Cooperating reels
View Patent ↗Certain embodiments provide systems, methods, and apparatus for game play, including cooperative reel and/or symbol game play. A method includes initiating a game for play by a player at a gaming system. The method also includes determining a player combination of one or more symbols. The method further includes determining a dealer combination of one or more symbols. Additionally, the method includes comparing the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result. The method includes outputting the result to the gaming system for player view.
1. A method of gaming comprising:
displaying on a display a plurality of player display positions and at least one dealer display position, each display position configured for displaying at least one symbol; and
initiating by a gaming controller a spinning reel game of chance in which the gaming controller is arranged to select a plurality of first symbols from a first set of symbols that are to be respectively displayed in the player display positions, wherein spinning reel game outcomes are defined by predetermined combinations of the selected plurality of first symbols displayed in the player display positions; and
further initiating by the gaming controller a card-based game in which the gaming controller is arranged to select at least one second symbol from a second set of symbols that is to be displayed in the at least one dealer display position, the second set of symbols comprising symbols that are indicative of playing card symbols, wherein card based game outcomes are defined by a comparison function comparing the at least one second symbol displayed in the at least one dealer display
position and the plurality of first symbols displayed respectively in the plurality of player display positions, such that the selected plurality of first symbols is to be used to facilitate plays of both the spinning reel game of chance and the card-based game.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the comparison comprises:
determining a player combination of one or more symbols; determining a dealer combination of one or more symbols; and
comparing the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result.
3. A method of gaming as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second games are initiated in parallel and wherein a first game outcome is determined concurrently with a second game outcome.
4. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein comparing the player combination and the dealer combination further comprises comparing the player combination and the dealer combination to determine whether the player combination is a winning combination in view of the dealer combination.
5. A method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising awarding a prize to the player based on the result.
6. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the player combination of one or more symbols and the dealer combination of one or more symbols is randomly generated.
7. A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the player combination represents cards in a player hand of Blackjack and the dealer combination represents cards in a dealer hand of Blackjack and the player hand and the dealer hand are compared to determine whether the player beats the dealer in the video blackjack.
8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code which when executed implements a method of gaming, said method comprising:
displaying on a display a plurality of player display positions and at least one dealer display position, each display position configured for displaying at least one symbol; and
initiating by a gaming controller a spinning reel game of chance in which the gaming controller is arranged to select a plurality of first symbols from a first set of symbols that are to be respectively displayed in the player display positions, wherein spinning reel game outcomes are defined by predetermined combinations of the plurality of first symbols displayed symbols in the player display positions; and
further initiating by the gaming controller a card-based game in which the gaming controller is arranged to select at least one second symbol from a second set of symbols that is to be displayed in the at least one dealer display position, the second set of symbols comprising symbols that are indicative of playing card symbols, wherein card based game outcomes are defined by a comparison function comparing the at least one second symbol displayed in the at least one dealer display position and the plurality of first symbols displayed respectively in the plurality of player display positions, such that the selected plurality of first symbols is to be used to facilitate plays of both the spinning reel game of chance and the card-based game.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein the comparison comprises:
determining a player combination of one or more symbols; determining a dealer combination of one or more symbols; and
comparing the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result.
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 9 , wherein comparing the player combination and the dealer combination further comprises comparing the player combination and the dealer combination to determine whether the player combination is a winning combination in view of the dealer combination.
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first and second games are initiated in parallel and wherein a first game outcome is determined concurrently with a second game outcome.
12. A gaming controller arranged to:
display on a display a plurality of player display positions and at least one dealer display position, each display position configured for displaying at least one symbol; and
initiate by the gaming controller a spinning reel game of chance in which the gaming controller is arranged to select a plurality of first symbols from a first set of symbols that are to be respectively displayed in the player display positions, wherein spinning reel game outcomes are defined by predetermined combinations of the selected plurality of first symbols displayed in the player display positions; and
further initiate by the gaming controller a card-based game in which the gaming controller is arranged to select at least one second symbol from a second set of symbols that is to be displayed in the at least one dealer display position, the second set of symbols comprising symbols that are indicative of playing card symbols, wherein card based game outcomes are defined by a comparison function comparing the at least one second symbol displayed in the at least one dealer display position and the plurality of first symbols respectively displayed in the plurality of player display positions, such that the selected plurality of first symbols is to be used to facilitate plays of both the spinning reel game of chance and the card-based game.
13. A game controller as recited in claim 12 , wherein the comparison comprises:
determine a player combination of one or more symbols;
determine a dealer combination of one or more symbols; and
compare the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result.
14. A gaming controller as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first and second games are initiated in parallel and wherein a first game outcome is determined concurrently with a second game outcome.
15. A game controller as recited in claim 13 , wherein the game controller compares the player combination and the dealer combination to determine whether the player combination is a winning combination in view of the dealer combination.
16. A game controller as recited in claim 13 , wherein the game controller awards a prize to the player based on the result.
17. A game controller as recited in claim 13 , wherein at least one of the player combination of one or more symbols and the dealer combination of one or more symbols is randomly generated.
18. A gaming system comprising:
a player interface arranged to display on a display a plurality of player display positions and at least one dealer display position, each display position configured for displaying at least one symbol; and
a game controller arranged to:
initiate by the gaming controller a spinning reel game of chance in which the gaming controller is arranged to select a plurality of first symbols from a first set of symbols that are to be respectively displayed in the player display positions, wherein spinning reel game outcomes are defined by predetermined combinations of the selected plurality of first symbols displayed in the player display positions; and
further initiate by the gaming controller a card-based game in which the gaming controller is arranged to select at least one second symbol from a second set of symbols that is to be displayed in the at least one dealer display position, the second set of symbols comprising symbols that are indicative of playing card symbols, wherein card based game outcomes are defined by a comparison function comparing the at least one second symbol displayed in the at least one dealer display position and the plurality of first symbols displayed respectively in the plurality of player display positions, such that the selected plurality of first symbols is to be used to facilitate plays of both the spinning reel game of chance and the card-based game.
19. A gaming system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the comparison comprises:
a player interface comprising a display for viewing by a player;
a game controller arranged to:
determine a player combination of one or more symbols; determine a dealer combination of one or more symbols; and
compare the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result.
20. A gaming system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first and second games are initiated in parallel and wherein a first game outcome is determined concurrently with a second game outcome.
21. A gaming system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the game controller compares the player combination and the dealer combination to determine whether the player combination is a winning combination in view of the dealer combination.
22. A gaming system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the game controller awards a prize to the player based on the result.
23. A gaming system as recited in claim 19 , wherein at least one of the player combination of one or more symbols and the dealer combination of one or more symbols is randomly generated.
24. A gaming system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the game controller further comprises:
a random number generator arranged to determine a player combination of one or more symbols and determine a dealer combination of one or more symbols; and
a comparator arranged to compare the player combination and the dealer combination to determine a result.
25. A gaming system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the random number generator comprises a first random number generator arranged to determine a player combination of one or more symbols and a second random number generator arranged to determine a dealer combination of one or more symbols.
26. A gaming system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the player interface comprises at least one of a set of electromechanical reels, a video display, and an overlay with respect to a set electromechanical reels.