Patent ID: 7850521

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores 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 a primary game associated with a plurality of reels, said reels having a plurality of symbols including a plurality of trigger symbols; (b) enable a player to place a wager on a play of the primary game; (c) after placement of the wager for said play of the primary game, randomly generate a plurality of the symbols; (d) display said randomly generated plurality of symbols on the reels; (e) determine if the displayed symbols include a designated number of the trigger symbols, said designated number of the trigger symbols being at least one; (f) if the displayed symbols include the designated number of the trigger symbols, determine if the displayed trigger symbols form a designated winning symbol combination of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations; and (g) if the determination is made that the displayed symbols include the designated number of the trigger symbols but said displayed trigger symbols do not form the designated winning symbol combination, for each of a designated number of re-activations of at least one of the reels other than the reels having said displayed trigger symbols: (i) randomly generate a plurality of the symbols, (ii) display said randomly generated symbols on said at least one of the reels, and (iii) if the designated winning symbol combination occurs on the reels during any of the designated number of re-activations, provide a designated award to the player.