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US 2014/0179417 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for gaming machines with a tournament play bonus feature
AssigneeIgt
InventorsLee E. Cannon, Mick D. Roemer, Robert Guinn, Michael J. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming method and device includes a game, at least one non-qualifying outcome in the game, and at least one qualifying outcome in the game, wherein a player qualifies for a multi-player tournament to be held in the future when the player achieves the at least one qualifying outcome.
Claims20
A gaming system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
- (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament;
- (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different;
- (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event:
- (i) determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion;
- (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament;
- (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament;
- and
- (iv) provide the first tournament;
- and
- (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event:
- (i) determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion;
- (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament;
- (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament;
- and
- (iv) provide the second tournament.
15 more elements
A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
- (a) causing a processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament;
- (b) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different;
- (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event:
- (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion;
- (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament;
- (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the first tournament;
- and
- (iv) providing the first tournament;
- and
- (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event:
- (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion;
- (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament;
- (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the second tournament;
- and
- (iv) providing the second tournament.
12 more elements
A gaming system comprising:
- a central controller;
- and
- a plurality of gaming machines, wherein the central controller operates with the plurality of gaming machines to;
- (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament;
- (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different;
- (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event:
- (i) determine a first plurality of players of a first plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion;
- (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament;
- (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using said players gaming machine;
- and
- (iv) provide the first tournament;
- and
- (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event;
- (i) determine a second plurality of players of a second plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion;
- (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament;
- (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using said player's gaming machine;
- and
- (iv) provide the second tournament.
15 more elements
The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the central controller operates with the plurality of gaming machines to:
- (a) for the first tournament:
- (i) determine one or more winning players of the first tournament;
- and
- (ii) for each of the one or more winning players of the first tournament, determine at least a portion of a first award pool to provide to said winning player;
- and
- (b) for the second tournament:
- (i) determine one or more winning players of the second tournament;
- and
- (ii) for each of the one or more winning players of the second tournament, determine at least a portion of a second award pool to provide to said winning player, the second award pool being greater than the first award pool.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.