Patent ID: 7785191

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming machine including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising: (a) enabling a player to wager on at least one of a plurality of different symbols in a play of a game, the game including a symbol matrix formed by a plurality of rows intersecting a plurality of columns, said symbol matrix including a plurality of positions; (b) causing a processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly generate a plurality of the symbols; (c) causing a display device to display the generated symbols in the symbol matrix; (d) evaluating the displayed symbols to determine any first awards resulting from the displayed wagered on symbols, said evaluation based on the wagered on symbols being displayed adjacently to each other in the symbol matrix; (e) providing any determined first awards to the player; and (f) upon an occurrence of a triggering event: (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine for each of a plurality of said displayed symbols in the symbol matrix, if repositioning said displayed symbol results in one of a plurality of second awards; and (ii) if determined that repositioning one of said displayed symbols in the symbol matrix results in one of the second awards: (A) for each of said plurality of displayed symbols in the symbol matrix that results in one of the second awards when repositioned, repositioning said symbol by causing the display device to display said symbol in the position in the symbol matrix that results in the second award; and (B) providing the player at least one of the second awards resulting from said repositioning.