Patent ID: 6908390

Claim:
A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaining system comprising: a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising: a value input device; a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or pachinko, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising: a host interface unit capable of receiving audio or visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host at least after a start of said gaming tournament; and a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units at least after said start of said gaming tournament, said host data including host audio or visual data generated based on said audio or visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit at least after said start of said gaming tournament, wherein said gaming unit controller is programmed to cause a host display image to be generated on said display unit at least after said start of said gaming tournament, said host display image being generated from said host audio or visual data.