Patent ID: 8636579

Claim:
A gaming machine for playing a base wagering game, comprising: a game display comprising a plurality of mechanical reels bearing symbols configured to display randomly selected arrays of symbols; a video display overlaying the game display, the video display being configured to display a video reel laterally adjacent to one of the plurality of mechanical reels, the video reel being positioned so as to not overlay any of said plurality of mechanical reels and being configured to display a randomly selected symbol thereon, the plurality of mechanical reels and the video reel defining, in combination, a single evaluatable array of symbol positions, the gaming machine being configured to simultaneously display prior to initiation of the base wagering game, via the video display and the game display, a plurality of selectable pay lines selectable from the group consisting of at least one selectable pay line extending through only the mechanical reels and at least one selectable pay line extending through at least one of the mechanical reels and extending through the video reel; and a controller configured to conduct the base wagering game following selection of one or more of the at least one selectable pay lines and following receipt of an instruction to initiate the base wagering game, to display an outcome of the base wagering game in the single evaluatable array of symbol positions comprising both the video reel of the video display and the plurality of mechanical reels, and to award an award in the base wagering game when the outcome comprises, along a selected pay line, a winning combination of symbols displayed therealong.