Gaming system and method providing a gaming tournament having a variable average expected point payout

A gaming system comprising:

• a plurality of gaming machines each comprising:
• a processor;
• a display device;
• an acceptor configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value to facilitate establishment of a credit balance;
• an input device;
• and
• a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, during a gaming tournament:
• enable a tournament player of the gaming machine to play a tournament card game, the tournament card game having an average expected point payout;
• and
• for each play of the tournament card game:
• receive, via the input device, an input from the tournament player,
• determine an outcome, and
• cause the display device to display the outcome and any quantity of tournament points associated with the outcome;
• and
• a tournament controller configured to:
• operate with the plurality of gaming machines to provide the gaming tournament;
• responsive to an average expected point payout modification event occurring during the gaming tournament, for each one of a designated quantity of the plurality of gaming machines, cause a subsequent play of the tournament card game to include a selection of an initial hand that results in the subsequent card game having a relatively higher average expected point payout;
• and
• responsive to a tournament termination event occurring, determine a tournament winner based on quantities of accumulated tournament points of the respective tournament players and causing a tournament award to be provided to the tournament winner.

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of gaming machines participating in a gaming tournament, enabling a tournament player of the gaming machine to play a tournament card game, the tournament card game having an average expected point payout;
• for each of the plurality of gaming machines, for each play of the tournament card game on the gaming machine:
• receiving, via an input device, an input from the tournament player of the gaming machine,
• determining, by a processor, an outcome, and
• displaying, by a display device of the gaming machine, the outcome and any quantity of tournament points associated with the outcome;
• responsive to an average expected point payout modification event occurring during the gaming tournament, for each one of a designated quantity of the plurality of gaming machines, causing a modification of the average expected point payout of the tournament card game such that a subsequent play of the tournament card game has the modified average expected point payout, wherein the subsequent play of the tournament card game includes internally determining, and without displaying, a plurality of initial hands and then dealing and displaying a relatively better hand of the plurality of initial hands for the subsequent play of the tournament card game;
• and
• responsive to a tournament termination event occurring, determining a tournament winner based on quantities of accumulated points of the respective tournament players and causing a tournament award to be provided to the tournament winner.

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of gaming machines participating in a gaming tournament, enabling a tournament player of the gaming machine to play a tournament card game, the tournament card game having an average expected point payout;
• for each of the plurality of gaming machines, for each play of the tournament card game on the gaming machine:
• receiving, via an input device, an input from the tournament player of the gaming machine,
• determining, by a processor, an outcome, and
• displaying, by a display device of the gaming machine, the outcome and any quantity of tournament points associated with the outcome;
• responsive to an average expected point payout modification event occurring during the gaming tournament, for each one of a designated quantity of plurality of gaming machines, causing a subsequent play of the tournament card game on that gaming machine to include a selection of an initial hand that results in the subsequent play of the tournament card game having a relatively higher average expected point payout;
• and
• responsive to a tournament termination event occurring, determining a tournament winner based on quantities of accumulated points of the respective tournament players and causing a tournament award to be provided to the tournament winner.