Prolonged casino game method and apparatus

Abstract

A game for money has a display to show play progress. A processor runs the game play as base and/or the bonus games. The processor connects to the display. Memory in the processor operates a program; runs the game with at least one hidden attribute for each of a finite number of icons and at least two hidden attributes for at least one of the icons. An initial number of player's picks adds picks with the one hidden attribute or attributes to prolong the game. Play controls couple to the processor and the display to pick one of the icons and reveal the hidden attribute or attributes on the icon picked and awarded. A processor return path resumes operation of the game after the initial number of picks and any others revealed are used. Method steps of game play has steps of ascribing at least one hidden attribute to each of the finite number of icons and ascribing at least two hidden attributes to at least one of the icons. Giving the player an initial number of picks then shown to the player is a step. Letting the player pick one icon and revealing to the player the hidden attribute or attributes on the icon picked by the player are steps. Awarding the player the revealed attribute or attributes including modification of the number of picks are steps. Repeating the steps letting, revealing and awarding until the end of the game occurs when the player's picks are used up.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A method of operating a bonus casino game when entered from a base casino game, the base casino game operable in response to a wager received from a player, the method comprising: 
 providing said bonus casino game with a plurality of sets of icons, each of the plurality of sets of icons forming a different play screen in the bonus casino game;    displaying on a display of the bonus casino game a set of icons from said plurality of sets of icons during operation of the bonus casino game, the set of icons forming a play screen; at least one icon in the set of icons having a hidden warp attribute that provides a warp to a designated set in the remaining plurality of sets of icons;    receiving a number of inputs from the player in the bonus casino game, each input occurring when the player chooses one icon from the plurality of sets;    revealing to the player in the display when the icon chosen by the player has the hidden warp attribute;    displaying on the display the icons from the designated set of icons in response to revealing the hidden warp attribute, the designated set of icons forming another play screen;    continuing to receive inputs from the player in the designated set of icons displayed in the display;    ending the bonus casino game when the number of inputs are used up by the player.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the received input revealing the hidden warp attribute is not used in the number of inputs.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the remaining icons not having the hidden warp attribute in the set have hidden values; when one of the remaining icons in the set is chosen by the player, revealing a hidden value and then awarding an award based on the revealed value to the player.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein all of the icons in the designated set have hidden values; when one of the aforesaid icons is chosen by the player, revealing a hidden value and then awarding an award based on the revealed value to the player.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein some of the icons in the designated set have hidden values; when one of the aforesaid icons is chosen by the player, revealing a hidden value and then awarding an award based on the revealed value to the player.  
     
     
         26 . The method of claim wherein  21  wherein the remaining icons not having a hidden warp attribute in the plurality of sets have hidden values; when one of the remaining icons is chosen by the player, revealing the hidden value and then awarding an award based on the revealed value to the player.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein one of remaining icons in the plurality of sets is a hidden grand prize; when the aforesaid one icon is chosen by the player, revealing the grand prize and then awarding the grand prize to the player; the grand prize being an award based on the sum of all of the aforesaid hidden values.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein each icon is a card with the face of the card displayed down in the display so that all face down cards in the display are identical; when a face down card is chosen by the player, revealing the face of the card.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the set and the designated set of icons are each displayed in a matrix on the display.  
     
     
         30 . A method of operating a bonus casino game when entered from a base casino game, the base casino game operable in response to a wager received from a player, the method comprising: 
 providing said bonus casino game with a plurality of sets of icons, each of the plurality of sets of icons forming a different play screen in the bonus casino game;    displaying on a display of the bonus casino game a set of icons from said plurality of sets of icons during operation of the bonus casino game, the set of icons forming a play screen, at least one icon in the set of icons having a hidden warp attribute that provides a warp to a designated set in the remaining plurality of sets of icons, the remaining icons not having the hidden warp attribute in the set having hidden values;    receiving an input from the player in the bonus casino game when the player chooses one icon from the set of icons on the display;    revealing to the player in the display when the icon chosen by the player has the hidden warp attribute or a hidden value;    providing an award based on the aforesaid revealed value to the player in response to revealing the hidden value;    displaying on the display the icons from the designated set of icons in response to revealing the hidden warp attribute, the designated set of icons forming another play screen; some of the icons in the designated set having higher hidden values, the higher hidden values in the designated set of icons having values greater than the hidden values in the set of icons;    receiving another input from the player in the bonus casino game when the player chooses one of the aforesaid icons in the designated set on the display;    revealing to the player in the display when the aforesaid one icon chosen by the player has a higher hidden value;    providing a higher award based on the aforesaid revealed higher value to the player.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the hidden values and the higher hidden values are multiple values and wherein the award and the higher award are each based on the multiple of the revealed value times the wager.  
     
     
         32 . A method of operating a bonus casino game when entered from a base casino game, the base casino game operable in response to a wager received from a player, the method comprising: 
 providing said bonus casino game with three of sets of icons, the three of sets of icons forming three play screens;    displaying on a display of the bonus casino game the first set of icons when the bonus casino game is entered from the base casino game, the first set of icons forming the first play screen during operation of the bonus casino game; one icon in the first set of icons having a first hidden warp attribute that provides a warp to the second set of icons;    receiving at least one input from the player choosing an icon displayed in the first set on the display;    revealing to the player in the display when the icon chosen in the first set by the player has the first hidden warp attribute;    displaying on the display the icons from the second set of icons in response to revealing the first hidden warp attribute, the second set of icons forming the second play screen during operation of the bonus casino game; one icon in the second set of icons having a second hidden warp attribute that provides a warp to the third set of icons;    receiving at least one input from the player choosing an icon displayed in the second set on the display;    revealing to the player in the display when the icon chosen in the second set by the player has the second hidden warp attribute;    displaying on the display the icons from the third set of icons in response to revealing the second hidden warp attribute, the third set of icons forming the third play screen during operation of the bonus casino game.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein each of the remaining icons in the three sets of icons not having a first and second hidden warp attribute have a hidden value and further comprising: 
 receiving at least one input from the player choosing an icon displayed in the third play screen on the display;    providing an award to the player based on all hidden values revealed in response to receiving the at least one input from the player choosing an icon in the first, second and third sets of icons during operation of the bonus casino game.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the hidden values are multiple values and wherein the award and is based on the multiples of the revealed hidden value times the wager.