Database driven online distributed tournament system

A method of conducting distributed electronic tournaments, comprising:

• providing a plurality of payment options to a player;
• receiving payment information from the player;
• said payment information relating to at least one of the plurality of payment options.
• arranging for the player to provide an entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a first tournament;
• storing the payment information;
• and
• retrieving the payment information to arrange for the player to provide a second entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a second 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 a 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 for allowing:
• 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 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 one of the players 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 allowing includes:
• means for providing at least one payment option;
• means for storing a payment option selected by the player in the particular game session;
• and
• means for automatically activating the selected payment option after the player has been identified in a subsequent game session for payment of a subsequent game session entry fee.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• receive information, the information (i) being received from a player through a player output device, and (ii) influencing play of a game;
• and
• store player information in a database, the player information generated as the player participates in a tournament, the stored player information being available for use in a subsequent tournament.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• receive information, the information (i) being received from a player through a player output device, and (ii) influencing play of a game;
• and
• store player information in a database, the player information generated as the player participates in a tournament, the stored player information being available for use in a subsequent tournament.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• receive information, the information influencing play of a game in a tournament played by a player, wherein the game relates to at least one of (i) a recently concluded event and (ii) an on-going event;
• and
• storing player information in a database, the player information generated as the player participates in the tournament, the stored player information being available for use in a subsequent tournament.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• receive information, the information influencing play of a game in a tournament played by a player, wherein the game relates to at least one of (i) a recently concluded event and (ii) an on-going event;
• and
• store player information in a database, the player information generated as the player participates in the tournament, the stored player information being available for use in a subsequent tournament.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• allow a player to participate in a tournament, wherein a total number of players in the tournament is limited to a predetermined number;
• and
• receive information influencing play of a game in the tournament played by the player said payment information relating to at least one of the plurality of payment options.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• allow a player to participate in a tournament, wherein a total number of players in the tournament is limited to a predetermined number;
• and
• receive information influencing play of a game in the tournament played by the player store player information generated as the player participates in the tournament and the information being available for a subsequent tournament.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• allow a player to participate in a tournament based on player information retrieved from a database, the player information being associated with a qualifying event;
• and
• receive information, the information influencing play of a game in the tournament played by the player storing player information generated as the player participates in the tournament and the information being available for a subsequent tournament.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• allow a player to participate in a tournament based on player information retrieved from a database, the player information being associated with a qualifying event;
• and
• receive information, the information influencing play of a game in the tournament played by the player store player information generated as the player participates in the tournament and the information being available for a subsequent tournament.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• provide a plurality of payment options to a player;
• receive payment information from the player, said payment information relating to one of said plurality of payment options;
• allow the player to provide an entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a first tournament;
• store the payment information;
• and
• retrieve the payment information to arrange for the player to provide a second entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a second tournament.

A computer readable medium for use in a tournament system, the computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising:

• computer readable means for making available a plurality of payment options to a player;
• computer readable means for obtaining payment information from the player, said payment information relating to one of said plurality of payment options;
• computer readable means for enabling the player to provide an entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a first tournament;
• computer readable means for saving the payment information;
• and
• computer readable means for obtaining the payment information to arrange for the player to provide a second entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a second tournament.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• provide a plurality of payment options to a player;
• receive payment information from the player, said payment information relating to one of said plurality of payment options;
• allow the player to provide an entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a first tournament;
• store the payment information;
• and
• retrieve the payment information to arrange for the player to provide a second entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a second tournament.

An apparatus for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• means for making available a plurality of payment options to a player;
• means for obtaining payment information from the player, said payment information relating to one of said plurality of payment options;
• means for enabling the player to provide an entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a first tournament;
• means for saving the payment information;
• and
• means for obtaining the payment information to arrange for the player to provide a second entry fee, using the payment information, in exchange for participating in a second tournament.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• store in a database player information generated as a player participates in a tournament;
• and
• adjust the difficulty level of the tournament, based on the stored player information.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• store in a database player information generated as a player participates in a tournament;
• and
• adjust the difficulty level of the tournament, based on the stored player information.

A system for conducting a tournament, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to:
• reserve a predetermined number of positions for a selected group of players until the starting time of the tournament is a preset time away;
• and
• make reserved positions available to players not in the selected group when the starting time of the tournament is a preset time away.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having a computer readable program means embodied therein for operating an information system, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture operable to:
• reserve a predetermined number of positions for a selected group of players until the starting time of the tournament is a preset time away;
• and
• make reserved positions available to players not in the selected group when the starting time of the tournament is a preset time away.