Abstract:
Current games and wagering based on sporting events or other competitions provide rewards only for perfectly correct picks. The invention solves this problem by providing rewards, in the form of points, cash, prizes, merchandise, privileges, or any other compensation, for picks that are not perfectly correct with regard to the winner (or predicted finishing position) of the event.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is the non-provisional filing of provisional patent application No. 61/453,191, filed Mar. 16, 2011, attorney document number 500187352. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Legalized sports wagering (including state lotteries involving sporting events) involves picking winners of sporting events or other competitions, betting a specified sum of money on the result and receiving a specified sum in return if the pick is correct. 
         [0005]    Groups of individuals may engage in contests involving picking the results of sporting events or other competitions; these contests may be locally organized by individuals or they may be organized by a business (for example a bar, restaurant, or web site) as a means of attracting customers. A prize (of cash, merchandise, privileges, or any other reward) may or may not be awarded, and if legal an entry fee may or may not be required. 
         [0006]    Current wagering and contests involving picking results of sporting events or other competitions rewards players only for correct picks. No points, cash, prize, or reward is given to participants for picks that are not absolutely correct but are close to being correct. 
         [0007]    By rewarding picks that are close to being correct (as well as rewarding correct picks) more options would be available to individuals placing wagers, and more players would be rewarded in contests involving sporting events or other competitions. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Participants (including participants in a contest involving the picking of sporting events or other competitions as well as individuals placing wagers on the results of sporting events or other competitions) will continue to make picks on such events. In addition to a reward (including but not limited to cash, points, merchandise, or privileges) for being correct, those individuals who made a pick that was close to, but not exactly, correct will also receive a reward, which may be the same or different from the reward for a correct pick. 
         [0009]    For example, an individual who correctly picks the winner of an event would receive a reward. An individual who&#39;s pick to win the event finishes second would receive a different (typically lesser) reward. An individual who&#39;s pick to win the event finishes last would receive a different (typically lesser) reward, or even no reward at all. 
         [0010]    Many events could be combined into a series where points or other rewards accumulate so individuals can be ranked over the course of the series, or individuals could be evaluated on the basis of a single event. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]    Attached Drawings: 
           [0012]    Table 1. Sample scoring table for an event under one possible implementation of this process. The predicted result (each column) is matched to the corresponding actual result (each row) to determine the number of points to be rewarded for the pick. For example, a pick to win the event that actually finishes 3 rd  would receive 15 points. A pick to finish 2 nd  that actually wins the event would receive 20 points. 
           [0013]    Table 2. Sample scoring table for a series of events under one possible implementation of this process. Each event is rated by a “star rating”, which indicates the relative value of the event and the individual scoring table to be used to determine scoring. After locating the correct scoring table, the predicted result (each column) is matched to the corresponding actual result (each row) to determine the number of points to be rewarded for the pick. For example, a pick to win a 3-star event that actually finishes 3 rd  would receive 9 points. A pick to finish 2 nd  that actually wins the event would receive 12 points. 
           [0014]    Table 3. Sample results table for an implementation of this process over a series of events using points as a reward and a star rating system to determine the value of each event and pick. Each event has a minimum qualification in order to receive points; for example, the event “(College Basketball) Big 12 Tournament Champion” is a 1-star event where a pick must reach the tournament final or be the regular season champion in order to earn points. Prior to the pick deadline, picks are hidden from other players (indicated by * * * in the event “(College Basketball) NIT champion (pre-tourney)”). Each player&#39;s picks are visible to other players after the pick deadline has passed (as seen in the event “(NBA) Central Division Champion”). Once an event is complete, points are calculated and awarded to the participants and results are displayed beneath the event. Points awarded can be seen next to each player&#39;s picks. For example, in the event “(College Basketball) SEC Tournament champion (pre-tourney)”, a 0.5-star event, VAN was the winner and received the maximum 5 points. UK was second and received 3 points. The points awarded can be calculated from the ½-Star event table in Table 2. Players receive zero points if their pick does not reach the minimum level of qualification. Note that not all players made picks for all events (indicated by a blank, as seen under player “MTB” for the event “(College Basketball) Big 12 Tournament champion”); players receive zero points in this case. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Participants (including participants in a contest involving the picking of sporting events or other competitions as well as individuals placing wagers on the results of sporting events or other competitions) make picks on any type of event or competition as defined by the organizer of the contest. Each event may have one pick (for the winner or any other defined finishing position) or multiple picks (for example, for the winner and second place competitor). 
         [0016]    Individuals submit picks, and in the case of wagering the amount of money to bet, via any means including but not limited to verbal or written communication in person or via electronic means, via electronic means such as a web site, email, touch screen, or text message, or by completing and submitting a paper form, or through random assignment of a pick to a player. 
         [0017]    For example, the organizer may require individuals to pick the winner and second-place team of Event A, defined for this example as an event with many sports teams competing against each other in a competition which has a clear winner as well teams that finish in clearly defined positions other than first. A reward table might be defined as indicated in Table 1. 
         [0018]    If Individual X picks Team 1 to win the event and Team 2 to finish second, and Individual Y picks Team 2 to win the event and Team 3 to finish second, and Team 2 wins the event, Team 3 finishes 3 rd , and Team 1 finishes 4 th , the points awarded would be as follows:
       Individual X, Team 1: 15 points (predicted first, finished 4 th )   Individual X, Team 2: 20 points (predicted second, finished first)   Individual Y, Team 2: 45 points (predicted first, finished first)   Individual Y, Team 3: 15 points (predicted second, finished 3rd)       
 
         [0023]    Note that the points awarded are based on the success of the team picked and on the predicted finishing position. Organizers may choose to equally weight all picks; in the case of the example above, the example weights picks for first more importantly than picks for second. 
         [0024]    The example provided is an example only, and does not intend to limit the use of this process to team sports or to use only when requiring multiple picks for the event. This process can be used for any competition or event and for any amount of users or required picks for the competition or event. 
         [0025]    The optimum manner of the use of this process is to gather as many individual participants as reasonably possible, picking as many events as reasonably possible, with participants accumulating rewards over time and the participants with the most rewards (and other participants at the discretion of the organizer) receiving points, cash, merchandise, privileges, or other rewards. 
         [0026]    The ideal implementation would calculate and compare the rewards accumulated by each participant in groups of similar events (for example, all baseball events or all football events) for the purpose of rewarding those with the most or near the most rewards in that group of events. 
         [0027]    The ideal implementation would involve calculating each participant&#39;s score or reward for the event and making them available to the participants via accessible electronic means. 
         [0028]    Organizers can modify the scoring systems as needed, and can assign any level of importance (the “star rating” in the example in Table 2) to each event in the series of events. For example, the organizer might choose to make the most popular events 5-star events, and the least popular events 1-star events. 
         [0029]    The order of steps described is not important as long as the desired result of the reward calculation is achieved. For example, participants&#39; points can be calculated in any order.