Systems methods, and devices for playing wagering games with symbol clumps and non-uniform weighting of reel positions

A gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, comprising:

• an electronic display device coupled to a gaming cabinet;
• one or more electronic input devices coupled to the gaming cabinet;
• and
• one or more controllers configured to:
• detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
• initiate a casino game in response to an input received from one of the one or more electronic input devices,
• randomly determine a subset of reel positions of a plurality of reel positions on symbol-bearing reels according to weighted probabilities, the symbol-bearing reels including at least one reel having a picture clump occupying two or more adjacent reel positions on the at least one reel, the weighted probabilities being configured such that the picture clump occurs in the subset only in its entirety,
• direct the electronic display device to display the symbol-bearing reels spinning and stopping to present the determined subset via an array comprising a plurality of array positions.

A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers and a gaming machine, the gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:

• detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
• initiating a the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;
• directing the electronic display device to display an outcome of the casino wagering game via an array comprising a plurality of array positions, the casino wagering game including at least one symbol-bearing reel having a plurality of reel positions occupied by symbols, the symbols including at least one picture clump occupying two or more adjacent reel positions of the plurality of reel positions;
• determining a game outcome from a plurality of available game outcomes;
• populating the array with a subset of the plurality of symbols to present the game outcome on the electronic display device, the plurality of reel positions having weighted probabilities configured such that the at least one picture clump, when part of the game outcome, is displayed only in its entirety in the array;
• and
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cash out input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.