Multi-hand poker game

Abstract

A multi-hand poker game is disclosed. In one embodiment, the game includes the steps of dealing a set of cards and selecting one or more or all of the cards from the set to be used in a first hand and selecting one or more or all of the cards from the set to be used in at least one additional hand. Cards are added to the first hand and each additional hand, as necessary, to create hands of a predetermined number of cards. It is then determined if any of the hands are winning hands. In one embodiment, the hands are five card poker hands. In one embodiment, the game is implemented on a computing device and a computer may select the cards to be duplicated and the cards to be held. In one embodiment, the game is a wager-type game.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a game comprising: 
 dealing a set of cards;    selecting cards from said set of cards to be used in a first hand and displaying those cards as part of a first hand of cards;    selecting cards from said set of cards to be used in a second hand and displaying those cards as part of a second hand of cards;    adding cards to said first hand to complete said first hand of a predetermined plurality of cards;    adding cards to said second hand to complete said second hand of a predetermined plurality of cards; and    determining if said first or second hands comprise a predetermined combination of winning cards.    
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  including the step of placing a wager.  
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  including the step of paying an award if said first or second hand comprises a predetermined combination of winning cards.  
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said first and second hands each have five cards.  
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  including the step of placing a first wager associated with said first hand and a second wager associated with said second hand.  
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  including the step of paying a first winning amount for a predetermined winning combination received in a hand on which a wager was placed and paying a second winning amount for said predetermined winning combination received in a hand on which a wager was not placed.  
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said second winning amount is less than said first winning amount.  
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein a first set of predetermined hands comprises a winning outcome for said first hand and a second set of predetermined hands comprises a winning outcomes for said second hand and said step of determining said first or second hands comprise a predetermined combination of winning cards comprises determining if said first hand comprises one of said first set of predetermined hands and determining if said second hand comprises one of said second set of predetermined hands.  
     
     
         9 . A method of playing a game comprising the steps: 
 placing a wager;    dealing a set of five cards;    selecting one or more cards from said set of five cards to be used in a first hand and displaying the selected cards as part of a first hand of five cards;    selecting one or more cards from said set of five cards to be used in at least one additional hand and displaying the selected cards as part of at least one additional hand of five cards;    adding cards, as necessary, to said first hand to complete said first hand of a five cards;    adding cards, as necessary, to each additional hand to complete each additional hand of five cards; and    determining a poker hand ranking of said first hand and at least one additional hand.    
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  wherein said dealt set of five cards is dealt as said first hand and said step of selecting comprises holding one, one or more cards from said cards dealt as said first hand as cards to be retained in said first hand.  
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  including the step of paying an award or winning for a predetermined combination of winning cards.  
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  wherein said set of cards are dealt face up.  
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  wherein said dealt and additional cards are from a single deck of cards.  
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  wherein said method is implemented on a computer controlled gaming machine having a display.