System and method for simulating the outcome of an electronic bingo game as a blackjack game

1. A game system for playing an electronic game, comprising:

a player game device for allowing a player to place a wager, the player game device including a user interface; and,

a game controller coupled to the player game device for playing the electronic game and establishing an outcome of the electronic game, the electronic game being a bingo game, the outcome of the electronic game including a payout according to a first pay table if a set of predetermined winning conditions has been achieved, the game controller further for simulating a blackjack game on the player device by allowing the player to make decisions during the simulation using the user interface, the outcome of the blackjack game being responsive to the decisions made by the player and equivalent to the outcome of the electronic game, wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a loss to the player, then the game controller deals cards to the player that can never add up to 21, the game controller then deals cards to the dealer that beat the player's cards.

2. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the game system include a plurality of player game devices, the game controller being implemented in a server, each player game device being connected to the server.

3. A game system, as set forth in claim 2 , the plurality of player game devices allowing a plurality of players to compete with and against each other in the electronic game.

4. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , the player game device including a bill validator for accepting currency and responsively providing a number of credits which may be played by the player.

5. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , the user interface device includes a touch-screen display.

6. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , the player game device including a ticket printer for printing a redeemable ticket for any remaining credits on the player game device.

7. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , the player game device including a bill validator, a user interface device, a ticket printer all coupled to and controller by a device controller.

8. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the game controller, during the simulated blackjack game, deals the player an appropriate set of electronic playing cards to achieve the payout conforming to the outcome of the electronic game.

9. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the game controller, during the simulated blackjack game, deals a dealer an appropriate set of electronic playing cards to achieve the payout conforming to the outcome of the electronic game.

10. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a win to the player, then the game controller deals cards that will add to 17 or higher without busting, the game controller then deals cards to the dealer that either lose or bust.

11. A game system, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a push, then the game controller deals two cards to the player that add up to 17, any subsequent cards dealt to the player must result in a total of 21, the game controller then deals cards to the dealer that equal the total of the player's cards.

12. A game system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a payout of 1.5 times the player's wager, then the game controller deals a blackjack to the player, the cards dealt to the dealer must not equal 21.

13. A game system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic game is an electronic bingo game, the player game device for allowing the player to purchase an electronic bingo card, the electronic bingo card have a grid containing a set of numbers and an associated winning pattern, the game controller for establishing a set of randomly chosen numbers, comparing the set of randomly chosen numbers with the associated winning pattern and establishing an outcome of the electronic bingo game, the outcome of the electronic bingo game including a payout according to a first pay table if the winning pattern has been achieved.

14. A method for playing an electronic game, including the steps of:

providing a display and user interface;

allowing a player to place a wager;

playing the electronic game and establishing an outcome of the electronic game, the electronic game being a bingo game, the outcome of the electronic game including a payout according to a first pay table if a set of predetermined winning conditions has been achieved; and,

simulating an electronic blackjack game by allowing the player to make decisions during the simulation using the user interface, the outcome of the blackjack game being responsive to the decisions made by the player and equivalent to the outcome of the electronic game, wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a loss to the player, then the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the steps of dealing cards to the player that can never add up to 21 and dealing cards to the dealer that beat the player's cards.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , including the step of allowing a plurality of players to compete with and against each other in the electronic game.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the step of dealing the player an appropriate set of electronic playing cards to achieve the payout conforming to the outcome of the electronic game.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the step of dealing a dealer an appropriate set of electronic playing cards to achieve the payout conforming to the outcome of the electronic game.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a win to the player, then the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the steps of dealing cards to the player that will add to 17 or higher without busting and game dealing cards to the dealer that either lose or bust.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18 , wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a push, then the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the steps of dealing two cards to the player that add up to 17, any subsequent cards dealt to the player must result in a total of 21 and dealing cards to the dealer that equal the total of the player's cards.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 19 , if the outcome of the electronic game is a payout of 1.5 times the player's wager, then the step of simulating a blackjack game includes the step of dealing a blackjack to the player, the cards dealt to the dealer must not equal 21.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the electronic game is an electronic bingo game, including the step of allowing the player to purchase an electronic bingo card, the electronic bingo card have a grid containing a set of numbers and an associated winning pattern, the method further including the steps of establishing a set of randomly chosen numbers, comparing the set of randomly chosen numbers with the associated winning pattern and establishing an outcome of the electronic bingo game, the outcome of the electronic bingo game including a payout according to a first pay table if the winning pattern has been achieved.

