U.S. patent application number 11/624979 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-24 for method and system for presenting electronic casino games to a player.
This patent application is currently assigned to WATERLEAF LIMITED. Invention is credited to Ragnar Toompere.
Application Number | 20080176618 11/624979 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39627558 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080176618 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Toompere; Ragnar |
July 24, 2008 |
Method and System for Presenting Electronic Casino Games to a
Player
Abstract
A method and system for presenting electronic casino games to a
player is provided. A player will establish a subscription between
a workstation and a gaming server that pertains to a single game
category to receive game data pertaining only to the selected game
category. The gaming server will then send data pertaining to the
selected game category to the workstation at predefined or regular
intervals, so as to update the game data. The workstation provides
filtering options for the player so that the player can filter out
instances of game play not desired. Because the workstation
receives the data pertaining to the selected game category, the
workstation can perform the filtering, and the player may filter
through the game data of this category for as long as the
subscription persists.
Inventors: |
Toompere; Ragnar; (Douglas,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
300 S. WACKER DRIVE, 32ND FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
WATERLEAF LIMITED
Douglas
GB
|
Family ID: |
39627558 |
Appl. No.: |
11/624979 |
Filed: |
January 19, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3223 20130101;
G07F 17/3262 20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/16 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method of presenting electronic casino games to a player, the
method comprising: establishing a subscription between an
electronic gaming device and a gaming server, the subscription
indicating requested game data by a user of the electronic gaming
device that pertains to a selected game category, the requested
game data indicating variants of instances of games available for
play; at predefined intervals, receiving the requested game data at
the electronic gaming device that pertains to the selected game
category, where the requested game data is refreshed at the
electronic gaming device at subsequent intervals; at the electronic
gaming device, filtering the requested game data according to user
preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of games
available for play that do not meet the user preferences; and
displaying instances of games available for play that meet the user
preferences.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected game category includes
categories selected from the group consisting of ring games, sit
and go tournaments, scheduled tournaments, and casino games.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the variants of instances of
games available for play include games selected from the group
consisting of Texas Hold'em poker, five card stud poker, seven card
stud poker, Omaha poker, Omaha hi/lo poker, and five card draw
poker.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the game data according
to user preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of
games available for play comprises filtering the game data
according to a type of card game.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the type of card game includes
games selected from the group consisting of Texas Hold'em poker,
five card stud poker, seven card stud poker, Omaha poker, Omaha
hi/lo poker, and five card draw poker.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the game data according
to user preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of
games available for play comprises filtering the game data
according to a number of participants in a card game.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the game data according
to user preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of
games available for play comprises filtering the game data
according to a style of wagering in a card game.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the style of wagering in the card
game includes wagering selected from the group consisting of a
fixed limit wagering, a no limit wagering, and a pot limit
wagering.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the game data according
to user preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of
games available for play comprises filtering the game data
according to an amount of wagering in a card game.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a
graphical user interface including filtering icons; and receiving
the user preferences from the user of the electronic gaming device,
the user preferences including a selection of filtering icons.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the
requested game data at the electronic gaming device that pertains
to the selected game category at the predefined intervals for as
long as the subscription to the selected game category
persists.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical
user interface including selection tabs each associated with a
respective game category, and when selected, each selection tab
displays instances of games available for play, and wherein
establishing the subscription between the electronic gaming device
and the gaming server comprises selecting one of the selection
tabs.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical
user interface including a slider bar that indicates a range of
amounts of wagers for a game and markers positionable on the slider
bar so as to bracket a desired range.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein filtering the game data
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play comprises: receiving a
specified range of an amount of wagers for a game defined by a
bracketed range of the slider bar; and filtering the game data
according to the specified range of the amount of wagers.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical
user interface including wagering shortcut icons that correspond to
amounts of wagers for a game, and wherein filtering the game data
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play comprises: receiving a
selection of one of the wagering shortcut icons; and filtering the
game data according to the amount of wagers for a game that
corresponds to the selected wagering shortcut icon.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the game data
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play comprises filtering the game
data according to one or more of the following attributes: a type
of card game, a number of participants in a card game, a style of
wagering in a card game, or an amount of wagering in a card
game.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the subscription
between the electronic gaming device and the gaming server
comprises establishing a subscription indicating requested game
data that pertains to a single game category.
18. A computer readable medium containing program code for causing
a processor to execute the method of claim 1.
19. An electronic gaming device for playing an electronic casino
game, comprising: a processing unit; a memory storing a client
interface program for execution by the processing unit, wherein the
client interface program is executable to: establish a subscription
between the electronic gaming device and a gaming server, the
subscription indicating requested game data by a user of the
electronic gaming device that pertains to a selected game category,
the requested game data indicating variants of instances of games
available for play; at predefined intervals, receive the requested
game data at the electronic gaming device that pertains to the
selected game category, where the requested game data is refreshed
at the electronic gaming device at subsequent intervals; filter the
requested game data according to user preferences so as to filter
out variants of instances of games available for play that do not
meet the user preferences; and display instances of games available
for play that meet the user preferences.
20. The electronic gaming device of claim 19, wherein the client
interface program is executable to filer the requested game data so
as to display only a specific type of card game within the selected
game category.
21. The electronic gaming device of claim 19, wherein the client
interface program is executable to filer the requested game data so
as to display only card games having a desired betting scheme.
22. The electronic gaming device of claim 19, wherein the client
interface program is executable to filer the requested game data so
as to display only card games having selected wagering amounts.
23. A graphical interface for displaying game data associated with
electronic casino games, the graphical interface comprising: game
category tabs each associated with a respective game category; a
display pane, wherein upon selection of a game category tab,
instances of games available for play pertaining to the selected
game category tab are displayed in the display pane; and an option
pane including: filtering icons selectable to filter game data
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play that do not meet the user
preferences, and a slider bar that indicates a range of amounts of
wagers for a game and includes markers positionable on the slider
bar so as to bracket a desired range and filter out variants of
instances of games that do not offer wagers in the desired
range.
24. The graphical interface claim 23, wherein the variants of
instances of games available for play include games selected from
the group consisting of Texas Hold'em poker, five card stud poker,
seven card stud poker, Omaha poker, Omaha hi/lo poker, and five
card draw poker.
25. The graphical interface claim 23, wherein the filter icons
include icons according to types of card games.
26. The graphical interface claim 25, wherein the types of card
games include games selected from the group consisting of Texas
Hold'em poker, five card stud poker, seven card stud poker, Omaha
poker, Omaha hi/lo poker, and five card draw poker.
27. The graphical interface claim 23, wherein the filter icons
include icons according to a number of participants in a card
game.
28. The graphical interface claim 23, wherein the filter icons
include icons according to a style of wagering in a card game.
29. The graphical interface claim 28, wherein the style of wagering
in the card game includes wagering selected from the group
consisting of a fixed limit wagering, a no limit wagering, and a
pot limit wagering.
30. The graphical interface claim 23, wherein the filter icons
include icons according to an amount of wagering in a card game.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present application relates generally to a graphical
interface or lobby design for online multiplayer games, such as
poker, blackjack, mahjong, video slots and the like. Such online
games can be played on a computer workstation communicating over a
computer network such as the Internet with a central gaming server.
Such games can also be played on a workstation taking the form of
an electronic video gaming terminal that is installed in a
casino-type environment, for example.
[0002] A lobby page of an online multiplayer poker room provides a
first point of contact for a player who visits an online poker room
where multiple games and tournaments are offered for play. The
number of choices available to the player can be bewildering. The
player first has to become accustomed as to how to navigate the
lobby page and to arrive at a ring game (i.e., an instance of a
virtual game) or a tournament in which the player wishes to
participate. If navigation of the lobby page is complex, players
may become discouraged or frustrated and may leave the online poker
room, which is undesirable for an operating entity ("operator")
that owns and runs the online poker room, who will undoubtedly have
incurred significant marketing and advertising expenditure in the
first instance to attract such players to that poker room. An
operator of an online poker room desires to have a lobby page that
is simple to navigate, efficient to use, and that will allow the
player to commence game or tournament play in as short a time as
possible.
