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Forget poker. Skill gaming is poised to become one of the biggest segments of the online gaming industry.
Gambling just goes right on evolving.
There was a time not too long ago when if you wanted to enjoy some gambling action, you had to make your way to a casino. Then along comes the Internet which brought casino gaming right into the home completely voiding the need to do anything more strenuous then turning on a PC. Not satisfied with that level of convenience, mobile gaming slowly began creeping into the betting landscape, offering gamblers the luxury of playing their favorite games from anywhere, at any time.
And just when you thought there couldn’t possible be any more options, formats or games to bet on, along comes the latest incarnation of the industry: online skill gaming.
For those of you completely unfamiliar with this new kid on the betting block, skill gaming is similar to conventional casino gambling in that players select from a variety of games to play, must decide whether to play alone or against other players, and can wager for fun or real money.
But that’s where all similarity ends.
Unlike traditional casino games such as slots, video poker or blackjack—which all involve varying combinations of luck and skill—online skill games require gamblers to rely strictly on their own abilities. In other words, the chances of winning are directly proportional to the player’s skill level in that particular game—luck has no bearing on the outcome. In addition, the skill games themselves are drastically different from anything offered in the typical casino setting. For example, at Game Account ( www.gameaccount.com), a popular skill game provider, card players compete in games such as Rummy and Pyramid Solitaire rather than traditional games like poker. Replacing slots are multi-player strategy games, time sensitive puzzles and various arcade-style games like Blackout, an innovative spin on Tetris where players must move, rotate, and fit various shapes together to fill horizontal and vertical lines from one side to the other.
Gamblers in search of something new, yet eager to retain some semblance of traditional casino fare, can still find blackjack in some skill game settings, but even then new rules apply to make it conform to skill game regulations. Unlike the casino version where players compete against the house, skill game players compete against one another and prove their superiority of the game by playing the exact same sequence of cards as their opponent. The player with the highest chip stack at the end of is the winner. In short, it offers all of thrills of traditional blackjack, but without the house edge.
Other common skill games include backgammon, darts, pool, golf, Mah Jong, chess, checkers, various word games and even trivia. Not quite the lineup most gamblers are used to.
Depending on the site, your personal preference, and the game(s) you select, play can be either a solitary event with your skills alone determining the outcome, or in a multi-player setting. Gamblers—or in this case “gamers”—who prefer their action “tournament style” against a field of opponents will find that skill gaming offers a wide variety of such options. At Skill Jam ( www.skilljam.com), for example, players can choose from formats that range from free play tournaments and cash tournaments to progressive tournaments, VIP tournaments and merchandise tournaments. Each tournament has it’s own special set of rules and restrictions that affect both style of play and accessibility. For example, training tournaments are open only to novice players and are designed to help ease newcomers into the action, while VIP tournaments are restricted to loyal “VIP” clients.
Finally, for those of you concerned that you just don’t have the prerequisite abilities to effectively compete at skill games, you’ll be happy to know that in most cases, players are continually rated according to their skill level, and compete only against equally matched opponents. So novice players need have no fear of being thrust into competition against highly practices adversaries—you start off against fellow beginners and work you way up in the ranks. The more often you play—and depending on how successful you are—the higher your rating will climb and the tougher your opponents will become.
While it may not be as trendy or sexy as poker or casino gambling, skill gaming is a fun, novel, and challenging diversion from the norm. And if your skills warrant it, you may find it to be one of the most lucrative forms of gaming to emerge online.
J. Phillip Vogel is an online gambling expert and the editor of popular watchdog site TheOPN.com. His next book, Internet Gambling: How to Win Big Online is now available at Amazon.com
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