Gaming device and method for poker game having additional award opportunities

1. A gaming apparatus comprising:

a video display device including a first poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions, a second poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions, and a third poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions;

a player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;

a wager input device structured to receive physical items representing a currency amount;

a memory storing a credit amount; and

game circuitry operable to:

receive a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item representing currency,

increase the credit amount stored in memory based on the currency amount associated with the received physical item,

receive a wager on a poker game, where an amount of the wager is deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory,

deal a first dealt poker hand of playing cards to the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage,

facilitate identification of which of the plurality of cards to hold in the first dealt poker hand,

automatically hold cards in the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage that positionally correspond to the held cards in the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage,

replace the cards that are not held in the first dealt poker hand to form a first poker hand,

replace the cards that were not automatically held in the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage to respectively generate a second poker hand and a third poker hand,

evaluate the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand for awards,

deal cards to the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage to combine with the cards of the first poker hand to form a fourth poker hand,

deal cards to the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage to combine with the cards of the second poker hand to form a fifth poker hand,

deal cards to the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage to combine with the cards of the third poker hand to form a sixth poker hand,

evaluate the fourth poker hand, fifth poker hand, and sixth poker hand for awards, and

increase the credit amount based on any awards identified by the evaluations of the first poker hand, the second poker hand, the third poker hand, the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand.

2. The gaming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each five card positions.

3. The gaming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the player interface includes a plurality of physical buttons corresponding to a number of card positions in the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage.

4. The gaming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each one card position.

5. The gaming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each two card positions.

6. The gaming apparatus of claim 5 , wherein evaluating the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand for awards includes evaluating the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand using a first 5-card paytable.

7. The gaming apparatus of claim 6 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards includes evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand using a 7-card paytable.

8. The gaming apparatus of claim 6 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards includes:

determining a best 5-card fourth poker hand from the fourth poker hand;

determining a best 5-card fifth poker hand from the fifth poker hand; and

determining a best 5-card sixth poker hand from the sixth poker hand.

9. The gaming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards further includes evaluating the best 5-card fourth poker hand, the best 5-card fifth poker hand, and the best 5-card sixth poker hand using the first 5-card paytable.

10. The gaming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards further includes evaluating the best 5-card fourth poker hand, the best 5-card fifth poker hand, and the best 5-card sixth poker hand using a second 5-card paytable.

11. A method of operating a gaming apparatus including a video display device, a player interface, a wager input device structured to receive physical items representing a currency amount, a memory storing a credit amount, and a processor, where the video display includes a first poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions, a second poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions, and a third poker stage having a first portion of card positions and second portion of card positions, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item representing currency,

increasing the credit amount stored in memory based on the currency amount associated with the received physical item,

receiving a wager on a poker game, where an amount of the wager is deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory,

dealing a first dealt poker hand of playing cards to the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage,

facilitating identification of which of the plurality of cards to hold in the first dealt poker hand,

automatically holding cards in the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage that positionally correspond to the held cards in the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage,

replacing the cards that are not held in the first dealt poker hand to form a first poker hand,

replacing the cards that were not automatically held in the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage to respectively generate a second poker hand and a third poker hand,

evaluating the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand for awards,

dealing cards to the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage to combine with the cards of the first poker hand to form a fourth poker hand,

dealing cards to the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage to combine with the cards of the second poker hand to form a fifth poker hand,

dealing cards to the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage to combine with the cards of the third poker hand to form a sixth poker hand,

evaluating the fourth poker hand, fifth poker hand, and sixth poker hand for awards, and

increasing the credit amount based on any awards identified by the evaluations of the first poker hand, the second poker hand, the third poker hand, the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the first portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the first portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each five card positions.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each one card position.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of card positions in the first poker stage, the second portion of card positions in the second poker stage, and the second portion of card positions in the third poker stage are each two card positions.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein evaluating the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand for awards includes evaluating the first poker hand, the second poker hand, and the third poker hand using a first 5-card paytable.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards includes evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand using a 7-card paytable.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards includes:

determining a best 5-card fourth poker hand from the fourth poker hand;

determining a best 5-card fifth poker hand from the fifth poker hand; and

determining a best 5-card sixth poker hand from the sixth poker hand.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards further includes evaluating the best 5-card fourth poker hand, the best 5-card fifth poker hand, and the best 5-card sixth poker hand using the first 5-card paytable.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein evaluating the fourth poker hand, the fifth poker hand, and the sixth poker hand for awards further includes evaluating the best 5-card fourth poker hand, the best 5-card fifth poker hand, and the best 5-card sixth poker hand using a second 5-card paytable.