Poker meets football in this game of strategy and bluffing
More than 100 different football board games have been published since 1925, when Parker Brothers released All-American Football, a simulation of college football. Today, football board games face stiff competition from video games like the uber-popular Madden series, but new ones are still being made.
Two in particular, Card Football and Pizza Box Football, are worth your consideration.
Brothers Paolo and Fabio Del Rio started developing Card Football in late 2004; it was published in early 2006 and uses cards, not dice, to determine the outcome of plays. Paolo Del Rio answered some questions about the game.
Please tell us how Card Football originated and developed.
Fabio and I come from the sports collectibles industry, having both worked as editors of the trade magazine Canadian Sports Collector, and Fabio as vice-president of product development and production for In The Game, an NHL/NHLPA hockey-card licensee (at the time).
We're both huge sports fans and collectors, and we never came across a sports game that really captured the sports fan's attention. And, if done properly, we knew that there could be a real demand for such a product.
CSE Games was formed and began developing Card Football in late 2004. The idea was to create a football card game that would appeal to football fans, card players and gamers alike -- not an easy task. However, the use of the standard 54-card deck as the backbone would provide an immediate sense of comfort in new players. As a result, the game is easy to learn, has a true football feel and, most importantly, is fun to play. We felt (and playtesting confirmed) that the game would not only appeal to gamers, but also to the average sports fan.
The game has come a long way from our initial versions, as we learned how to simplify elements of gameplay and design, especially limiting the amount of text on each card.
Poker and football don't seem like an intuitive match. Why did you decide that the two would work together?
The whole process kind of happened naturally. When we started developing Card Football, the intention was not to create a combination Poker / football game. The 54-card deck simply provided a great foundation for a game that's not reliant on dice play. Playing cards allow for a nice mix of chance (getting the best/right cards) and control (the ability to choose which of your cards to play in any given situation) -- something that isn't all that prevalent in the sports game market.
Initially, gameplay was based on "high card wins." The player who played the highest card would execute their play, as indicated on the card. However, that concept eventually developed into "high hand wins," as we found that increasing hand management made for a much deeper, more strategic game experience. No doubt that the Poker boom -- and increased interest in card games in general -- in recent years has really helped us.
Can you describe the basic mechanics of Card Football?
Using our specially designed deck, players start each down with five cards in hand. Opponents play a card or cards from their hand simultaneously and the player with the highest card or highest hand executes the play indicated on their card.
The offense's goal is to gain as many yards and points as possible, while the defense tries to stop the offense and create turnovers. Once each down has been played, both players replenish to five cards. This ability to constantly refill the hands allows players to build on what they have. For instance, on any given down, cards can be played in pairs, two pair, three-of-a-kind, or five-card Poker-style "Power Hands."
The key to successful play calling is effective hand management. Players must decide which cards to play and which to hang on to. Certainly, you need a little bit of luck, but the game is all about how you play your cards.
How has Card Football sold?
Sales of Card Football have increased steadily since the game's official launch in January 2006. Given that Card Football was our first release, it was difficult to place realistic expectations on numbers, but suffice to say that we have been pleasantly surprised. We expect to sell over 5,000 copies in our first year.
What other games has CSE published? Do you have more planned?
NHL Ice Breaker: The Card Hockey Game came out in May 2006. It's licensed by the National Hockey League and all 30 teams. Gameplay is similar in most respects to Card Football. However, we adjusted the style of play somewhat in order to capture the vastly different feel of the game of hockey -- free-flowing with constant action, versus the start-and-stop nature of football.
NHL Ice Breaker has been well received on both sides of the border and will be available this Christmas at Canadian retailers including Calendar Club / Go! The Game Store and Shoppers Drug Mart, and virtually all NHL team stores.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire" Expansion Ships
Shattered Empire [Amazon,Funagain] adds four new races to the galactic civilization strategy game. Each sports a new race sheet with new abilities to customize both the civilization's economic and political strengths, and the civ's various elements of fleet combat. Also, the game's dynamic tiled board is further customizable with new system tiles to chose from. Heck, the expansion adds more depth to just about everything in the game from spaceship pieces, to political cards, strategy cards, and action cards. The game even lets you add two more people to the table, bringing the total number of players up to a potential eight.
If there has ever been an alpha-male board game of galactic conquest, then Twilight Imperium is it. Now Shattered Empire delivers an injection of Androstendione straight to the left butt cheek. Here's the official word:
The Company Line: "The Lazax empire has fallen - first into decay, and then, after a long twilight, into history. It is done and gone, but a new day is dawning, and your people have a new chance to mold the Twilight Imperium to the design of your race.
Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire is an expansion for Twilight Imperium Third Edition. It enhances gameplay with a variety of new options and enables you to play with seven or eight players in an epic struggle for true galactic dominance!
TI.Saar.11.08.06.gif
Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire includes:
* Four never-before-seen races join the struggle for empire!
