Stud bingo

• US 20060025189A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan, Gail, Ted, Hollibaugh, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,123,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for providing wagering games having aspects of card games, such as poker games. Some implementations of the present invention involve methods and devices for providing such wagering games on a network of gaming machines. In some implementations, players can view a first M playing cards from each of N hands of playing cards, then must select one (or more) of the hands. Thereafter, a playing card hand (e.g., a poker hand) is made up for the selected hand from the N cards and from additional cards that are revealed after the hand is selected. Some implementations provide a bingo game in which areas of each bingo card correspond with playing cards, wherein players may establish interim wins that correspond to poker hands. Some such implementations include displaying N bingo cards, each of which corresponds to one of the N hands of playing cards.

Claims

1. A method of providing a wagering game, comprising:

displaying M cards for each of N hands of cards;

allowing a player to choose at least one of the N hands;

displaying remaining cards to complete a chosen hand; and

determining whether the player is entitled to an award for a chosen hand.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying steps comprise displaying on a display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing step comprises allowing the player to choose more than one of the N hands.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a player having a chosen hand with at least a threshold card combination.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying remaining cards to complete a non-chosen hand.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of offering, prior to the allowing step, to display one or more additional cards in at least one of the N hands of cards.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

providing a game outcome to the player; and

receiving the game outcome by a machine that controls the display device, wherein the displaying steps comprise displaying cards on the display device that correspond with the game outcome.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the player'"'"'s award, if any, does not depend on which hand is chosen.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying remaining cards to complete a non-chosen hand.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remaining cards in at least one non-chosen hand are selected to have a higher card combination than that of the chosen hand.

11. A gaming method, comprising:

displaying N bingo cards to each of a plurality of bingo players, where N is a first predetermined integer;

drawing M random bingo numbers corresponding to areas of at least some of the M bingo cards, where M is a second predetermined integer;

displaying hits on the N bingo cards based on the M random bingo numbers;

allowing each player an opportunity to select at least one bingo card for continued game play; and

drawing one or more additional random bingo numbers and displaying hits on each player'"'"'s selected bingo card until at least one interim win pattern is completed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying steps comprise displaying on a display device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the allowing step comprises allowing the player to choose more than one of the N bingo cards.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising making an interim win award to a player having a chosen bingo card with at least a threshold interim win pattern.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying hits on non-selected bingo cards.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising continuing to draw random bingo numbers until a game-winning pattern is completed on a player'"'"'s selected bingo card.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of offering, prior to the allowing step, to draw one or more extra random bingo numbers and display corresponding hits on the N bingo cards.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the following steps:

providing a game outcome to the player; and

receiving the game outcome by a machine that controls the display device, wherein the displaying steps comprise displaying game results on the display device that correspond with the game outcome.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the player'"'"'s award, if any, does not depend on which hand is chosen.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying hits on non-chosen bingo cards.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the remaining hits in at least one non-chosen bingo card are selected to have a higher-level pattern than that of the chosen bingo card.

22. A gaming network for playing electronic wagering games, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines; and

a game server configured to transmit game data to control the plurality of gaming machines to conduct an electronic game of chance that allows one of a plurality of players to achieve a game-winning outcome, wherein the game server controls each of the plurality of gaming machines to do the following;

display M cards for each of N hands of cards;

allow a player to choose at least one of the N hands; and

display remaining cards to complete a chosen hand;

wherein the game server is configured to determine whether a player is entitled to an award for a chosen hand.

23. A gaming machine, comprising:

means for receiving a game determination;

means for displaying M cards for each of N hands of cards;

means for allowing a player to choose at least one of the N hands;

means for displaying remaining cards to complete a chosen hand; and

means for indicating whether a player is entitled to an award in accordance with the game determination.

24. The gaming machine of claim 23, wherein the receiving means comprises means for receiving the game determination from a game server.

25. The gaming machine of claim 23, wherein the receiving means comprises means for receiving the game determination from a player.

26. Software embodied in a machine-readable medium for providing a wagering game, the software comprising instructions for controlling at least one device to do the following:

display M cards for each of N hands of cards;

allow a player to choose at least one of the N hands;

display remaining cards to complete a chosen hand; and

determine whether the player is entitled to an award for a chosen hand.

27. Software embodied in a machine-readable medium for providing a wagering game, the software comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to do the following:

display N bingo cards to each of a plurality of bingo players, where N is a first predetermined integer;

draw M random bingo numbers corresponding to areas of at least some of the M bingo cards, where M is a second predetermined integer;

display hits on the N bingo cards based on the M random bingo numbers;

allow each player an opportunity to select at least one bingo card for continued game play; and

draw one or more additional random bingo numbers and displaying hits on each player'"'"'s selected bingo card until at least one interim win pattern is completed.

28. The software of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to allow the player to choose more than one of the N bingo cards.

29. The software of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to make an interim win award to a player having a chosen bingo card with at least a threshold interim win pattern.

30. The software of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to display hits on non-selected bingo cards.

31. The software of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to draw random bingo numbers until a game-winning pattern is completed on a player'"'"'s selected bingo card.

32. The software of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling devices in a network to offer to a player, prior to the allowing step, to draw one or more extra random bingo numbers and display corresponding hits on the N bingo cards.