Individually paced table game tournaments

• US 8,684,830 B1
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Novel Tech International Limited
• Inventors: Chun, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US14/017,071
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463 31- 42, 705/715, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2488 Remotely playable
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Table game tournament systems can include player terminal(s), electronic gaming table(s), and/or a remote server. A player terminal can have an outer housing, a controller located therewithin or thereabout, input and output component(s), and a communications interface to an outside gaming network having other functionally similar gaming device(s), gaming table(s), and a remote server. The controller and/or server can facilitate providing tournament information to a player, which information can include whether the player would qualify for the next tournament round, who is the most serious opponent to the player, and/or the chip difference therebetween. A terminal can also facilitate asynchronous and individually paced tournament play, switching between different tournament tables on demand, and play of other non-tournament table games thereat simultaneously with the play of the table game tournament. Portable computing devices can be used as player terminals and can permit players to play in actual or practice play-along modes.

Claims

1. A gaming device adapted to facilitate the play of table games in a table game tournament format, the gaming device comprising:

an outer housing;

a controller located within or about the outer housing and adapted to facilitate the play of a table game tournament by a player thereat, wherein said controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information to the player at the gaming device upon a demand from the player, continuously in automated fashion, or both;

one or more input components coupled to the controller and adapted to accept input from the player regarding the play of the table game tournament;

one or more display components coupled to the controller and adapted to provide output to the player regarding the play of the table game tournament; and

a communication interface coupled to the controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the controller and an outside gaming network, wherein the outside gaming network includes at least a plurality of functionally similar gaming devices and one or more gaming tables having live dealer that host table games for the table game tournament, wherein said gaming device is adapted to permit the player to play in the table game tournament asynchronously with respect to other players also playing in the table game tournament; and

the table game tournament is provided across a plurality of gaming tables and comprises a defined time period, and tournament players are permitted to play at their own pace at any of the plurality of gaming tables at any time during the defined time period according to the choices of the tournament players.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the table game tournament is selected from the group consisting of baccarat, blackjack, sic-bo, pai-gow, bingo, keno, poker, roulette and craps.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the current tournament information includes a determination of whether the player would qualify for the next round of the table game tournament if a current round were to end at that time.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the current tournament information includes a determination of the most serious opponent to the player, wherein the most serious opponent is either the opponent with the highest score from all non-star position opponents when the player is in a star position or the opponent with the lowest score from all star position opponents when the player is not in a star position, wherein a star position represents a position that would advance to the next round of the tournament if the round were to end immediately.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the current tournament information further includes the score or chips held by the most serious opponent, the difference in score or chips between the player and the most serious opponent, or both.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is adapted to facilitate the play of other non-tournament table games thereat simultaneously with the play of the table game tournament.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein the play of the other non-tournament table games contributes to a score of the player for the table game tournament.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is adapted to permit the player to switch tournament play on demand from table games taking place on a first tournament gaming table in the outside network to a second tournament gaming table in the outside network.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is adapted to permit the player to play in the tournament at multiple tournament tables simultaneously.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the table game tournament comprises a minimum number of hands or plays, a minimum amount of playing time, a maximum number of hands or plays, a maximum amount of playing time, or any combination thereof.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is adapted to permit the player to stop playing in the table game tournament for a substantial period of time and to resume playing in the table game tournament at a later time.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is adapted to permit the player to continue play in the table game tournament at one of the plurality of functionally similar gaming devices.

13. A gaming table adapted to host a table game tournament involving one or more awards, the tournament gaming table comprising:

a physical surface adapted for the play of a table game tournament that includes the use of one or more game components, said physical surface being located proximate a plurality of associated player terminals, wherein each of the plurality of associated player terminals provides for the presence of a player to play said table game tournament and includes a player terminal processor coupled to a player interface having one or more player input and output devices;

a table controller adapted to control a plurality of gaming table functions, wherein said table controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information to a player at one of said plurality of player terminals upon a demand from the player, continuously in automated fashion, or both; and

a communication interface coupled to the table controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the table controller and an outside gaming network, wherein the outside gaming network includes at least the plurality of associated player terminals, one or more similar gaming tables having live dealer that host table games for the table game tournament, or both, wherein said gaming table is adapted to permit the player to play in the table game tournament asynchronously with respect to other players also playing in the table game tournament; and

the table game tournament is provided across a plurality of gaming tables and comprises a defined time period, and tournament players are permitted to play at their own pace at any of the plurality of gaming tables at any time during the defined time period according to the choices of the tournament players.