* Two new colors of plastic units to allow for up to eight players in a single game.
* Dozens of new system tiles, including new special systems such as Ion Storms, Hope's End, trade stations, and the Wormhole Nexus.
* Brand new technologies for all eight players, including a new never-before-seen type of tech!
* Eight new variant strategy cards for a completely different gameplay experience, and an additional variant Imperial strategy card for optional use with the core strategy set.
* An even broader array of agendas and options in the form of new Action, Political, and Objective cards
* Facilities, shock troops, artifacts, space mines, and more!
If there has ever been an alpha-male board game of galactic conquest, then Twilight Imperium is it. Now Shattered Empire delivers an injection of Androstendione straight to the left butt cheek. Here's the official word:
The Company Line: "The Lazax empire has fallen - first into decay, and then, after a long twilight, into history. It is done and gone, but a new day is dawning, and your people have a new chance to mold the Twilight Imperium to the design of your race.
Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire is an expansion for Twilight Imperium Third Edition. It enhances gameplay with a variety of new options and enables you to play with seven or eight players in an epic struggle for true galactic dominance!
TI.Saar.11.08.06.gif
Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire includes:
* Four never-before-seen races join the struggle for empire!
* Two new colors of plastic units to allow for up to eight players in a single game.
* Dozens of new system tiles, including new special systems such as Ion Storms, Hope's End, trade stations, and the Wormhole Nexus.
* Brand new technologies for all eight players, including a new never-before-seen type of tech!
* Eight new variant strategy cards for a completely different gameplay experience, and an additional variant Imperial strategy card for optional use with the core strategy set.
* An even broader array of agendas and options in the form of new Action, Political, and Objective cards
* Facilities, shock troops, artifacts, space mines, and more!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Do You Play Poker?
It is fun, it is great, but be warned, it is addictive, however, the most popular game played on television today is the game played on the World Poker Tour and the most favorite is Texas Hold’em poker.
Texas poker even has different versions, as there are ‘no limit’, ‘pot limit’, and ‘fixed limit’ variations. These are just restrictions on the amount a player can bet, and the basic rules of the poker game are the same. The no limit version is the kind played on television. In no limit poker, a player can make the famous ‘all-in’ bet at during any round of betting. In pot limit poker, the players cannot exceed the size of the betting pool, or ‘pot’, while betting. Fixed limit poker games usually prescribe an amount equal to the ante, or a multiple of the ante, as the betting limit.
Often, instead of the traditional ante used in other poker games, Texas poker uses what are called ‘blinds’ for the ante. Blinds are forced bets that are usually larger than an ante would be, however they are only made by two of the players for each hand. The player to the right of the dealer must ante the ‘big blind’, and the player to his or her right must make the ‘small blind’ which is half the amount of the first blind.
Each player is then dealt two cards face down. These cards are called the players ‘pocket’ cards, and only he or she can see them. The first round of betting begins with the dealer, and ends with the player that made the big blind. The player can either call the bet made by the big blind, raise it to any amount allowed by the betting restrictions, or fold.
After the betting is complete, three cards are dealt face up into the center of the table. These cards all called ‘the flop’ and are ‘community cards’, usable by all players to make the best poker hand possible combined with their pocket cards. Another round of betting begins, this time with the player to the left of the dealer, and ending with the dealer.
When the second round of bets is over, a fourth community card is dealt, called ‘the turn’. Again, betting begins to the left of the dealer, and ends with the dealer. A final community card called ‘the river’ is dealt, and is followed by a final round of betting in the same order. Whoever has the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
Texas poker is clearly very position dependent. The dealer has a clear advantage in that he or she gets to see how everyone else bets before deciding what to do. The dealer position shifts to the left with each hand to balance this. Since the game is often played using a professional dealer, a disc called the ‘dealer button’ represents the dealer position and it is this button that circles around the table instead.
So if you want to be part of the Texas Hold’em poker phenomenon, join a club in your local area and have fun, but remember it is addictive, good luck.
Texas poker even has different versions, as there are ‘no limit’, ‘pot limit’, and ‘fixed limit’ variations. These are just restrictions on the amount a player can bet, and the basic rules of the poker game are the same. The no limit version is the kind played on television. In no limit poker, a player can make the famous ‘all-in’ bet at during any round of betting. In pot limit poker, the players cannot exceed the size of the betting pool, or ‘pot’, while betting. Fixed limit poker games usually prescribe an amount equal to the ante, or a multiple of the ante, as the betting limit.
Often, instead of the traditional ante used in other poker games, Texas poker uses what are called ‘blinds’ for the ante. Blinds are forced bets that are usually larger than an ante would be, however they are only made by two of the players for each hand. The player to the right of the dealer must ante the ‘big blind’, and the player to his or her right must make the ‘small blind’ which is half the amount of the first blind.
