Patent ID: 8795053

Claim:
A gaming system including: at least one display device including a plurality of reels, wherein each reel is associated with a plurality of stop positions and each stop position is associated with one of a plurality of different symbols; a plurality of input devices including a separate stop input device for each reel; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing: (a) for each reel, for each stop position associated with said reel, a virtual map including a plurality of the stop positions associated with said reel, each of the plurality of the stop positions associated with one of a plurality of different weights; (b) a paytable including a plurality of different winning symbol combinations, each of the winning symbol combinations being associated with one of a plurality of different awards; and (c) 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 input device and the at least one display device, for a play of a game, to: (i) receive, from a player, an input associated with a desired one of the winning symbol combinations; (ii) spin each reel; (iii) for at least one reel, while said reel is spinning: (A) enable a player to activate the stop input device associated with said reel to cause an initiating stop position to be determined; (B) if a probability of the desired winning symbol combination being displayed is greater than zero, provide an indication when the player should activate the stop input device associated with said reel such that a probability of the desired winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized; (C) if the probability of the desired winning symbol combination being displayed is zero, do not provide said indication; (D) receive an activation of the stop input device associated with said reel and determine the initiating stop position based on said activation; (E) determine an actual stop position of said reel based on the weights associated with the stop positions in the virtual map associated with said determined initiating stop position; and (F) stop said reel at said determined actual stop position; (iv) after the reels stop spinning, determine if any of the winning symbol combinations are displayed; and (v) provide the awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.