Patent ID: 7452269

Claim:
A gaming method performed by a gaming device wherein an award is granted to a player for winning combinations of symbols on a display screen, the method comprising: conducting an initial game, conducting the initial game comprising displaying a randomly selected matrix of symbols on a screen, wherein a processor randomly selects the matrix of symbols; granting an award to the player for any winning combinations of symbols displayed in the initial game, without any player involvement in selecting any symbols displayed in the initial game; conducting a secondary game after the initial game has been completed and after the winning combinations of symbols have been determined, while the matrix of symbols selected in the initial game remains displayed on the screen, conducting the secondary game comprising: allowing the player to directly select one or more symbols in the displayed matrix of symbols from the initial game as the matrix of symbols continues to be displayed, allowing the player to directly select one or more symbols comprising allowing the player to identify one or more specific symbols in the matrix, where all the symbols in the matrix remain in their positions in the matrix throughout the secondary game; after the step of allowing the player to select one or more symbols, randomly selecting, by the gaming device, from only the symbols in the matrix, at least one of the symbols in the displayed matrix of symbols from the initial game as the matrix of symbols from the initial game continues to be displayed, the matrix of symbols having not changed from the matrix of symbols in the initial game; and granting an award to the player if the gaming device selected the one or more symbols previously selected by the player in the secondary game.