AMUSEMENT DEVICES AND GAMES INVOLVING MULTIPLE OPERATORS, MULTIPLE PLAYERS, AND/OR MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS

• US 20130172062A1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Amaitis, Lee, Flaherty, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Various methods and apparatus related to gaming are described. Some embodiments relate to a multi-tiered game involving multiple participants. Some embodiments relate to players from a plurality of gaming operators playing games with one another. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a first player and second player desire to start play of a game, in which the first player and the second player are both associated with a first gaming operator;

in response to the determination, facilitating, by the computing device, play of a first hand of the game between the first player and the second player;

in response to facilitating play of the first hand of the game by the first and second players, allocating, by the computing device, a first payment to the first gaming operator based on the first and second player both being associated with the first gaming operator;

determining, by the computing device, that a third player desires to start play of the game, in which the third player is associated with the first gaming operator;

determining, by the computing device, that a fourth player desires to start play of the game, in which the fourth player is associated with a second gaming operator;

determining, by the computing device, that no additional players associated with the first gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

determining, by the computing device, that no additional player associated with the second gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

in response to determining that the third and fourth players desire to start play of the game, and that no other players associated with either the first or the second gaming operators desire to play the game, facilitating, by the computing device, play of a second hand of the game between the third and the fourth players; and

in response to facilitating play of the second hand of the game by the third and fourth players, allocating, by the computing device, a second payment to the first gaming operator and a third payment to the second gaming operator based on the third player being associated with the first gaming operator and the fourth player being associated with the fourth gaming operator.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the first payment, the second payment, and the third payment include portions of at least one of respective rakes and respective buy in fees.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the game includes a poker game.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the first gaming operator and the second gaming operator include separate casinos.

5. The method of claim 1, in which determining that no additional player associated with the first gaming operator desires to start play of the game includes determining that no additional player desires to start play of the game in a particular time period after the determination that the third player desires to start play of the game.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the computing device includes a gaming server of the first gaming operator.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the computing device includes a device of an intermediary between the first gaming operator and the second gaming operator.

8. The method of claim 1, in which facilitating play of the first hand and the second hand includes determining cards for each of the first hand and the second hand, determining outcomes of the first hand and the second hand, and presenting information regarding the cards and the outcomes through respective mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the game includes a game having characteristics specified by the first, second, third, and fourth players.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the characteristics includes at least one of a minimum wager, a raise restriction, and a maximum wager.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the second hand includes at least one additional player associated with the first gaming operator and allocating the second payment and the third payment includes allocating the payment based on a distribution of players in the second hand between the first and second gaming operator.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the second and third payments are allocated to match the distribution.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the second hand includes at least one additional player associated with a third gaming operator and the method includes allocating a fourth payment to the third gaming operator.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a first tax requirement for the third a player based on a first jurisdiction of the first gaming operator;

determining a second tax requirement for the fourth player based on a second jurisdiction of the second gaming operator; and

applying the first tax requirement to the third player and the second tax requirement to the fourth player.

15. The method of claim 14, in which at least one of the first and second tax requirements includes at least one of a tax withholding and a tax reporting.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the third player wins an amount of money through play of the game and allocating a first portion of that amount to be paid from the first gaming operator and a second portion of that amount to be paid from the second gaming operator.

17. The method of claim 16, in which the game includes a tournament and the amount includes an amount for winning the tournament.

18. The method of claim 1, in which the game includes a tournament and in which facilitating play of the second hand includes placing each of the third and fourth players at a virtual table involved in the tournament.

19. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a third player desires to start play of the game, in which the third player is associated with the first gaming operator;

determining, by the computing device, that a fourth player desires to start play of the game, in which the fourth player is associated with a second gaming operator;

determining, by the computing device, that no additional players associated with the first gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

determining, by the computing device, that no additional player associated with the second gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

in response to determining that the third and fourth players desire to start play of the game, and that no other players associated with either the first or the second gaming operators desire to play the game, facilitating, by the computing device, play of a second hand of the game between the third and the fourth players; and

in response to facilitating play of the second hand of the game by the third and fourth players, allocating, by the computing device, a second payment to the first gaming operator and a third payment to the second gaming operator based on the third player being associated with the first gaming operator and the fourth player being associated with the fourth gaming operator.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to;

determine that a third player desires to start play of the game, in which the third player is associated with the first gaming operator;

determine that a fourth player desires to start play of the game, in which the fourth player is associated with a second gaming operator;

determine that no additional players associated with the first gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

determine that no additional player associated with the second gaming operator desires to start play of the game;

in response to determining that the third and fourth players desire to start play of the game, and that no other players associated with either the first or the second gaming operators desire to play the game, facilitate play of a second hand of the game between the third and the fourth players; and

in response to facilitating play of the second hand of the game by the third and fourth players, allocate a second payment to the first gaming operator and a third payment to the second gaming operator based on the third player being associated with the first gaming operator and the fourth player being associated with the fourth gaming operator.