System and method for fantasy mma pick 'em tournament game

Abstract

Embodiments for a system and method for establishing a plurality of fantasy MMA tournaments to a plurality of participants utilizing an automated web-based platform are disclosed. In each embodiment, participants register into the web-based platform in order to create or join a tournament organized to play a fantasy MMA pick 'em game in accordance with game rules, including prediction of the outcomes of real-world MMA fights on a pre-defined fight card during which tournament competition is held; head-to-head match ups decided by relative prediction accuracy for specific fights assigned to tournament rounds; and predefined a method of victory.

1 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions which when accessed by a computer cause the computer to load the program instructions to a memory therein creating a special purpose data structure causing the computer to operate as a specially programmed computer, executing a method for establishing a fantasy mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament to a plurality of participants, the method comprising:
 creating in the specially programmed computer a database of participants and at least one unique tournament bracket, created by the matching of two participants in a contest of fight-outcome prediction accuracy;   providing a fantasy MMA tournament pick 'em game, in which a plurality of participants compete in successive head-to-head match ups in accordance with game rules;   providing each of the plurality of participants access to a standard graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI having a participant sign-in capability, a unique webpage corresponding to each registered participant and a tournament-specific area allowing the participant access to a tournament homepage that provides tournament information and a plurality of links to game functionality;   wherein the game rules include:   accumulating participant predictions regarding the outcomes of real-world MMA fights;   a predefined fight card during which tournament competition is held;   head-to-head participant match ups decided by relative prediction accuracy for a particular fight on said card assigned to each tournament round; and   a predefined method of victory.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable storage medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein participants' prediction accuracy regarding the winner of the applicable fight determines bracket winners. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  wherein a tie breaker for determining bracket winners in the event that both participants select the same fighter to win is participants' predictions regarding method of victory. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  wherein a tie breaker for determining bracket winners in the event that both participants select the same fighter to win is participants' predictions regarding fight duration metrics, including at least one of: round and time of victory. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  wherein the tournament rounds are assigned to fights in the actual sequential order of the fight card. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 5  wherein the tournament is structured so that the sequential assignment of fights to tournament rounds concludes with the main event fight assigned to the tournament final round. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  wherein the predefined method of victory comprises winning all match ups in every assigned bracket over the course of an entire fight card, including the tournament final round. 
     
     
         8 . In a computing environment comprising an online game service and a plurality of online game players playing a game at remote client computers that are connected to the game service, a method for establishing fantasy mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments to a plurality of participants utilizing an automated web-based platform, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) registering the plurality of participants into the automated web-based platform by entering requested information and creating a participant account;   b) at least one of: matching the plurality of participants with other participants registered in the automated web-based platform to establish a plurality of fantasy public tournaments and allowing participants to invite others to create fantasy private tournaments;   c) organizing the fantasy tournaments in accordance with fantasy MMA tournament pick 'em game rules, including participant prediction of the outcomes of real-world MMA fights on a pre-defined fight card during which tournament competition is held; head-to-head match ups decided by relative prediction accuracy; and a predefined method of victory.   d) allowing the plurality of participants to make fight predictions via the web-based platform;   e) comparing the applicable fight prediction made by each participant against the prediction made by the opposing participant for every head-to-head matchup during each tournament round;   f) determining and declaring round-by-round participant matchup winners based on relative prediction accuracy for the applicable fight assigned to each tournament round; and   g) advancing participant match up winners after each tournament round to the next round match up, until just a single participant remains as tournament winner.   
     
     
         9 . In a computing environment comprising an online game service, a method for playing a fantasy mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament pick 'em game utilizing an automated web-based platform, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) registering into the automated web-based platform by entering requested information and creating a participant account;   b) utilizing the automated system provided by the web-based platform to perform at least one of joining an existing fantasy MMA tournament within the web-based platform and creating a new private fantasy MMA tournament;   c) making predictions regarding the outcomes of fights scheduled to take place on the real-world fight card tied to said tournament via the automated processes and tools of the web-based platform;   d) competing with other participants within said tournament in accordance with game rules, including prediction of the outcomes of real-world MMA fights on a pre-defined fight card during which tournament competition is held; head-to-head match ups decided by relative prediction accuracy; and predefined a method of victory.   e) advancing in said tournament by winning bracket match ups based on relative prediction accuracy for the fight assigned to each tournament round;   f) accessing data provided by the web-based platform including fight predictions made by tournament participants and tournament results; and   g) at least one of: winning the fantasy MMA tournament pick 'em game by making a more accurate fight outcome prediction than every bracket opponent over the course of the entire fight card and not winning the fantasy MMA tournament pick 'em game by making a less accurate fight outcome prediction than an opponent and thus failing to advance any further in said tournament.