Patent ID: 8740220

Claim:
A method for playing a gambling game having multiple winning thresholds, comprising the steps of: providing a gaming machine for playing the gambling game; selecting a set of evaluation objects which can be grouped into a plurality of rankable subsets; setting forth a system for ranking the plurality of rankable subsets; selecting a minimum threshold for a minimum winning rankable subset; distributing at least one player hand to at least one player, the player hand comprising a first subset of evaluation objects chosen from the set of evaluation objects; distributing at least one house hand, the house hand comprising a second subset of evaluation objects chosen from the set of evaluation objects; accepting an initial wager from a player; distributing a community hand, the community hand comprising a third subset of evaluation objects chosen from the set of evaluation objects; presenting the at least one player hand, the at least one house hand and the community hand on a display of the gaming machine; evaluating the first subset of evaluation objects of the player hand and the second subset of evaluation objects of the house hand individually with the third subset of evaluation objects of the community hand to individually form a final player hand and a final house hand, the final player hand being a combined subset of evaluation objects selected from the first and third subsets of evaluation objects that has a highest possible ranking according to the system, the final house hand being a combined subset of evaluation objects selected from the second and third subsets of evaluation objects that has a highest possible ranking according to the system; providing an opportunity for accepting at least one additional wager from the player before the final player hand and final house hand are presented to the player; comparing the final player hand to the minimum winning rankable subset and determining whether the final player hand has a ranking that is equal to or in excess of the minimum threshold for a winning rankable subset, and if the ranking of the final player hand is equal to or in excess of the threshold for a minimum winning rankable subset, continuing play, otherwise collecting all wagers placed on the final player hand; and where the final player hand is equal to or in excess of the threshold for a minimum rankable subset, comparing the final player hand to the final house hand and determining whether the final player hand ranking is equal to or in excess of the final house hand ranking, where the final player hand ranking is equal to or in excess of the final house hand ranking, awarding a prize to the player, otherwise collecting all wagers placed on the final player hand.