Method of conducting a wagering game

Abstract

A game method for providing a mid-game wager for a base game includes designating at least one intermediate game point and at least one qualifying intermediate holding corresponding to at least one qualifying final result. Players optionally place a base game wager and initiate the base game. The base game is played until an intermediate game point is reached. A player holding a qualifying intermediate holding at the intermediate game point may place an optional mid-game wager. The base game is played to completion. Players with a final holding that is a qualifying final result are rewarded based on the mid-game wager.

1 . A method for conducting a wagering game applied to a base game, said base game played by a player according to a set of rules that leads to the player obtaining a final holding, comprising: 
 designating an intermediate game point, a qualifying intermediate holding for said intermediate game point, and a qualifying final result corresponding to said qualifying intermediate holding;    the player making a base game wager and initiating the base game;    conducting said base game according to said set of rules until reaching an intermediate game point;    permitting the player to place a mid-game wager only if the player possesses a predetermined qualifying intermediate holding at an intermediate game point;    conducting said base game according to said set of rules until the player obtains a final holding;    examining the final holding and rewarding the player based on said base wager or collecting the player's base wager according to said set of rules; and    if said player placed a mid-game wager, rewarding said player based on said mid-game wager only if the player's final holding matches a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said base game is video draw poker in which a player is dealt an initial holding, discards zero or more cards, and receives replacements for the discarded cards, and an intermediate point includes the point prior to discarding zero or more cards.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said base game is a slot machine having a plurality of reels with a plurality of symbols thereon, the final position in which the reels stop with respect to one or more pay lines determining said final holding, and an intermediate point includes a point after at least one reel but fewer than all the reels have stopped.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said base game is keno in which a player selects a first quantity of numbers and a second quantity of numbers are drawn, the quantity of selected numbers matching the numbers drawn determining said final holding, and an intermediate point includes a point after at least one number but fewer than the second quantity of the numbers have been drawn.  
   
   
       5 . A method for conducting a base game played by a player according to a set of rules using electronic representations of playing cards to obtain a final holding of playing cards, comprising: 
 designating an intermediate game point, a qualifying intermediate holding of one or more playing cards for said intermediate game point, and a qualifying final result of one or more playing cards corresponding to said qualifying intermediate holding;    the player making a base game wager and initiating the base game;    dealing at least one playing card to said player and conducting said base game according to said set of rules until reaching an intermediate game point;    permitting the player to place a mid-game wager only if the player possesses a qualifying intermediate holding at said intermediate game point;    conducting said base game according to said set of rules until the player obtains a final holding;    examining the final holding and rewarding the player based on said base wager if the player's final holding is a winning hand according to said set of rules; and    if said player placed a mid-game wager, rewarding said player based on said mid-game wager only if the player's final holding matches a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said base game is video draw poker in which a player is dealt an initial holding of playing cards, discards zero or more playing cards, and receives replacements for the discarded cards, and an intermediate point includes the point prior to discarding zero or more cards.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 designating a plurality of intermediate points, a qualifying intermediate holding of one or more playing cards for said intermediate game point, and a qualifying final holding of one or more playing cards corresponding to each qualifying intermediate holding;    conducting said base game according to said set of rules until reaching each intermediate game point; and    at each intermediate point, permitting the player to place a mid-game wager only if the player possesses a predetermined qualifying intermediate holding at said intermediate game point.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising, if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager prior to said step of conducting said base game to obtain a final holding.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising, if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager and allowing the player to opt to use the reward to place a mid-game wager.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager and allowing the player to opt to use the reward to supplement a mid-game wager; and    if said player obtains a final holding matching a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed, rewarding said player on said supplemented mid-game wager.    
   
