Gaming System Having System Wide Tournament Features

• US 20110218033A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Selegue, Dylan B., Englman, Allon G., Mastropietro, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A multi-mode gaming terminal comprising, a wager input device, a primary display for displaying a primary wagering game. And at least one controller operative to: (i) detect a selection between a cash mode of operation and a tournament mode of operation; (ii) if the cash mode is selected, execute the primary wagering game configured with a first payback return; (iii) if the tournament mode is selected, execute the primary wagering game in a tournament mode configured with a second payback return and a tournament return, wherein on each tournament eligible play of the primary wagering game resulting in a winning outcome, a predetermined number of tournament points are awarded and added to a tournament entry; and (iv) upon the occurrence of a triggering event, entering the tournament entry into at least one tournament.

Claims

1. A multi-mode gaming terminal comprising:

a wager input device;

a primary display for displaying a primary wagering game; and

at least one controller operative to;

(i) detect a selection between a cash mode of operation and a tournament mode of operation;

(ii) if the cash mode is selected, execute the primary wagering game configured with a first payback return;

(iii) if the tournament mode is selected, execute the primary wagering game in a tournament mode configured with a second payback return and a tournament return, wherein on each tournament eligible play of the primary wagering game resulting in a winning outcome, a predetermined number of tournament points are awarded and added to a tournament entry; and

(iv) upon the occurrence of a triggering event, entering the tournament entry into at least one tournament.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second payback return is lower than the first payback return.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the tournament mode is selected, the primary wagering game is further configured with a tournament fee percentage.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the first payback return equals the sum of the second payback return, the tournament return, and the tournament fee percentage.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of tournament points is dependent upon the size of a credit award received for the winning outcome.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein associated tournament points and winning outcome credit awards are stored in memory in a tournament score derivation table.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of tournament points is equal to or greater than zero for each individual winning outcome.

8. A gaming system having system wide tournament features, comprising:

a wager input device;

a first gaming terminal comprising a first display for displaying a first wagering game;

a second gaming terminal comprising at least a second display for displaying a second wagering game;

a tournament server in communication with the first and second gaming devices; and

at least one controller operative to;

(i) detect that each of the first and second gaming terminals is operating in a tournament mode;

(ii) activating a tournament for a predetermined time period;

(iii) receive a first tournament entry comprising a first tournament score collected during a predetermined number of plays of the first wagering game;

(iv) receive a second tournament entry comprising a second tournament score collected during the predetermined number of plays of the second wagering game;

(v) analyze the first tournament score, the second tournament score, and any other tournament scores received to determine a finishing order and prize pool; and

(vi) award to at least one player a tournament award, the tournament award dependent upon the at least one player'"'"'s position in the finishing order.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the at least one award is further dependent upon a tournament multiplier earned by the at least one player.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the tournament multiplier is a function of the player'"'"'s average bet during the predetermined number of plays.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the prize pool is dependent upon a specified minimum wager for the first and second wagering games.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the tournament award comprises the at least one player'"'"'s portion of the prize pool multiplied by the at least one player'"'"'s tournament multiplier.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further operative to display results of the active tournament on a third display in communication with the tournament server.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the third display comprises one of a home computer, a mobile device, a PDA, a laptop computer, a work computer, a handheld gaming device, and a community display.

15. A method of conducting a wagering game tournament comprising:

receiving a plurality of wagers from a first player at a first gaming terminal displaying a first wagering game;

executing X plays of the first wagering game on the first gaming terminal, wherein on each winning outcome of the first wagering game, a predetermined number of tournament points are added to a cumulative tournament score associated with the first player;

receiving a plurality of wagers from a second player at a second gaming terminal displaying a second wagering game;

executing X plays of the second wagering game on the second gaming terminal, wherein on each winning outcome of the second wagering game, a predetermined number of tournament points are added to a cumulative tournament score associated with the second player;

logging the first player'"'"'s tournament score, the second player'"'"'s tournament score, and any other players'"'"' tournament scores to determine a number of participants in the tournament and a finishing order of the participants; and

awarding to at least one participant a tournament award based at least in part on the at least one participant'"'"'s position in the finishing order.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a prize pool and displaying the prize pool to at least one of the participants.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the prize pool is determined in accordance with the formula Prize Pool=N×

(G×

BB)×

T %, wherein N equals a number of participants in the tournament, G equals X, BB equals a minimum wager permissible on the first and second wagering games, and T % equals a tournament return percentage.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the tournament award is calculated in accordance with a player return formula comprising Payout=PP×

N×

(G×

AB)×

T %, wherein PP is a proportion of prize that the at least one participant wins, N is a number of participants competing in the tournament, G equals X, AB is an average bet by the at least one participant during the X plays, and T % equals a tournament return percentage.

19. A method of conducting a wagering game tournament comprising:

identifying participants in the tournament by receiving a player identifier from each such participant;

receiving from each participant in the tournament at least one wager; and

receiving from each participant in the tournament a tournament score comprising a total number of tournament points collected during X plays of one of a plurality of wagering games, wherein each play of the wagering game comprises displaying a randomly selected outcome from a plurality of available outcomes, wherein upon the occurrence of winning outcome, a predetermined number of tournament points associated with such winning outcome is awarded.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of wagering games includes a range of available credit awards, subdivided into a set of subranges, each such subrange corresponding with one of a plurality of tournament point awards available to be won.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of wagering games and its corresponding range of available credit awards and set of subranges is stored in a tournament score derivation table along with the plurality of tournament point awards available to be won.

22. A method of conducting a wagering game tournament comprising:

determining a number of participants in the tournament;

determining a number of paid finishing positions for which an award will be paid, the number of paid finishing positions dependent upon the number of participants;

receiving from each participant a tournament score, the tournament score comprising the sum of all tournament points earned during a predetermined number of plays of a wagering game, wherein each winning outcome of the wagering game includes an award of at least one credit and at least one tournament point;

ranking the received tournament scores from largest to smallest to determine a finishing order including the paid finishing positions;

identifying the participants in the paid finishing positions; and

awarding each of the participants in the paid finishing positions a tournament award.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the wagering game has a net return percentage comprising a base game return, a tournament return and a tournament fee, the net return percentage less than 100 percent.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the tournament return is in the range of 3 to 10 percent.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the tournament fee is in the range of zero to 2 percent.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the base game return is in the range of 75 to 90 percent.

27. A method of conducting a wagering game tournament, the method comprising:

executing and displaying a predetermined number of plays of a wagering game having a range of available credit awards, each play comprising a randomly selected outcome;

for each play of the wagering game yielding a winning outcome associated with a winning credit award, determining a tournament point award, wherein the tournament point award is mathematically associated with a first subrange of credits within the range, the subrange including the winning credit award;

summing up the tournament points earned in the predetermined number of plays of the wagering game to arrive at a tournament entry score; and

awarding a tournament award to at least one participant in the wagering game tournament based at least in part on the participant'"'"'s tournament score relative to the tournament scores of other players participating in the wagering game tournament.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the wagering game is selected from a plurality of available wagering games, at least two of the wagering games in the plurality of wagering games having different ranges of available credit awards.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one credit award in a first of the at least two wagering games is associated with a different tournament point award that the at least one credit award in a second of the at least two wagering games.