Patent Publication Number: US-2004043807-A1

Title: Poker game with a second chance feature

Description:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE  
       [0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a poker game with a second chance feature.  
       [0003] Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Video poker machines used for gaming are well known in the art. Most video poker gaming machines used in casinos implement conventional rules for poker by dealing five initial cards face up from a standard deck of fifty-two cards and allowing the player to hold any number of the cards. The player can press a draw button which causes the non-held or discarded cards to be randomly replaced with new cards from the deck. The player is provided an award for a winning hand, if any, according to a payout table.  
       [0004] In a conventional video poker game, when a player is dealt three cards or four cards to a winning hand, such as a Royal Flush, the odds are against the player for filling out the hand and hitting the winning hand. For example, the odds of being dealt a Royal Flush in a five card hand is 1 in 650,000. In a typical single-hand video poker game, the player only gets one chance or draw, resulting in a very high chance of failure and frequent disappointment for the player. In a typical multi-hand game, the player gets one draw for each hand played which reduces the player&#39;s overall chance of failure on all hands. However, in the multi-hand games, the player has to place a wager on each hand played, thus the chance of failure relative to the wager for each individual hand is the same as if the player had played only one hand of poker.  
       [0005] In other known embodiments of video poker games, the player has a second opportunity to replay the hand or receive additional draws. One such video poker game is the “Play It Again Poker” game. In this game, the player may replay any hand a second time, but the player has to make an additional wager, thus, like the multi-hand game, the chance of failure has not decreased.  
       [0006] Another video poker game is the “Austin Powers Ten Play Poker #2” game. In this game, the player gets additional draws and no additional wagers are required. However, there is no opportunity for the player to replay a hand that fails.  
       [0007] Games that increase the opportunities and chances to obtain awards are desirable. Players are attracted to games that have increased chances of obtaining sizable awards. Therefore, to increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide new games.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] The present invention relates in general to a poker game with a second chance feature and in one embodiment primarily described herein, a gaming device having a video poker game with a second chance feature. The gaming device enables a player to play a single-hand poker game or a multi-hand poker game. The gaming device provides the opportunity to replay a hand without the player having to make an additional wager. Thus, the player&#39;s chances of obtaining an award per hand relative to the wager placed on the hand is increased which results in a more exciting and entertaining game.  
       [0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player makes a wager and is dealt a hand including five initial cards as in a conventional poker game. When a player is dealt a triggering hand such as three cards or four cards to a designated winning hand such as a Royal Flush in an initial deal, the present invention first provides the player with an opportunity for a first draw as in a conventional poker game. The player chooses which initial cards to hold and is dealt replacement cards for the cards not held or chosen by the player. In this embodiment of the present invention, if the player does not obtain the designated winning hand, the player has the option of accepting the hand dealt and any awards associated with that hand after the first draw, or replaying the triggering hand with a free additional draw in a second attempt to obtain the designated winning hand. The player makes no additional wager for such second attempt. If the second attempt results in a winning hand, an award is provided to the player. This embodiment of the present invention provides the player with more chances for awards than a conventional game because the player may be dealt a winning hand in both the initial draw and in the subsequent draw.  
       [0010] It should be appreciated that other pre-determined combinations or triggering hands than three cards to a Royal Flush or four cards to a Royal Flush may be used in accordance with the present invention to provide a player with the opportunity of replaying a hand.  
       [0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the cards used in the first draw are replaced back into the deck before for second draw. Thus, such cards may be dealt again to the player in the second draw. In another embodiment, one or more of the cards in the first draw are not placed in the deck. In such embodiment, the player&#39;s chance of obtaining the designated winning hand generally increases. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, instead of replaying the specific initial hand, the player is allowed to keep the cards held for the first draw, and be dealt additional cards where all of the previous cards which were discarded, including the cards discarded from the initial hand, are randomly shuffled back into the deck. It should be appreciated that in another embodiment of the present invention, the discarded cards may not be shuffled back into the deck of cards.  