[0003] This has led to the use of navigation aids that are commonly
found on lobby pages of online poker rooms, such as the classical
tabbed display or the so-called "tree-view" display. For example,
in a tree view structure, a player navigates the lobby page by
first selecting a desired game and variety of the game to play
(e.g., by selecting poker, and then possibly a 7-Card Stud game).
Next, the player will select a desired table limit or wagering
structure (e.g., possibly a fixed limit game). Following, the
player selects a desired table stakes, such as a $2/$4 game (e.g.,
corresponding to a betting structure per round of the game).
Lastly, the player selects a particular game instance to join.
[0004] A problem arises when the player wishes to change a
selection criteria. Suppose, for example, that the player decides
to play a different variety of poker game, e.g., a 5-Card Stud
poker game. It is necessary for the player to navigate back up the
tree view ladder and repeat all of the above steps to arrive at a
suitable fixed-limit 5-Card Stud game with $2/$4 table stakes to
join.
[0005] An example tabbed lobby page is shown in FIG. 1, which is a
screen shot from an online poker room home or "lobby" page showing
an example prior art arrangement for providing real time game
information to a potential game player. The player accesses the
gaming web site using a personal computer or other computing device
with Internet access. As shown in FIG. 1, the lobby is presented on
a user interface of the computing device. The lobby presents a
tabbed display of eight categories or types of card games that are
currently available for play via the web site. Each game type is
associated with a tab:
[0006] Tab 1) Hold'em--poker games of the Texas Hold'em
variety;
[0007] Tab 2) Omaha--poker games of the Omaha variety;
[0008] Tab 3) Omaha--poker games of the Omaha Hi/Lo variety;
[0009] Tab 4) 7 Stud--poker games of the 7-Card Stud variety;
[0010] Tab 5) 5 Stud--poker games of the 5-Card Stud variety;
[0011] Tab 6) Private--invitation-only poker games established by
players;
[0012] Tab 7) Sit & Go--non-scheduled tournaments; and
[0013] Tab 8) MTT (Multi-Table Tournaments)--scheduled
tournaments.
[0014] When any of the first five tabbed categories or types is
selected, a player is presented with a list of all tables with
poker games of that particular variation that are currently active.
See FIG. 1, which has Tab 1 selected and shows the tables for the
Hold'em game. For each active game instance (virtual table) in the
list, the following attributes are displayed:
[0015] a) Table Name: name of the table (typically, fanciful names
to spark player interest, but may also be in the form of a number
or index);
[0016] b) Stakes: table stakes in the format--Small Blind/Big Blind
(e.g., wagering structure);
[0017] c) Players: number of Participating Players/Max number of
Players that can be accommodated;
[0018] d) Limit: whether the table is a no limit table, a pot limit
table or a fixed limit table in terms of betting limits;
[0019] e) Av/Pot: average size of pots at that table;
[0020] f) Plrs/Flop: average number of players who have not yet
folded at the flop stage of the game;
[0021] g) Wait: number of players waiting to join the table;
and
[0022] h) Hnds/Hr: number of hands played per hour.
[0023] The lobby illustrated in FIG. 1 also has a scroll feature 10
that a player can use with a slide bar 12 to show additional
virtual tables in the Hold-em category, for example. Note that
there may be dozens, potentially hundreds, of tables available
under this category. The user scrolls down to see all the available
tables. This scroll feature is typically found in each of the game
categories or tabs of FIG. 1.
[0024] Other games may display additional or different attributes.
For example, if Tab 7 is selected for Sit & Go Tournaments,
which are single or multi-table poker tournaments that have no
pre-set start time and that commence when a prescribed number of
players required for the tournament have entered the tournament, a
player is presented with a list of all Sit & Go tournaments
that are either active or are pending. For each Sit & Go
tournament in the list, the following attributes may be
displayed:
[0025] a) a tournament identification code;
[0026] b) a name of the tournament;
[0027] c) a type of poker game played in the tournament;
[0028] d) whether the tournament is a no limit, pot limit or fixed
limit tournament;
[0029] e) number of seats available in the tournament; and
[0030] f) the current size of blinds for active tournaments, and
the number of players already entered for pending tournaments.
[0031] As another example, if Tab 8 is selected for MTT, which are
poker tournaments that have a scheduled start time where players
are required to enter the tournament and to be available to
commence play in time for the scheduled start of the tournament, a
player is presented with a list of all MTT tournaments (same
instances) that are either active or are pending. For each MTT
tournament in the list, the following attributes may be
displayed:
[0032] a) a tournament identification code;
[0033] b) a name of the tournament;
[0034] c) a type of poker game played in the tournament;
[0035] d) buy-in rules;
[0036] e) number of entrants for the tournament; and
[0037] f) a current size of blinds for active tournaments and a
scheduled start time for pending tournaments.
[0038] With the tabbed organization shown in FIG. 1, not only does
this setup lack ease of use and navigation, but also this setup
places a large load requirement on the gaming server. Information
displayed on each player's lobby screen is dynamic since players
are continually joining and dropping out of games, and table
statistics constantly change. For example, if a table that appears
in FIG. 1 has one or more vacant "seats," dozens if not hundreds of
persons may attempt to join the table within a span of a few
minutes, especially in a period of high demand. As a result, vacant
seats may be taken up in a matter of seconds. Similarly, the
statistics on pot size, average payout, number of hands played per
hour, etc., will change constantly. As a result, it is important
that the lobby information presented to players accessing and using
online gaming software be both current and accurate, and remain so
on an ongoing basis.
[0039] Every player that is logged on to the online poker room is
presented with all the data that can be displayed on the lobby
page, as described above FIG. 1. The data on the lobby page is
obtained from a central gaming server and transmitted to a player's
client computing device by means of the Internet. The data is
dynamic, since players may enter and leave non-tournament poker
games at any time, new poker tables may be spawned by the poker
server during periods of high player demand and may be collapsed
and consolidated during times of low player demand. Further,
tournaments commence and terminate, and numbers of players entered
in tournaments change over time. Thus, fresh data is re-transmitted
from the gaming server to each computing device periodically. The
data is, ideally, real-time (or substantially real-time), giving
the player an accurate snapshot of the state of the poker network.
Further, it is not uncommon for several thousand players to be
connected and playing simultaneously during peak periods.
[0040] The net result of this situation is that the gaming server
can be swamped by the load placed upon the server by updating the
lobby data tables to the computers of all of the logged in players.
Such an overload may cause responsiveness of the gaming server to
degrade, slow down or even crash. The update frequency of the lobby
data on each computer workstation consequently decreases, which
results in unfortunate consequences such as, for example, a player
wishing to join a poker table or a tournament on the basis of stale
lobby data that indicates that a vacant seat exists at the poker
table or tournament but at which, in reality, no vacancies exist as
the last remaining seat has already been taken.
[0041] The problem of timely and accurate updating of client
computers as to game or tournament information and game statistics,
without degradation of gaming server performance, is one of
scalability. Moreover, the more players that join the network, the
more load that is placed on the central gaming server to provide
updates. As more players join and the overload problem becomes
worse, the result may be that players stop playing or go elsewhere
to play. Thus, this problem presents a bottleneck that limits the
ability of the online poker room operators to accommodate more
players. The inability to accommodate more players diminishes the
potential revenue of the poker room operators.
