Managed On-Line Poker Tournaments

• US 20110105208A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Bickley, J. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming system is described that is configured to provide on-line poker games with only live participants. The gaming system may link gaming devices located in a casino or across a gaming enterprise. The gaming system may comprise a number of secure transaction terminals that are distributed throughout the gaming venue or gaming enterprise. The secure transaction terminals may be designed for operation only by a human operator. The secure transaction terminals may include one or more of mobile devices that may be moved throughout the gaming venue or the gaming enterprise, thin-client gaming devices with fixed locations and wager-based video gaming machines with fixed locations. The gaming system may include one or more servers configured to provide head-to-head poker games involving live players, monitor the locations of the secure transaction terminals within the gaming venue or gaming enterprise and limit game participation based upon the locations of the secure transaction terminals being utilized in the gaming venue. The game participation based upon location may be performed to prevent collusion among players.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising,

at least one server comprising:

a memory;

a network interface for communicating with a plurality of gaming devices;

a processor coupled to the memory and the network interface, said processor designed or configured to

     1) generate a plurality of poker games each poker game including game play between two or more different players;

     2) determine whether one or more of the plurality of poker games is available for play from a first gaming device in the plurality of gaming devices, said availability determination for each of the plurality of poker games comprising;

a) selecting a first poker game from among the plurality of poker games, b) selecting a second gaming device from among a first group of gaming devices currently granted access to the first poker game, c) determining first location information associated with the first gaming device and second location information associated with the second gaming device;

d) based upon the first location information and the second location information, determining whether the first poker game is available for play from the first gaming device;

e) repeating b), c) and d), for each of the first group of gaming devices currently granted access to the first poker game;

     3) send a message to the first gaming device including information regarding one or more of the plurality of poker games available for play at the first gaming device;

the plurality of gaming devices, including the first gaming device and the second gaming device, configured for playing the plurality of poker games, each of the plurality of gaming devices comprising;

     1) a video display for displaying the one or more of the plurality of poker games available for play at the first gaming device;

     2) one or more input mechanisms for selecting from the one or more of the plurality of poker games available for play and for making game playing decisions associated with a play of the selected one or more plurality of poker games available for play, said one or more input mechanisms designed or configured for human actuation;

     3) a cabinet designed or configured to secure the video display and the one or more input mechanisms and to prevent access by a player to hardware, firmware or software associated with each of the plurality of gaming devices; and

     4) a communication interface for communication with the at least one server.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein first gaming device or the second gaming device is a mobile gaming device.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to receive from the first gaming device, information regarding a second poker game selected from the plurality of poker games available for play at the first gaming device and in response to receiving the selection of the second poker game, grant access to the second poker game from the first gaming device.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further designed of configured in response to granting access to the second poker game from the first gaming device, to update a list of poker games available for play at one or more other gaming devices separate from the first gaming device.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine an order in which to update the list poker games available for play on the one or more other gaming devices wherein the order is based upon a distance between first gaming device and each of the one or more other gaming devices.

6. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further designed or configured in response to granting access to the second poker game from the first gaming device, to determine whether to update the list of poker games available for play on one or more other gaming devices separate from the first gaming device based upon a distance between first gaming device and each of the one or more other gaming devices.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to output to a video display coupled to the at least one server a map of a gaming establishment, said map including elements representative of objects present in the gaming establishment.

8. The gaming system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine a first location of the first gaming device on the map of the gaming establishment and output an indicator of the first gaming device on the map.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine a number of gaming devices in the plurality of gaming devices from which the first poker game is being played, for each of the number of gaming devices determine a location associated with each of the number of gaming devices on a map of the gaming establishment, and to output to a video display the map of the gaming establishment including an indicator of the location associated with each of the number of gaming devices and information associated with parameters of the first poker game.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gaming devices includes a first input mechanism for receiving cash or an indicia of credit.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gaming devices includes a first output mechanism for outputting cash or an indicia of credit.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine, based on the first location information and the second location information, a distance between the first gaming device and the second gaming device and based upon the distance between the first gaming device and the second gaming device, determine whether the game is available for play on the first gaming device.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine a first location of the first gaming device relative to locations of one or more other of the plurality of gaming devices.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to continuously update a list of the plurality of poker games available for play at the first gaming device or the second gaming device.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein first gaming device is a mobile gaming device and wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine a first location of the first gaming device and to determine a first number of games available for play at the first location.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine the first gaming device is at a second location different from the first location and to determine a second number of games different from the number of games available for play at the first location.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device is a mobile device granted access by the at least one server to provide play of a second poker game while the first gaming device is proximate to a first location and wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine that the first gaming device is moved from the first location and in response to the determination that the first gaming device is moved, to determine whether to terminate access to the second poker game from the mobile gaming device.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device is a mobile device granted access by the at least one server to provide play of a second poker game while the first gaming device is proximate to a first location, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to temporarily suspend access to provide play of the second poker game from the first gaming device while the first gaming device is moved from the first location to a second location, wherein access to play the second poker game is restored at the second location.

19. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device is a mobile device granted access by the at least one server to provide play of a second poker game while the first gaming device is proximate to a first location, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to receive a request to temporarily suspend access to provide play of the second poker game from the first gaming device while the first gaming device is moved from the first location and to restore access to play the second poker game when the first gaming device is returned to the first location.

20. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gaming devices is designed or configured for simultaneous play of two or more of the plurality of poker games.

21. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gaming devices is designed or configured for simultaneous play of one of the plurality of poker games including game play between two or more different players and a wager-based game involving only a single player.

22. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gaming devices further comprises a receptor for attaching an endpoint of a tether, said tether secured at a first location, and a sensor for determining whether the endpoint of the tether is attached to the receptor.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein tether is configured to provide power or communications to the one or more of the plurality of gaming devices.

24. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further designed or configured to determine the one or more plurality of poker games available for play at the first gaming device based upon the first location of the tether.

25. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein after granting access to a second poker game from the first gaming device, the processor is further designed or configured to, in response to receiving information that the tether is detached from the first gaming device, to determine whether to terminate access to the second poker game from the first gaming device.

26. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of poker games is associated with a poker tournament.