Systems for providing large arena games over computer networks

1. A method for providing gaming to a large arena of participants, comprising the steps of:

providing a game server for generating page signals having information representative of a hand being played by one of the participants in a game and information representative of a game event, and wherein each page includes a mechanism for collecting a reply from one of the participants to indicate the participant's move in the game;

allowing each participant in the game to employ a client process operating on a client station to connect to said game server through a computer network and to download a respective one of said page signals from said game server;

directing each participant in the game to employ said client process to enter a reply to said page signal in response to said game event, to indicate a play in said game;

directing said game server to generate a page signal as a function of said participant's move in the game and an event in the game, whereby the game server continues to generate page signals to guide each participant through the procession of play in the game;

providing a registration process for allowing users to request participation in the game; and

providing a lock-out process for limiting the number of participants allowed to register to participate in the game.

2. A method according to claim 1 including the step of directing said game server to generate said page signals as HTML computer files.

3. A method according to claim 1 including the step of directing said game server to generate said page signals as XML computer files.

4. A method according to claim 1 including the step of directing said game server to generate said page signals as VRML computer files.

5. A method according to claim 1 including the step of providing a client process that comprises a browser process.

6. A method according to claim 1 including the further steps of,

allowing said participants to generate a register.sub.-- to.sub.-- win signal to said game server indicative of a successful completion of the game, and

directing said game server to verify said register.sub.-- to.sub.-- win signal as a function of said plays made by said participant during said game.

7. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of

providing a registration process having a fee entry process for charging one or more of said participants a fee for registering in the game.

8. A method according to claim 1 including the step of

providing a players list representative of the players registered to play the game.

9. A method according to claim 8 including the further step of

storing said player list for the duration of the game for allowing a user to rejoin the game being played.

10. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of

directing said game server to generate a broadcast winner page having information representative of the winning participant of the game, and

serving said winner page to each of said participants in the game.

11. A method according to claim 1 including the steps of

directing said game server to generate page signals that include fields of pregenerated data, and

directing said game server to generate a load.sub.-- page signal having information for allowing said client process to download and cache store said fields of pregenerated data, whereby said client process can access said cache stored fields of pregenerated data.

12. A method according to claim 1 including the step of

directing said game server to detect an event representative of the end of the game and to provide, responsive thereto, interstitial pages representative of pregenerated data for viewing by participants waiting for the beginning of a new game.

13. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of providing a cash payout to one or more of the participants in the game.

14. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of allowing the participants to select from a plurality of games.

15. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of

providing said game server with an extensible game engine for allowing said game server to service a plurality of different games.

16. A method according to claim 15 including the further step of

providing a game-player object having information representative of an abstract model of a game and information representative of an abstract model of a game board, each of said abstract models being capable of storing data for representing a participant in the game,

providing a game object for representing a plurality of different types of games, said game object having a set of member functions each being representative of an abstract gaming operation to provide a set of procedures for implementing any of said plurality of different types of game, and

directing said game object to operate said member functions responsive to data within said game-player object that is representative of a type of game being played, whereby said game object provides services responsive to the type of game.sub.-- player thereby allowing said game object to service a plurality of game types.

17. A method according to claim 16 including the further step of

providing one of said participants with a java applet for drawing a game board and for editing said game board responsive to moves made by said respective participant.

18. A method for providing gaming to a large arena of participants, comprising the steps of:

providing a game server for generating page signals having information representative of a hand being played by one of the participants in a game and information representative of a game event, and wherein each page includes a mechanism for collecting a reply from one of the participants to indicate the participant's move in the game;

allowing each participant in the game to employ a client process operating on a client station to connect to said game server through a computer network and to download a respective one of said page signals from said game server;

directing each participant in the game to employ said client process to enter a reply to said page signal in response to said game event, to indicate a play in said game;

directing said game server to generate a page signal as a function of said participant's move in the game and an event in the game, whereby the game server continues to generate page signals to guide each participant through the procession of play in the game;

providing said game server with an extensible game engine for allowing said game server to service a plurality of different games;

providing a game-player object having information representative of an abstract model of a game and information representative of an abstract model of a game board, each of said abstract models being capable of storing data for representing a participant in the game;

providing a game object for representing a plurality of different types of games, said game object having a set of member functions each being representative of an abstract gaming operation to provide a set of procedures for implementing any of said plurality of different types of game; and

directing said game object to operate said member functions responsive to data within said game-player object that is representative of a type of game being played, whereby said game object provides services responsive to the type of game.sub.-- player thereby allowing said game object to service a plurality of game types.