[0042] A system that presents and updates information to players
engaged in on-line gaming and that lessens the overload problem and
allows new levels of scalability to be achieved is described in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/159,051, filed Jun. 21, 2005,
the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference
as if fully set forth in this description. The '051 application is
not admitted as describing prior art.
[0043] The system of the '051 application includes a gaming server
that transmits game lobby pages to a multitude of distributed
computing devices accessing an online poker room or poker rooms
over a network such as the Internet. To overcome the above
mentioned scalability problems, game data in the lobby displays is
transmitted as individual pages along with icons by which players
can request additional pages for display. Updates are performed for
only the displayed pages. This approach provides a significant
improvement in server and network performance over other techniques
in which all game statistics for a particular type of game are sent
to each workstation and the workstation would scroll through the
entire data set as necessary to view all the game data.
[0044] FIG. 2 is a screen shot from an on-line poker room home or
"lobby" page showing an arrangement for providing real-time game
information as disclosed in the `051 application. As shown in FIG.
2, the lobby presents a tabbed display of seven categories or types
of card games that are currently available for play via the web
site. Each game type is associated with a tab, for example, as
follows:
[0045] Tab 14) Hold'em--poker games of the Texas Hold'em
variety;
[0046] Tab 16) Omaha--poker games of the Omaha variety;
[0047] Tab 18) 7 Card Stud--poker games of the 7-Card Stud
variety;
[0048] Tab 20) 5 Card Stud--poker games of the 5-Card Stud
variety;
[0049] Tab 22) 1 On 1--poker games of the Heads-Up variety;
[0050] Tab 24) Sit & Go--non-scheduled tournaments; and
[0051] Tab 26) Multi Table--scheduled tournaments.
[0052] When any of the first four tabbed categories or types is
selected, a player is presented with a list 28 of all tables with
poker games of that particular variation that are currently active.
FIG. 2 shows the tables for the Hold'em variation (Tab 14). In
contrast with the lobby page of FIG. 1, there is no scroll feature
by which the player may view additional tables in the Hold'em
category. Instead, page icons 30 are displayed, and a player can
select additional lobby pages displaying additional tables in the
Hold'em category by selecting one of the page icons 30.
[0053] When a particular lobby page such as that shown in FIG. 2 is
displayed, the page is periodically updated. The updating can be on
a fixed period or it can be when there is any change in the
underlying data, or both, and there is no need or occasion to
update data for instances of the games that are not currently
displayed. Accordingly, when the server sends the update page to
the computing device displaying lobby pages, there is no updating
of game information for non-displayed instances of games as there
would be if scrolling were done as in FIG. 1 to view all the
instances of the selected game type. As a result, the processing
burden on a gaming server continuously updating hundreds or
thousands of computers all at the same time is reduced, enabling
improved server and poker network performance to increase.
[0054] Although the system disclosed in the '051 application
addresses the problem of scalability and server efficiency, a
player is still faced with the problem of having to select pages
and filter displayed game data, whether in scrollable or paged
format, in an unstructured manner to locate a suitable on-line,
real-time poker game to join that suits the player's requirements
or playing style. For example, the player may wish to join only a
high stakes poker game, or may wish to join a poker game that has a
larger number of participating players, or a game in which the pots
for which the players compete are large relative to the table
stakes. Such unstructured filtering can be time-consuming and
tedious for a player, irrespective of whether the lobby game data
displayed to the player in a scrollable window or by means of
separate selectable pages of game data.
[0055] One other system that enables players engaged in on-line
gaming to search through displayed lobby data is described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/260,020 filed Oct. 26, 2005, the
entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference as if
fully set forth in this description. The system of the '020
application includes a gaming server that transmits game lobby data
to a multitude of distributed computing devices accessing an online
poker room, or poker rooms, over a network. To overcome the above
problem of unstructured filtering of game data, the game lobby
display includes a search engine that can be invoked by a player
and configure search parameters relating to a type of online
real-time game that the player wishes to play. Once a player has
configured the search parameters, a search engine operated by the
gaming server screens all available instances of the online game to
locate a subset thereof including those game instances that match
the search parameters. The subset of games located by the search
engine is displayed to the player, and the player is then able to
select one of the game instances in the displayed search results in
order to join the game. The '020 application also provides for an
instant start feature in which the player is automatically admitted
to a first instance of the game that is located by the search
engine and which matches the search parameters.
[0056] The solution presented in the '020 application has been
successful in that it allows a player to locate a suitable instance
of an online game from all available instances of the game more
quickly than can be achieved by means of an unstructured search
through raw game data, whether in scrollable or in paged format.
Despite this, however, inefficiencies still exist. For example, if
the player's preferences change during a playing session, it
becomes necessary for the player to re-invoke the search facility
on the computing device and to reconfigure the search parameters.
The search engine on the gaming server will then be required to
re-screen the entire set of game data and to display to the player
a subset thereof that match the amended search parameters, which is
tedious. There remains a need for a more efficient and more
discriminating way of locating an instance of an online game from
all available instances of the game. Keen poker players wish to
spend more time playing the game and less time searching for a
suitable game to join.
SUMMARY
[0057] Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method and system for
presenting electronic casino games to a player. The method includes
establishing a subscription between an electronic gaming device and
a gaming server that indicates requested game data by a user of the
electronic gaming device. The requested game data pertains to a
selected game category and indicates variants of instances of games
available for play. The method also includes, at predefined
intervals, receiving the requested game data at the electronic
gaming device that pertains to the selected game category so that
the requested game data is refreshed at the electronic gaming
device at subsequent intervals. The method further includes at the
electronic gaming device, filtering the requested game data
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play, and displaying instances of
games available for play that meet the user preferences.
[0058] In another embodiment, an electronic gaming device for
playing an electronic casino game is provided that includes a
processing unit and a memory storing a client interface program for
execution by the processing unit. The client interface program is
executable to establish a subscription between the electronic
gaming device and a gaming server that indicates requested game
data by a user of the electronic gaming device that pertains to a
selected game category and indicates variants of instances of games
available for play. The client interface program is also executable
to receive the requested game data at the electronic gaming device
that pertains to the selected game category at predefined intervals
so that the requested game data is refreshed at the electronic
gaming device at subsequent intervals. The client interface program
is further executable to filter the requested game data according
to user preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of
games available for play, and display instances of games available
for play that meet the user preferences.
[0059] In still another embodiment, a graphical interface for
displaying game data associated with electronic casino games is
provided. The graphical interface includes game category tabs each
associated with a respective game category, and a display pane.
Upon selection of a game category tab, instances of games available
for play pertaining to the selected game category tab are displayed
in the display pane. The graphical interface also includes an
option pane with filtering icons and a slider bar. The filtering
icons are selectable to filter game data according to user
preferences so as to filter out variants of instances of games
available for play, while the slider bar indicates a range of
amounts of wagers for a game and includes markers positionable on
the slider bar so as to bracket a desired range and filter out
variants of instances of games that do not offer wagers in the
desired range.
[0060] Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent
from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example,
certain principles of described embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0061] FIG. 1 is an example screen shot from an online poker room
home or lobby page showing a prior art arrangement for providing
real time game information to a potential game player.
[0062] FIG. 2 is another example screen shot from an on-line poker
room home or lobby page showing an arrangement for providing
real-time game information.
[0063] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
system for providing an electronic gaming to participants.
[0064] FIGS. 4-6 are example screen shots from an online poker room
home or lobby page showing an arrangement for providing real time
game information to a potential game player according to exemplary
embodiments.
[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting one example of
functional steps for presenting electronic casino games to a user
according to exemplary embodiments.
[0066] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of the
system in FIG. 3 in a more detailed manner.
[0067] FIGS. 9-11 are more example screen shots from an online
poker room home or lobby page showing an arrangement for providing
real time game information to a potential game player according to
exemplary embodiments.
