Video poker wagering game with card substitution feature

Abstract

A gaming system for playing a video poker game includes a wager-input device, a display, and a controller. The wager-input device receives a wager input from a player and the display displays the video poker game having a plurality of cards. The controller is coupled to the display and the wager-input device, and is programmed to provide an initial poker hand that is randomly selected from the plurality of cards. In response to a bonus feature being triggered, a certain card in the initial poker hand is replaced with at least two substitute cards from the plurality of cards to form two distinct final poker hands.

1 . A gaming system for playing a video poker game, comprising: 
 a wager-input device for receiving a wager input;    a display for displaying said video poker game having a plurality of cards; and    a controller coupled to said display and said wager-input device and programmed to 
 provide an initial poker hand that is randomly selected from said plurality of cards,  
 in response to a bonus feature being triggered, replace a certain card in said initial poker hand with at least two substitute cards from said plurality of cards to form two distinct final poker hands.  
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said bonus feature is triggered based on a predetermined criterion that is unrelated to said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 2 , wherein said predetermined criterion includes at least one of a predetermined number of a dice roll and a side wager received from said player,  
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 3 , wherein said controller is further programmed to randomly select said certain card from said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said certain card is a plurality of cards.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said certain card is a player-selected card from said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said controller is further programmed to determine whether each of said final poker hands is a winning hand.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said two substitute cards is a wild card.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said controller is further programmed to trigger said bonus feature when a bonus card is included in said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein said bonus card is said certain card.  
   
   
       11 . A method for playing a video poker game having a plurality of cards, comprising: 
 receiving a wager input from a player for playing said video poker game;    in response to receiving said wager, forming an initial poker hand that is randomly selected from said plurality of cards;    substituting a first card for one of said cards in said initial poker hand to form a first final poker hand; and    substituting a second card for said one of said cards in said initial poker hand to form a second final poker hand.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising triggering said substituting of said first card and second card based on a predetermined criterion that is unrelated to said forming of said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said triggering includes at least one of selecting a predetermined number of a dice roll and receiving a side wager from said player.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising randomly selecting said first card and said second card from said plurality of cards.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining whether each of said first final poker hand and said second final poker hand is a winning hand.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a player selection for selecting said one of said cards from said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising triggering said bonus feature when a bonus card is included in said initial poker hand.  
   
   
       18 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for directing a gaming device to perform the method of  claim 11 .  
   
   
       19 . A method for playing a video poker game having a plurality of cards, comprising: 
 receiving a wager input for playing said video poker game;    in response to receiving said wager, forming an initial poker hand that is randomly selected from said plurality of cards, said initial poker hand having a plurality of initial cards;    substituting a wild card for a first one of said plurality of initial cards to form a first final poker hand, said wild card and any unsubstituted cards of said first final poker hand resulting in a predetermined ranking for said first final poker hand; and    substituting said wild card for a second one of said plurality of initial cards to form a second final poker hand, said wild card and any unsubstituted cards of said second final poker hand resulting in another predetermined ranking for said second final poker hand.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising substituting all remaining ones of said plurality of initial cards, one at a time.