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Tournament game system and method using a tournament game card

  • US 8,002,630 B2
  • Filed: 08/18/2003
  • Issued: 08/23/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented gaming method comprising:

  • (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to identify a player of a first gaming unit, said player identified in association with a player tracking card;

    (b) after a tournament game card is provided to the player in response to paying a fee, enabling the identified player to select to play in a tournament, said tournament associated with tournament gaming software and the tournament game card is distinct from the player tracking card; and

    (c) if the identified player selects to play in the tournament;

    (i) receiving from said first gaming unit, an identifier associated with the tournament game card, wherein the tournament is in progress when the identifier is received;

    (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the identifier received from the first gaming unit is authentic; and

    (iii) if the identifier is determined to be authentic;

    (A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a time duration the identified player may play in the time remaining in the tournament in progress, said determined time duration being based on the identifier;

    (B) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to initialize a timer with the amount of time of said determined time duration;

    (C) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to start the timer;

    (D) for each play of a tournament game during the determined time duration;

    (I) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament game outcome from a plurality of different tournament game outcomes,(II) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the determined tournament game outcome, and(III) causing at least one display device to display any determined award to the identified player;

    (E) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to stop the timer after one of;

    (I) the timer has run for the amount of time of said determined time duration, and(II) when the identified player terminates play on said first gaming unit prior to expiration of the amount of time of said determined time duration;

    (F) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament score of the identified player,(G) causing the at least one display device to display the determined tournament score, said determined tournament score being displayed in addition to any displayed awards for the plays of the tournament game;

    (H) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if the identified player is a winning player of the tournament, said determination based a comparison of the tournament score of the identified player to at least one tournament score of at least one different player; and

    (I) if the identified player is the determined winning player of the tournament, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a value payout to be awarded to the identified winning player.

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