Gaming method and apparatus for dynamically identifying a segment of corresponding adjacent elements spanning at least two nodes

A method for facilitating participation in a game, comprising:

• presenting a display grid and at least three nodes;
• populating the display grid with a plurality of marking elements, the marking for each element selected from a plurality of different markings;
• activating at least two of the at least three nodes;
• and
• identifying at least one winning segment of elements with corresponding markings, the winning segment forming a contiguous segment of marking elements spanning the at least two activated nodes.

A gaming apparatus hosting a gaming activity, the gaming apparatus comprising:

• a display device configured to present a display grid having a plurality of elements and at least two nodes;
• a random number generator configured to facilitate random selection of a marking for presentation for each of the plurality of elements of the display grid;
• and
• a processor configured to facilitate identification of at least one winning segment of adjacently located elements with corresponding marks presented in the display grid, the winning segment spanning the two nodes.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for facilitating a gaming activity, the computer-executable instructions performing the steps comprising:

• presenting a display grid comprising a plurality of display elements and at least two nodes;
• populating each display element with a color or symbol, the color or symbol randomly selected for each display element from a plurality of colors or symbols;
• and
• awarding a payout for each group of adjacently located elements with corresponding colors or symbols, the group forming a continuous segment spanning between the at least two nodes.

A slot machine comprising:

• means for presenting a display grid comprising a plurality of elements and two nodes;
• means for presenting markings in a plurality of the elements and in the at least two nodes;
• and
• means for creating winning segments of adjacently located elements that are all correspondingly marked and span between the two nodes.

A method comprising:

• presenting a group of elements;
• presenting at least one of a plurality of different indicia with one or more of the elements of the group;
• moving at least two nodes about an exterior of the group of elements, wherein the exterior includes a plurality of indicia that correspond to one or more of the indicia capable of being presented with the one or more elements of the group;
• stopping the movement of the nodes, and identifying a node indicium on the exterior of the group of elements that is associated with the nodes when stopped;
• identifying a winning payline between the at least two nodes if a chain of adjacent elements each present an indicium corresponding to the node indicium.