Each player is then dealt two cards face down. These cards are called the players ‘pocket’ cards, and only he or she can see them. The first round of betting begins with the dealer, and ends with the player that made the big blind. The player can either call the bet made by the big blind, raise it to any amount allowed by the betting restrictions, or fold.
After the betting is complete, three cards are dealt face up into the center of the table. These cards all called ‘the flop’ and are ‘community cards’, usable by all players to make the best poker hand possible combined with their pocket cards. Another round of betting begins, this time with the player to the left of the dealer, and ending with the dealer.
When the second round of bets is over, a fourth community card is dealt, called ‘the turn’. Again, betting begins to the left of the dealer, and ends with the dealer. A final community card called ‘the river’ is dealt, and is followed by a final round of betting in the same order. Whoever has the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
Texas poker is clearly very position dependent. The dealer has a clear advantage in that he or she gets to see how everyone else bets before deciding what to do. The dealer position shifts to the left with each hand to balance this. Since the game is often played using a professional dealer, a disc called the ‘dealer button’ represents the dealer position and it is this button that circles around the table instead.
So if you want to be part of the Texas Hold’em poker phenomenon, join a club in your local area and have fun, but remember it is addictive, good luck.
A beginner's guide to card counting
Did you know that blackjack is far more interesting than other card games because not only does it offers a mix of chance with elements of skill and decision-making but the actual aura of "card counting" makes the game more alluring.
You may ask - what is card counting? Does it mean that a player is actually keeping track of every card played? and do you have to be numerically suave to be a successful card counter? The answer to both questions is "No".
Actually, you are not counting and memorizing specific cards. Rather, you are keeping track of certain cards, or all cards as the case may be, as they leave the blackjack deck (dealt) to formulate a single ratio number that indicates the composition (makeup) of the remaining deck. You are assigning a heuristic point score to each card in the deck and then tracking the total score, which is called the "count".
Card counting is based on the assumption that high cards are good for the player while low cards are good for the dealer. There is no one system for card counting - different systems assign different point values to various cards.
The Hi-Lo Count: This is one of the most common systems. According to the Hi-Lo system, the cards numbered 2 through 6 are counted as +1 and all tens (which include 10s, jacks, queens and kings) and aces are counted as -1. The cards 7, 8, and 9 are assigned a count of 0.
The above description of the Hi-Lo system exemplifies a "level one" counting system. There are other counting systems, called "level two" systems, that assign +2 and -2 counts to certain cards. On the face of it, this system seems to offer additional accuracy. However, experts agree that this additional accuracy is offset by the greater difficulty of keeping count and the increased likelihood of making a mistake.
The "K-O" System: The "K-O" System follows an unbalanced counting system. The points are the same as the Hi-Lo system, with the addition of 7's also being counted as +1. A typical unbalanced counting system is designed to eliminate the need to take into account the effect that multiple decks have on the point count. This multiple deck issue, incidentally, requires a process of division - something that most players have difficulty with. The "K-O" count was made popular by the book "Knock-Out Blackjack" by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura.
During games, players who are effective card counters may seem to have an "unfair advantage," even though is not illegal in any state or country, casinos do have the right to ban card counters, so if you want to try it, don’t make it too obvious.
You may ask - what is card counting? Does it mean that a player is actually keeping track of every card played? and do you have to be numerically suave to be a successful card counter? The answer to both questions is "No".
Actually, you are not counting and memorizing specific cards. Rather, you are keeping track of certain cards, or all cards as the case may be, as they leave the blackjack deck (dealt) to formulate a single ratio number that indicates the composition (makeup) of the remaining deck. You are assigning a heuristic point score to each card in the deck and then tracking the total score, which is called the "count".
Card counting is based on the assumption that high cards are good for the player while low cards are good for the dealer. There is no one system for card counting - different systems assign different point values to various cards.
The Hi-Lo Count: This is one of the most common systems. According to the Hi-Lo system, the cards numbered 2 through 6 are counted as +1 and all tens (which include 10s, jacks, queens and kings) and aces are counted as -1. The cards 7, 8, and 9 are assigned a count of 0.
The above description of the Hi-Lo system exemplifies a "level one" counting system. There are other counting systems, called "level two" systems, that assign +2 and -2 counts to certain cards. On the face of it, this system seems to offer additional accuracy. However, experts agree that this additional accuracy is offset by the greater difficulty of keeping count and the increased likelihood of making a mistake.
The "K-O" System: The "K-O" System follows an unbalanced counting system. The points are the same as the Hi-Lo system, with the addition of 7's also being counted as +1. A typical unbalanced counting system is designed to eliminate the need to take into account the effect that multiple decks have on the point count. This multiple deck issue, incidentally, requires a process of division - something that most players have difficulty with. The "K-O" count was made popular by the book "Knock-Out Blackjack" by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura.
