Method and system for playing games on a network
First Claim
1. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
- identifying players requesting to join one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one of the tournaments tournament;
(a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament;
(b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between the a commencement of the one tournament and the a termination of the one tournament;
for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed;
(A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament;
(A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament;
(A3) determining one or more winning players for each group;
(A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule defining a manipulation of one or more game playing cards or tokens of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule for of the game for the tournament;
and (A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game;
wherein each of the players play in the one or more tournaments by communicating, via a corresponding networked device for the player, on a communications network for providing access to the game instances of the one or more tournaments;
wherein for each of a plurality of the players (i) through (iii) following hold;
(i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing a corresponding one of the game instances for obtaining combined data, and the combined data is transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding one game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser;
(ii) a presentation for the information for playing the corresponding one game instance, and a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data are presented at a same time to the player on the corresponding networked device therefor; and
(iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with the presentation for the information for playing the corresponding game instance provides the at least one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a game playing method and apparatus for automating games such as blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, baccarat and pai gow, wherein players may play continuously and asynchronously, and information related to advertised items can be exchanged between players and advertisers. In one embodiment, each instance of a game is likely unique from all other current game instances. The games do not require a manual dealer and in one embodiment, played in a gaming establishment using low cost gaming stations. The present invention may also be used to play such games on the Internet or an interactive cable television network wherein a game controller communicates with players at network nodes in their homes and at their leisure since there is no game tempo requirement. During a game, advertising is selectively provided by comparing player personal information with a desired demographic profile. Player responses to advertising are used for evaluating advertising effectiveness. The invention is useful for test marketing of products, advertisements, and reduces advertising costs.
REEXAMINATION RESULTS
The questions raised in reexamination proceeding No. 90/010,093, filed Jan. 31, 2008, have been considered, and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e) for ex parte reexaminations, or the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 316 as provided in 37 CFR 1.997(e) for inter partes reexaminations.
393 Citations
118 Claims
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1. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
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identifying players requesting to join one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one of the tournaments tournament; (a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament; (b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between the a commencement of the one tournament and the a termination of the one tournament; for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed; (A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament; (A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament; (A3) determining one or more winning players for each group; (A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule defining a manipulation of one or more game playing cards or tokens of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule for of the game for the tournament;
and(A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game; wherein each of the players play in the one or more tournaments by communicating, via a corresponding networked device for the player, on a communications network for providing access to the game instances of the one or more tournaments; wherein for each of a plurality of the players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing a corresponding one of the game instances for obtaining combined data, and the combined data is transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding one game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser; (ii) a presentation for the information for playing the corresponding one game instance, and a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data are presented at a same time to the player on the corresponding networked device therefor; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with the presentation for the information for playing the corresponding game instance provides the at least one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of playing a card game, comprising:
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generating electronic card representations for playing the card game; receiving player identification information prior to at least a first player playing the card game wherein said identification information is used to identify additional information related to the first player for use in subsequent instances of the card game; first playing a first instance of the card game between the first player and a substantially electronic game playing module, wherein said game playing module is dealt a first sequence of said card representations; second playing a second instance of the game between a second player and said game playing module, wherein said first and second card game instances overlap in time and wherein said game playing module is dealt a second sequence of the card representations for playing said second instance of the card game; wherein said first and second sequences dealt to the game playing module have at least different card representations in at least one identical card representation position, in each of said first and second sequences; wherein each of the first and second players play by communicating, via a corresponding networked device for the player, on a communications network for providing access to the first and second instances; wherein for each player of the first and second players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing a corresponding one of the first and second instances, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding one instance of the card game, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for one of one or more advertisers; (ii) one or more presentations for the information for playing the corresponding instance of the card game, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data are presented at a same time to the player via the corresponding networked device therefor; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with the presentations for playing the corresponding instance is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 106)
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43. A method of playing a card game electronically, comprising:
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generating one or more card representations for playing the card game; first playing a first instance of the card game between a first player and a game playing module, wherein the first player receives a first sequence of card representations; second playing a second instance of the card game between a second player and the game playing module, wherein said first and second card game instances overlap in time, and wherein the second player receives a second sequence of card representations; wherein, for an initial series of one more plays by said first player using said first sequence, when said second player also initially plays said initial series of one or more identical plays using said second sequence, then for corresponding identical plays by said first and second players, their corresponding hands of card representations are identical; and wherein for substantially every play of said first instance by the first player, there is a corresponding transmission on a communications network between said game playing module and said first player, wherein said corresponding transmission occurs prior to a subsequent game play by the first user within said first instance. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of playing a card game, comprising:
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receiving at a destination node, via a communications network, player identification information prior to at least a first player playing the card game, wherein an address for the destination node is used by the first player for transmitting said player identification information to said destination node; generating card representations for playing said card game with at least the first player and a second player, wherein the first and second players obtain card representations via transmissions from a common address of a the communications network; first transmitting of plays to a first player in a first game of said card game, wherein a first collection of one or more of said card representations is transmitted to the first player through the communications network via a first networked device for the first player; second transmitting of plays to a second player in a second game of said card game, wherein a second collection of one or more of the card representations is transmitted to the second player through the communications network via a second networked device for the second player; wherein said first and second collections are transmitted to said first and second players during an overlapping time period that the first and second players play the first and second games respectively; ceasing to transmit card representations to the first player before said first game is completed; continuing to transmit card representations to the second player after said step of ceasing; terminating the playing of said second game with the second player; subsequently continuing to transmit one or more card representations to the first player, to play said first game in response to the first player requesting an additional collection of one or more card representations; commencing to transmit card representations to the second player for playing a third game of said card game, wherein a third collection of one or more card representations is transmitted to the second player and wherein the transmissions of the card representations for said additional collection and said third collection overlap in time; wherein for each of the first and second players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information related to presenting plays of a corresponding one of the first and second games, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding first or second corresponding card game, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for one of one or more advertisers; (ii) one or more presentations for the information related to presenting plays of the corresponding card game, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data are presented together to the player via the corresponding first or second networked device therefor; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with the presentations for the information related to presenting plays of the corresponding first or second game is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding first or second game, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A method of playing a game on the Internet, comprising:
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first receiving player identification at a game playing Internet accessible node (GPIAN) for first and second players; transmitting, via the Internet, from the GPIAN, first information related to communications between;
(a) the GPIAN, and (b) a first Internet accessible node from which the first player communicates with the GPIAN;wherein said first information is utilized in subsequent Internet communications between the GPIAN and the first Internet accessible node; causing said first information to be stored on the first Internet accessible node so that it is available in subsequent different Internet connections by the first player; second receiving, via the Internet, at the GPIAN, first responsive information indicative of said first information being present on said first Internet accessible node; first playing with the first player a first game, wherein one or more game play representations are transmitted to the first player via the first Internet accessible node; second playing with the second player a second game, wherein one or more game play representations are transmitted to the second player and from the GPIAN while the first player is playing the first game; playing of a third game between said GPIAN and the second player, wherein a third collection of one or more game play representations is transmitted to the second player, and wherein the transmissions of the game play representations for the third collection and the first collection overlap in time; wherein said step of second receiving at the GPIAN occurs when the first player has reconnected the first Internet accessible node to the Internet after said first information has been stored on the first Internet accessible node and said first Internet accessible node has disconnected from the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (82)
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83. A method of playing a card game, comprising:
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generating card representations for playing said card game; first playing, by a first player in a first game of said card game, a first collection of one or more of said card representations transmitted through a communications network; changing a time limit for accepting an input from said first player when said first player desires to change a speed of said first game. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86)
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87. A method of playing a game on a communications network, comprising:
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receiving, at a game playing node of the network, a request for selecting a pace of play of an instance of the game by a first user at a first node of the network; first transmitting game plays between said game playing node and the first user using network communications between the game playing node and the first node, wherein at least a second user has played an instance of the game; and transmitting to the first node a ranking of said second user, wherein the ranking is indicative of a proficiency of the second user in playing the game. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90)
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91. A method of playing a card game, comprising:
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receiving player identification information prior to at least a first player playing the card game; generating card representations for playing said card game with at least the first player and a second player, wherein the first and second players obtain corresponding collections of the card representations from a source node of a communications network accessed by a common communications network address; first playing, with a first player in a first game of said card game, wherein a first collection of one or more of said card representations is transmitted to the first player; second playing, with a second player in a second game of said card game, wherein a second collection of one or more card representations is transmitted to the second player, wherein said first and second card representation collections are transmitted to said first and second players during an overlapping time period; terminating the playing of said second game with the second player; commencing to transmit a third collection of one or more of the card representations to the second player for playing a third game of said card game, wherein a the third collection of one or more card representations is transmitted to the second player during said third game, and wherein the transmissions of the card representations for said first collection for playing said first game, and said third collection for playing said third game overlap in time; wherein each of the first and second players play by communicating, via a corresponding networked device for the player, on a communications network for providing access to the first and second games; wherein for each player of the first and second players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing a corresponding one of the game instances, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding one game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for one of one or more advertisers; (ii) a presentation for the information for playing the corresponding one game instance, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data are presented at a same time to the player on the corresponding networked device therefor; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with the presentation for the information for playing the corresponding one game instance is for provides the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding card game, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data. - View Dependent Claims (108)
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92. A method of playing a game on a communications network, comprising:
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receiving at a game playing node on the network, a contact by each of a plurality of users, via a corresponding node on the network for the user, for initiating a corresponding instance of the game between the game playing node and the user'"'"'s corresponding node, and at least some of said instances overlap in time; transmitting game plays between said game playing node and a first of the users, for the corresponding instance of the game; transmitting from the game playing node to the corresponding node of the first user, the a ranking of a second of the users, wherein said ranking is indicative of a proficiency of the second user in playing the game, and said ranking is updated to present a change in said ranking while the first user is playing the game; wherein for each user of the first and second users, (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing a corresponding one of the game instances for obtaining combined data, and the combined data is transmitted on the network to the user when the user plays the corresponding one game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for one of one or more advertisers; (ii) concurrently presenting to the user;
(ii-a) information for playing the corresponding one game instance, and (ii-b) a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data, the presentation obtained as a consequence of the combined data being received at the corresponding node for the user; and(iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the user with an activation of the corresponding one game instance is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding one game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data. - View Dependent Claims (93, 107, 109)
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94. A method of playing a game on a communications network, comprising:
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first receiving, from each of a plurality of users via a corresponding node for the user on the network, a contact at a game playing node on the network, so that each of the users initiates a corresponding instance of the game between the game playing node and the user'"'"'s corresponding node, and at least some of said instances overlap in time; second receiving, at the game playing network node from a first of the users via the first user'"'"'s corresponding network node, a request for selecting a pace of play of the corresponding game instance; playing, by the first user, the corresponding instance of the game with the game playing node at the pace selected by the first user.
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95. An apparatus for playing a game on a network, comprising:
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a display area for electronically displaying an instance of the game to a first user; an input area for allowing the first user to input a game play; a communications network connection for communicating, on a network, game related information, between;
(a) one or more of said display and said input area, and (b) an addressable node on said network accessible by a network address available to said apparatus;wherein a plurality of users communicate with said addressable node for playing instances of the game; and wherein between at least a majority of game plays by the first user, there is a game play related network transmission via said communications connection; and a game speed of play control for allowing the first user to control the pace of the instance of the game. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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102. An apparatus for playing a game on a network, comprising:
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a display area for electronically displaying an instance of the game; an input area for allowing a first user to input a game play for said instance of the game; a communications network connection for communicating game related information between said apparatus and a game controller, wherein said game controller communicates with said apparatus via a network, said network also connected to additional network nodes for allowing simultaneous play of instances of the game with the game controller by a plurality of users; a control for allowing the first user to cancel a previously entered wager; a card reader, wherein when an identification card identifying the first user is provided thereto, data identifying the first user is communicated to the game controller.
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103. An apparatus for playing a card game electronically, comprising:
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a card generator for generating one or more electronic card representations for playing the card game; a game playing engine for playing a first electronic instance of the card game between a first player and a substantially electronic dealer module, wherein the first player is dealt a first sequence of the card representations, and wherein a second player plays a second instance of the card game with the dealer module so that said first and second card game instances overlap in time, and wherein the second player receives a second sequence of the card representations; and wherein, for an initial series of one or more plays by said first player using said first sequence, when said second player also initially plays said initial series of one or more identical plays using said second sequence, then for corresponding identical plays by said first and second players, their corresponding hands of card representations are identical.
