Wagering game on advancing tokens with individual advancement

Abstract

A wagering game that allows a player to wager on a chosen token selected from at least two tokens. A particular token is advanced on a playing field according to a random number generator and additional bets can be placed. Advancing individual tokens according to a random number generator continues until one of the tokens has reached a finish line on the playing field. Wagers are resolved based on the token that has reached the finish line first (won) as well as positions of losing tokens.

1 . A method of conducting a wagering game, the method comprising:
 receiving an initial wager from a player on a chosen token out of two or more participating tokens starting in a starting position;   activating a random number generator to determined a particular token to advance;   advancing the particular token on a playing field;   determining if at least one of the two or more participating tokens has reached a finish area on the playing field, and if not, then continuing the activating and advancing, until at least one or more of the two or more available tokens has reached the finish area; and   if at least one of the two or more participating tokens has reached the finish area, then determining if the chosen token is a winning token which has first reached the finish area, and if so, then paying the initial wager, otherwise taking the initial wager.   
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a ties wager before the activating on a number of ties that will occur during play of the game, and after the game is over, resolving the ties wager based on a number of ties of token positions that has occurred during play of the game.   
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a position wager before the activating on a predicted position of a losing token, and after the game is over, determining if both the losing token lost the game and if the predicted position of the losing token is equal to an actual position of the losing token at conclusion of the game, and if so, then paying the position wager otherwise taking the position wager.   
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 receiving a mid-game wager on a predicted winning token after the activating but before at least one token as reached the finish area, the mid-game wager having a payout based on current positions of the participating tokens; and   after at least one token has reached the finish area, if the predicted winning token is the winning token then paying the mid-game wager using the payout, otherwise taking the mid-game wager.   
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the random number generator deals a card associated with each token, and the particular token is the token which has an associated highest ranked card. 
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the random number generator adds a card to a hand associated with each token, and the particular token is the token which has an associated highest ranked poker hand, the poker hands formed using a different number of cards for different activations of the random number generator. 
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving a side bet on a poker rank of a poker hand associated with a selected token, side bet being resolved based on a paytable and a rank of the poker hand associated with the selected token when the poker hand associated with the selected token reaches a predetermined number of cards.   
   
   
       8 . An electronic gaming apparatus to implement a method of conducting a wagering game, the apparatus comprising:
 a processing unit to perform:   receiving an initial wager from a player on a chosen token out of two or more participating tokens starting in a starting position;   activating a random number generator to determined a particular token to advance;   advancing the particular token on a playing field;   determining if at least one of the two or more participating tokens has reached a finish area on the playing field, and if not, then continuing the activating and advancing, until at least one or more of the two or more available tokens has reached the finish area; and   if at least one of the two or more participating tokens has reached the finish area, then determining if the chosen token is a winning token which has first reached the finish area, and if so, then paying the initial wager, otherwise taking the initial wager; and   an output device to output results of the processing unit.