The present specification relates to gaming.
Wagering on games of chance can be a form of entertainment and recreation, as well as a source of profit for establishments that provide the games (referred to in this specification as the house). There are different types of games of chance, examples of which include and are not limited to craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker, keno, bingo, progressive jackpots, and streak games.
In general, an instance of a game of chance, referred to in this specification as a round, is defined as play when one or more participating players place wagers and when an outcome of the instance of the game is or can be determined in accordance with the rules of the game. An outcome of the instance of the game, i.e., the outcome of the round or simply an outcome, can usually be defined by who wins among the players participating in the round, what each winning player wins, who loses among the players participating in the round, what each losing players loses, who ties among the players participating in the round (if a tie is permitted by the rules of the game), and any combination of the aforementioned.
An outcome generally depends, at least in part, on an outcome of some random outcome generator. An outcome of a random outcome generator will be referred to in this specification as an ROG result. Examples of random outcome generators include and are not limited to dice, cards, a roulette wheel, a computer program product driven by a random or pseudo-random number generator, and a sporting event (for example, a horse race). An outcome can depend on one ROG result. Roulette, for example, is a game of chance in which an outcome can depend on a single ROG result, one spin of the roulette wheel. Alternatively, an outcome can depend on multiple ROG results. Blackjack, for example, is a game of chance in which an outcome can depend on multiple ROG results. A game of blackjack includes dealing multiple cards from one or more decks of cards.
A wager can be an agreement between a player and an entity offering the game of chance. Wagers are usually but need not be made on a round-by-round basis. The entity offering the wager can be a player. The agreement can specify that the player forfeits a stake if the player loses in exchange for an opportunity to win a multiplier, which can be any number, of the stake if the player wins. The agreement is usually based on whether the player wins, loses, or ties.
The stake required for participation in a round is usually, but need not be, of some particular denomination of money or points. Games of chance implemented as slot machines, for example, can receive denominations of nickels, quarters, dollars, and so forth. Here, as with other games of chance, a player may increase the stake placed by adding a stake in the appropriate denomination, which increase usually enhances the player's chances of winning, such as in blackjack when a player splits pairs, or increases the payout if the player wins.
A streak game is one type of game of chance. In streak game round, a participating player can win when a combination of selected outcomes or ROG results occurs, usually consecutively. The combination of outcomes or ROG results on which an outcome of a round of a streak game is based will be referred to in this specification as a streak combination. A streak combination can include any combination of outcomes of a game of chance. A streak combination, for example, can include a player winning three consecutive games of poker, winning five consecutive games of poker, or achieving two of a kind in two consecutive games. A streak combination can apply to any type of ROG result. A streak combination, for example, can include the roulette ball landing on an even number two times in a row or landing on a number between 19 and 36 twice in a row. Different streak games can be based on different streak combinations.
When the outcome of a streak game depends on outcomes of a particular game of chance, the streak game is usually referred to as a side game and the particular game of chance is usually referred to as a main game. In video poker, for example, the poker game itself can be a main. game and a streak game, which outcome is based on two or more main rounds, can be the side game.
A streak game that is a side game to video poker, for example, can proffer a streak combination, for example, a flush in two consecutive games. The player is usually allowed to place a side game wager on the streak combination at the beginning of a streak round. After the round begins, no further side game wagering is allowed. That is, the player cannot place additional side game wagers or remove wagers already placed until the streak round has been completed. A streak round (which outcome can be based on a particular streak combination), begins when a player places a wager (wagering that the particular streak combination will occur and selecting a stake for the streak round) and ends when the outcome of the streak round is determined (when it can be determined that the particular streak combination or combinations either cannot or has occurred). Thus, in the example above, the streak round ends after the two rounds of video poker, when it can be determined the streak combination cannot or has occurred.
Streak wagering can be offered without requiring the player to place a main game wager. For example, a player wagering on two consecutive roulette outcomes, for example two red outcomes, does not need to place a wager on the main roulette game.