Systems and methods for playing a game of chance with bonus feature

Abstract

Systems and methods enable one or more players to play a game of chance. A system includes a processor and a memory device for storing instructions to provide a game of chance in which house indicia are selected from a pool of house indicia. The processor randomly selects a plurality of house indicia, provides a random chance of selecting at least one bonus indicia, determines a number of matching player indicia that match the house indicia, and provides a payout based on a first pay table to the player if a predetermined number of matching playing indicia have been achieved. The payout is increased based on a second pay table that is different from the first pay table if a bonus indicia is selected.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a memory device configured to store processor-executable instructions that provide a game of chance having a first pay table and a second pay table that is different than the first pay table;   an input device configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;   a user interface configured to:
 enable a player to select a wager for the game; and 
 enable the player to initiate a cash out operation; and 
   a processor coupled to said memory device for executing the instructions, wherein, when said processor executes the instructions, said processor is programmed to:
 add the monetary value to a credit balance for a player; 
 deduct the selected wager from the credit balance; 
 enable the player to select at least one player indicia; 
 randomly select a plurality of house indicia from a pool of house indicia; 
 provide a random chance of selecting at least one bonus indicia; 
 determine a number of matching player indicia that includes each player indicia that matches one of the selected plurality of house indicia; 
 provide a payout to the player based on the first pay table upon a determination that a predetermined number of matching player indicia have been achieved; 
 increase the payout to the player upon a determination that a bonus indicia is selected, wherein the increased payout is based on the second pay table; and 
 decrease the credit balance in response to the cash out operation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to select at least one of the plurality of house indicia to be the at least one bonus indicia. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to select the at least one bonus indicia to be at least one indicia that is not included within the pool of house indicia. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is programmed to increase the payout to the player only upon a determination that a matching player indicia also matches the bonus indicia. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to end the game after a predetermined number of the house indicia have been selected. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the game is a first game of a plurality of games, said processor is further programmed to enable the player to switch from the first game to a second game of the plurality of games. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said memory device comprises a wrapper program module comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, program said processor to transfer gameplay data from the first game to the second game. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to enable the player to start the game on a first device and obtain the result of the game on a second device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bonus indicia is at least one of a plurality of bonus indicia that are randomly selectable by said processor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said processor is further programmed to select each bonus indicia of the plurality of bonus indicia to be one of the selected house indicia. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said processor is further programmed to increase the payout based on a number of the plurality of bonus indicia that are selected and that are matched by the selected player indicia. 
     
     
         12 . A method of providing a game of chance including a first pay table and a second pay table different than the first pay table, said method comprising:
 receiving a physical item associated with a monetary value using an input device of a gaming device;   adding the monetary value to a credit balance;   receiving an input from a player to select a wager for the game using a user interface of the gaming device;   deducting the selected wager from the credit balance;   enabling the player to select at least one player indicia;   randomly selecting, by a processor, a plurality of house indicia from a pool of house indicia;   providing a random chance of selecting at least one bonus indicia;   determining, by the processor, a number of matching player indicia that includes each player indicia that matches one of the selected plurality of house indicia;   providing, by the processor, a payout to the player based on the first pay table upon a determination that a predetermined number of matching player indicia have been achieved;   increasing the payout to the player upon a determination that the bonus indicia is selected and that a matching player indicia also matches a bonus indicia, wherein the increased payout is based on the second pay table;   enabling the player to initiate a cash out operation using the user interface; and   decreasing the credit balance in response to the cash out operation.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of house indicia to be the at least one bonus indicia. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting the at least one bonus indicia to be at least one indicia that is not included within the pool of house indicia. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising increasing the payout to the player only upon a determination that a matching player indicia also matches the bonus indicia. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising ending the game after a predetermined number of the house indicia have been selected. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the game is a first game of a plurality of games, said method further comprising enabling the player to switch from the first game to a second game of the plurality of games. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising transferring gameplay data from the first game to the second game. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising enabling the player to start the game on the gaming device and obtain the result of the game on another device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one bonus indicia is at least one of a plurality of bonus indicia that are randomly selectable, said method further comprising selecting each bonus indicia of the plurality of bonus indicia to be one of the selected house indicia. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising increasing the payout based on a number of the plurality of bonus indicia that are selected and that are matched by the selected player indicia.