4784results about "Board games" patented technology

Forms of interaction with an electronic system, such as for games of chance, games of skill, and combinations thereof are described herein. A system is provided for effecting defined game play and prizing structure parameters in an electronic entertainment environment. The system may include an input for receiving the parameters, a memory coupled to the input for storing the parameters, a processing system coupled to the storage for generating game play to effect the defined parameters, storage for recording information regarding particular game play events and an interface for at least presenting game play events to users of the electronic entertainment system. In one mode of operation, one or more mandated parameters are externally imposed, and variable parameters are selected such that the mandated parameters are met globally, and such that the user experience is optimized.

A method of application of popular casino, lottery, and sports games formatted and modified specifically for the parimutuel race industry. The invention games possess unique rules and formats to govern their play within parimutuel race wagering while reflecting existing games from casinos, lotteries and sports. Wagers are placed electronically with parimutuel race operators who retain a percentage of all bets as determined by individual state law. Outcomes of the invention games are determined by their unique rules and interpretation of current parimutuel racing results.

A system automatically monitors playing of a game and gathers data in real time. An overhead imaging system automatically images the game table and provides an overhead view of the game table and / or the dealer's chip tray. A lateral imaging system images the gaming area, especially the wagering regions, to provide a lateral view of the chips on the table. An automatic card shoe system dispenses cards and automatically images at least one card immediately prior to its withdrawal from the shoe. A positioning module processes images from the overhead imaging system to automatically track the position of gaming objects such as for example playing cards, chips, currency bills on the gaming table. An identity module processes images from the overhead imaging system to automatically track the identity of gaming objects on the gaming table. A chip identity module processes overhead images of the chip tray and lateral images of the gaming region to automatically determine, the identity and position of gaming chips. A card-shoe software associated with the automatic card shoe system processes signals from the automatic card shoe system to automatically identify the game related value of at least one card immediately prior to its withdrawal from the shoe by a dealer.

A dual wagering game method for one or more players based on simultaneous participation in two mutually exclusive game components with a payoff being the product of the game component outcomes. Wagers are made in both a repeatable base game component and a nonrepeatable bonus game component which components are mutually exclusive. The outcome of the bonus game component results in a multiplier value. Winnings from repeated plays of the base game component are accumulated until a game ending event occurs and the player receives a payout of any accumulated winnings from the base game component multiplied by the multiplier value determined in the bonus game component.

The invention provides a prize redemption system for use with one or more game apparatuses. A game is provided on a game apparatus for a player to play in exchange for monetary input, and prize credits are credited to the player based on the game outcome. A prize selection menu is then displayed by the game apparatus, the menu including one or more prizes, where the player may select a prize that has a prize cost within the player's prize credit amount. The player is dispensed a specific prize ticket that is redeemable for the selected prize. The game apparatus can also provide specific prizes and tournament games played for a tournament prize contributed to by multiple players. An operator can adjust prizes and payout percentages of the system to achieve a desired profitability for game apparatuses. Prize input is entered into a prize table describing multiple available prizes and also describing payout information that indicates a desired amount of payout that the operator wishes to provide back to players of the game apparatus in terms of the value of the prizes. Prize information, such as prize costs and specific prize win ratios, is automatically determined by the system for each of the prizes in view of the desired profitability of the game apparatus.Additionally, the invention provides method and article of manufacture for implementing a user profile-driven gaming and prize redeeming system. The user profile-driven gaming and prize redemption system allows for the tailoring of a user's experience of playing a computer implemented game on a network gaming system by first receiving an identifier selected from a group of identifiers including a user identifier relating to the user (i.e., player) of the network gaming system, a game identifier relating to a particular game played by the user of the network gaming system, and a site identifier relating to the location (i.e. web site) from which the game is being played. The network gaming system then alters the computer-implemented game played by the user in a manner based upon the selected identifier. The foregoing technique may also be applied to a prize redemption system.

Forms of interaction with an electronic system, such as for games of chance, games of skill, and combinations thereof are described herein. A system is provided for effecting defined game play and prizing structure parameters in an electronic entertainment environment. The system may include an input for receiving the parameters, a memory coupled to the input for storing the parameters, a processing system coupled to the storage for generating game play to effect the defined parameters, storage for recording information regarding particular game play events and an interface for at least presenting game play events to users of the electronic entertainment system. In one mode of operation, one or more mandated parameters are externally imposed, and variable parameters are selected such that the mandated parameters are met globally, and such that the user experience is optimized.

An online game of chance that produces a multi-player extension to an individual, instant lottery-type game and a method of playing the game are disclosed. The game comprises a first, individual phase of play using a virtual game substrate and a second, group phase of play comprising a plurality of virtual game substrates from first phase of play that are arrayed in a matrix. The first, individual phase of play is based on in instant lottery version of the well-known game of tic-tac-toe; the object being to match a plurality of game pieces, e.g., three, in one of a contiguous row, column, and diagonal. The object of the second phase of play is to use the combination of virtual game substrates to produce a match with one or more predetermined winning array combinations. This provides each individual participant with a second chance of winning. With the second phase of play, the combination of virtual game substrates is also movable, which produces even more opportunities for participants to win a prize.

An auxiliary game provides an auxiliary opportunity for players at a casino to win a prize by participating with a relatively small contribution each time they play a round in the principal casino game. To increase the element of random chance or luck in winning a prize in the game, a method and apparatus is provided for randomly choosing a winning card or combination of cards, or randomly selecting a person or group of persons eligible to win upon possession of the card or combination of cards. The amount of the prize can also be randomly selected either as a fixed amount or percentage of a maximum amount or a progressive jackpot.

A method of playing a casino table wagering game with at least two players comprises wagering on an underlying game where players may receive a bonus for obtaining a player hand of at least a predetermined rank; placing a side bet that at least one player of the at least two players will obtain a player hand of at least a predetermined rank; playing a hand of the casino table wagering game to conclusion; determining if at least one of the at least two players has obtained a player hand of said at least a predetermined rank; if a player has not obtained a player hand of at least a predetermined rank, but that player has placed the side bet that at least one player of the at least two players will obtain a player hand of at least a predetermined rank, and if another player has obtained a player hand of at least a predetermined rank, awarding that player a predetermined proportional share of the bonus for obtaining a player hand of at least a predetermined rank.

A persistent authenticating mechanism to map real world object presence into virtual world object awareness are provided. The illustrative embodiments provide a mechanism by which the presence of a real world object is detected and, while the real world object's presence continues to be detected, it is made available for use in a virtual environment. The detection of the real world object provides an identifier of the object which is correlated with information regarding how to represent the object in the virtual environment, how the object may be utilized in relation to other objects in the virtual environment such that the real world object is modeled in the virtual environment, and the like. The detection of multiple real world objects may be performed and identification of each of the multiple objects may be used to determine how these objects may be utilized together in the virtual environment.

A multi-player automated casino table card game platform enables play of casino table BLACKJACK-type games according to rules effected through a processor. Rules may include games similar to standard blackjack or Twenty-One with an additional bonus event present in the play of the game. The game play may include optionally placing a wager on the auxiliary card game; dealing a first number of cards to a player; dealing a second number of cards to the dealer; displaying at least one of the player's cards; displaying at least one of the dealer's cards; wherein if at least one of the displayed player's cards or at least one of the displayed dealer's cards is a card of a specific predetermined rank, paying a player who has placed the optional wager for the occurrence of the at least one card of a specific predetermined rank being displayed in either the exposed card(s) of the dealer's hand and / or the player's hand; and then continuing deal of cards according to the rules of the underlying game and continuing play of the underlying game.