Granted Patent B2

US 8,128,488 · App. 11/919,361 · Granted Mar 6, 2012

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the gaming system including an input device, one or more display devices, and a controller having one or more processors, the method comprising: receiving a wager from a player, via the input device, to play the wagering game; initiating a bonus feature, via the controller, during the wagering game;

displaying, via the one or more display devices, a plurality of selectable elements, the plurality including a first selection set of elements and a second selection set of elements, wherein the first selection set does not include a bonus-ending element;

in response to a selection of a first selectable element from the first selection set, awarding the player a first credit amount associated with the first selectable element; and

in response to one or more subsequent selections of other selectable elements having additional associated credit amounts, the selected other selectable elements being from the second selection set, awarding the player any additional credit amount associated with each selected other selectable element and re-awarding the player the first credit amount associated with the first selectable element for each selected other selectable element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the player selects the first selectable element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the player selects the one or more subsequently selected elements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectable elements includes a first selection set of selectable elements and a second selection set of selectable elements, the first selected element being in the first selection set of elements, the one or more subsequently selected elements being in the second selection set.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein all the selectable elements in the first selection set are associated with credit amounts or other beneficial outcomes, the method further comprising, in response to a subsequent selection of a selectable element from the second selection set associated with a safe pick symbol, awarding the player a selection of second selectable element from the first selection set, the second selectable element being associated with a second credit amount, and awarding the player both the first and second credit amounts for each subsequently selected other selected element from the second selection set that is not a bonus-ending item.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more subsequently selected elements are successively selected until the selection of a bonus-ending item.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

displaying another plurality of selectable elements in response to the selection of a bonus-ending item; and

associating a bonus saver outcome with at least one of the another plurality of selectable elements.

8. A gaming system for conducting a wagering game, the gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

one or more display devices;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to operate with the at least one input device and the one or more display devices to initiate the wagering game upon receiving a wager from a player;

display a plurality of selectable elements to the player;

designate a first selection set comprising at least one of the selectable elements from the plurality, and a second selection set containing at least some of the remaining selectable elements from the plurality, wherein the first selection set does not include a bonus-ending element;

in response to a selection of an element from the first selection set, award the player a first credit amount associated with the selected element from the first selection set; and

in response to one or more subsequent selections of elements from the second selection set having additional associated credit amounts, award the player any additional credit amount associated each subsequent selection and re-award the player the first credit amount associated with the selected element from the first selection set for each of the one or more subsequent selections.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein all the elements in the first selection set are associated with credit amounts or other beneficial outcomes.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more subsequently selected elements are successively selected until the selection of a bonus-ending item.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to a subsequent selection of an element from the second selection set associated with a safe pick symbol, awarding the player a selection of second element from the first selection set, the second element being associated with a second credit amount, and awarding the player both the first and second credit amounts for each subsequent selection from the second selection set that is not a bonus-ending item.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the bonus-ending item triggers a display of another plurality of selectable elements, at least one selectable element in the another plurality of selectable elements being associated with a bonus saver outcome.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the subsequently selected elements includes a shield element adapted to nullify a subsequent selection of a bonus-ending item.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the player selects the element from the first selection set.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the player selects the one or more elements from the second selection set.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the elements in the second selection set is associated with an outcome that, in response to the selection of the at least one of the elements in the second selection set, enables another selection from the first selection set.

17. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player, via an input device, to play the wagering game;

displaying to the player, on one or more display devices, a plurality of selectable elements, the plurality including a first selection set of elements and a second selection set of elements, wherein the first selection set does not include a bonus-ending element;

in response to a selection of a first award-associated element from the plurality of selectable elements, awarding the player a first credit amount revealed by the selection of the first element; and

in response to one or more subsequent selections of different award-associated elements, the selected different award-associated elements being from the second selection set, awarding the player any additional credit amount revealed by each subsequent selection and re-awarding the player the first credit amount revealed by the selection of the first element for each of the one or more subsequent selections.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the subsequently selected elements are successively selected until the selection of a bonus-ending item.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising associating at least one of the subsequently selected elements with at least one of a shield element and a multiplier element, the shield element being adapted to nullify the bonus-ending item and enable continued selection of the selectable elements in the second set.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first award-associated element is selected from a safe pick area comprising selectable elements associated with only credit amounts or other beneficial outcomes, the method further comprising, in response to a subsequent selection that reveals a safe pick symbol, awarding the player another selection of a selectable element from the safe pick area, the another selection revealing a second credit amount, and re-awarding the player both the first and second credit amounts for each further subsequent selection of an award-associated element.

Assignments (12)