Patent ID: 7690982

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player; (b) upon a triggering event, initiate a free spin mode of a secondary game, said secondary game associated with a plurality of symbols including at least one terminator symbol and at least one anti-terminator symbol, a plurality of reels associated with the secondary game, each of said plurality of reels including a plurality of said symbols; and (c) in said free spin mode of the secondary game: (i) cause the reels to generate a plurality of said symbols; (ii) determine if said generated symbols form a winning symbol combination; (iii) provide the player any award associated with any determined winning symbol combination; (iv) determine whether any of said terminator symbols or any of said anti-terminator symbols are generated on said reels; (v) if at least one of said anti-terminator symbols is generated, retain said anti-terminator symbol; (vi) if at least one of said terminator symbols is generated and the number of terminator symbols generated is less than the number of any retained anti-terminator symbols, apply said retained anti-terminator symbols to nullify said generated terminator symbol, wherein at least one retained anti-terminator symbol can be applied to at least one terminator symbol; (vii) if at least one of said terminator symbols is generated and the number of terminator symbols generated is greater than the number of any retained anti-terminator symbols, perform a terminating event of the free spin mode; and (viii) repeat (i) to (vii) at least once if the terminating event of the free spin mode is not performed.