During games, players who are effective card counters may seem to have an "unfair advantage," even though is not illegal in any state or country, casinos do have the right to ban card counters, so if you want to try it, don’t make it too obvious.
About Free Online Black Jack
Did you know that you are risking your savings as well as your assets when you gamble or bet? Did you know that it can be a serious risk to you and your family’s wellbeing? The outcome of gambling depends partially or totally upon chance and your ability to do something about it, so why not play for free?
Free online black jack is offered by some websites on the internet. You can play free online black jack to your heart's content. You can also avail of outstanding software. Some use Macromedia Shockwave Player. Free online black jack allows you to use links to switch between games. Some websites allow you to download the free online black jack software. With a 56K modem, download of free online black jack could only take half a minute. Once you have loaded the free online black jack game, you can play offline. Free online black jack has vivid and attractive graphics complemented with sound effects that make you feel like you are in a real Las Vegas casino. Free online black jack is a great alternative to real casinos. Although online casinos are not meant to replace the real thing they do serve an entertainment purpose as well. Free online black jack lets you have the thrill, excitement and passion of blackjack at the comfort of your home. Free online black jack is risk-free. You do not need to bet to be able to play. For the hardcore black jack players, free online black jack offers an opportunity to fulfill their craving for the black jack game. Free online black jack operates the same way as real black jack casinos. The object of the game is to beat the dealer by getting closest to 21 without going over. If a hand goes over 21, it is called a "bust". The bet is lost. In black jack card game, the cards have the following values: Ace is either 1 or 11. Cards 2 through 9 have their face value. Card 10, Jack, Queen and King are all valued at 10.
Free online black jack allows the player to do the basic strategies which are: hit, stand, double down, pair splitting, double down, insurance, even money and surrender. Free online black jack may even let you win free money. Some online casinos use this as a promotional tool to lure players to their websites.
Free online black jack lets you play one-on-one with the computer that will deal you the cards. With free online black jack, computers are programmed to deal the cards randomly. The computer programs on free online black jack seem to reward you for playing basic black jack strategy. Even with free online black jack game, you need to play smart in order to win.
In conclusion, instead of risking your savings and assets gambling on line, play free games, have fun and carry no risk.
Free online black jack is offered by some websites on the internet. You can play free online black jack to your heart's content. You can also avail of outstanding software. Some use Macromedia Shockwave Player. Free online black jack allows you to use links to switch between games. Some websites allow you to download the free online black jack software. With a 56K modem, download of free online black jack could only take half a minute. Once you have loaded the free online black jack game, you can play offline. Free online black jack has vivid and attractive graphics complemented with sound effects that make you feel like you are in a real Las Vegas casino. Free online black jack is a great alternative to real casinos. Although online casinos are not meant to replace the real thing they do serve an entertainment purpose as well. Free online black jack lets you have the thrill, excitement and passion of blackjack at the comfort of your home. Free online black jack is risk-free. You do not need to bet to be able to play. For the hardcore black jack players, free online black jack offers an opportunity to fulfill their craving for the black jack game. Free online black jack operates the same way as real black jack casinos. The object of the game is to beat the dealer by getting closest to 21 without going over. If a hand goes over 21, it is called a "bust". The bet is lost. In black jack card game, the cards have the following values: Ace is either 1 or 11. Cards 2 through 9 have their face value. Card 10, Jack, Queen and King are all valued at 10.
Free online black jack allows the player to do the basic strategies which are: hit, stand, double down, pair splitting, double down, insurance, even money and surrender. Free online black jack may even let you win free money. Some online casinos use this as a promotional tool to lure players to their websites.
Free online black jack lets you play one-on-one with the computer that will deal you the cards. With free online black jack, computers are programmed to deal the cards randomly. The computer programs on free online black jack seem to reward you for playing basic black jack strategy. Even with free online black jack game, you need to play smart in order to win.
In conclusion, instead of risking your savings and assets gambling on line, play free games, have fun and carry no risk.
Online Bingo Tips
Do you enjoy playing Bingo? Would you like to play bingo on line? If so read on because we have some great tips for new players at the on-line bingo sites. You may ask what is a bingo site download and how does it affect me?
One of the first questions you'll be faced with if you decide to play bingo online is whether you want to play games that require you to download and install software - these are called "download" games - or perhaps you'd prefer games that simply run over the web - called "no download" games. A bingo site may offer either both options, or just one.
Most players prefer to not download any software, since this often take up a huge amount of system resources and can interfere with other programs that you are running. You will also have to check for updates if you have not played in awhile, and things can get very messy & confusing very quickly.
With no-download games it's pretty obvious what you need to do to start the action but with download games it may not be so obvious. You could go back to the bingo site and read their instructions, they all have them, but if you're impatient like me you just want to get going.
Hey Bingo site, I want my winnings!
You have started playing, and now you have won a large prize, and you need your cash, most bingo sites have policies about how much you can cash out and when. In most cases a bingo site will only allow you to withdraw as much to your credit card as you deposited in the bingo site in the first place.
