Gaming device having multiplier poker game

Abstract

A video poker gaming device, a method of operating a gaming device and a method of playing a poker game including a plurality of cards displayed to a player where the cards are drawn from a deck of fifty-two cards including at least one modifier card. The gaming device deals a first draw of the cards to form a player's hand. Any multiplier cards in the player's hand are replaced by a non-multiplier card. The gaming device enables the player to hold any of the cards in the hand and then determines if any winning card combinations are indicated by the non-multiplier cards in the hand. An award associated with any indicated winning card combinations is provided to the player. The award is multiplied by the multipliers associated with any multiplier cards in the player's hand.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one display device;   at least one input device;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
 (a) for a play of a game, initially display at least two cards from a virtual deck of cards to form an initial hand, 
 (b) randomly determine whether to apply any modifiers for the play of the game, 
 (c) if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) randomly select a modifier from a plurality of modifiers, said randomly selected modifier being independent of the virtual deck of cards, 
 (ii) display the randomly selected modifier, 
 (iii) enable a player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (iv) replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (v) display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (vi) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) determine an award associated with said winning card combination, 
 (B) determine a total award, said total award based on said determined award associated with said winning card combination and the randomly selected modifier, and 
 (C) display the determined total award, and 
 
 
 (d) if the random determination is to not apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) enable a player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (ii) replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (iii) display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (iv) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) determine an award associated with said winning card combination, and 
 (B) display the determined award associated with said winning card combination. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual deck of cards includes fifty-two cards. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the randomly selected modifier after enabling the player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modifiers include a plurality of multipliers. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of modifiers is associated with a different probability of being randomly selected. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a housing, and a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to: if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system server comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 (a) for a play of a game, cause at least one display device to initially display at least two cards from a virtual deck of cards to form an initial hand, 
 (b) randomly determine whether to apply any modifiers for the play of the game, 
 (c) if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) randomly select a modifier from a plurality of modifiers, said randomly selected modifier being independent of the virtual deck of cards, 
 (ii) cause the at least one display device to display the randomly selected modifier, 
 (iii) enable a player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (iv) replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (v) cause the at least one display device to display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (vi) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) determine an award associated with said winning card combination, 
 (B) determine a total award, said total award based on said determined award associated with said winning card combination and the randomly selected modifier, and 
 (C) cause the at least one display device to display the determined total award, and 
 
 
 (d) if the random determination is to not apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) enable a player o select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (ii) replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (iii) cause the at least one display device to display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (iv) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) determine an award associated with said winning card combination, and 
 (B) cause the at least one display device to display the determined award associated with said winning card combination. 
 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The gaming system server of  claim 7 , wherein the virtual deck of cards includes fifty-two cards. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming system server of  claim 7 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display the randomly selected modifier after enabling the player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming system server of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of modifiers include a plurality of multipliers. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming system server of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of modifiers is associated with a different probability of being randomly selected. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming system server of  claim 7 , wherein any determined award causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
 (a) for a play of a game, causing at least one display device to initially display at least two cards from a virtual deck of cards to form an initial hand,   (b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly determine whether to apply any modifiers for the play of the game,   (c) if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select a modifier from a plurality of modifiers, said randomly selected modifier being independent of the virtual deck of cards, 
 (ii) causing the at least one display device to display the randomly selected modifier, 
 (iii) enabling a player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (v) causing the at least one display device to display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (vi) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award associated with said winning card combination, 
 (B) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a total award, said total award based on said determined award associated with said winning card combination and the randomly selected modifier, and 
 (C) causing the at least one display device to display the determined total award, and 
 
   (d) if the random determination is to not apply any modifiers for the play of the game:
 (i) enabling a player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held, 
 (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to replace each of any non-held cards in said initial hand with another one of the cards from the virtual deck of cards, 
 (iii) causing the at least one display device to display said replacement hand including any held cards in said initial hand and any cards which replace any non-held cards in said initial hand, and 
 (iv) if said replacement hand forms any winning card combinations:
 (A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award associated with said winning card combination, and 
 (B) causing the at least one display device to display the determined award associated with said winning card combination. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the virtual deck of cards includes fifty-two cards. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , which includes, if the random determination is to apply any modifiers for the play of the game, causing the at least one display device to display the randomly selected modifier after enabling the player to select any of said displayed cards in said initial hand to be held. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of modifiers include a plurality of multipliers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of modifiers is associated with a different probability of being randomly selected. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein any determined award causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , which is provided through a data network. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the data network is an internet.