Method of organizing a collective on-line game

Abstract

The invention is implemented by a computer system comprising a game site administering a collective on-line game between a plurality of players, and a plurality of terminals available to the respective players. The method comprises at least one game session comprising steps consisting in: a) selecting a first sub-population of adversary-players and a second sub-population of spectator-players; b) beginning a game between the adversary-players; c) authorizing adversary-players to place a series of bets; d) communicating parameters descriptive of the play of the game to the spectator-players; e) authorizing the spectator-players to place a series of bets distinct from the bets placed by the adversary-players; and f) at the end of a game, awarding a score to each player as a function of predefined criteria and as a function of the result of the game and of the bets placed by each player; said awarding being performed differently amongst the adversary-players and amongst the spectator-players.

1 . A method of organizing a collective on-line game, implemented by means of a computer system comprising:
 a game site suitable for administering a collective on-line game between a plurality of players, the game being characterized by a predetermined body of rules open to being known to all of the players of said plurality, and each play of the game being characterized by an initial deal and by varying parameters that describe the play at any given instant; and   a plurality of terminals available to respective players, each terminal being coupled to the game site to transmit to the site data input by the respective players, and to receive from the site data in return; and   the method comprising at least one game session comprising steps consisting in:   a) selecting a first sub-population of adversary-players and a second sub-population of spectator-players;   b) beginning a game between the adversary-players;   c) authorizing adversary-players to place a series of bets;   d) communicating parameters descriptive of the play of the game to the spectator-players;   e) authorizing the spectator-players to place a series of bets distinct from the bets placed by the adversary-players; and   f) at the end of a game, awarding a score to each player as a function of predefined criteria and as a function of the result of the game and of the bets placed by each player;   said awarding being performed differently amongst the adversary-players and amongst the spectator-players.   
   
   
       2 . The method or organizing a game of  claim 1 , in which step a) comprises:
 a sub-step a1) in which the adversary-players are initially selected as a function of a first set of predetermined criteria; and then   a sub-step a2) in which the spectator-players are subsequently allocated to the adversary-players selected in step a1) as a function of a second set of predetermined criteria.   
   
   
       3 . The method of organizing a game of  claim 1 , further comprising steps consisting in:
 g) setting up an endowment to be shared between the players; and   h) sharing said endowment out as a plurality of prizes for awarding to the players as a function of the respective scores they have obtained, and in manners that are different amongst adversary-players and amongst spectator-players.   
   
   
       4 . The method of organizing a game according to  claim 3 , in which:
 paid-for advertisements are displayed on the terminals of the players; and   said endowment is a function of the level of revenues associated with said paid-for advertisements.   
   
   
       5 . The method of organizing a game of  claim 4 , in which said endowment is a predetermined percentage of said level of revenues as evaluated over a period of time preceding the award of said endowment. 
   
   
       6 . The method of organizing a game of  claim 4 , in which:
 the activity of the site is measured by a traffic index representative of the number of players who have participated in the game during a given session;   said paid-for advertisements are established on the basis of a given tariff and of advertising space allocated to said advertisements; and   at least one of the advertisement tariff and the advertising space allocated to said advertisements is a function of said tariff index measured during earlier sessions of the game.   
   
   
       7 . A method of organizing a game according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of analyzing all of the bets placed by the various players, with a score being awarded as a function of the relevance of the bets placed by the players. 
   
   
       8 . The method of organizing a game of  claim 7 , further comprising, after the step of awarding a score, a step of classifying the players as a function of their scores, in different manners amongst adversary-players and amongst spectator-players. 
   
   
       9 . The method of organizing a game of  claim 8 , further comprising, after the classification step, a step of carrying out said endowment amongst the players of the best classifications, in different manners amongst the adversary-players and amongst the spectator-players.