Patent ID: 8647188

Claim:
A gaming system for dynamically playing a tournament game; comprising: a plurality of gaming machines each having a base game display capable of presenting a base game, each gaming machine including a system gaming apparatus for playing tournament games that are operatively coupled to the gaming machines, and wherein each system gaming apparatus includes a display screen and a processor, and enables a player to play a tournament game using the display screen and processor of the system gaming apparatus; and a communication link connecting the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the base game includes a tournament eligibility trigger; wherein upon activation of the tournament eligibility trigger, the base game provides the player with the opportunity to play a tournament game, and wherein the gaming system enables the player to choose the tournament game to play out of a plurality of tournament games via the display screen of the system gaming apparatus; wherein the gaming system includes a luck meter that monitors statistical deviation of game play on a gaming device from a theoretical payout percentage and displays information regarding recent statistical deviations for game play on the gaming device to the player.