[0068] FIG. 12 is an example illustration of a slider bar that
indicates wagering amounts.
[0069] FIGS. 13-16 are still more example screen shots from an
online poker room home or lobby page showing an arrangement for
providing real time game information to a potential game player
according to exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0070] The present disclosure provides for new methods that enable
a player to locate and join a desired on-line real-time game from a
multitude of available on-line games that are coordinated by a
gaming server and that are accessible through an on-line gaming
site. A player will establish a subscription between a workstation
and a gaming server that pertains to a single game category to
receive game data pertaining only to the selected game category.
The gaming server will then send data pertaining to the selected
game category to the workstation at predefined or regular
intervals, so as to update the game data. The workstation provides
filtering options for the player so that the player can filter out
instances of game play not desired. Because the workstation
receives the data pertaining to the selected game category, the
workstation can perform the filtering, and the player may filter
through the game data of this category for as long as the
subscription persists.
[0071] A system and method for playing games, such as card games,
over a computer network is described in published PCT application
WO 03/093921, published Nov. 13, 2003. The entire contents of WO
03/093921 are incorporated by reference herein, as if fully set
forth in this description. The system of the '921 PCT publication
includes a central gaming server accessible over the Internet and
enables participation in games, such as poker games, by individuals
accessing diverse portal websites (gaming websites). In one
embodiment, the methods of the present application are implemented
in a system of the type disclosed in the published PCT application
WO 03/093921.
[0072] Particularly, referring now to FIG. 3, one example of a
system for providing an electronic gaming to participants is
illustrated. The system includes electronic gaming devices 102 and
104 each coupled through a communication network 106 to a server
108. The electronic gaming devices 102 and 104 allow participants
(or users, more generally) to play casino games by, for example,
presenting the participant a display of game-play. In addition, the
electronic gaming devices 102 and 104 may receive user input and
transmit the user input through the communication network 106 (such
as the Internet) to the server 108 via a wireline or wireless
interface, for example. Thus, the electronic gaming devices 102 and
104 may be a slot machine at a live casino, for example, or a
personal computer allowing a user to participate in online gaming.
One skilled in the art of computer systems will understand that the
example embodiments are not limited to any particular class or
model of computer employed for the electronic gaming devices 102
and 104 and will be able to select an appropriate system. Further,
of course, more electronic gaming devices may be coupled to the
server and may allow more players to participate in casino gaming
as well.
[0073] In one embodiment, the system illustrated in FIG. 3 may be
in the form of an online casino, and in that instance, the
electronic gaming devices 102 and 104 are client workstations and
the server 108 is a gaming server remote from the electronic gaming
devices 102 and 104, but linked thereto by the communication
network 106, such as the Internet. One or more casino games are
then executable by selection of a user of the online casino. Each
game offered by the casino includes a server process, which is
executable in the gaming server, and a client process, which is
executable in the client workstation. The server process generates,
upon request of the client process, one or more random events upon
which an outcome of the casino game depends. Such random events can
correspond, for example, to the roll of a die, the spin of a
roulette wheel or the deal of a playing card, depending on which
particular casino game is being played by the player. The client
process, on the other hand, presents to the user or player a
simulation of the casino game being played. The client process also
enables the player to place wagers on, and to control the progress
of, the casino game, and displays to the player the outcome of the
game as a function of the random events generated by the server
process.
[0074] In order to communicate with the gaming server of the online
casino, the electronic gaming devices 102 and 104 operate under
control of casino client interface programs 110 and 112. The client
interface programs 110 and 112 include a menu subsystem or menu
selection system that displays to the player a menu of casino games
that are offered by the particular online casino. The electronic
gaming devices 102 and 104 may present a graphical user interface
("GUI") including the menu selection system to the players. The
players are then able to select any one of the games that they wish
to play. When selecting a particular game for the first time, the
casino client interface programs 110 and 112 cause a software
program corresponding to the client process for the particular
casino game to be downloaded from the gaming server 108 to the
electronic gaming devices 102 and 104, where the program is stored
locally on a storage device, such as a hard disk drive. Once
downloaded, the player can then install the software program on the
electronic gaming devices 102 and 104. Once the client process for
a particular casino game has been downloaded and installed in this
manner, the casino game can be played without the necessity for a
further download.
[0075] Many of the games presented by the client interface programs
110 and 112, such as video slots and video poker, generally have a
pay table comprising one or more game outcomes, each that have a
corresponding payout for a wager on the game. The payouts are
generally inversely proportional to the probability of occurrence
of the game outcomes, the top payout being commonly referred to as
a jackpot prize. The jackpot prize may be a fixed amount or may be
a progressive jackpot prize which is funded by a predetermined
portion of each eligible wager made by a player of the game. The
progressive jackpot prize may be funded by wagers of players
playing the game at a single establishment, or may be a wide area
progressive jackpot prize that is funded by wagers of players
playing the same game at competing establishments. Examples of the
operation of wide area progressive jackpot games are disclosed in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/532,850, which is entirely
incorporated herein by reference, as if fully set forth in this
disclosure.
[0076] Players may also participate in tournament games, which
comprise a multiplayer game. Each participating player in a
tournament game is presented with an identical graphical user
interface (GUI) on his respective electronic gaming device. The GUI
presents to the player a suitable display of game-play with
appropriate activatable icons that enable the player to make his
own desired game play decisions and to monitor the progress of the
multiplayer game by viewing the game play decisions of the other
participating players in the same instance of the game.
[0077] The server 108 monitors and controls game play within a
multiplayer wagering tournament game. For example, the server 108
may operate a clearing account facility that has a clearing account
corresponding to each online casino website or casino game to which
the server 108 corresponds. Analogously, each online casino website
or casino game may include a corresponding credit account facility
with a credit account corresponding to each player who participates
in a game offered by the online casino. To participate in the
electronic multiplayer tournament, the player is required to pay a
tournament entry fee, of which a portion is a contribution to
tournament prize money and the remaining portion being a fee for
the organizers of the tournament. The prize money contributions
from all the participating players in the tournament are pooled to
form the tournament prize money.
[0078] The server 108 can manage receipt of the tournament entry
fee from the player by debiting the individual credit account of
the player by an amount equivalent to the tournament entry fee.
Upon debiting the player's credit account, the server 108 may
receive an indication of receipt of the tournament entry fee from
the player. Each player may fund their associated credit account
prior to their participation in the game. For this purpose, each
online casino, casino game, or the server 108 may include
credit-dispensing means (not shown) capable of dispensing credit to
any player who wishes to participate in the game. The player may
purchase credit by means of conventional credit or debit card
payment facilities that are well known in the art and which will
not be described here in detail. Whenever a player purchases credit
from the credit-dispensing means, the corresponding online casino
or server 108 credits that player's credit account with an amount
equivalent to the quantity of credit purchased by the player.
[0079] In the last several years, systems have been commercialized
such as described in the published PCT application WO 03/093921
where a gaming website provides a facility for online game playing,
particularly online poker playing. Such systems have become quite
popular and gaming sites may host hundreds, even thousands of
players at a time. In online poker, the success of an online poker
room is directly related to the magnitude of a pool of would-be
players who desire to play a game of online poker. Simply put, the
larger the pool of players, the more virtual poker tables (i.e.,
poker games each accommodating a maximum of 8 players, for example)
the online poker software can spawn, thereby increasing the overall
liquidity of the online poker room and increasing its
attractiveness to other would-be players.