Bingo sites vary widely, but generally you will need to be patient. There are a few sites that seem to want everything including your Social Insurance number and a fax of your fingerprints. It's up to you to decide if you can live with this invasion of privacy but it's best to know what there conditions of play is from the start, it you do not like it, try other sites. One of the best sites with a great payout plan is via Neteller, even though it is only available at a very few online bingo sites at the moment it is becoming more and more popular and will continue to grow.
One of the first questions you'll be faced with if you decide to play bingo online is whether you want to play games that require you to download and install software - these are called "download" games - or perhaps you'd prefer games that simply run over the web - called "no download" games. A bingo site may offer either both options, or just one.
Most players prefer to not download any software, since this often take up a huge amount of system resources and can interfere with other programs that you are running. You will also have to check for updates if you have not played in awhile, and things can get very messy & confusing very quickly.
With no-download games it's pretty obvious what you need to do to start the action but with download games it may not be so obvious. You could go back to the bingo site and read their instructions, they all have them, but if you're impatient like me you just want to get going.
Hey Bingo site, I want my winnings!
You have started playing, and now you have won a large prize, and you need your cash, most bingo sites have policies about how much you can cash out and when. In most cases a bingo site will only allow you to withdraw as much to your credit card as you deposited in the bingo site in the first place.
Bingo sites vary widely, but generally you will need to be patient. There are a few sites that seem to want everything including your Social Insurance number and a fax of your fingerprints. It's up to you to decide if you can live with this invasion of privacy but it's best to know what there conditions of play is from the start, it you do not like it, try other sites. One of the best sites with a great payout plan is via Neteller, even though it is only available at a very few online bingo sites at the moment it is becoming more and more popular and will continue to grow.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Solitaire Card Games
Solitaire is a card game that originated in Australia. In the US, it is known as 'Solitaire' and in British English it is referred to as 'Patience.' This card game has over 54 variations. There are multiplayer solitaire card games too.
It is a game generally played with a deck of 52 cards. Solitaire games involve dealing cards from a shuffled deck in a methodical arrangement on a table. A player tries to re-order the deck by suit and rank through a series of moves, transferring cards from one place to another. There are prescribed restrictions that have to be followed. All the cards of a certain rank form the guidelines on which the suits are built. The moves proceed until the game is won or a further move is impossible. This is known as making or breaking the game. Some games allow re-shuffling of the deck or the placement of cards in a new or empty location.
Solitaire has its own terminology. There are many types of solitaire games, but the term solitaire is often used to refer to the most well known form called 'Klondike.' The other types of solitaire have been adapted into two-player competitive games. As mentioned earlier, solitaire has many variations using either one or more deck of cards with rules of varying complexity and skill level. Many of these have been converted in to electronic games and are available on computers. There are about 150 solitaire card games that have been devised.
The term solitaire is used for single-player games of dexterity and the ability to play the game. The games use a set of layout of tiles, pegs and stones, instead of cards. This card game is played all over the world and enjoyed by people of all ages.
It is a game generally played with a deck of 52 cards. Solitaire games involve dealing cards from a shuffled deck in a methodical arrangement on a table. A player tries to re-order the deck by suit and rank through a series of moves, transferring cards from one place to another. There are prescribed restrictions that have to be followed. All the cards of a certain rank form the guidelines on which the suits are built. The moves proceed until the game is won or a further move is impossible. This is known as making or breaking the game. Some games allow re-shuffling of the deck or the placement of cards in a new or empty location.
Solitaire has its own terminology. There are many types of solitaire games, but the term solitaire is often used to refer to the most well known form called 'Klondike.' The other types of solitaire have been adapted into two-player competitive games. As mentioned earlier, solitaire has many variations using either one or more deck of cards with rules of varying complexity and skill level. Many of these have been converted in to electronic games and are available on computers. There are about 150 solitaire card games that have been devised.
The term solitaire is used for single-player games of dexterity and the ability to play the game. The games use a set of layout of tiles, pegs and stones, instead of cards. This card game is played all over the world and enjoyed by people of all ages.
Blackjack Card Games
Blackjack is a popular card game played in casinos. The main objective of a blackjack card game is to get the point as close to twenty-one as possible, but not exceeding it. The blackjack card game is mainly divided into casino blackjack and online blackjack. Both follow almost the same betting procedures and strategies. There are slight differences between the blackjack played in land based casinos and that in online casinos. The main difference is in the card counting strategy.
Blackjack is played at a table and allows for up to seven players per game. The first step is to make a bet. If the game is played in a land based casino, chips are used for the bet. The desired amount of chips is placed in the bet area. If the game is online, the bet is made by the value of the chips. The value of face cards is 10 points. Aces can be either 1 or 11 in value. Other cards are represented by their number. The first game consists of two cards. The player automatically wins when these cards make a combination of any ten and an ace. The player can ask for additional card when the initial card combination is less than twenty-one. This is called hit. Refusing additional card is called stand. If a player gets a combination of more than twenty-one, he automatically loses. This is called bust. A player wins when the dealer automatically loses the game.
The betting options in blackjack card games are insurance, surrender, early surrender, double down, even money and split. If the dealer shows an ace card, the player can choose an insurance option. The insurance wager can be up to half the bet amount. Players can double the wager amount up to the bet amount. If a player has two cards with equal value, he is allowed to select a splitting option. The player may select the surrender option by giving up half the amount to the dealer.
Players generally prefer real space casinos. Real space casinos offer player incentives, free trips, free shows and perks. However, online blackjack card games are also popular and easy to learn. Online casinos offer bankroll bonuses as player incentives. The disadvantage of online blackjack is that it lacks the playing environment. The user has to confirm the license of the blackjack casino software before downloading it. He must also check customer support services, wagering requirements and payout percentages before going in for an online game.
Blackjack is played at a table and allows for up to seven players per game. The first step is to make a bet. If the game is played in a land based casino, chips are used for the bet. The desired amount of chips is placed in the bet area. If the game is online, the bet is made by the value of the chips. The value of face cards is 10 points. Aces can be either 1 or 11 in value. Other cards are represented by their number. The first game consists of two cards. The player automatically wins when these cards make a combination of any ten and an ace. The player can ask for additional card when the initial card combination is less than twenty-one. This is called hit. Refusing additional card is called stand. If a player gets a combination of more than twenty-one, he automatically loses. This is called bust. A player wins when the dealer automatically loses the game.
The betting options in blackjack card games are insurance, surrender, early surrender, double down, even money and split. If the dealer shows an ace card, the player can choose an insurance option. The insurance wager can be up to half the bet amount. Players can double the wager amount up to the bet amount. If a player has two cards with equal value, he is allowed to select a splitting option. The player may select the surrender option by giving up half the amount to the dealer.
Players generally prefer real space casinos. Real space casinos offer player incentives, free trips, free shows and perks. However, online blackjack card games are also popular and easy to learn. Online casinos offer bankroll bonuses as player incentives. The disadvantage of online blackjack is that it lacks the playing environment. The user has to confirm the license of the blackjack casino software before downloading it. He must also check customer support services, wagering requirements and payout percentages before going in for an online game.
Card Games
Some 7th- to 10th-century manuscripts trace the earliest instance of playing cards to China. The earliest authentic references to playing cards in Europe dates back to circa 1377, and the history of English playing cards dates back to mid 15th century.
Per the basic rules of a card game, when a game is played, the players arrange themselves in a circle around a horizontal surface on which the cards will be played. The players face inwards, and are seated so that they cannot see each other's cards.
A pack of cards is used to play card games. All cards are identical in shape and size, and each card has a two sides; one being the face and another the back. Backs in a pack are indistinguishable and faces may all be unique, depending on the game. In both cases, any card is identifiable by its face. The set of cards is called a pack in British English and deck in U.S. English.
In a number of card games, cards in a pack are grouped in suits. Dealing is done either counterclockwise or clockwise. It is usually assumed that the dealing is clockwise for games from North America, North and West Europe and Russia; counterclockwise for South and East Europe and Asia, also for Swiss games and all Tarot games.
Card games for a solo player are called Solitaire in the U.S and Patience in the U.K.
Some of the popular traditional card games are Bridge, Canasta, Cribbage, Euchre, Hearts, Pinochle, Pitch, Rummy, Solitaire, Spades and Whist.
Per the basic rules of a card game, when a game is played, the players arrange themselves in a circle around a horizontal surface on which the cards will be played. The players face inwards, and are seated so that they cannot see each other's cards.
A pack of cards is used to play card games. All cards are identical in shape and size, and each card has a two sides; one being the face and another the back. Backs in a pack are indistinguishable and faces may all be unique, depending on the game. In both cases, any card is identifiable by its face. The set of cards is called a pack in British English and deck in U.S. English.
In a number of card games, cards in a pack are grouped in suits. Dealing is done either counterclockwise or clockwise. It is usually assumed that the dealing is clockwise for games from North America, North and West Europe and Russia; counterclockwise for South and East Europe and Asia, also for Swiss games and all Tarot games.
Card games for a solo player are called Solitaire in the U.S and Patience in the U.K.
Some of the popular traditional card games are Bridge, Canasta, Cribbage, Euchre, Hearts, Pinochle, Pitch, Rummy, Solitaire, Spades and Whist.
Online Card Games
Online card games are those card games that you can play on the Internet, either with a person or with a robot, but usually with another person. Oftentimes many players can play at one time, depending on the game of choice. These online card games can be just for fun, or they can be a gambling endeavor, in which players pay a certain amount to play, and winners earn cash prizes. Online card games in which you can gamble are legal in most places right now, but they might not be that way forever, so get your gaming in while you can. Several websites on the Internet allow solo-player and multi-player card games. Here is a random sampling of some of the online gaming sites.
