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; 
 for a first play of a wagering game, 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, the first multiplier meter comprising a first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, and a plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game for a respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game; 
 
 responsive to receipt of a first wager and a first game-initiation input from the player for the 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, 
 determine a first award for the first play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game and the first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first award for the first play of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of:
 the first multiplier meter associated with the first part of the wagering game comprising a first one of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game for a second play of the game, and another one of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game being a maximum multiplier for one of the plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game; 
 
 
 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, communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of each of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game being the maximum multiplier for the plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 3 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, responsive to a determination that a multiplier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game and that a quantity of multipliers in the first multiplier meter is a maximum multiplier quantity, increase one of the multipliers in the first multiplier meter. 
     
     
         6 . 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 a second multiplier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game, the second multiplier meter comprising a first current multiplier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, and a second plurality of queued multipliers associated with the second part of the wagering game for the respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system of  claim 6 , wherein one of the second plurality of queued multipliers associated with the second part of the wagering game for the respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game is the maximum multiplier. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 6 , wherein the second plurality of queued multipliers associated with the second part of the wagering game for the respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game are all the maximum multiplier. 
     
     
         9 . 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; 
 for a first play of a wagering game, 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, the first multiplier meter comprising a first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, and a plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game for a respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game, 
 
 responsive to receipt of a first wager and a first game-initiation input from the player for the 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, 
 determine a first award for the first play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game and the first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first award for the first play of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of:
 the first multiplier meter associated with the first part of the wagering game, the first multiplier meter comprising a first one of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game and for a second play of the game, and a replacement of another one of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game with a maximum multiplier for one of the plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game; and 
 
 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         10 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the 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. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming system of  claim 10 , 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 a second multiplier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game, the second multiplier meter comprising a first current multiplier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, and a second plurality of queued multipliers associated with the second part of the wagering game for the respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the second plurality of queued multipliers associated with the second part of the wagering game for the respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game are all the maximum multiplier. 
     
     
         14 . 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; 
 for a first play of a wagering game, 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, the first multiplier meter comprising a first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, and a plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game for a respective plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game, 
 
 responsive to receipt of a first wager and a first game-initiation input from the player for the 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, 
 determine a first award for the first play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game and the first current multiplier associated with the first part of the wagering game, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first award for the first play of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of: 
 the first multiplier meter associated with the first part of the wagering game, the first multiplier meter comprising a first one of the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game and for a second play of the game, and 
 a sorting of the queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game the plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game; and 
 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         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 the display device, of one the plurality of queued multipliers associated with the first part of the wagering game being a maximum multiplier for one of the plurality of subsequent plays of the wagering game. 
     
     
         16 . 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 the display device, of the sorting in ascending order. 
     
     
         17 . 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 the display device, of the sorting in descending order. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, responsive to a determination that a multiplier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game and that a quantity of multipliers in the first multiplier meter is a maximum multiplier quantity, increase one of the multipliers in the multiplier meter before the sorting. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , 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.