Networked gaming systems and methods

Abstract

A novel networked game, such as poker, having one or more jackpots, includes a lobby screen display from which a player can request to be seated at one or more of a plurality of virtual game tables which are identified as jackpot game tables. Playing cards are electronically dealt to players at the jackpot game tables from an electronic game deck, thereby forming player hands. A dynamic game table screen display presented to each player includes a representation of a game table and players, and, at one or more times: a representation of the playing cards forming the player's hand, an indication of a fee to be collected from a pot containing amounts wagered by players for funding a jackpot, a jackpot counter for indicating the cumulative funds in the jackpot, and a message identifying one or more players at the table who have won funds from the jackpot, and the amounts which they have won.

1 . A networked game, having one or more prize funds, said networked game comprising: 
 a lobby screen display from which a player can request to be seated at one or more of 
 a plurality of virtual game positions which are identified as prize fund game positions;  
 a dynamic game position screen display presented to each player including a representation of a game position and at least one player, and, at one or more times:  
   a representation of said player's game status, and an indication of a fee to be collected from amounts contributed by players for funding a prize fund,    a counter for indicating the cumulative funds in said prize fund, and    a message identifying one or more players who have won funds from said prize fund, and the amounts which they have won.    
   
   
       2 . A networked game according to  claim 1 , wherein said position screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a message identifying a player who has won the game and the amount which said player has won.    
   
   
       3 . A networked game according to  claim 1 , wherein said position screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a message identifying players at one or more other positions who have won funds from said prize fund, and the amounts which they have won.    
   
   
       4 . A networked game according to  claim 1 , wherein said screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a starting amount for the next prize fund.    
   
   
       5 . A networked game according to  claim 1 , wherein said prize fund is awarded in accordance with predetermined rules available for display at said lobby screen display.  
   
   
       6 . A networked game according to  claim 5 , wherein said prize fund is a bad beat prize find, wherein a high ranking player game result has lost to an even higher ranking player game result, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       7 . A networked game according to  claim 5 , wherein said prize fund is a high player game result prize fund, wherein a player getting the highest player game result during a specified period wins a prize fund amount, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       8 . A networked game according to  claim 1 , wherein said message comprises a pop-up message.  
   
   
       9 . A networked card game according to  claim 1 , wherein said message comprises a chat message.  
   
   
       10 . A networked game, such as poker, having one or more jackpots, said networked game comprising: 
 a lobby screen display from which a player can request to be seated at one or more of a plurality of virtual game tables which are identified as jackpot game tables;    playing cards electronically dealt to players at one of said jackpot game tables from an electronic game deck, thereby forming player hands;    a dynamic game table screen display presented to each player including a 
 representation of a game table and players, and, at one or more times:  
 a representation of the playing cards forming said player's hand, and  
 an indication of a fee to be collected from a pot containing amounts wagered by players for funding a jackpot,  
 a jackpot counter for indicating the cumulative funds in said jackpot, and  
 a message identifying one or more players at said table who have won funds from said jackpot, and the amounts which they have won.  
   
   
   
       11 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said table screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a message identifying a player at said table who has won the hand and the amount which said player has won.    
   
   
       12 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said table screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a message identifying players at one or more other tables who have won funds from said jackpot, and the amounts which they have won.    
   
   
       13 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said table screen display further includes, at one or more times, 
 a starting amount for the next jackpot.    
   
   
       14 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said jackpot is awarded in accordance with predetermined rules available for display at said lobby screen display.  
   
   
       15 . A networked game according to  claim 14 , wherein said jackpot is a bad beat jackpot, wherein a high ranking hand has lost to an even higher ranking hand, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       16 . A networked game according to  claim 14 , wherein said jackpot is a high hand jackpot, wherein a player getting the highest hand during a specified period wins a jackpot amount, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       17 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said message comprises a pop-up message.  
   
   
       18 . A networked game according to  claim 10 , wherein said message comprises a chat message from a virtual dealer.  
   
   
       19 . A networked game, having one or more prize funds, said networked game comprising: 
 means for providing a lobby screen display from which a player can request to be seated at one or more of a plurality of virtual game positions, at least some of which are identified as prize fund game positions, and    means for admitting one or more players to one of said positions, comprising 
 means for differentiating between prize fund game positions and other game positions for purposes of creating a wait list, and  
 means for creating one wait list for the prize fund game positions and one wait list for the other game positions.  
   
   
   
       20 . A networked game, such as poker, having one or more jackpots, said networked game comprising: 
 means for providing a lobby screen display from which a player can request to be seated at one or more of a plurality of virtual game tables, at least some of which are identified as jackpot game tables;    means for admitting one or more players to one of said tables, comprising,    means for differentiating between jackpot game tables and other game tables for purposes of creating a wait list, and    means for creating one wait list for the jackpot tables and one wait list for the other game tables.    
   