       [0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player is automatically provided with the free additional draw when there is no designated winning hand after the first draw.  
       [0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, any award that is indicated to the player after the initial draw is not provided to the player if the player chooses to replay the hand. In such case, the player only receives the award, if any, from the replayed hand.  
       [0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player is offered the option to replay a hand only if the player has wagered the maximum wager associated with that hand.  
       [0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player chooses one or more of the predetermined combinations or triggering hands which gives the player the second chance feature.  
       [0016] It should be appreciated that the present invention could be employed in both single-hand and multi-hand versions of video poker games.  
       [0017] It should be appreciated that the present invention can be played without the use of a gaming device, such as in a conventional table poker game.  
       [0018] It should be appreciated that the present invention could be used in card games other than poker.  
       [0019] It should be appreciated that the present invention could also be used in conjunction with other games such as keno or conventional video slot machines.  
       [0020] It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device that gives a player the option of replaying a hand with no additional wager or charge.  
       [0021] It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device which increases the chances of a player obtaining an award.  
       [0022] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts elements, components, steps and processes.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
     [0023]FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the gaming device of the present invention.  
     [0024]FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the gaming device of the present invention.  
     [0025]FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the electronic configuration of one embodiment of the gaming device of the present invention.  
     [0026]FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is dealt an initial hand.  
     [0027]FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives one draw.  
     [0028]FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is dealt an initial hand.  
     [0029]FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives one draw.  
     [0030]FIG. 7 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1 A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives a free additional draw and has a winning hand which is a Royal Flush.  
     [0031]FIG. 8 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention enabling the player to choose a triggering hand.  
     [0032]FIG. 9 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is dealt an initial hand.  
     [0033]FIG. 10 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives one draw.  
     [0034]FIG. 11 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives a free additional draw and has a winning hand which is a Flush.  
     [0035]FIG. 12 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is dealt an initial hand.  
     [0036]FIG. 13 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives one draw.  
     [0037]FIG. 14 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is enabled to play a free replay of the triggering hand.  
     [0038]FIG. 15 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives a free additional draw and has a winning hand which is a Four of a Kind.  
     [0039]FIG. 16 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is dealt an initial hand.  
     [0040]FIG. 17 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives one draw.  
     [0041]FIG. 18 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention wherein the player is enabled to play a free replay of the triggering hand and any previously dealt card the player chooses.  
     [0042]FIG. 19 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the display devices of FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating one embodiment of the present invention after the player receives a free additional draw and has a winning hand which is a Straight.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     Gaming Device and Electronics  
     [0043] Referring now to the drawings, two embodiments of the gaming device of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B as gaming device  10   a  and gaming device  10   b , respectively. Gaming device  10   a  and/or gaming device  10   b  are generally referred to herein as gaming device  10 . Gaming device  10  in one embodiment has the controls, displays and features of a conventional video poker machine. It is constructed so that a player can operate it while standing or sitting, and gaming device  10  is preferably mounted in a cabinet. However, it should be appreciated that gaming device  10  can be constructed as a pub-style table-top game (not shown) which a player can operate preferably while sitting. Furthermore, gaming device  10  can be constructed with varying cabinet and display designs, as illustrated by the designs shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Gaming device  10  can also be implemented as a program code stored in a detachable cartridge for operating a hand-held video game device. Also, gaming device  10  can be implemented as a program code stored on a disk or other memory device which a player can use in a desktop or laptop personal computer or other computerized platform.  
     [0044] As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, gaming device  10  includes a coin slot  12  and bill acceptor  14  where the player inserts money, coins or tokens. The player can place coins in the coin slot  12  or paper money or ticket vouchers in the bill acceptor  14 . Other devices could be used for accepting payment such as readers or validators for credit cards or debit cards. When a player inserts money in gaming device  10 , a number of credits corresponding to the amount deposited is shown in a credit display  16 . After depositing the appropriate amount of money, a player can begin the game by pushing a play or deal button  20 . The play or deal button  20  can be any activator used by the player which starts any game or sequence of events in the gaming device.  
