NETWORK GAME TOURNAMENT AND BROADCASTING

• US 20080032799A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Club Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultimate Blackjack Tour LLC
• Inventors: Millar, Sanford, Hamilton, Russell, David, Frederic, Calapp, Brett
• Application Number:
  US11/737,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32

Abstract

A computer networked tournament in a subscription and non-subscription system is presented. There is a multi-round blackjack tournament with elimination hands and periodic hands where players with the lowest chip or point total are eliminated from the game. In a home/portable edition implementation players conduct a card game tournament in venues outside of the traditional casino environment. There is broadcast on television of a tournament of winners from qualifying networked game tournaments, the television the broadcast being a final or pre-final game of a networked game tournament.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament; and

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the game tournament is managed by a game administrator operating a game server computer coupled to one or more client computers operated by the participating players.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the game comprises a card game.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the card game comprises blackjack.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing a peer to peer network for the plurality of players without a host server computer.

7. The method of claim 1 including players playing a game on a non-networked tour comprising different games in different tournaments.

48. The method of claim 1 wherein a player is limited to a defined number of entries in a tournament.

8. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament;

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television; and

the tournament is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players playing a predetermined number of hands in a predetermined number of rounds of the card game tournament comprising;

designating at least one said hand in each said round as an elimination hand in which;

for each said player, a chip total is derived from;

each said player'"'"'s cards; and

each said player'"'"'s chip wagers; and

eliminating from the card game tournament the player having the lowest said derived chip total.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said predetermined number of rounds is one round.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising establishing an initial chip total for each said player.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

(a) determining a player wager and play order;

(b) placing bets by the plurality of players in order of said wager and play order;

(c) dealing a plurality of cards to the one or more players in order of said wager and play order;

(d) making play decisions, by the players;

(e) resolving, according to the predetermined game rules, whether said play decisions result in said players forfeiting their bets or receiving payouts; and

(f) accumulating new player chip totals as a result of step (e).

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein step (d) further comprises a time limit for making play decisions, and if a player fails to make one of said play decisions within said time limit, said player being compelled to stand with dealt cards.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said time limit is established at one value for a non-elimination hand, and a second value for an elimination hand.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the predetermined game rules comprise the rules of a blackjack game.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises eliminating players who are unable to place at least a mandatory minimum bet.

16. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises eliminating players who have a chip total less than said mandatory minimum bet.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein at least one of said bets in step (b) is a secret bet.

18. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the designating one or more hands as elimination hands step further comprises designating hand numbers 8, 16, and 25 as elimination hands.

19. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising, when two or more players are tied for said lowest derived chip total, holding a playoff between the tied players.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the playoff further comprises:

setting a number of playoff hands equal to the number of tied players in the playoff;

establishing a number of playoff chips for each tied player equal to the number of chips belonging to each of said tied players at the beginning of the playoff;

playing, by the tied players, the number of playoff hands;

ranking the tied players based on the number of playoff chips remaining for each of said tied players; and

designating the tied player with the lowest rank as a player to be eliminated.

42. The method of claim 8 wherein the game tournament is managed by a game administrator operating a game server computer coupled to one or more client computers operated by the participating players.

43. The method of claim 8 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

44. The method of claim 8 including players playing a game on a non-networked tour comprising different games in different tournaments.

49. The method of claim 8 wherein a player is limited to a defined number of entries in a tournament.

21. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament;

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television; and

the tournament is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players wherein there is a wagering in a hand of cards, the method comprising;

before cards are dealt, a player rendering an indicia of a bidden bet, the indicia indicating a first monetary value of the hidden bet; and

after cards are dealt, said player modifying the indicia to a second monetary value of the hidden bet.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising establishing a predetermined time limit for rendering said hidden bet.

23. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising eliminating said player from a tournament if said player possesses a chip total representing an amount less than the sum of said first monetary value and second monetary value.

24. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:

revealing said hidden bet; and

reconciling said first amount of monetary value and said second amount of monetary value as if said first amount and second amount had been placed as non-confidential wagers.

