Patent ID: 8267768

Claim:
A method of presenting a wagering game to a player at a gaming machine comprising the steps of: accepting a wager from said player; displaying a plurality of primary game symbols in a first plurality of symbol positions, one or more combinations of least one of said primary game symbols defining pre-determined winning outcomes and one or more combinations of at least one of said primary game symbols defining non-winning outcomes; displaying at least one enhancing symbol in one of a second plurality of symbol positions, one or more of said second plurality of symbol positions being adjacent to one or more of said first plurality of symbol positions; selecting one or more of said enhancing symbols; determining if one or more of said primary game symbols comprises at least one winning outcome; and if not, ending said game; and if so, (i) determining a base award for said at least one winning outcome and (ii) determining if one or more of said selected enhancing symbols are located in one of said second plurality of symbol positions which are located in an adjacent position to one of said plurality of first symbol positions containing a primary symbol of one of said winning outcomes and (iii) determining if one or more of said selected enhancing symbols is not located in one of said second plurality of symbol positions adjacent to one of said plurality of first symbol positions containing a primary symbol of one of said winning outcomes; and if the one or more of said selected enhancing symbols is not located in one of said second plurality of symbol positions adjacent to one of said plurality of first symbol positions containing a primary symbol of one of said winning outcomes, then awarding said base award; and if the one or more of said selected enhancing symbols is located in one of said second plurality of symbol positions which are located in an adjacent position to one of said plurality of first symbol positions containing a primary symbol of one of said winning outcomes, enhancing said base award in accordance with rules applying to said enhanced symbol.