Multiplayer system providing current cash value for wagering game indicia

Abstract

A multiplayer gaming system for wagering games where non-final sets of indicia may be associated with an offer price for sale to other players. A non-final set of indicia may be created by a first player playing a wagering game offered by the system. Prior to receiving a final set of indicia, the first player may associate an offer price to his or her non-final set of indicia. A second player at a different gaming machine or other device may accept the offer price and payment for the non-final set of indicia may then be transferred from the second player to the first player. If the non-final set of indicia results in a winning outcome, the second player may be paid an associated award.

1 . A multiplayer wagering game system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines configured to present one or more wagering games, the plurality of gaming machines each comprising:
 a display device configured to present a plurality of game indicia according to rules of the one or more wagering games; 
 one or more input devices configured to receive an offer price for a non-final set of game indicia from a first player; and 
 a communication device configured to transmit the offer price from the gaming machine; 
   a server having one or more processors, memory devices, and communication devices, the server configured to:
 receive the offer price through the one or more communication devices; 
 transmit the offer price to a subset of the plurality of gaming machines according to predefined distribution rules; 
 receive an offer price acceptance from a second player's gaming machine in the subset of the plurality of gaming machines; and 
 after the offer price acceptance is received, transfer the non-final set of game indicia to the second player's gaming machine, wherein the non-final set of game indicia is presented on the display device of the second player's gaming machine after the transfer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the offer price is presented along with the non-final set of indicia on a display device of the one or more gaming machines in the subset. 
     
     
         3 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to transfer payment from the second player's gaming machine to the first player after receipt of the offer acceptance. 
     
     
         4 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to transmit a notification to one or more mobile devices identified in the distribution rules after receiving the offer price. 
     
     
         5 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1  further comprising a value engine configured to determine a current cash value for the non-final set of game indicia, wherein the current cash value is presented to the first player on the display device to aid the player is setting the offer price. 
     
     
         6 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the second player's gaming machine is configured to present a final set of game indicia generated from the non-final set of game indicia on its display device. 
     
     
         7 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 6 , wherein the second player's gaming machine pays an award if the final set of game indicia matches a winning outcome defined by the rules of the one or more wagering games. 
     
     
         8 . The multiplayer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 receive a counter offer price from at least one of the subset of the plurality of gaming machines; and   transmit the counter offer price to the first player's gaming machine.   
     
     
         9 . A gaming machine comprising:
 a primary game display area configured to present one or more non-final sets of primary game indicia and one or more final sets of primary game indicia to a player upon receipt of a wager from the player;   a first input device configured to receive an offer price from the player, wherein the first input device is enabled if a non-final set of primary game indicia is presented to the player, and is disabled if a final set of primary game indicia is presented to the player;   a communication device configured to transmit the offer price to a server; and   a controller configured to:
 generate a new non-final set of primary game indicia for presentation on the primary game display area if the offer price is received from the player; and 
 generate a final set of primary game indicia if an offer price is not received from the player. 
   
     
     
         10 . The gaming machine of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the final set of primary game indicia to one or more predefined winning outcomes, and to reward the player if the final set of primary game indicia is one of the predefined winning outcomes. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming machine of  claim 9  further comprising a secondary game display area configured to display one or more non-final sets of secondary game indicia, each of the one or more non-final sets of secondary game indicia having a predefined offer price associated and presented therewith. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more non-final sets of secondary game indicia are received from a remote device. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming machine of  claim 11  further comprising a second input device configured to receive a selection of at least one of the one or more non-final sets of secondary game indicia from the player, wherein the controller is configured to reward the player if a final set of secondary game indicia generated from a selected non-final set of secondary game indicia is a winning outcome. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming machine of  claim 9  wherein the gaming machine is a mobile device. 
     
     
         15 . A method for wagering game play at a multiplayer gaming system comprising:
 generating a non-final set of game indicia at a gaming machine;   receiving an offer price for the non-final set of game indicia via an input device of the gaming machine;   transmitting the offer price and the non-final set of game indicia to one or more gaming devices;   receiving an offer price acceptance for the non-final set of game indicia from one of the one or more gaming devices;   generating a final set of game indicia from the non-final set of indicia;   presenting the final set of game indicia at the one of the one or more gaming devices; and   providing an award if the final set of game indicia is a winning outcome.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the non-final set of game indicia are generated after receiving a wager from a player at the gaming machine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising disabling play of the non-final set of game indicia at the game machine once the offer price is received. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising generating a current cash value for the non-final set of game indicia, and presenting the current cash value at the gaming machine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising generating an alert at the one or more gaming devices after the offer price and the non-final set of game indicia are received. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising selecting the one or more gaming devices from a plurality of gaming devices based on predefined distribution rules, wherein the offer price and the non-final set of game indicia are transmitted only to selected gaming devices.