Multiple player bonus game method

Abstract

Each player earns eligibility into a bonus game by playing a primary game. The play of the bonus game occurs while each player never stops play of the primary game. During the play of the bonus game, each player has the chance to win bonus awards and competes against other players who have qualified to play the bonus game. Each player plays for his traditional pay table awards and for bonus game awards, which are predetermined or randomly selected winning outcomes which are designated as bonus game outcomes. When a qualified player matches one of the bonus game outcomes with a primary game outcome, the player wins the traditional primary game award and the bonus award associated with the bonus game outcome.

1 . A method of playing a video poker game having a plurality of players who each play a primary game to achieve final hands and compete in a bonus game to achieve final hands comprising:
 a) providing a primary game pay table of winning final hand outcomes to be used in the primary game and a bonus game pay table of winning final hand outcomes to be used in the bonus game;   b) designating as a bonus game qualifying outcome one or more final hand outcomes of the primary game as outcomes that will trigger a bonus game qualifying period;   c) each player participating in the primary game;   d) whenever a player achieves a bonus game qualifying outcome during the play of the primary game, qualifying that player for the bonus game and starting a bonus game qualifying period for the other players;   e) during the bonus game qualifying period, any player who achieves a bonus game qualifying outcome during the play of the primary game also qualifying for the bonus game;   f) concluding the bonus game qualifying period and starting a bonus game period;   g) during the bonus game period, each player who has qualified for the bonus game playing the primary game and the bonus game at the same time; and   h) during the bonus game period, providing an award to each player who has qualified for the bonus game for each winning final hand outcome according to the primary game pay table and according to the bonus game pay table.