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104. An apparatus for playing a card game electronically, comprising:
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a card generator for generating card representations for playing said card game electronically; a game playing engine for playing said card game with a plurality of players simultaneously, wherein said game playing engine transmits, for each player, a corresponding collection of one or more of said card representations through a communications network to the player; a timer in operative communication with said game playing engine for changing a time limit for accepting an input from a first of said players when said first player transmits a communications network request to change a speed of play of said game. - View Dependent Claims (105)
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110. A method of playing a game on the Internet, comprising:
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first receiving player identification at a game playing Internet accessible node (GPIAN) for first and second players; transmitting, via the Internet, from the GPIAN, first information related to communications between;
(a) the GPIAN, and (b) a first Internet accessible node from which the first player communicates with the GPIAN, the first player interacting with the first Internet accessible node for playing one or more games thereon;wherein said first information is utilized in subsequent Internet communications between the GPIAN and the first Internet accessible node; wherein said first information is stored on the first Internet accessible node so that it is available in subsequent different Internet connections by the first player; second receiving, via the Internet, at the GPIAN, first responsive information indicative of said first information being present on said first Internet accessible node; first playing with the first player a first game, wherein one or more game play representations are transmitted to the first player via the first Internet accessible node during the first playing of the first game by the first player, and in response to data for playing the first game by the first player being transmitted on the Internet to the GPIAN, the transmission of the data being initiated at the first Internet accessible node; second playing with the second player a second game, wherein one or more game play representations are transmitted to the second player and from the GPIAN while the first player is playing the first game; playing of a third game between said GPIAN and the second player, wherein a third collection of one or more game play representations is transmitted to the second player, and wherein the transmissions of the game play representations for the third collection and the first collection overlap in time; wherein said step of second receiving at the GPIAN occurs when the first player has reconnected the first Internet accessible node to the Internet after said first information has been stored on the first Internet accessible node and said first Internet accessible node has disconnected from the Internet; wherein for the first player playing the first game, (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for playing the first game, and transmitted on the network to the player for playing the first game, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser; (ii) one or more presentations for the information for playing the first game, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data is presented at a same time to the first player via the first Internet accessible node; and (iii) when an input from the first player to the presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data is received for displaying another advertising presentation, the display of the another advertising presentation does not prohibit an availability to subsequently perform game plays of the first game. - View Dependent Claims (111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
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identifying players requesting to join one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one tournament; (a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament; (b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between a commencement of the one tournament and a termination of the one tournament; for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed; (A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament; (A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament; (A3) determining one or more winning players for each group; (A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule of the game for the tournament; and (A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game; wherein the players play in the one or more tournaments by communicating on a communications network for providing access to the game instances of the one or more tournaments; wherein for each of a plurality of the players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for a corresponding one of the game instances, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser; (ii) a presentation for the corresponding game instance, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data is presented to the player; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with an activation of the corresponding game instance is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data;wherein advertising related information is provided while playing the instances of the game on the communications network, further including the steps of; performing the following substeps (B1) and (B2) for each player, P, of some of the plurality of the players; (B1) providing, in response to a request on the communications network by the player P, access to one of the instances, I, of the game for playing by the player P, wherein the one instance I includes a plurality of player plays; (B2) transmitting one or more advertising related presentations to the player P for presentation during a playing of the one instance I of the game, wherein for at least a duration of time between a pair of some of the player P plays, a first of said one or more advertising related presentations is presented to the player, wherein said first advertising related presentation was not presented to the player P during the one instance I of the game between a different pair of some two of the player P plays, and wherein for at least one of said advertising related presentations, (a) and (b) following hold; (a) said at least one advertising related presentation has associated therewith network linking information identifying a corresponding one of a plurality of nodes connected to the communications network, said network linking information being identical for transmissions of said at least one advertising related presentation for a plurality of the players; and (b) said at least one advertising related presentation, when selected by the player P, provides a responsive transmission for transmitting on the communications network, the responsive transmission having corresponding data related to one or more responses by the player P to said at least one advertising related presentation; and providing advertising related information to a first advertiser for said at least one advertising related presentation, wherein said advertising related information is obtained using said corresponding data for said at least one advertising presentation.
