Wagering game having player selection features having reduced volatility index

1. A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wager input device, a wager for a wagering game at a gaming terminal;

displaying, on a display of the gaming terminal, a plurality of player-selectable game elements for the wagering game, the plurality of player-selectable game elements including an end-game outcome and one or more non-end-game outcomes, the end-game outcome being associated with an end-game award and an expected value, and the one or more non-end-game outcomes being associated with non-end-game awards;

receiving, from a player of the wagering game, selections of the plurality of player-selectable game elements until the end-game outcome is selected, the selections including at least one of the non-end-game outcomes;

decreasing a quantity of the end-game award according to a number of the selected non-end-game outcomes, the decreased quantity providing less than the expected value associated with the end-game outcome;

awarding the non-end-game awards associated with the selected non-end-game outcomes; and

awarding, upon selection of the end-game outcome, the end-game award, the awarded non-end-game awards being combined with the end-game award to provide the expected value associated with the end-game outcome.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the player-selectable game elements includes the end-game outcome and the other player-selectable game elements are all non-end-game outcomes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end-game award comprises a number of free spins of a reel-spinning wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-end-game outcomes are selected from the group consisting of free spins of a reel-spinning game, credits, and multipliers.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

masking the end-game award and the non-end-game awards; and

revealing the end-game award or the non-end-game award upon selection of the corresponding end-game outcome or non-end-game outcome.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wagering game comprises a basic game and a bonus game, the method further comprising:

conducting a basic game in response to acceptance of a wager from the player of the gaming terminal, the basic game comprises a reel-spinning wagering game; and

initiating the bonus game in response to a predetermined outcome in the basic game, the bonus gaming having the plurality of player-selectable game elements.

7. A gaming terminal for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a display for displaying a plurality of player-selectable game elements, the plurality of player-selectable game elements including an end-game outcome and one or more non-end-game outcomes, the end-game outcome being associated with an end-game award and an expected value, and the one or more non-end-game outcomes being associated with non-end-game awards; and

an input device configured to receive, from a player of the wagering game, selections of the plurality of displayed player-selectable game elements until encountering the end-game outcome, the selections including at least one of the non-end-game outcomes, a quantity of the end-game award decreasing according to a number of selected non-end-game outcomes, the decreased quantity providing less than the expected value associated with the end-game outcome, corresponding non-end-game awards being awarded with the selected non-end-game outcomes, and upon selection of the end-game outcome, the end-game award, the awarded non-end-game awards being combined with the end-game award to provide the expected value associated with the end-game outcome.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein one of the player-selectable game elements includes the end-game outcome and the other player-selectable game elements are all non-end-game outcomes.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein the end-game award comprises a number of free spins of a reel-spinning game.

10. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein the one or more non-end-game outcomes are selected from the group consisting of free spins of a reel-spinning game, credits, and multipliers.

11. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein the player-selectable game elements are associated with a bonus game conducted on the gaming terminal.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein the end-game award and the non-end-game awards are initially masked, the end-game award or the non-end-game award being revealed upon selection of the corresponding end-game outcome or the non-end-game outcome.

13. The gaming terminal of claim 7 , wherein the wagering game comprises a basic game and a bonus game, the basic game being conducted in response to acceptance of a wager from the player of the gaming terminal, the basic game comprising a reel-spinning game, the bonus game being initiated in response to a predetermined outcome in the basic game, the bonus game having the plurality of player-selectable game elements.

14. A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wager input device, a wager for a wagering game at a gaming terminal; displaying, on a display of the gaming terminal, a plurality of player-selectable game elements for the wagering game, at least one of the plurality of player-selectable game elements including an end-game outcome and the other player-selectable game elements including non-end-game outcomes, the end-game outcome being associated with an end-game award and an expected value, and the non-end-game outcomes being associated with non-end-game awards;

masking, on the display of the gaming terminal, the end-game awards and the non-end-game awards associated with the plurality of player-selectable game elements;

receiving, from a player of the wagering game, one or more selections of the plurality of player-selectable game elements until an end-game outcome is selected;

revealing, on the display of the gaming terminal, the end-game award or the non-end-game award upon selection of the corresponding end-game outcome or non-end-game outcome;

after receiving a selection that is not an end-game outcome, decreasing a quantity associated with each end-game award and each non-end-game awards associated with the unselected player-selectable game elements, the decreased quantity of each end-game award providing less than the expected value associated with the corresponding end-game outcome;

awarding the non-end-game awards associated with the selected non-end-game outcomes; and

awarding, upon selection of an end-game outcome, the end-game award associated with the selected end-game outcome the awarded non-end-game awards being combined with the end-game award to provide the expected value associated with the end-game outcome.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein some of the end-game award and non-end-game awards comprise a number of free spins.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein some of the end-game award and non-end-game awards comprise a number of credits.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein some of the end-game award and non-end-game awards comprise multipliers.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displayed plurality of player-selectable game outcomes are within a bonus game of the wagering game.

19. A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wager input device, a wager for a wagering game at a gaming terminal;

displaying, on a display of the gaming terminal, a plurality of player-selectable elements that initially mask a quantity, at least one of the player-selectable elements including an end-game outcome and the other player-selectable game elements including one or more non-end-game outcomes, the end-game outcome being associated with an end-game award having a variable quantity, the end-game outcome being associated with an expected value, and the one or more non-end-game outcomes being associated with a non-end-game award;

in response to a player selecting one of the non-end-game outcomes, awarding the non-end-game award associated with the selected non-end-game outcome, and decreasing a quantity of the end-game award, the decreased quantity providing less than the expected value associated with the end-game outcome; and

in response to the player selecting an end-game outcome, revealing, on the display of the gaming terminal, the corresponding end-game award and awarding the end-game award associated with the selected end-game outcome, the awarded non-end-game award being combined with the end-game award to provide the expected value associated with the end-game outcome.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the end-game award is selected from the group consisting of free spins of a reel-spinning game, credits, and multipliers.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the wagering game comprises a basic game and a bonus game, the method further comprising:

conducting a basic game in response to acceptance of a wager from the player of the gaming terminal, the basic game comprises a reel-spinning wagering game; and

initiating the bonus game in response to a predetermined outcome in the basic game, the bonus game including the displaying and revealing steps.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end-game award is a number of free spins of a reel-spinning wagering game, and the non-end-game awards associated with the selected non-end-game outcomes are multipliers for credits awarded by the reel-spinning wagering game during the free spins.

23. The method of claim 7 , wherein the end-game award is a number of free spins of a reel-spinning wagering game, and the non-end-game awards associated with the selected non-end-game outcom