Tournament game system and method using a tournament game card

A tournament server comprising:

• a network interface operatively coupled to a network;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the network interface, the controller comprising a processor and a memory configured to operate with the processor, the controller configured to:
• (a) identify a player of a first gaming unit, said player identified in association with a player tracking card;
• (b) after a tournament game card is provided to the player in response to paying a fee, receive from a first gaming unit and via the network interface, an identifier associated with the tournament game card, wherein the tournament game card is distinct from the player tracking card;
• (c) determine whether the identifier received from the first gaming unit is authentic;
• and
• (d) if the identifier is determined to be authentic:
• (i) determine a time duration the identified player may play in a tournament that is in progress, said determined time duration being based on the identifier and time remaining in the tournament;
• (ii) initialize a timer with the amount of time of said determined time duration;
• (iii) start the timer;
• (iv) for each play of a tournament game during the determined time duration:
• (A) determine a tournament game outcome from a plurality of different tournament game outcomes,
• (B) determine any award associated with the determined tournament game outcome, and
• (C) display any determined award to the identified player;
• (v) stop the timer after one of:
• (A) the timer has run for the amount of time of said time duration, and
• (B) when the identified player terminates play on said first gaming unit prior to expiration of the amount of time of said determined time duration;
• (vi) determine and display a tournament score of the identified player, said determined tournament score being displayed in addition to any displayed awards for the plays of the tournament game;
• (vii) determine if the identified player is a winning player of the tournament, said determination based a comparison of the tournament score of the identified player to at least one tournament score of at least one different player;
• and
• (viii) if the identified player is the winning player of the tournament is determined, determine a value payout to be awarded to the identified winning player.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable program code for instructing a computer to operate as follows:

• (a) identify a player of a first gaming unit, said player identified in association with a player tracking card, said first gaming unit configured for playing in a tournament;
• (b) after a tournament game card is provided to the player in response to paying a fee, receive from the first gaming unit an identifier associated with the tournament game card, wherein the tournament is in progress when the identifier is received, and the tournament game card is distinct from the player tracking card;
• (c) determine whether the identifier received from the first gaming unit is authentic;
• and
• (d) if the identifier is determined to be authentic:
• (i) determine a time duration the identified player may play in the time remaining in the tournament in progress, said determined time duration being based on the identifier;
• (ii) initialize a timer with the amount of time of said determined time duration;
• (iii) start the timer;
• (iv) for each play of a tournament game during the determined time duration:
• (A) determine a tournament game outcome from a plurality of different tournament game outcomes,
• (B) determine any award associated with the determined tournament game outcome, and
• (C) display any determined award to the identified player;
• (V) stop the timer after one of:
• (A) the timer has run for the amount of time of said determined time duration, and
• (B) when the player terminates play on said first gaming unit prior to expiration of the amount of time of said determined time duration;
• (vi) determine and display a tournament score of the identified player, said determined tournament score being displayed in addition to any displayed awards for the plays of the tournament game;
• (vii) determine if the identified player is a winning player of the tournament, said determination based a comparison of the tournament score of the identified player to at least one tournament score of at least one different player;
• and
• (viii) if the identified player is the determined winning player of the tournament, determine a value payout to be awarded to the identified winning player.

A computer-implemented method for enabling a player to join a tournament in progress using a device, sad method comprising:

• (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to identify a player of a first device, said player identified in association with a player tracking card;
• (b) after a tournament game card is provided to the player in response to paying a fee, receiving, from the identified player who has selected the first device to play in a tournament between multiple players, a tournament identifier associated with the tournament game card, wherein the tournament is in progress when the first device is selected by the player for playing the tournament and the tournament game card is distinct from the player tracking card;
• (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine based on the tournament identifier and the time that the tournament identifier is received whether to enable the player to join the tournament;
• (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the tournament identifier, a tournament duration indicative of a time duration that the player may play in the tournament in the time remaining in the tournament when it is determined to enable the player to join the tournament;
• and
• (e) if the first device is not configured for playing the tournament when the first device is selected by the player for playing the tournament and it is determined to enable the player to join the tournament based on the tournament identifier, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to configure the first device to join the tournament;
• (f) enabling the first device to join the tournament for tournament play by the player for the determined tournament duration, wherein each play of a tournament game played for the determined tournament duration includes:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament game outcome from a plurality of different tournament game outcomes,
• (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the determined tournament game outcome, and
• (iii) causing at least one display device to display any determined award to the identified player;
• and
• (g) upon a conclusion of the tournament:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament score of the identified player,
• (ii) causing the at least one display device to display the determined tournament score, said determined tournament score being displayed in addition to any displayed awards for the plays of the tournament game,
• (iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if the identified player is a winning player of the tournament, said determination based a comparison of the tournament score of the identified player to at least one tournament score of at least one different player, and
• (iv) if the identified player is the determined winning player of the tournament, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a value payout to be awarded to the identified winning player.

A computing system comprising:

• at least one processor programmed to:
• identify a player in association with a player tracking card;
• receive a tournament game card from the identified player, the tournament game card associated with a tournament identifier, said receiving of the tournament game card representing a request to join a tournament in progress, wherein the tournament game card is distinct from the player tracking card and the tournament game card is provided to the player in response to paying a fee;
• determine based on the tournament identifier received whether to enable the identified player to join the tournament;
• determine, based on the tournament identifier, a tournament time duration that the identified player may play in the time remaining in the tournament when it is determined to enable the identified player to join the tournament;
• initialize a timer with the amount of time of said tournament time duration;
• start the timer;
• and
• for each play of a tournament game for the determined tournament time duration:
• (a) determine a tournament game outcome from a plurality of different tournament game outcomes,
• (b) determine any award associated with the determined tournament game outcome, and
• (c) display any determined award to the identified player;;
• and stop the timer after one of:
• (a) the timer has run for the amount of time of said tournament time duration, and
• (b) when the player terminates play on said computing system for tournament play prior to expiration of the amount of time of said tournament time duration.