Patent ID: 8096877

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one input device; at least one display device configured to display a game; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) display the game, the game including a plurality of adjacent reels, a plurality of symbol display positions associated with the reels, and a plurality of different static symbols on each of the reels, one of the symbols being a designated symbol, wherein: (i) a first one of the reels includes a first plurality of the symbols including a first quantity of the designated symbol, the first quantity being at least two, wherein the designated symbols of the first quantity of the designated symbol are adjacent to each other on the first one of the reels and form a first stack of the designated symbol; (ii) a second one of the reels includes a second plurality of the symbols including a second quantity of the same designated symbol that is greater than the first quantity of the designated symbol, wherein the designated symbols of the second quantity of the designated symbol are adjacent to each other on the second one of the reels and form a second stack of the designated symbol; (iii) a third one of the reels includes a third plurality of the symbols including a third quantity of the same designated symbol that is greater than the first and second quantities of the designated symbol, wherein the designated symbols of the third quantity of the designated symbol are adjacent to each other on the third one of the reels and form a third stack of the designated symbol; and (iv) the first one of the reels, the second one of the reels, and the third one of the reels are arranged such that the designated symbols of the first, second, and third stacks of the designated symbol can be displayed at the symbol display positions to form a plurality of winning combinations of the designated symbol, each said winning combination of the designated symbol being associated with a different set of the symbol display positions; and (b) for a play of the game: (i) receive a wager from a player; (ii) for each of the reels, generate and display a plurality of the symbols at the symbol display positions associated with said reel; (iii) determine any awards to be provided to the player based on a comparison of: (A) the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions; and (B) a plurality of winning combinations of the symbols including the plurality of winning combinations of the designated symbol, wherein if the designated symbols of the first, second, and third stacks of the designated symbol are displayed at the symbol display positions and form the plurality of winning combinations of the designated symbol, the at least one processor determines an award associated with said winning combinations of the designated symbol; and (iv) display any determined awards.