Patent ID: 8641508

Claim:
A gaming machine for providing a game to a player, comprising: a memory device configured to store data representing a plurality of reels, each reel having a predetermined number of symbol positions, wherein each symbol position has an associated symbol from a set of symbols, and at least a first reel of the plurality of reels being associated with one or more runs of consecutive symbol positions, wherein each run of the one or more runs of consecutive symbol positions contains a respective identical symbol selected from the set of symbols, prior to initiation of an instance of a game; a display device configured to display a matrix having a plurality of display elements arranged in columns, each of the plurality of columns being associated with a respective one of the plurality of reels, and the number of display elements in each column being less than the predetermined number of symbol positions in the respective reel, and the display device being further configured to display a portion of the plurality of reels such that the symbols associated with some of the symbol positions of the plurality of reels are displayed in the matrix when the plurality of reels are in a stop position; and a game controller configured to determine, for the instance of the game, at least one of: (i) a number of symbol positions in at least one run of the one or more runs of consecutive symbol positions on the first reel, and (ii) a number of the one or more runs of consecutive symbol positions on the first reel, and the game controller being further configured to initiate the instance of the game using the first reel.