Wagering game and method of play

Abstract

A video game machine or on-line game system provides a game involving a wager. The game involves a plurality of randomly selected icons, such as playing cards, being dealt and displayed to the player on at least two sequential occasions. A game win is determined on the basis of the presence of a winning combination of icons in the final deal of icons. Additionally, a secondary wager is commenced or cancelled on the basis of a winning combination of icons in a deal preceding the final deal of icons in a game. In this way player excitement is greater than that of a conventional wagering game without requiring the player to have a high level of knowledge or expertise in the game.

1 . A video game machine for playing a game involving a wager, the video game machine comprising:
 a payment receipt device, for receiving payment of a wager from a player;   an image store in which is stored images of a plurality of icons;   a display screen for displaying a plurality of icons to the player;   an icon generator adapted to randomly generate a plurality of icons for display on the display screen; and   a games processor including program instructions for performing the following steps:   deciding whether a plurality of icons generated by the icon generator includes a winning combination of icons;   determining a winning payment to be made to the player when the plurality of icons includes a winning combination;   assigning said winning payment to a first level of a first secondary wager based upon a winning characteristic of one or more icons to be randomly generated in a future game;   when a new game is initiated by said player and a new plurality of icons are displayed on said display screen, determining whether said new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic;   where it is determined that said new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic, increasing said winning payment of said first secondary wager by a predetermined amount and assigning said increased winning payment to a second level of said first secondary wager; and   where it is determined that said new plurality of icons includes a winning combination of icons, assigning a new winning payment to the first level of a new secondary wager based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the icons to be randomly generated in a future game.   
   
   
       2 . The video game machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each game involves at least one deal of icons preceding a final deal of icons, the games processor includes instructions for determining a winning payment based upon the plurality of icons displayed on the display screen after the final deal of icons for a game has been generated and the games processor additionally includes instructions for determining the presence of said winning characteristic in said preceding deal of icons. 
   
   
       3 . The video game machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the games processor includes instructions for enabling in one game a plurality of separate secondary wagers based on a corresponding plurality of preceding winning payments. 
   
   
       4 . The video game machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said icons stored in said image store are images of a set of playing cards and said winning characteristic for said secondary wager is based upon the colour of a playing card displayed in a predetermined position on the display screen. 
   
   
       5 . The video game machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the games processor includes instructions for increasing the value of the winning payment by a multiple of itself when it is determined that the new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic. 
   
   
       6 . The video game machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further including a winning characteristic setting device which is adapted to enable a player to select a winning characteristic for a future secondary wager from a predetermined range of winning characteristics. 
   
   
       7 . A video game server for playing a game involving a wager via a network, the video game server comprising:
 a network interface for communicating via the network data and images to one or more remote terminals each having a display screen;   an image store in which is stored images of a plurality of icons;   an icon generator adapted to randomly generate a plurality of icons for communication via the network interface to the one or more remote terminals for display on the display screens; and   a games processor including instructions for playing the game, the instructions including instructions for performing the following steps:   deciding whether a plurality of icons generated by the icon generator includes a winning combination of icons;   determining a winning payment to be made when the plurality of icons includes a winning combination;   assigning said winning payment to a first level of a first secondary wager based upon a winning characteristic of one or more icons to be randomly generated in a future game;   when a new game is initiated and a new plurality of icons are randomly generated, determining whether said new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic;   where it is determined that said new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic, increasing said winning payment of said first secondary wager by a predetermined amount and assigning said increased winning payment to a second level of said first secondary wager, and   where it is determined that said new plurality of icons includes a winning combination of icons, assigning a new winning payment to the first level of a new secondary wager based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the icons to be randomly generated in a future game.   
   
   
       8 . The video game server as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each game involves at least one deal of icons preceding a final deal of icons, the games processor includes instructions for determining a winning payment based upon the plurality of icons displayed on the display screen of a remote terminal after the final deal of icons for a game has been generated and the games processor additionally includes instructions for determining the presence of said winning characteristic in said preceding deal of icons. 
   
   
       9 . The video game server as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the games processor includes instructions for enabling in one game a plurality of separate secondary wagers based on a corresponding plurality of preceding winning payments. 
   
   
       10 . The video game server as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said icons stored in said image store are images of a set of playing cards and said winning characteristic for said secondary wager is based upon the colour of a playing card displayed in a predetermined position on the display screen of the remote terminal. 
   
   
       11 . The video game server as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the games processor includes instructions for increasing the value of the winning payment by a multiple of itself when it is determined that the new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic. 
   
   
       12 . The video game server as claimed in  claim 7 , further including a winning characteristic setting device which is adapted to receive via said network interface a player selection of a winning characteristic for a future secondary wager from a predetermined range of winning characteristics. 
   
   
       13 . A method of playing a card game, comprising the steps of:
 a player makes a first wager to initiate a first game;   a dealer deals said player a plurality of playing cards;   where said plurality of playing cards dealt to the player includes a winning combination of playing cards, assigning a winning payment to a first level of a first secondary gamble based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the playing cards to be dealt in a future game, the method further comprising the steps of:   the player makes a second wager to initiate a second game;   the dealer deals said player a new plurality of playing cards;   where said new plurality of playing cards includes said winning characteristic, increasing said winning payment of said first secondary gamble by a predetermined amount and assigning said increased winning payment to a second level of said first secondary gamble; and additionally   where said new plurality of playing cards includes a winning combination of cards, assigning a new winning payment to the first level of a new secondary gamble based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the playing cards to be dealt in a future game.   
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each game involves at least one deal of playing cards preceding a final deal of playing cards, the winning payment is based upon the plurality of playing cards after the final deal of playing cards and the winning characteristic is required to be present in said preceding deal of playing cards. 
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each game may include a plurality of separate secondary gambles based on a corresponding plurality of preceding winning payments. 
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said winning characteristic for said secondary gamble is based upon the colour of a playing card in a predetermined position in a deal. 
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the value of the winning payment is increased by a multiple of itself when it is determined that the new plurality of playing cards includes said winning characteristic. 
   
   
       18 . A method of playing a video wagering game comprising:
 receiving an initial wager from a player;   randomly generating a plurality of icons and displaying the icons on a display screen;   where said plurality of icons displayed on said display screen includes a winning combination of icons, assigning a winning payment to a first level of a first secondary gamble based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the icons to be randomly generated in a future game, the method further comprising the steps of:   receiving a new wager to initiate a second game;   randomly generating a new plurality of icons and displaying the icons on said display screen;   where said new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic, increasing said winning payment of said first secondary gamble by a predetermined amount and assigning said increased winning payment to a second level of said first secondary gamble; and additionally   where said new plurality of icons includes a winning combination of icons, assigning a new winning payment to the first level of a new secondary gamble based upon a winning characteristic of one or more of the icons to be randomly generated in a future game.   
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein each game involves at least one deal of icons preceding a final deal of icons, a winning payment is determined based upon the plurality of icons displayed on the display screen after the final deal of icons for a game has been generated and the presence of said winning characteristic is determined with respect to said preceding deal of icons. 
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein each game may include a plurality of separate secondary gambles based on a corresponding plurality of preceding winning payments. 
   
   
       21 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said icons comprise the set of images of a set of playing cards and said winning characteristic for said secondary gamble is based upon the colour of a playing card displayed in a predetermined position on the display screen. 
   
   
       22 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the winning payment is increased by a multiple of itself when it is determined that the new plurality of icons includes said winning characteristic. 
   
   
       23 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , further including enabling a player to select a winning characteristic for a future secondary gamble from a predetermined range of winning characteristics.