herein, but may or may not include a visual representation of the dealer with cards. Similarly, betting activities may be displayed to players in any manner, including but not limited to virtual chips, betting pools, numbers, or other markings of bet amounts.

[0051] An online experience may involve players playing away from the dealer (e.g., at a different physical location), away from the location of the game server, or away from both, interacting through a network connection that may include, but is not limited to, the Internet. Online gaming may involve players that are also physically distant from one another. Remote connections may use a network involving several types of network links, including, but not limited to, the Internet. Network connections that allow physically remote players to play games using a game server or system may be part of the implementation of a virtual or online gaming environment.

[0052] The field, electronic or online implementation of the method described herein can be configured to be used for the management of "entertainment game (play-for-fun)" embodiments.Entertainment game embodiments (e.g., "free entertainment game" configuration, "social entertainment game" configuration) involve receiving bets without real world monetary value and distributing payments without real world monetary value.The actions described as player actions in this disclosure, including betting, selecting cards (if any), evaluating cards, discarding cards (if any), game selection or any other actions, can be performed on the network, where the action indicated is received as the input of the device.The input receiving device can be physically away from the game server or game host and connected through a long-distance network, but can also be realized by a wired or wireless LAN in a building or even in a room.In one embodiment, the game bureau generated at the server or host location can be displayed on the same device receiving the input.In some embodiments, the game bureau can be transmitted to a remote player in a device separated from the device receiving the input from the player, such as a public screen or public broadcast data about the game connected to a personal or private input device. Receiving input at the device may be accomplished by any technology suitable for such purpose, including but not limited to a keypad, keyboard, touch pad, touch screen, buttons, mouse, optical pointing device, eye movement / position detector, voice input device, etc. When discussing a device, it should be understood that the device may include multiple components and be complex, including hardware components combined with firmware and / or software, and which may itself be sub-components of a larger system.

[0053] Having discussed an exemplary gaming system that can implement aspects described herein, the discussion will now turn to a gaming user interface with a multi-table view. As described above, one or more aspects of the present disclosure can provide a user with a user interface having a playable view panel corresponding to multiple game instances. Each playable view panel can display information about a corresponding game instance, and can allow a user to place a bet directly on the corresponding game instance without the user navigating to a focused display of the game instance. Thus, a user may be able to participate in multiple games simultaneously, and can quickly and easily place bets and observe the results of multiple games in a single view without switching screens.

[0054] Figure 4 An exemplary user interface 400 according to aspects described herein is depicted. The user interface 400 may be provided by an electronic gaming device, for example via Figure 1 The user interface 400 may be displayed on a display device 111 of the player terminal 110. Other electronic gaming devices that may implement the user interface 400 may include any suitable computing device, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, a tablet computer, etc. The user interface 400 may be displayed on a display device connected to the electronic gaming device, such as a touch screen or other suitable display.

[0055] The user interface 400 may be divided into display areas configured to convey information about games available to the user. For example, the user interface 400 may include a menu area 410, a label display area 420, a playable view area 430, and a player credit area 440.

[0056] The menu area 410 may provide system functions to the user. The menu area 410 may be a system bar consisting of system buttons that allow the user to generally access various features related to the gaming system rather than a specific gaming instance. For example, the menu area 410 may include a help control that allows the user to view instructions on how to use the electronic gaming device to play the game. The menu area 410 may also include controls that allow the player to reserve a terminal or cash out.

[0057] The label display area 420 can present the available game types that can be selected by the user, similar to the game selection menu. For example, the label display area 420 is depicted as providing three game types: Baccarat, Sic Bo and Roulette. The present disclosure is not limited to these three exemplary game types, and other game types can be provided according to the implementation of aspects of this article, such as blackjack, dice, big six, three-card poker, Pai Gow poker, etc. Available game types can include those suitable for multi-view display, such as those that can be reasonably played in a compact view panel, and other games that are not suitable for multi-view display, such as needing to display a large amount of information to maintain playability or being unfavorable for playing games with other games at the same time. For example, an electronic game device can allow a player to choose to play an electronic slot machine, but may not support the multi-view display of a slot machine. According to some implementations, a user can switch game types by clicking on a display label corresponding to an expected game type.

