Guess Number Higher or Lower II

We are playing the Guess Game. The game is as follows:

I pick a number from 1 to n. You have to guess which number I picked.

Every time you guess wrong, I'll tell you whether the number I picked is higher or lower.

However, when you guess a particular number x, and you guess wrong, you pay $x. You win the game when you guess the number I picked.

Example: n = 10, I pick 8.

First round: You guess 5, I tell you that it's higher. You pay $5. Second round: You guess 7, I tell you that it's higher. You pay $7. Third round: You guess 9, I tell you that it's lower. You pay $9.

Game over. 8 is the number I picked.

You end up paying $5 + $7 + $9 = $21. Given a particular n ≥ 1, find out how much money you need to have to guarantee a win.