Wagering game method, gaming machine, gaming system, and program product facilitating tournament play

• US 8,585,481 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Owen, Clint, Johnson, Bradley, Salazar, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/243,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method includes receiving one or more primary game inputs at a gaming machine, each primary game input defining a wager for a respective play of a primary game presented through the gaming machine and also initiating the respective play of the primary game. Each qualifying wager in the primary game offered through the gaming machine is applied in a predefined fashion toward to an entry fee in one or more gaming machine tournaments. Ultimately, the value of the tournament entry fee account may reach a first level which is predefined as a level required for participation in a tournament. Once this level has been reached, the method includes enabling the affected player to participate in the tournament. Thus the player need not stop play of the wagering game to pay any entry fee which may be required for participation in a tournament game.

Claims

1. A method including:

receiving one or more primary game inputs at a gaming machine, each primary game input defining a wager for a respective play of primary game presented through the gaming machine and initiating the respective play of the primary game;

generating an outcome for each play of the primary game and displaying a graphical representation of the respective outcome at a display device associated with the gaming machine;

awarding a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the primary game;

initiating a tournament game for a first tournament at the gaming machine;

maintaining a point total based on each outcome generated for a respective play of the tournament game;

upon completion of the first tournament, awarding a tournament prize based on a final value of the point total;

entering the final value of the point total into a secondary tournament; and

upon completion of the secondary tournament, awarding a secondary tournament prize based on a rank of the final value of the point total with respect to other point total values collected for the secondary tournament.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

for each wager placed for a respective play of the primary game comprising a qualifying wager, incrementing a value of a tournament entry fee account associated with that respective play of the primary game; and

in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a first predefined level, enabling participation in the first tournament.

3. The method of claim 2 further including receiving a tournament fee entry input at the gaming machine, and incrementing the value of the tournament entry fee account in response to the tournament fee entry input.

4. The method of claim 2 further including enabling participation in at least one additional tournament in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching an additional predefined level for the respective additional tournament.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein each qualifying wager in the primary game comprises a wager amount over a predefined threshold wager amount.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein each wager in the primary game is defined as a qualifying wager.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary tournament is defined for a period of time and wherein the final value of the point total is entered into the secondary tournament by virtue of having been attained within the time period defined for the secondary tournament.

8. A gaming system including:

at least one display device;

a player input system;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive one or more primary game inputs entered through the player input system, each primary game input defining a wager for a respective play of primary game presented through the at least one display device and initiating the respective play of the primary game;

generate an outcome for each play of the primary game and cause the at least one display device to display a graphical representation of the respective outcome;

award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the primary game;

initiate a tournament game for a first tournament at the gaming machine;

maintain a point total based on each outcome generated for a respective play of the tournament game;

upon completion of the first tournament, award a tournament prize based on a final value of the point total;

enter the final value of the point total into a secondary tournament; and

upon completion of the secondary tournament, award a secondary tournament prize based on a rank of the final value of the point total with respect to other point total values collected for the secondary tournament.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 wherein the player input system includes a primary game and tournament game input arrangement, and a tournament entry input arrangement separate from the primary game and tournament game input arrangement.

10. The gaming system of claim 8 wherein:

the at least one processor includes a game processor and a separate tournament entry processor, both located in a gaming machine cabinet; and

the at least one memory device includes (i) a game processor memory device storing instructions executable by the game processor to generate the outcome for each play of the primary game and award the payout for each respective winning outcome of the primary game, and (ii) a separate tournament entry memory device storing instructions executable by the tournament entry processor to control a display device to display tournament entry options.

11. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein:

the game processor is operatively connected for communication with the tournament entry processor and is also operatively connected to a gaming network; and

the tournament entry processor is operatively connected to a tournament control network.

12. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein:

the game processor is operatively connected to a gaming network and to a tournament control network; and

the tournament entry processor is operatively connected to a tournament control network.

13. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein:

the at least one processor includes a tournament host processor located remotely from the gaming machine cabinet; and

the at least one memory device includes a tournament host memory device located remotely from the gaming machine cabinet storing instructions executable by the tournament host processor to, for each wager placed for a respective play of the primary game which comprises a qualifying wager, increment the value of a tournament entry fee account associated with that respective play of the primary game.

14. The gaming system of claim 8 wherein the at least one display device includes:

a primary game display device mounted on a gaming machine cabinet; and

a tournament entry interface display device mounted on the gaming machine cabinet separate from the primary game display device.

15. A program product stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable data storage devices, the program product including:

player input program code executable by at least one processor to (i) receive one or more primary game inputs entered through a player input system of a gaming machine, each primary game input defining a wager for a respective play of primary game presented through at least one display device of the gaming machine and initiating the respective play of the primary game, and to (ii) receive one or more tournament game inputs entered through the player input system once tournament game play is enabled at the gaming machine;

primary game program code executable by the at least one processor to (i) generate an outcome for each play of the primary game and cause the at least one display device to display a graphical representation of the respective outcome, and to (ii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the primary game;

tournament game program code executable by the at least one processor to (i) generate an outcome for each play of a tournament game for a first tournament and cause the at least one display device to display a graphical representation of the respective outcome for the tournament game for the first tournament, and to (ii) award tournament points for each respective winning outcome for the tournament game for the first tournament according to a paytable for the tournament game for the first tournament, and to (iii) enter a total of the awarded tournament points into a secondary tournament, and to (iv) upon completion of the secondary tournament, award a secondary tournament prize based on a rank of the total of the awarded tournament points with respect to other point total values collected for the secondary tournament.

16. The program product of claim 15 further including tournament entry program code executable by the at least one processor to (i), for each wager placed for a respective play of the primary game which comprises a qualifying wager, increment a value of a tournament entry fee account associated with that respective play of the primary game, and to (ii) enable participation in the first tournament in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a first predefined level.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein the tournament entry program code is also executable by the at least one processor to receive one or more tournament selection inputs entered through the player input system of the gaming machine.

18. The program product of claim 16 further including tournament prize program code executable by the at least one processor to award a tournament prize based on the total of the awarded tournament points in the first tournament.