45. The method of claim 21 wherein the game tournament is managed by a game administrator operating a game server computer coupled to one or more client computers operated by the participating players.

46. The method of claim 21 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

47. The method of claim 21 including players playing a game on a non-networked tour comprising different games in different tournaments.

25. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament;

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television; and

the tournament is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players wherein there is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players, the card game tournament having a predetermined number of rounds and a predetermined number of hands to be played in each of the predetermined number of rounds, the method comprising;

designating one or more of said hands to be played as an elimination hand;

before cards are dealt, one or more said players rendering an indicia of a hidden bet, the indicia indicating a first monetary value of the hidden bet;

dealing cards to said plurality of players;

after cards are dealt;

said one or more said players modifying the indicia to a second monetary value of the hidden bet;

adjusting an individual chip total for each of said players;

ranking the players in order of their individual chip totals; and

when said hand being played is an elimination hand, removing from the tournament the player that was ranked lowest in said ranking step.

26. The method as defined in claim 25, further comprising removing from the tournament any of said players that have a chip total below a mandatory minimum bet amount.

27. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein said adjusting an individual chip total for each of said players further comprises:

revealing the hidden bet;

reconciling the player'"'"'s card play according to said predetermined game rules;

grading the first monetary value and second monetary value as if said first monetary value and second monetary values had been placed as bets with chips;

awarding to said player an amount of chips, if required by said predetermined game rules; and

decrementing said player'"'"'s chip total if required by said predetermined game rules.

28. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament;

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television; and

the tournament is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players wherein there is a wagering in a hand of cards, the method comprising;

before cards are dealt, rendering an indicia of a hidden bet of a player;

indicating a monetary value of the hidden bet of the player before a camera; and

revealing said monetary value of the hidden bet to at least one person not participating in said hand of cards.

29. The method as defined in claim 28, wherein said camera is situated at a location not visible to a second player participating in said hand of cards, and said one person not participating in said hand of cards views an image produced by said camera.

30. The method as defined in claim 28, wherein said camera produces a video feed.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is recorded for broadcast.

32. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is transmitted by radio frequency broadcast.

33. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is provided to a cable television network.

34. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is distributed to subscribers of a cable television service.

35. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed from said camera is displayed to an audience.

36. The method as defined in claim 30, further comprising:

delaying said video feed from said camera by a predetermined period of time; and

broadcasting the delayed video feed.

37. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is simultaneously displayed to an audience in attendance at said hand of cards and recorded for broadcast.

38. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said video feed is simultaneously displayed to an audience in attendance at said hand of cards and broadcast live.

39. A computer-implemented method of allowing a plurality of players to play a game over a computer network, comprising:

establishing memberships for each of the plurality of players by charging each of the players a fee;

hosting several game tournaments for players for a game that has elements of chance during the membership period, the tournaments including at least one game round, each game round potentially eliminating one or more participant players until a winning player is determined, wherein each of the participant players is required to make playing choices throughout the game;

allowing a non-member player to participate in at least one of the tournaments without payment of the fee by submitting information relating to the non-subscription player prior to the hosting of the tournament;

establishing a prize for the tournaments, the prize being participation in a game tournament for broadcast as a television program, the game tournament on a television including as a player at least one other winner from another game tournament;

disbursing a further prize to the winning player of the tournament broadcast on television; and

the tournament is a card game tournament played in accordance with predetermined game rules by a plurality of players wherein there is a method of playing a hand of blackjack comprising;

before each player is dealt at least two cards, each said player optionally placing;

a secret bet token on the blackjack table; and

a secret bet card indicating a secret wager under the secret bet token;

after each player is dealt at least two cards, each said player optionally placing an additional wager; and

after a result is determined for each player'"'"'s hand;

revealing each secret wager; and

summing, for each said player, the secret and additional wagers.

40. The method as defined in claim 39, where said additional wager comprises a secret bet.

41. The method as defined in claim 40, further comprising eliminating a secret betting player having game chips less than sum of said secret betting player'"'"'s secret and additional wagers.