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

• US 20080070693A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: MacVittie, Michael, Schneider, Richard, Graham, Jacob, Manfredi, Vince, Schlottmann, Greg, Iddings, Cara, Baerlocher, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/830,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070693A1
• 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 17/3209 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;

(b) causing a plurality of said gaming machines to provide tournament play of a tournament by sending at least one command to said plurality of gaming machines to switch to tournament play, said tournament having a plurality of tournament game outcomes including at least one designated tournament game outcome;

(c) enabling each of a plurality of players to play tournament games in the tournament on said plurality of gaming machines;

(d) for each tournament game played, generating one of the tournament game outcomes;

(e) at an end of the tournament, determining which player had the most generations of the at least one designated tournament game outcome; and

(f) notifying said player that said player wins an award.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes sending least one command to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play to provide non-tournament play after the tournament.

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

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tournament is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronized tournament, a self-scheduled tournament, and a bonus tournament.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one central controller and the gaming machines are configured to determine player qualification for said 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.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tournament play does not require wagers by the players.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes determining another player to receive a prize based on results of the tournament game outcomes of the played tournament games at the end of the tournament to and to notify said another player that said another player wins said prize.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one designated tournament game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a generation of a designated symbol, a designated symbol generation along an active payline, a number of generations of a designated symbol, a number of generations of a designated symbol combination, and a generation of a designated symbol in a designated location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one designated tournament game outcome includes a plurality of different designated tournament game outcomes.

11. The method of claim 1, which includes determining which player had the most generations of each different designated tournament game outcomes and notify each of said players that said player wins an award.