Video poker system and method with bet allocation

Abstract

A method includes displaying a first set of card representations at a display device of a player station. This first set of card representations is divided into a number of card representation subsets. The method also includes receiving a subset selection input and a wager allocation input at the player station. The subset selection input selects a first and second subset of card representations from the various subsets that have been displayed. Each of these different subsets will be used together with a second, “community” set of card representations displayed at the player station to produce a respective final hand for the player. The wager allocation input allocates a wager amount between the first and second subsets of card representations. First and second prize values are awarded for hands produced from the selected subsets combined with the community card set and considering the wager allocations.

1 . A method including:
 (a) receiving a wager input from a player;   (b) displaying a plurality of starting hands to the player on an electronic display at a player station, the starting hands each consisting of two playing card representations, the starting hands being displayed face up, the starting hands each being mutually exclusive to the other starting hands;   (c) after displaying the starting hands, receiving an input from a player to select first and second ones of the starting hands;   (d) identifying a first result and a second result for the player based on one or more results produced independently of the playing card representations; and   (e) displaying a community set of card representations consisting of five card representations face up at the player station display device and combining the first starting hand with the community set according to poker rules to produce a first optimum poker hand consistent with the first result identified for the player, and further combining the community set of card representations with the second starting hand to produce a second optimum poker hand consistent with the second result identified for the player;   (f) awarding a result based on a combined credit value of the first and second results.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the wager input is received after displaying at least some of the card representations face up. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying the first and second results includes obtaining at least one electronic lottery ticket. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying the first and second results includes associating a different electronic lottery ticket with each respective starting hand. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying the first and second results includes obtaining at least one electronic bingo game result. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further including associating a different bingo card representation with each of the first and second starting hands and obtaining an electronic bingo game result for each bingo card representation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  in the results for each bingo card representation are not known at the time the starting hands are selected at step (c). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which identifying the result for the player is based on a bingo result obtained from a bingo-type game played by grouping multiple players' game play requests at a gaming server after receiving the input to select one or more of the subsets. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prompting the player to make a choice between options including at least increasing and decreasing a wager for each selected starting hand. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further including displaying a label proximate each of the starting hands after displaying the community set of card representations, the respective labels indicating an optimum value for the respective combination of starting hand and the community set of card representations. 
     
     
         11 . A method including:
 (a) receiving a wager input from a player;   (b) displaying a plurality of starting hands to the player on an electronic display at a player station, the starting hands each including a plurality of card representations, the starting hands being displayed face up, the starting hands each being mutually exclusive to the other starting hands;   (c) after displaying the starting hands, receiving an input from a player to select first and second ones of the starting hands;   (d) identifying a first result and a second result for the player based on one or more results produced independently of the playing card representations; and   (e) displaying a community set of card representations consisting of five card representations face up at the player station display device and combining the first starting hand with the community set according to poker rules to produce a first optimum poker hand which is produced using only cards from the community set and the first starting hand, and which is entitled to an award consistent with the first result identified for the player, and further combining the community set of card representations with the second starting hand to produce a second optimum poker hand, which is produced using only cards from the community set and the second starting hand, and which is entitled to an award consistent with the second result identified for the player;   (f) awarding a result based on a combined credit value of the first and second results.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , in which the wager input is received after displaying at least some of the card representations face up. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein identifying the first and second results includes obtaining at least one electronic lottery ticket. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein identifying the first and second results includes associating a different electronic lottery ticket with each respective starting hand. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein identifying the first and second results includes obtaining at least one electronic bingo game result. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  further including associating a different bingo card representation with each of the first and second starting hands and obtaining an electronic bingo game result for each bingo card representation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  in the results for each bingo card representation are not known at the time the starting hands are selected at step (c). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  in which identifying the result for the player is based on a bingo result obtained from a bingo-type game played by grouping multiple players' game play requests at a gaming server after receiving the input to select one or more of the subsets. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising prompting the player to make a choice between options including at least increasing and decreasing a wager for each selected starting hand. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further including displaying a label proximate each of the starting hands after displaying the community set of card representations, the respective labels indicating an optimum value for the respective combination of starting hand and the community set of card representations.