     [0045] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, gaming device  10  also includes a bet display  22  and a bet one button  24 . The player places a bet by pushing the bet one button  24 . The player can increase the bet by one credit each time the player pushes the bet one button  24 . When the player pushes the bet one button  24 , the number of credits shown in the credit display  16  decreases by one, and the number of credits shown in the bet display  22  increases by one. Other bet or wager indicators such as a bet max button may also be employed in the gaming device of present invention.  
     [0046] A player may cash out and thereby receive a number of coins corresponding to the number of remaining credits by pushing a cash out button  18 . When the player cashes out, the player receives the coins in a coin payout tray  28 . The gaming device  10  may employ other payout mechanisms such as credit slips redeemable by a cashier or electronically recordable cards which keep track of the player&#39;s credits.  
     [0047] Gaming device  10  also includes one or more display devices. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1A includes a central display device  30 , and the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 1B includes a central display device  30  as well as an upper display device  32 . Gaming device  10  in one embodiment displays a plurality of cards  34  in video form at one or more of the display devices. A display device can be any viewing surface such as glass, a video monitor or screen, a liquid crystal display or any other display mechanism. As the cards  34  are in video form, the display device is preferably a video monitor. The cards  34  are associated with one or more decks of cards used in conventional poker games. The cards  34  may alternatively display a variety of images such as bells, hearts, fruits, numbers, letters or other images which may correspond to a theme associated with the gaming device  10 . Furthermore, the gaming device  10  preferably includes speakers  36  for producing sounds such as music.  
     [0048] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the general electronic configuration of gaming device  10  preferably includes: a processor  38 ; a memory device  40  for storing program code or other data; a central display device  30 ; an upper display device  32 ; a sound card  42 ; a plurality of speakers  36 ; and one or more input devices  44 . The processor  38  is preferably a microprocessor or microcontroller-based platform which is capable of displaying images, symbols and other indicia such as images of people, characters, places, things and faces of cards. One or more secondary processors may also be employed in conjunction with the primary processor to control certain aspects of the game function. The memory device  40  can include random access memory (RAM)  46  for storing event data or other data generated or used during a particular game. The memory device  40  can also include read only memory (ROM)  48  for storing program code which controls the gaming device  10  so that it plays a particular game in accordance with applicable game rules and pay tables. The memory device  40  preferably stores program code which enables a player to play a video poker game.  
     [0049] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the player preferably uses the input devices  44 , such as the deal button  20 , the bet one button  24 , the hold buttons  26  and the cash out button  18  to input signals into gaming device  10 . In certain instances it is preferable to use a touch screen  50  and an associated touch screen controller  52  instead of a conventional video monitor display device. Touch screen  50  and touch screen controller  52  are connected to a video controller  54  and processor  38 . A player can make decisions and input signals into the gaming device  10  by touching touch screen  50  at the appropriate places. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the processor  38  can be connected to coin slot  12  or bill acceptor  14 . The processor  38  can be programmed to require a player to deposit a certain amount of money in order to start the game.  
     [0050] It should be appreciated that although a processor  38  and memory device  40  are preferable implementations of the present invention, the present invention can also be implemented using one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC&#39;s) or other hard-wired devices, or using mechanical devices (collectively or alternatively referred to herein as a “processor”). Furthermore, although the processor  38  and memory device  40  preferably reside on each gaming device  10  unit, it is possible to provide some or all of their functions at a central location such as a network server for communication to a playing station such as over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Internet connection, microwave link, and the like. The processor  38  and memory device  40  are generally referred to herein as the “computer” or “controller.” 
