Server based gaming system and method for providing one or more tournaments at gaming tables

• US 7,690,996 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US11/556,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming system and method that enables tournament table games and non-tournament table games to be played simultaneously at a same gaming table with a processor automatically determining the results of the tournament. The players at a gaming table may play a tournament game simultaneously with other tournament players, may play the tournament at different times with tournament players on gaming tables simultaneously playing tournament games as other players play non-tournament games on a same gaming table and a single player may simultaneously or sequentially play tournament and non-tournament games at a gaming table with suitable chip identification devices. During the tournament the gaming system tracks at least the tournament players'"'"' wagers wins, losses, and chip totals and/or chip values with suitable chip identification devices and automatically determines the results of the tournament based on the chip identification.

Claims

1. A table tournament gaming system for facilitating a table tournament including a plurality of players using a plurality of chips to play the table tournament, said tournament gaming system comprising:

a central server;

a tournament tracking system in communication with the central server, said tournament tracking system including a chip tracking system and a player tracking system; and

said central server and said tournament tracking system configured to;

(a) enable at least one player to play the table tournament at a gaming table and simultaneously enable at least one other player to play a non-tournament game at the gaming table,

(b) for each player playing the table tournament at the gaming table;

(i) enable the player to identify themselves through the player tracking system,

(ii) maintain an identification of each chip the player starts the table tournament with,

(iii) maintain an identification of each chip the player wins during the table tournament, and

(iv) maintain an identification of each chip the player loses during the table tournament,

(c) for each player playing the non-tournament game at the gaming table;

(i) maintain an identification of each chip the player wins during said non-tournament game, and

(ii) maintain an identification of each chip the player loses during said non-tournament game,

(d) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the tournament game, change the identification of said chip from a tournament identification to a non-tournament identification such that said chip has the non-tournament identification if said chip is won as by one of the players as a result of playing the non-tournament game;

(e) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the non-tournament game, change the identification of said chip from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification such that said chip has the tournament identification if said chip is won by one of the players as a result of playing the tournament game;

(f) upon completion of the table tournament, automatically determine at least one winner of the table tournament based on the identification of each of said chips, and

(g) cause a notification of the winner of the table tournament.

2. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the chip tracking system is configured to identify chips in a chip holding area of the gaming table.

3. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the chip tracking system is configured to identify chips in wagering areas of the gaming table.

4. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the player tracking system is configured for each player of the table tournament to store player chip information in a player account for that player.

5. The table tournament gaming system of claim 4, wherein the tournament tracking system automatically determines the winner of the table tournament based on the information stored in the player accounts.

6. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table tournament is a synchronized table tournament.

7. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table tournament is a bonus table tournament.

8. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured to determine which players qualify to play in the table tournament based on information stored about the players in the player tracking system.

9. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein the table tournament can be played at a plurality of different types of gaming tables.

10. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured for each player playing the table tournament at the gaming table to enable the player to identify themselves through the player tracking system using a player tracking card.

30. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each chip:

(i) if one of the players loses said chip playing the tournament table game, the identification of said chip is changed from the tournament identification to the non-tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing the non-tournament table game, and

(ii) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the non-tournament table game, the identification of said chip is changed from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing the tournament table game.

33. The table tournament gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each of a plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes an identification number.

34. The table tournament gaming system of claim 33, wherein for each of said plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes the tournament identification or the non-tournament identification.

11. A table tournament gaming system for facilitating a table tournament including a plurality of players using a plurality of chips to play the table tournament at at least one gaming table, each gaming table including a plurality of player stations and at least one chip identification area for each player station, said tournament gaming system comprising:

a central server;

a tournament tracking system operable to identify the chips located in each of the chip identification areas; and

said central server and said tournament tracking system configured to;

(a) for each player station;

(i) maintain an identification of each chip the player at said player station starts the table tournament with,

(ii) maintain an identification of each chip the player at said player station wins during the table tournament, and

(iii) maintain an identification of each chip the player at said player station loses during the table tournament,

(b) enable at least one of the players playing the table tournament at one of the player stations to play non-tournament games during the table tournament at said player station;

(c) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the table tournament, change the identification of said chip from a tournament identification to a non-tournament identification such that said chip has the non-tournament identification if said chip is won by one of the players as a result of playing one of the non-tournament games;

(d) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing one of the non-tournament games, change the identification of said chip from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification such that said chip has the tournament identification if said chip is won by one of the players as a result of playing the table tournament;

(e) upon completion of the table tournament, use a determination of each chip of the table tournament at each player station to automatically determine at least one winner of the table tournament based on said determination, and

(f) cause a notification of the winner of the table tournament.

12. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one chip identification area is a plurality of chip holding areas.

13. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one chip identification area is a chip holding area.

14. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one chip identification area is a wagering area.

15. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one chip identification area is a plurality of wagering areas.

16. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the table tournament is a self-scheduled table tournament.

17. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the table tournament is a synchronized tournament.

18. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein the table tournament is a bonus tournament.

19. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured to determine which players qualify to play in the table tournament based on information stored about the players in the player tracking system.

20. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured to enable a plurality of players to play tournament games at a plurality of gaming tables.

31. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein for each chip:

(i) if one of the players loses said chip playing the table tournament, the identification of said chip is changed from the tournament identification to the non-tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing one of the non-tournament games, and

(ii) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing one of the non-tournament games, the identification of said chip is changed from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing the table tournament.

35. The table tournament gaming system of claim 11, wherein for each of a plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes an identification number.

36. The table tournament gaming system of claim 35, wherein for each of said plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes the tournament identification or the non-tournament identification.

21. A method of operating a table tournament, said method comprising:

(a) enabling at least one player to play a tournament table game at a gaming table and simultaneously enabling at least one other player to play a non-tournament table game at said gaming table;

(b) tracking the chips played at the gaming table including the chips each player wagers, the chips each player wins, and the chips each player loses;

(c) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the tournament table game, change the identification of said chip from a tournament identification to a non-tournament identification such that said chip has the non-tournament identification if said chip is won by one of the players as a result of playing the non-tournament table game;

(d) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the non-tournament table game, change the identification of said chip from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification such that said chip has the tournament identification if said chip is won by one of the players as a result of playing the tournament table game;

(e) upon completion of the table tournament, determining each chip each player in the table tournament has to automatically determine at least one winner of the table tournament based on said determination; and

(f) causing a notification of the winner of the table tournament.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes identifying chips in a chip holding area of the gaming table.

23. The method of claim 21, which includes identifying chips in a wagering area of the gaming table.

24. The method of claim 21, which includes for each player in the tournament, storing player chip information in a player account for that player.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes automatically determining the winner of the table tournament based on the information stored in the player accounts.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the table tournament is a synchronized tournament.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the table tournament is a self-scheduled tournament.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the table tournament is a bonus tournament.

29. The method of claim 21, which includes determining which players qualify to play in the table tournament based on information stored about the players in a player tracking system.

32. The method of claim 21, which includes for each chip:

(i) if one of the players loses said chip playing the tournament table game, changing the identification of said chip from the tournament identification to the non-tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing the non-tournament table game, and

(ii) for each chip, if one of the players loses said chip playing the non-tournament table game, changing the identification of said chip from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification when said chip is provided to said player as the result of playing the tournament table game.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein for each of a plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes an identification number.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein for each of said plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes the tournament identification or the non-tournament identification.

39. A table tournament gaming system for facilitating a table tournament including a plurality of players using a plurality of chips to play the table tournament at a gaming table, said gaming table including a plurality of player stations, said tournament gaming system comprising:

a central server; and

a tournament tracking system operable to identify the chips located at each of the player stations, said central server and said tournament tracking system configured to;

(a) for each chip that is received with the tournament identification, change the assigned identification of said chip from the tournament identification to the non-tournament identification if said chip is transferred to one of the players as a non-tournament chip; and

b) for each chip that is received with the non-tournament identification, change the assigned identification of said chip from the non-tournament identification to the tournament identification if said chip is transferred to one of the players as a tournament chip.

40. The table tournament gaming system of claim 39, wherein said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured for each player station to:

(i) assign a tournament identification to each chip the player at said player station starts the table tournament with, (ii) assign the tournament identification to each chip the player at said player station wins during the table tournament, and (iii) assign the non-tournament identification to each chip the player at said player station wins during a non-tournament game.

41. The table tournament gaming system of claim 39, wherein upon completion of the table tournament, said central server and said tournament tracking system are configured for each player station to use the identification of each chip at each player station to automatically determine at least one winner of the table tournament.

42. The table tournament gaming system of claim 39, wherein for each of a plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes an identification number.

43. The table tournament gaming system of claim 42, wherein for each of said plurality of the chips, the identification of said chip includes the tournament identification or the non-tournament identification.