Player-entry assignment and ordering

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

assigning a first player-entry to a table so that said first 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,

when game play terminates for a player-entry that is actively participating in a hand of said card game at a first virtual table by a request to fold received from a first player out of turn from said hand, moving the first player's player-entry to a second virtual table selected by:

identifying other player(s) having player-entries at the first virtual table at a time in which game play terminates at the first virtual table for the first player-entry;

for a first player-entry of a first player, identifying an assignable table for said first player-entry from a plurality of new tables for said card game, wherein a new table is an assignable table for the first player-entry if the assignment of the first player-entry to said new table cannot itself provide the first player with further information about a hand in which any other player-entry of said first player is actively participating in addition to information about said hand that is available to said first player only by virtue of the participation of said already assigned first player-entry in said hand; and

assigning the first player-entry to the identified assignable table.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

placing the first player-entry at a table position at the identified assignable table with other player-entries based on comparisons of count values maintained for the players of the identified assignable table for each position at the identified assignable table , the count values representing a number of games played by the players at the identified assignable table since the players were placed at each respective position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

following the request to fold from the first player and before conclusion of game play at the first virtual table, the first player is prevented from further participation in game play at the first virtual table.

4. 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 the first player-entry to the identified assignable table does not traverse the virtual lobby.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when all of the plurality of virtual tables are disqualified, adding a new virtual table to the plurality of virtual tables, and selecting the new virtual table as the identified assignable table .

8. A gaming system comprising a processor configured to:

assign a first 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,

when game play terminates for a player-entry that is actively participating in a hand of said card game at a first virtual table by a request to fold received from a first player out of turn from said hand, move the first player's player-entry to a second virtual table selected by:

identifying other player(s) having player-entries at the first virtual table at a time in which game play terminates at the first virtual table for the first player-entry;

for a first player-entry of a first player, identifying an assignable table for said first player-entry from a plurality of new tables for said card game, wherein a new table is an assignable table for the first player-entry if the assignment of the first player-entry to said new table cannot itself provide the first player with further information about a hand in which any other player-entry of said first player is actively participating in addition to information about said hand that is available to said first player only by virtue of the participation of said already assigned first player-entry in said hand; and

assigning the first player-entry to the identified assignable table.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

place the first player-entry at a table position at the identified assignable table with other player-entries based on comparisons of count values maintained for the players of the identified assignable table for each position at the identified assignable table , the count values representing a number of games played by the players at the identified assignable table since the players were placed at each respective position.

10. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

following the request to fold from the first player and before conclusion of game play at the first virtual table, prevent the first player from further participation in game play at the first virtual table.

11. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further 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 moving of the first player-entry to the identified assignable table does not traverse the virtual lobby.

12. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further 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.

13. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to the request to fold, disguise the associated player-entry's terminated participation at the respective virtual table.

14. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

when all of the plurality of virtual tables are disqualified, add a new virtual table to the plurality of virtual tables, and select the new virtual table as the identified assignable table.

15. 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:

assigning a first player-entry to a table so that said first 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,

when game play terminates for a player-entry that is actively participating in a hand of said card game at a first virtual table by a request to fold received from a first player out of turn from said hand, moving the first player's player-entry to a second virtual table selected by:

identifying other player(s) having player-entries at the first virtual table at a time in which game play terminates at the first virtual table for the first player-entry;

for a first player-entry of a first player, identifying an assignable table for said first player-entry from a plurality of new tables for said card game, wherein a new table is an assignable table for the first player-entry if the assignment of the first player-entry to said new table cannot itself provide the first player with further information about a hand in which any other player-entry of said first player is actively participating in addition to information about said hand that is available to said first player only by virtue of the participation of said already assigned first player-entry in said hand; and

assigning the first player-entry to the identified assignable table.

16. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

placing the first player-entry at a table position at the identified assignable table with other player-entries based on comparisons of count values maintained for the players of the identified assignable table for each position at the identified assignable table , the count values representing a number of games played by the players at the identified assignable table since the players were placed at each respective position.

17. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

following the request to fold from the first player and before conclusion of game play at the first virtual table, the first player is prevented from further participation in game play at the first virtual table.

18. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

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 the first player-entry to the identified assignable table does not traverse the virtual lobby.

19. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

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.

20. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the request to fold, disguising the associated player-entry's terminated participation at the respective virtual table.

21. The computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

when all of the plurality of virtual tables are disqualified, adding a new virtual table to the plurality of virtual tables, and selecting the new virtual table as the identified assignable table.