Bingo game and card

Abstract

A method of playing a game by a plurality of players comprising the steps of: (a) each player placing a wager; (b) assigning to each player designations from a set of designations, the assigned designations arranged on a card in two adjacent lines, each of the lines including at least three (and preferably four) of the assigned designations, the assigned designations of the lines arranged in a grid; (c) randomly drawing designations from the set of designations; and (d) paying a prize to the first player whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in a predetermined pattern on his or her card. In a preferred embodiment of the game, additional prizes may be paid to the first players respectively having designations matched in different predetermined patterns on his card by designations drawn from the set. The drawings of designations from the set is continued until a first “blackout” occurs, whereupon a prize is paid to the player holding the first card to achieve such blackout and the game ends. In another preferred embodiment, the predetermined pattern in step (d) is preselected from a plurality of predetermined patterns, and the game ends when the preselected pattern is first matched. In either of the preferred embodiments, in step (a) the player may further place a wager to a progressive pool with respect to one or the other or both of the lines on his card, and a progressive prize is paid if the player's four designations in such line are matched by the first four designations successively drawn from the set. The invention further comprises a bingo card having a display thereon of assigned designations from a set of designations, the assigned designations arranged in two adjacent lines each including at least three (and preferably four) of the assigned designations, the assigned designations of such lines arranged in a grid.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a game by a plurality of players, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) each player placing a wager;    (b) assigning to each player designations from a set of designations, the assigned designations arranged on a card in two adjacent lines, each of said lines including at least three of said assigned designations, said assigned designations of said lines arranged in a grid;    (c) randomly drawing designations from said set of designations; and    (d) paying a prize to the first player whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in a predetermined pattern on his or her card.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines is four.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes to the first players whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in other predetermined patterns on their cards respectively.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , including: 
 prior to step (c), selecting said predetermined pattern from a plurality of predetermined patterns.    
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 ,  
       wherein 
 in step (c), the quantity of designations drawn is equal to the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines,  
 and including the steps of:  
 (e) if no player's assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in said predetermined pattern, continuing to draw designations from said set; and  
 (f) paying a prize to the first player whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in steps (c) and (e) are arranged in said predetermined pattern.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 in step (c), the quantity of designations drawn is equal to the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 in step (a), each player places said wager to a game pool and each player may place a first progressive wager to a progressive pool, said first progressive wager associated with one of said lines;    in step (c), the quantity of designations drawn is equal to the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines; and    in step (d), said prize is paid from the game pool, and paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said first progressive wager whose assigned designations in said one of said lines match the designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines is four.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said first progressive wager who have a predetermined quantity less than all of the assigned designations in said one of said lines matching designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said first progressive wager whose assigned designations in said one of said lines match three of the four designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein: 
 in step (a), each player may place a second progressive wager to the progressive pool, said second progressive wager associated with the other of said lines;    in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in said other of said lines is equal to the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines; and    in step (d), paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said second progressive wager whose assigned designations in said other of said lines match the designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines is four.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said predetermined pattern in step (d) is preselected from a plurality of predetermined patterns.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , including the step of: 
 (e) if no player's assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in said predetermined pattern, continuing to draw designations from said set; and    (f) paying a prize from the game pool to the first player whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in steps (c) and (e) are arranged in said predetermined pattern.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 7 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes from the game pool to the first players whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in other predetermined patterns respectively.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said first progressive wager who have a predetermined quantity less than all of the assigned designations in said one of said lines matching designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines is four.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , including: 
 in step (d), paying prizes from the progressive pool to players placing said first progressive wager whose assigned designations in said one of said lines match three of the four designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , including the steps of: 
 (e) after step (d), continuing to draw designations from said set; and    (f) paying prizes from the game pool to the first players whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in steps (c) and (e) are arranged in predetermined patterns.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 in step (e) the drawing of designations from said set is discontinued upon the first occurrence of all of the assigned designations on a player's card being matched by designations drawn in steps (c) and (e).    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 each player may place additional wagers in step (a) and have assigned to him or her additional designations arranged on additional cards in step (b), for simultaneously subjecting each of his or her cards to the play of steps (c) and (d).    
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , including: 
 providing a wild designation for being randomly drawn as if a designation is said set, and if drawn in step (c) each player may deem one of the assigned designations on his or her card to have been drawn.    
     
     
         23 . A method of playing a game by a plurality of players, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) each player placing a game wager;    (b) assigning to each player designations from a set of designations, the assigned designations arranged on a card in two adjacent lines, each of said lines including at least three of said assigned designations, said assigned designations of said lines arranged in a grid;    (c) randomly drawing a plurality of designations from said set of designations; and    (d) paying game prizes to the first players whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in step (c) are arranged in predetermined patterns on their cards respectively.    
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein: 
 in step (a), each player may place a progressive wager associated with a one of said lines on said cards;    in step (c), the quantity of drawn designations of said plurality is equal to the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines; and    in step (d), paying progressive prizes to players placing said progressive wager whose assigned designations in said one of said lines match the designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the quantity of assigned designations in said one of said lines is four.    
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , including: 
 in step (d), paying progressive prizes to players placing said progressive wager who have a predetermined quantity less than all of the assigned designations in said one of said lines matching designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , including: 
 in step (d), paying progressive prizes to players placing said progressive wager whose assigned designations in said one of said lines match three of the four designations drawn in step (c).    
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 24 , including the steps of: 
 (e) after step (d), continuing to draw designations from said set; and    (f) paying prizes from the game pool to the first players whose assigned designations matching designations drawn in steps (c) and (e) are arranged in predetermined patterns.    
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein: 
 in step (e) the drawing of designations from said set is discontinued upon the first occurrence of all of the assigned designations on a player's card being matched by designations drawn in steps (c) and (e).    
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein: 
 each player may place additional wagers in step (a) and have assigned to him or her additional designations arranged on additional cards in step (b), for simultaneously subjecting each of his or her cards to the play of steps (c) through (f).    
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , including: 
 providing a wild designation for being randomly drawn as if a designation in said set, and if said wild designation is drawn each player may deem one of the assigned designations on his or her card to have been drawn.    
     
     
         32 . A bingo card comprising: 
 a card having a display thereon of assigned designations from a set of designations, the assigned designations arranged in two adjacent lines each including at least three of said assigned designations, said assigned designations of said lines arranged in a grid.    
     
     
         33 . The bingo card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines is four.    
     
     
         34 . The bingo card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said display includes a first information area concerning a game wager and a second information area concerning a progressive wager.    
     
     
         35 . The bingo card according to  claim 34 , wherein: 
 said display is a video display and said first and second information areas include touch-sensitive switching devices for respectively implementing a player's placing of the game wager and placing of the progressive wager.    
     
     
         36 . The bingo card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said display includes a first information area concerning a game wager, a second information area concerning a progressive wager associated with one of said lines, and a third information area concerning a progressive wager associated with the other of said lines.    
     
     
         37 . The bingo card according to  claim 36 , wherein: 
 said display is a video display and said first, second and third information areas include touch-sensitive switching devices for respectively implementing a player's placing of the game wager, placing of the progressive wager associated with said one of said lines, and placing of the progressive wager associated with said other of said lines.    
     
     
         38 . The bingo card according to  claim 37 , wherein: 
 the quantity of assigned designations in each of said lines is four.