Video poker wagering game having card-accumulation feature

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of conducting a video poker game on a gaming machine and a gaming machine are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a wager from a player to play a block of hands and displaying a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to form a final user-playable hand for each hand in the block of hands. The method further comprises collecting a feature of at least one of the final user-playable hands in a card accumulation area. The method further comprises providing an award based on the card accumulation area meeting a predetermined criterion during the block of hands.

1 . A method of conducting a video poker game on a gaming machine, the method comprising: 
 receiving a wager from a player to play a block of hands;    displaying a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to form a final user-playable hand for each hand in the block of hands;    collecting a feature of at least one of the final user-playable hands in a card accumulation area, and    providing an award based on the card accumulation area meeting a predetermined criterion during the block of hands.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more particular cards and wherein the predetermined criterion is the accumulation of a predetermined quantity of the one or more particular card.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined quantity of the one or more particular cards is variable for each particular card.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more particular cards included within a secondary winning hand and wherein the predetermined criterion is the accumulation of the secondary winning hand.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is a winning hand and wherein the predetermined criterion is the accumulation of a specific set of winning hands.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the specific set of winning hands includes each of the winning hands contained within a pay table.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more particular cards and wherein the predetermined criterion is the collection of a particular suit of cards.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are part of a winning hand defined by a pay table.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are all of the cards in the final user-playable hand.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are the cards that are not part of a winning hand as defined by a pay table.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing an award for any winning final user-playable hand, the winning final user-playable hands being contained within a pay table.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the award provided based on the card collection area meeting the predetermined criterion during the block of hands is a wide-area-progressive award, the wide-area-progressive award being partially funded by the wager to play the block of hands.  
   
   
       13 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for directing a gaming device to perform the method of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 . A gaming machine for playing a video-poker wagering game, comprising: 
 at least one display configured to display the video-poker wagering game, the video-poker wagering game including a plurality of randomly generated cards forming at least one final user-playable hand;    a controller operatively associated with the gaming machine, the controller being configured to, following an initial wager on a block of hands, randomly generate a predetermined number of cards for each of the hands in the block of hands; and    a collection feature in which a feature of at least one of the final user-playable hands is collected in a card accumulation area displayed on the at least one display,    wherein the controller is configured to determine if any combination of the collected features results in a winning outcome and grant an award if a winning outcome is achieved.    
   
   
       15 . The gaming machine of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is located on an external system in communication with the gaming machine, the controller being adapted to operate one or more gaming machines.  
   
   
       16 . The gaming machine of  claim 14 , wherein the feature of the final user-playable hands is one or more particular cards and the award is granted based on the accumulation of a predetermined quantity of the one or more particular cards.  
   
   
       17 . The gaming machine of  claim 14 , wherein the feature of the final user-playable hands is one or more particular cards and the particular card is included within a secondary winning hand and wherein the award is granted based on the accumulation of the secondary winning hand.  
   
   
       18 . The gaming machine of  claim 14 , wherein the feature of the final user-playable hand is a winning hand and wherein the award is granted based on the accumulation of a specific set of winning hands.  
   
   
       19 . The gaming machine of  claim 14 , wherein the award provided if a winning outcome is achieved is a wide-area-progressive award, the wide-area-progressive award being partially funded by the initial wager on the block of hands.  
   
   
       20 . A method of conducting a video poker game on a gaming machine, the method comprising: 
 receiving a wager from a player to play a block of hands;    displaying a plurality of cards from a deck of cards to form a final user-playable hand for each hand in the block of hands;    determining whether each card within the final user-playable hands meets a predefined card-accumulation triggering criteria; and    for each card meeting the predefined card-accumulation triggering criteria, recording that card in a card accumulation area, and    in response to the recorded cards in the card accumulation area meeting a predetermined criteria during the block of hands, providing an award to the player.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising providing an award for any winning final user-playable hand, the winning final user-playable hands being contained within a pay table.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are part of a winning hand defined by a pay table.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are all of the cards in the final user-playable hand.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are the cards that are not part of a winning hand as defined by a pay table.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the feature is one or more cards and the collected cards are designated by a random identifier selecting one or more cards from the final user-playable hand.  
   
   
       26 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for directing a gaming device to perform the method of  claim 20.