Patent attributes
A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine comprises a display device that presents a symbol array. The game-logic circuitry presents a first outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of symbols, locks, in response to the first outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a subset of the array, the value-bearing symbol in the subset, initiates a subset counter associated with the subset in response to the first outcome, presents at least one subsequent outcome by populating the array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, locks any additional value-bearing symbols populating the subset, provides, in response to a number of value-bearing symbols meeting a trigger amount, an award as a function of values indicated by the locked value-bearing symbols, and, in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, removes any locked value-bearing symbols from the subset.
