Patent ID: 8616955

Claim:
A gaming machine for providing a game to a player, comprising: a memory device configured to store data representing a reel having a predetermined number of symbol positions, wherein each symbol position has an associated symbol from a set of symbols, the reel having a run of consecutive symbol positions, wherein each of the symbol positions of the run of consecutive symbol positions is initially populated, prior to initiation of an instance of a game, by one of (i) a symbol from the set of symbols, wherein at least one of the symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions is populated with a symbol that is different than a symbol in one of the other symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions or (ii) each symbol position being populated with an identical symbol from the set of symbols; a display device configured to display a matrix having a plurality of display elements arranged in a column, a number of the display elements in the column being less than the predetermined number of symbol positions in the reel, the display device being further configured to display a portion of the reel such that the symbols associated with some of the symbol positions of the reel are displayed in the matrix when the reel is in a stop position; and a game controller configured to initiate the instance of the game using the reel during which the reel is spun at a game speed, and the game controller being further configured to replace each of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with an identical replacement symbol during spinning of the reel; wherein the display device is configured to indicate to the player that the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions are being replaced with the identical replacement symbol, while the reel is spinning.