Method and apparatus for collecting indicia for a secondary game from a primary wagering game

A method of playing a wagering game, comprising the performance of each of the following steps via a processor of a device operable to facilitate a wagering game:

• recognizing a wager;
• forming a plurality of primary games, wherein forming each primary game of the plurality of primary games comprises:
• receiving a first set of indicia;
• discarding a subset of the first set of indicia to create a held set of indicia;
• receiving a randomly selected replacement set of indicia;
• and
• forming a primary game outcome comprising the replacement set of indicia and the held set of indicia;
• counting each occurrence of a predetermined indicium in the plurality of primary games to determine a secondary game outcome;
• providing a first award for a winning primary game outcome;
• providing a second award for a winning secondary game outcome if a total count of each occurrence of the predetermined indicium satisfies a predetermined threshold;
• determining a number of occurrences of the predetermined indicium over a course of the plurality of primary games;
• determining a number of times the predetermined indicium has been discarded over the course of the plurality of primary games;
• and
• outputting a message encouraging the discarding of the predetermined indicium from a subsequent first set of indicia if the determined number of occurrences is greater than a predetermined number and the ratio of the number of times the predetermined indicium has been discarded to the number of times the predetermined indicium has appeared in the first set of indicia is less than a predetermined ratio.