Poker Tournament Management System

Abstract

A Poker Tournament Management System (TMS) is disclosed for providing an audiovisual presentation to tournament administrators and participants, wherein a plurality of tournament parameters are displayed and incremented according to a predetermined or user-defined schedule. Various chapters of the presentation that correspond to a level of play are preferably of the same length and each chapter may include an audio and/or visual alert to signal the beginning/end of each chapter, as appropriate. Thus, tournament players and administrators may be apprised of a change in tournament level without constantly scanning the display. The TMS may be authored by sequentially recording portable network graphics or the like to a computer-readable medium such that the medium controls the display of tournament time, and not a clock of a computer system or the like.

1 . A method for presenting an audiovisual production, comprising:
 displaying a plurality of chapters to a user; and   generating an audio alert to indicate a change from a current chapter to a next chapter.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , said audiovisual production for use in a tournament. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , said tournament comprising a poker tournament. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , each chapter corresponding to a separate level of minimum bets for the poker tournament. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the minimum bets change with each successive chapter. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , said displaying further comprising:
 displaying, within each chapter, tournament parameters comprising at least one of: a running time of the tournament, a time remaining for a level of the tournament, an ante level for the tournament and a level of minimum bets for the tournament.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the tournament parameters are user-defined. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least one chapter corresponds to an intermission in the tournament. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , said displaying further comprising:
 sequentially displaying the plurality of chapters to the user.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of chapters have equal run times. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audible alert occurs prior to an end of a chapter. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audio alert occurs at an end of a chapter. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audio alert occurs upon a commencement of a chapter. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a visual alert to indicate the change to the next chapter.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 authoring the audiovisual production by arranging a continuous display of a frame of still image data that defines a predetermined runtime of a chapter of the audiovisual production; and   overlaying the frame with variable image data defining displayed increments of time of the audiovisual presentation within the chapter.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 authoring the audiovisual production by generating a computer program that outputs a display of having a first portion including static image data and a second portion including a time parameter that displays increments of units of time;   running the computer program to generate an output comprising the audiovisual production; and   writing the output to a computer-readable medium, whereby display of the increments of units of time during the audiovisual production are controlled only by a runtime of the audiovisual presentation.   
   
   
       17 . A method of authoring an audiovisual production, comprising:
 arranging a continuous display of a frame of still image data that defines a predetermined runtime of a chapter of the audiovisual production; and   overlaying the frame with variable image data defining displayed increments of units of time of the audiovisual presentation within the chapter, whereby display of the increments of units of time during the audiovisual production are controlled only by a runtime of the audiovisual presentation.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 displaying a plurality of chapters to a user within the audiovisual production; and   generating an audio alert to indicate a change from a current chapter to a next chapter.   
   
   
       19 . A method of authoring an audiovisual production, comprising:
 generating a computer program that outputs a display of having a first portion including static image data and a second portion including a time parameter that displays increments of units of time;   running the computer program to generate an output comprising the audiovisual production; and   writing the output to a computer-readable medium, whereby display of the increments of units of time during the audiovisual production are controlled only by a runtime of the audiovisual presentation.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 displaying a plurality of chapters to a user within the audiovisual production; and   generating an audio alert to indicate a change from a current chapter to a next chapter.