Net Cards (netcardsgame.com) is a shareware free format program that allows any card game using the standard 52-card pack (with jokers if needed) to be played over the Internet.
Game Zone (zone.com) offers the traditional Bridge, Hearts, Spades, and Euchre games.
Yahoo! Games (play.yahoo.com) offers Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Poker, Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Sheepshead, Blackjack and Canasta.
Game Colony (gamecolony.com) offers head to head games and multi-player tournaments, which can be played free or for cash. The games listed include Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Solitaire and Dominoes.
Case's Ladder Online (play.igl.net) features online play versus computer/real opponent, automated online leagues and a tournament ranking system.
Club Games (clubgames.com) currently offers Backgammon, Poker and Dominoes, with plans to launch Hearts, Spades, Gin, Canasta, Cribbage and Euchre. Another site, World Winner (worldwinner.com) offers Hearts, Spades and Solitaire.
Net Cards (netcardsgame.com) is a shareware free format program that allows any card game using the standard 52-card pack (with jokers if needed) to be played over the Internet.
Game Zone (zone.com) offers the traditional Bridge, Hearts, Spades, and Euchre games.
Yahoo! Games (play.yahoo.com) offers Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Poker, Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Sheepshead, Blackjack and Canasta.
Game Colony (gamecolony.com) offers head to head games and multi-player tournaments, which can be played free or for cash. The games listed include Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Solitaire and Dominoes.
Case's Ladder Online (play.igl.net) features online play versus computer/real opponent, automated online leagues and a tournament ranking system.
Club Games (clubgames.com) currently offers Backgammon, Poker and Dominoes, with plans to launch Hearts, Spades, Gin, Canasta, Cribbage and Euchre. Another site, World Winner (worldwinner.com) offers Hearts, Spades and Solitaire.
Free Card Games
Free card games are those card games which can be played on the Internet without having to pay a fee. These are contrasted with pay card games, in which you pay to play but run a chance of winning cash prizes, either large or small, depending on the game and site you choose to access. There are many card game freeware sites on the Internet where players can download and play free card games.
Sites like http://geocities.com/thanoscardgames and http://www.cardgames4free.com offer enhanced versions of the standard Klondike Solitaire, FreeCell Solitaire and Spider Solitaire games that come with extra features, such as the ability to save games during play as well as better graphics and sound. These sites also contain comprehensive information on many other popular card games such as Tripeaks Solitaire, Addition Solitaire,Texas Hold'em and Video Poker.
Free Games (www.free-games.au), a directory of free games on the Internet, also reviews and ranks free card games. Per their lists, here are the three most popular free card games in their directory. AS-Solitaire, a collection of 40 card games that uses more than 1000 different card sets in Photo Quality, is the top-ranked card game. Top 10 Solitaire is a combination game of the world's 10 most popular solitaire card games, with a world wide online ranking system. Speed is a card game that uses a single deck of cards for the player to compete against the computer. The action is intense and needs split second timing. In Animated Rummy 2.0 the user plays rummy against animated computer characters.
Sites like http://geocities.com/thanoscardgames and http://www.cardgames4free.com offer enhanced versions of the standard Klondike Solitaire, FreeCell Solitaire and Spider Solitaire games that come with extra features, such as the ability to save games during play as well as better graphics and sound. These sites also contain comprehensive information on many other popular card games such as Tripeaks Solitaire, Addition Solitaire,Texas Hold'em and Video Poker.
Free Games (www.free-games.au), a directory of free games on the Internet, also reviews and ranks free card games. Per their lists, here are the three most popular free card games in their directory. AS-Solitaire, a collection of 40 card games that uses more than 1000 different card sets in Photo Quality, is the top-ranked card game. Top 10 Solitaire is a combination game of the world's 10 most popular solitaire card games, with a world wide online ranking system. Speed is a card game that uses a single deck of cards for the player to compete against the computer. The action is intense and needs split second timing. In Animated Rummy 2.0 the user plays rummy against animated computer characters.
Card Games
In order to play a card game, one needs a 52 card pack known as a standard deck in the U.S. The deck, which consists of a fixed number of pieces of printed cardboard known as cards, is divided among the game participants on different numbers, depending on the game. Each card out of the deck is printed on both sides, and their back is printed in such a way so the other party will not know which cards you are holding just be looking at your hands while holding the cards. Depending on each counties specific customs, people have developed their own games which are not everywhere recognizable or playable. But regardless if you know or not to play a game, learning to play it and advance your skills needs most often some time for practical training.
