Wagering game method, gaming machine, gaming system, and program product providing an enhanced tournament award feature
View Patent ↗Gaming systems and methods provide a tournament game which selectively awards an enhanced tournament play result. The enhanced tournament play result may be of variable value which is selected for the given instance in order to place the receiving tournament player in some predetermined rank in the tournament. Such a variable enhanced tournament play result in the tournament game may be used to help keep all participants interested in the tournament, even those participants who trail the tournament leaders by a wide margin.
1. A method for awarding prizes in a tournament gaming system, the method including:
(a) receiving a tournament play input at a gaming machine, the tournament play input being associated with a tournament participant;
(b) obtaining a tournament play result for the tournament play input;
(c) determining whether an enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the tournament play input or for an additional event in the course of tournament play;
(d) where it is determined that the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the respective tournament play input or additional event, determining an enhanced tournament result value, the enhanced tournament result value comprising a value sufficient to place the tournament participant at a predetermined tournament ranking;
(e) awarding the enhanced tournament result value at the gaming machine; and
(f) displaying the tournament participant in the predetermined tournament ranking at a display device associated with the gaming machine.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined tournament ranking is first place.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded includes determining whether an enhancement constraint applies to the respective tournament play input or additional event, and if the enhancement constraint applies, preventing the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current tournament ranking for the tournament participant.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a time value within a time period for the tournament.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current point total for the tournament participant.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein preventing the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded includes obtaining the tournament play result for the respective tournament play input from a result set which excludes the enhanced tournament play result.
8. The method of claim 3 wherein preventing the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded includes disregarding the enhanced tournament play result if the enhanced tournament play result is the tournament play result obtained for the respective tournament play input.
9. The method of claim 1 further including displaying the tournament participant in the predetermined tournament ranking at the display device associated with the gaming machine for an extension time period by disregarding a tournament standing data input at the gaming machine.
10. The method of claim 1 further including displaying an indication of the predetermined tournament ranking at the display device or another display device at the gaming machine, the indication of the predetermined tournament ranking comprising an indication in addition to a leader board indicator.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the indication of the predetermined tournament ranking includes displaying a predetermined background color at the display device or the other display device.
12. A gaming system including:
(a) one or more display devices;
(b) a player input system;
(c) at least one processor; and
(d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:
(i) receive a tournament play input in the gaming system, the tournament play input being associated with a tournament participant;
(ii) obtain a tournament play result for the tournament input;
(iii) determine whether an enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the tournament play input or for an additional event in the course of tournament play;
(iv) where it is determined that the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the tournament play input or additional event, determine an enhanced tournament result value, the enhanced tournament result value comprising a value sufficient to place the tournament participant at a predetermined tournament ranking;
(v) award the enhanced tournament result value; and
(vi) cause the tournament participant to be displayed in the predetermined tournament ranking at least at one of the one or more display devices of the gaming system.
13. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein the predetermined tournament ranking is first place.
14. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein determining whether the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded includes determining whether an enhancement constraint applies to the tournament play input or the additional event, and if the enhancement constraint applies, the instructions are executable to prevent the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded.
15. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current tournament ranking for the tournament participant.
16. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a time value within a time period for the tournament.
17. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current point total for the tournament participant.
18. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein the at least one processor is operable to prevent the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded by obtaining the tournament play result for the tournament play input from a result set which excludes the enhanced tournament play result.
19. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the tournament participant to be displayed in the predetermined tournament ranking at the display device for an extension time period by disregarding a tournament standing data input in the gaming system.
20. A program product comprising one or more non-transitory data storage devices storing program code, the program code including:
(a) player input program code executable to receive a tournament play input through a gaming machine;
(b) tournament program code executable to obtain a tournament play result for the tournament play input;
(c) enhancement control program code executable to:
(i) determine whether an enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the tournament play input or for an additional event in the course of tournament play;
(ii) where it is determined that the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded for the tournament play input or additional event, determine an enhanced tournament result value, the enhanced tournament result value comprising a value sufficient to place a tournament participant at a predetermined tournament ranking; and
(iii) award the enhanced tournament result value at the gaming machine; and
(d) tournament display program code executable to display the tournament participant in the predetermined tournament ranking at a display device associated with the gaming machine.
21. The program product of claim 20 wherein the predetermined tournament ranking is first place.
22. The program product of claim 20 wherein determining whether the enhanced tournament play result is to be awarded includes determining whether an enhancement constraint applies to the tournament play input or additional event, and if the enhancement constraint applies, the enhancement control program code is executable to prevent the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded.
23. The program product of claim 22 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current tournament ranking for the tournament participant.
24. The program product of claim 22 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a time value within a time period for the tournament.
25. The program product of claim 22 wherein the enhancement constraint includes a current point total for the tournament participant.
26. The program product of claim 22 wherein the enhancement control program code is executable to prevent the enhanced tournament play result from being awarded by causing the tournament program code to obtain the tournament play result for the tournament play input from a result set which excludes the enhanced tournament play result.
27. The program product of claim 20 wherein the tournament display program code is also executable to cause the tournament participant to be displayed in the predetermined tournament ranking for an extension time period by disregarding a tournament standing data input at the gaming machine.