Continual limit hold'em quasi-tournaments

• US 10,445,985 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Games, LC
• Original Assignee: Brain Games, LC
• Inventors: Davis, Malcolm B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/269,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20140243063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 463 13, 463 26, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A method of simulating a gaming tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines in a quasi-tournament includes the steps of: a) receiving value from a plurality of human users of the electronic game machines, the received value corresponding to a plurality of wagering credits whereby each human user is provided with a plurality of wagering units enabling the human user to participate in the quasi-tournament by playing one or more games on one of the electronic game machines, b) initiating a machine-implemented game on each game machine used in the quasi-tournament, whereby a human user may play the game using the electronic game machine to participate in the quasi-tournament, c) receiving input from the human user via a user interface associated with the electronic game machine to play the machine-implemented game, d) determining an outcome for each machine-implemented game played by each of the plurality of human users using the electronic game machines, e) updating the number of wagering units held by each human user based upon each outcome determined in step d), f) repeating steps b)-e) for the duration of the tournament, g) comparing the number of wagering units won by each human user in the quasi-tournament and determining one or more winners of the quasi-tournament and h) providing value to the one or more winners of the quasi-tournament.

Claims

1. A system for simulating a gaming tournament with a quasi-tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines wherein a plurality of human users each play a machine-implemented game on an electronic game machine, the system including:

a plurality of electronic game machines configured with a machine-implemented game whereby a plurality of human users may play the game using the electronic game machines and wager using wagering units to participate in the quasi-tournament, each of the electronic game machines including (i) a display device for displaying indicia representative of a game state, (ii) means for receiving an input from the human user in response to a display of indicia representing a game state, and (iii) a magnetic card reader;

wherein the system is operative to enable a human user entering the quasi-tournament to provide differing amounts of value a single time as an entry fee, the differing amounts of value corresponding to prize pots of differing value whereby the human user is eligible to receive a payout from multiple prize pots at the conclusion of the tournament and wherein each human user entering the quasi-tournament is provided with the same number of wagering units independent of the amount of value provided by the human user;

a central processor connected to each of the electronic game machines, the central processor operative to receive an input from each of the electronic game machines corresponding to the outcome of games played on the electronic game machines by the human users, to determine one or more winners of the quasi-tournament based upon the outcome of games played by the human users on the electronic game machines, and to interface with the magnetic card reader to maintain and update a player position for a magnetic card associated with a player, allowing a player to withdraw by removing the magnetic card from the magnetic card reader, and allowing a player to reenter, according to the maintained and updated player position, by reinserting the magnetic card into the magnetic card reader;

wherein the human users may select, as input, after the machine-implemented game is initiated and value received from the human user, from one of at least two different potentially winning actions at a single stage in each game played by the human users; and

wherein the system is operative to provide a human user winning the quasi-tournament with a payout from one or more prize pots upon winning the quasi-tournament.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic game machines include:

a storage device for storing a game algorithm; and

,

a processor operative with the storage device to implement the game algorithm and operative with the display device to display indicia representative of a game state and to receive input from a human user of the machine, wherein the human user input may be selected from at least two different available potentially winning actions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-implemented game is poker.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the displayed indicia are visual representations of playing cards.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data interface between each of the electronic game machines and the central processor whereby the outcome of games played by human users of the electronic game machines are transmitted to the central processor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the electronic game machines further comprises means for receiving value from a user of the machine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic card reader comprises a stored value card reader whereby value may be transferred from and to the stored value card by the electronic game machine.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is operative to enable a human user to enter the quasi-tournament after the quasi-tournament begins by providing value to enter the quasi-tournament.

9. A method of simulating a gaming tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines in a quasi-tournament, the method comprising:

a) receiving selected value in the form of an entry fee from human users, human users entering the quasi-tournament providing differing amounts of value a single time as an entry fee, the differing amounts of value corresponding to prize pots of differing value whereby the human users are eligible to receive a payout from multiple prize pots in the quasi-tournament at the conclusion of the tournament, whereby each human user receives the same number of wagering units independent of the value received;

b) initiating a machine-implemented game on a plurality of the electronic game machines, wherein the electronic game machines are connected with a data interface to a central processor, whereby a plurality of human users participate in the quasi-tournament by playing games on the electronic game machines;

c) displaying indicia to human users with an electronic display associated with the electronic game machines, the indicia representative of a game state and prompting input by the human users in response to the game states, wherein a human user may select, as input, one of at least two different potentially winning actions at a single stage in each game played by the human user;

d) receiving inputs selected by the human users with the electronic game machines and determining outcomes of each game played by human users of the electronic game machines;

e) automatically transmitting from the electronic game machines to the central processor the outcomes of games played by human users of the electronic game machines;

f) comparing, with the central processor, the outcomes of the games played by the human users of the electronic game machines to determine one or more winners of the quasi-tournament;

(g) interfacing a magnetic card reader with the central processor to maintain and update a player position for a magnetic card associated with a player;

(h) allowing a player to withdraw by removing the magnetic card from the magnetic card reader; and

(i) allowing a player to reenter, according to the maintained and updated player position, by reinserting the magnetic card into the magnetic card reader.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the electronic game machines include:

a storage device for storing a game algorithm; and

,

a processor operative with the storage device to implement the game algorithm and operative with the display device to display indicia representative of a game state;

the method further comprising receiving input from a human user of the machine and executing the game algorithm with the processor to determine a response to the input of the human user.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising changing the displayed indicia to show the response to the input of the human user whereby the game state is changed.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the machine-implemented game is poker.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the displayed indicia are visual representations of playing cards.

14. A system for simulating a gaming tournament with a quasi-tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines wherein a plurality of human users each play a machine-implemented game on an electronic game machine, the system including:

a plurality of electronic game machines configured with a machine-implemented game, each of the electronic game machines linked to a central processor with a data interface connected to a network whereby a plurality of human users may play the game using the electronic game machines to participate in the quasi-tournament, each of the electronic game machines including one or more user interface devices whereby the electronic game machines display indicia representative of a game state and receive input from the human user in response to a display of indicia representing a game state, and each of the electronic game machines including a magnetic card reader;

wherein the system is operative to enable a human user entering the quasi-tournament to provide differing amounts of value a single time as an entry fee, the differing amounts of value corresponding to prize pots of differing value whereby the human user is eligible to receive a payout from multiple prize pots at the conclusion of the tournament and wherein each human user entering the quasi-tournament is provided with the same number of wagering units independent of the amount of value provided by the human user;

wherein the central processor connected is to each of the electronic game machines via the data interface, the central processor operative to receive an input from each of the electronic game machines corresponding to the outcome of games played on the electronic game machines by the human users, to determine one or more winners of the quasi-tournament based upon the outcome of games played by the human users on the electronic game machines, and to interface with the magnetic card reader to maintain and update a player position for a magnetic card associated with a player, allowing a player to withdraw by removing the magnetic card from the magnetic card reader, and allowing a player to reenter, according to the maintained and updated player position, by reinserting the magnetic card into the magnetic card reader;

wherein the human user may select, after the machine-implemented game is initiated and value received from the human user, from one of at least two different potentially winning actions at a single stage in each game played by the human user and input the selected action with one of the user interface devices; and

wherein the system is operative to provide a human user winning the quasi-tournament with a payout from one or more prize pots upon winning the quasi-tournament.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the electronic game machines include:

a storage device for storing a game algorithm; and

,

a processor operative with the storage device to implement the game algorithm and operative with the display device to display indicia representative of a game state and to receive input from a human user of the machine.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the machine-implemented game is poker.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the displayed indicia are visual representations of playing cards.