Elimination games for gaming machines

• US 7,485,043 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Beaulieu, Nicole M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deodhar; Omkar A.
• Application Number:
  US10/176,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/42, 463/26, 463/43, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming machine presents an elimination game to a player to be played on a stand-alone gaming machine or on a group of gaming machines linked together. The elimination game is played by a plurality of entities where each entity may comprise one or more virtual or real players. The real players may pay a participation fee to play the elimination game. During the elimination game, the entities play one or more games that are provided as part of the elimination game. One or more elimination tests may be applied to the entities using results from the game play. When conditions used in the elimination tests are met for one of the entities, the entity is removed from the elimination game before reaching the finish of the elimination game. Entities that avoid elimination and reach the finish of the elimination may receive an award.

Claims

1. A method of providing an elimination game on one or more gaming machines, the method comprising:

enrolling a plurality of entities for the elimination game wherein each entity comprises one or more players;

receiving a participation fee for the elimination game from at least one player;

between a start of the elimination game and a finish of the elimination game, generating at least one elimination game round, the one elimination game round comprising;

(a) providing a game that is played by a number of the plurality entities;

(b) based upon results of the game, applying an elimination test to each entity of the number of plurality of entities; and

(c) for each entity of the number of plurality of entities, when one or more conditions of the elimination test are met, removing the entity from the elimination game before the entity has reached the finish of the elimination game; and

indicating a finishing award to at least one of the entities that has reached the finish of the elimination game on a display of the one or more gaming machines;

wherein the steps are executed by an elimination game controller, the elimination game controller housed within one of the one or more gaming machines displaying the elimination game, said controller designed or configured to control operation of the elimination game on said one gaming machine and on other gaming machines displaying the elimination game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of entities comprises a single player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the players is a virtual player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first entity comprises a single player and a second entity comprises a plurality of players.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of entities comprises a plurality of players.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(a) providing a game that is played by each player;

(b) based upon results of the game, applying an elimination test to each of the players;

(c) when one or more conditions of the elimination test are met, removing the player from the elimination game before the player has reached the finish of the elimination game.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

removing one player in the plurality of players of a first entity from the elimination game and not removing the first entity from the elimination game.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after removing the one player in the first entity, providing a game that is played by a number of players remaining in the first entity; and

indicating an award for the number of players remaining in the first entity and the one removed player.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after removing the one player in the first entity, providing a game that is played by a number of players remaining in the first entity; and

indicating an award for the number of players remaining in the first entity.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

removing a first player in the plurality of players of a first entity from the elimination game and removing the first entity from the elimination game.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the participation fee is a wager on an outcome of the elimination game.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the participation fee is a buy-in for an elimination game tournament.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the participation fee is a wager for a game of chance played on one of the gaming machines and wherein the elimination game is a bonus game triggered from the game of chance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the participation fee to play the elimination game increases as a number of players in an entity increases.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a single player controls multiple entities in the elimination game.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the participation fee increases as the number of entities a player controls increases.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the elimination game is a bonus game for a game of chance played on one or more the gaming machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of slot games, poker games, pachinko games, multiple hand poker games, pai-gow poker games, black jack games, keno games, bingo games, roulette games, craps games and card games.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a total number of entities at the start of the elimination game;

enrolling a number of real entities; and

enrolling a number of virtual entities

wherein the total number of entities is equal to the number of enrolled real entities and the number of enrolled virtual entities.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the total number of entities selected at the start of the elimination game increases the probability of reaching the finish of the elimination game for one or more of the entities.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the total number of entities selected at the start of the elimination game decreases the probability of reaching the finish of the elimination game for one or more of the entities.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after removing a first entity from the elimination game and prior to the finish of the elimination game, adding the first entity back into the elimination game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first entity is added back into the elimination game for an additional participation fee.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of plurality of entities in the at least one elimination game round is all of the plurality of entities enrolled in the elimination game.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of plurality of entities in the at least one elimination game round is a subset of the plurality of entities enrolled in the elimination game.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the elimination game includes a plurality of elimination game rounds.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in a first elimination game round, applying the elimination test to all of the number of plurality entities;

determining a number of remaining entities in the elimination game; and

advancing simultaneously, the remaining entities to a next elimination game round.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in a first elimination game round with at least a first entity and a second entity, applying the elimination test to a first entity;

advancing the first entity to a next elimination game round;

while the second entity is playing a first game in the first elimination game round, providing a second game that is played by the first entity in the next elimination game round.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in a first elimination game round, providing a first game that is played by a first entity; and

in a second elimination game round, providing a second game that is played by the first entity.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an outcome for a first game played by a first entity; and

indicating an award amount for the first game;

storing the award amount; and

when the first entity reaches a stage in the elimination game, awarding the stored award amount to the first entity.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of the elimination game.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of one of the elimination game rounds.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an outcome for a plurality of games played by the first entity;

indicating an award amount for each of the plurality of games

accumulating the award amounts for the plurality of games;

