Patent ID: 7588496

Claim:
A gaming unit, comprising: a gaming display operable to generate images; and a controller operatively coupled to the gaming display, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the controller programmed to operate with the gaming display for a play of a game to: (a) enable a player to make a wager, (b) display a plurality of player symbols selected from a player symbol set, (c) provide a number of activations of a plurality of reels for said play of the game, said number being at least two, said reels having a plurality of reel symbols from a reel symbol set, wherein the reel symbol set includes at least one reel symbol that has a predetermined relationship to at least one player symbol from the player symbol set, (d) utilize one of said activations to cause a generation of a plurality of the reel symbols on said plurality of reels; (e) display the generated reel symbols for said one of the activations, (f) after the generated reel symbols are displayed for said one of the activations: (i) determine an initial award amount based on the displayed reel symbols and provide the determined initial award amount to the player, (ii) determine whether any of the displayed reel symbols have a predetermined relationship to at least one of the displayed player symbols, and (iii) if at least one displayed reel symbol has a predetermined relationship to at least one of the displayed player symbols, enable the player to choose one of the displayed player symbols which has a predetermined relationship to at least one of the displayed reel symbols to play on one of the related displayed reel symbols, said chosen one of the player symbols selected from a set of player symbols which have not previously been played in said play of the game, (iv) if one of the displayed player symbols is chosen to be played, perform at least one of: (A) provide an additional award amount to the player, and (B) if there is at least one activation remaining for said play of the game, adjust an expected value of future payouts for at least one subsequent activation of said play of the game, said expected value of future payouts based upon the player symbol that is played, and (g) if there is at least one activation remaining for said play of the game, repeat (d) to (f) until there are no activations remaining or until all of the displayed player symbols have been played.