Patent ID: 8382576

Claim:
A gaming machine, comprising: a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols; an input device that allows an input of an instruction related to a game; a controller programmed to execute the following processes of: (a1) running a base game which variably displays the symbols on the symbol display device and stop-displays the symbols thereafter; (a2) when the symbols stop-displayed in the base game run in (a1) includes a plurality of specific symbols, enabling the input device to accept an input related to selection of any of the specific symbols stop-displayed; (a3) determining whether or not the specific symbol selected in (a2) is a symbol that causes occurrence of a pick-up bonus game; (a4) when the symbol is determined as to be a symbol that causes occurrence of a pick-up bonus game in (a3), (1) displaying an array of identical selectable symbols each corresponding to a respective hidden object, and (2) enabling the input device to accept an input for selection of any of the identical selectable symbols so as to reveal a corresponding hidden object on the symbol display device; (a5) awarding a payout according to the hidden object revealed in (a4); (a6) when the hidden object revealed in (a4) is an object that increases an expectation for a payout in the pick-up bonus game, displaying a new array of identical selectable symbols each corresponding to a respective hidden object in which the identical selectable symbols of the new array have an increased expectation for the payout; and (a7) repeating (a4)(1) to (a6), until a hidden object that terminates the pick-up bonus game is selected in (a4), wherein the increased expectation for the payout is based on: (1) an increase in the amount of the payout awarded upon selection of a hidden object corresponding to an award payout, (2) an increase in the probability of selecting a hidden object corresponding to an award payout; and, (3) selection of a hidden object that further increases the expectation for the payout.