Patent ID: 7465229

Claim:
In conjunction with a gaming apparatus for randomly determining a combination of symbols, a method for gaming comprising: receiving an initial wager amount, the wager conferring eligibility to win an amount according to a first payout table defining first win amounts for selected symbol combinations; randomly determining at least one symbol of a combination of symbols; displaying the at least one symbol prior to determining every symbol of the combination of symbols; receiving an input after displaying the at least one symbol, the input directing the gaming apparatus to set a second symbol of the combination of symbols equal to the at least one symbol; setting a second symbol of the combination of symbols equal to the at least one symbol, in response to the input; accepting an additional wager amount after displaying the at least one symbol; in response to accepting the additional wager amount, adjusting the payout table based on the additional wager amount and the at least one symbol to provide a second payout table defining a second win amount for a defined one of the selected symbol combinations and for a total wager amount equal to a sum of the initial and additional wager amounts, the second win amount being not equal to a corresponding one of the first win amounts defined by the first payout table for the defined one of the selected symbol combinations and for the total wager amount, wherein the adjusting the payout table is performed after the second symbol is set equal to the at least one symbol, prior to randomly determining at least one remaining symbol of the combination of symbols; randomly determining at least one remaining symbol of the combination of symbols to determine a game result; and awarding a prize amount based on the game result and the second payout table.