Player ranking for tournament play

• US 7,704,144 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Abbott, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams; Ross A.
• Application Number:
  US11/337,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/11, 463/12, 463/13, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

Apparatus, system and methods for ranking tournament players are disclosed. The apparatus includes a RFID tournament detection system coupled to a server. The server is provided with game data as one or more tournaments proceed. According to tournament rules, player activity may result in a player being eliminated. When a player is eliminated, the server or detection system records the time and date coupled to each player'"'"'s identification and may rank each player on an on-going basis or at the end of the tournament. Players do not need to compete at the same site, but may be ranked according to a player'"'"'s current status within the tournament as captured by the tournament detection system and recorded by the server, which receives data from each game table participating in the tournament.

Claims

1. A method for establishing player rank in a wagering tournament, said method comprising:

(a) offering a first wagering game at a first location to a plurality of first location players, said first location including a first gaming table, a plurality of first wagering token receiving player zones on the first gaming table, and a first wager zone on the first gaming table, each of said first wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said first wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered, the first wagering game being part of the tournament;

(b) detecting any wagering tokens in each first wagering token receiving player zone;

(c) detecting any wagering tokens in the first wager zone;

(d) offering a second wagering game at a second location to a plurality of second location players, said second location including a second gaming table, a plurality of second wagering token receiving player zones on the second gaming table, and a second wager zone on the second gaming table, each of said second wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said second wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered, the second wagering game being part of the tournament;

(e) detecting any wagering tokens in each second wagering token receiving player zone;

(f) detecting any wagering tokens in the second wager zone;

(g) during play of the tournament, for each first wagering token receiving player zone, if

(i) no wagering tokens are detected in said first wagering token receiving player zone, and

(ii) no wagering tokens are detected in said first wager zone, causing a deletion system processor to create a time stamped game event for said first wagering token receiving player zone;

(h) during play of the tournament, for each second wagering token receiving player zone, if

(A) no wagering tokens are detected in said second wagering token receiving player zone, and

(B) no wagering tokens are detected in said second wager zone, causing the deletion system processor to create a time stamped game event for said second wagering token receiving player zone; and

(i) providing the time stamped game events to a processor, wherein the processor determines a player rank for said tournament based on the time stamped game events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting any wagering tokens includes using a DID element which includes a RFID tag configured to be detected by one or more antenna.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is located within the wagering tokens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the game events are selected from the group of game events consisting of all in type wager by one of the players, a winning player receiving wagering tokens from a pot, cards being revealed, and a player ID being placed in one of the wagering token receiving player zones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location comprises a different gaming table than the second location and the wagering game comprises a card game and player rank determines which players finish higher in the tournament than the other players.

15. The method of claim 1, which includes detecting each player'"'"'s tokens that include that player'"'"'s information and creating the time stamped game events for said first and second wagering token receiving player zones includes associating the time stamped game events with each of the player'"'"'s information.

6. A system for ranking players in a tournament, said system comprising:

a first and second game table, wherein each of the first and second game table includes;

(a) a wagering zone on said table and configured to accept wagers of wagering tokens from a plurality of players;

(b) a plurality of wagering token receiving player zones on said table, each of said wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered; and

(c) a detection system proximate to the wagering zone and the wagering token receiving player zones and configured to detect the wagering tokens during tournament game play;

a detection system processor in communication with the detection system configured to receive the data from said detection system, and create a time stamped game event during play of the tournament, when;

(i) no wagering tokens are detected in one of the wagering token receiving player zones at one of the gaming tables, and

(ii) no wagering tokens are detected in the wagering zone at said gaming table;

and

a server configured to receive said time stamped game events from the detection system processor and determine player ranking for the tournament based on the time stamped game events.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection system comprises one or more antenna and one or more readers.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection system processor comprises a computer configured with machine readable code.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first game table and the second game table are located in different casinos.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the game events include data regarding one of the players going all in, one of the players exposing their cards, a final community card being exposed, a pot being collected or provided to a winning player, or one of the players providing a player ID token to one of the wagering token receiving player zones.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection system processor is configured to utilized the Internet to transmit game data to the server.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection system is configured to detect player tokens that include each player'"'"'s information.

23. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second game table includes:

the wagering zone and the plurality of wagering token receiving player zones being located on a top surface of said game table.

12. A method of offering a wagering tournament wherein players are located at different locations, said method comprising:

(a) providing a first game table at a first location to a first group of players, wherein the first game table is configured with a first table monitoring system to monitor game events, wherein said first monitoring system detects any wagering tokens in a first wager zone on the first game table and in a plurality of first wagering token receiving player zones on the first game table, each of said first wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said first wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered;

(b) causing the first table monitoring system to create first location game event data when no wagering tokens are detected in one of said first wagering token receiving player zones and no wagering tokens are detected in said first wager zone, wherein the first location game event data is time stamped;

(c) providing a second game table at a second location to a second group of players, wherein the second game table is configured with a second table monitoring system to monitor game events, wherein said second table monitoring system detects any wagering tokens in a second wager zone on the second game table and in a plurality of second wagering token receiving player zones on the second game table, each of said second wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said second wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered;

(d) causing the second table monitoring system to create second location game event data when no wagering tokens are detected in one of said second wagering token receiving player zones and no wagering tokens are detected in said second wager zone, wherein the second location game event data is time stamped;

(e) transmitting the first location game event data and second location game event data to a processor at a central processing site;

(f) processing the time stamps of the first location game event data and the second location game event data to determine a chronological order of the game events at the first location and second location;

(g) determining player ranking of the players in the first group or the second group based on said processed data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the central processing site is located at the first location or the second location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the player ranking determines order of exit from the tournament and the player ranking accurately determines order of finish between one of the players of the first group players and one of the players of the second group players when said first group player and said second group player exit the tournament at similar times.

17. The method of claim 12, which includes detecting each player'"'"'s tokens that include that player'"'"'s information and creating first location game event data and second location game event data based, at least in part, on the information on each player'"'"'s token.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein said first wager zones and said first wagering token receiving player zones are located on a top surface of said first game table and said second wager zones and said second wagering token receiving player zones are located on a top surface of said second game table.

18. A method for operating a tournament, said method comprising:

(a) offering a play of a first tournament game to a plurality of first players at a first table, said first table including a plurality of first wagering token receiving player zones and a first wager zone, each of said first wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said first wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered;

(b) offering a play of a second tournament game to a plurality of second players at a second table, said second table including a plurality of second wagering token receiving player zones and a second wager zone, each of said second wagering token receiving player zones configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are not being wagered, said second wager zone configured to receive a plurality of the wagering tokens when said wagering tokens are being wagered;

(c) after a winner is determined for said play of said first tournament game;

(i) for each first wagering token receiving player zone, detecting any wagering tokens in said first wagering token receiving player zone,

(ii) detecting any wagering tokens in the first wager zone, and

(iii) if the first wager zone does not include any detected wagering tokens and any of the first wagering token receiving player zones do not include any detected wagering tokens, causing a detection system processor to create time stamped data regarding which of the first wagering token receiving player zones do not include any wagering tokens;

(d) after a winner is determined for said play of said second tournament game;

(i) for each second wagering token receiving player zone, detecting any wagering tokens in said second wagering token receiving player zone,

(ii) detecting any wagering tokens in the second wager zone, and

(iii) if the second wager zone does not include any detected wagering tokens, and any of the second wagering token receiving player zones do not include any detected wagering tokens, causing a detection system processor to create time stamped data regarding which of the second wagering token receiving player zones do not include any wagering tokens; and

(e) providing the created time stamped data to a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a player ranking for the tournament based on the time stamped data.

19. The method of claim 18, which includes repeating (a) and (c) for each of a plurality of plays of said first tournament game.

20. The method of claim 18, which includes repeating (b) and (d) for each of a plurality of plays of said second tournament game.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first tournament game and the second tournament game are a same type of game.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said first wager zones and said first wagering token receiving player zones are located on a top surface of said first game table and said second wager zones and said second wagering token receiving player zones are located on a top surface of said second game table.