Patent ID: 8113942

Claim:
A gaming system 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) enable a player to place a wager to play a primary game; (b) generate and display a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for the play of the primary game, wherein at least one symbol of said set of symbols is a designated symbol; (c) determine if said displayed plurality of symbols from said set of symbols form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations; (d) if said displayed plurality of symbols from said set of symbols form any of the winning symbol combinations, provide any awards associated with said formed winning symbol combinations; and (e) if said displayed plurality of symbols include said at least one designated symbol: (i) determine which of said displayed plurality of symbols are displayed directly adjacent to said at least one displayed designated symbol; (ii) determine a sub-set of said displayed plurality of symbols, wherein said sub-set of symbols includes said displayed plurality of symbols that are determined to be displayed directly adjacent to said at least one displayed designated symbol, and said sub-set includes fewer than all and not all of said displayed plurality of symbols; (iii) randomly generate and display a plurality of symbols from said sub-set of symbols; (iv) determine if the displayed plurality of symbols from said sub-set of symbols form any of the winning symbol combinations; and (v) if the displayed plurality of symbols from said sub-set of symbols form any of the winning symbol combinations, provide any additional awards associated with said formed winning symbol combinations.