US 6,287,202 B1 · Dynamic tournament gaming method and system

Abstract

Dynamic tournament gaming method and system, including the provision of a plurality of gaming terminals selectively interlinkable together with a host terminal so that current players of the terminals desiring to participate in group tournament play can be notified of the opportunity and provided with the choice to play or not. If a current player chooses to play, he so signifies, enters his entry fee into the terminal, and awaits start of the event. Upon start of the tournament by the host terminal, the player will play the tournament game over and over as fast as possible to accumulate as many points as possible during a particular pre-announced tournament period. The host terminal will continuously monitor the terminals of all play participants, dynamically record play status, and control termination of the game period. It will also conduct an accounting of the results, issue win results notification, and perhaps provide remote pay-out of game winnings.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of conducting a gaming tounarnent in which a plurality of players participate concurrently in play on individual gaming terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of gaming terminals together to form a network of gaming terminals, wherein each gaming terminal is operative to execute a game of chance having equivalent win probability characteristics and each terminal is operative to receive and transmit the data required to control the play and report the results;
determining which of the plurality of networked gaming terminals are enabled to participate in the gaming tournament;
determining that a predetermined start time for the tournament has been reached and that there are not at least a predetermined number of participating terminals;
designating a number of unattended terminals to participate in the tournament so that the predetermined number of participating terminals is met;
simultaneously starting tournament play at each of the participating terminals, including any unattended terminals;
once started, permitting the players to concurrently and continuously play the game one or more times at each of the participating gaming terminals;
simultaneously ending tournament play at each of the participating terminals, the players at each of the participating terminals having concurrently and continuously played the game over the same time interval;
collecting from each of the gaming terminals the accumulated score during the same time interval to determine the highest score;
and
identifying the terminal whose player accumulated the highest score.

7 more elements

A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals that are connected to a master terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

sending promotional information to gaming terminals available for tournament play, wherein only those terminals having the same game type and percentaging model are available for tournament play;
collecting buy-ins from the gaming terminals available for tournament play;
committing, to tournament play the gaming terminals from which buy-ins are collected;
determining that a predetermined start time for the tournament has been reached and that there are not at least a predetermined number of participating terminals;
designating a number of unattended terminals to participate in the tournament so that the predetermined number of participating terminals is met;
starting the tournament at the same time at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals;
playing the game at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals;
ending the tournament at the same time at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals so that the game is continuously played at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals over the same time interval;
determining the winners;
and
sending pay messages to the winning terminals.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic tournament gaming method and system

Life of this patent

Dynamic tournament gaming method and system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19