A gaming system for providing a tournament skill-based game to players is described herein. The gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines including a host gaming machine and a plurality of node gaming machines. Each of the plurality of gaming machines is configured to provide a skill-based game to a player. The host gaming machine is configured to transmit a data file to each participating node gaming machine indicating the selected musical soundtrack, the associated number of skill events, and the associated sequential display pattern. The host gaming machine is configured to transmit an initiation signal to each participating node gaming machine causing each participating node gaming machine to initiate the tournament skill game in coordination with the host gaming machine. Each participating gaming machine simultaneously conducts a round of the tournament skill game including displaying the skill events in the sequential display pattern with the selected musical soundtrack.