Patent ID: 8033903

Claim:
A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising: an input device; a display device; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the input device and the display device to: (a) enable a player to place a plurality of wagers on a plurality of plays of a first game; (b) track a quantity of free plays of a second game; and (c) for each of the plurality of wagered on plays of the first game: (i) determine whether a second game triggering event has occurred in association with said play of the first game; (ii) if the determination is that the second game triggering event has not occurred: (A) determine, independent of any outcome generated in any of the plurality of plays of the first game, a quantity of plays of the first game which have occurred since the tracked quantity of free plays of the second game last incremented; and (B) if the determined quantity of plays of the first game which have occurred since the tracked quantity of free plays of the second game last incremented is at least a predetermined quantity of plays, increment the tracked quantity of free plays of the second game by a designated quantity of free plays the designated quantity being greater than zero; and (iii) if the determination is that the second game triggering event has occurred: (A) enable the player to play each of the tracked quantity of free plays of the second game; and (B) provide the player an outcome for each play of the second game.