[0058] The playable view area 430 may present a display of the currently selected game to the user. Figure 4 . The user interface 400 may be configured to provide a multi-table view (or multi-view) allowing a user to view multiple tables at once. In the multi-table view, the playable view area 430 may include one or more playable view panels corresponding to the corresponding game session instances, such as playable view panels 432 and 434. That is, the operator may provide one or more game instances of the corresponding game type as a real table or a virtual table, and the playable view area 430 may display the playable view panels corresponding to the available game session instances of the selected game type. For example, if the user selects the Baccarat game type, the playable view area 430 may display multiple Baccarat games in the playable view panel.

[0059] Each playable view panel may correspond to a compact user interface corresponding to an underlying game instance, and may omit some functionality and / or information displayed on a more complete, expanded user interface corresponding to the game type. Each playable view panel may include controls and other elements that allow a user to place a bet or otherwise indicate participation in a game. The multi-table view provided by multiple playable view panels may allow a user to play multiple games from a single screen without requiring the user to drill down (or expand) to a specific game instance.

[0060] A playable view panel, such as playable view panels 432 and 444, may have content corresponding to the game type of the underlying game instance, and may have different content depending on whether a player is currently participating in the game. The content of the playable view panel will be referred to below. Figure 5A and 5B Further discussion.

[0061] Figure 5A An exemplary playable view panel 500 corresponding to a Baccarat game type is depicted in an inactive state. That is, the user is not currently participating in the underlying Baccarat game corresponding to the panel 500. The panel 500 includes functional buttons corresponding to popular and common bets in Baccarat, such as a player bet control 511, a banker bet control 512, a tie bet control 513, a player pair bet 514, a banker pair 515, and a rebet control 516. These functional buttons can operate in response to user input to place a user's bet on the underlying game and can be used to instruct the user to participate in the game. In some embodiments, the user can tap or click these controls to place a corresponding bet at a default or currently selected chip value.

[0062] The functionality included in the playable view panel in the multi-table view may be reduced relative to the more comprehensive functionality and information included in the expanded full view of the game instance. For example, the compact user interface of the playable view panel 500 omits some bonus bets offered in the Baccarat game that may be available in the expanded user interface. The user may be required to navigate to the full user interface to place less popular and / or less common bets.

[0063] Panel 500 may also include information content corresponding to the state of the game, such as a countdown timer display element 520, a bet value display element 521, a last win amount display element 522, a game stage display element 525, and other suitable information about the underlying game. Countdown timer display element 520 may display the current amount of time remaining on the countdown timer, which may be decremented at regular intervals. When the countdown timer expires, a round of the underlying game may be executed and the outcome may be determined, as described above with respect to Figure 3 described.

[0064] Panel 500 may also include a trend display element 530 to inform the user of the results of past rounds of games. Trend display element 530 may allow the user to assess potential trends, which some users use to decide which tables to play. Trend display element 530 may display any suitable trend and / or historical information about the underlying game instance. For example, trend display element 530 may include statistical information about the results since the start of the game instance, or may include a display of recent results. In the illustrated example where panel 500 corresponds to a Baccarat game, trend display element 530 may display a "big road" trend graph that tracks player wins, dealer wins, and draws.

[0065] Similarly, the trend information included in the playable view panel when in a multi-table view may be reduced relative to the more comprehensive trend information included in the expanded full view of the game instance. The electronic gaming system may track other trends and data about the game, such as a "lane" trend graph in Baccarat. However, this information may be omitted from the compact user interface of the panel 500, which may require the user to navigate to the full user interface to view this additional information.

[0066] Figure 5B Depicted is an exemplary playable view panel 550 corresponding to a Baccarat game type in an active state. That is, the user has indicated participation in a game instance, such as by inputting an indication that the user wants to place a bet on the Baccarat underlying game corresponding to the panel 550. The panel 550 may include function buttons corresponding to the same popular and common bets in Baccarat. For example, a player bet control 561, a dealer bet control 562, a tie bet control 563, a player pair bet 564, a dealer pair bet 565, and a re-bet control 566, but the active state panel may include additional and / or different functions included in the inactive state panel. These function buttons may operate in response to user input to generate a user's bet on the underlying game, and may be used to indicate that the user is participating in the game. In some embodiments, the user may tap or click on these controls to place a corresponding bet under a default or currently selected chip value.

