Patent ID: 8177646

Claim:
A system for playing a secondary game in a network of play devices of the type having at least one display, a processor for controlling a display to display at least one primary device feature, each device receiving serial inputs to operate discrete operational functions, said system comprising: a system server including a data structure storing (i) account data for each player, (ii) trigger data corresponding to a predetermined secondary game trigger, said trigger data corresponding to at least one of said serial inputs and (iii) data representing at least a schedule of winning secondary game outcomes and awards there for; a communication network to provide communications between each play device and the server; at least one of said server and/or play devices configured to (i) sense a first trigger condition, (ii) control a display to display to the player a secondary game having first odds of obtaining at least one award, wherein the secondary game having first odds comprises the server randomly selecting a first number of symbols and randomly selecting a second number of symbols, (iii) control said display to display a said secondary game having greater second odds upon sensing data corresponding to a second trigger condition, wherein the secondary game having greater second odds comprises the server selecting a third number of symbols that is greater than the first number of symbols and selecting the second number of symbols, (iv) select and display at a display an outcome for said secondary game and (v) if the selected outcome corresponds to a winning secondary outcome, issue the corresponding award to the player, wherein the selected outcome is based on either the first number of symbols and the second number of symbols for the secondary game having first odds, or the third number of symbols and the second number of symbols for the secondary game having greater second odds.