Gaming method for playing a slot game with enhancement of player winning chances, and gaming apparatus for implementing the gaming method

Abstract

A gaming method for playing a slot game includes the steps of: configuring a gaming apparatus to randomly generate a game symbol combination at the end of one round of the slot game, and to determine whether the game symbol combination conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and when the game symbol combination fails to conform with the predetermined winning condition, configuring the gaming apparatus to perform a symbol-changing procedure. The symbol-changing procedure includes: allowing a player to input a confirm command for changing a to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination; randomly changing the to-be-changed game symbol in response to the confirm command to result in a revised game symbol combination; determining whether the revised game symbol combination conforms with the predetermined winning condition; and granting an award to the player according to result of the determination.

1 . A gaming method for playing a slot game, said gaming method being adapted to be implemented using a gaming apparatus and comprising the steps of:
 a) configuring the gaming apparatus to randomly generate a game symbol combination at the end of one round of the slot game, and to determine whether the game symbol combination thus generated conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and   b) when the game symbol combination generated in step a) fails to conform with the predetermined winning condition, configuring the gaming apparatus to perform a symbol-changing procedure, the symbol-changing procedure including the sub-steps of
 b1) allowing a player to input a confirm command for changing a to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination, 
 b2) randomly changing the to-be-changed game symbol in response to the confirm command, 
 b3) determining whether a revised game symbol combination that includes the game symbol changed in sub-step b2) conforms with the predetermined winning condition, and 
 b4) granting an award to the player when the determination made in sub-step b3) is affirmative. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in sub-step b1), the player is allowed to input the confirm command only after receipt of a payment signal. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein, in sub-step b1), the player is allowed to input the confirm command only after receipt of the payment signal and a select command to select the to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein, in step b), the gaming apparatus is configured to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein, in step b), the gaming apparatus is configured to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in sub-step b1), the player is allowed to input the confirm command only after receipt of a select command to select the to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein, in step b), the gaming apparatus is configured to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in step b), the gaming apparatus is configured to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in step b), the gaming apparatus is configured to perform the symbol-changing procedure only after determining that the game symbol combination generated in step a) has only one game symbol that differs from other ones in a payout line of the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product comprising a machine readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein which when executed cause a system to perform consecutive steps of a gaming method for playing a slot game according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A gaming apparatus comprising:
 an input unit including a confirm button;   a display unit; and   a control unit including a storage medium storing program instructions for playing a slot game, and a processor coupled to said input unit, said display unit and said storage medium;   wherein said processor is operable to execute said program instructions so as to randomly generate a game symbol combination at the end of one round of the slot game, control said display unit to display the game symbol combination generated by said processor, determine whether the game symbol combination generated by said processor conforms with a predetermined winning condition, and perform a symbol-changing procedure when the game symbol combination fails to conform with the predetermined winning condition;   wherein the symbol-changing procedure includes the steps of:
 i) allowing a player to input a confirm command for changing a to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination through said confirm button, 
 ii) randomly changing the to-be-changed game symbol in response to the confirm command, 
 iii) determining whether a revised game symbol combination that includes the game symbol changed in step ii) conforms with the predetermined winning condition, and 
 iv) granting an award to the player and controlling said display unit to notify the player of the grant of the award when the determination made in step iii) is affirmative. 
   
     
     
         12 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising a payment mechanism, said input unit further including a payment sensor operable to generate a payment signal for said processor when the player makes a payment through said payment mechanism, said processor being operable to allow the player to input the confirm command only after receipt of the payment signal. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said input unit further includes a select button for input of a select command to select the to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination, said processor being operable to allow the player to input the confirm command only after receipt of the payment signal and the select command. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein, for the game symbol combination that is generated at the end of one round of the slot game and that does not conform with the predetermined winning condition, said processor is operable to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said input unit further includes a select button for input of a select command to select the to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination, said processor being operable to allow the player to input the confirm command only after receipt of the select command. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein, for the game symbol combination that is generated at the end of one round of the slot game and that does not conform with the predetermined winning condition, said processor is operable to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein, for the game symbol combination generated at the end of one round of the slot game that does not conform with the predetermined winning condition, said processor is operable to perform the symbol-changing procedure repeatedly for a predetermined number of times. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processor is operable to perform the symbol-changing procedure only after determining that the game symbol combination generated thereby has only one game symbol that differs from other ones in a payout line of the game symbol combination.