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.

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 modifier meter associated with a first part of the wagering game, the first modifier meter comprising a first current modifier associated with the first part of the wagering game for the first play of the game, a first queued modifier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a second play of the wagering game, and a second queued modifier associated with the first part of the wagering game for a third play 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 modifier associated with the first part of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the first award for the first play of the wagering game; 
 
 responsive to receipt of a second wager and a second game-initiation input from the player for the second play of the wagering game:
 deduct the second wager from the credit balance, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the second play of the wagering game, 
 determine a second award for the second play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game and the first queued modifier associated with the first part of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the second award for the second play of the wagering game; 
 
 responsive to receipt of a third wager and a third game-initiation input from the player for a third play of the wagering game:
 deduct the third wager from the credit balance, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the third play of the wagering game, 
 determine a third award for the third play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the third play of the wagering game and the second queued modifier, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the third award for the third play of the wagering game; 
 
 cause the credit balance to increase based on the first award, the second award, and the third 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 first play of the wagering game, and before the display of the second play of the wagering game, communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of an update of the modifier meter wherein the first queued modifier shifts position. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         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 a second modifier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game, the second modifier meter comprising a first current modifier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the first play of the game and a first queued modifier associated with the second part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game;   additionally determine the first award for the first play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the second part of the wagering game for the first play of the wagering game and the first current modifier; and   additionally determine the second award for the second play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the second part of the wagering game for the second play of the wagering game and the first queued modifier associated with the second part of the wagering game.   
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game and the second part of the wagering game is another one of the plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         6 . 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 modifier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game, add a modifier to the modifier meter. 
     
     
         7 . 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 modifier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game, increase one of the modifiers of the modifier meter. 
     
     
         8 . 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 modifier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game and that a quantity of modifiers in the modifier meter is a maximum modifier quantity, increase one of the modifiers in the modifier meter. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor;   a display device;   an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value; 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 each of first, second, and third sequential plays of a wagering game, communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of a first modifier meter associated with a first part of the wagering game and a second modifier meter associated with a second part of the wagering game, wherein each modifier meter comprises a modifier queue area indicating first, second, and third queued modifiers respectively associated with the first, second, and third plays of the wagering game; 
 responsive to receipt of each wager and each game-initiation input from the player for each of first, second, and third plays of the wagering game:
 deduct the wager from the credit balance, 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the play of the wagering game, 
 determine an award for the play of the wagering game based on an outcome associated with the first part of the wagering game for the play of the wagering game and a respective one of the first, second, and third queued modifiers associated with the first part of the wagering game, and 
 communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of the award for the play of the wagering game; 
 
 cause the credit balance to increase based on each of the awards for the first, second, and third plays of the wagering game; and 
 initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input. 
   
     
     
         11 . The gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, after the display of each play of the wagering game, and before the display of a next play of the wagering game, communicate data that results in a display, by the display device, of an update to the display of the modifier meter such that one of the queued modifiers shifts position. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the first part of the wagering game is one of a plurality of hands of the wagering game. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the wagering game is a card game. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, responsive to a determination that a modifier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game, add a modifier to the first modifier meter. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, responsive to a determination that a modifier bonus is associated with the first part of the wagering game and that a quantity of modifiers in the first modifier meter is a maximum modifier quantity, increase one of the modifiers in the first modifier meter. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor;   a display device;   an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value; and   a memory device storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
 establish a credit balance responsive to receipt, by the acceptor, of the physical item; 
 enable the player to place a wager on a wagering game, the wager deducted from the credit balance; 
 cause the display device to display a first play of the wagering game responsive to receipt of the wager and receipt of a game-initiation input, the wagering game including a plurality of hands; 
 for a first hand of the plurality of hands of the first play of the wagering game:
 cause the display device to display a modifier meter associated with the first hand, the modifier meter comprising a current modifier identifier and a modifier queue simultaneously displayed with the current modifier identifier and configured to indicate any modifiers associated with the first hand for any respective subsequent plays of the wagering game, 
 determine if any modifier bonus is associated with the first hand, 
 in response to a determination that the modifier bonus is associated with the first hand, award the modifier bonus associated with the first hand, the modifier bonus comprising a first modifier associated with a corresponding first hand of a subsequent second play of the wagering game, and a second modifier associated with a corresponding first hand of a subsequent third play of the wagering game, and 
 cause the display device to update the modifier queue to simultaneously display the first modifier and the second modifier associated with the modifier bonus of the first hand and the current modifier identifier; and 
 
   initiate a cashout of the credit balance responsive to receipt of a cashout input.   
     
     
         17 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 cause the display device to display the second play of the wagering game; and   for the first hand of the second play of the wagering game:
 cause the display device to update the display of the modifier meter to shift the first modifier associated with the first hand of the second play of the wagering game from the modifier queue to the current modifier identifier, and 
 determine any first award associated with the first hand based on cards of the first hand, a paytable, and the first modifier in the current modifier identifier. 
   
     
     
         18 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 cause the display device to display the third play of the wagering game; and   for the first hand of the third play of the wagering game:
 cause the display device to update the display of the modifier meter to shift the second modifier associated with the first hand of the third play of the wagering game from the modifier queue to the current modifier identifier, and 
 determine any second award associated with the first hand based on cards of the first hand, the paytable, and the second modifier in the current modifier identifier. 
   
     
     
         19 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to, in response to the determination that the modifier bonus is associated with the first hand:
 determine whether the modifier queue includes a third modifier; and   in response to a determination that the modifier queue includes the third modifier, update the third modifier in the modifier queue to a maximum modifier value.   
     
     
         20 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to, in response to the determination that the modifier bonus is associated with the first hand:
 determine whether the modifier queue includes a third modifier; and   in response to a determination that the modifier queue includes the third modifier, update the first modifier and the second modifier to a maximum modifier value.