[0080] To maximize the size of poker rooms, some online poker rooms
operate under a centralized topology, in which there is a single
operating entity ("operator") that owns and runs the gaming web
site and the player pool is homogeneous (i.e., all players are
registered with, or "belong to", this single operator). The
operator makes money by charging a proportion (a "rake") of the
collective wagers ("the pot") of all players participating in each
game of poker that is played in the online poker room. Under a
centralized topology, a player will always be playing only with
other players who are registered with the same operator. Settlement
of player wagers is straightforward--the operator deducts its rake
from the pot; the balance is paid to the player that won the game;
and the next game starts and the process repeats.
[0081] Other online poker rooms may operate under a distributed
topology (also referred to, in the art, as a network topology).
Under this topology, the player pool is heterogeneous, as players
registered with different operators are pooled together to maximize
liquidity of the collective player pool. This means that players
registered with different operators could find themselves playing
in the same poker game. In this instance, settlement of player
wagers is more complex than in the centralized topology as
situations invariably arise in which funds have to be transferred,
or "cleared," between different operators whose players are playing
on the poker network involving a multitude of operators. Principles
underlying a distributed topology are set forth in the
above-referenced patent application WO 03/093921.
[0082] In one embodiment, the methods of the present application
are implemented in a system of the type disclosed in the published
PCT application WO 03/093921, and in either a centralized or
distributed topology. For example, methods of the present
application are performed using a centralized gaming server and a
number of workstations, one for each player that wishes to
participate in an instance of a multiplayer poker game. Each
workstation communicates with the centralized gaming server by
means of a communication network such as the Internet.
[0083] Each workstation will present a menu selection system to the
players that includes a list of games available for play at an
online casino. The menu includes a name of a corresponding game, as
well as salient details and rules associated with the game. The
server 108 may categorize each one of the different casino games
available on the server 108 into one or more different categories.
The categorization can include categories of casino games, namely
favorites, which are games that are preferred by the player, and
recommended games. Any casino game can be categorized into more
than one different category. For example, a particular game may be
classified as a video poker game, as well as being categorized as a
jackpot game. The client interface programs 110 and 112 can then
present the menu selection system including the categorized casino
games to the user using any type of GUI or other display
techniques.
[0084] Each workstation can execute the gaming client application
that includes a search facility in the form of a filter that is
dynamically configurable by a player to locate a subset of all
available instances of an online real-time game that are
coordinated by the centralized gaming server and that conform to a
set of criteria defined by the player.
[0085] In particular, when a player logs in to the centralized
gaming server, the gaming client application may display a lobby
page 400 as shown in FIG. 4, which is the lobby page of a
multiplayer poker room. The lobby page in FIG. 4 is only one
example of many different types of menu selection systems that may
be presented to a player.
[0086] The workstation can establish a subscription with the
centralized gaming server to obtain game data therefrom. The gaming
server then downloads all the requested game data to the
workstation and repeats the download at regular intervals, for
example, 10-second intervals, for as long as the subscription
persists. In order to minimize the load on the gaming server
imposed by this periodic downloading of game data, the game data is
segmented and the subscription established by the workstation is
for game data relation to a single game format. The game data can
be segmented according to the following different game formats:
[0087] Ring Games (Tab 402 on FIG. 4, labeled "RING GAMES");
[0088] Sit & Go Tournaments (Tab 404 on FIG. 4, labeled "SIT
& GO");
[0089] Scheduled Tournaments (Tab 406 on FIG. 4, labeled
"SCHEDULED");
[0090] In this example, the gaming client application on the
workstation subscribes to game data relating to only a single game
format. The subscription established by the workstation relates
only to game data that corresponds to a single one of the game
formats selected by the player using the tabs 402, 404 and 406, and
continues until the player selects a different game format using
the tabs 402, 404 and 406. In this manner, less load is placed on
the server by only subscribing to game data that relates only to a
single game format. In order to provide a one satisfactory
experience for the player when logging in to the centralized gaming
server, the gaming client application establishes an initial
subscription with Ring Games as a default game format, as shown in
FIG. 4.
[0091] The lobby page 400 of FIG. 4 also contains two further tabs,
408 and 410, labeled "QUICK START" and "CASINO", respectively. FIG.
5 illustrates one example view of details shown by selecting the
QUICK START tab 408. When selected, a lobby page 500 is provided to
a player with an instant start feature similar to that described in
the '020 application discussed above. The player is automatically
admitted to a first instance of the game tournament that is located
by a search engine and which matches the player's search parameters
as configured in an options pane 502 of the lobby page 500.
Alternatively, the player can be automatically admitted to a first
instance of a Sit & Go tournament that is located by the search
engine and that matches the player's search parameters as
configured in options pane 504 of the lobby page 500. Tab 408 may
present other functions to the player as well.
[0092] FIG. 6 illustrates one example view of details shown by
selecting the CASINO tab 410 in FIG. 4. As shown, a lobby page 600
is provided to the player and includes a menu 602 of single-player
casino games that the player can play simultaneously with the with
the multiplayer poker game described above, or alternatively
thereto.
[0093] The workstation will, at any given time, only be displaying
one of the lobby pages corresponding to one of the tabs 402, 404,
406, 408 and 410. As mentioned, upon selection of one of the tabs,
the workstation then establishes a subscription with the
centralized gaming server to obtain corresponding game data
therefrom. The gaming server then downloads all the requested game
data to the workstation. Because the game data includes information
pertaining to instances of game play, the game data will change
constantly. Thus, the gaming server will repeat the download of
game data to the workstation, at regular intervals, for example,
for as long as the subscription to the particular category of game
data persists. The intervals may be any predefined time limit, such
as 10-second intervals, for example.
[0094] Thus, as long as a player is viewing the ring games tab 402,
for example, the subscription to the ring games data with the
gaming server will continue, and the gaming server will continue to
periodically send game data to the workstation pertaining to the
ring games category. The periodic sending of data effectively
updates the game data to the workstation. Further, because the
gaming server is only downloading and sending data pertaining to
ring games (instead of data pertaining to all the tabs 402-410),
the load on the gaming server is minimized. The game data is
segmented due to the subscription established by the workstation
for game data related to a single game format.
[0095] Within exemplary embodiments, upon establishing a
subscription with a particular lobby page, the lobby page provides
filtering mechanisms that can be configured by a user to display
only games that have desired characteristics. Using a filtering
mechanism lessens the load or subscriptions needed by the server,
and also provides a more user-friendly selection system for the
players.
[0096] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting functional steps
for presenting electronic casino games to a user according to
embodiments disclosed herein. Initially, the workstation and the
gaming server will establish a subscription pertaining to a
selected category of games, as shown at block 702. For example, a
user may select a game category tab, such as tab 402 for ring games
as shown in FIG. 4, to establish a subscription with the gaming
server to receive game data pertaining to "ring games." The
requested game data will include variants of instances of games
available for play by the user.
[0097] Next, the workstation will receive the requested game data
that pertains to the selected game category at predefined
intervals, as shown at block 704. For example, the gaming server
may send the game data to the workstation every 10 seconds, where
the requested game data is refreshed at the workstation at
subsequent intervals so as to update the game data.
[0098] The game data can then be filtered at the workstation
according to user preferences so as to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play, as shown at block 706. The
game data can be filtered in many ways, as described below.
Importantly, because the workstation is receiving game data
pertaining to only a single category of games, the game data can be
filtered more quickly than if the workstation were to display all
game data pertaining to all categories of games. Finally, the
instances of games available for play that meet the user
preferences are displayed at the workstation, as shown at block
708.
[0099] FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of the system in FIG. 3 in a
more detailed manner that shows one embodiment of the filtering
mechanisms. For example, the client interface program 110 includes
filter icons 114 and a search engine 116 each of which couple to a
GUI interface 118. The filter icons 114 are displayed within each
lobby page and can be used to filter type of games presented to the
user or other details regarding the game play. The filter icons 114
(discussed more below) can be selected by the user to indicate
which games the user desires to view. The search engine 116 may be
any program used by the workstation that performs the filtering of
data.
