Continual limit hold'em quasi-tournaments

• US 8,715,051 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Games, LC
• Original Assignee: Brain Games, LC
• Inventors: Davis, Malcolm B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US12/855,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/26, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

A method of simulating a gaming tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines in a quasi-tournament includes the steps of: a) receiving value from a plurality of human users of the electronic game machines, the received value corresponding to a plurality of wagering credits whereby each human user is provided with a plurality of wagering units enabling the human user to participate in the quasi-tournament by playing one or more games on one of the electronic game machines, b) initiating a machine-implemented game on each game machine used in the quasi-tournament, whereby a human user may play the game using the electronic game machine to participate in the quasi-tournament, c) receiving input from the human user via a user interface associated with the electronic game machine to play the machine-implemented game, d) determining an outcome for each machine-implemented game played by each of the plurality of human users using the electronic game machines, e) updating the number of wagering units held by each human user based upon each outcome determined in step d), f) repeating steps b)-e) for the duration of the tournament, g) comparing the number of wagering units won by each human user in the quasi-tournament and determining one or more winners of the quasi-tournament and h) providing value to the one or more winners of the quasi-tournament.

Claims

1. A system for simulating a gaming tournament with a quasi-tournament utilizing a plurality of electronic game machines wherein a plurality of human each play a machine-implement game on an electronic game machine, the system including:

a plurality of electronic game machines configured with a machine-implemented game whereby a plurality of human users may play the game using the electronic game machines to participate in the quasi-tournament, each of the electronic game machines including (i) a display device for displaying indicia representative of a game state, (ii) means for receiving an input from the user in response to a display of indicia representing a game state game, wherein the human user may select, as input, after the machine-implemented game is initiated and value received from the human user, from one of at least two different available potentially winning actions at a single stage in each game played by the human user;

(iii) a storage device for storing a game algorithm and (iv) a processor operative with the storage device to implement the game algorithm and operative with the display device to display indicia representative of a game state and to receive input from a human user of the machine, wherein the human user input may be selected from at least two different available potentially winning actions;

a central processor connected to each of the electronic game machines, the central processor operative to receive an input from each of the electronic game machines corresponding to the outcome of games played on the electronic game machines by the human users and to determine one or more winners of the quasi-tournament based upon the outcome of games played by the human users on the electronic game machines;

wherein the system is operative to enable a human user to enter the quasi-tournament after the quasi-tournament begins by providing value and wherein the system is operative to enable a human user entering the quasi tournament to provide differing amounts of value corresponding to prize pots of differing value whereby the human user is eligible to receive a payout from multiple prize pots by providing value a single time in one selected amount and wherein each human user entering the quasi-tournament is provided with the same number of wagering units independent of the amount of value provided by the human user; and

wherein the system is operative to provide a human user winning the quasi tournament with a payout from one or more prize pots upon winning the quasi tournament.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-implemented game is poker.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the displayed indicia are visual representations of playing cards.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data interface between each of the electronic game machines and the central processor whereby the outcome of games played by human users of the electronic game machines are transmitted to the central processor.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the electronic game machines further comprises means for receiving value from a user of the machine.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the electronic game machines further comprises one or more interface devices for receiving input from human users.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the electronic game machines further comprises a stored value card reader whereby value may be transferred from and to the stored value card by the electronic game machine.