Automatic game play

Abstract

A game may be played in accordance with a variety of different strategies. For example, a game may have an aggressive strategy, a passive strategy, an optimal strategy, and so on. In some embodiments, a player may delegate one or more gaming decisions to an automated process that makes decisions according to one or more gaming strategies.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 controlling, by at least one processor:   in response to receiving a request to play a series of games on behalf of a player initiated at a mobile computing device, making a plurality of respective decisions, in which each of the plurality of respective decisions is made at a respective intermediate point in a different one of a plurality of games in the series of games for the player without input, within the series of games, from the player;   determining, for each game of the plurality of games, a respective outcome based on a respective intermediate point in the each game and a respective decision made for the each game out of the plurality of respective decisions;   in response to determining that a second intermediate point of a second game in the series of games satisfies one or more criteria, soliciting, through the mobile computing device, a second decision to be made by the player in the second game, in which the one or more criteria includes a chance for a payout from resuming play of the second game from the second intermediate point is above a threshold chance, in which the payout is above a first payout threshold other than zero, and in which the first payout threshold exceeds a product of a multiplier greater than one and an amount wagered; and   determining a second outcome of the second game based on the second decision.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving the request to play the series of games.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   determining that the second intermediate point satisfies the one or more criteria.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving a decision from the player in response to soliciting the player and using the decision to determine the second outcome.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   determining whether to use at least one of an optimal strategy or a non-optimal strategy during the plurality of games when making the respective decisions at the respective intermediate points, without input from the player, according to a set strategy.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , in which determining whether to use the at least one of the optimal strategy or the non-optimal strategy includes making a random selection of the at least one of the optimal strategy or the non-optimal strategy from a set of possible strategies. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the second intermediate point includes a condition of a game. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , in which the condition includes at least one of a card dealt, a dice value rolled, a card discarded, a visible card, a slot symbol, a number selected, a wagered amount, or an available option. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the games include a blackjack game. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   following a strategy selected by the player to play the series of games.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the one or more criteria includes the second intermediate point being associated with two or more possible decisions that lead to same expected winnings for the player. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the one or more criteria includes the second intermediate point being associated with a wager amount above a non-zero threshold if a selected strategy for playing the second game is followed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the one or more criteria includes the second intermediate point that will result in the second outcome being a winning result regardless of the second decision. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the one or more criteria includes a criterion selected by the player. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the one or more criteria includes a criterion regarding a sequence of game-related outcomes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the game-related outcomes include at least one of a number of winning outcomes or a number a number of losing outcomes. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the soliciting includes providing an alert through the mobile computing device indicating an amount of time that the player has to provide an input before automatic play of the series of games is resumed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   after making each respective decision in the plurality of games, providing the player an option to alter the respective decision.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor configured to control:   in response to receiving a request to play a series of games on behalf of a player initiated at a mobile computing device, making a plurality of respective decisions, in which each of the plurality of respective decisions is made at a respective intermediate point in a different one of a plurality of games in the series of games for the player without input, within the series of games, from the player;   determining, for each game of the plurality of games, a respective outcome based on a respective intermediate point in the each game and a respective decision made for the each game out of the plurality of respective decisions;   in response to determining that a second intermediate point of a second game in the series of games satisfies one or more criteria, soliciting, through the mobile computing device, a second decision to be made by the player in the second game, in which the one or more criteria includes a chance for a payout from resuming play of the second game from the second intermediate point is above a threshold chance, in which the payout is above a first payout threshold other than zero, and in which the first payout threshold exceeds a product of a multiplier greater than one and an amount wagered; and   determining a second outcome of the second game based on the second decision.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory storage medium configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least processor, control:
 in response to receiving a request to play a series of games on behalf of a player initiated at a mobile computing device, making a plurality of respective decisions, in which each of the plurality of respective decisions is made at a respective intermediate point in a different one of a plurality of games in the series of games for the player without input, within the series of games, from the player;   determining, for each game of the plurality of games, a respective outcome based on a respective intermediate point in the each game and a respective decision made for the each game out of the plurality of respective decisions;   in response to determining that a second intermediate point of a second game in the series of games satisfies one or more criteria, soliciting, through the mobile computing device, a second decision to be made by the player in the second game, in which the one or more criteria includes a chance for a payout from resuming play of the second game from the second intermediate point is above a threshold chance, in which the payout is above a first payout threshold other than zero, and in which the first payout threshold exceeds a product of a multiplier greater than one and an amount wagered; and   determining a second outcome of the second game based on the second decision.