Abstract: A method for playing a multiple-play poker game includes the step of displaying a pool hand comprising a plurality of face up cards. The pool hand is not played, subject to wager, or subject to poker hand rankings. The pool hand is provided solely as a means for designation of none, one or more of the cards of the pool hand as held cards. Preferably, at the time of display of the pool hand and designation of held cards, playing hands are not displayed, keeping the player focused on the selection process. The method continues with reproducing the held cards in a plurality of playing hands, completing the plurality of playing hands with new face up cards, if any, and determining a ranking of each of the completed playing hands.

Abstract: A method for playing a multiple-play poker game includes the step of displaying a pool hand comprising a plurality of face up cards. The pool hand is not played, subject to wager, or subject to poker hand rankings. The pool hand is provided solely as a means for designation of none, one or more of the cards of the pool hand as held cards. Preferably, at the time of display of the pool hand and designation of held cards, playing hands are not displayed, keeping the player focused on the selection process. The method continues with reproducing the held cards in a plurality of playing hands, completing the plurality of playing hands with new face up cards, if any, and determining a ranking of each of the completed playing hands.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for playing poker are provided. The method includes a step of placing an ante bet for each of one or more hands to be played. The player may optionally place a side bet for each of the one or more played hands. The side bet is that a set of cards (e.g., two) to be dealt to such hand will have a predetermined ranking. In any event, the set of cards are dealt to each played hand. For each of the played hands, the player takes one of the following actions: a fold action, a call action, or a raise action. Then, one or more community cards are dealt (alternatively, the cards are dealt into each hand directly). Then, a ranking is done each of the played hands, each played hand formed of the initial set of cards dealt plus the community card(s). A payout occurs for each of the played hands according to the wager, the ranking, the result of any side bets placed, and a predetermined paytable.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for playing multi-play poker games are disclosed. The games include a bonus wager feature in which the player makes a wager that at least a minimum number of hands in the multi-play poker game will have a predetermined minimum poker hand ranking. For example, if ten hands are played in the multi-play poker game, the player may wager $1.00 that at least four of the ten hands will have a ranking of a pair of jacks or better. The pay table for the bonus wager feature may take the form of an array of rows and columns, rows representing poker hand rankings (including the minimum poker hand ranking) and columns headed by integers representing a number of hands between the minimum number of hands (M) and the total number of hands (N) in the multi-play poker game, with the entries in the array being payout multiplies that are applied to the bonus wager if the player has the number of hands with the associated poker hand ranking.

Abstract: A method for playing a multiple-play poker game includes the step of displaying a pool hand comprising a plurality of face up cards. The pool hand is not played, subject to wager, or subject to poker hand rankings. The pool hand is provided solely as a means for designation of none, one or more of the cards of the pool hand as held cards. Preferably, at the time of display of the pool hand and designation of held cards, playing hands are not displayed, keeping the player focused on the selection process. The method continues with reproducing the held cards in a plurality of playing hands, completing the plurality of playing hands with new face up cards, if any, and determining a ranking of each of the completed playing hands.