Gaming system having symbol promotion features
View Patent ↗A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming system comprises receiving a wager to play the wagering game, displaying a first outcome of the wagering game on at least one display, evaluating the first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations. The method further comprises, upon the occurrence of a triggering event and if the first outcome is a winning outcome, promoting each occurrence of at least one symbol in the first outcome to a next higher symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome, and evaluating the revised first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations.
1. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:
receiving, using a wager input device operatively associated with the gaming system, a wager input to play the wagering game;
displaying, via at least one display device, a plurality of symbols arranged in an array with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the displayed array of symbols being indicative of a first outcome of the wagering game;
using a processor, evaluating the first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations;
using the processor, upon the occurrence of a triggering event, promoting every occurrence of at least one symbol anywhere in the array of symbols to a next higher level symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome; and
using the processor, evaluating the revised first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one symbol is included in at least one winning combination in the first outcome.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one symbol is not included in any winning combination in the first outcome.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pay table is hierarchically arranged.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is a mystery-trigger.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein promoting every occurrence of at least one symbol in the array of symbols further comprises promoting a highest level symbol to a special symbol and promoting all non-special symbols.
7. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the wagering game including a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, the method comprising:
using a wager input device, receiving a wager input to play the wagering game;
displaying, via at least one display device, the plurality of symbol-bearing reels spinning and stopping to reveal a plurality of symbols filling a symbol array with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the symbols in the symbol array being indicative of a first outcome of the wagering game;
using a processor associated with the gaming system, evaluating the first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding a first award for any winning combinations in the first outcome;
using the processor associated with the gaming system, upon the occurrence of a triggering event and if the first outcome includes at least one winning combination of symbols, promoting all of the symbols in the symbol array to a respective next higher symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome; and
using the processor associated with the gaming system, evaluating the revised first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding a second award for any winning combinations in the revised first outcome.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one winning combination of symbols is aligned on an activated payline.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the triggering event is a mystery-trigger.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoting all of the symbols comprises promoting two or more different types of symbols displayed in the symbol array each to a respective next higher symbol.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoting all of the symbols comprises promoting all symbols displayed in the symbol array without respinning the plurality of symbol-bearing reels.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoting all of the symbols comprises promoting all non-special symbols and promoting a highest level symbol to a special symbol.
13. A method of conducting a wagering game on a processor-based gaming system, the method comprising:
receiving, using a wager input device associated with the processor-based gaming system, a wager input to play the wagering game;
displaying, via at least one display device, a plurality of symbols arranged in an array with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the displayed array of symbols being indicative of a first outcome of the wagering game;
awarding a first award associated with the first outcome; and
upon the occurrence of a triggering event:
promoting a first type of symbol associated with the first outcome to a first higher level symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome,
promoting a second type of symbol associated with the first outcome to a second higher level symbol in accordance with the pay table as part of the revised first outcome, and
awarding a second award associated with the revised first outcome.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and second types of symbols is included in at least one winning combination in the first outcome.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the promoting the first and second types of symbols includes promoting all of the symbols in the displayed array of symbols.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pay table is hierarchically arranged.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the triggering event is a mystery-trigger.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wagering game includes a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, and wherein the first and second types of symbols associated with the first outcome are promoted without spinning the plurality of symbol-bearing reels.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the promoting the first and second types of symbols associated with the first outcome further comprises promoting a highest level symbol to a special symbol.
20. A gaming system comprising:
a wager input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game;
at least one display; and
at least one controller operative to:
cause the at least one display to display a plurality of symbols filling a symbol array with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the symbols in the symbol array being indicative of a first outcome of the wagering game;
award a first award associated with the first outcome;
upon the occurrence of a triggering event and if the first outcome includes at least one winning combination of symbols, promote all of the symbols in the symbol array to a respective higher level symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome; and
award a second award associated with the revised first outcome.
21. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one winning combination of symbols is aligned on an activated payline.
22. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein the triggering event is a mystery-trigger.
23. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein the promoting all of the symbols comprises promoting two or more different types of symbols displayed in the pay table.
24. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein promoting all of the symbols associated with the first outcome further comprises promoting each occurrence of a highest level non-special symbol to a special symbol.