Gaming machine

Abstract

A spinning reel video poker machine that displays an initial array of symbols that may be on a simulation of spinning reels (R 1, R 2, R 3, R 4, R 5 ). In response to a trigger additional symbols will become available on the video screen to extend existing paylines or provide new paylines. The new paylines may be part of an extension to an existing array or they may be part of a separate array of symbols or set of reels that becomes available in response to the trigger.

I claim: 
     
       1. A gaming machine comprising:
 a display for showing an initial array of randomly selected symbols, the array having an initial number of rows and columns of randomly selected symbols visible on the display, the gaming machine for paying winnings on the occurrence of predetermined winning combinations of symbols, wherein upon a trigger event, one or more additional symbols joining the array to increase the number of symbols displayed so that the machine can also pay winnings on winning combinations resulting from the increased number of symbols.   
     
     
       2. A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a single additional symbol is added to the array in response to the trigger event. 
     
     
       3. A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein two or more symbols are added in response to a trigger event. 
     
     
       4. A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the increased number of symbols is provided by a new and separate array of the randomly selected symbols. 
     
     
       5. The gaming machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the trigger combination in any of the additional array will in turn trigger still further arrays to become available for gaming. 
     
     
       6. A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the array initially has five columns and three rows; and
 one or more additional symbols are added to extend the array upon a predetermined trigger event.   
     
     
       7. A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the trigger event is a predetermined combination of the symbols in the array. 
     
     
       8. The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a single additional symbol is added to produce an extended array in response to the trigger event. 
     
     
       9. The gaming machine according to  claim 8 , wherein the array initially has five columns and three rows. 
     
     
       10. The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the trigger event is a trigger combination of the symbols in the array. 
     
     
       11. The gaming machine according to  claim 10 , wherein upon a trigger combination in the extended array, the number of symbols displayed further increases to further extend the array. 
     
     
       12. The gaming medicine according to  claim 1 , wherein two or more symbols are added to produce an extended array in response to the trigger event. 
     
     
       13. The gaming machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the array initially has five columns and three rows. 
     
     
       14. The gaming machine according to  claim 13 , wherein the trigger event is a trigger combination of the symbols in the array. 
     
     
       15. The gaming machine according to  claim 14 , wherein upon a trigger combination in the extended array, the number of symbols displayed further increases to further extend the array. 
     
     
       16. The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the trigger event is a player actuated trigger provided on the control console. 
     
     
       17. A gaming machine comprising:
 a display for showing an initial array of randomly selected symbols such that the gaming machine is for paying winnings on the occurrence of predetermined winning combinations of the symbols in the initial array; wherein,
 at least one additional row and/or column of random symbols appears on the display for gaming upon a the occurrence of predetermined trigger event. 
   
     
     
       18. A gaming machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the trigger event is one or more trigger combinations of symbols occurring in the initial array. 
     
     
       19. A gaming machine according to  claim 18 , wherein a trigger combination in any of the at least one additional row and/or column will in turn trigger still further at least one additional row and/or column to become available for gaming. 
     
     
       20. A gaming machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the trigger event is a player actuated trigger provided on the control console. 
     
     
       21. A computerized gaming machine comprising:
 a video display; and   a computer coupled to the video display,   the computer configured to control the video display to show an initial array of randomly selected symbols, the initial array having an initial number of rows and columns of randomly selected symbols visible on the video display,   the computer configured to pay winnings on the occurrence of predetermined winning combinations of symbols; and   wherein upon a randomly-occurring trigger event, the computer configured to control the video display to show one or more additional randomly selected symbols joining the initial array by being added to a row or column of the initial array to produce an extended array of non-rectangular configuration by becoming newly visible and not replacing the initial array, to increase the number of symbols displayed so that the computer is configured to also pay winnings on winning combinations resulting from the increased number of symbols without the one or more additional symbols replacing the symbols of the initial array.   
     
     
       22. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein the trigger event is a predetermined combination of symbols in the initial array. 
     
     
       23. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein the trigger event is one or more predetermined combinations of symbols occurring in the initial array. 
     
     
       24. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein the computer is configured to pay winnings on winning combinations resulting from the increased number of symbols along new paylines. 
     
     
       25. The gaming machine according to claim 24, wherein the new paylines are part of the extended array. 
     
     
       26. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein the trigger event is a predetermined combination of symbols in the initial array, and the one or more additional randomly selected symbols comprises at least one additional row and/or column. 
     
     
       27. The gaming machine according to claim 26, wherein the computer is configured to pay winnings on winning combinations resulting from the increased number of symbols along extended paylines. 
     
     
       28. The gaming machine according to claim 27, wherein the computer is configured to pay an increased amount for a particular combination along the extended paylines. 
     
     
       29. The gaming machine according to claim 27, wherein the computer is configured to pay for an increased number of winning combinations along the extended paylines. 
     
     
       30. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein upon a randomly-occurring trigger event in the extended array, the number of symbols displayed further increases to further extend the extended array. 
     
     
       31. A computerized gaming machine comprising:
 a video display; and   a computer coupled to the video display,   the computer configured to control the video display to show an initial array of randomly selected symbols,   the computer configured to paying winnings on the occurrence of predetermined winning combinations of the symbols in the initial array; and   the computer configured to control the video display to show at least one additional row and/or column of random symbols beyond the initial array joining the initial array by being added to the initial array to produce an extended array of non-rectangular configuration and appearing on the video display by becoming newly visible for gaming upon the occurrence of a predetermined randomly occurring trigger event so that the computer is configured to also pay winnings on winning combinations resulting from the at least one additional row and/or column without the at least one additional row and/or column replacing the symbols of the initial array.   
     
     
       32. The gaming machine according to claim 31, wherein the trigger event is one or more trigger combinations of symbols occurring in the initial array. 
     
     
       33. The gaming machine according to claim 32, wherein a trigger combination in any of the least one additional row and/or column will in turn trigger still further least one additional row and/or column to become available for gaming.