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

• US 20080070694A1
• 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: Wolf, Bryan, MacVittie, Michael, Schneider, Richard, Graham, Jacob, Manfredi, Vince, Schlottmann, Greg, Iddings, Cara, Baerlocher, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/830,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070694A1
• 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 tournament, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a plurality of players to play a tournament on a plurality of gaming machines, said tournament having a plurality of tournament game outcomes including a designated tournament game outcome, said tournament game outcomes each associated with a probability of being provided during the tournament;

(b) for each game played during the tournament, determining one of the tournament game outcomes to provide and providing said determined tournament game outcome;

(c) after a designated event, determining if the designated tournament game outcome has been provided;

(d) if the designated tournament game outcome has not been provided in the tournament, increasing the probability associated with said designated tournament game outcome;

(e) repeating (c) and (d) until the designated tournament game outcome has been provided during the tournament; and

(f) at the end of the tournament, determining a tournament winner based on the provided tournament game outcomes.