Cork Group Trading Ltd.

Waterleaf Limited

Other

Pridefield Limited

Theo Naicker

Terence Igesund

Richard Vermaak

Rory Angus Harpur

Brendan Clyde Walton

Martin Paul Moshal

Francesco Verardi

Rory Harpur

Duncan Andrew Keith McRoberts

Michael Paul Novellie

Wesley John Harding

Michael John Gaspar

Hylton David Rottcher

In one example, disclosed is a method for use with at least one die, wherein each of the at least one die is configured to have multiple resting positions and includes multiple symbols disposed thereon, and wherein for each of the at least one die, each of the multiple resting positions of that die corresponds with a respective one of the multiple symbols of that die. The method involves: the electronic gaming machine causing each of the at least one die to randomly land in one of the multiple resting positions of that die; for each of the at least one die, the electronic gaming machine determining the symbol that corresponds with the landed resting position of that die; and the electronic gaming machine performing an action based, at least in part, on the at least one determined symbol.

Electronic gaming machine with die-based random result generator

Methods, machines, and systems for additional movement of one or more symbols of a reel-type game after the reels are spun for a turn of the reel-type game, but before a next turn of the game, are described. The symbol(s) moved after the reels are spun may comprise a scatter symbol or a symbol other than a scatter symbol. A tip of an off-reel-display symbol positioned outside of a reel-display area may be visible within the reel-display area to notify a player of the reel-type game that additional movement of the off-reel-display symbol is imminent. The off-reel-display symbol may be moved, onto a symbol that is being displayed within the reel-display area, after payment of any award(s) earned for certain combinations of symbols occurring on paylines with the reel-display area and/or after payment of any awards earned for a prescribed number of scatter symbols being displayed within the reel-display area.

Nudge features in reel-type games

An electronic multiplayer tournament is provided in which participating players can win real-money prizes during tournament play, that is, prizes that can be redeemed for value outside of the context of the tournament prize, in addition to overall tournament prizes at the close of tournament play. The real-money prizes may include any one or more of a jackpot prize, a progressive jackpot prize or a wide-area progressive jackpot prize. A portion of a tournament entry fee can be utilized to fund the cost of the real-money prize, in direct proportion to the probability of the real-money prize being won by a participating player.

Method and system for providing electronic multiplayer tournaments with real-money prizes during tournament play

A central gaming server communicates with a gaming workstation over a network, such as a local area network or wide area computer network. The gaming server makes an initial determination of payout percentage for an instance of a game engaged in by the workstation, and generates results of turns of the game in accordance with the initial payout percentage. In one embodiment, the payout percentage is dynamically changed by the gaming server, and it generates additional results of turns of the game using the new payout percentage. Triggers for determining a new payout percentage could be that a predetermined number of turns of play at the initial payout percentage have occurred, the elapsing of a certain amount of time, or the player logging off the game and then logging back on. In further embodiments, the gaming workstation includes a processor and instructions for locally determining an initial payout percentage, the results of play, and dynamically changing the payout percentage without requiring communication with a central gaming server.

Variable payout wager games

A player of a card game, such as poker, is presented with opportunities to replace one or more of the cards in his or her hand. The first such replacement may be free, but the player may incur a cost for each subsequent replacement. This cost may be based on how much the player is expected to benefit from the replacement. Facilitating these subsequent replacements may allow the player to improve a poor hand, thus enhancing the player's excitement of playing the card game.

Methods and devices for card games with card replacement

Players in a multi-state card game, such as blackjack or baccarat, are presented with opportunities to exchange their cards for new cards when the card game is in one or more particular states. These opportunities may include offers to redeal the player's hand of cards or redeal the player's opponent's hand of cards. Additionally, when the player is dealt a new card to be added to the player's hand, the player may be offered options to discard the new card, replace the new card with another new card, or to redeal the player's hand and/or the opponent's hand. In this way, the player may be able to improve his or her position in the card game. At the same time, the game provider may charge the player for acceptance of these offers, thus improving the profit margin of the game provider.

Methods and devices for multi-state card games with card replacement

Machines, servers and reel-type games are disclosed which provide a player with a visible indication of progress being made towards award of a stacked or expanding symbol on a reel, thereby heightening anticipation and increasing excitement of the game. A trigger condition for appearance of the stacked or expanding symbol can be achieved (i.e. accumulated or collected) over multiple turns or spins of the game. Progress towards meeting the trigger condition is displayed to the player directly on the display of the game.

