Gaming system and method providing a gaming tournament having a variable average expected point payout
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a plurality of gaming machines each comprising;
at least one processor;
at least one display device;
an acceptor configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value to facilitate establishment of a credit balance;
at least one input device; and
at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, during a gaming tournament;
(a) enable a tournament player of said gaming machine to play a tournament game, the tournament game having an average expected point payout; and
(b) for each play of the tournament game;
(1) determine an outcome and cause the at least one display device to display the outcome;
(2) determine any game award associated with the outcome and cause the at least one display device to display any game award associated with the outcome, any game award associated with a quantity of tournament points; and
(3) accumulate any tournament points associated with any determined game award; and
a tournament controller configured to operate with a designated quantity of the gaming machines to enable the designated quantity of gaming machines to each enable a tournament player to participate in the gaming tournament, wherein (1) the designated quantity of gaming machines is all of the gaming machines that participate in the gaming tournament, and (2) the designated quantity of gaming machines remains the same throughout the gaming tournament, and;
(a) if a first average expected point payout modification event occurs during the gaming tournament, for each one of the designated quantity of gaming machines, cause a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a first manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout;
(b) if a second average expected point payout modification event occurs during the gaming tournament, for each one of the designated quantity of gaming machines, cause a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a second manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout, the second average expected point payout modification event being different from the first average expected point payout modification event and the second manner of modification being different from the first manner of modification; and
(c) if a tournament termination event occurs, determine a tournament winner based on the quantities of accumulated tournament points of the tournament players and provide a monetary tournament award to the tournament winner.
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a gaming system and method providing a gaming tournament having a variable average expected point payout. Generally, during the gaming tournament, the gaming system enables each tournament player to play a tournament game at an EGM. The gaming system accumulates one or more tournament points for the tournament player when a play of the tournament game results in a winning outcome. At various points during the tournament, the gaming system increases or decreases an average expected point payout of the tournament game to change the tournament players'"'"' gaming experience.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a plurality of gaming machines each comprising; at least one processor; at least one display device; an acceptor configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value to facilitate establishment of a credit balance; at least one input device; and at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, during a gaming tournament; (a) enable a tournament player of said gaming machine to play a tournament game, the tournament game having an average expected point payout; and (b) for each play of the tournament game; (1) determine an outcome and cause the at least one display device to display the outcome; (2) determine any game award associated with the outcome and cause the at least one display device to display any game award associated with the outcome, any game award associated with a quantity of tournament points; and (3) accumulate any tournament points associated with any determined game award; and a tournament controller configured to operate with a designated quantity of the gaming machines to enable the designated quantity of gaming machines to each enable a tournament player to participate in the gaming tournament, wherein (1) the designated quantity of gaming machines is all of the gaming machines that participate in the gaming tournament, and (2) the designated quantity of gaming machines remains the same throughout the gaming tournament, and; (a) if a first average expected point payout modification event occurs during the gaming tournament, for each one of the designated quantity of gaming machines, cause a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a first manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout; (b) if a second average expected point payout modification event occurs during the gaming tournament, for each one of the designated quantity of gaming machines, cause a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a second manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout, the second average expected point payout modification event being different from the first average expected point payout modification event and the second manner of modification being different from the first manner of modification; and (c) if a tournament termination event occurs, determine a tournament winner based on the quantities of accumulated tournament points of the tournament players and provide a monetary tournament award to the tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) for each of a plurality of gaming machines participating in a gaming tournament, enabling a tournament player of said gaming machine to play a tournament game, the tournament game having an average expected point payout, wherein the plurality of gaming machines participating in the gaming tournament remain the same throughout the gaming tournament; (b) for each of the plurality of gaming machines, for each play of the tournament game on said gaming machine; (1) determining, by at least one processor, and displaying, by at least one display device of said gaming machine, an outcome; (2) determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device of said gaming machine, any game award associated with the outcome, any game award associated with a quantity of tournament points; and (3) accumulating, by the at least one processor, any tournament points associated with any determined game award; (c) if a first average expected point payout modification event occurs during the tournament, for each of the plurality of gaming machines, causing, by the at least one processor, a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a first manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout; (d) if a second average expected point payout modification event occurs during the tournament, for each of the plurality of gaming machines, causing, by the at least one processor, a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament game in a second manner such that at least one subsequent play of the tournament game has said modified average expected point payout, the second average expected point payout modification event being different from the first average expected point payout modification event and the second manner of modification being different from the first modification; and (e) if a tournament termination event occurs, determining, by the at least one processor, a tournament winner based on the quantities of accumulated points of the tournament players and providing a monetary tournament award to the tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification