Patent ID: 7618316
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising the steps of: (a) accepting a wager from a player using at least one input device; (b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to present a play of a main game including randomly generating and causing at least one display device to display at least a first set of cards to generate a main game hand; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an outcome of said play of the main game comprising comparing said main game hand to a set of different predetermined winning hands; (d) if said main game hand is one of the predetermined winning hands, awarding said player a winning amount and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if said winning hand corresponds to any corresponding one of a plurality of different predetermined bonus categories and, if so, associating a value greater than zero with the corresponding bonus category; (e) if a bonus condition occurs, after determining said outcome of said play of the main game, enabling the player to make an input using the at least one input device to cause a play of a bonus event regardless of whether said main game hand is one of the predetermined winning hands, the bonus condition occurring when a designated number of values is associated with a designated number of the predetermined bonus categories, the designated number of values being at least one, and the designated number of the predetermined bonus categories being at least one; (f) repeating (a) through (e) until receiving said input from the player to cause the play of the bonus event; and (g) if said input from the player to cause the play of the bonus event is received, thereafter causing the at least one display device to display the play of the bonus event, said play of said bonus event comprising causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select at least one of the bonus categories after receiving said input from the player to cause the play of the bonus event, said random selection of at least one of the bonus categories being in addition to and independent of any previously displayed play of the main game, and if any value is associated with the at least one selected bonus category, awarding a bonus win according to said associated value.