Patent ID: 8784173

Claim:
A method of playing multiple hands of video poker, the method comprising: dealing a first poker hand with three or more cards face up before a second poker hand having two or more cards face up is dealt; selecting based on a user's input, a hold card from the first poker hand; drawing one or more cards to replace non-held cards of the first poker hand to complete the first poker hand; evaluating whether using the hold card in the second poker hand will result in a higher hand for the second poker hand, wherein said evaluating is by using the hold card to replace any one of the initial cards of the second poker hand and then obtaining a ranking of the second poker hand, wherein the initial card that is replaced can be in any position that will result in the highest hand for the second poker hand; if using the hold card in the second poker hand will not result in a higher hand for the second poker hand, retaining the initial cards of the second poker hand, said initial cards being face up and determining a ranking of the second poker hand with the initial cards that are face up and determining a ranking of the first poker hand; and if using the hold card in the second poker hand will result in a higher hand, duplicating the hold card into a duplicate hold card to replace any one of the initial cards that is face up in the second poker hand, wherein the initial card that is replaced is in any position that results in the highest hand for the second poker hand, said hold card being retained in the first poker hand, and determining a resulting ranking of said higher hand of the second poker hand that includes the duplicate hold card replacing one of the initial cards that is face up as well as determining a ranking for the first poker hand.