SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIDEO GAMING TOURNAMENT

• US 20070129147A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/557,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 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

The invention described herein includes a method. The method includes, on a plurality of video gaming machines conducting a video card game tournament; wherein the tournament lasts for a plurality of hands; each hand played includes a bet; each hand must be played within a period of time such that the total tournament lasts a period of time that is not unlimited; and the player keeps all winnings from the hands.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

on a plurality of video gaming machines conducting a video card game tournament;

wherein the tournament lasts for a plurality of hands;

each hand played includes a bet;

each hand must be played within a period of time such that the total tournament lasts a period of time that is not unlimited; and

the player keeps all winnings from the hands.

2. A method comprising:

on a video gaming machine displaying a message offering a player an opportunity to join a card game tournament;

if the player elects to join the tournament collecting a tournament fee from the player;

playing two or more rounds of the tournament, wherein, in each round;

a) tournament players are each dealt a poker hand wherein each player receives the same cards in their hand;

b) each tournament player my hold or discard different ones of the cards in a hand, wherein the player is provided a limited period of time in which to make the decision to hold or discard;

c) dealing additional cards to each player that has discarded one or more cards;

d) each tournament player achieves an outcome in each round that is dependent on the cards the player holds or discards; and

following completion of the tournament rounds, determining a winning tournament player based on one or more criteria.

3. A method comprising:

on a video gaming machine displaying a message offering a player an opportunity to join a card game tournament;

if the player elects to join the tournament collecting a tournament fee from the player;

playing two or more rounds of the tournament, wherein, in each round;

a) tournament players are each dealt a hand of cards wherein each player receives the same cards in their hand;

b) each tournament player my hold or discard all or different ones of the cards in a hand;

c) each tournament player achieves an outcome in each round that is dependent on the cards the player holds or discards; and

following completion of the tournament rounds, determining a winning tournament player based on one or more criteria.

4. A method comprising:

on a video gaming machine displaying a message offering a player an opportunity to join a tournament played on the video gaming machine;

if the player elects to join the tournament collecting a tournament fee from the player;

playing two or more rounds of the tournament, wherein, in each round;

a) tournament players each play their own respective game wherein the outcome of each game is dependent on a player'"'"'s choices in their respective game;

b) following completion of the tournament rounds, determining a winning tournament player based on one or more criteria.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising on a video casino game having a video display and a credit meter, providing a video poker game for play by a player:

6. A method according to claim 4 further comprising while the player is playing the video poker game, displaying a message on the display of the video game offering the player an opportunity to play in a tournament.

7. A method according to claim 4 further comprising allowing the player to enter the tournament by use of an input to the video casino game;

8. A method according to claim 4 further comprising wherein the offer to join the tournament has deadline;

9. A method according to claim 4 further comprising if the player elects to participate in the tournament, displaying a message on the casino game display requesting payment of a tournament fee;

10. A method according to claim 4 further comprising if the player has sufficient funds in the credit meter, subtracting the tournament fee from the credit meter and escrowing it in a tournament server;

11. A method according to claim 4 further comprising if the player does not have sufficient funds, displaying a message instructing the player to insert additional money to enter the tournament, or allowing the player to return the video poker game by entering a selection canceling the player'"'"'s entry into the tournament;

12. A method according to claim 4 further comprising if the player successfully enters the tournament, displaying a message on the video casino game informing the player of a player identification for the player;

13. A method according to claim 4 further comprising returning the escrowed tournament fee to the player'"'"'s credit meter and displaying a scoreboard on the screen that shows the player'"'"'s score followed by a ranking of the top eight players in the tournament;

14. A method according to claim 4 further comprising as each hand in the tournament is dealt, displaying the number of remaining hands on the video casino game display

15. A method according to claim 4 further comprising dealing the same cards to all participants in the tournament;

16. A method according to claim 4 further comprising when the deal is complete, enabling ‘

Hold’

buttons behind the cards and enabling a ‘

Ready’

button on the video casino game;

17. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the player playing the poker game by selecting none or some cards to hold;

18. A method according to claim 4 further comprising a player pressing the READY button to allow the game to proceed;

19. A method according to claim 4 further comprising when all players have pressed READY the game continues;

20. A method according to claim 4 further comprising if the time remaining for the hand runs out, then the game proceeds without the player pressing the READY button;

21. A method according to claim 4 further comprising at the end of each hand, the scores are tallied and the player rankings on the scoreboard are updated;

and

22. A method according to claim 4 further comprising at the end of a number of hands, the player with the highest total is awarded the prize.