Systems and methods for entering users into a game

A method comprising:

• registering, by at least one processor of at least one computer, a first of a plurality of users;
• receiving, by the at least one processor, login information from the first user;
• after receiving the login information, receiving, by the at least one processor, from each of the plurality of users a respective at least one criterion, in which the act of receiving from each of the plurality of users the respective at least one criterion comprises (1) receiving a respective at least one criterion from the first user via a first computer system and (2) receiving a respective at least one criterion from a second of the plurality of users via a second computer system, wherein the respective at least one criterion from each of the plurality of users comprises a wager limit;
• causing to be displayed to the first user via the first computer system information about a plurality of possible competitions that meet the received at least one criterion from the first user;
• based at least in part on a selection of a displayed competition by the first user, by the at least one processor, the first user and the second user in a competition associated with the execution of a game, wherein the game comprises at least one of (1) an electronic card game played via an electronic communications network, (2) an electronic game that involves a sport and that is played via an electronic communications network, (3) an electronic casino game played via an electronic communications network, (4) an electronic arcade game played via an electronic communications network, and (5) an electronic dice game played via an electronic communications network;
• initiating, by the at least one processor, the game for at least the first user and the second user;
• after initiating the game for the first user and second user and before an end of the game, monitoring, by the at least one processor, information input by at least the first user and the second user that affect an outcome of the game;
• storing, by the at least one processor, the monitored information in a database electronically coupled to the at least one server;
• identifying, by the at least one processor, parameters for generating one or more statistics;
• extracting from the database, by the at least one processor, information associated with the identified parameters including monitored information;
• based at least in part on the monitored information extracted from the database, generating, by the at least one processor, information comprising at least one of (1) rankings of at least the first user and the second user, (2) skill levels of at least the first user and the second user, and (3) one or more statistic values associated with the game;
• causing, by the at least one processor, the generated information to be displayed to the first user via the first computing device and to the second user via the second computing device;
• based at least in part on monitored information, determining, by the at least one processor, a winner of the game, in which the winner comprises one of the first user and the second user;
• and
• responsive to determining the winner of the game, causing, by the at least one processor, value to be transferred to an account of the winner.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are configured to, when executed by at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:

• register first of a plurality of users;
• receive login information from the first user;
• after receiving the login information, receive from each of the plurality of users a respective at least one criterion, in which the act of receiving from each of the plurality of users the respective at least one criterion comprises (1) receiving a respective at least one criterion from the first user via a first computer system and (2) receiving a respective at least one criterion from a second of the plurality of users via a second computer system, wherein the respective at least one criterion from each of the plurality of users comprises a wager limit;
• cause to be displayed to the first user via the first computer system information about a plurality of possible competitions that meet the received at least one criterion from the first user based at least in part on a selection of a displayed competition by the first user enter the first user and the second user in a competition associated with the execution of a game, wherein the game comprises at least one of (1) an electronic card game played via an electronic communications network, (2) an electronic game that involves a sport and that is played via an electronic communications network, (3) an electronic casino game played via an electronic communications network, (4) an electronic arcade game played via an electronic communications network, and (5) an electronic dice game played via an electronic communications network;
• initiate the game for at least the first user and the second user;
• after initiating the game for the first user and second user and before an end of the game, monitor information input by at least the first user and the second user that affect an outcome of the game;
• store the monitored information in a database electronically coupled to the at least one server;
• identify parameters for generating one or more statistics;
• extract from the database information associated with the identified parameters including monitored information;
• based at least in part on the monitored information extracted from the database, generate information comprising at least one of (1) rankings of at least the first user and the second user, (2) skill levels of at least the first user and the second user, and (3) one or more statistic values associated with the game;
• cause the generated information to be displayed to the first user via the first computing device and to the second user via the second computing device;
• based at least in part on monitored information, determine a winner of the game, in which the winner comprises one of the first user and the second user;
• and
• responsive to determining the winner of the game, cause value to be transferred to an account of the winner.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one server comprising at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one server, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor of the at least one server to:
• receive at least one criterion from a first user via a first computer system;
• cause to be displayed to the first user via the first computer system information about a plurality of possible competitions that meet the at least one criterion received from the first user;
• based at least in part on a selection of a displayed competition by the first user, enter the first user in a competition with the second user, the competition comprising at least one of (1) an electronic card game played via an electronic communications network, (2) a sports related electronic game that is played via an electronic communications network, (3) an electronic casino game played via an electronic communications network, (4) an electronic arcade game played via an electronic communications network, and (5) an electronic dice game played via an electronic communications network;
• after entering the first user in the competition with the second user and before an end of the competition, monitor information input by at least the first user and the second user that affect an outcome of the competition;
• store the monitored information in a database electronically coupled to the at least one server;
• identify parameters for generating one or more statistics;
• extract from the database information associated with the identified parameters including monitored information;
• based at least in part on the monitored information extracted from the database, generate information comprising at least one of (1) rankings of at least the first user and the second user, (2) skill levels of at least the first user and the second user, and (3) one or more statistic values associated with the game;
• cause the generated information to be displayed to the first user via the first computing device and to the second user via the second computing device;
• based at least in part on the monitored information, determine a winner of the game, in which the winner comprises one of the first user and the second user;
• and
• responsive to determining the winner of the game, cause value to be transferred to an account of the winner.

