Method of gaming, a gaming system, and a gaming apparatus

1. A method of gaming comprising:

providing a table game of the type where a player seeks to sink one or more balls of a set of balls in one or more pockets of the table by striking the balls with a cue ball in accordance with the rules of the table game;

receiving a wager from a player additional to any amount required to play the table game, the wager entitling the player to receive at least one bonus respectively associated with at least one designated event;

conducting the table game during which, and in response to receiving the wager, offering the player the chance to receive an alternative bonus associated with an in-game event, wherein if the player accepts the offer, the in-game event precludes the player from achieving the designated event; and

electronically monitoring play of the table game to determine whether the player achieves the designated event or the in-game event and thereby determining whether the respectively associated bonus should be awarded to the player.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of bonuses associated with respective ones of a plurality of different events.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an event comprises a plurality of sub-events.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising notifying each event to the player prior to commencement of play of the table game.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising notifying each event to the player subsequent to receipt of the wager.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising notifying the player of an opportunity to achieve an event and receiving the wager as a response to the offer.

7. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein different wager amounts entitle the player to play for different bonuses.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the table game is provided as a video game implemented by a game controller having an associated player interface comprising a display for displaying the table game and a game play mechanism operable by the player to make a wager and play the game.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the table game is provided as a physical table, the method further comprising providing a monitoring mechanism arranged to monitor for the event, a game play mechanism operable by the player to make a wager, and a game controller arranged to make the bonus award to the player if the player achieves the event.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the event is selected from the group comprising:

the order in which the balls are sunk into any of the pockets;

the order in which the balls are sunk into specific pockets; the order in which a certain subset of the balls are sunk into any pocket; and

the order in which a certain subset of balls are sunk into specific pockets.

11. A gaming system comprising:

a player interface comprising a display and a game play mechanism;

a game controller arranged to:

conduct a table game and display the table game on the display, the table game being of the type where a player seeks to sink one or more balls of a set of balls in one or more pockets of the table by striking the balls with a cue ball in accordance with the rules of the table game by operating the game play mechanism;

receive a wager from a player additional to any amount required to play the table game, the wager entitling the player to receive at least one bonus respectively associated with at least one designated event;

conduct the table game during which, and in response to receiving the wager, offer the player the chance to receive an alternative bonus associated with an in-game event, wherein if the player accepts the offer, the in-game event precludes the player from achieving the designated event; and

monitor play of the table game to determine whether the player achieves the designated event or the in-game event and thereby determine whether the respectively associated bonus should be awarded to the player.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the game controller comprises a table game play implementer arranged to implement play of the table game.

13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the game controller comprises an event monitor arranged to monitor for the occurrence of an event.

14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the game controller comprises a bonus awarder arranged to make an award to the player.

15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein there are a plurality of bonuses associated with respective ones of a plurality of different events.

16. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein an event comprises a plurality of sub-events.

17. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , arranged to notify each event to the player prior to commencement of play of the table game.

18. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , arranged to notify each event to the player subsequent to receipt of the wager.

19. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , arranged to notify the player of an opportunity to achieve an event and receive the wager as a response to the offer.

20. A gaming system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein different wager amounts entitle the player to play for different bonuses.

21. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the event is selected from the group comprising:

the order in which the balls are sunk into any of the pockets;

the order in which the balls are sunk into specific pockets;

the order in which a certain subset of the balls are sunk into any pocket; and

the order in which a certain subset of balls are sunk into specific pockets.

22. A gaming apparatus comprising:

a table comprising a plurality of pockets, the table adapted for play of a table game of the type where a player seeks to sink one or more balls of a set of balls in one or more of the pockets by striking the balls with a cue ball in accordance with the rules of the table game;

an game play mechanism operable by the player to make a wager additional to any amount required to play the table game, the wager entitling the player to receive at least one bonus respectively associated with at least one designated event;

an offering mechanism which, in response to receiving the wager, is to offer the player the chance to receive an alternative bonus associated with an in-game event, wherein if the player accepts the offer, the in-game event precludes the player from achieving the designated event;

a monitoring mechanism arranged to electronically monitor play of the table game to enable a determination of whether the player achieves the designated event or the in-game event; and

a game controller arranged make the bonus award to the player if the player achieves the event.

23. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the monitoring mechanism is arranged to determine the pocket in which a ball is sunk and the identity of the sunk ball.

24. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the monitoring mechanism comprises a plurality of identification readers associated with respective ones of the plurality of pockets and each ball carries identification data readable by the identification readers.

25. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the identification readers are RF readers adapted to read RFID tags embedded in the balls.

26. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein there are a plurality of bonuses associated with respective ones of a plurality of different events.

27. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein an event comprises a plurality of sub-events.

28. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , arranged to notify each event to the player prior to commencement of play of the table game.

29. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , arranged to notify each event to the player subsequent to receipt of the wager.

30. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , arranged to notify the player of an opportunity to achieve an event and receive the wager as a response to the offer.

31. A gaming apparatus as claimed in claim 26 , wherein different wager amounts entitle the player to play for different bonuses.

32. A game controller for a gaming system, the game controller arranged to:

conduct a table game and display the table game on the display, the table game being of the type where a player seeks to sink one or more balls of a set of balls in one or more pockets of the table by striking the balls with a cue ball in accordance with the rules of the table game by operating a game play mechanism;

receive a wager from a player additional to any amount required to play the table game, the wager entitling the player to receive at least one bonus respectively associated with at least one designated event;

offer the player the chance to receive an alternative bonus associated with an in-game event, wherein if the player accepts the offer, the in-game event precludes the player from achieving the designated event; and

monitor play of the table game to determine whether the player achieves the designated event or the in-game event and thereby determine whether the respectively associated bonus should be awarded to the player.

33. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program code which when executed implements a method for gaming comprising:

providing a table game of the type where a player seeks to sink one or more balls of a set of balls in one or more pockets of the table by striking the balls with a cue ball in accordance with the rules of the table game;

receiving a wager from a player additional to any amount required to play the table game, the wager entitling the player to receive at least one bonus respectively associated with at least one designated event;

conducting the table game during which, and in response to receiving the wager, offering the player the chance to receive an alternative bonus associated with an in-game event, wherein if the player accepts the offer, the in-game event precludes the player from achieving the designated event; and

electronically monitoring play of the table game to determine whether the player achieves the designated event or the in-game event and thereby determine whether the respectively associated bonus should be awarded to the player.