Patent ID: 7331865

Claim:
A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising: a primary game controlled by the at least one processor and operable upon a wager by a player; a display device controlled by the at least one processor; an input device in communication with the processor; and said at least one processor programmed to selectively provide a secondary game, wherein for a play of the secondary game, the at least one processor is programmed to: (a) cause the display device to display at least six ordered award levels and a plurality of awards associated with the award levels, wherein each higher award level is associated with a higher one of the awards; (b) select a first one of the award levels; (c) cause the display device to indicate the selected award level; (d) enable the player to pick one of two selections using the input device; (e) determine if the player's picked selection results in a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, wherein said determination is random; (f) if the player's picked selection results in the successful outcome: (i) cause the display device to display a successful outcome animation, (ii) select and cause the display device to indicate a higher one of the award levels, if any, and (iii) determine if a terminating event has occurred, said terminating event occurring if a designated number of outcomes are determined; (g) if the player's picked selection results in the unsuccessful outcome: (i) cause the display device to display an unsuccessful outcome animation, (ii) cause the display device to indicate the same selected award level as previously indicated, and (ii) determine if the terminating event has occurred; (h) if the terminating event has occurred, provide the player the award associated with the currently indicated award level; and (i) if the terminating event has not occurred, repeat (d) to (i) at least once.