SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING ONE OR MORE DIFFERENT TOURNAMENTS

• US 20080070680A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: MacVittie, Michael, Schneider, Richard, Manfredi, Vince, Iddings, Cara, Baerlocher, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3283 wherein the number of active machines is limited

Abstract

A gaming system includes a central server or controller operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming machines to provide non-tournament game play and to provide tournament game play on the same gaming machines.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at a plurality of gaming machines; and

(b) upon an occurrence of a tournament triggering event,

(i) determining which players at the gaming machines are qualified to play a tournament;

(ii) enabling said gaming machines being played by qualified players to provide tournament play;

(iii) enabling said qualified players to play said tournament at the gaming machines within a designated time period, wherein said play of the tournament includes a plurality of players of at least one tournament game played by the qualified players at said gaming machines, each said tournament game play resulting in a displayed tournament game outcome;

(iv) determining at least one tournament winner based on results of displayed tournament game outcomes for the qualified players; and

(v) displaying an indication of an award to be provided to the at least one tournament winner.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes providing tournament play by sending at least one command to each of said gaming machines being played by qualified players to switch to tournament play.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one tournament game program to each of said gaming machines being played by qualified players.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one command to each of said gaming machines providing tournament play to provide non-tournament play after the tournament.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one non-tournament game program to each of said gaming machines that provided tournament play after the tournament.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a passage of an amount of time, a generation of a game outcome, a number of non-tournament games played, an operator input, and a designated amount wagered at the gaming machines.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling non-qualified players to continue to play non-tournament games during said tournament.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes determining player qualification for the tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said tournament play does not require wagers from players.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes upon the occurrence of the tournament triggering event, determining which players at the gaming machines are qualified to play the tournament which are actively playing one of the gaming machines.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes determining whether the players are actively playing one of the gaming machines based on whether each of said players are currently playing a non-tournament game or has played a non-tournament game within a certain interval of time.

12. The method of claim 1, which includes determining which players played non-tournament games within a certain interval of time are qualified to play the tournament.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each non-tournament game is operable upon a wager by one of the players.

14. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling said gaming machines being played by qualified players to automatically provide tournament play.

15. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling each said gaming machine being played by qualified players to provide tournament play upon an input from the player of said gaming machine.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said gaming machines includes a visible indicator.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes causing each of said visible indicators to indicate when said gaming machine is providing tournament play.

18. The method of claim 16, which includes causing each of said visible indicators to indicate when said gaming machine is providing non-tournament play.