   
       11 . A method of conducting a video draw poker game, comprising: 
 designating at least one qualifying intermediate holding of one or more playing cards and at least one qualifying final result of one or more playing cards corresponding to said qualifying intermediate holding;    dealing an initial holding of playing cards to said player;    said player selecting to hold zero or more playing cards from said initial holding;    permitting said player to place a mid-game wager only if the playing cards held from said initial holding comprise a qualifying intermediate holding;    discarding the playing cards not selected to be held and replacing the discarded playing cards to form a final holding; and    if said player placed a mid-game wager, rewarding said player based on said mid-game wager only if the player's final holding matches a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 designating a plurality of intermediate points, a qualifying intermediate holding of one or more playing cards for said intermediate game point, and a qualifying final result of one or more playing cards corresponding to each qualifying intermediate holding;    conducting said base game according to said set of rules until reaching each intermediate game point; and    at each intermediate point, permitting the player to place a mid-game wager only if the player possesses a predetermined qualifying intermediate holding at said intermediate game point.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 examining said player's holding at an intermediate game point;    projecting final holdings that can be formed using the player's holding at an intermediate point and determining a strategy of holding playing cards to obtain each projected final holding;    designating a strategy as an optimal strategy; and    if said player placed a mid-game wager and follows a strategy of holding playing cards that is not an optimal strategy, and obtains a final holding matching a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed, issuing a supplemental reward to said player.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a mutually exclusive qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager prior to said step of conducting said base game to obtain a final holding.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a mutually exclusive qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager and allowing the player to opt to use the reward to place a mid-game wager.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand according to said set of rules and a mutually exclusive qualifying intermediate holding, rewarding the player based on his base wager and allowing the player to opt to use the reward to supplement a mid-game wager; and    if said player obtains a final holding matching a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed, rewarding said player on said supplemented mid-game wager.    
   
   
       17 . A device for conducting a video draw poker game, comprising: 
 a data processor;    a display communicating with said data processor;    an input device communicating with said data processor;    a bet receiver communicating with said data processor; and    a data storage structure communicating with said data processor, said data storage structure storing electronic representations of playing cards, a schedule of winning poker hands, at least one qualifying intermediate holding, at least one qualifying final result corresponding to said qualifying intermediate holding, and instructions executable by said data processor to conduct said video draw poker game, comprising: 
 in response to said bet receiver receiving a base wager, said data processor randomly selecting an initial holding of playing cards;  
 said display displaying said initial holding of playing cards;  
 receiving input from said player at said input device selecting to hold zero or more playing cards from said initial holding;  
 permitting said player to place a mid-game wager at said bet receiver only if the playing cards held from said initial holding comprise a qualifying intermediate holding;  
 said data processor discarding the playing cards not selected to be held and replacing the discarded playing cards to form a final holding;  
 said data processor examining the final holding and rewarding the player based on said base wager if the player has a winning poker hand or collecting the player's base wager if the player does not have a winning poker hand; and  
 if a mid-game wager was received at said bet receiver, said data processor rewarding said player based on said mid-game wager only if the player's final holding matches a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed.  
   
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said instructions further comprise: 
 storing a plurality of intermediate points, a qualifying intermediate holding of one or more playing cards for said intermediate game point, and a qualifying final result of one or more playing cards corresponding to each qualifying intermediate holding;    said data processor conducting said video draw poker game until reaching each intermediate game point; and    at each intermediate point, permitting the player to place a mid-game wager at said bet receiver only if the player possesses a predetermined qualifying intermediate holding at said intermediate game point.    
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said instructions further comprise: 
 said data processor examining said player's holding at an intermediate game point;    said data processor projecting final holdings that can be formed using the player's holding at an intermediate point and determining a strategy of holding playing cards to obtain each projected final holding;    said data processor designating a strategy as an optimal strategy; and    if said player placed a mid-game wager and follows a strategy of holding playing cards that is not an optimal strategy, and obtains a final holding matching a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed, said data processor issuing a supplemental reward to said player.    
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said instructions further comprise, if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand and a qualifying intermediate holding, said data processor rewarding the player based on his base wager prior to said step of conducting said base game to obtain a final holding.  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said instructions further comprise: 
 if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand and a qualifying intermediate holding, said data processor rewarding the player based on his base wager; and    receiving input at said input device from said player opting whether to use the reward to place a mid-game wager.    
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said instructions further comprise: 
 if, at an intermediate point, the player has a holding that forms a winning hand and a qualifying intermediate holding, said data processor rewarding the player based on his base wager;    receiving input at said input device from said player opting whether to use the reward to supplement a mid-game wager; and    if said player obtains a final holding matching a qualifying final result corresponding to the qualifying intermediate holding possessed by the player when said mid-game wager was placed, said data processor rewarding said player on said supplemented mid-game wager.