[0067] Panel 550 may also include information content corresponding to the game state. The information content included in the active state panel may be different from the information content included in the inactive state panel. Some information may remain the same, such as the bet amount display element 571 and the last win display element 572, such as Figure 5B However, other information may be changed or omitted. For example, trend data displays may be reduced in size or content, or omitted, such as Figure 5B As another example, the active panel 550 may include a current game result display element 580. Of course, the current game result display element 580 may also be included in the inactive panel 500.

[0068] The information displayed in the active and inactive panels can also change based on the game state. For example, if the game is in Figure 3 In the "place your bet" stage shown in , both the inactive panel and the active panel may include a countdown timer display element. However, in the "no more bets" stage, for example, the active panel may be updated to display the real-time results of the game, while the inactive panel may display a new countdown timer or an indication of the game being played.

[0069] although Figure 5A and 5B Depicted are exemplary contents of a playable view panel corresponding to a Baccarat game type, but it should be understood that other game types will have different contents. For example, a playable view panel corresponding to a blackjack game type can provide a user with the ability to play multiple points / hands at once on the same table. As another example, a blackjack panel can include other bets associated with the game type, such as doubling or splitting. As yet another example, a roulette game type panel can include popular bets such as red, black, even, odd, high, and low. However, the playable view panel included in the multi-table view typically includes a compact reduced user interface associated with the game type, and omits some additional functions and / or information included in the complete extended view of the game instance, as further described herein. As an example, a roulette playable view panel in a multi-table view can omit a complete layout of 32 separate numbers for a single number bet, requiring the player to navigate to a complete extended user interface to access a single number bet.

[0070] Panels 500 and 550 are also shown as including expansion controls 540 and 590. Each playable view panel in the multi-table view may include an expansion control. The expansion control may be operable to cause expansion of the corresponding panel, as further discussed herein. In response to user input selecting an expansion control, indicating a desire to expand a panel, the electronic gaming system may cause the particular playable view panel associated with the selected expansion control to expand to display additional details, as further discussed herein. In this process, the expansion panel may replace one or more other panels on the display, such as by expanding to occupy the entire playable view area 430.

[0071] return Figure 4 The multi-table view in the playable view area 430 allows the user to see, for example, eight tables of a selected game type at a time by displaying information and functionality corresponding to multiple game instances. The user may be able to track and evaluate trends for each displayed game, and may use this information to select a game instance to play. It should be noted that past results may have no effect on the outcome of subsequent game rounds in some game types, and in other game types, their effect may be very limited.

[0072] The playable view area 430 is shown as including 8 playable view panels. It should be understood that any number of playable view panels may be included in the playable view area 430. However, screen size and processing power may limit the number of playable view panels that can be effectively included. As additional panels are added for additional gaming tables, each area may be scaled down. If many playable view panels are included, it may not be possible to provide enough space for each individual panel to display enough information content to allow the user to effectively view the state of the game. For example, if a button becomes too small to be selected, does not display enough information about the game, or the text becomes too small to read, the smaller panel may eventually lose functionality and be useless to the player. In a preferred embodiment, 8 playable view panels are used to provide a sufficient amount of functionality and information to the user while still presenting the user with a variety of options for the gaming table.

[0073] The tab display area 420 may include a paging switch 425 that may be operable to allow a user to view additional game instances. In the event that the number of available tables exceeds the number of tables that the playable view area 430 can simultaneously display, the paging switch 425 may allow the user to advance to the next page of tables. In response to the user selecting the paging switch 425, indicating a desire to view additional tables, the electronic gaming device may update the playable view area 430 to replace the plurality of playable view panels with a new second plurality of playable view panels corresponding to the next page of game instances. In some implementations, a single click on the paging switch 425 may advance to the next page of available games.

