Patent ID: 8298065

Claim:
A gaming apparatus comprising: a plurality of gaming reels each having a plurality of first symbols that are randomly arranged in response to a gaming event; a plurality of second symbols that are each randomly arranged so that each of the second symbols is adjacent to an associated one of the first symbols; a payout device that determines a payout based on the arrangement of the first symbols in combination with paylines formed by the associated second symbols in response to the gaming event; wherein the paylines are formed by a sequence of matching second symbols, wherein the first symbols associated with the matching second symbols also match; and wherein the matching first symbols and the matching second symbols are involved in a secondary play event that occurs after the payout is determined, wherein the secondary play event involves: moving the matching second symbols so that the payline formed by the matching second symbols is a straight line; moving the gaming reels having the matching first symbols so that the matching first symbols remain associated with the matching second symbols; and wherein the payout device determines a second payout based on the arrangement of the first symbols in combination with the second symbols in response to the secondary play event.