Patent ID: 7775874

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input 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) provide a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including: (i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols, (ii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, (iii) a plurality of designated winning symbol combination awards associated with said designated winning symbol combinations, (iv) a payline associated with the reels, (v) each of the symbol combinations having a probability of being indicated on the payline; and (b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event associated with the base game, initiate an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player and, in said award mode, modify the probabilities of each of the symbol combinations being indicated on the payline including increasing a probability of at least one of said designated winning symbol combination awards being provided to the player in said award mode, by: (i) effectively decreasing the number of the plurality of reels which are activated in the award mode, and (ii) for each symbol associated with one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing a probability of said symbol being indicated on the payline in said award mode.