[0100] In FIG. 8, the server 108 is shown to include electronic
games data 120, a subscription interface 122 and a search
engine/filter 124. The electronic games data 120 includes all data
pertaining to the games that may be presented to the user.
Alternatively, the server 108 may not store such data, but rather
will connect to other gaming apparatus or other databases that
store such data. The subscription interface 122 coordinates a
connection with the workstation 102 and particularly, notes the
user's information and configurations of whom is operating the
workstation 102. For example, the subscription interface 122 can
receive the user's selections, such as a selected tab within the
lobby page, and provide the information to the search engine 124.
The search engine 124 will then search for casino game data that
meets the selected tab requirements, and the server 108 can then
provide the data to the workstation 102.
[0101] Using the system in FIG. 8, the server 108 only sends data
pertaining to a single game category to the workstation 102, and
the workstation 102 can then apply the filtering selections of the
user to the game data. Examples of the filtering selections are
described below.
[0102] FIG. 9 illustrates an example view of the RING GAMES tab 402
being selected. For example, upon selecting tab 402, a subscription
will be established between the workstation and the gaming server
so that the gaming server sends only game data pertaining to the
"ring games" category to the workstation. The gaming server will do
so at periodic intervals so as to update the game data. Upon
receiving the game data, the workstation will display a lobby page
900 that contains a display pane 902 in which a list of game data
relating to a plurality of active instances of multiplayer games
appear. For each active game instance (virtual table) in the list,
the following attributes are displayed:
[0103] a) Table Name: name of the table (typically, fanciful names
to spark player interest, but may also be in the form of a number
or index);
[0104] b) Game Type: a variety of poker game that is played at that
table (either Texas Hold'em, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Stud, Omaha, Omaha
Hi/Lo, or 5-Card Draw);
[0105] c) Limit: wagering limits applicable at that table (either
No Limit, Pot Limit or Fixed Limit);
[0106] d) Stakes: table stakes in the format: Small Blind/Big
Blind;
[0107] e) Waiting: number of players waiting to join the table;
and
[0108] f) Seats: number of Participating Players/Max number of
Players that can be accommodated at the table.
[0109] The lobby page 900 contains a search options pane 904 that
contains a plurality of filter icons that the player can use to
dynamically filter the game data received from the gaming server.
The filter icons include a first set of five Table Seat icons 906,
908, 910, 912 and 914 that the player uses to display tables only
having a desired number of seats. The filter icons also include a
second set of three Wagering Limit icons 916, 918 and 920 that the
player can use to display tables only having desired wagering
limits. The filter icons further include a third set of six Game
Variety icons 922, 924, 926, 928, 930 and 932 that a player uses to
display only tables at which desired varieties of poker games are
played, and a toolbar 934 for displaying only tables having desired
table stakes.
[0110] The filter icons are used by the player to display only
instances of games that meet the user's preferences. When a player
activates a filter icon, the workstation will filter out game data
that does not pertain to the requested data. For example, when the
player activates Table Seat icon 906, a list of game instances
displayed in display pane 902 of the lobby page 900 will be limited
to only those game instances that have two seats, i.e. head-to-head
tables. Similarly, Table Seat icons 908, 910, 912 and 914, when
activated, will cause game instances with 5, 6, 8 and 10 seats,
respectively, to appear in the display pane 902 of the lobby page
900. The player can activate one, two or more Table Seat icons
simultaneously and their filtering effect is cumulative. For
example, when the player activates both Table Seat icons 906, 908
and 914, display pane 902 will list all games instances with two,
five and ten seats, respectively, as indicated in FIG. 9.
[0111] If a player activates a Table Seat icon or other filter icon
to locate all instances of games with six seats, for example, and
there is no game data that conforms to the player's criterion, the
gaming client application may display such a notice to the
player.
[0112] Continuing with the filter icons, when a player activates
Wagering Limit icon 920, the list of game instances displayed in
display pane 902 of the lobby page 900 will be limited to only
those game instances with Fixed Limit table wagering limits.
Similarly, Wagering Limit icons 916 and 918, when activated, will
cause game instances with Pot Limit and No Limit table wagering
limits, respectively, to appear in the display pane 902 of lobby
page 900. The player can activate one, two or three Wagering Limit
icons simultaneously and their filtering effect is cumulative. For
example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the player activates both
Wagering Limit icons 916 and 918, the display pane 902 will list
all game instances with Pot Limit and No Limit table wagering
limits. The filtering effect of the Table Seat icons and the
Wagering Limit icons is also cumulative, for example, if a player
activates Table Seat icon 906 and Wagering Limit icon 916, the
display pane 902 will only list those game instances with two seats
and Pot Limit table wagering limits.
[0113] Game Variety icons 922, 924, 926, 928, 930 and 932 relate to
the poker card games including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card Stud,
Omaha Hi/Lo, 7-Card Stud, and 5-Card Draw, respectively. The player
activates any one or more of these Game Variety icons to limit the
games listed in the display pane 902 to those corresponding to one
or more desired varieties of the multiplayer game. The player can
activate one, two or more Game Variety icons simultaneously and
their filtering effect is cumulative. For example, as shown in FIG.
11, when the player activates both Game Variety icons 922 and 930,
the display pane 902 will list all game instances of the Texas
Hold'em and 7-Card Stud varieties. The filtering effect of the
Table Seat, Wagering Limit and Game Variety icons is
cumulative.
[0114] One example of the toolbar 934 is shown in detail in FIG.
12. The toolbar 934 includes a graduated slider bar 1000, two
sliders 1002 and 1004, and five shortcut icons 1006, 1008, 1010,
1012 and 1014 labeled FUN, MICRO, SMALL, MED and HIGH,
respectively. Each of the sliders is independently positionable
along the slider bar 1000. The graduations on the slider bar 1000
relate to the Big Blind table stakes. The player is able to specify
a desired range of Big Blind table stakes by dragging the sliders
1002 and 1004 and positioning them at appropriate positions on the
slider bar so as to bracket the desired range. For example, as
shown in FIG. 13, if the player positions slider 1002 at a position
marked "20" on the slider bar 1000 and slider 1004 at position at a
position marked "200" on the slider bar, then the display pane 902
on the lobby page will only list those game instances having Big
Blind table stakes greater than or equal to $20 and less than or
equal to $200. The filtering effect of the toolbar 934 and the
Table Seat, Wagering Limit and Game Variety icons is
cumulative.
[0115] Referring back to FIG. 12, the toolbar shortcuts 1006, 1008,
1010, 1012 and 1014 provide the user with a simple way of filtering
the game data to locate game instances that have Big Blind table
stakes in certain default predefined ranges, without having to
individually position the sliders 1002 and 1004. For example,
activating shortcut icon 1006 labeled FUN in the toolbar
automatically sets sliders 1002 and 1004 at default positions
marked "10" and "20", respectively, on the slider bar 1000. The
default Big Blind table stakes corresponding to the various toolbar
shortcut icons can be defined as:
TABLE-US-00001 Shortcut Lower Limit (1002) Upper Limit (1004) FUN
10 20 MICRO 10 50 SMALL 30 200 MED 180 1000 HIGH 1500 10000
Clearly, different default Big Blind table stakes are possible.
[0116] Referring back to FIG. 9, the lobby page 900 contains
further icons 936 and 938 labeled FULL and EMPTY, respectively.
When the player activates the full icon 936, all game instances
that are fully occupied are not listed in (i.e. removed from) the
display pane 902. Alternatively, when the player activates the
empty icon 938, all game instances that are empty are removed from
the display pane 904.
[0117] The lobby page 900 further includes an additional display
pan 940. When the player highlights a game instance listed in
display pane 902, additional game data related to that game
instance is displayed in the display pane 940.
