Patent ID: 8096871

Claim:
A method of playing a game on a gaming machine including a controller and a display having a reel section defining a plurality of cells disposed in one reel row and a plurality of reel columns and a grid section defining a plurality of cells disposed in a plurality of grid rows and a plurality of grid columns with each of the grid columns corresponding to one specific reel column, said method comprising the steps of: allowing a player to make a wager; defining a winning grid alignment of icons; displaying an icon in each cell of the reel section of the display; providing an award to the player if the displayed icons display a winning outcome; allowing a player to select one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display; transferring, by the gaming machine, the selected icon from the reel section to a lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid column of the grid section corresponding to the specific reel column in which the selected icon is displayed; repeating the steps of displaying an icon in each cell of the reel section of the display, selecting one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display and transferring the selected icon from the reel section to the lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid column of the grid section corresponding to the specific reel column in which the selected icon is displayed to position a plurality of icons in the grid section of the display; and indicating a win if an alignment of the icons positioned in the grid section of the display is equal to the defined winning grid alignment and responsively awarding the player a second award.