[0074] User interface 400 may also include a player credit area 440. Player credit area 440 may display information corresponding to the user's balance, and provide one or more controls operable to adjust the bets placed by the user. For example, player credit area 440 may include an indication of the player's cash balance in the electronic gaming system. Player credit area 440 may also include an indication of the current total bet amount under all games (including currently undisplayed games, such as games on different pages) provided by the player to the system. Player credit area 440 may also include various chip denominations (or other value indications) that allow players to adjust the bet amount. In certain embodiments, players may drag chips or other valuable indicators to appropriate bet controls in the playable view panel to place corresponding bets. The content of credit area 440 may change based on the environment. For example, the total bet amount may be displayed when in a multi-table view mode, but when the player has expanded a single game according to aspects described herein, a single bet amount may be displayed.

[0075] In some implementations, when in the initial state, the user interface 400 may display less than all of the areas shown before initial input from the player. For example, the user interface 400 may be replaced with a splash screen or an attract mode display until the user begins to interact with the electronic gaming device. As another example, the user interface 400 may initially include a label display area 420 that allows the user to select a game type, but the playable view area 430 may be omitted until the user selects a game. In other embodiments, popular game types may be selected by default or according to operator configuration.

[0076] although Figure 4 The example uses eight Baccarat tables to illustrate the user interface 400, but it should be readily understood that other game types can be selected from the tab display area and displayed in the multi-table view on the playable view area. For example, Figure 6 Another exemplary user interface 600 is depicted in which a user has selected a Roulette game type from the tab display area. The user interface 600 includes two playable view panels for the Roulette game type, panel 610 and panel 620. Compared to Baccarat, Roulette may require relatively more screen real estate to display enough content to allow a user to effectively interact with the compact user interface presented by the playable view panels in the multi-table view. Therefore, in the user interface 600, only two Roulette tables are displayed at a time. As with Baccarat, the user may be able to operate the next page switch to view additional game instances. Although Figure 6 The example shown in occupies two playable view panels that are split horizontally across the display area, but it will be appreciated that any suitable layout may be used based on the game hand information to be displayed. For example, a display with two Baccarat tables (or any other game type) may be split vertically rather than horizontally.

[0077] As another example, Figure 7 Depicted is a user interface 700 in which a user has selected a Sic Bo game type from the label display area. The user interface 700 similarly includes two playable view panels for the Sic Bo game type, panels 710 and 720. Like Roulette, Sic Bo may require more screen space to implement an effective and compact user interface as Baccarat does.

[0078] Therefore, it should be readily appreciated that the aspects described herein are not limited to any particular number of display tables or any particular shape, size, or layout of playable view panels. Fig.11 As mentioned, aspects described herein are not limited to a unified display of a single game type or the shape of the playable view panel.

[0079] The discussion thus far has focused on the compact user interface provided by each playable view panel corresponding to a game instance displayed in a multi-table view. As described above, each playable view panel in a multi-table view provides a compact user interface that provides a reduced set of functionality and information associated with the type of game. For example, the reduced set of functionality may omit some less common betting or trending information in addition to the most common trending information. Some users may desire to drill down to a particular game instance and view an expanded user interface corresponding to that game instance. The user may select an expanded control associated with a particular user interface, and the electronic gaming system may modify the display of the playable view area to focus on the selected game instance. Figure 8 An example of this extended user interface is shown in .

[0080] Figure 8 A user interface 800 is depicted including an expanded playable view panel 810. Figure 8 In the example shown, the player has selected to expand the playable view panel corresponding to a game instance of the Baccarat game type. In response to a user selecting an expand control on a compact playable view panel in the multi-table view, the electronic gaming system may expand the playable view panel to occupy a larger portion of the user interface and provide additional information / functionality. The expanded panel may replace the display of other playable view panels from the multi-table view, devoting more screen space to the selected game and allowing the player to focus on the selected game. In a preferred embodiment, the expanded panel may occupy the entire playable view area.

