Apparatus and method for playing a game

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming machine having

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one programmable processor coupled to the display device and the input device; and

at least one storage unit, coupled to the processor, wherein the unit stores a plurality of instructions executable by the programmable processor to,

present on the display device a plurality of play choices;

receive from the input device a play choice from a player;

evaluate the choice relative to a pre-established optimum outcome which is in accordance with a selected criterion;

generate at least one visual indicator of a match between the choice and the optimum outcome, the visual indicator presented on the at least one gaming machine that received the play choice which generated the match with the optimum outcome during play of a game; and

establish a threshold number of matches between the choice and the optimum outcome for a predetermined time interval and compare the threshold number to an actual number of matches between the choice and the optimum outcome that occur on the game system in a given time period corresponding to the predetermined time interval.

2. A system as in claim 1 which includes a visual output device, coupled to the processor, to provide the visual indictor of the match.

3. A system as in claim 1 where the game display comprises a plurality of playing card images.

4. A system as in claim 1 which includes providing a player award where the choice and the optimum outcome match.

5. A system as in claim 1 which, responsive to the comparing, establishes a player award.

6. A system as in claim 3 where the play choice comprises at least one of, discarding at least one card image, or selecting at least one card image to be retained.

7. A system as in claim 6 which includes a visual output device, coupled to the processor, to provide the visual indictor of the match.

8. A system as in claim 1 which includes establishing a multi-game time interval; and generating an indicium indicative of the number of plays per the established time interval.

9. A system as in claim 8 which includes generating a visual indicator of the number of plays per the established time interval.

10. A system as in claim 9 which includes a display device for visually presenting the visual indicator of the number of plays per the established time interval.

11. A system as in claim 10 which includes providing a threshold number of plays for a predetermined time interval and comparing the indicium of the plays per time interval to the threshold number.

12. A system as in claim 11 which, responsive to the comparing, establishes a player award.

13. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming machine having

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one programmable processor coupled to the display device and the input device; and

at least one storage unit, coupled to the processor, wherein the unit stores a plurality of instructions executable by the programmable processor to,

present on the display device a plurality of play choices;

receive from the input device a play choice from a player,

establish a multi-game time interval;

generate a visual indicium on the at least one display device that is indicative of a number of plays per the established time interval, the indicium presented on the at least one gaming machine where each of the number of plays have been performed; and

providing a threshold number of plays for a predetermined time interval and comparing the indicium of the plays per time interval to the threshold number.

14. A system as in claim 13 which, responsive to the comparing, establishes a player award.

15. A system as in claim 13 which includes

evaluating the play choice relative to a pre-established optimum outcome which is in accordance with a selected criterion; and

generating at least one visual indicator of a match between the choice and the optimum outcome.

16. A gaming machine comprising:

at least one display device for presenting a plurality of play choices;

at least one input device for accepting a play choice;

at least one programmable processor coupled to the display device and the input device; at least one storage unit coupled to the processor, the unit storing a plurality of instructions executable by the programmable processor, the instructions evaluating the play choice relative to a pre-established optimum outcome which is in accordance with a selected criterion establishing a threshold number of matches between the choice and the optimum outcome for a predetermined time interval and comparing the threshold number to an actual number of matches between the choice and the optimum outcome that occur on the game system in a given time period corresponding to the predetermined time interval; and

a visual indicator presented on the at least one display, the indicator activating where during play of the game, the input device of the machine accepts a play choice that matches the optimum outcome.

17. The game machine of claim 16 wherein the display further comprises a visual indicium that presents a number of plays performed in an established time interval, the indicium presented on the display of the gaming machine where each of the number of plays have been performed.