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

• US 9,430,908 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Clint, Johnson, Bradley, Salazar, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Application Number:
  US13/626,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 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 for providing two or more on-demand tournaments to a player through in-revenue game play including:

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

(b) receiving an outcome for each play of the game and displaying a graphical representation of the respective outcome at a display system associated with the first gaming machine;

(c) awarding a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the game, wherein the game inputs at the first gaming machine and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

(d) incrementing a first value of a first tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

incrementing a second value of a second tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

providing the player an apportionment option to apportion incrementing of the first and second values;

(e) in response to the first value of the first tournament entry fee account reaching a predefined level, providing a notification through the display system of the first gaming machine that the one or more players are qualified to participate in at least one of the tournaments;

(f) providing the player an option of applying the first tournament entry fee account to any one of the two or more on-demand tournaments;

providing the player with an on-demand tournament award based on a first tournament score obtained by the player from play of one of the on-demand tournaments; and

(g) entering the player into a secondary tournament game wherein the first tournament score is used to compete for one or more additional tournament awards against the tournament scores of other players obtained during a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the tournament entry fee account is maintained in terms of a non-cash value.

3. The method of claim 1 further including incrementing the tournament entry fee account in response to a gifting input entered at another gaming machine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more prizes defined in the paytable for the game is defined as a tournament entry fee account modifier, and wherein awarding the payout for a respective winning outcome associated with a respective tournament entry fee account modifier causes the tournament entry fee account to be modified by a specified amount.

5. The method of claim 1 further including varying the predefined level over time.

6. The method of claim 1 further including storing the value of the tournament entry fee account at a data storage device remote from the first gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the tournament entry fee account is identified with the one or more players in the data storage device remote from the first gaming machine.

8. The method of claim 1 further including, in response to a transfer input at the first gaming machine, transferring a portion of the value of the tournament entry fee account to a second tournament entry fee account associated with a player other than the one or more players.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the tournament entry fee account is associated with a set of two or more players, and further including:

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

(b) receiving an outcome for each play of the game presented through the second gaming machine and displaying a graphical representation of the respective outcome at a display system associated with the second gaming machine;

(c) awarding a payout for each respective winning outcome at the second gaming machine according to a paytable for the game presented through the second gaming machine, wherein the game inputs at the second gaming machine and the payouts awarded at the second gaming machine each represent respective types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine;

(d) incrementing a value of the tournament entry fee account based on one or both types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine; and

(e) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching the predefined level, providing a notification through the display system of the second gaming machine that the two or more players are qualified to participate in the tournament.

10. A gaming system for providing two or more on-demand tournaments to a player through in-revenue game play including:

(a) a first display system associated with a first gaming machine;

(b) a first player input system associated with the first gaming machine;

(c) at least one first gaming machine processor; and

(d) at least one first memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one first gaming machine processor to;

(i) receive one or more game inputs through the player input system, each game input defining a wager for a respective play of a game presented through the first display system and initiating the respective play of the game;

(ii) receive an outcome for each play of the game and cause a graphical representation of the respective outcome to be displayed through the first display system;

(iii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the game, wherein the game inputs entered through the first player input system and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

(iv) increment a value of a tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

increment a second value of a second tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine;

provide the play an appointment option to apportion incrementing of the first and second values;

(v) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a predefined level, cause the first display system to provide a notification that the one or more players are qualified to participate in at least one of the tournaments; and

,

(vi) provide the player an option of applying the tournament entry fee account to any one of the two or more on-demand tournaments;

provide the player with an on-demand tournament award based on a first tournament score obtained by the player from play of one of the on-demand tournaments; and

(vii) enter the player into a secondary tournament game wherein the first tournament score is used to compete for one or more additional tournament awards against the tournament scores of other players obtained during a predetermined period of time.

11. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the at least one first memory device also stores instructions executable by the at least one first gaming machine processor to increment the tournament entry fee account responsive to a gifting input entered at a second player input system associated with a second gaming machine.

12. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein one or more prizes defined in the paytable for the game are defined as a tournament entry fee account modifier, and wherein the award of the payout for a respective winning outcome associated with a respective tournament entry fee account modifier causes the tournament entry fee account to be modified by a specified amount.

13. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the predefined level is varied over time.

14. The gaming system of claim 10 further including a tournament host server located remotely from the first gaming machine, the tournament host server adapted to maintain the value of the tournament entry fee account.

15. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the tournament entry fee account is identified with the one or more players in a data storage device remote from the gaming machine.

16. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the at least one first memory device also stores instructions executable by the at least one first gaming machine processor to, in response to a transfer input at the first gaming machine, transfer a portion of the value of the tournament entry fee account to a second tournament entry fee account associated with a player other than the one or more players.

17. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the tournament entry fee account is associated with a set of two or more players and further including:

(a) a second display system included with a second gaming machine;

(b) a second player input system included with the second gaming machine;

(c) at least one second gaming machine processor; and

(d) at least one second memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one second gaming machine processor to;

(i) receive one or more game inputs through the second player input system, each game input received though the second player input system defining a wager for a respective play of a game presented through the second display system and initiating the respective play of the one or more games;

(ii) receive an outcome for each play of the game presented through the second display system and cause a graphical representation of the respective outcome to be displayed through the second display system;

(iii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome according to a paytable for the game presented through the second display system, wherein the game inputs entered through the second player input system and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine;

(iv) cause the value of the tournament entry fee account to be incremented based on one or both types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine; and

(v) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching the predefined level, cause the second display system to provide a notification that the two or more players are qualified to participate in the first tournament.

18. A non-transitory program product stored on one or more computer readable data storage devices and executable for providing two or more on-demand tournaments to a player through in-revenue game play, the program product including:

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

(b) game program code executable by the at least one processor of the first gaming machine to (i) obtain an outcome for each play of the game and cause the display system of the first gaming machine 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 game, wherein the game inputs at the first gaming machine and the payouts awarded each represent respective types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine; and

(c) tournament entry program code executable by the at least one processor of the first gaming machine to (i) increment the value of a tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine, increment a second value of a second tournament entry fee account associated with one or more players based on one or both types of gaming activity at the first gaming machine, and provide the player an apportionment option to apportion incrementing of the first and second values, and (ii) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching a predefined level, cause the display system of the first gaming machine to provide a notification that the one or more players are qualified to participate in a first one of the tournaments; and

provide the player an option of applying the tournament entry fee account to any one of the two or more on-demand tournaments, provide the player with an on-demand tournament award based on a first tournament score obtained by the player from play of one of the on-demand tournaments; and

(iii) enter the player into a secondary tournament game wherein the first tournament score is used to compete for one or more additional tournament awards against the tournament scores of other players obtained during a predetermined period of time.

19. The program product of claim 18 wherein the tournament entry program code is also executable by the at least one processor to increment the tournament entry fee account responsive to a gifting input entered at another gaming machine.

20. The program product of claim 18 wherein the tournament entry fee account is associated with a set of two or more players and further including:

(a) player input program code executable by at least one processor of a second gaming machine to receive one or more game inputs entered through a player input system of the second gaming machine, each such game input defining a wager for a respective play of a game presented through a display system of the second gaming machine and initiating the respective play of that game;

(b) game program code executable by the at least one processor of the second gaming machine to (i) obtain an outcome for each play of the game presented through the display system of the second gaming machine and cause that display system to display a graphical representation of the respective outcome, and to (ii) award a payout for each respective winning outcome obtained for the game presented through the display system of the second gaming machine according to a paytable for the respective game, wherein the game inputs at the second gaming machine and the payouts awarded for plays of the game at the second gaming machine each represent respective types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine; and

(c) wherein the tournament entry program code is executable by the at least one processor of the first gaming machine to (i) increment the value of the tournament entry fee account based on one or both types of gaming activity at the second gaming machine, and (ii) in response to the value of the tournament entry fee account reaching the predefined level, causing the display system of the second gaming machine to provide a notification that the two or more players are qualified to participate in a tournament.