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US 8,133,106 B2Granted
Wagering game system with networked gaming devices
AssigneeWMS Gaming Inc.
InventorAllon G Englman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a plurality of wagering game tournaments on a plurality of gaming machines includes receiving a wager from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines. The method further includes providing an option, at the gaming machine, to enter the plurality of wagering game tournaments. The method also includes entering at least one of the plurality of wagering game tournaments and playing in any entered tournament when the tournament begins.
Claims23
A method of operating a plurality of gaming machines of a gaming network, comprising:
- receiving a wager, via an input device, from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;
- initiating the wagering game on the gaming machine;
- providing an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display leaderboard information on a display device of the gaming machine;
- selectively displaying information from the leaderboard information;
- ranking, by a controller, players on a leaderboard based on points awarded during at least one of a tournament and a cash game, wherein the points are calculated with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors:
- cost, number of participants in field, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants;
- wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.
4 more elements
A gaming machine, comprising:
- a display for displaying a base game of the wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from a player;
- and
- a controller coupled to the display and programmed to
- initiate the base game on the gaming machine;
- provide an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display on the display leaderboard information related to a tournament;
- selectively display any of the leaderboard information related to the tournament;
- award points to the player during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;
- calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors:
- (i) cost,
- (ii) number of participants in field
- (iii) player rank, and
- (iv) player finish in relation to the number of participants;
- and
- determine a ranking of the player on a leaderboard based on the points;
- wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.
12 more elements
A method of operating a gaming network, comprising:
- receiving a wager, via an input device, from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the gaming network;
- allowing the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display a leaderboard on a display device of the gaming machine;
- selectively displaying information on the leaderboard;
- awarding, by one or more controllers, points to the player based on play during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;
- determining, by the one or more controllers, a ranking of the player on the leaderboard based on the points;
- and
- calculating, by the one or more controllers, the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors:
- cost, number of participants in filed, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.
5 more elements
A gaming network for conducting a wagering game, the gaming network comprising:
- a plurality of gaming machines having respective displays for displaying the wagering game;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the display and programmed to
- in response to receiving a wager input from a player on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, initiate the wagering game on the gaming machine;
- allow the player to participate in a tournament;
- provide an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display on the display leaderboard information related to the tournament;
- selectively display leaderboard information related to the tournament;
- determine ranking of the player on a leaderboard based on points received during the tournament;
- and
- calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on four factors:
- cost, number of participants in field, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein an effect of at least one of the four factors is modified to result in a non-linear relationship between the calculated points and the at least one of the four factors;
- wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening the effect of at least one of the four factors.
9 more elements
A gaming network on which players play wagering games via a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming network comprising:
- at least one input device allowing a player to place a wager to play one or more of the wagering games via a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines and allowing the player to choose to display a leaderboard on a display device of the gaming machine;
- and
- one or more controllers operable to
- award points to the player based on play during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;
- determine a ranking of the player on the leaderboard based on the points;
- and
- calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors:
- cost, number of participants in filed, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.