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What are Some Benefits of Playing Games of Skill?
Everyone—from very young kids to elder statespersons—likes to play games. Many games, including blackjack and video poker which we offer here at Everygame Casino Red, are a combination of luck (or chance) and skill. The ageless Monopoly™ is a classic game that combines the luck of a toss of the dice with strategic planning in deciding which properties to buy, how to develop these properties, and how to negotiate deals in order to create one’s own monopolies.
Another ageless wonder, Scrabble™, combines the luck of the draw of tiles with one’s ability to arrange the tiles and combine them with the tiles on the board to create high scoring words.
A third classic game of skill that also relies heavily on luck is Risk™. In this game, players act as generals, moving armies across the map. The outcomes of all battles, however, are determined by the dice.
Here is a short list of famous games of skill:
- Chess
- Checkers
- Bridge
- Whist
- Go
- Sudoku
- Othello
- Set™
Of these games, only bridge and whist rely on the luck of the cards. The other games are as close to pure games of skill as there are. The games that people play against opponents rely only on the opponent’s inability to see a few steps ahead.
How Do Blackjack and Video Poker Fit In?
At Everygame Casino, these are the most popular games of skill. The strategy for both of these games can be quite complex. In blackjack, the best strategy also involves counting cards since if the standard strategy is to stand but the card count says that splitting or taking another card is optimal strategy at that moment, the most strategic player will follow the card count rather than the standard strategy.
Best strategy in video poker can also be complex as it often calls for the gamer to break a winning pair in order to pursue a much better paying hand. When to do so is a skill that good video poker players learn in depth.
In video poker, there is a hierarchy of decisions. In the most sophisticated strategy hierarchy for Jacks or Better video poker, there are over 40 lines in the hierarchy list! Learning this strategy list takes some time.
So, Why Do so Many Gamers Learn Skill Games Strategies?
The obvious reason is that they like the games and want to win! The return to player rate in video poker and blackjack—assuming that the player uses the best strategy on every hand—is almost 100%. The actual rate is about one half of one percent less. That means that in most gaming sessions with these games, the player will either win a little or lose a little. The swings will be relatively small.
Thus, blackjack and video poker are perfect games for players who just like to play, to have fun!
The second reason gamers like to play our games of skill and other games of skill is that there is a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when they play a game of skill with…..skill!
How Does Playing a Game of Skill Breed Satisfaction?
Satisfaction, in this discussion, is easier to come by than a feeling of accomplishment. Satisfaction is primarily a feel good sensation when a gamer plays a game well and for fun. The realization that they did everything “right” is satisfying.
Even if the gamer loses a little money in a given session, there is still the sense of satisfaction that they did everything “right”.
A Sense of Accomplishment Goes Deeper
We usually think of a sense of accomplishment when we win something. We can have the same sense of accomplishment in the casino games of skill when we have played with equanimity on every hand, even when a lesser player might have gone on tilt.
Not going on tilt in the face of adversary is a first and vital sign of an accomplished player.
This sense extends far into gamers’ professional and personal lives. There is a feeling that perseverance is its own reward. When a player gets stuck—this often happens in Sudoku or Set™—the perseverance that they just have to keep looking often results in their finding a creative and well-hidden solution.
Many decisions and courses of action in business and professional fields come about from perseverance when the person appears hopelessly stuck. Even Robert Pirsig, in his great book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” talks about the pervasiveness of “stuckness”. He says that getting out of stuckness is a major step in motorcycle maintenance and in life generally.
So, playing online casino games of skill is its own reward, in a very important way!
Thinking Deeply is Exercise for the Brain
Before the corona virus crisis hit, the University of Edinburgh published a study on how deep thinking helps senior citizens stay alert and sharp. The study found that playing thinking games or games that require concentration at young ages and then throughout one’s life help people stay sharp and mentally agile later in life.
The study also found that even if someone starts playing games of skill later in life, there is a beneficial effect.
Why Did You Mention the Corona Virus Crisis?
This study is not the only one that connects deep thinking with mental acuity later in life but it came at a very salutary time. The corona virus forced many senior citizens to stay home, away from their children and grandchildren, and friends. Some of these people—even if they were fortunate enough to never contract the illness—did poorly emotionally and psychologically. Their cognition declined.
It has been two years since the virus stymied so many people and the people who were able to keep their minds working well did a lot better than those who got “stuck” and couldn’t find a way to extricate themselves.
Playing video poker and blackjack at Everygame Casino was a perfect way for many seniors to stay alert during the crisis. So many games of skill require a partner or opponent. Video poker, blackjack, and Sudoku don’t!
That’s why playing games of skill has many benefits!
A very large number of gamers joined Everygame Casino in 2020 and 2021 because of the lockdowns of land-based casinos. We feel, of course, that online gaming has many advantages over land-based casino gaming. We invite everyone to JOIN EVERYGAME CASINO TODAY!