[0118] In one embodiment, the subscription method and filtering
icons within FIG. 9 enable a player to rapidly switch game play
within a particular game category. As one example, initially a
player may select the ring games tab 402 and establish a
subscription with the gaming server to receive the ring games data
at the workstation. The player may then wish to play an instance of
a 7-card stud ring game, and thus, the player may activate the
7-card stud filter, filter icon 930, so that only data pertaining
to available instances of 7-card stud ring games are displayed in
the display pane 902. After playing for some time, the player may
now wish to try his hand at a 5-card stud ring game. Because the
workstation has established a subscription with the gaming server
for all game data pertaining to the category "ring games", the
workstation will not need to request new game data for 5-card stud
games. Rather, the player can simply un-activate the filter icon
930 and activate the filter icon 932 pertaining to 5-card stud
games to now display all instances of 5-card stud games available
for play. The workstation will already have received such data from
the gaming server. Further, the workstation will have real-time or
substantially real-time game data available, due to the refreshing
of data to the workstation.
[0119] The same example may apply if the player should wish to
switch to a table that has a larger betting scheme. For instance,
the player may wish to switch from a $2/$4 table to a $10/$20
table. To do so, the user may adjust the slider bar 934 so that
games having the desired betting limits are displayed. The
workstation does not need to request any new data from the gaming
server.
[0120] As additional examples of views and layouts of the menu and
filtering selection system, FIG. 14 illustrates a display of the
SIT & GO tab 404 of FIG. 4 being selected. Upon selection of
the tab 404, lobby page 1400 is displayed to the player. The lobby
page 1400 contains a display pane 1402 in which a list of
tournament data relating to a plurality of Sit & Go tournament
instances appear. For each tournament instance, the following
attributes may be displayed:
[0121] a) Name: name of the tournament (typically, a fanciful name
to spark player interest, but may also be in the form of a number
or index);
[0122] b) Type: a variety of poker game played in the tournament
(either Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud or 5-Card
Draw)
[0123] c) Buy In: a cost of tournament entry;
[0124] d) Players: a number of registered players in the tournament
to date; and
[0125] e) Status: for tournaments in progress, a number of players
left in the tournament.
[0126] The lobby page 1400 displays an options pane 1404 containing
a plurality of filter icons that a player can use to dynamically
configure a tournament data filter. The filter icons include a
first set of six Tournament Class icons 1406, 1408, 1410, 1412,
1414 and 1416 that the player uses to display tournaments of one or
more desired classes only, a group of four Game Variety icons 1418,
1420, 1422 and 1424 that a player uses to display tournaments in
which desired varieties of poker are played, and the toolbar
1000.
[0127] The Tournament Class icons filter the tournament data
according to the following table:
TABLE-US-00002 Icon No. Tournament Class 1416 Single-table
tournaments 1414 Multi-table tournaments 1412 Turbo tournaments
1410 Heads-up tournaments (2 players only) 1408 Extreme stack
tournaments 1406 Satellite tournaments (i.e. feeders for other
tournaments)
[0128] The function of the Game Variety icons 1418, 1420, 1422 and
1424 has already been described previously in connection with the
RING GAMES tab 402. The toolbar 1000 functions in the same way as
that described above in relation to the RING GAMES tab 402 menu,
the only difference being that in the context of Sit & Go
tournaments, the toolbar 1000 is used to locate tournament
instances having tournament entry fees in certain predefined
ranges.
[0129] When the player highlights a tournament instance listed in
display pane 1402, additional tournament data related to that
tournament instance is displayed in a further display pane 1426.
The display pane 1426 contains an icon 1428 that, upon activation
by the user, displays a tournament lobby page as illustrated in
FIG. 15. For example, the tournament lobby page illustrates the
players in the tournament, tournament information, prize
information, and other tournament description as needed.
[0130] As a final example of views and layouts of the menu and
filtering selection system, FIG. 16 illustrates a display of the
SCHEDULED tab 406 of FIG. 4 being selected. Upon selection of tab
406, a lobby page 1600 is provided to the player that contains a
display pane 1602 in which a list of tournament data relating to a
plurality of scheduled tournament instances appears. For each
tournament instance, the following attributes may be displayed:
[0131] a) Name: name of the tournament (typically, a fanciful name
to spark player interest, but may also be in the form of a number
or index);
[0132] b) Type: a variety of poker game played in the tournament
(either Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud or 5-Card
Draw)
[0133] c) Buy In: a cost of tournament entry;
[0134] d) Players: a number of registered players in the tournament
to date; and
[0135] e) Stat: for tournaments in progress, the current tournament
round that is underway.
[0136] The lobby page 1600 displays an options pane 1604 containing
a plurality of filter icons that the player can use to dynamically
configure a tournament data filter. The filter icons include a
first set of five Tournament Class icons 1606, 1608, 1610, 1612 and
1614 that the player uses to display scheduled tournaments of one
or more desired classes only, a group of four Game Variety icons
1616, 1618, 1620 and 1622 that a player uses to display tournaments
in which desired varieties of poker are played, and the toolbar
1000.
[0137] The Tournament Class icons filter the tournament data
according to the following table:
TABLE-US-00003 Icon No. Tournament Class 1606 Single-table
tournaments 1608 Multi-table tournaments 1610 Turbo tournaments
1612 Heads-up tournaments (2 players only) 1614 Extreme stack
tournaments
[0138] The function of the Game Variety icons 1616, 1618, 1620 and
1622 has already been described previously in connection with the
RING GAMES tab 402. Similarly, the toolbar 1000 functions in the
same way as that described above in relation to the RING GAMES tab
402, the only difference being that in the context of Scheduled
tournaments, the toolbar is used to locate tournament instances
that have tournament entry fees in certain predefined ranges.
[0139] When the player highlights a tournament instance listed in
display pane 1602, additional tournament data related to that
tournament instance is displayed in a further display pane 1624.
The display pane 1624 contains an icon 1626 that, upon activation
by the user, displays a tournament lobby page similar to the
example illustrated in FIG. 15.
[0140] As described above, in each of the example views and layouts
of the menu and filtering selection system, shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 9,
10, 11, 13, 14 and 16, a filtering option pane is provided to the
player that includes selectable options to filter the available
games that are presented to the player. Generally, the workstation
performs the filtering, and in this manner, the server only sends
data pertaining to a single game category so as to lessen the
amount of data sent to the workstations.
Other Alternatives
[0141] Within the examples described above, the present application
has been described in the context of a multiplayer poker game,
although the underlying principles have wider applicability. For
example, the present application applies equally well to other
games that are based on a video slots game as the underlying game,
instead of a poker game. Other types of games may also apply.
[0142] Further, the electronic games to which the present
application relates include online games that are played over the
Internet, as well as to games that are played in land-based gaming
establishments where play takes place on a number of separate
gaming machines possibly interconnected by means of a local area
network.
[0143] Still further, the functions of the server 108 may be
divided amongst multiple proprietary servers corresponding to each
casino game or casino website. Other servers can be arranged to
monitor individual credit account balances of the participating
players at the online casino websites and to cause the server 108
to disallow participation in the game of any player whose credit
account balance drops below a predetermined minimum threshold.
[0144] The server 108 and electronic gaming devices 102 and 104
each may include processors that access memory to execute software
functions stored therein to participate in the electronic
multiplayer tournaments. The electronic gaming devices 102 and 104
may include any input interface such as those for a standard
computer to allow players to participate in the tournaments. In
addition, the devices 102 and 104 and the server 108 may include
memory, such as random access memory (RAM), or secondary storage,
such as read only memory (ROM), optical or magnetic disks,
compact-disc read only memory (CD-ROM), or any other volatile or
non-volatile storage systems. The memory may store the casino
client interface programs, the client process for a particular
casino game or other software programs corresponding to the
electronic multiplayer tournaments. In turn, the software programs
are executable by the processors to play the electronic multiplayer
tournaments. As such, the software programs are executable to
display the GUI to the players that may be of a standard type of
user interface allowing a user to interact with a computer that
employs graphical images in addition to text to represent
information and actions available to the user. Actions may be
performed through direct manipulation of graphical elements, which
include windows, buttons, menus, and scroll bars, for example.
