Patent ID: 7503847

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: a display device configured to display a plurality of reels and a plurality of symbols on said reels, wherein at least two of said symbols are non-convertible flanking symbols, at least one of said symbols is a convertible symbol, at least one of said symbols is a flanking-convertible symbol, and at least one of said symbols is a non-convertible symbol, wherein said at least two non-convertible flanking symbols, said at least one convertible symbol, said at least one flanking-convertible symbol and said at least one non-convertible symbol are visually distinct from one another; and a processor configured to operate with the display device, for a single play of a game, to: (a) cause a generation and display of at least one of said symbols on each of the reels; (b) change said convertible symbol to one of said non-convertible flanking symbols and cause a display of said change if said convertible symbol is generated on an active payline associated with one of said reels which is directly between two non-convertible flanking symbols generated on said active payline associated with two of said reels; (c) if said flanking-convertible symbol is generated on the active payline associated with one of said reels which is directly between two non-convertible flanking symbols generated on said active payline associated with two of said reels, designate said flanking-convertible symbol as one of said convertible symbols, change said convertible symbol to one of said non-convertible flanking symbols, and cause a display of said change; (d) if said flanking-convertible symbol is generated on the active payline associated with one of said reels which directly flanks one of the at least one convertible symbols generated on said active payline associated with one of said reels, and said convertible symbol is additionally flanked by one of said non-convertible flanking symbols, designate said flanking-convertible symbol as one of said non-convertible flanking symbols, change said designated convertible symbol to one of said non-convertible flanking symbols, and cause a display of said change; (e) provide a player an award based on any winning combination of symbols on the reels; (f) if said non-convertible symbol is generated on said active payline associated with one of said reels which is directly between two non-convertible flanking symbols generated on said active payline associated with two of said reels, do not change said non-convertible symbol to one of said non-convertible flanking symbols; and (g) if said convertible symbol is generated on said active payline associated with one of said reels which is not directly between two non-convertible flanking symbols generated on said active payline associated with two of said reels, do not change said convertible symbol.