when the first entity reaches a stage in the elimination game, awarding the accumulated award amount to the first entity.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of the elimination game.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of one of the elimination game rounds.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the elimination test to a first entity in one of the elimination game rounds; and

when the first entity is not removed from the elimination game, indicating an award amount.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

storing the award amount; and

when the first entity reaches a stage in the elimination game, awarding the stored award amount to the first entity.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of the elimination game.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the stage in the elimination game is the finish of one of the elimination game rounds.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during one of the elimination game rounds, indicating an award amount for a first entity;

offering the first entity a chance to bank the award amount and to exit the elimination game.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first entity to bank the award amount;

banking the award amount to the first entity; and

removing the first entity from the elimination game.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first entity to continue in the elimination game; and

continuing the elimination game for the first entity.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the finish of the elimination game, removing all of the entities from the elimination game.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a portion of the participation fee to a progressive jackpot.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the finishing award includes a portion of the participation fee.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the finishing award includes a progressive jackpot.

47. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a wager separate from the participation fee from a first entity on an outcome of a game provided to the first entity in the at least one elimination game round;

determining the outcome of the game;

indicating an award amount based upon the outcome of the game; and

providing the award amount to the first entity.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein the game that is played by each entity is selected from the group consisting of slot games, poker games, pachinko games, multiple hand poker games, pai-gow poker games, blackjack games, keno games, bingo games, roulette games, craps games and card games.

49. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the game that is played by each entity, allowing a first entity to select a second entity for removal from the elimination game.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein a first condition of the elimination test for the second entity is to compare a random number to an elimination probability and when the random number is less than the elimination probability, the first condition is met.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the elimination probability is 1.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein a first condition for the elimination test for a first entity is to compare a random number to an elimination probability and when the random number is less than the elimination probability, the first condition of the elimination test is met.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the elimination probability is in the range of 0 to 1.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the elimination probability is about 1/2.

55. The method of claim 1, wherein a first condition of the elimination test for a first entity is to compare a performance metric of the game played by the first entity with a fixed performance metric and when the performance metric is less than the fixed performance metric, the first condition is met.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

prior to the play of the game by the first entity, selecting the fixed performance metric.

57. The method of claim 1, wherein the elimination test applied to each entity is the same.

58. The method of claim 1, wherein the elimination test applied to a first entity is different than the elimination test applied to a second entity.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein the elimination test is applied to a first entity a plurality of times.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the conditions of the elimination test are the same each time the elimination test is applied.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the conditions of the elimination test vary each time the elimination test is applied.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the elimination test is applied at timed intervals.

63. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the elimination game on a display screen of a first gaming machine.

64. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the elimination game on a display screen of a first gaming machine and displaying the elimination game on a display screen on a second gaming machine.

65. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first game that is played by a first entity on a first gaming machine;

providing a second game that is played by a second entity on a second gaming machine;

displaying the first game and the second game on a display screen on the first gaming machine; and

displaying the first game and the second game on a display screen on the second gaming machine.

66. The method of claim 1, wherein the finishing award includes a non-cash prize.

67. A method for playing multiple elimination games on one or more gaming machines, the method comprising;

starting a first elimination on a first gaming machine;

while the first elimination game is being played on the gaming machine, starting a second elimination game on the first gaming machine; and

displaying the first and second elimination game on a display of the gaming machine.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

displaying the first elimination game and the second elimination game on a display screen of the first gaming machine.

69. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

displaying the first elimination game on a display screen on the first gaming machine and displaying the first elimination game on a display screen on a second gaming machine.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

displaying the second elimination game on the display screen on the first gaming machine and displaying the second elimination game on a display screen on a third gaming machine.

71. A gaming system for playing an elimination game, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines designed or configured to play a game of chance and an elimination game;

one of the plurality of gaming machines including

a first communication interface designed to communicate with a plurality of gaming machines via a network;

an elimination game controller designed to;

a) receive results of a game played on the plurality of gaming machines used in the elimination game via the first communication interface;

b) apply one more elimination tests used in the elimination game using the results of the game played on the plurality of gaming machines; and

c) send an outcome of the one or more elimination tests to the plurality of gaming machines via the first communication interface;

wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines have;

a second communication interface;

a master gaming controller designed to i) generate a game of chance played on the gaming machine separate from the elimination game, ii) generate the game played on the gaming machine used in the elimination game; and

iii) send results of the game played on the gaming machine used in the elimination game to the elimination game controller; and

a display screen for displaying the game of chance and the elimination game.

72. The gaming system of claim 71, wherein the elimination game controller is a gaming machine.

73. The gaming system of claim 71, wherein the elimination game controller is further designed to a) generate information for an elimination game scoreboard and b) send the information for the elimination game scoreboard to the plurality of gaming machines using the first communication interface.

74. The gaming system of claim 71, wherein the master game controller is further designed to a) receive the outcome of the one or more elimination tests from the elimination game server and b) generate a presentation for the outcome of the one or more elimination tests that is displayed on the display screen.