     [0051] With reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B and  2 , to operate the gaming device  10 , in one embodiment the player must insert the appropriate amount of money or tokens at coin slot  12  or bill acceptor  14  and then push the deal button  20 . The gaming device  10  enables the player to play a conventional game of video poker and initially deals five cards  34  all face up from a single fifty-two card deck. Cards may be “dealt” as in a traditional game of cards or in the case of the gaming device  10 , may also include that the cards are randomly selected from a predetermined number of cards. Moreover, the term “shuffling” is also used in the traditional sense and in terms of the gaming device  10 , may also include the cards being placed into the predetermined number of cards to be randomly selected or dealt. If the player wishes to draw, the player selects the cards  34  to hold by pressing related hold buttons  26  or the touch screen  50 . The player then presses the deal button  20  and the unwanted or discarded cards  34  are removed from the display  30  and replacement cards  34  are dealt from the remaining cards in the deck. This results in a final five-card hand  34 . The final five-card hand  34  is compared to a payout table which utilizes conventional poker hand rankings to determine the winning hands. The player is provided with an award based on a winning hand and the credits the player wagered. As long as the player has credits remaining, the player can continue to play additional poker games. It should be appreciated that there may be additional variations of poker games such as a hand having a different number of cards or variations of conventional poker hand rankings which the gaming device  10  can be adapted to play.  
     [0052] In another embodiment, the gaming device  10  enables a player to play a multi-hand version of video poker. In this embodiment, the player is dealt at least two hands of cards  34  as illustrated in FIG. 1B. In one such embodiment, the cards are the same cards. In one embodiment each hand of cards  34  is associated with its own deck of cards. The player chooses the cards  34  to hold in a primary hand. The held cards  34  in the primary hand are also held in the other hands of cards  34 . The remaining non-held cards  34  are removed from each hand displayed and for each hand replacement cards are randomly dealt into that hand. Since the replacement cards are randomly dealt independently for each hand, the replacement cards for each hand will usually be different. The poker hand rankings are then determined hand by hand and awards are provided to the player.  
     [0053] In addition to winning credits in this manner, one embodiment gaming device  10  may also gives players the opportunity to win credits in a bonus round. This type of gaming device  10  will include a program which will automatically begin a bonus round when the player has achieved a qualifying condition in the game. This qualifying condition can be a particular arrangement of indicia on a display device. The gaming device  10  may use mechanical devices or a video-based central display device  30  to enable the player to play the bonus round. In one embodiment of the present invention, the qualifying condition for a bonus round may be a predetermined combination of cards appearing on the display, such as a Royal Flush or a Straight. In another embodiment, the predetermined combination of cards may consist of pre-determined combinations from each individual hand or predetermined combinations consisting of cards from a number of hands.  
     The Second Chance Feature  
     [0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, if a player receives a predetermined combination or a triggering hand of cards or a triggering event occurs during a poker game, the gaming device allows the player to replay the hand if the player is not satisfied with a subsequent draw.  
     [0055] Referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated where in a conventional five-card video poker game the player has been dealt an initial hand including an Ace of Diamonds  34   a , a King of Diamonds  34   b , a Ten of Diamonds  34   c , a Five of Spades  34   d  and a Ten of Hearts  34   e . This is not a winning hand, but the hand has three cards to the winning combination which in this embodiment is a Royal Flush. The player holds the Ace of Diamonds  34   a , the King of Diamonds  34   b , the Ten of Diamonds  34   c  and requests a draw. The gaming device  10  discards the Five of Spades  34   d  and the Ten of Hearts  34   e , and randomly deals two additional cards including a Jack of Diamonds  34   f  and a Nine of Spades  34   g  as illustrated in FIG. 4. The player now holds four cards to a Royal Flush. In a conventional video poker game, the game would end and the player would not be provided with an award because four cards to a Royal Flush is not a winning hand.  