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116. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
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identifying players requesting to join one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one tournament; (a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament; (b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between a commencement of the one tournament and a termination of the one tournament; for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed; (A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament; (A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament; (A3) determining one or more winning players for each group; (A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule of the game for the tournament; and (A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game; wherein the players play in the one or more tournaments by communicating on a communications network for providing access to the game instances of the one or more tournaments; wherein for each of a plurality of the players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for a corresponding one of the game instances, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser; (ii) a presentation for the corresponding game instance, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data is presented to the player; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with an activation of the corresponding game instance is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data; andfurther including the steps of; generating electronic game tokens for playing the game, said game tokens played in one or more instances of the game to affect outcomes of the one or more instances; receiving player identification data prior to at least a first player playing one of the instances of the game, wherein said identification data is used to identify information related to the first player in subsequent instances of the game; first playing a first instance of the game interactively with the first player and a substantially electronic game playing module, wherein said game playing module plays a first sequence of said game tokens; second playing a second instance of the game interactively with a second player and said game playing module, wherein said first and second game instances overlap in time, and wherein said game playing module plays a second sequence of game tokens when playing said second instance of the game; wherein said first and second sequences have at least different game tokens in at least one identical game token position, in each of said first and second sequences; and presenting to the first player, during said first instance, an advertisement capable of changing to a different advertising presentation when the first player responds to said advertisement, wherein said change to said different advertising presentation does not change an availability to subsequently perform game plays of said first instance.
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117. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
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identifying players requesting to join one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one tournament; (a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament; (b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between a commencement of the one tournament and a termination of the one tournament; for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed; (A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament; (A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament; (A3) determining one or more winning players for each group; (A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule of the game for the tournament; and (A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game; wherein the players play in the one or more tournaments by communicating on a communications network for providing access to the game instances of the one or more tournaments; wherein for each of a plurality of the players (i) through (iii) following hold; (i) corresponding advertiser related data is combined with information for a corresponding one of the game instances, and transmitted on the network to the player when the player plays the corresponding game instance, wherein the corresponding advertising related data is for at least one advertiser; (ii) a presentation for the corresponding game instance, together with a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data is presented to the player; and (iii) at least a portion of data obtained from interactions by the player with an activation of the corresponding game instance is for providing the one advertiser with one of;
(iii-a) information for an advertising related purpose different from playing the corresponding game instance, and (iii-b) information for determining an effectiveness of a presentation for the corresponding advertiser related data; andwherein a presentation related to one of a product and a service is viewed while playing one of said game instances on the communications network, further including; communicating with a server network node that provides network access to the game for playing using communications on said communications network; playing one of said game instances using communications between a first player node and said server network node; presenting a first presentation at said first player node, wherein said first presentation is presented between two plays of said one instance of the game and wherein said first presentation is capable of being replaced by a different second presentation without changing a play of said one instance; detecting an action in response to said first presentation by a first of the players; transmitting a data item indicative of said action to a second network node not contacted for the playing of the game with the first player; and conducting a network communication between the first player and the second network node, in response to said data item, for information related to the purchase of at least one of;
a product and a service.
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118. A method for conducting one or more tournaments, comprising:
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identifying, at a central network controller, players requesting to loin one of the tournaments, wherein each tournament of the tournaments includes a plurality of instances of a game for playing by each of the players identified, wherein for each of the players, (1) the player plays at a corresponding player network site located remotely from the central network controller and in network communication with the central network controller, and (2) at least one of the following (a) and (b) must be satisfied for the player to complete the one tournament; (a) a predetermined number of instances of the game must be played by the player in the one tournament; (b) a predetermined amount of time must elapse between a commencement of the one tournament and a termination of the one tournament; for each tournament of the tournaments, the following steps (A1) through (A5) are performed; (A1) selecting the identified players to be included in the tournament; (A2) grouping the players into groups, wherein for each group, the players therein compete against one another in playing instances of the game for the tournament; (A3) determining one or more winning players for each group; (A4) establishing a modified version of the game for the tournament by changing a rule defining a manipulation of one or more game playing cards or tokens of the game for the tournament while retaining another rule of the game for the tournament; and (A5) combining the winning players from different groups into one or more new groups for competing against one another in playing at least some instances of the game, wherein each of the at least some instances is the modified version of the game; wherein in playing the instances of the game and the modified version of the game, the following steps are performed; exchanging information between the central network controller and each player'"'"'s corresponding player network site, the information;
(i) being exchanged while the player plays the instances of the game and the modified version of the game, and (ii) influencing game play, andstoring in a database player information associated with at least one player P of the players, the stored player information for the player P being;
(i) accessed by the central network controller separately from accessing the corresponding player network site for the player P, and (ii) used in a subsequent instance of a game of one of the tournaments to influence game play while the player P is playing the subsequent instance.
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Specification