Gaming device for poker game having variable bonus awards

A video poker gaming apparatus comprising:

• a video display device including a grid of card positions used to hold a poker hand;
• 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, at least one deck of virtual playing cards, a poker paytable, and a bonus award table;
• and
• a processor configured 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 first poker game, where an amount of the wager is deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
• randomly deal a plurality of virtual playing cards from the deck of virtual playing cards stored in the memory to the grid of cards positions on the video display to form a first poker hand;
• randomly determine whether to associate a bonus indicator with the first poker hand;
• evaluate the first poker hand using the poker paytable stored in the memory to determine if the first poker hand is associated with an award and what type of poker hand is reflected by the result of the first poker hand;
• if the bonus indicator is associated with the first poker hand:
• determine which category of bonus modifiers is available from the bonus award table stored in the memory based on the evaluated result of the first poker hand;
• randomly determine a bonus modifier from the determined category of bonus modifiers to award as an awarded bonus modifier;
• and
• apply the awarded bonus modifier to the first poker hand;
• and
• increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on any awards identified by the evaluation of the first poker hand as modified by the awarded bonus modifier.