14. The gaming table of claim 13, wherein said current tournament information includes a determination of the most serious opponent to the player, wherein the most serious opponent is either the opponent with the highest score from all non-star position opponents when the player is in a star position or the opponent with the lowest score from all star position opponents when the player is not in a star position, wherein a star position represents a position that would advance to the next round of the tournament if the round were to end immediately.

15. The gaming table of claim 14, wherein said current tournament information further includes a determination of the amount of chips held by the most serious opponent, the difference in chips between the player and the most serious opponent, or both.

16. The gaming table of claim 13, wherein said updated tournament information is selected from the group consisting of a current tournament round, time left in the current round, hands left in the current round, current chip leader, current chip lead amount, overall prize money, and first place prize money.

17. A gaming table system, comprising:

(a) one or more electronic gaming tables adapted to conduct tournament table games involving wager based games, wherein each of said one or more electronic gaming tables includes;

a physical surface adapted for the play of a table game that includes the use of one or more game components,

a table controller adapted to control a plurality of gaming table functions, wherein said table controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information upon demand, continuously in automated fashion, or both, and

a table communication interface coupled to the table controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the table controller and other components within the tournament table gaming system;

(b) a plurality of player terminals in communication with each of the one or more electronic gaming tables, wherein each of the player terminals includes;

an outer housing, a terminal controller located within or about the outer housing and adapted to facilitate the play of a table game tournament by a player thereat, wherein said terminal controller is further adapted to facilitate the provision of current tournament information to a player at the player terminal upon a demand from the player, continuously in automated fashion, or both,

one or more input components coupled to the terminal controller and adapted to accept input from the player regarding the play of the table game tournament,

one or more display components coupled to the terminal controller and adapted to provide output to the player regarding the play of the table game tournament, and

a terminal communication interface coupled to the terminal controller and adapted to facilitate communications between the terminal controller and other components within the electronic table gaming system; and

(c) a system server located remotely from and in communication with each of the one or more electronic gaming tables having live dealer and plurality of player terminals, said system server being adapted to facilitate the processing of transactions with respect to tournament table games played at said one or more electronic gaming tables and at said plurality of player terminals;

wherein said system is adapted to permit the player to play in the table game tournament asynchronously with respect to other players also playing in the table game tournament; and

the table game tournament is provided across a plurality of gaming tables and comprises a defined time period, and tournament players are permitted to play at their own pace at any of the plurality of gaming tables at any time during the defined time period according to the choices of the tournament players.

18. The gaming table system of claim 17, wherein said system is adapted to facilitate the play of other table games simultaneously with the play of the table game tournament.

19. The gaming table system of claim 17, wherein said system is adapted to permit the player to switch tournament play on demand from table games taking place on a first electronic gaming table to a second electronic gaming table.

20. A method of hosting an individually paced table game tournament, the method comprising:

providing one or more electronic gaming tables;

coupling each of a plurality of player terminals to one or more of the electronic gaming tables;

accepting registrations from a plurality of players for an individually paced table game tournament;

administering a plurality of individual tournament table games at each of the one or more electronic gaming tables over the course of the tournament;

allowing the plurality of players to participate in the plurality of individual tournament table games having live dealer according to the choices of each player, wherein overall tournament play is asynchronous such that players are not required to play in every individual table game and players are not required to play concurrently with other players; and

determining one or more winners at the end of the tournament according to the outcomes of all of the tournament table games; and

the table game tournament is provided across a plurality of gaming tables and comprises a defined time period, and tournament players are permitted to play at their own pace at any of the plurality of gaming tables at any time during the defined time period according to the choices of the tournament players.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the step of:

displaying current tournament information to a player upon a demand from the player, continuously in automated fashion, or both.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the current tournament information includes a determination of the most serious opponent to the player, wherein the most serious opponent is either the opponent with the highest score from all non-star position opponents when the player is in a star position or the opponent with the lowest score from all star position opponents when the player is not in a star position, wherein a star position represents a position that would advance to the next round of the tournament if the round were to end immediately.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the current tournament information further includes the score or chips held by the most serious opponent, the difference in score or chips between the player and the most serious opponent, or both.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the step of:

facilitating the play of other table games simultaneously with the play of the table game tournament.

25. The method of claim 20, further including the step of:

permitting a player to switch tournament play on demand from tournament table games taking place on a first electronic gaming table to a second electronic gaming table.