[0081] The expansion panel 810 includes a larger display than the corresponding compact playable view panel (e.g. Figure 4 Playable View Panel 432 and Figure 5B For example, in addition to the popular bets included in panel 550 (e.g., player bet controls 821 and banker bet controls 822), the expanded panel 810 also includes a bonus bet control 823. As another example, the expanded panel 810 includes a "big road" trend display element 830 (similar to Figure 5A The expansion panel 810 may include a trend display element 530 of the game, but also includes additional "side road" trend display elements 831 and 832. And the expansion panel 810 may include other additional information content, such as video content 833. The video content may depict, for example, a real dealer operating a game instance. In other implementations and / or environments, the video content may be a pre-recorded video of the dealer, a computer-generated video of the dealer, a video of the table corresponding to the game instance, and / or other suitable video content. Other game information may also be displayed in the expansion panel 810, such as an indication of other players who are also participating in the game instance.

[0082] The expansion panel 810 also includes a zoom out control 940 operable to zoom the expanded panel back into a compact playable view panel and display other playable view panels in the multi-table view. In response to a user selecting the zoom out control 940, the electronic gaming device may remove the additional information associated with the expansion panel 810 from display and replace the expansion panel with a corresponding playable view panel (e.g., playable view panel 432).

[0083] As mentioned above Figure 5A and 5B As described in the exemplary compact playable view panel depicted in FIG. 1 , the expanded game panel can correspond to any game type that the user has selected. For example, Fig. 9 A user interface 900 is shown including an expansion panel 910 for a roulette game instance. In response to a user selecting a roulette game type panel (e.g. Figure 6 The panel 610 of the embodiment of the present invention can be expanded to display the expansion panel 910. The expansion panel 910 can include a complete display of a single number 920 on the roulette wheel, allowing players to place single number bets, similar to those displayed in the compact view of the panel 610. However, the expansion panel 910 can also provide additional betting options through the betting controls 923, such as last, adjacent and various combination bets. And the expansion panel 910 can provide additional views of the table, such as a track view of the numbers. Similarly, the expansion panel 910 can present a recent result trend display element 931 similar to that shown in the panel 610, but can also present hot and cold trend display elements 932 and dealer video content 933.

[0084] Having discussed exemplary user interfaces and user progression through those user interfaces, including the display of a multi-table view consisting of a playable view panel and drill-down controls for viewing additional information and functionality corresponding to a particular game instance, discussion will now turn to methods in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, such as Fig.10 as shown in .

[0085] Fig.10 A method 1000 of operating a game selection menu to provide a multi-table view feature according to the aforementioned discussion is depicted. The method 1000 may be used in an electronic gaming device (e.g., Figure 1 Other suitable electronic gaming devices may include any suitable computing device, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, a tablet computer, etc. The output generated by method 1000 may be displayed on a display device connected to the electronic gaming device, such as a touch screen or other suitable display.

[0086] In step 1005, the electronic gaming device may receive a selection of a game type from a plurality of game types displayed in a label display area of ​​a user interface via an input device (e.g., a touch screen, a mouse, a button, etc.). The device may display a plurality of labels in a label display area corresponding to different game types. For example, the game type may be any of the following: Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Sic Bo, Big Six, Craps, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, etc.

[0087] In step 1010, the device can generate one or more playable view panels to fill the playable view area. Each playable view panel can correspond to the corresponding game bureau instance of the selected game type. The game bureau instance can include a group of live and / or virtual tables of the selected game type provided by the operator of the electronic game system. Each playable view panel can include a compact user interface associated with the selected game type, and can allow users to directly participate in the underlying game instance without having to navigate to different screens. The information included in each playable view panel can include information about the state of the game instance and trend information based on the past results of the game instance. Therefore, the user can view multiple playable view panels to evaluate the recent results and determine which game bureau instances / tables to participate in. The functions included in each playable view panel can allow the user to interact with the underlying game bureau instance and indicate that they participate in the game, such as by placing a bet on the result of the game. The functions included in the playable view panel can be less than all the functions included in the extended complete user interface associated with the selected game type.

