A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine is disclosed. The wagering game may, for example, be a video reel slot game that includes a plurality of symbols displayed in an array. The plurality of symbols are evaluated to determine a change to one of the symbols that will yield one of a plurality of predefined winning combinations of symbols. The one of the symbols is changed to another of the symbols to form the winning combination, and an award is awarded for the winning combination.