     [0056] In this embodiment of the present invention, the three cards to a Royal Flush is a predetermined combination of cards or triggering hand or event which allows the player to replay the initial hand if the player desires to do so. In such case, in one embodiment, the gaming device  10  shuffles the Jack of Diamonds  34   f  and the Nine of Spades  34   g  back into the deck and provides the player with the initial hand as also illustrated in FIG. 3. The gaming device then allows the player to replay the initial hand by allowing the player an additional draw. In one embodiment, any award associated with the first draw is not provided to the player if the player chooses to replay the hand. It should also be appreciated that in one alternative embodiment, the player is allowed to keep the Jack of Diamonds plus the triggering card for the second draw which increases the odds of obtaining the Royal Flush.  
     [0057] Referring now to FIG. 5, in another embodiment of the present invention the player is dealt three cards to a Royal Flush in an initial deal. The player requests a second draw and holds the three cards to a Royal Flush. The Five of Hearts  36   d  and the Seven of Diamonds  36   e  are discarded, and two replacement cards are dealt. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the replacement cards are a King of Hearts  36   f  and a Three of Clubs  36   g . In a conventional “Jacks Or Better” poker game the pair of Kings  36   b  and  36   f  represents a winning hand and the gaming device  10  provides the player with the award associated with such hand.  
     [0058] In this embodiment, three cards to a Royal Flush is again a predetermined combination or triggering hand of cards which allows the player to replay the initial hand. The player may elect to replay the hand and give up the award associated with the pair of Kings  36   b  and  36   f  or forego replaying the hand and accept the award. The player is thus faced with a decision which is not offered in conventional poker games, that is whether to accept the current award, or to take a chance and try for a larger award. The present invention provides the player with excitement not offered by other poker games. The player takes the chance, replays the initial hand as illustrated in FIG. 5, discards the award and as shown in FIG. 7 and hits a Royal Flush.  
     [0059] It should be appreciated that in one embodiment of the present invention, the award associated with a previous draw given to the player. A player can receive a winning hand in a draw, receive an award, then replay the initial hand and receive another award for a winning hand in the replayed hand, thus, a player has an opportunity to win larger awards not provided in other poker games.  
     [0060] In one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 8, the player is given the opportunity to select one or more of the predetermined combinations of cards or triggering hands  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c ,  56   d  and  56   e  which enables a player to play a second chance. The number of selections or selection of a triggering hand by the player can be associated with a wager or maximum wager. This additional selection or selections give a player excitement and decision-making that no other poker game provides.  
     [0061] In another embodiment of the present invention, no cards that are previously dealt are shuffled back into the deck, thus, the poker game provides another level of decision-making and excitement. For example, a player is dealt, as illustrated in FIG. 9 three cards to a Flush which includes a Seven of Clubs  38   a , a Ten of Clubs  38   b , a Queen of Clubs  38   c , an Ace of Diamonds  38   d , and a Four of Hearts  38   e . The player then holds the three cards to the Flush and discards the Ace of Diamonds  38   d  and the Four of Hearts  38   e . The player is then dealt two cards, a Queen of diamonds  38   e  and an Eight of Diamonds  38   f  as illustrated in FIG. 10. In a “Jacks Or Better” game the player now holds a winning hand for which an award will be provided. However, in this embodiment of the present invention, the three cards to a Flush is a predetermined combination of cards which allows the player to replay the initial hand. In this embodiment, the cards which were dealt in a previous draw will not be shuffled back into the deck of cards. A player is faced with a decision of whether to accept the award or try for another winning hand which is a Flush. As shown in FIG. 10, the player is informed that he or she can accept the award or replay the hand.  
     [0062] The award associated with a Flush is larger than the award associated with a pair of Queens  38   c  and  38   e . In this embodiment, the player is provided with a better than normal chance of hitting a Flush because two cards in the previous draw and two cards from the initial hand are not in the suit needed for the Flush. These cards will not be in the deck with which the player will replay the hand. In this particular example, the player chooses to replay the initial hand. The player is again provided with the initial hand as illustrated in FIG. 9. The player again holds the three cards to the Flush and discards the Ace of Diamonds  38   d  and the Four of Hearts  38   e . The player is randomly dealt two replacement cards, a Nine of Clubs  38   g  and a Four of Clubs  38   h  as illustrated in FIG. 11. In this embodiment, the player hits a Flush which is a winning hand and receives an award.  
