Method of providing simultaneous coordinated games of video bingo and draw poker

Abstract

Coordinated simultaneous games of Draw Poker and Bingo are provided. The indicia in the bingo selection pool and on the bingo cards can be barcodes. The bingo card contains 52 spaces formed by 13 columns and 4 rows. Each space corresponds to a specific poker card, and contains one of the indicia in the selection pool. When indicia are randomly selected from the pool, the five poker cards that correspond to the bingo card spaces containing the first five indicia to become matched are displayed on touch-screen monitors. By touching a poker card image, a player can hold both the poker card and its corresponding bingo indicia for further play. The prize-paying patterns formed by matched indicia on the bingo card correspond to prize-paying poker hands.

1 . A method of providing games similar to bingo, said games being playable substantially simultaneously with games of draw poker, and said games being playable using playing stations containing displaying means, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. Displaying images of bingo cards, each bingo card image containing spaces that are capable of containing indicia images;    b. Establishing a plurality of pools of selectable indicia images that are not readily distinguishable from each other by the human eye;    c. Establishing images of decks of poker cards, each poker card image corresponding to a separate space on each bingo card image;    d. Displaying said indicia images in the spaces on said bingo card images;    e. Randomly selecting an initial set of indicia from one of said pools for use in a common bingo game, the quantity of said initial set being less than enough to cause the game-ending bingo pattern to form on any bingo card in play in said common bingo game, and said quantity being great enough that a pre-established minimum quantity of the indicia on all bingo cards in said common bingo game become matched by some of said randomly selected indicia;    f. Displaying poker card images on each playing station in a common bingo game, said poker card images corresponding to the spaces on said bingo card images that contain indicia that become matched;    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia in the spaces on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images, and including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images, and including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       9 . A method of providing coordinated games of draw poker and games similar to bingo, said games being playable substantially simultaneously, of: 
 a. Establishing a plurality of pools of different indicia that are not readily distinguishable from each other by the human eye;    b. Displaying images of bingo cards containing spaces;    c. Establishing images of poker cards, each poker card corresponding to a separate space on each bingo card;    d. Displaying some of said indicia in the spaces on said bingo cards;    e. Randomly selecting an initial set of indicia from one of said pools, the quantity of said initial set being less than enough to cause the game-ending bingo pattern to form on any bingo card in said common bingo game;    f. After said initial set of indicia are selected in a common game, if a pre-established minimum quantity of the indicia on all of the bingo cards in play in said common bingo game have not become matched, ignoring said first set of selected indicia, and randomly selecting another initial set of indicia;    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of indicia in the spaces on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images, and the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images, and including the additional step of allowing players a limited time within which to perform overt acts in order to continue playing the common bingo game.  
   
   
       17 . A method of providing coordinated games of draw poker and games similar to bingo, said games being playable substantially simultaneously, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. Establishing a plurality of pools of different indicia that are not readily distinguishable from each other by the human eye;    b. Displaying images of bingo cards containing spaces;    c. Establishing images of poker cards, each poker card corresponding to a separate space on each bingo card;    d. Displaying some of said indicia in the spaces on said bingo cards;    e. Randomly selecting an initial set of indicia from one of said pools, the quantity of said initial set being less than enough to cause the game-ending bingo pattern to form on any bingo card in said common bingo game;    f. After said initial set of indicia are randomly selected in a common game, if a pre-established minimum quantity of the indicia on a plurality of the bingo cards in play in said common bingo game have not become matched, enabling the players of said plurality of bingo cards to increase the quantity of matched indicia on their bingo cards by, using subsequently selected indicia.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of the indicia on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein a plurality of the displayed indicia are barcode indicia, and including the additional step of enabling players to preserve a plurality of indicia in the spaces on the bingo card images for further use by performing overt acts relating to the poker card images.