Abstract: Methods to provide an enhanced likelihood of winning an award and to provide enhanced awards based upon the appearance of symbols on free paylines or free hands of cards. In one embodiment base paylines and the free payline are defined using the same symbol matrix and same reel strips. The free payline is an additional payline with same frequencies of wins and losses as the base paylines. The player wagers upon any number of base paylines. The player receives a free payline if a designated number of base paylines are wagered upon. A multiplier enhances the award for winning symbol combinations appearing on the free payline, with the multiplier value equal to the total wager. In another embodiment, a player wagers upon any number of displayed poker hands. The player also receives at least one free hand if a designated number of hands are wagered upon.

Abstract: A gaming device including a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols where a plurality of paylines are associated with the reels. Each of the paylines includes a fixed modifier, such as a fixed multiplier, which multiplies any awards associated with winning symbol combinations on that to enhance the awards provided to the player. In one embodiment, the paylines are numbered and the values of the multipliers are based on the payline numbers. Any winning symbol combinations occurring on the paylines are modified or multiplied by the multiplier associated with those paylines. The enhanced award is then provided to the player in the game.

Abstract: An electronic video slot machine enables wild symbols to expand into adjacent symbols positions—vertically, horizontally, and/or diagonally—in the symbol matrix (“Directional Wilds”). In one embodiment, the Directional Wild concept uses wild symbols that expand in a pre-determined vertical direction—upwards or downwards. The upwards wild symbol (“Up Wild”) converts all of the symbol positions above the Up Wild into wild symbols. The downwards wild symbol (“Down Wild”) converts all of the symbol positions below the Down Wild into wild symbols. The original position of the Up or Down Wild symbol is also optionally wild. Various alternative embodiments may optionally be used.

Abstract: Methods to provide an enhanced likelihood of winning an award and to provide enhanced awards based upon the appearance of symbols on free paylines or free hands of cards. In one embodiment base paylines and the free payline are defined using the same symbol matrix and same reel strips. The free payline is an additional payline with same frequencies of wins and losses as the base paylines. The player wagers upon any number of base paylines. The player receives a free payline if a designated number of base paylines are wagered upon. A multiplier enhances the award for winning symbol combinations appearing on the free payline, with the multiplier value equal to the total wager. In another embodiment, a player wagers upon any number of displayed poker hands. The player also receives at least one free hand if a designated number of hands are wagered upon.

Abstract: A video slot machine including a plurality of reels forming a single set of reels, a plurality of symbols on the reels, a plurality of different paylines associated with that set of reels, wherein the set of reels is separately and simultaneously displayed a plurality of times, and each different payline is displayed in association with one of the separate displays of the set of reels to enable a player to view and easily determine each of the winning symbol combinations that occur on the reels.

Abstract: Methods to provide an enhanced likelihood of winning an award and to provide enhanced awards based upon the appearance of symbols on free paylines or free hands of cards. In one embodiment base paylines and a free payline are defined using the same symbol matrix and same reel strips. The free payline is an additional payline with same frequencies of wins and losses as the base paylines. The player wagers upon any number of base paylines. The player receives a free payline if a designated number of base paylines are wagered upon. A multiplier enhances the award for winning symbol combinations appearing on the free payline, with the multiplier value equal to the total wager. In another embodiment, a player wagers upon any number of displayed poker hands. The player receives at least one free hand if a designated number of hands are wagered upon.

Abstract: The present invention replicates a symbol into one or more other symbol positions of the symbol matrix in accordance with the replication properties of the location in which said symbol appears in the symbol matrix. A preferred embodiment of the present invention (“Replicating Wilds”) uses a symbol matrix formed by three rows and five columns in which the middle position of the third column possesses replication properties for the wildcard symbol such that a wildcard symbol replicates itself into all adjacent symbol positions.

Abstract: A gaming device including a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols where a plurality of paylines are associated with the reels. Each of the paylines includes a fixed modifier, such as a fixed multiplier, which multiplies any awards associated with winning symbol combinations on that to enhance the awards provided to the player. In one embodiment, the paylines are numbered and the values of the multipliers are based on the payline numbers. Any winning symbol combinations occurring on the paylines are modified or multiplied by the multiplier associated with those paylines. The enhanced award is then provided to the player in the game.

Abstract: A video slot machine including a plurality of reels forming a single set of reels, a plurality of symbols on the reels, a plurality of different paylines associated with that set of reels, wherein the set of reels is separately and simultaneously displayed a plurality of times, and each different payline is displayed in association with one of the separate displays of the set of reels to enable a player to view and easily determine each of the winning symbol combinations that occur on the reels.

Abstract: A slot machine enables a player to select one or more symbols as wild symbols (“Select-A-Wild”). In one embodiment, the game displays three spin buttons. Each spin button is permanently associated with a symbol. All of the associated symbols have matching symbols on the reel strips. Each of the associated symbols have the same probability of appearing on the reel strips. The player selects a wild symbol by pressing a spin button. The symbol associated with the pressed spin button acts as a wild symbol for that spin. After each spin, the player receives awards for all winning combinations.