     [0063] Referring now to FIG. 12, in one embodiment of the present invention, a player is dealt an initial hand of a Five of Clubs  40   a , a Five of Diamonds  40   b , a Five of Hearts  40   c , a Ten of Diamonds  40   d , and a Jack of Hearts  40   e . The player elects to hold the three Fives  40   a ,  40   b  and  40   c  and discards the Ten of Diamonds  40   d  and the Jack of Hearts  40   e . In the subsequent draw, the player is dealt an Ace of Spades  40   f  and a Nine of Spades  40   g  as illustrated in FIG. 13. This is not a designated winning hand, however, the initial hand included three cards to a Four of a Kind, which is a triggering hand in this embodiment. In this embodiment of the present invention, the player may elect to replay the triggering hand for free as illustrated in FIG. 14. The hand which is replayed is only the triggering hand and not the entire hand which included the triggering hand. The player elects to replay the triggering hand and hits Four of a Kind which is a designated winning hand as illustrated in FIG. 15. In this embodiment, all previous cards except the cards in the triggering hand are shuffled back into the deck, however, it should be appreciated that in another embodiment, the discarded cards may not be shuffled back into the deck of cards.  
     [0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player is dealt an initial hand of cards as illustrated in FIG. 16. The initial hand includes an Eight of Hearts  42   a , a Five of Diamonds  42   b , a Six of Hearts  42   c , a Jack of Clubs  42   d , and a Queen of Clubs  42   e . This is not a designated winning hand, so the player elects to hold the Five of Diamonds  42   b  and the Six of Hearts  42   c  and discards the remaining cards. In the subsequent draw, the player is dealt a Seven of Spades  42   g , an Eight of Diamonds  42   h  and a Ten of Spades  42   f  as shown in FIG. 17. This is again not a designated winning hand. In the initial hand the player had two cards to a Straight which is a triggering hand in this embodiment. The player is given the choice to replay the triggering hand for free, however, in this embodiment of the present invention the player may additionally choose to replay with any cards from the first draw as well as the cards in the triggering hand. The initial hand had two cards to a Straight, after the subsequent draw, the hand now also includes a Seven of Spades  42   g  and an Eight of Diamonds  42   h . The hand now includes four cards to a Straight. The chances of hitting a Straight with four cards to a Straight are better than hitting a Straight with two cards to a Straight. The player elects to replay the triggering hand and also holds the Seven of Spades  42   g  and the Eight of Diamonds  42   h  for the free replay as illustrated in FIG. 18. The player&#39;s choice pays off and after the free draw the player hits a Straight. In this embodiment, all previous cards except the cards in the triggering hand and the cards held after the first draw are shuffled back into the deck. It should be appreciated that in another embodiment, the discarded cards may not be shuffled back into the deck of cards.  
     [0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the player is automatically provided with the free additional draw when there is no designated winning hand after the first draw.  
     [0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined combinations of cards may include: three cards to a Royal Flush, four cards to a Royal Flush, three cards to a Straight Flush, four cards to a Straight Flush, four cards to a Full House, three cards to a Flush, four cards to a Flush, two cards to a Straight, three cards to a Straight, four cards to a Straight, two cards to a Four-of-a-Kind, three cards to a Four-of-a-Kind, two cards to a Three-of-a-Kind, and three cards to a Two Pair. It should be appreciated that the predetermined combination of cards or triggering hand or event is not limited to these combinations, but can be any predetermined combination of cards which will trigger the free replay.  
     [0067] In another embodiment, as described above, the present invention can be modified to be included in a video multi-hand poker game.  
     [0068] Various embodiments of the present invention may also utilize a different number of cards than in conventional poker games.  
     [0069] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.