[0088] At step 1015, the device may receive user input requesting that the user interface advance to a next page of game instances having a selected game type. The user input may indicate that the user manipulated a page switch corresponding to a particular game type. In response, the device may update the playable view area to replace the plurality of playable view panels with a different plurality of playable view panels corresponding to additional game instances on the next page of the game, and processing may continue.

[0089] In step 1020, the device can wait for user input, while continuing to update the playable view panel based on the activity in the underlying game instance. For example, the playable view panel can include a timer display element corresponding to the underlying game instance. When the timer counts down the remaining time until the next round of game instance will be played, the device can update the timer display element at regular intervals (for example, per second). The device can also include a trend display element based on the past game results of the underlying game instance. Whenever the timer expires and obtains a new result, the trend display element can be updated based on the new result. In some implementations, the device can provide different information and / or functions in a playable view panel that is inactive (when the user is not participating) or active (when the user is participating and / or has an active bet).

[0090] In response to receiving the user input, the device may take appropriate steps corresponding to the operation indicated by the user input. The user input may indicate a request for a particular function by a user selecting a display element and / or a control associated with the particular function.

[0091] In step 1025, upon receiving user input selecting a new game type, the device may update the playable view area to display one or more playable view panels corresponding to the selected new game type, returning to step 1010. Fig.11 Further to the discussed embodiment, the device may determine at step 1030 whether the user input indicates that the user desires a blended game view rather than a single game view, and may update the playable view area accordingly.

[0092] In step 1035, in the case of receiving a user input indicating that the user is participating in one or more game instances through a playable view panel, the system can record a bet or other form of participating in a game instance, and proceed to step 1040. In particular, the function included in the compact user interface of multiple playable view panels allows the user to indicate a bet or other participation in a specific game instance directly on the corresponding playable view panel, while other playable view panels are displayed at the same time. The user input received via the input device can include the selection of elements of the playable view panel associated with the bet and / or other betting functions (e.g., knocking, clicking, pressing a button, and / or dragging a betting element). The appropriate bet corresponding to the selected function will be made in the underlying game instance of the playable view panel receiving the user input. In addition, other functions on the user interface can allow the user to adjust the bet, such as by changing the denomination of the chips used for betting. The user can drag the representation of the chip to the betting area in the specific playable view panel to place a corresponding bet.

[0093] At step 1045, the device and / or the broader electronic gaming system in which the device participates may evaluate the outcome of the game round. As described above, the electronic gaming system may utilize a timer to determine when to execute each game instance. Upon expiration of the timer, the system may execute a game round and evaluate the outcome of that round. At step 1050, the outcome may be communicated to the user, and the user's credit balance may be adjusted. For example, if the user wins a bet, the user's balance may be increased accordingly. Processing may then return to step 1020, where the device awaits further user input.

[0094] In step 1055, in the case where the device receives a user input requesting an extension of a particular game instance, the device may extend the corresponding playable view panel and proceed to step 1060. In step 1060, the device may determine additional content for the extended view of the game instance. As described above, the extended view of the game instance may include additional content, such as additional information and / or functionality, relative to the limited information and functionality already provided in the playable view panel. For example, the device may determine that an extended user interface for a selected game type includes additional game options that were not included in the compact user interface view before the extension. As another example, the device may determine that an extended user interface for a selected game type includes additional information elements, such as video content associated with the underlying game instance and similarly not included in the playable view panel before the extension. The user input indicating a request to extend a particular game instance may include user input that selects an extended control corresponding to a particular playable view panel.

[0095] At step 1065, the device may update the display of the playable view area to replace the other playable view panels with the expanded panel corresponding to the selected game index. In some implementations, the expanded panel may occupy the entire playable view area. The expansion may be performed in response to a user input requesting expansion of a particular playable view panel. The display of the expanded view panel may include additional content that was not shown before the selected playable view panel was expanded.

[0096] In step 1070, the device may provide the user with a complete user interface for the selected game instance via the expansion panel. Similar to the electronic gaming devices of the prior art, the user may be allowed to play a single game instance and place appropriate bets while presenting appropriate game information. The device may record bets received from the user, evaluate the results of the game rounds of a particular game instance, and communicate the results of the particular game instance to the user. However, the display may still provide the user with the option of changing the game type via the label display area, and the expansion panel may include a control that allows the user to return to the multi-table view (not shown). When the zoom-out control is operated, indicating that the user wants to return to the multi-table view, the device may return to step 1010 and display the multiple playable view panels again.

