Abstract:
A system and method for late registration for poker tournaments provides for seating late registrants at existing tables if possible, preferably each at a different table. When the existing tables run out of room, a new table is added, and the new late registrant sat there, as well as players from other tables, attempting to evenly distribute players over all tables. More late registrants are sat at the seats vacated by moving players to a new table. Late registration may be closed after a certain prespecified time, blind level, or number of late registrants are added.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to poker tournaments and, more specifically, to a system and method for late registration in poker tournaments. 
         [0003]    2. The Prior Art 
         [0004]    MTT is an abbreviation for Multi-Table Tournament, and indicates a tournament where play is occurring across multiple tables at once. MTTs are named as such to distinguish them from Single-Table Tournaments (STTs). In Multi-Table Tournaments, tables are slowly combined during the course of play as players are eliminated. Eventually, the tournament is reduced to a single table. 
         [0005]    Online poker rooms offer a staggering array of MTTs on any given day. Most are scheduled and begin at a set time, but some are configured to begin when a set number of entrants register. The latter are referred to as MTT Sit and Go&#39;s, named for the fact that the tournament ‘goes’ when enough players are seated. 
         [0006]    Prior to the merge into the Cereus Network, both Absolute Poker (AP) and UltimateBet (UB) had two different methods of players registering in tournaments that have already started. One method is Late Registration and the other is Alternates. The method of Late Registration has become an industry standard. 
         [0007]    There are various methods for handling late registration employed by poker sites. Most of which are based on the same principals. In general they are as follows. In a late registration tournament, one or two seats are left vacant on each table to allow seats for late registrants. Players can register after the start of the tournament until either (a) the pre-defined time for late registration has ended, (b) a predefined number of blind intervals has occurred, (c) all the seats are filled, or (c) a player is eliminated. 
         [0008]    The following describes the various methods of Late Registration employed by online poker sites. 
         [0009]    Absolute Poker: In late registration tournaments, players will be seated at tables at the start of the tournament, with two seats left open per table for late registrants. Late registration will remain open until one of the following occurs: An existing player is knocked out of the tournament (this does not include players in re-buy tournaments who elect to re-buy). The end of the first level of blinds is reached or all of the seats left open for late registrants are filled. 
         [0010]    UB&#39;s old system until November 2008 was called Alternate Registration (Old logic that was used on UB prior to the Cereus Merge): A player signing up after tourney has begun is placed on the alternate list in order in which they registered. When a player is eliminated, the next player is asked if they want to take a seat. If the player still wishes to play in the tourney, the seat in which the player that was just eliminated was sitting is reserved for the player on the alternate list. The amount of time available was configurable. UltimateBet dropped the Alternates method in favor of the Late Registration method used by Absolute Poker. This method was activated after the two sites merged on to the Cereus poker network, because two poker sites on the same network cannot have different late registration methods. 
         [0011]    Poker Stars: Late registration is available till the first player is eliminated from the tourney. However, in tournaments with late registration enabled, a percentage of seats are kept free for late registrants (even after the first elimination). The number of seats made available for late registrants is calculated based on the total number of seats occupied when the tournament starts and the percentage is configurable. 
         [0012]    Party Poker (Party Gaming): Registration is considered closed when any of the following occurs:
   The first level of the tournament is completed.   One player is eliminated from the tournament.   All available seats are filled.   Maximum tournament capacity is reached.   
 
         [0017]    Full Tilt: The late registration period for most tournaments ends when one of the following occurs:
   The first blind level is complete.   The tournament is full.   The tournament is in the money.   
 
         [0021]    Titan Poker (iPoker Network): Late registration is not allowed once a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) has begun. 
         [0022]    Tower Gaming (OnGame Network): Late registration is not allowed once a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) has begun. 
         [0023]    Absolute Poker (Cereus Network): Late registration will remain open until one of the following occurs:
   An existing player is knocked out of the tournament.   The end of the first level of blinds is reached.   All of the seats left open for late registrants are filled.   
 
         [0027]    Cake Poker (Cake Network): Late registration is time-based for freezeout tournaments and is always 15 min. Late registration for a Rebuy and Addon tournament is until the first break available. 
