System and method for managing a virtual home game

Abstract

A home game system and method for scheduling virtual home game in a home game club. Membership to the club is restricted and managed by the club manager. The number of home game clubs that a player can create, the number of games that are scheduled for a home game club, the number of players that may be granted membership in the home game club, and the number of home game clubs that a player may join may all be limited by predetermined thresholds. Members may have different levels of access to the home game system. Members with a lower level of access permission may have lower thresholds than members with a higher level of access permission and may not play in games with a higher level of access permission. Club rankings and game results may be tracked.

1 . A computer implemented method for the delivery of a software application comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at a server computer, a request to download a software application over a network;   in response to the request, providing by the server computer over the network a software application including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:
 receiving input from an input device creating a home game club; 
 receiving a membership request to join the home game club from a plurality of members, wherein at least one of the plurality of members has a first level of access permission and at least one of the plurality of members has a second level of access permission; 
 receiving input from the input device approving the membership request for at least one of the plurality of members; 
 receiving input from the input device scheduling a virtual poker game accessible to the at least one member having the first level of access permission; and 
 executing the virtual poker game over the network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the virtual poker game is accessible over the network to the at least one member having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein access to the virtual poker game is denied to the at least one member having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a user requesting said software application has a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising creating a plurality of home game clubs, wherein a maximum number of home game clubs created is less than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein for a first user requesting said software application having a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than the predetermined threshold for a second user requesting said software application having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein if a member requests membership in a plurality of home game clubs, the maximum number of approved membership requests is limited by a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein for the at least one member having a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than the predetermined threshold for the at least one member having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said approving a membership request is limited to a maximum number of members according to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein for a first user requesting said software application having a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than the predetermined threshold for a second user requesting said software application having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving input from an input device creating a virtual poker game and setting a plurality of parameters for the virtual poker game. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said plurality of parameters includes a time limit for executing the virtual poker game. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said scheduling is limited to a maximum number of virtual poker games according to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein for a first user requesting said software application having a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than the predetermined threshold for a second user requesting said software application having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the time limit is met by adjusting a plurality of blinds during said executing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said plurality of blinds are adjusted according to a predetermined blind schedule. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said plurality of blinds are adjusted according to a dynamic determination of the rate of play calculated during said executing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 recording, at the server, statistic data updated during said executing; and 
 displaying in a graphical user interface (GUI), a summary of the recorded statistic data. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said statistic data is reset after a predefined season. 
     
     
         20 . A client device comprising:
 a processor;   an input device;   a display device;   and a computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the steps of:
 receiving input from the input device creating a home game club; 
 receiving a membership request to join the home game club from a plurality of members, wherein at least one of the plurality of members has a first level of access permission and at least one of the plurality of members has a second level of access permission; 
 receiving input from the input device approving the membership request for at least one of the plurality of members; 
 receiving input from the input device scheduling a virtual poker game accessible to the at least one member having the first level of access permission; and 
 executing the virtual poker game over the network. 
   
     
     
         21 . The client device of  claim 20  wherein said processor creates a plurality of home game clubs such that a maximum number of home game clubs created is less than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         22 . The client device of  claim 21  wherein if the client device is associated with a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than if the client device is associated with a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         23 . The client device of  claim 20  wherein if a member requests membership in a plurality of home game clubs, the maximum number of approved membership requests is limited by a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         24 . The client device of  claim 23  wherein for the at least one member having a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than the predetermined threshold for the at least one member having a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         25 . The client device of  claim 20  wherein approving a membership request is limited to a maximum number of members according to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         26 . The client device of  claim 25  wherein if the client device is associated with a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than if the client device is associated with a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         27 . The client device of  claim 20  wherein the processor further performs the steps of creating a virtual poker game and setting a plurality of parameters for the virtual poker game. 
     
     
         28 . The client device of  claim 27  wherein scheduling a plurality of virtual poker games is limited to a maximum number of virtual poker games according to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         29 . The client device of  claim 28  wherein if the client device is associated with a first level of access permission, the predetermined threshold is greater than if the client device is associated with a second level of access permission. 
     
     
         30 . The client device of  claim 29  wherein said plurality of parameters includes a time limit for executing the virtual poker game. 
     
     
         31 . The client device of  claim 30  wherein the time limit is met by adjusting a plurality of blinds during the said executing. 
     
     
         32 . The client device of  claim 31  wherein said plurality of blinds are adjusted according to a predetermined blind schedule. 
     
     
         33 . The client device of  claim 31  wherein said plurality of blinds are adjusted according to a dynamic determination of the rate of play calculated during said executing. 
     
     
         34 . The client device of  claim 20  further comprising updating collected statistic data during said executing, and displaying a summary of the statistic data with the display device. 
     
     
         35 . The client device of  claim 34  wherein the statistic data is reset after a predefined season.