Apparatus, method, and program product for conducting a bingo game to produce card game-type results

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and program products for a bingo game are described for selecting a group of designations from an overall set of designations and matching the selected group of designations to designations associated with the locations on a player card. Each designation in the overall set of designations corresponds to a playing card in a standard playing card deck. Matching the group of designations with the player card designations produces a number of matched locations on the player card. These matched locations are used to determine a playing card hand and a player is awarded the result of the game based on the playing card hand.

1 . A gaming method including the steps of: 
 (a) selecting at least one group of designations for a game, each designation included in the respective group being selected from an overall set of designations wherein each designation in the overall set corresponds to a respective playing card of a standard playing card deck;    (b) matching each group of designations to a player card for a respective player, the player card including a number of card locations, each respective card location corresponding to a different playing card in the standard playing card deck so that matching each group of designations to the player card produces a number of matched locations on the player card; and    (c) awarding a result of the game to the player based upon a playing card hand achieved by the matched locations on the player card.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of awarding the result is performed based upon the matched locations resulting after matching a single group of designations with the player card.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the player card is made up of a two-dimensional array of card locations defined by four different rows of card locations aligned along a first axis and thirteen different rows of card locations aligned along a second axis, each row along the first axis corresponding to a different suit in the standard playing card deck and each row along the second axis corresponding to a different face value for playing cards in the standard playing card deck.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 (a) selecting at least one group of designations for the game includes selecting a primary group of designations and at least one draw sequence group of designations; and    (b) matching each group of designations to a player card for the respective player includes first matching the primary group of designations and then matching each respective draw sequence group of designations separately after enabling the player to discard one or more matched locations remaining after matching the immediately preceding group of designations.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the step of awarding the result is performed based upon the matched locations remaining after matching a final one of the at least one draw sequence group of designations.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4  further including the step of charging the player an amount for each matched location discarded by the player.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  further including the step of increasing the amount charged for each matched location discarded by the player for each respective draw sequence group of designations.  
   
   
       8 . A gaming apparatus including: 
 (a) a display device;    (b) a player interface device;    (c) a designation set controller for selecting at least one group of designations for a game, each designation included in the respective group being selected from an overall set of designations wherein each designation in the overall set corresponds to a respective playing card of a standard playing card deck;    (d) a matching controller operatively connected for communication with the player interface device and the designation set controller, the matching controller for receiving each group of designations from the designation set controller and matching each respective group of designations to a player card for a respective player in response to a corresponding respective player input initiated through the player input device, the player card including a number of card locations, each respective card location corresponding to a different playing card in the standard playing card deck so that matching each group of designations to the player card produces a number of matched locations on the player card; and    (e) an award controller operatively connected for communication with the matching controller and the display device, the award controller for receiving the matched locations from the matching controller, for awarding a result of the game to the player based upon a playing card hand achieved by the matched locations on the player card, and for directing the display device to produce a representation that communicates the result of the game to the player.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the display device, player input device, designation set controller, matching controller, and award controller are all mounted on a common player station.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the designation set controller, matching controller, and award controller are all implemented in a common data processing device.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the display device and player input device are both mounted on a common player station, and wherein the designation set controller, matching controller, and award controller are all implemented in a central processing device separate from the player station and including a communication arrangement facilitating communications between the central processing device and components on the player station.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further including a number of additional player stations each including a respective additional display device and a respective additional player input device, and wherein the award controller is also for receiving the matched locations from the matching controller for a second player at one of the additional player stations, for awarding a result of the game to the second player based upon a playing card hand achieved by the matched locations on the player card, and for directing the respective additional display device at the respective additional player station to produce a respective representation that communicates the result of the game to the second player.  
   
   
       13 . A program product stored on a computer readable medium, the program product including: 
 (a) designation set program code, the designation set program code being operable when executed to select at least one group of designations for a game, each designation included in the respective group being selected from an overall set of designations wherein each designation in the overall set corresponds to a respective playing card of a standard playing card deck;    (b) matching program code, the matching program code being operable when executed to match each group of designations to a player card for a respective player, the player card including a number of card locations, each respective card location corresponding to a different playing card in the standard playing card deck so that matching each group of designations to the player card produces a number of matched locations on the player card; and    (c) award program code, the award program code being operable when executed to award a result of the game to the player based upon a playing card hand achieved by the matched locations on the player card.    
   
   
       14 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein the award program code awards the result based upon the matched locations resulting after the matching program code matches a single group of designations with the player card.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein: 
 (a) the designation set program code selects a primary group of designations and at least one draw sequence group of designations; and    (b) the matching program code matches the primary group of designations and then matches each respective draw sequence group of designations separately each after enabling the player to discard one or more matched locations remaining after matching the immediately preceding group of designations.    
   
   
       16 . The program product of  claim 15  wherein the award program code awards the result based upon the matched locations remaining after matching a final one of the at least one draw sequence group of designations.  
   
   
       17 . The program product of  claim 15  further including wagering program code, the wagering program code being operable when executed to charge the player an amount for each matched location discarded by the player.  
   
   
       18 . The program product of  claim 17  wherein the wagering program code is also operable when executed to increase the amount charged for each matched location discarded by the player for each respective draw sequence group of designations.