Multi-game video poker machine and system with asymmetrically accessible customization features
View Patent ↗A gaming system with asymmetric customization capabilities and a method of enabling asymmetric customization of a wagering game are disclosed. A plurality of selectable game-play features are provided for utilization during the wagering game. Players accessing the game-play features are unequally limited as to which features are available for modification, depending on means of access. All features, however, are available for game-play, regardless of means of access.
1. A gaming system with asymmetric customization capabilities for customizing a wagering game, the wagering game having a plurality of selectable game-play features including a terminal set of selectable game-play features and an enhanced set of selectable game-play features, wherein the enhanced set of selectable game-play features includes at least one selectable game-play feature that is not in the terminal set of selectable game-play features, the gaming system comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more communication interfaces; and
one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:
in response to detecting, via at least one of the one or more communication interfaces, a player request from a gaming terminal, enable the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the gaming terminal, a feature in the terminal set of selectable features but not a feature in the enhanced set of selectable features;
in response to detecting, via at least one of the one or more communication interfaces, a player request from a remote device, enable the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the remote device, a feature in the terminal set of selectable features and a feature in the enhanced set of selectable features; and
apply both the terminal set of selectable features and the enhanced set of selectable features to the wagering game while the wagering game is played at the gaming terminal.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to save the terminal set of selectable features and the enhanced set of selectable features in a memory storage site and to recall the terminal set of selectable features and the enhanced set of selectable features from the memory storage site.
3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable game-play features comprises one of a manner of displaying visual imagery while the game is played, a manner of using audible alerts while the game is played, and a manner of organizing a user interface of the wagering game.
4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable game-play features comprises a screen position of at least one visual image displayed during the wagering game, the screen position being selectable from a plurality of visual image screen positions in response to player input.
5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the wagering game comprises:
displaying a poker hand of dealt cards to the player;
detecting player input to select none or more of the dealt cards for holding;
discarding the dealt cards not selected for holding;
displaying drawn cards to replace the discarded cards to complete the poker hand; and
awarding the player if the completed poker hand comprises one of a plurality of winning hands defined in a paytable.
6. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable game-play features comprises a deal order controlling the order of displaying dealt cards during the wagering game, the deal order being selectable from a plurality of deal orders in response to player input.
7. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable game-play features comprises an interactive slow reveal scheme controlling the display of drawn cards during the wagering game, wherein cards are selected for drawing in response to player input.
8. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable game-play features comprises a pseudo-interactive slow reveal scheme controlling the display of drawn cards during the wagering game, wherein the drawn cards are revealed in response to player input.
9. A gaming system with asymmetric customization capabilities, the gaming system comprising:
a game server including server memory, the game server being accessible via a communications network; and
one or more processors, the one or more processors being operable to:
recall, via the communications network, a plurality of selectable game-play features including a terminal set of selectable game-play features and an enhanced set of selectable game-play features from a server memory storage site on the game server, wherein the enhanced set of selectable game-play features includes at least one selectable game-play feature that is not in the terminal set of selectable game-play features;
in response to a player request from a gaming terminal, enable the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the gaming terminal, a feature in the terminal set of selectable game-play features but not a feature in the enhanced set of selectable game-play features;
in response to a player request from a remote device, enable the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the remote device, a feature in the terminal set of selectable game-play features and a feature in the enhanced set of selectable game-play features;
save, via the communications network, the terminal set of selectable game-play features and the enhanced set of selectable game-play features in the server memory storage site; and
apply both the terminal set of selectable game-play features and the enhanced set of selectable game-play features to a wagering game while the wagering game is played at the gaming terminal.
10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein game server access is acquired through a gaming website.
11. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein game server access is restricted to one or more players having a player account established through a gaming website.
12. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein game server access is acquired through a gaming website, the gaming website assigning one or more players to a player account; and wherein server memory storage site access is restricted to the one or more players assigned to the player account.
13. A method of enabling asymmetric customization of a wagering game playable via a gaming system including one or more processors and one or more communication interfaces, the wagering game including an enhanced set of selectable game-play features, the method comprising:
in response to detecting, via the one or more communication interfaces, a player request from a remote device to modify the enhanced set of selectable game-play features, enabling the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the remote device, all the features in the enhanced set of selectable game-play features;
in response to detecting, via the one or more communication interfaces, a player request from a gaming terminal, enabling the player to modify, via one or more input devices connected to the gaming terminal, only a subset of the features in the enhanced set of selectable game-play features; and
applying, via the one or more processors, the enhanced set of selectable game-play features to the wagering game while the wagering game is played at the gaming terminal.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising saving the enhanced set of selectable game-play features in a memory storage site and recalling the enhanced set of selectable game-play features from the memory storage site.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein memory storage site access is acquired through a gaming website.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein memory storage site access is restricted to one or more players having a player account established through a gaming website.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein memory storage site access is acquired through a gaming website, the gaming website assigning one or more players to a player account; and memory storage site access is restricted to the one or more players assigned to the player account.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wagering game comprises:
displaying a poker hand of dealt cards to the player;
detecting player input to select none or more of the dealt cards for holding;
discarding the dealt cards not selected for holding;
displaying drawn cards to replace the discarded cards to complete the poker hand; and
awarding the player if the completed poker hand comprises one of a plurality of winning hands defined in a paytable.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein one of the selectable game-play features in the enhanced set of selectable game-play features includes at least one of a deal order controlling the order of displaying dealt cards during the wagering game, the deal order being selectable from a plurality of deal orders in response to player input or an interactive slow reveal scheme controlling the display of drawn cards during the wagering game, wherein cards are selected for drawing in response to player input.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the selectable game-play features of the enhanced set of selectable game-play features comprises a pseudo-interactive slow reveal scheme controlling the display of drawn cards during the wagering game, wherein the drawn cards are revealed in response to player input.