Patent ID: 7476155

Claim:
A method including the steps of: (a) allocating a game play record set in response to a game play request initiated for a first player, the game play record set including two or more game play records and being allocated from at least one game play record file that is available for supplying game play records to satisfy the game play request, wherein allocating the set of game play records includes changing the status of each allocated game play record in the respective game play record file to indicate that each respective allocated game play record is unavailable for use in satisfying an additional game play request; (b) assigning to the first player one or more of the allocated game play records in response to a player choice input from the first player, the player choice input being distinct from any player input to initiate the game play request, and the one or more game play records assigned to the first player identifying a result for the first player, each allocated game play record other than the one or more allocated game play records assigned to the first player representing an unassigned game play record; (c) changing the status of each unassigned game play record to indicate that the respective unassigned game play record is available for use in satisfying an additional game play request; and (d) assigning one of the allocated, unassigned game play records to a respective player in response to an input initiated by the respective player.