A method comprising:

• register, by at least one processor of at least one server, a first user;
• receive, by the at least one processor, login information from a first user via a first computer system;
• based at least in part on the login information received from the first user, authenticate, by the at least one processor, the first user and provide the first user access to the gaming system;
• receive, by the at least one processor, at least one criterion from the first user via a first computer system;
• cause to be displayed to the first user via the first computer system information about a plurality of possible competitions that meet the at least one criterion received from the first user, the first computer system comprising a user interface;
• based at least in part on a selection of a displayed competition by the first user, enter, by the at least one processor, the first user in a competition with a second user, the competition comprising at least one of (1) an electronic card game played via an electronic communications network, (2) a sports related electronic game that is played via an electronic communications network, (3) an electronic casino game played via an electronic communications network, (4) an electronic arcade game played via an electronic communications network, and (5) an electronic dice game played via an electronic communications network;
• after entering the first user in the competition with the second user and before an end of the competition, monitor, by the at least one processor, information input by at least the first user and the second user that affect an outcome of the competition;
• store, by the at least one processor, the monitored information in a database electronically coupled to the at least one server;
• identify, by the at least one processor, parameters for generating one or more statistics;
• retrieve, by the at least one processor, from the database information associated with the identified parameters including monitored information;
• based at least in part on the monitored information extracted from the database, generate, by the at least one processor, information comprising at least one of (1) rankings of at least the first user and the second user, (2) skill levels of at least the first user and the second user, and (3) one or more statistic values associated with the game;
• cause, by the at least one processor, the generated information to be displayed to the first user via the first computing device;
• based at least in part on the monitored information, determine, by the at least one processor, a winner of the game, in which the winner comprises one of the first user and the second user;
• and
• responsive to determining the winner of the game, cause, by the at least one processor, value to be transferred to an account of the winner.

A gaming system comprising:

• at least one server comprising at least one processor, the at least one server operable to provide gaming sessions for many users;
• and
• at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one server, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor of the at least one server to:
• receive login information from a first user via a first computer system;
• based at least in part on the login information received from the first user, authenticate the first user and provide the first user access to the gaming system;
• receive from the first user via the first computer system at least one criterion;
• cause to be displayed to the first user via the first computer system information about a plurality of possible competitions that meet the at least one criterion from the first user;
• enter the first user into one of the plurality of displayed competitions, wherein the competition into which the first user is entered comprises at least one of (1) a card game based competition, (2) a sports related competition, (3) a casino game based competition, (4) an arcade game based competition, and (5) a dice game based competition, in which the competition is played via an electronic communications network;
• receive login information from a second user via a second computer system;
• based at least in part on the login information received from the second user, authenticate the second user and provide the second user access to the gaming system;
• receive from the second user via the second computer system one or more criteria;
• based at least in part on the one or more criteria received from the second user, cause to be displayed to the second user information about the same competition into which the first user is entered;
• based at least in part on a selection by the second user of the same competition into which the first user is entered, enter the second user into that competition;
• monitor information input by at least the first user and the second user that affects an outcome of the competition into which the first and second users are entered;
• store the monitored information in a database electronically coupled to the at least one server;
• extract from the database information, including monitored information, for generating one or more statistics;
• based at least in part on the monitored information extracted from the database, generate one or more statistic values comprising at least one of (1) rankings of at least the first user and the second user, (2) skill levels of at least the first user and the second user, and (3) statistic values associated with the competition entered by the first and second users;
• cause the generated one or more statistic values to be displayed to the first user via the first computing device and to the second user via a second computing device;
• and
• based at least in part on monitored information, determine a winner of the competition into which the first and second users were entered, and cause value to be transferred to an account of the determined winner.