Patent ID: 8840462

Claim:
A method for administering a tournament game, the tournament game being a tournament, on a plurality of gaming machines, each having a processor, and the plurality of gaming machines being in communication with a tournament server or a tournament bonus controller that perform the method comprising: reconfiguring at least one networked gaming machine from a base game mode into a tournament mode by altering content presented in a display of the at least one networked gaming machine from base game content to tournament content; establishing one or more tournament prizes and one or more tournament bonus prizes, wherein the one or more tournament prizes are distinct from the one or more tournament bonus prizes, wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are not calculated based on tournament standings of players in the tournament game and the one or more tournament bonus prizes do not influence the tournament standing of the players in the tournament game, and wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are a mystery prize, wherein the mystery prize is awarded when a preselected number of tournament game plays is reached; initiating play of the tournament game on the at least one networked gaming machine; awarding the one or more tournament bonus prizes if a preselected criteria is achieved during play of the tournament game; and awarding the one or more tournament prizes to one or more winners at the conclusion of the tournament game based on the tournament standing of the one or more winners.