Patent ID: 8753189

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a 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 display device and the at least one input device to, for each primary game played: (a) cause the display device to display a plurality of primary game reels displaying a first plurality of randomly generated reel symbols from a first set of reel symbols associated with a primary game, wherein said reel symbols from the first set of reel symbols form a plurality of different primary game winning reel symbol combinations, and each primary game winning reel symbol combination is associated with: (i) a probability of being generated and (ii) one of a plurality of different primary game awards, such that the primary game has a primary game average expected payout; (b) provide any of the primary game awards associated with the first plurality of randomly generated reel symbols; and (c) when a triggering event is determined to occur: (i) cause the display device to cease displaying the plurality of primary game reels, (ii) after ceasing to display the plurality of primary game reels, cause the same display device to display a plurality of secondary game reels displaying a second plurality of randomly generated reel symbols from a second set of reel symbols associated with a secondary game, wherein: (A) said second set of reel symbols includes a plurality, but not all, of the reel symbols from the first set of reel symbols, (B) said reel symbols from the second set of reel symbols form a plurality of different secondary game winning reel symbol combinations, and (C) each secondary game winning reel symbol combination is associated with: (i) a probability of being generated and (ii) one of a plurality of different secondary game awards, such that for each displayed plurality of randomly generated reel symbols from the second set of reel symbols associated with the secondary game: (1) the secondary game has a secondary game average expected payout which is greater than the primary game average expected payout, and (2) the secondary game average expected payout is independent of said triggering event which occurred, and (iii) provide any of the secondary game awards associated with the second plurality of randomly generated reel symbols.