Patent ID: 7749071

Claim:
A gaming device controlled by a processor, said gaming device comprising: a display device configured to display a game operable upon a wager made by a player, said game having: (i) a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of selectable symbols, at least one of said selectable symbols including a value symbol and at least one of said selectable symbols including a wild symbol; (ii) a plurality of symbol positions associated with said reels; (iii) at least one activatable payline associated with the reels; and (iv) a triggering event associated with said game; wherein the processor is configured to operate with the display device to: (a) activate the reels to display a plurality of the symbols; (b) determine whether the triggering event occurs; (c) if the triggering event occurs: (i) display a plurality of the selectable symbols in a plurality of the symbol positions associated with the reels, (ii) after displaying the plurality of the selectable symbols in the plurality of the symbol positions associated with the reels, enable the player to pick one of the displayed selectable symbols, (iii) if the picked selectable symbol includes the value symbol, provide the player with an award based on the value associated with the value symbol, and (iv) if the picked selectable symbol includes the wild symbol: (A) display the wild symbol in at least one of the plurality of the symbol positions, including the symbol position that displays the picked selectable symbol, (B) if at least one selectable symbol remains displayed, enable the player to pick one of the displayed selectable symbols not previously picked, and repeat (iii) to (iv) until the player picks one of the selectable symbols including the value symbol or until no selectable symbols remain displayed; and (C) if no selectable symbols remain displayed: (1) for each activated payline, evaluate the symbols indicated by said activated payline to determine whether the symbols indicated by said activated payline form any of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations, and (2) provide to the player any awards associated with any winning symbol combinations indicated by the activated paylines; and (d) if the triggering event does not occur: (i) evaluate the symbols indicated by any activated paylines, and (ii) provide to the player the awards associated with any winning symbol combinations indicated by said activated paylines.