Patent ID: 8608543

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 that, 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, for a play of a game, to: (a) display a plurality of reels associated with the game, each of said reels including a plurality of different symbols; (b) enable a player to place a first wager for said play of the game; (c) after receiving the first wager, cause an activation of a first subset of said plurality of reels, said first subset including less than all of said plurality of reels, to cause the reels in the first subset to each display at least one of said symbols; (d) evaluate the symbols displayed on the reels of the first subset as a result of the activation of the first subset to determine whether said displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations in accordance with a first paytable from a plurality of different paytables; (e) provide any awards associated with any winning symbol combinations formed by the symbols displayed on the reels of the first subset in accordance with the first paytable; (f) determine a second wager for said play of the game, said second wager required to cause an activation of a second subset of the reels, said second subset including at least one reel of the plurality of reels and none of the reels of the first subset, wherein said second wager is of an amount which is determined based, at least in part, on the displayed symbols resulting from the activation of the first subset and the symbols of any remaining reels which have not been activated for said play of the game; (g) display said determined second wager; (h) enable the player place the determined second wager for said play of the game; (i) if the player places the second wager: (i) cause said activation of the second subset of the reels to cause the reels of the second subset to each display at least one of the symbols, while holding the reels of the first subset stationary, (ii) evaluate the symbols displayed on the reels of the second subset in combination with the symbols displayed on the reels of the first subset to determine whether said symbols form any winning symbol combinations in accordance with a second paytable from the plurality of different paytables, and (iii) provide any awards associated with any winning symbol combinations formed by the symbols displayed on the reels of the first subset and the symbols displayed on the reels of the second subset in accordance with the second paytable; and (j) if a terminating event occurs, terminate said play of the game.