[0145] It should be further understood that this and other
arrangements described herein are for purposes of example only. As
such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other
arrangements and other elements (e.g. machines, interfaces,
functions, orders, and groupings of functions, etc.) can be used
instead, and some elements may be omitted altogether according to
the desired results. Further, many of the elements that are
described are functional entities that may be implemented as
discrete or distributed components or in conjunction with other
components, in any suitable combination and location.
[0146] Thus, while the present application has been described in
the context of fully functional electronic gaming devices and
servers, those skilled in the art will appreciate that mechanisms
of the present application are capable of being distributed in the
form of a computer-readable medium of instructions in a variety of
forms, and that the present application applies equally regardless
of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually
carry out the distribution. Examples of such computer-accessible
devices include computer memory (RAM or ROM), floppy disks, and
CD-ROMs, as well as transmission-type media such as digital and
analog communication links.
[0147] Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail
can be made to the described embodiments, it is intended that all
matters in the preceeding description and shown in the accompanying
drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting
sense. Further, it is intended to be understood that the following
clauses further describe aspects of the present application.
[0148] (1) A method of presenting electronic casino games to a
player, the method comprising:
[0149] establishing a subscription between an electronic gaming
device and a gaming server, the subscription indicating requested
game data by a user of the electronic gaming device that pertains
to a selected game category, the requested game data indicating
variants of instances of games available for play;
[0150] at predefined intervals, receiving the requested game data
at the electronic gaming device that pertains to the selected game
category, where the requested game data is refreshed at the
electronic gaming device at subsequent intervals;
[0151] at the electronic gaming device, filtering the requested
game data according to user preferences so as to filter out
variants of instances of games available for play; and
[0152] displaying instances of games available for play that meet
the user preferences.
[0153] (2) The method of clause (1), wherein the game data is
segmented and the subscription established by the workstation is
for game data related to a single game format.
[0154] (3) The method of clauses (1) or (2), wherein the game
categories include Ring Games, Sit & Go Tournaments, Scheduled
Tournaments, Quick Start page, and a Casino page.
[0155] (4) The method of clauses (1), (2) or (3), wherein for each
instance of a game available for play, some of the following
attributes are displayed: a table name, a game type, a variety of
poker game that is played at the table, a wagering limit applicable
at the table, table stakes, a number of players waiting to join the
table, a number of participating players that can be accommodated
at the table, a cost of a tournament entry fee, and a status for
tournaments in progress.
[0156] (5) The method of clauses (1), (2), (3) or (4), wherein one
game category includes games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card
Stud, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7-Card Stud, and 5-Card Draw.
[0157] (6) The method of clauses (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5), further
comprising providing a graphical user interface including a
graduated slider bar with two sliders, the graduated slider bar
including graduations relating to table wagering stakes, and
wherein filtering the requested game data according to user
preferences comprises specifying a desired range table stakes by
positioning the two sliders at appropriate positions on the slider
bar so as to bracket the desired range.
[0158] (7) An electronic gaming device for playing an electronic
casino game, comprising:
[0159] a processing unit;
[0160] a memory storing a client interface program for execution by
the processing unit, wherein the client interface program is
executable to: [0161] establish a subscription between the
electronic gaming device and a gaming server, the subscription
indicating requested game data by a user of the electronic gaming
device that pertains to a selected game category, the requested
game data indicating variants of instances of games available for
play; [0162] at predefined intervals, receive the requested game
data at the electronic gaming device that pertains to the selected
game category, where the requested game data is refreshed at the
electronic gaming device at subsequent intervals; [0163] filter the
requested game data according to user preferences so as to filter
out variants of instances of games available for play; and [0164]
display instances of games available for play that meet the user
preferences.
[0165] (8) The device of clause (7), wherein the electronic gaming
device presents a graphical user interface to the players including
the display of instances of games available for play.
[0166] (9) The device of clauses (7) or (8), further comprising
filter icons selectable by a user to filter out variants of
instances of games available for play.
[0167] (10) The device of clauses (7), (8) or (9), further
comprising a search engine to perform the filtering.
[0168] (11) The device of clauses (7), (8), (9) or (10) wherein the
client interface program is executable to filter the requested game
data so as to display only a specific type of card game within the
selected game category.
[0169] (12) The device of clauses (7), (8), (9), (10) or (11),
wherein the client interface program is executable to filter the
requested game data so as to display only card games having a
desired betting scheme, or so as to display only card games having
selected wagering amounts.
[0170] (13) A system for presenting electronic casino games to a
player, comprising:
[0171] electronic gaming devices for presenting to a user a display
depicting game play, the electronic gaming devices including
filters so as to filter out variants of instances of games
available for play; and
[0172] a server coupled through a communication network to the
electronic gaming devices, the server establishing a subscription
between the electronic gaming device and the server, the
subscription indicating requested game data by a user of the
electronic gaming device that pertains to a selected game category,
the requested game data indicating variants of instances of games
available for play, wherein at predefined intervals, the server
sends the requested game data to the electronic gaming device that
pertains to the selected game category so as to refresh the game
data at the electronic gaming device at subsequent intervals.
[0173] (14) The system of clause (13), wherein the game data is
segmented and the subscription established by the electronic gaming
device is for game data related to a single game format.
[0174] (15) The system of clauses (13) or (14), wherein one game
category includes games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card Stud,
Omaha Hi/Lo, 7-Card Stud, and 5-Card Draw.
[0175] (16) A graphical interface for displaying game data
associated with electronic casino games, the graphical interface
comprising:
[0176] game category tabs each associated with a respective game
category;
[0177] a display pane, wherein upon selection of a game category
tab, instances of games available for play pertaining to the
selected game category tab are displayed in the display pane;
and
[0178] an option pane including: [0179] filtering icons selectable
to filter game data according to user preferences so as to filter
out variants of instances of games available for play, and [0180] a
slider bar that indicates a range of amounts of wagers for a game
and includes markers positionable on the slider bar so as to
bracket a desired range.
[0181] (17) The graphical interface of clause (16), wherein the
filtering icons include table seat icons that a player uses to
display tables only having a desired number of seats.
[0182] (18) The graphical interface of clauses (16) or (17),
wherein the filtering icons include wagering limit icons that a
player uses to display tables only having desired wagering
limits.
[0183] (19) The graphical interface of clauses (16), (17) or (18),
wherein the filtering icons include game variety icons that a
player uses to display only tables at which desired varieties of
poker games are played.
[0184] (20) The graphical interface of clauses (16), (17), (18) or
(19), wherein the filter icons include tournament class icons that
a player uses to display tournaments of only one or more desired
classes.
[0185] (21) The graphical interface of clauses (16), (17), (18),
(19) or (20), wherein the tournament class icons filter tournament
data according to single-table tournaments, multi-table
tournaments, turbo tournaments, heads-up tournaments, extreme stack
tournaments, and satellite tournaments.
[0186] (22) The graphical interface of clauses (16), (17), (18),
(19), (20) or (21), wherein the player can activate one or more of
the filtering icons simultaneously and the filtering effect is
cumulative.
[0187] Various embodiments have been described. Those skilled in
the art will understand, however, that changes and modifications
may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the
true scope and spirit of the present invention, which is defined by
the following claims.
* * * * *