[0097] Having discussed methods for manipulating the game selection menu, discussion will now turn to supporting mixed game types in a multi-table view, such as Fig.11 as shown in .

[0098] Fig.11 A user interface 1100 is depicted that includes playable view panels corresponding to three different game types. Fig.11In the example shown, panel 1110 corresponds to an instance of a roulette game type, area 1120 corresponds to two panels of a baccarat game type, and panel 1130 corresponds to an instance of a blackjack game type. Although many players like to play a single type of game, some players may desire to play several different types of games at the same time. This hybrid multi-table view can allow interested players to participate in multiple games of multiple types from a single user interface. This may be advantageous in the case where there are no seats available in the first game type (e.g., blackjack) desired by the user, because the user can be allowed to play a second game type (e.g., roulette) while waiting for a table of the first game type to have seats available. This may also be advantageous when the user desires to take a break from one game to "change their luck" by playing another game type for a short period of time.

[0099] As in the single-type multi-table view, each playable view panel includes functionality and information that allows players to evaluate the state of each game and place bets without having to navigate to a focused full user interface associated with a particular game. However, similar to the single-type multi-table view, each panel may include an expansion control that is operable to drill down to a specific game instance and expand the panel corresponding to the selected game instance.

[0100] like Fig.11 As shown in , the playable view panels can be any suitable shape and have different contents based on the type of game involved. For example, the roulette panel 1110 is large to allow the full number layout to be displayed, occupying nearly half of the playable view area. The baccarat panels 1120 are each small, requiring less space to convey enough information to allow the user to play the game. And the blackjack panel 1130 is medium sized, allowing enough space to allow the player to bet on multiple points / hands at the same time.

[0101] The layout and type of each panel in the playable view area may be configurable by the user. The user interface 1100 may provide controls that allow the user to add or remove tables from the playable view area. For example, the tab display area may include controls that allow the user to indicate whether they want a single game type experience for selecting a game or want to add a single game instance to a hybrid multi-table view.

[0102] According to some aspects, the size and layout of the playable view panel need not be fixed. The electronic gaming device may automatically determine the size and / or layout of each playable view panel based on the number of games currently displayed and display parameters (e.g., resolution, screen size). For example, if only two Baccarat tables are available, the playable view panels may be automatically resized to each occupy half of the playable view area. For example, two Baccarat tables may be displayed side by side, one occupying the left half of the display area and the other occupying the right half. In addition, the device may rearrange the displayed table in response to user input or automatically. For example, a user interface may provide controls that allow a user to select and reposition a playable view panel, such as by dragging the playable view panel to a desired location and exchanging screen positions with another panel. Or, as another example, the device may automatically rearrange the table to prioritize and / or group the game instances currently being participated in by the player.

[0103] Each game type may be associated with one or more compact user interfaces suitable for displaying a playable view panel in a multi-table view. For example, when 8 Baccarat tables are displayed simultaneously, a small user interface with a small feature set may be used, while when 4 Baccarat tables are displayed simultaneously, a medium user interface with a larger feature set may be used.

[0104] The aspects described herein can be implemented on a computing device specifically configured to perform the above steps and functions. Suitable computing devices may include one or more processors that can execute instructions of a computer program to perform any of the features described herein. Instructions may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory to configure the operation of the processor. For example, instructions may be stored in a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a removable medium, such as a universal serial bus (USB) drive, a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD), a floppy disk drive, or any other desired storage medium. Instructions may also be stored in an additional (or internal) hard disk. The computing device may include one or more output devices, such as a display (e.g., a computer monitor), and may include one or more output device controllers, such as a video processor. There may also be one or more user input devices, such as a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a microphone, a camera input for user gestures, etc. The computing device may also include one or more network interfaces, such as a network input / output (I / O) circuit (e.g., a network card) that communicates with an external network. The network input / output circuit may be a wired interface, a wireless interface, or a combination of the two.

