Granted Patent B2

US 8,133,106 · App. 11/919,731 · Granted Mar 13, 2012

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method of operating a plurality of gaming machines of a gaming network, comprising:

receiving a wager, via an input device, from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

initiating the wagering game on the gaming machine;

providing an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display leaderboard information on a display device of the gaming machine;

selectively displaying information from the leaderboard information;

ranking, by a controller, players on a leaderboard based on points awarded during at least one of a tournament and a cash game, wherein the points are calculated with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors: cost, number of participants in field, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants;

wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function flattens the effect of at least one of the cost and the number of participants in the field.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the function flattens the effect of the cost by using a logarithm function of the cost.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for reducing a volatility of a number of points calculated with the mathematical equation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the function includes taking a square root function of the number of participants divided by the player rank.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein an effect of at least one of the factors is modified to result in a non-linear relationship between the calculated points and the at least one of the factors.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including awarding a prize to the player for accumulating a certain number of the points.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including awarding points to all players who have received an award.

9. A gaming machine, comprising:

a display for displaying a base game of the wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from a player; and

a controller coupled to the display and programmed to

initiate the base game on the gaming machine;

provide an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display on the display leaderboard information related to a tournament;

selectively display any of the leaderboard information related to the tournament;

award points to the player during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;

calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors:

(i) cost,

(ii) number of participants in field

(iii) player rank, and

(iv) player finish in relation to the number of participants; and

determine a ranking of the player on a leaderboard based on the points;

wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the function flattens the effect of at least one of the cost and the number of participants in the field.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the function flattens the effect of the cost by using a logarithm function of the cost.

12. The gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for reducing a volatility of a number of points calculated with the mathematical equation.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12 , wherein the function includes taking a square root function of the number of participants divided by the player rank.

14. The gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein an effect of at least one of the factors is modified to result in a non-linear relationship between the calculated points and the at least one of the factors.

15. The gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to award a prize to the player for accumulating a certain number of points.

16. A method of operating a gaming network, comprising:

receiving a wager, via an input device, from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the gaming network;

allowing the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display a leaderboard on a display device of the gaming machine;

selectively displaying information on the leaderboard;

awarding, by one or more controllers, points to the player based on play during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;

determining, by the one or more controllers, a ranking of the player on the leaderboard based on the points; and

calculating, by the one or more controllers, the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors: cost, number of participants in filed, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the function flattens the effect of the cost by using a logarithm function of the cost.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for reducing a volatility of a number of points calculated with the mathematical equation.

19. The method of claim 16 , further including awarding a prize to the player for accumulating a certain number of the points.

20. A gaming network for conducting a wagering game, the gaming network comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines having respective displays for displaying the wagering game; and

at least one controller coupled to the display and programmed to

in response to receiving a wager input from a player on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, initiate the wagering game on the gaming machine;

allow the player to participate in a tournament;

provide an option to the player, at the gaming machine, to choose to display on the display leaderboard information related to the tournament;

selectively display leaderboard information related to the tournament;

determine ranking of the player on a leaderboard based on points received during the tournament; and

calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on four factors: cost, number of participants in field, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein an effect of at least one of the four factors is modified to result in a non-linear relationship between the calculated points and the at least one of the four factors;

wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening the effect of at least one of the four factors.

21. The gaming network of claim 20 , wherein the function flattens the effect of at least one of the cost and the number of participants in the field.

22. The gaming network of claim 20 , wherein the function flattens the effect of the cost by using a logarithm function of the cost.

23. A gaming network on which players play wagering games via a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming network comprising:

at least one input device allowing a player to place a wager to play one or more of the wagering games via a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines and allowing the player to choose to display a leaderboard on a display device of the gaming machine; and

one or more controllers operable to

award points to the player based on play during at least one of a tournament and a cash game;

determine a ranking of the player on the leaderboard based on the points; and

calculate the points with a mathematical equation operating on at least the following factors: cost, number of participants in filed, player rank, and player finish in relation to the number of participants, wherein the mathematical equation includes a function for flattening an effect of at least one of the factors.

Assignments (12)