Patent ID: 8221206

Claim:
A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising: at least one input device; at least one display device; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with said at least one display device and said at least one input device, for each play of a game, to: (a) prior to enabling a player to pick any symbol positions and prior to randomly generating any symbols at any active symbol positions for a play of the game, associate at least one of a plurality of symbol positions associated with one of a plurality of reels with a terminator, each symbol position being associated with one of a plurality of reels; (b) enable the player to pick one of the plurality of symbol positions associated with one of the plurality of reels for the play of the game, a plurality of said symbol positions associated with the plurality of reels are initially inactive; (c) activate said picked symbol position if said picked symbol position is inactive; (d) determine if said picked symbol position is said at least one symbol position associated with said terminator; (e) if said picked symbol position is determined not to be said symbol position associated with said terminator, thereafter repeat (b) to (e); and (f) if said picked symbol position is determined to be said symbol position associated with said terminator, thereafter: (i) randomly generate one of a plurality of symbols at each of the active symbol positions, (ii) determine any awards based on any winning combinations of the randomly generated symbols at the active symbol positions associated with the plurality of reels, and (iii) provide any determined awards to the player.