Patent ID: 7585218

Claim:
A gaming device 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, which 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 to: (a) display a plurality of different selection groups; (b) display a plurality of selections in each of said selection groups, wherein a first one of the selections in a first one of the selection groups is linked to a first one of the selections in a second one of the selection groups; (c) associate a plurality of advances with the selections, wherein at least one selection of each of a plurality of the different selection groups is associated with one of said advances; (d) associate at least one award with at least one of the selections of at least one of the selection groups; (e) provide a player a number of picks of the selections from the selection groups; (f) enable the player to pick one of the selections from the first selection group, said pick counting against the provided number of picks; (g) if said picked selection is associated with one of the advances and said picked selection is linked to the first selection in the second selection group: (i) automatically cause the pick of the first selection from the second selection group, (ii) said automatically caused pick not counting against the provided number of picks, and (iii) provide an advance award if another one of the advances is associated with said first selection automatically caused to be picked from the second selection group; and (h) indicate the at least one award if either: (i) the player picks one of said selections associated with the at least one award, or (ii) one of the advances causes the pick of one of said selections associated with the at least one award.