Patent ID: 8313368

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices; and a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller configured to operate with the plurality of gaming devices to: (a) enable each of a plurality of players to play an interactive game in a non-competitive mode, (b) enable each of a plurality of players to play the interactive game in a competitive mode, and if a designated number of players are playing the interactive game in the competitive mode, said designated number being at least two, for a competitive event, which includes a competition between at least two of the plurality of players: (i) determine a winning player of the competitive event, (ii) determine a losing player of the competitive event, (iii) cause said winning player to contribute a winning player portion toward a wager associated with the competitive event, the winning player portion being greater than zero, (iv) cause said losing player to contribute a losing player portion toward the wager associated with the competitive event, the losing player portion being greater than zero, the losing player portion less than the winning player portion, (v) randomly determine any award for the competitive event based in part on the wager, and (vii) provide any determined award to the winning player.