[0105] The preceding section describes a hardware configuration, but the components discussed herein may also be implemented in whole or in part as software. Modifications may be made as needed to add, remove, combine, split, and other components of various computing devices and servers. In addition, the components discussed herein may be implemented using basic computing devices and components, and the same components (e.g., processors, ROM memories, displays, etc.) may be used to implement any other computing devices and components described herein. For example, the various components herein may be implemented using a computing device having components such as a processor that executes computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Some or all of the entities described herein may be software-based and may coexist on a common physical platform (e.g., a requesting entity may be an independent software process and program from a subordinate entity, both of which may be executed as software on a public computing device).

[0106] One or more aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in computer-usable data and / or computer-executable instructions, such as in one or more program modules, which are executed by one or more computers or other devices. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types when executed by a processor in a computer or other data processing device. Computer-executable instructions may be stored on one or more computer-readable media, such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a removable storage medium, a solid-state memory, a RAM, etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functions of the program modules may be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments. In addition, the functions may be embodied in firmware or hardware equivalents, such as integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. Specific data structures may be used to more efficiently implement one or more aspects of the present disclosure, and such data structures are expected to be within the scope of the computer-executable instructions and computer-usable data described herein.

[0107] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, various features and steps may be combined, segmented, omitted, rearranged, modified and / or expanded in any desired manner, depending on the particular results and / or applications. Various changes, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. These changes, modifications and improvements understood by this disclosure are intended to be a part of this specification, although not expressly described herein, and are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing description is merely exemplary and not restrictive. This patent is limited only to the limitations in the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for operating a game selection menu, the method comprising: Displaying a plurality of game type tags in a tag display area on a display device, wherein each tag of the plurality of game type tags corresponds to a different game type; receiving a first user input indicating a selection of a first tag among the plurality of game type tags to select a first game type; In response to the first user input and on the display device, displaying a plurality of playable view panels in a playable view area adjacent to the tab display area, wherein at least one of the plurality of playable view panels comprises an inactive panel, the inactive panel comprising: a trend display element based on at least one past game play outcome of the first game play instance; and a timer element associated with said first game instance; In response to expiration of the timer element, updating the trend display element to indicate an outcome of the first game hand instance; receiving a second user input indicating a first wager on a first game instance in a first panel of the plurality of playable view panels; receiving a third user input indicating a selection of a second panel of the plurality of playable view panels; A fourth user input is received indicating a second wager on a second game hand instance in the second panel, wherein the first game hand instance and the second game hand instance are played at least partially simultaneously.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a fifth user input indicating a selection of page switching; as well as In response to the fifth user input and on the display device, replacing the plurality of playable view panels with a different plurality of playable view panels of the first game type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Based on receiving the third user input, additional game content is displayed, wherein the additional game content includes at least one additional game play interaction option associated with the second game play instance, the at least one additional game play interaction option not depicted prior to selecting and expanding the second game play instance.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on receiving the third user input, additional game content is displayed, wherein the additional game content includes video content associated with the second game session instance, the video content not being depicted prior to selecting and expanding the second game session instance.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The results of the first bet and the second bet are communicated.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of playable view panels include two playable view panels, and wherein the two playable view panels occupy the playable view area and are split horizontally or vertically.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of playable view panels includes eight playable view panels.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second user input indicating the first bet includes user input selecting a betting element on at least one first panel of the plurality of playable view panels.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: A player credit area is displayed adjacent the tab display area and the playable view area, wherein at least one control in the player credit area is operable to adjust an amount of a wager.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The game types corresponding to the plurality of game type tags include Baccarat, Sic Bo, and Roulette.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A bonus bet element associated with the second game hand instance is displayed, the bonus bet element not being depicted prior to selecting and expanding the second game hand instance.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A single number betting element associated with the second game hand instance is displayed, the single number betting element not being depicted prior to selecting and expanding the second game hand instance.

13. A computing device comprising: one or more processors; and A memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform the method of any one of claims 1-12.

14. A computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1-12 to be performed.

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