Game of Chance and a Method of Awarding a Bonus Prize in a Game of Chance

Abstract

A method of playing a game of chance, such as poker, using a plurality of cards, the game having a bonus feature, the method including the steps of: (a) designating one or more of the cards as a bonus trigger; (b) dealing one or more cards to each player's hand; (c) evaluating each player's hand to determine if it is a winning hand; (d) determining if the or each winning hand is participating in the bonus feature; (e) determining if any winning hand includes a bonus card; (f) awarding a bonus to the or each winning hand which was participating in the bonus feature and which includes a bonus card. Players can elect to participate in the bonus feature by placing a side bet.

1 . A method of playing a game of chance using a plurality of value indicators, the game having a bonus feature, the method including the steps of:
 (a) at least one player placing a wager in an underlying game;   (b) designating one or more of the value indicators as a bonus trigger;   (c) allocating one or more value indicators to each player's hand in the underlying game;   (d) evaluating each player's hand to determine if it is a winning hand;   (e) determining if the or each winning hand is participating in the bonus feature;   (f) determining if any winning hand includes a bonus value indicator;   (g) awarding a bonus to the or each winning hand which was participating in the bonus feature and which includes a bonus value indicator.   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each player can elect to participate in the bonus feature. 
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a player elects to participate in the bonus feature by placing a side bet. 
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including the step of awarding a standard prize to winning hands not participating in the bonus feature. 
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the value indicators are playing cards. 
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  including the step of permitting each player to make an additional wager after the replacement cards have been dealt. 
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the bonus card is designated after step (d). 
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein a player, a processor or the dealer nominates the bonus card before the players have viewed their cards or before the cards are dealt. 
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the bonus card is a playing card of a specific rank. 
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein cards are dealt to players from a first deck and the bonus card is selected from a second deck of cards. 
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the game is a table game. 
   
   
       12 . An electronic gaming machine adapted to implement the method of  claim 5 . 
   
   
       13 . A multi-terminal electronic gaming machine adapted to implement the method of  claim 5 . 
   
   
       14 . A method of playing a game of chance using a plurality of playing cards from at least one deck of standard playing cards, the game having a bonus feature, and the method including the steps of:
 at least one player placing a wager in an underlying card game;   designating one or more of the playing cards at least by rank as a bonus trigger;   allocating at least one playing card to each player's hand in the underlying game;   evaluating each player's hand to determine if it is a winning hand;   determining if each winning hand is participating in the bonus feature;   determining if any winning hand includes a designated bonus trigger;   awarding a bonus to each winning hand which was participating in the bonus feature and which includes a designated bonus trigger.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a player must make a side bet wager to participate in the bonus feature. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a playing card is designated as a bonus trigger by random selection of at least playing card rank. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a playing card is designated as a bonus trigger by predefinition of at least playing card rank according to rules of the game. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the underlying game is a poker game in which a player's hand is compared with a paytable. 
   
   
       19 . An electronic gaming machine (EGM) apparatus comprising a player input, memory and a display, wherein the memory comprises software enabling play of the method of  claim 14  and display of information relative to the play.