Systems and methods for reducing impact of network disruptions
The negative impact of network disruptions in electronic games may be reduced by providing increased efficiency in network communications and client- and server-side processing when a player rejoins a game in progress. In some embodiments, an electronic game system may generate a list of games, such as a poker tournament, for which a player is registered. A client application may provide the list as part of a user interface through which the player may directly rejoin a listed game upon selection of a currently in-progress game from the list. In addition, the system may establish one or more mandatory break periods in certain extended game types such as tournaments. The mandatory break period may be the same time for all extended game types. Other implementations also are described.
1. A system for increasing speed at which a disconnected player is returned to an ongoing electronic wagering game after a network disruption and increasing efficiency in network communications and client- and server-side processing, comprising:
a first software module for use on a first device comprising one or more processors and one or more memories, the first software module including instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that expedites access to a wagering game in progress by:
requesting, from a server computer in response to the disconnected player logging in, a list of extended play games for which the disconnected player is registered;
displaying the list, wherein the list displays extended play games in progress at the top of the list;
providing a user interface control that, upon selection of one of the extended play games on the list by the disconnected player, causes the disconnected player to be directly seated in the selected one of the extended play games on the list; and
a second software module for use on the server computer comprising one or more processors and one or more memories, the second software module including instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that expedites access to a game in progress by:
creating, for each player, the list of extended play games for which the disconnected player is registered, thereby expediting selection and access to said game in progress.
2. The system of claim 1 , where the selected one of the extended play games is a poker tournament.
3. The system of claim 1 , where the list displays extended play games organized according to a status of each extended play game.
4. The system of claim 1 , where the selected one of the extended play games includes one or more mandatory breaks.
5. The system of claim 4 , where every extended play game offered by the system includes at least one mandatory break.
6. The system of claim 5 , where the at least one mandatory break for each of the extended play games offered by the system are synchronized to begin at the same time.
7. The system of claim 6 , where the at least one mandatory break is scheduled for the last five minutes of every hour.
8. The system of claim 5 , where the second software module further includes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that:
determine if a mandatory break is scheduled for a table;
determine if a hand is in progress at the table; and
pause play at the table if a mandatory break is scheduled and there is no hand in progress at the table.
9. The system of claim 8 , where the first software module further includes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that:
display indicia indicating that the extended play game is on a break when play at the table is paused.
10. The system of claim 9 , where the indicia includes a time remaining in the break.
11. The system of claim 1 , where the first software module further includes instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium that:
transmit, to the server computer, a request to register a player in an extended play game;
and the second software module further includes instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium that:
receive the request to register from the first device;
register the player in the extended play game; and
add the extended play game to the list of extended play games for which the player is registered.