Selectable Bonus System And Method
A selectable bonus system and method are disclosed. A gaming machine system includes a gaming machine with a game containing a set of possible options, including a subset of options selectable by a player upon a triggering event. A bonus game is operated in accordance with the selected option.
1 . A networked gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines connected through a network to a host computer, at least one of the gaming machines including a game comprising: an interface activatable by a player;
at least one of a set of possible outcomes determined after activation of the interface by the player, the set of possible outcomes including a winning subset of outcomes;
a set of possible options, including a subset of options selectable by the player upon a triggering event; a selected option selected by the player from the subset of options;
and a bonus game operated in accordance with the selected option.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is based on the determined outcome being a member of the winning subset of outcomes.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is not based on the determined outcome being a member of the winning subset of outcomes.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is based on the number of games played.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein each option in the set of possible options is contained in the subset of selectable options.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein each option in the set of possible options is not contained in the subset of selectable options.
7 . The system of claim 6 wherein each option in the set of possible options has an equal probability of being contained in the subset of selectable options.
8 . The system of claim 6 wherein each option in the set of possible options does not have an equal probability of being contained in the subset of selectable options.
9 . The system of claim 1 further including an average expected value for each option in the set of possible options, the average expected values all being equal.
10 . The system of claim 1 further including an average expected value for each option in the set of possible options, the average expected values not all being equal.
11 . A method of operating a networked gaming system, the method including the steps of: connecting a plurality of games; for one of the plurality of games, selecting one of a set of possible outcomes, the set of possible outcomes including a winning subset of outcomes; upon a triggering event, presenting a plurality of options to a player of the one game; accepting an option chosen by the player from the plurality of options; and operating a bonus game in accordance with the accepted option.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the triggering event is based on the selected outcome being a member of the winning subset of outcomes.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the triggering event is not based on the selected outcome being a member of the winning subset of outcomes.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the triggering event is based on the number of games played.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the average expected value for each option in the plurality of options is equal.
16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the average expected value for each option in the plurality of options is not equal.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further including the step of selecting the plurality of options from a set of possible options.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each option in the set of possible options is included in the plurality of options presented to the player.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each option in the set of possible options is not included in the plurality of options presented to the player.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each option in the set of possible options has an equal probability of being included in the plurality of options presented to the player.
21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each option in the set of possible options does not have an equal probability of being included in the plurality of options presented to the player.