Broadcast System

Abstract

A broadcast system includes an online multiplayer gaming system that enables a number of different players to play one or more instances of multiplayer poker, and game play recording means that generates game play records corresponding to game play events occurring in each turn of each instance of the multiplayer poker game. The generated game play records are stored a historical log file. A replay means retrieves the stored game play records from the historical log file and generates, from the game play records, replays of the instances of the multiplayer poker game. The replay the replay is delayed relative to the original play of the game by a predetermined time interval. A broadcast facility converts a selected one or more of the replays to signals for broadcast, preferably television broadcast signals.

1 . A broadcast system comprising:
 an online multiplayer gaming system usable by a plurality of participating players to play at least one turn of an instance of a multiplayer game;   game recording means for generating a game play record of events occurring in the at least one turn of the instance of the multiplayer game;   a historical logfile capable of storing the generated game play record;   a replay means capable of retrieving the stored game play record from the historical logfile and generating therefrom a replay of the at least one turn of the multiplayer game, the replay being delayed relative to the original turn of the game by at least a predetermined time interval; and   a broadcast facility arranged to convert the replay into a signal for broadcast.   
   
   
       2 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the online gaming system is usable by a plurality of participating players to play a plurality of turns of a plurality of instances of the multiplayer game. 
   
   
       3 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 2  in which the game play recording means generates game play records corresponding to each turn of each instance of the multiplayer game, and in which the historical logfile stores all the game play records corresponding to each turn of each instance of the multiplayer game. 
   
   
       4 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 3  in which the replay means retrieves the stored game play records from the historical logfile and generates simultaneous replays of each one of the plurality of instances of the multiplayer game. 
   
   
       5 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 4  in which the broadcast facility converts each one of the plurality of replays into a separate signal for broadcast. 
   
   
       6 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 4  in which the broadcasting facility converts a selected one of the plurality of replays into a signal for broadcast. 
   
   
       7 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 6  in which the multiplayer game is multiplayer poker. 
   
   
       8 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 7  in which a game play record includes at least one of:
 an identification code that identifies a particular instance of the game of multiplayer poker;   a time and date stamp indicating the commencement of the turn of the game of poker;   an identity of each participating player in the turn of the game;   an opening credit balance for each participating player;   an identification of a player who performs the role of a dealer;   a size of each player wager made during the turn of the game;   the hole cards dealt to each participating player;   the community cards dealt during the turn of the game;   the game play decisions of all the participating players;   a closing credit balance for each player; and   a time and date stamp indicating the end of the turn of the game of poker.   
   
   
       9 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 8  in which the hole cards of each participating player are invisible to the other participating players in each turn of the game and in which the hole cards of every participating player are visible in the replay of each turn of the game. 
   
   
       10 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 9  in which the replay means analyses the hole cards of each participating player and the community cards that are dealt in a turn of the game to determine a probability of each participating player obtaining a favourable hand of poker, and in which the replay means displays the probabilities in the replay of the turn of the game. 
   
   
       11 . A broadcast system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the replay means is an Internet-enabled computer workstation and the broadcast facility is a scan converter operatively linked to the computer workstation. 
   
   
       12 . A method for generating broadcast signals comprising the steps of:
 providing an online multiplayer gaming system usable by a plurality of participating players to play at least one turn of an instance of a multiplayer game;   generating a game play record of events occurring in the at least one turn of the instance of the multiplayer game;   storing the generated game play record in a historical logfile;   retrieving the stored game play record from the historical logfile and generating therefrom a replay of the at least one turn of the multiplayer game, the replay being delayed relative to the original turn of the game by at least a predetermined time interval; and   converting the replay into a signal for broadcast.   
   
   
       13 . A method as claimed in  claim 12  which enables use of the online gaming system by the plurality of participating players to play a plurality of turns of a plurality of instances of the multiplayer game. 
   
   
       14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  which includes steps of:
 generating game play records corresponding to each turn of each instance of the multiplayer game; and   storing all the game play records corresponding to each turn of each instance of the multiplayer game in the historical logfile.   
   
   
       15 . A method as claimed in  claim 14  in which the stored game play records are retrieved from the historical logfile and simultaneous replays are generated of each one of the plurality of instances of the multiplayer game. 
   
   
       16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  in which each one of the plurality of replays is converted into a separate signal for broadcast. 
   
   
       17 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  in which a selected one of the plurality of replays is converted into a signal for broadcast. 
   
   
       18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17  in which the multiplayer game is established to be multiplayer poker. 
   
   
       19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  in which at least one of:
 an identification code that identifies the particular instance of the game of multiplayer poker;   a time and date stamp indicating the commencement of the turn of the game of poker;   an identity of each participating players in the turn of the game;   an opening credit balance for each participating player;   an identification of a player who performs the role of a dealer,   a size of each player wager made during the turn of the game;   the hole cards dealt to each participating player;   the community cards dealt during the turn of the game;   the game play decisions of all the participating players;   a closing credit balance for each player, and   a time and date stamp indicating the end of the turn of the game of poker, is included in a game play record.   
   
   
       20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  that includes steps of:
 rendering the hole cards of each participating player to be invisible to the other participating players in each turn of the game; and   rendering the hole cards of every participating player to be visible in the replay of each turn of the game.   
   
   
       21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20  in which the hole cards of each participating player and the community cards that are dealt in a turn of the game are analysed to determine a probability of each participating player obtaining a favourable hand of poker, and in which the probabilities are displayed in the replay of the turn of the game.