Abstract:
A method of scoring for a variety of games incorporated as a single event for players or teams. This scoring method allows a variety of games to be played singularly by individuals, or singularly in a team format, with the composite scores across all games played determining the finishing position of the contestants. The scoring method uses a combination of bracketed play and net (actual) score play, depending on the individual games that comprise the competition.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention pertains to competitions, particularly the scoring method employed, for a contest involving multiple games played by individuals to establish a composite score to determine relative finishing position among players participating in the contest.  
         [0003]     2) Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Contests where multiple activities are involved to determine overall winner have been around in various forms for some time, including rodeo events and strong-man type competitions. However, there are many games typical played individually that, to date, are not normally played to determine overall skill levels due to the fact that a scoring method has not been established that accommodates various games typically played in head-to-head and net score fashion. The games mentioned in this description of the art are examples of these type games and are not all inclusive, though these are the some of the most likely candidate games to be included in single competitions. Some of the combinations of games are golf, bowling, horseshoes, darts, and billiards (or pool). Video versions of a single competition may include games such as golf, auto racing, basketball, football, and any number of individual scoring games. There are many combinations of games and sports that may be designed into a single competition using the scoring method related to this invention, however, the optimum competition would not necessarily combine physical games with video games as a competitive event. Casino type games may also be used to determine overall gaming skills in a single competition using this scoring method. Examples of casino type games that could be include in a single competition are blackjack, poker, slots, three-card poker, craps and video poker. These are all examples of three separate competition types that may be conducted using the scoring method of this invention (many of which are defined and/or referenced in current US Patent classification codes 463 and 273), whereby the games involved are not usually included as a multi-game single competition. The fact that these type multi-game competitions do not exist is due largely to the fact that no system exist which allows equitably distributing/allocating points as a single contest which are made up of multiple of these games, some of which are normally played in a bracketed format and some of which are normally played in actual score format when multiple competitors are involved. Secondarily, there also needs to be a method to control the scoring such that players are not totally eliminated from a chance to finish with a relatively good overall score, even when performance in one game may not have been at a high level. This is evidenced in one way by trying to allocate points solely based on finishing position (e.g. first place finish gets 1 point for the game, second place 2 points, and so on). If this method were employed, and as the number of players involved in the competition increase (even as low as 16), its becomes likely some players who did somewhat poorly in one game would not have a chance to finish in a relative high position in the overall scoring, regardless of the fact that they may have finished with very good scores in each of the other games. This is not conducive to players sustaining play throughout all games included in the competition. This invention incorporates the ‘CAP’ scoring whereby a percentage of players will receive a positive score based on the finishing position in the individual game. The ‘CAP’ score is awarded to all others as an equal score, whereas not to totally eliminate the players&#39; chances to have the best overall score based solely on the scoring of one game.  
         [0005]     Utilizing bracketed format for those games which are normally based on actual score is not a solution for trying to combine games into one contest either. Though there are patented inventions for various formats of bracketed play (ref U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,242, 4,842,275), and for combining games (ref U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,945), these do not allow a format for conducting a single contest with multiple games in the most equitable scoring fashion possible, while maintaining the original game design (e.g. bowling in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,945).  
         [0006]     A method of scoring is needed that allows to combine scores from bracketed games and actual score games to determine the outcome in a single contest involving multiples of such games, thus this invention of a multi-game scoring method.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The disclosed embodiments of this invention are directed to a method of scoring for multiple games as a single competition where individual scores for each game is used to derive the final standings In accordance with this invention, points are awarded for each individual game included in the contest, then these are summed to derive the composite score, which establishes the finishing position among the participants in the contest.  
         [0008]     In accordance with this invention, some games will be played in bracketed format such that players advance through the bracket based on winning or losing in a head-to-head match-up. Those games typically using a bracketed format are those which are not played to establish a definitive score, rather they are played in a head-to-head match for determining individual match winners. Points are awarded to players based on position within the bracket as they are eliminated, with the lone winner of the game receiving the premium score allowed for the game. Some of the recreation/sporting games that are best played in a bracketed format are horseshoes, pool, darts, and tennis. Some of the video games best suited for bracketed format are football, basketball, and auto racing. Some of the casino type games which may be played in a bracketed format are blackjack, poker, and craps.  
         [0009]     In accordance with this invention, some games will be played in a individual score format such that players are competing in the game against all other players involved in the contest. The games typically using this method are those that are conducive to actual score being the measurement applied in determining player finishing position among participants for the game. Points are awarded based on relative scoring position among all players involved in the contest. Some of the recreation/sporting games that are best played in an actual score format are bowling and golf. Any number of video games are available for actual score format, whereby the participants play the game to establish a score singularly. For casino type competitions, examples of actual score format games that may be included in a competition are slots, keno, and video poker.  
         [0010]     In accordance with this invention, positive points are awarded for those players that are in the top scoring percentage, based on the number of participants in the contest. All players not having scores which are within the positive point percentage defined for the competition are given a maximum (or ‘cap’) score for that game. This is a relevant aspect of this invention that provides for sustained competition since competitors are not prematurely eliminated from overall scoring potential on the basis of a singular game score.  