         [0028]    Pacific Poker (888.com Network): Late registration is not allowed once a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) has begun. 
         [0029]    Everest Poker: Late registration is not allowed once a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) has begun. 
         [0030]    PKR: Multi-table tournaments are scheduled, and you must register for these tournaments prior to the posted start time. Registration for any given tournament closes a few minutes before the start of the tournament, after which time you can no longer register or unregister. 
         [0031]    Bodog: Late registration will be allowed up until 10 minutes after the start of the tournament, unless the tournament fills up or the first player is eliminated. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    A system and method for late registration for poker tournaments provides for seating late registrants at existing tables if possible where 1 or 2 seats were left open during seating of the players who registered on time, and each late registrant will be placed randomly at these open seats. When the existing tables run out of room, a new table is added, and the new late registrant sat there, as well as players from other tables, attempting to evenly distribute players over all tables. More late registrants are sat at the seats vacated by moving players to a new table. Late registration may be closed after a certain prespecified time, blind level, or number of late registrants are added. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart showing seating of a new player, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating configuration of a tournament, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing late registrant player seating, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing table creation, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating a General Purpose Computer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]    The proposed change to the Absolute Poker/UltimateBet (AP/UB) provides an effectively unlimited number of late registrants who can join a poker tournament. Because of the system and method shown here to spawn new tables and the logic around seating at those tables, new tables can continue to be added as the number of players increases, until some prespecified limits are reached. 
         [0039]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, players are able to register for a tournament after registration has ended. If a player registers late in a tournament, the buy-in and fees should be deducted from their account, and then a seat made available to sit and play in. 
         [0040]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart showing seating of a new player, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. A check is made whether a time limit has expired, step  51 . If the time limit has expired, seating the player is rejected, step  58 . This time parameter is preferably configurable. When the time that is specified for late registration ends, players should preferably no longer be able to register for the tournament. A check is made whether registration is closed, step  52 . If registration is closed, step  52 , seating the player is rejected, step  58 . A check is made whether a blind level has been reached, step  53 . If the blind level has been reached, step  53 , seating the player is rejected, step  58 . This blind parameter is preferably be configurable. A check is made whether a maximum number of seats has been reached, step  54 . If the maximum number of seats has been reached, step  54 , seating the player is rejected, step  58 . A check is made whether the last seat has been allocated, step  55 . If the last seat has been allocated, step  55 , the tournament is considered complete, and registration is closed, step  56 . In either case, the player is seated, step  57 , and his buy in and fees are deducted from his account. In any case, whether the player is seated  57  or not seated  58 , the seating is complete. 
         [0041]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating configuration of a tournament, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The type of tournament is configured, step  61 . A check is made whether the registration for the tournament has a time limit, step  62 . If the registration for the tournament has a time limit, step  62 , that time limit is specified,  63 , typically in minutes, specifying how long late registration should be open. A pull down menu may be utilized to configure this parameter. A check is made whether there is a blind limit for the tournament, step  64 . This is typically the number of blind escalations for which late registration is available. If there is a blind level for the tournament, step  64 , this parameter is specified or selected, step  65 . The blind level may be specified utilizing a pull down menu. A check is made what type of seating available is required, step  67 . If the user wishes to specify the number of seats to remain open for late registrants, the number of open seats per table is specified, step  67 . In one embodiment, this means that if a user selects that one seat should be available at each table for late registrants, then each table should start play with eight players. And, if the user selects that two seats should be available, then each table would start with seven players. Alternatively, if the user wishes to specify the number of initially filled seats at a table, that number is specified, step  68 . In either case, the selection is preferably made with a pull down menu to specify the selection. Other methods of specifying these parameters are also within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing late registrant player seating, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. It starts by selecting a table, step  71 . A