Patent ID: 8070580

Claim:
A method performed by a gaming device comprising: displaying, during a game, an initial array of symbols at symbol positions on a display screen that have been selected pseudo-randomly, certain combinations of symbols along one or more pay lines providing an award for a player; detecting that a trigger event has occurred for initiating a plurality of special games having a special feature, the special games comprising the method of: a. pseudo-randomly selecting and displaying a first array of symbols at the symbol positions, the first array of symbols including one or more lowest value symbols that have a lowest value in the first array; b. detecting that a trigger event has occurred during the first array; c. upon detecting that a trigger event has occurred in step b, converting all the lowest value symbols in the first array of symbols to a higher value symbol, but not converting other symbols in the first array to the higher value symbol, a value of a symbol being related to an award that may be won using the symbol, the higher value symbol being combinable to create one or more winning symbol combinations that are different from a winning symbol combination using the lowest value symbol; d. pseudo-randomly selecting and displaying a second array of symbols at the symbol positions to pseudo-randomly replace all the symbols in the first array, wherein a pool of symbols for possible selection includes the converted higher value symbol from step c so as to increase a possibility that the higher value symbol will be selected; e. granting any award to a player based upon winning combinations of symbols in the second array of symbols, including combinations using symbols that were converted to the higher value symbol in step c; f. detecting whether a trigger event has occurred during the second array of symbols; g. in response to detecting that a trigger event has occurred in step f, converting all lowest value symbols in the second array of symbols to the higher value symbol but not converting other symbols in the second array to the higher value symbol; h. pseudo-randomly selecting and displaying symbols for a next array of symbols at the symbol positions to pseudo-randomly replace all the symbols in the second array, wherein the pool of symbols for possible selection includes previously converted higher value symbols; i. granting any award to a player based upon winning combinations of symbols in the next array of symbols, including combinations using symbols that were converted to the higher value symbol; and j. repeating steps d through i for each selected array of symbols until all special games have been played.