Gaming system and method providing a wagering game with an award modifier bonus feature

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a multi-hand poker wagering game with an award modifier bonus feature, and wherein in various embodiments the award modifiers are multipliers.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor;   an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;   a display device; and   a memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 establish a credit balance for a player responsive to receipt, by the acceptor, of the physical item; 
 responsive to receipt of a first wager and a first game-initiation input from the player for a first play of the wagering game:
 deduct the first wager from the credit balance, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first play of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of an outcome associated with a first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, wherein the outcome is associated with a first multiplier, a second multiplier, and a third multiplier, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a first part of the wagering game for a second play of the wagering game, the first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier, 
 a first queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a third play of the wagering game, the first queued multiplier meter comprising the second multiplier, and 
 a second queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a fourth play of the wagering game, the second queued multiplier meter comprising the third multiplier, and 
 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of a first award for the first play of the wagering game; 
 
 cause the credit balance to increase based on the first award; and 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, after the display of the second play of the wagering game, and before the display of the third play of the wagering game, communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of an update of the first multiplier meter wherein the second multiplier in the first queued multiplier shifts position to the first multiplier meter. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, after the display of the second play of the wagering game, and before the display of the third play of the wagering game, communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of an update of the first multiplier meter wherein the second multiplier in the first queued multiplier shifts position to the first multiplier meter and the third multiplier in the third queued multiplier shifts position to the first queued multiplier. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the first play of the wagering game:
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the outcome being additionally associated with, the first part of the wagering game, a fourth multiplier and a fifth multiplier; and   communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a third queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a fifth play of the wagering game, the third queued multiplier meter comprising the fourth multiplier, and 
 a fourth queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a sixth play of the wagering game, the fourth queued multiplier meter comprising the fifth multiplier. 
   
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 5 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor;   an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;   a display device; and   a memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 establish a credit balance for a player responsive to receipt, by the acceptor, of the physical item; 
 responsive to receipt of a first wager and a first game-initiation input from the player for a first play of the wagering game:
 deduct the first wager from the credit balance, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first play of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of a first outcome associated with a first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, wherein the first outcome is associated with a first multiplier, a second multiplier, and a third multiplier, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a first part of the wagering game for a second play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier, 
 a first queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a third play of the wagering game, the first queued multiplier meter comprising the second multiplier, and 
 a second queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a fourth play of the wagering game, the second queued multiplier meter comprising the third multiplier, 
 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of a second outcome associated with a second part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, wherein the second outcome is associated with a fifth multiplier, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the fifth multiplier, 
 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of a first award for the first play of the wagering game; and 
 
 cause the credit balance to increase based on the first award; and 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to,
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of a third outcome associated with a third part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, wherein the third outcome is not associated with any multiplier,   communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a third part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising no multiplier. 
   
     
     
         9 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for a first play of the wagering game:
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering gamebeing additionally associated with a fourth multiplier and a fifth multiplier, and   communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a third queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a fifth play of the wagering game, the third queued multiplier meter comprising the fourth multiplier, and 
 a fourth queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a sixth play of the wagering game, the fourth queued multiplier meter comprising the fifth multiplier. 
   
     
     
         10 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game, and wherein the second part of the wagering game is another one of the plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor;   an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;   a display device; and   a memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 establish a credit balance for a player responsive to receipt, by the acceptor, of the physical item;
 communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a first part of the wagering game for a first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising a first multiplier, 
 a first queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a second play of the wagering game, the first queued multiplier meter comprising a second multiplier, and 
 a second queued multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a third play of the wagering game, the second queued multiplier meter comprising a third multiplier, 
 a first multiplier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier, 
 a first queued multiplier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, the first queued multiplier meter comprising no multiplier, and 
 a second queued multiplier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the third play of the wagering game, the second queued multiplier meter comprising no multiplier; and 
 
 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of a first multiplier meter associated with a third part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising no multiplier. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of a first multiplier meter associated with a fourth part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising no multiplier. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a fifth part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier,   a first queued multiplier associated with the fifth part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, said first queued multiplier meter comprising the second multiplier, and   a second queued multiplier associated with the fifth part of the wagering game for the third play of the wagering game, said second queued multiplier meter comprising the third multiplier.   
     
     
         16 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a third part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier,   a first queued multiplier associated with the third part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, said first queued multiplier meter comprising the second multiplier, and   a second queued multiplier associated with the third part of the wagering game for the third play of the wagering game, said second queued multiplier meter comprising the third multiplier.   
     
     
         17 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of:
 a first multiplier meter associated with a fourth part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game, said first multiplier meter comprising the first multiplier,   a first queued multiplier associated with the fourth part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game, said first queued multiplier meter comprising the second multiplier,   a second queued multiplier associated with the fourth part of the wagering game for the third play of the wagering game, said second queued multiplier meter comprising the third multiplier,   a third queued multiplier associated with the fourth part of the wagering game for a fourth play of the wagering game, said third queued multiplier meter comprising a fourth multiplier, and   a fifth queued multiplier associated with the fourth part of the wagering game for a fifth play of the wagering game, said fifth queued multiplier meter comprising a fifth multiplier.   
     
     
         18 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third multipliers are different multipliers. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming system of  claim 19 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game, and wherein the second part of the wagering game is another one of the plurality of hands of the wagering game.