Patent ID: 8651928

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one input device; at least one display 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) display a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols, wherein at least one of said displayed symbols is based on a predetermined game outcome value, and different pluralities of symbols from the set of symbols form a plurality of different symbol combinations that are each associated with a value; (b) enable a player to select at least one of said displayed symbols to hold; and (c) if the player selected at least one of said displayed symbols to hold: (i) determine whether one of said symbol combinations with an associated value equal to the predetermined game outcome value is obtainable based on the symbols the player selected to hold; (ii) if one of said symbol combinations with an associated value equal to the predetermined game outcome value is obtainable based on the symbols the player selected to hold: (A) determine, using a backfill algorithm, which of said symbols from the set of symbols need to be displayed with the symbols the player selected to hold to result in one of said symbol combinations with an associated value equal to the predetermined game outcome value, and (B) display a replacement of at least one of said symbols the player did not select to hold with at least one said determined symbols; (iii) if one of said symbol combinations with an associated value equal to the predetermined game outcome value is not obtainable based on the symbols the player selected to hold: (A) determine a subset of the symbols the player selected to hold, wherein said subset of symbols is based on the predetermined game outcome value, (B) determine, using the backfill algorithm, which of said symbols from the set of symbols need to be displayed with the determined subset of symbols the player selected to hold to result in one of said symbol combinations with an associated value equal to the predetermined game outcome value, (C) display a replacement of each of said symbols the player did not select to hold with one of said determined symbols, and (D) display a replacement of at least one of said symbols the player selected to hold which is not part of said determined subset of symbols with at least one of said determined symbols, and (iv) provide said predetermined game outcome value to the player.