Server based gaming system and method for selectively providing one or more different tournaments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising:
- at least one central controller; and
a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to;
(a) enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines;
(b) provide a tournament during a first time period, said first time period including a plurality of different second time periods, said tournament including a plurality of rounds for each of a plurality of the players, and for each player, each of said rounds occurs during a different one of the second time periods,(c) for each of the plurality of rounds for each of the plurality of players, upon an occurrence of a tournament round qualification triggering event during play of non-tournament games by said player at one of said gaming machines during one of said second time periods, during said second time period, enable said player to play said round, said play of said round including a plurality of plays of tournament games each resulting in a displayed tournament game outcome;
(d) after said first time period, determine which of said players played at least a selected number of rounds, said selected number being at least two;
(e) determine at least one tournament winner from the players determined to have played at least the selected number of rounds based on results of the displayed tournament game outcomes, said determination, for at least one player that played more than the selected number of rounds, based on results of the displayed tournament game outcomes for less than all of said rounds played by said at least one player; and
(f) display an indication of an award to be provided to the at least one tournament winner.
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Accused Products
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.
362 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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at least one central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to; (a) enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines; (b) provide a tournament during a first time period, said first time period including a plurality of different second time periods, said tournament including a plurality of rounds for each of a plurality of the players, and for each player, each of said rounds occurs during a different one of the second time periods, (c) for each of the plurality of rounds for each of the plurality of players, upon an occurrence of a tournament round qualification triggering event during play of non-tournament games by said player at one of said gaming machines during one of said second time periods, during said second time period, enable said player to play said round, said play of said round including a plurality of plays of tournament games each resulting in a displayed tournament game outcome; (d) after said first time period, determine which of said players played at least a selected number of rounds, said selected number being at least two; (e) determine at least one tournament winner from the players determined to have played at least the selected number of rounds based on results of the displayed tournament game outcomes, said determination, for at least one player that played more than the selected number of rounds, based on results of the displayed tournament game outcomes for less than all of said rounds played by said at least one player; and (f) display an indication of an award to be provided to the at least one tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A gaming system comprising:
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at least one central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to; (a) enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines; (b) provide a tournament including a plurality of rounds, said tournament requiring a winner of the tournament to play a designated number of said rounds, said designated number being at least two; (c) for each player, require said player to separately qualify to play each round and qualification for each of said rounds is based on the play of the non-tournament games; and (d) for each player, upon qualification of said player to play one of the rounds, enable said qualified player to make a designated input that the player desires to play said round of the tournament, for each gaming machine, upon the designated input at said gaming machine, said at least one central controller and said gaming machine are configured to cause said gaming machine to provide play of said round, said round including play of a plurality of tournament games, each tournament game resulting in a displayed tournament game outcome; said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to; (a) after a time period for a last of the rounds, determine at least one tournament winner based on results associated with tournament game outcomes displayed to the qualified players; and (b) display an indication of an award to be provided to the at least one tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A gaming system comprising:
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at least one central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to; (a) enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines; (b) provide a tournament during a first time period, said first time period including a plurality of different second time periods, said tournament including a plurality of rounds for each of a plurality of the players, and for each player, each of said rounds occurs during a different one of the second time periods and qualification for each of said rounds by each player is based on plays of non-tournament games by said player; (c) for each of said players, upon each qualification by said player to play one of the rounds, enable the qualified player to play said round during one of the second time periods; (d) after said first time period, determine which of said players played at least a selected number of rounds, said selected number being at least two; (e) determine at least one tournament winner from said determined players who played at least the selected number of rounds based on displayed tournament game outcomes of the rounds, said determination, for at least one player that played more than the selected number of rounds, based on the displayed tournament outcomes of the plays of the tournament games of less than all of said rounds played by said at least one player; and (f) display an indication of an award to be provided to the at least one tournament winner.
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39. A gaming system comprising:
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at least one central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to; (a) provide a tournament including a plurality of rounds during a first time period, said tournament requiring a winner of the tournament to play a designated number of said rounds, said designated number being at least two; (b) for each player, require said player to separately qualify to play each round, each player being able to qualify for each round a designated number of times, said designated number being at least one and qualification for each of said rounds is based on plays of non-tournament games by said player; (c) for each of the players, upon qualification of said player to play one of the rounds, enable said player to play said round; and (d) at the end of the first time period, determine the tournament winner based on displayed tournament game outcomes of each of a plurality of the rounds. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification