Patent ID: 8246438

Claim:
A slot machine for presenting a game, the slot machine comprising: a wager input device enabling a player to place a wager for a play of the game; a display device for displaying a display area with a plurality of symbol positions; and a processor configured to: randomly determine a plurality of symbols for the play of the game; in a first step, after the plurality of symbols are randomly determined, display all of the plurality of symbols within all of the symbol positions, wherein only a subset of the plurality of symbols are displayed at final symbol positions, while the symbols of the plurality of symbols not included in the subset are displayed at symbols positions that are different from their respective final symbol positions within the display area, wherein the player is not required to place the wager for the play of the game prior to the first step; after the first step, automatically perform a final step without any player input, the final step including determining final symbol positions for the symbols of the plurality of symbols not included in the subset and relocating the symbols to their respective final symbol positions within the display area to display a final outcome for the play of the game including all of the plurality of symbols at respective final symbol positions within the display area; and awarding only a single payout for the play of the game, the single payout based only on the final step of the game by evaluating the plurality of symbols displayed at their respective final display positions.