Gaming system and method for providing optimal poker auto-hold functionality with progressive awards

2:

• The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different winning outcomes include a pair of jacks or better, a two pair, a three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house, a four of a kind, a straight flush, and a royal flush.

3:

• The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first one of the winning outcomes is the royal flush and the second one of the winning outcomes is the straight flush.

4:

• The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of different awards includes a respective progressive award associated with each of the different winning outcomes.

6:

• The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to calculate the expected value based on the plurality of possible ways the cards of the initial hand can be held, the plurality of different awards for each of the different winning outcomes, and a total number of possible outcomes of the initial hand.

7:

• The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display a card hold recommendation related to zero, one, or the plurality of the cards of the initial hand to be held, wherein the card hold recommendation is associated with the first auto-hold recommendation or the second auto-hold recommendation.

9:

• The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to access an auto-hold file stored in the at least one memory device, the auto-hold file including a designated initial hand, a designated plurality of cards of the designated initial hand, the first auto-hold recommendation, and the second auto-hold recommendation.

10:

• The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to access an auto-hold file stored in the at least one memory device, the auto-hold file including one or more of a compression table, a compression index, and an auto-hold table.

12:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of different winning outcomes include a pair of jacks or better, a two pair, a three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house, a four of a kind, a straight flush, and a royal flush.

13:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the first one of the winning outcomes is the royal flush and the second one of the winning outcomes is the straight flush.

14:

• The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of different awards includes a respective progressive award associated with each of the different winning outcomes.

15:

• The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to calculate an expected value for each of a plurality of possible ways the cards of the initial hand can be held, wherein the first auto-hold recommendation and the second auto-hold recommendation are based on the expected value for each of the plurality of possible ways the cards of the initial hand can be held.

16:

• The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to calculate the expected value based on the plurality of possible ways the cards of the initial hand can be held, the plurality of different awards for each of the different winning outcomes, and a total number of possible outcomes of the initial hand.

17:

• The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a card hold recommendation related to zero, one, or the plurality of the cards of the initial hand to be held, wherein the card hold recommendation is associated with the first auto-hold recommendation or the second auto-hold recommendation.

19:

• The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to access an auto-hold file stored in the at least one memory device, the auto-hold file including a designated initial hand, a designated plurality of cards of the designated initial hand, the first auto-hold recommendation, and the second auto-hold recommendation.

20:

• The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to access an auto-hold file stored in the at least one memory device, wherein the auto-hold file includes one or more of a compression table, a compression index, and an auto-hold table.