22. A game system for playing an electronic bingo game, said game comprising:

a player game device for allowing a player to place a wager and purchase an electronic bingo card, the electronic bingo card have a grid containing a set of numbers and an associated winning pattern the player game device including a display and a user interface; and,

a game controller coupled to the player game device for establishing a set of randomly chosen numbers, comparing the set of randomly chosen numbers with the associated winning pattern and establishing an outcome of the electronic bingo game, the outcome of the electronic bingo game including a payout according to a first pay table if the winning pattern has been achieved, the game controller further for simulating a blackjack game on the player device by allowing the player to make decisions during the simulation using the user interface, the outcome of the blackjack game being responsive to the decisions made by the player and equivalent to the outcome of the electronic bingo game, the game controller in simulating the blackjack game deals initial cards to the player and/or to a dealer of the simulated blackjack game, provides to the player, via the user interface, an opportunity to receive another card or to stand, deals another card to the player if the player requests another card, wherein if the outcome of the electronic game is a loss to the player, the initial cards or the initial cards and the another card are chosen by the game controller such that they represent a loss to the player, and wherein, if the outcome of the electronic game is a win to the player, the initial cards or the initial cards and the another card are chosen by the game controller such that they represent a win to the player, the player game device for displaying the initial cards and any other card(s) on the display.

23. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , wherein the set of randomly chosen numbers includes a predetermined number of numbers.

24. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , including at least one interim pattern, the at least one interim pattern resulting in a payout according to a second pay table.

25. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , the player game device including a bill validator for accepting currency and responsively providing a number of credits which may be played by the player.

26. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , the player game device having a user interface device for allowing interaction between the player game device and game controller and the player.

27. A game system, as set forth in claim 26 , the user interface device includes a touch-screen display.

28. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , the player game device including a ticket printer for printing a redeemable ticket for any remaining credits on the player game device.

29. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , the player game device allows the player to purchase more than one electronic bingo card.

30. A game system, as set forth in claim 22 , wherein the game controller establishes the set of randomly determined numbers over a predetermined time period.

31. A game system, as set forth in claim 30 , the player game device allowing the player to purchaser additional electronic bingo cards during the predetermined time period by placing an additional wager.

32. A method for playing an electronic bingo game, including the steps of:

providing a display and a user interface;

allowing a player to place a wager and purchase an electronic bingo card, the electronic bingo card have a grid containing a set of numbers and an associated winning pattern;

establishing a set of randomly chosen numbers;

comparing the set of randomly chosen numbers with the associated winning pattern and establishing an outcome of the electronic bingo game, the outcome of the electronic bingo game including a payout according to a first pay table if the winning pattern has been achieved; and,

simulating an electronic blackjack game by allowing the player to make decisions during the simulation using the user interface, the outcome of the blackjack game being responsive to the decisions made by the player and equivalent to the outcome of the electronic bingo game, the step of simulating an electronic blackjack game including the steps of dealing initial cards to the player and dealer and displaying the initial cards on the display, providing to the player, via the user interface, an opportunity to receive another card or to stand and dealing another card to the player if the player requests another card and displaying the other card(s) on the display, wherein if the outcome of the electronic bingo game is a loss to the player, then the initial cards or the initial and the other cards are chosen by the game controller such that they represent a loss to the player, if the outcome of the electronic bingo game is a win to the player, then the initial cards or the initial and the other cards represent a win to the player.

33. A method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the associated winning pattern is a game ending pattern, the payout under the first pay table being awarded only to the first player whose electronic bingo card has the game ending pattern.

34. A method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the set of randomly chosen numbers includes a predetermined number of numbers.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 32 , including at least one interim pattern, the at least one interim pattern resulting in a payout according to a second pay table.

36. A method, as set forth in claim 32 , including the step of allowing the player to purchase more than one electronic bingo card by placing additional wagers.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the set of randomly determined numbers are established over a predetermined time period.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 37 , including the step of allowing the player to purchase additional electronic bingo cards by placing additional wagers during the predetermined time period.