Gaming method and a gaming system

Abstract

The invention provides a method of gaming and a game controller and gaming system for implementing the method. The method includes selecting at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols, selecting at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols, and making a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.

1 . A method of gaming comprising:
 selecting at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols;   selecting at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   making a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       2 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot hand is unique to the or each player hand. 
   
   
       3 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the symbols correspond to cards in a game round of poker and the symbols comprise playing card symbols. 
   
   
       4 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the playing card symbols forming the player hand are selected from one set of 52 playing card symbols and the symbols forming the jackpot hand are selected from another set of the same 52 playing card symbols. 
   
   
       5 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein five cards form the player and jackpot hands. 
   
   
       6 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 conducting the game round of poker in response to the player placing a wager; and   conducting a jackpot game in response to the player placing a jackpot wager, the jackpot game comprising making the jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       7 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 conducting the game round of poker in response to the player placing a wager; and   conducting a jackpot game in response to a percentage of the game round wager, the jackpot game comprising making the jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       8 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the game round of poker comprises:
 selecting two cards to be player hole cards;   selecting five cards to be community cards; and   forming the player hand by combining at least one hole card and a number of community cards.   
   
   
       9 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a larger portion of the jackpot award is made to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with two hole cards than to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with one hole card. 
   
   
       10 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the jackpot wager and a percentage of the game round wager contribute to a progressive jackpot. 
   
   
       11 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising conducting a decider round to make the jackpot award to one player if more than one player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand. 
   
   
       12 . A game controller comprising:
 a symbol selector arranged to:
 select at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and 
 select at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and 
 an outcome evaluator arranged to determine whether to make a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand. 
   
   
   
       13 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the jackpot hand is unique to the or each player hand. 
   
   
       14 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the symbol selector is further arranged to select symbols to be displayed in a set of display positions to the player. 
   
   
       15 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the symbols correspond to cards in a game round of poker and the symbols comprise playing card symbols. 
   
   
       16 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , arranged to receive a wager from the player to be bet in the game round of poker and a wager to be bet in a jackpot game. 
   
   
       17 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to conduct the game round of poker and to determine whether to make the jackpot award to the player in response to the jackpot wager. 
   
   
       18 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to conduct the game round of poker and to determine whether to make the jackpot award to the player in response to a percentage of the game round wager. 
   
   
       19 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the game round of poker comprises:
 selecting two cards to be player hole cards;   selecting five cards to be community cards; and   forming the player hand by combining at least one hole card and a number of community cards.   
   
   
       20 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to make a larger portion of the jackpot award to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with two hole cards than to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with one hole card. 
   
   
       21 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to conduct a decider round to make the jackpot award to one player if more than one player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand. 
   
   
       22 . A gaming system comprising:
 a display arranged to display a plurality of symbols in a set of display positions to a player;   a symbol selector arranged to:   select at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   select at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   an outcome evaluator arranged to determine whether to make a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       23 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the symbol selector selects symbols forming the jackpot hand unique to the or each player hand. 
   
   
       24 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the symbols correspond to cards in a game round of poker and the symbols comprise playing card symbols. 
   
   
       25 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the symbol selector selects playing card symbols forming the player hand from one set of 52 playing card symbols and selects playing card symbols forming the jackpot hand from another set of the same 52 playing card symbols. 
   
   
       26 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein five cards form the player and jackpot hands. 
   
   
       27 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 24 , further comprising a credit mechanism operable by the player to place a wager to be bet in the game round of poker and a wager to be bet in a jackpot game. 
   
   
       28 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to determine whether to make the jackpot award to the player in response to the jackpot wager. 
   
   
       29 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to make the jackpot award to the player in response to a percentage of the game round wager. 
   
   
       30 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the jackpot wager and a percentage of the game round wager contribute to a progressive jackpot. 
   
   
       31 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the symbol selector is further arranged to:
 select two cards to form hole cards;   select five cards to form community cards; and   form the player hand from at least one hole card and a number of community cards.   
   
   
       32 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to determine whether to make a larger portion of the jackpot award to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with two hole cards than to the player hand corresponding to the jackpot hand formed with one hole card. 
   
   
       33 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the outcome evaluator is further arranged to determine whether to make the jackpot award to one player if more than one player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand. 
   
   
       34 . A gaming system comprising:
 a means for selecting at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols for each gaming device;   a means for selecting at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   a means for making a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       35 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one player interface each comprising a game play mechanism mounted to a cabinet and a display mounted within the cabinet, and a game controller disposed within the cabinet comprising a processor and a memory storing game control instructions which enable the game controller to operate in response to operation of a respective at least one game play mechanism by a player, the game controller comprising:   a symbol selector arranged to select at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols and select at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   an outcome evaluator arranged to determine whether to make a jackpot award to the player if the respective player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.   
   
   
       36 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium; and   executable program instructions embodied in the computer readable storage medium that when executed by a programmable system cause the system to perform functions that implement a method of gaming, the functions comprising:   selecting at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols;   selecting at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols; and   making a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.