         [0011]     In accordance with this invention, individuals&#39; points for each game are summed to determine relative finishing position among all players participating in the contest. The player with the best overall score is declared the winner of the contest. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The forgoing and features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments of the invention will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the accompanying detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1 . Illustrates a point allocation based on a Sixty-four player competition using a twenty-five (25) percent Positive scoring allocation with cap score for remaining 75 percent of the players;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2 . Illustrates a point allocation based on a Thirty-two player competition using a twenty-five (25) percent Positive scoring allocation with cap score for remaining 75 percent of the players;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3 . Illustrates a point allocation based on a Sixteen player competition using a twenty-five (25) percent Positive scoring allocation with cap score for remaining 75 percent of the players;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4 . Illustrates a Thirty-two player competition scoreboard ready for score tabulation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     A contest is established based on a designated number of entrants to compete across a set of games to determine who is the most skilled player relative to all games being played. A contest must be comprised of at least three games in order for the contest to be of significant nature of skill level determination. Contest of less than three games are considered individual game level competitions and would not lend itself to use of this invention or be of nature which is intended for determining skill levels across a base of games to the extent of being distinct. Games must be of individual competitive nature such that individual, rather than team, skills are highlighted. This does not mean that teams could not be formed, but each game included in the competition must be completed by each individual competitor and be included in the scoring element related to the competition in determining the winner of the contest.  
         [0018]     The number of games comprising a single competition, relative to this invention, is four or five games. This is due to the fact that having more than five games deludes the actual skill level value determination and is also less conducive to spectator interest. Having less than four games does not establish a skill level determination factor of a nature to distinguish competitors&#39; capabilities.  
         [0019]     Each game to be played as part of the competition will be completed for scoring of points. Points are awarded to each player based on the finishing position for each game based upon scoring relative to the number of players competing in the contest. A maximum, or ‘cap’, points is place on the game such that no player will achieve more points than this ‘cap’. Please note that alternatively the reciprocal score (65, 63, 62 . . . in a 64 player event) could be used, however for this invention&#39;s documentation, the lower points is defined as the ‘better’ score. A percentage of players will be awarded the ‘cap’ or maximum allowed points, while the remaining players will be awarded ‘plus’ (lower) number of points based on a scale for the number of entrants and the percentage to be awarded for a positive finishing position upon completion of a game among the number of participants. Point allocations are illustrated in  FIG. 1  for 64 players,  FIG. 2  for 32 players,  FIG. 3  for 16 players, each with a 25 percent ‘CAP’ score representation. As shown in each of  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3 , the bracketed games points achieved are based on the finishing position based on head-to-head competition with winners of each match moving forward through the bracket until an overall game winner is determined based on 64, 32, and 16 competitors, respectively. As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3  non-bracketed (or actual score) games points are based on relative finishing position among all competitors in the contest for 64, 32, and 16 players, respectively. In a 64 player event the ‘cap’ is set at 24 points, such that all players not finishing within the tops 25% of the best scores will receive this same point value regardless of their actual finishing position. Similarly for 32 and 16 player events, the ‘cap’ is established at 16 and 6 for non-bracketed games, respectively, and 12 and 8 for bracketed games, respectively. These values are set differently than the 64 player ‘cap’ due to the number of entrants and efficiently distributing the points such that players are not totally eliminated from winning the overall best score based strictly on one games scoring. The cap is best suited using the scoring outlined in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3 , for 25 percent receiving positive scoring. If the desire is to move the cap to 50 percent, then the scoring is best suited by taking the difference between the cap score provided in  FIGS. 1, 2 , or  3  and the highest positive score, allowing for another level of positive points before application of the ‘cap’ score.  
         [0020]     As stated in claim  64  competitors in a single contest is optimal for this scoring method, however, as stated in claim  1 .n a minimum of 8 players is required for establishing a contest. Multiples of 8 players make for the most efficient application of bracketed scoring, however alternative means can be established for bracketed pairings when there are total competitors of any number.  
         [0021]     As players complete the individual games included in the contest, points earned for each game are added to show relative position of scoring. After all games have been completed, the total of all points awarded for each game will be used to determine the contest winner.  FIG. 4  is a sample scoreboard with five games included in the contest.  
         [0022]     Prior to starting the contest, a tie-breaker method will be established and announced to the players. A tie-beaker method will include players with the same final score at the end of the original games to compete additionally in any part or all of one game included in the original contest, or all or part of all games included in the original contest, depending on timing requirements and logistics related to the competition. For example, horseshoes and pool may be played in head-to-head format in an elimination fashion similar to the bracketed format of play (e.g. single or double elimination matches), and one game of bowling designated as the final tiebreaker if there are still two players tied at the end of the horseshoes and pool tiebreaker matches. The tiebreaker format to be used will be based on the logistics that best accommodate the tournament play, particularly since reservation arrangements and/or travel to various venues for competition may be factors to consider when establishment of tiebreaker methods.