Patent ID: 8070583
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising: (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines; (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein, for each of the second plurality of players, the plurality of tournament games played by said player are configured such that said player has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes; (f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.