Wagering game method, gaming machine, gaming system, and program product facilitating tournament play

A gaming system for providing two or more on-demand tournaments to a player through in-revenue game play including:

• (a) a first display system associated with a first gaming machine;
• (b) a first player input system associated with the first gaming machine;
• (c) at least one first gaming machine processor;
• and
• (d) at least one first memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one first gaming machine processor to:
• (i) receive one or more game inputs through the player input system, each game input defining a wager for a respective play of a game presented through the first display system and initiating the respective play of the game;
• (ii) receive an outcome for each play of the game and cause a graphical representation of the respective outcome to be displayed through the first display system;
• (iii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the game, wherein the game inputs entered through the first player input system and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;
• (iv) increment a value of a tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;
• increment a second value of a second tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;
• provide the play an appointment option to apportion incrementing of the first and second values;
• (v) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a predefined level, cause the first display system to provide a notification that the one or more players are qualified to participate in at least one of the tournaments;
• and,
• (vi) provide the player an option of applying the tournament entry fee account to any one of the two or more on-demand tournaments;
• provide the player with an on-demand tournament award based on a first tournament score obtained by the player from play of one of the on-demand tournaments;
• and
• (vii) enter the player into a secondary tournament game wherein the first tournament score is used to compete for one or more additional tournament awards against the tournament scores of other players obtained during a predetermined period of time.

A non-transitory program product stored on one or more computer readable data storage devices and executable for providing two or more on-demand tournaments to a player through in-revenue game play, the program product including:

• (a) player input program code executable by at least one processor of a first gaming machine to receive one or more game inputs entered through a player input system of the first gaming machine, each game input defining a wager for a respective play of a game presented through a display system of the first gaming machine and initiating the respective play of the game;
• (b) game program code executable by the at least one processor of the first gaming machine to (i) obtain an outcome for each play of the game and cause the display system of the first gaming machine to display a graphical representation of the respective outcome, and to (ii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the game, wherein the game inputs at the first gaming machine and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;
• and
• (c) tournament entry program code executable by the at least one processor of the first gaming machine to (i) increment the value of a tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine, increment a second value of a second tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine, and provide the player an apportionment option to apportion incrementing of the first and second values, and (ii) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a predefined level, cause the display system of the first gaming machine to provide a notification that the one or more players are qualified to participate in a first one of the tournaments;
• and provide the player an option of applying the tournament entry fee account to any one of the two or more on-demand tournaments, provide the player with an on-demand tournament award based on a first tournament score obtained by the player from play of one of the on-demand tournaments;
• and (iii) enter the player into a secondary tournament game wherein the first tournament score is used to compete for one or more additional tournament awards against the tournament scores of other players obtained during a predetermined period of time.