Player-entry assignment and ordering
A method of assigning a player-entry to a table so that said player-entry can participate in a hand of a particular card game at said table, wherein there is a plurality of players each having one or more respective player-entries for participating in a respective hand of said card game, wherein a player-entry that is actively participating in a hand of said card game may fold out of turn from said hand so as to no longer be actively participating in said hand, the method comprising: for a first player-entry of a first player, identifying an assignable table for said first player-entry from a plurality of tables for said card game, wherein a table is an assignable table for a particular player-entry if the assignment of said particular player-entry to said table cannot itself provide any player with further information about a hand in which an already assigned player-entry of said player is actively participating in addition to information about said hand that is available to said player only by virtue of the participation of said already assigned player-entry in said hand; and assigning the first player-entry to the identified assignable table.
1. A computer-implemented method for providing an electronic card game, the method comprising:
managing, by a processor, game play at a plurality of virtual tables at which player-entries of a plurality of players are active, wherein individual players may have multiple player-entries each assigned to different virtual tables;
automatically, moving player-entries from their virtual tables to a queue in response to either a request to fold received out of turn from their respective players or when a natural conclusion of game play occurs at their respective tables, wherein the request to fold is received via a communication interface and in response to the request to fold, an associated player-entry is prevented from further participation in game play at its virtual table following the request to fold;
creating, by the processor, a new virtual table;
automatically, moving a first player-entry from the queue to the new table; and
iteratively, until a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, automatically moving an other player-entry to the new virtual table when the new virtual table is a candidate table for assignment of that other player-entry, wherein the new virtual table is disqualified from serving as a candidate table when:
a player associated with the other player-entry and at least one player associated with player-entries previously admitted to the new virtual table have additional player-entries assigned to another virtual table in common; or
the player associated with the other player-entry has another player-entry previously admitted to the new virtual table.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting a virtual lobby to the players for selection of virtual games to be played, and
selecting initial virtual tables for the players in response to players' selection in the virtual lobby,
wherein the moving of player-entries from their virtual tables to the queue and the moving of player-entries from the queue to the new virtual table does not traverse the virtual lobby.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, assigning the admitted player-entries to positions of the new virtual table according to a fairness policy that considers the player-entries' positions at their prior virtual tables.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the request to fold, disguising the associated player-entry's terminated participation at the respective virtual table.
5. A gaming system comprising a processor configured to:
manage game play at a plurality of virtual tables at which player-entries of a plurality of players are active, wherein individual players may have multiple player-entries each assigned to different virtual tables;
move player-entries from their virtual tables to a queue in response to either a request to fold received out of turn from their respective players or when a natural conclusion of game play occurs at their respective tables, wherein the request to fold is received via a communication interface and in response to the request to fold, an associated player-entry is prevented from further participation in game play at its virtual table following the request to fold;
create a new virtual table;
move a first player-entry from the queue to the new table; and
iteratively, until a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, move an other player-entry to the new virtual table when the new virtual table is a candidate table for assignment of that other player-entry, wherein the new virtual table is disqualified from serving as a candidate table when:
a player associated with the other player-entry and at least one player associated with player-entries previously admitted to the new virtual table have additional player-entries assigned to another virtual table in common; or
the player associated with the other player-entry has another player-entry previously admitted to the new virtual table.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor further is configured to:
present a virtual lobby to the players for selection of virtual games to be played, and
select initial virtual tables for the players in response to players' selection in the virtual lobby,
wherein the movement of player-entries from their virtual tables to the queue and the moving of player-entries from the queue to the new virtual table does not traverse the virtual lobby.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor further is configured to, when a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, assign the admitted player-entries to positions of the new virtual table according to a fairness policy that considers the player-entries' positions at their prior virtual tables.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor further is configured to, in response to the request to fold, disguise the associated player-entry's terminated participation at the respective virtual table.
9. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to carry out a method, the method comprising:
manage game play at a plurality of virtual tables at which player-entries of a plurality of players are active, wherein individual players may have multiple player-entries each assigned to different virtual tables;
automatically, move player-entries from their virtual tables to a queue in response to either a request to fold received out of turn from their respective players or when a natural conclusion of game play occurs at their respective tables, wherein the request to fold is received via a communication interface and in response to the request to fold, an associated player-entry is prevented from further participation in game play at its virtual table following the request to fold;
create a new virtual table;
automatically, move a first player-entry from the queue to the new table; and
iteratively, until a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, automatically move an other player-entry to the new virtual table when the new virtual table is a candidate table for assignment of that other player-entry, wherein the new virtual table is disqualified from serving as a candidate table when:
a player associated with the other player-entry and at least one player associated with player-entries previously admitted to the new virtual table have additional player-entries assigned to another virtual table in common; or
the player associated with the other player-entry has another player-entry previously admitted to the new virtual table.
10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to:
present a virtual lobby to the players for selection of virtual games to be played, and
select initial virtual tables for the players in response to players' selection in the virtual lobby,
wherein the movement of player-entries from their virtual tables to the queue and the moving of player-entries from the queue to the new virtual table does not traverse the virtual lobby.
11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to, when a sufficient number of player-entries are moved to the new virtual table, assign the admitted player-entries to positions of the new virtual table according to a fairness policy that considers the player-entries' positions at their prior virtual tables.
12. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to, in response to the request to fold, disguise the associated player-entry's terminated participation at the respective virtual table.