   
       21 . A networked game according to  claim 20 , and further including 
 means for electronically dealing playing cards to players admitted to said one of said jackpot tables from an electronic game deck, thereby forming player hands;    means for presenting to each player a dynamic game table screen display including, at one or more times: 
 a representation of the playing cards forming said player's hand,  
 an indication of a fee to be collected from a pot containing amounts wagered by players for funding a jackpot;  
 an indication of the cumulative funds in said jackpot,  
 a message identifying players at said table who have won funds from said jackpot, and the amounts which they have won, and  
 means for delaying said electronically dealing of a next hand until said message has been displayed, without disturbing the display of other messages.  
   
   
   
       22 . A networked game according to  claim 20 , and further including means for creating on said lobby screen a message box split into two parts, one for messages and the other for the displaying a jackpot counter.  
   
   
       23 . A networked game according to  claim 20 , and further including means for displaying the jackpot counter only on jackpot tables and for determining the jackpot type for each jackpot table and displaying the correct jackpot value for that jackpot type.  
   
   
       24 . A networked gaming system having one or more prize funds, comprising: 
 at least one game server; 
 a game client application by which a player connects to the server;  
 at least one prize fund game position hosted on said game server, and which holds prize fund qualification logic and checks every game after completion to evaluate if the game qualifies for a prize fund;  
 a game server controller application which manages a life cycle of one or more game positions;  
 a database which stores information to be utilized by the system, 
 wherein changes made through the admin reports are automatically updated on game server controller.  
 
   
   
   
       25 . A networked gaming system having one or more jackpots, comprising: 
 at least one game server;    a game client application by which a player connects to the server;    at least one jackpot game table hosted on said game server, and which holds jackpot qualification logic and checks every game after completion to evaluate if the game qualifies for a jackpot;    a game server controller which manages a life cycle of one or more game tables; 
 a database which stores information to be utilized by the system,  
 wherein changes made through the admin reports are automatically updated on game server controller.  
   
   
   
       26 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , and further including an admin web page which creates, deletes, and updates active jackpot parameters,  
   
   
       27 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , and further including a jackpot manager which collects jackpot information from said game table, updates counter information to the game server controller on periodic basis and sends updates to all other game servers about a jackpot hit;  
   
   
       28 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , and further including at least one other game table, wherein said at least one game server includes at least one jackpot game server and at least one other game server.  
   
   
       29 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least one jackpot game server comprises a server side Java application, which hosts multiple jackpot game tables concurrently, receives connection requests from the game client, maintains a connection and ensures communication between the game client and the jackpot game tables hosted in it.  
   
   
       30 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , wherein the game server controller communicates with the database.  
   
   
       31 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , wherein the information stored by the database includes relatively static configuration information and dynamic runtime information.  
   
   
       32 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 27 , wherein said at least one jackpot game table controls the collection of ajackpot contribution and updates counter values and jackpot status to the jackpot manager after completion of every game.  
   
   
       33 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , wherein each game server manages a jackpot counter displayed in a lobby and at each game table hosted by the game server, and broadcasts jackpot messages to players on all the game tables hosted by the game server.  
   
   
       34 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , and further including at least two message queues between said game server controller and said game servers to send updated jackpot amounts and jackpot win popup message to players.  
   
   
       35 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 25 , wherein each game server includes means for delaying the start of a subsequent game until anyjackpot message has been displayed, without disturbing the display of other messages.  
   
   
       36 . A networked gaming system according to  claim 28 , wherein each game server includes means for differentiating between jackpot game tables and other game tables for purposes of creating a wait list, and means for creating one wait list for the jackpot tables and one wait list for the other game tables.  
   
   
       37 . A method of conducting a networked game, such as poker, having one or more jackpots, said method comprising: 
 providing a lobby screen display from which a player can request seat at one or more of a plurality of virtual game tables which are identified as jackpot game tables;    presenting to each player a dynamic game table screen display including a representation of a game table and players, and, at one or more times: a representation of the game status of said player, an indication of a fee to be collected from a pot containing amounts wagered by players for funding a jackpot, a jackpot counter for indicating the cumulative fuids in said jackpot, and a message identifying one or more players at said table who have won funds from said jackpot, and the amounts which they have won.    
   
   
       38 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said presenting a game table screen display further includes, at one or more times, displaying message identifying a player at said table who has won the game and the amount which said player has won.  
   
   
       39 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said presenting a game table screen display further includes, at one or more times, displaying a message identifying players at one or more other tables who have won funds from said jackpot, and the amounts which they have won.  
   
   
       40 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said presenting a game table screen display further includes, at one or more times, displaying a starting amount for the next jackpot.  
   
   
       41 . A method according to  claim 37 , further including awarding said jackpot in accordance with predetermined rules available for display at said lobby screen display.  
   
   
       42 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said jackpot is a bad beat jackpot, wherein a high ranking poker hand has lost to an even higher ranking poker hand, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       43 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said jackpot is a high hand jackpot, wherein a player getting the highest poker hand during a specified period wins a jackpot amount, as defined by said predetermined rules.  
   
   
       44 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said message comprises a pop-up message.  
   
   
       45 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein said message comprises a chat message from a virtual dealer.