Gaming systems, apparatuses and methods employing partial winning combination features

1. A method of operating a gaming device having a display, a wager input device configured to accept physical currency, a memory storing a credit amount, and a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating receipt of physical currency from the wager input device;

increasing the credit amount based on the received signal indicating receipt of physical currency;

receiving a signal to initiate a slot game in response to placement of a wager, the wager decreasing the credit amount;

spinning adjacent reels of the slot game on the display;

stopping a first subset of the adjacent reels while a second subset of the adjacent reels remains spinning;

determining if the first subset of the adjacent reels satisfies a minimum win combination criteria;

duplicating the stopped first subset of adjacent reels satisfying the minimum win combination criteria into one or more additional slot games;

activating, using the processor, an enhanced feature while the second subset of the adjacent reels continue to spin, the enhanced feature configured to enhance play on the adjacent reels;

stopping the second subset of adjacent reels;

providing results based on at least the result of the adjacent reels and the activated enhanced feature; and

increasing the credit amount based on any awards associated with the provided results.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining the minimum win combination criteria as a number of consecutive matching symbols that provides a payout.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein duplicating the first subset of the adjacent reels that have stopped spinning into one or more additional slot games further comprises completing the additional slot games by:

continuing to spin remaining reels other than the duplicated subset of the reels that have stopped spinning;

activating the enhanced feature while the remaining reels on the additional slot games continue to spin;

stopping the spinning of the remaining reels on the additional slot games; and

providing additional results based on at least the result of the reels of the additional slot games and the activated enhanced feature.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining the minimum win combination criteria as a number of consecutive wild symbols that will provide a payout when at least one of the second subset of the adjacent reels is stopped and presents a symbol on one or more paylines including the consecutive wild symbols.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining the minimum win combination criteria as a number of expanding wild symbols that will provide a payout when at least one of the second subset of the adjacent reels is stopped and presents a symbol on one or more paylines including the expanding wild symbols after expansion.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining the minimum win combination criteria as a minimum number of matching symbols required to meet a scatter pay requirement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the enhanced feature comprises providing a multiplier value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the enhanced feature comprises presenting a plurality of possible multiplier values, and stopping on a selected one of the multiplier values to serve as the enhanced feature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing results comprises multiplying the result of the reels and the selected multiplier value.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising presenting a visual anticipation event in parallel with the presentation of the plurality of possible multiplier values.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the enhanced feature comprises presenting a plurality of possible free spin events, and stopping on a selected one of the free spin values to serve as the enhanced feature.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the enhanced feature comprises using, by the processor, a premium set of symbols for the second subset of the adjacent reels.