Patent ID: 7402102

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; and at least one processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) provide a game including: (i) a plurality of reels, each of said reels including a plurality of symbol positions; (ii) a plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on said reels, said plurality of symbols including a plurality of first symbols, wherein at least two of the first symbols are different, and at least one replicator symbol, wherein said at least one replicator symbol includes at least two of the same symbols at one of the symbol positions; (iii) at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations including at least one of said plurality of first symbols, wherein said predetermined winning symbol combination occurs in a predetermined number of symbol positions and is associated with an award; and (iv) at least one additional winning symbol combination of said plurality of winning symbol combinations including the at least one replicator symbol and at least one of said plurality of first symbols, wherein said additional winning symbol combination is also associated with said award and occurs in fewer symbol positions than said predetermined number of symbol positions; and (b) for a play of the game: (i) activate the reels to generate one of the plurality of symbols at each of said plurality of symbol positions; (ii) determine both if said predetermined winning symbol combination and said additional winning symbol combination are generated on the reels, wherein for said determination, each of the same symbols of the at least one replicator symbol simultaneously functions as an individual symbol; and (iii) display said award if either of said predetermined winning symbol combination or said additional winning symbol combination is generated on the reels.