Database driven online distributed tournament system

A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

• (a) means for uniquely identifying one of the players communicating with the central controller via one of the associated input/output devices:
• (b) means for allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee and
• (c) means for storing in database player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller, wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee:
• provides a plurality of payment options;
• stores a payment option selected by the player in the tournament;
• and
• automatically activates the selected payment option after the player has been identified in a subsequent tournament.

A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

• (a) means for uniquely identifying one of the players communicating with the central controller via one of the associated input/output devices:
• (b) means for allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee:
• and
• (c) means for storing in database player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller, wherein the game has associated therewith a difficulty level which is adjusted as the tournament is played based on the information generated during participation in the game.

A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

• (a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device:
• (b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee:
• and
• (c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated:
• and
• (d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the game session has a starting time and wherein a pre-determined number of reserved positions for players are reserved for a selected group of players until the starting time of the game session is a preset time away, at which time the reserved positions will be made available to all players.

A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

• (a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device:
• (b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee:
• (c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated:
• and
• (d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the means for a player to pay an entry fee includes:
• means for providing at least one payment option;
• means for storing a payment option selected by a player in the particular game session;
• and
• means for automatically activating the selected payment option after the player has been identified in the subsequent game session for payment of a subsequent game session entry fee.

A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

• (a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device:
• (b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee:
• (c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated:
• and
• (d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the particular game session has a difficulty level and further comprising a means for adjusting the difficulty level as the particular game session is played based upon information generated during play of the particular game session.

A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

• uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
• allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee by the player, the tournament occurring within a time window;
• storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament:
• and
• restricting player reservation to a selected group of players until a predetermined time prior to the tournament.

A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

• uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
• allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee by the player, the tournament occurring within a time window;
• storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament;
• and
• adjusting the game based on the player information.

A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in tournaments through input/output devices coupled to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

• uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
• upon payment of a first entry fee by the player, allowing the player to participate in a first tournament via the associated input/output device, the first tournament occurring within a time window;
• storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the first tournament;
• retrieving the player information during a second tournament subsequent to the first tournament;
• receiving a first payment option for payment of the first entry fee in the first tournament;
• storing the first payment option;
• retrieving the stored first payment option;
• and
• paying a second entry fee in accordance with the stored first payment option.

A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament including at least one challenge through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

• uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
• allowing the player to participate in a tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee;
• generating a first challenge for a first player based on a first contemporaneous event and generating a second challenge for a second player based on a second contemporaneous event;
• communicating each challenge to the associated input/output device;
• generating an outcome associated with the first player;
• generating a second outcome associated with the second player;
• and
• statistically normalizing the outcomes.