Wagering games, systems, and methods with limited play high frequency outcome associated jackpots

Abstract

Gaming devices, systems and related methods are disclosed that include a jackpot controller which offers players the opportunity to win awards and/or jackpots (fixed or progressive awards) that are greater than the average award of the base game and which are associated with symbol combinations that have a likelihood of occurrence that is greater than the average probability of occurrence of winning outcomes in the base game. The jackpots are determined randomly, pseudo-randomly, or through other algorithmic processes from a pool and are activated for a finite number of game plays wherein a player may have a chance to win the jackpot.

1 . A gaming device comprising:
 a device structure including a player interface for initiating a wagering game and one or more processors configured to:   a) present the wagering game and pay awards for winning outcomes in a paytable; and   b) determine a first jackpot amount from a jackpot pool, a first jackpot winning outcome, and a first predetermined finite number of game plays;   c) upon the occurrence of an activating condition, activating the first jackpot by making it available to be won in each individual wagering game play until the predetermined finite number of game plays has been completed, and then deactivating the first jackpot by making it no longer available; and   d) upon the occurrence of the first jackpot winning outcome within the first predetermined finite number of game plays, pay the first jackpot amount to a player.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the one or more processors including a game processor configured to present the wagering game and to pay the awards for winning outcomes; and, a jackpot controller configured to determine the first jackpot amount from the jackpot pool, the first jackpot winning outcome associated with the first jackpot amount, and the first predetermined finite number of game plays. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the first jackpot amount being greater than an average award-paid by the wagering game based on the paytable and the first jackpot winning outcome having a greater likelihood of occurrence than an average likelihood of occurrence of one of the winning outcomes in the paytable. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming device of  claim 3 , the average award being a function of the sum of the awards of the winning outcomes in the paytable divided by the number of winning outcomes in the paytable. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming device of  claim 3 , the average likelihood of occurrence being a function of a target pay of the wagering game or a sum of a likelihood of occurrence of each of the winning outcomes in the paytable divided by the number of winning outcomes in the paytable. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the jackpot pool comprising multiple jackpot amounts, each of the multiple jackpot amounts being greater than an average award paid by the wagering game based on the paytable. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming device of  claim 6 , each of the jackpot amounts in the jackpot pool being associated with: a) a respective jackpot winning outcome having a greater likelihood of occurrence than the average likelihood of occurrence of one of the winning outcomes in the paytable and b) a respective predetermined finite number of game plays. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the one or more processors configured to: randomly determine the first jackpot amount from a jackpot pool, and determine the first jackpot winning outcome and the first predetermined finite number of game plays associated with the first jackpot amount. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the one or more processors configured to: randomly determine at least two of the first jackpot amount from the jackpot pool, the first jackpot winning outcome from a pool of jackpot winning outcomes, and the first predetermined finite number of game plays from a set of numbers. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , the one or more processors configured to: randomly determine each of: the first jackpot amount from the jackpot pool, the first jackpot winning outcome from a pool of jackpot winning outcomes, and the first predetermined finite number of game plays from a set of numbers. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming device of  claim 9 , the pool of jackpot winning outcomes comprising one or more of the winning outcomes in the paytable. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming device of  claim 10 , the pool of jackpot winning outcomes comprising one or more of the winning outcomes in the paytable. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the activating condition to make the first jackpot available is the occurrence of a trigger event in a single game play round. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming device of  claim 2 , wherein the jackpot controller is located remotely from and communicatively connected to the game processor. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a wagering game comprising the steps of: initiating the wagering game upon receipt of a wager through a player interface unit; randomly or pseudo-randomly determining a game outcome with a processor; and paying one or more awards for winning outcomes in a paytable; the method further comprising: determining a first jackpot amount from a jackpot pool, a first jackpot winning outcome, and a first predetermined finite number of game plays; upon the ocurrence of an activating condition, activating the first jackpot by making it available to be won in each individual wagering game play until the predetermined finite number of game plays has been completed, and then deactivating the first jackpot by making it no longer available; and upon the occurrence of the first jackpot winning outcome within the first predetermined finite number of game plays, paying the first jackpot amount to the player. 
     
     
         16 . A networked gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices, a subset of the plurality of gaming devices connecting to a jackpot controller and an overhead display, each of the subset of gaming devices including a player interface for initiating a wagering game responsive to a wager by a player; a game processor configured to present the wagering game and pay awards for winning outcomes identified in a paytable; the jackpot controller configured to: a) access a jackpot pool, b) transmit each of a set of jackpots in the jackpot pool to the overhead display, c) determine a first jackpot amount from the jackpot pool, a first jackpot winning outcome, and a first predetermined finite number of game plays, d) upon the occurrence of an activating condition, activate the first jackpot by making it available to be won in each individual wagering game play until the predetermined finite number of game plays has been completed, and then deactivate the first jackpot by making it no longer available; e) identify one or more of the subset of gaming devices to make available the first jackpot amount, and f) transmit the first jackpot information to the identified one or more gaming devices; and upon the occurrence of the first jackpot winning outcome on one of the identified gaming devices within the first predetermined finite number of game plays, the respective game processor configured to pay the first jackpot amount to the respective player. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the activating condition to make the first jackpot available is the occurrence of a trigger event in a single game play round. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the activating condition to make the first jackpot available is the occurrence of a trigger event in a single game play round.