Wagering game with option to risk credit balance
A method of conducting a wagering game includes receiving a first wager amount from a player. The first wager amount initiating a first play of the wagering game. The first wager amount is deducted from an available-credits pool. An outcome of the first play is determined. In response to the outcome of the first play being a winning outcome, a credit amount associated with the winning outcome is added to the available-credits pool. Prior to a second play of the wagering game, it is determined that the available-credits pool is less than the first wager amount and, in response to that determination, an option to risk the available-credits pool is provided. The result of the risk being either (i) a triggering of the second play of the wagering game at the first wager amount or (ii) a reduction of the available-credits pool to zero.
1. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers and a gaming machine, the gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:
detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
displaying, on the electronic display device, a symbol array and a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol arrangements in the array;
initiating a play of the casino wagering game in a wager-on-all-paylines mode in response to an input indicative of a wager amount covered by the credit balance, the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode requiring the wager amount to be at least a minimum wager amount sufficient to cover all of the plurality of paylines;
in response to the initiating, deducting, via at least one of the one or more controllers, the wager amount from the credit balance;
determining, via at least one of the one or more controllers, an outcome of the play of the casino wagering game based on symbols in the array;
in response to determining, via at least one of the one or more controllers, that the credit balance is less than the minimum wager amount, ceasing the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode and displaying a plurality of player-selectable options on the electronic display device for managing the credit balance, the plurality of options including (i) a cash-out option to initiate a payout from the credit balance, (ii) an insert-additional-credits option to increase the credit balance to at least the minimum wager amount, (iii) a wagering-event option to wager the credit balance for a chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount for use in another play of the casino wagering game, and (iv) a reduced-payline option requiring the player to wager the credit balance on less than all of the plurality of paylines in another play of the casino wagering game; and
receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a selection from the player of one of the plurality of options.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of options are displayed in a popup window.
3. The method claim 1 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option and winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount, automatically wagering the increased credit balance to initiate the another play of the casino wagering game.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a probability of winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount is based on the credit balance relative to the minimum wager amount.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option, displaying a game play event indicating whether or not the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount has been won.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the reduced-payline option permits the player to select which of the less than all of the plurality of paylines will be played in the another play of the casino wagering game.
7. A gaming system, comprising:
a gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices; and
one or more controllers configured to:
detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
direct the electronic display device to display a symbol array and a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol arrangements in the array;
initiate a play of the casino wagering game in a wager-on-all-paylines mode in response to an input indicative of a wager amount covered by the credit balance, the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode requiring the wager amount to be at least a minimum wager amount sufficient to cover all of the plurality of paylines;
in response to the initiating, deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;
determine an outcome of the play of the casino wagering game based on symbols in the array;
in response to determining that the credit balance is less than the minimum wager amount, cease the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode and direct the electronic display device to display a plurality of player-selectable options for managing the credit balance, the plurality of options including (i) a cash-out option to initiate a payout from the credit balance, (ii) an insert-additional-credits option to increase the credit balance to at least the minimum wager amount, (iii) a wagering-event option to wager the credit balance for a chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount for use in another play of the casino wagering game, and (iv) a reduced-payline option requiring the player to wager the credit balance on less than all of the plurality of paylines in another play of the casino wagering game; and
receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a selection from the player of one of the plurality of options.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of options are displayed in a popup window.
9. The system claim 7 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option and winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount, automatically wagering the increased credit balance to initiate the another play of the casino wagering game.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein a probability of winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount is based on the credit balance relative to the minimum wager amount.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option, the one or more controllers are configured to direct the electronic display device to display a game play event indicating whether or not the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount has been won.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reduced-payline option permits the player to select which of the less than all of the plurality of paylines will be played in the another play of the casino wagering game.
13. A gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, comprising:
an electronic display device;
one or more electronic input devices; and
one or more controllers configured to:
detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
direct the electronic display device to display a symbol array and a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol arrangements in the array;
initiate a play of the casino wagering game in a wager-on-all-paylines mode in response to an input indicative of a wager amount covered by the credit balance, the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode requiring the wager amount to be at least a minimum wager amount sufficient to cover all of the plurality of paylines;
in response to the initiating, deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;
determine an outcome of the play of the casino wagering game based on symbols in the array;
in response to determining that the credit balance is less than the minimum wager amount, cease the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode and direct the electronic display device to display a plurality of player-selectable options for managing the credit balance, the plurality of options including (i) a cash-out option to initiate a payout from the credit balance, (ii) an insert-additional-credits option to increase the credit balance to at least the minimum wager amount, (iii) a wagering-event option to wager the credit balance for a chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount for use in another play of the casino wagering game, and (iv) a reduced-payline option requiring the player to wager the credit balance on less than all of the plurality of paylines in another play of the casino wagering game; and
receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a selection from the player of one of the plurality of options.
14. The machine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of options are displayed in a popup window.
15. The machine claim 13 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option and winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount, automatically wagering the increased credit balance to initiate the another play of the casino wagering game.
16. The machine of claim 15 , wherein a probability of winning the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount is based on the credit balance relative to the minimum wager amount.
17. The machine of claim 13 , wherein in response to receiving the selection of the wagering-event option, the one or more controllers are configured to direct the electronic display device to display a game play event indicating whether or not the chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount has been won.
18. The machine of claim 13 , wherein the reduced-payline option permits the player to select which of the less than all of the plurality of paylines will be played in the another play of the casino wagering game.