check is made whether there is a seat available at that table, step  72 . If there is no seat available at that table, step  72 , the next table is selected, step  71 , and the loop repeats. Otherwise, a check is made whether there is already a late registrant at that table, step  73 . If there is no late registrant at that table, step  73 , the player is added to that table, step  77 . Otherwise, a check is made whether there are any other tables available, step  74 , and if there more tables available to check, step  74 , the next table is selected, step  71 , and the loop repeats. Otherwise, the smallest table is typically picked, and a check is made whether there are enough players at that table, step  75 . If there are not enough players at that table, step  75 , the player is added to that table, step  77 . Otherwise, a table is split, step  76 , and the new player is seated at one of the two resulting tables, step  77 . For example, if a tournament has fewer than seven players, then new players could be added to the same table, while if the tournament has more than 7 but fewer than 17 players, and two players register at the same time, the table should preferably be split in two separate tables and the two late registrants placed at separate tables. Note that if there had already been a late registering player at that table before it was split, step  76 , the new player would be seated at the other table from the other late registrant. One goal there is to minimize the number of late registrants at any table. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing table creation, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. This method may be utilized to seat late registering players at new tables when there are no seats available at the other tables. The new table is created, step  81 . It should preferably be created without affecting game play. The new player is seated at the new table, step  82 , without affecting game play. Another player is randomly selected from one of the other tables, step  83 . If the player randomly selected is a late registrant, step  84 , this player is skipped, and another player is randomly selected, step  83 . Otherwise, that player is moved to the new table without affecting play, step  85 . To the extent possible, late registration players should preferably not be moved to the new table. If there are more open seats at the new table, step  86  and the tables do not yet have evenly distributed players, step  87 , another player is randomly selected, step  83 , to be potentially moved to the new table, and the loop repeats. Henceforth, the openings at the various tables resulting from adding the new table can preferably be filled with other late registrants. The seats opened up by moving people from old tables to a newly created table are preferably the next seats filled by late registrants. 
         [0044]    In the opposite case, when tables are collapsed, it is preferred if late registered players have their tables collapsed first. Thus, for example, the last player to register late would be the first to have his table collapsed in a tournament. 
         [0045]    Players should preferably be ranked according to how many players are currently registered and playing in a tournament. Thus, for example:
   100 players register for tourney prior to it starting.   Tourney begins with 100 players and late registration opens up while players begin the tourney.   First player loses and is ranked 100 th  place.   3 players register for the tourney through late registration.   There are now 102 players in the tourney—99 players left that started the tourney plus the 3 players that registered late.   Next players loses and is ranked 102 nd .   Next player loses and is ranked 101 st .   Next player loses and is ranked 100 th .   Now there are two players tied for 100 th  place.   This will preferably be allowed during late registration.   
 
         [0056]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating a General Purpose Computer  20 . The General Purpose Computer  20  has a Computer Processor  22 , and Memory  24 , connected by a Bus  26 . Memory  24  is a relatively high speed machine readable medium and includes Volatile Memories such as DRAM, and SRAM, and Non-Volatile Memories such as, ROM, FLASH, EPROM, EEPROM, and bubble memory. Also connected to the Bus are Secondary Storage  30 , External Storage  32 , output devices such as a monitor  34 , input devices such as a keyboard  36  with a mouse  37 , and printers  38 . Secondary Storage  30  includes machine-readable media such as hard disk drives, magnetic drum, and bubble memory. External Storage  32  includes machine-readable media such as floppy disks  33 , removable hard drives, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, and even other computers, possibly connected via a communications line  28 . The distinction drawn here between Secondary Storage  30  and External Storage  32  is primarily for convenience in describing the invention. As such, it should be appreciated that there is substantial functional overlap between these elements. Computer software such test programs, operating systems, and user programs can be stored in a Computer Software Storage Medium, such as memory  24 , Secondary Storage  30 , and External Storage  32 . Executable versions of computer software  31 , such as the system disclosed herein for seating poker tournament registrants can be read from a Non-Volatile Storage Medium such as External Storage  32 , Secondary Storage  30 , and Non-Volatile Memory and loaded for execution directly into Volatile Memory, executed directly out of Non-Volatile Memory, or stored on the Secondary Storage  30  prior to loading into Volatile Memory for execution. 
         [0057]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention encompass all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.