Patent ID: 8167696

Claim:
A video poker gaming machine comprising: means for providing a plurality of different ranges of cumulative wager amounts, each of the different ranges of cumulative wager amounts having a minimum cumulative wager amount and a maximum cumulative wager amount; means for arranging the plurality of different ranges of cumulative wager amounts in a progressive order wherein the maximum cumulative wager amount in one range of cumulative wager amounts is less than the minimum cumulative wager amount of a next, succeeding range of cumulative wager amounts and wherein any cumulative wager amount in a range of cumulative wager amounts is greater than any cumulative wager amount in a preceding range of cumulative wager amounts; means for providing at least two different and unique poker pay-tables wherein each poker pay-table is based upon a different and unique poker game that is defined by a distinctive, different rule set and/or playing strategy wherein at least one card has a particular value according to one of the at least two different poker pay-tables and a different value according to at least one other of the at least two different poker pay-tables; means for assigning each of the at least two different and unique poker pay-tables to a corresponding one of the plurality of different ranges of cumulative wager amounts wherein one of the at least two different poker tables is assigned to a first range of cumulative wager amounts and the other of the at least two different poker pay-tables is assigned to a second, next succeeding range of cumulative wager amounts; means for dealing only one hand of cards; means for allowing a player to make a wager; means for determining the amount of the wager; means for comparing the amount of the wager made to the cumulative wager amounts in the different ranges of cumulative wager amounts to determine if the wager made is equal to any of the cumulative wager amounts in any of the different ranges of cumulative wager amounts and whether the wager made exceeds the maximum cumulative wager amount of any of the ranges of the cumulative wager amounts; and means for allowing a player to play poker according to the at least two different poker pay-tables simultaneously using the one hand of cards when the wager made is equal to any cumulative wager amount in the next, succeeding range of cumulative wager amounts that is assigned to the other of the at least two different poker pay-tables or when the wager made exceeds the maximum cumulative wager amount of the next, succeeding range of cumulative wager amounts that is assigned to the other of the at least two different poker pay-tables.