Display of symbol accumulation in reel-type games

Multi-level wager games are described in which play at higher levels in the game continues even if the player does not achieve a winning result for play at a given level. Such play at the higher levels may be completed automatically in an autocomplete mode, without any additional player interaction. A payout is awarded if the outcome of play at any of the higher levels is a winning result in accordance with a special pay table designed for such autocomplete mode. In one embodiment, the special pay table is constructed such that the odds of obtaining a winning result in the autocomplete mode are less than the odds of obtaining a winning result for play at the first level. For example, in a two level poker game, if the player loses in the first level with only a pair of sixes (pair of Jacks or better needed for a winning hand in the first level), the cards in the second hand are revealed and the player obtains a winning result for second level hand only if the hand is dealt a Royal Flush.

Multi-level wager games with autocomplete

A central gaming server communicates with a gaining workstation over a network, such as a local area network or wide area computer network. The gaming server makes an initial determination of payout percentage for an instance of a game engaged in by the workstation, and generates results of turns of the game in accordance with the initial payout percentage. In one embodiment, the payout percentage is dynamically changed by the gaming server, and it generates additional results of turns of the game using the new payout percentage. Triggers for determining a new payout percentage could be that a predetermined number of turns of play at the initial payout percentage have occurred, the elapsing of a certain amount of time, or the player logging off the game and then logging back on. In further embodiments, the gaming workstation includes a processor and instructions for locally determining an initial payout percentage, the results of play, and dynamically changing the payout percentage without requiring communication with a central gaming server.

A player of a card game, such as poker, may be presented with opportunities to replace one or more of the cards in his or her hand. For example, the player may be dealt a first set of cards, and then offered a first opportunity to replace one or more cards in the first set. The player may also be dealt a second set of cards, and then offered a second opportunity to replace one or more cards in the second set. Preferably, the first set and the second set of cards, when combined, form the player's hand of cards. The player may accept at least one of these two offers and, in doing so, may incur a cost for accepting one or more of the offers. This cost may be based on the difference between a first return associated with hand of cards played without replacement, and an expected second return associated with the offer(s) the player accepted.

Online blackjack tournaments are described which provide a facility by which a player in the blackjack tournament may purchase a card counting report to assist in their play. The card counting report could be purchased with cash or cash equivalent, or with chips assigned to the player for play in the tournament. The player may select the format or content for the card counting report. The report could be purchased for the entire tournament, a round of the tournament, or for one or more hands. In one variation, the card counting report is generated by a central gaming server. In another variation, the card counting report is generated locally by a client process executing on a workstation used by a player to play in the tournament.

Online blackjack tournaments with option to purchase card counting report

A gaming server, game playing apparatus and a method for facilitating play of a multiplayer game by multiple players each playing an instance of single-player wager game at a workstation having a display. Multiple single-player wager game instances are aggregated into a multiplayer game environment. In the single-player wager game, one of the possible rewards for a turn of play is an award of a multiplier credit useable in a bonus game. The bonus game is played by those players having accumulated at least one multiplier credit at the time the bonus game is triggered. A result in the bonus game is generated randomly by a bonus machine from a finite set of possible results. The winnings in the bonus game is the product of the player's multiplier credit multiplied by the result. Winnings are obtained from the game proprietor, are independent of results for other players, and are not shared with such other players. The bonus machine can take several forms, including a wheel, a reel, or a machine randomly selecting a numbered ball.

Electronic gaming environment with display of multiple instances of single-player games and multiplayer bonus game

Reel-type games are described in which a player's progress towards an award of a bonus game is displayed to the player. The required triggering event for an award of a bonus game may be accumulated over multiple turns of the game. A bonus indicator (e.g., icon) is provided on the display in association with each reel of the reels. After a spin of the reels, the bonus indicator for a given reel is activated if a symbol associated with an award of a bonus game is presented on the given reel. As the player continues to play, whenever the symbol associated with the bonus game appears for the first time on a given reel, the associated bonus indicator is activated and remains activated. When all the indicators have become activated, a bonus game is awarded to the player.

Growing community of inventors

Durban, South Africa

Theo Naicker