Dealing is done either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the participants' country of origin and it is usually a player. Taking all cards in his / her hand, the dealer begins shuffling them and is free to choose using any type of shuffling technique. This process is done so as to ensure that the cards are put into a random order. Moreover, while shuffling the dealer holds the cards so that he or she and the other players cannot see any of their faces. After the shuffle is finished, the dealer offers the deck to another player to cut the deck and give it back to the dealer who begins dealing the cards by holding the pack, face-down in one hand and removing cards from the top of it with the other hand to distribute to the players, placing them face-down on the table in front of the players to whom they are dealt. The exact number of cards dealt and the way the pile is placed and later distributed, depends on the rules of the specific game selected to be played.
The origin of playing cards is obscure, but it is almost certain that they began in China after the invention of paper. In the late 1,300s the practice of playing cards spread rapidly across Europe and cards were first widely accepted in Spain, Switzerland, Florence, Paris and Barcelona. Cards spread into Europe from the Mameluke Empire. Since these people were adherents of the Muslim religion this 'game of deputies' didn't depict the human form for its 'king', 'deputy king' and 'second deputy' but used ornate patterns-like the ones existing on carpets from the region-to differentiate between them. The early European card makers took the idea of royalty and rank and differentiated the cards using people. Apart from playing cards in friend's or colleagues' houses, card games, like blackjack or poker, are also part of the gambling activities today's casinos handle.
Dealing is done either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the participants' country of origin and it is usually a player. Taking all cards in his / her hand, the dealer begins shuffling them and is free to choose using any type of shuffling technique. This process is done so as to ensure that the cards are put into a random order. Moreover, while shuffling the dealer holds the cards so that he or she and the other players cannot see any of their faces. After the shuffle is finished, the dealer offers the deck to another player to cut the deck and give it back to the dealer who begins dealing the cards by holding the pack, face-down in one hand and removing cards from the top of it with the other hand to distribute to the players, placing them face-down on the table in front of the players to whom they are dealt. The exact number of cards dealt and the way the pile is placed and later distributed, depends on the rules of the specific game selected to be played.
The origin of playing cards is obscure, but it is almost certain that they began in China after the invention of paper. In the late 1,300s the practice of playing cards spread rapidly across Europe and cards were first widely accepted in Spain, Switzerland, Florence, Paris and Barcelona. Cards spread into Europe from the Mameluke Empire. Since these people were adherents of the Muslim religion this 'game of deputies' didn't depict the human form for its 'king', 'deputy king' and 'second deputy' but used ornate patterns-like the ones existing on carpets from the region-to differentiate between them. The early European card makers took the idea of royalty and rank and differentiated the cards using people. Apart from playing cards in friend's or colleagues' houses, card games, like blackjack or poker, are also part of the gambling activities today's casinos handle.
Card Games for Kids
A child's mind is constantly growing and developing. They require constant stimulation educationally in order to fully develop analytical and logical skills to their full potential. Of course, children would rather play games rather than read a book. However, if you allow them to spend their time playing mindless games that do not aid in their intellectual growth, they will not fully grow mentally.
Card games are especially easy to use as educational tools for children. Playing the right type of card games can significantly enhance a child's mental calculating abilities, as well as problem solving skills.
Since card games involve numbers and a degree of mental calculation, math card games are to help children learn multiplication table, as well as hone their mental calculation skills that they constantly use.
An example of one educational game kids can play with cards is a game called "war." The game requires a deck of cards for each team of two players. Before the game starts, children write Ace = 1, J = 10, Q = 11, K = 12 on a board. They pair up and shuffle the deck and deal the cards evenly -- stacking them face down in front of them. Both players turn over their top card at the same time and multiply the two cards and shout the answer. The winner puts the cards in his or her winning pile. In case of a tie, players keep turning the cards until someone wins the pile. When the entire stack has been played, the winner has the most points.
Card games are especially easy to use as educational tools for children. Playing the right type of card games can significantly enhance a child's mental calculating abilities, as well as problem solving skills.
Since card games involve numbers and a degree of mental calculation, math card games are to help children learn multiplication table, as well as hone their mental calculation skills that they constantly use.
An example of one educational game kids can play with cards is a game called "war." The game requires a deck of cards for each team of two players. Before the game starts, children write Ace = 1, J = 10, Q = 11, K = 12 on a board. They pair up and shuffle the deck and deal the cards evenly -- stacking them face down in front of them. Both players turn over their top card at the same time and multiply the two cards and shout the answer. The winner puts the cards in his or her winning pile. In case of a tie, players keep turning the cards until someone wins the pile. When the entire stack has been played, the winner has the most points.
Cowboys/Seahawks Wild Card Game of the Year
With the way the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys played down the stretch of the season, I’m not sure either team deserves a spot in the playoffs. Nevertheless, one of these 9-7 NFC teams will be one step closer to the Super Bowl concluding Saturday’s game.
Seattle played most of the season without last year’s MVP Shaun Alexander and Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Now both players are once again sharing the backfield, but the offense is yet to gel the way it did a season ago. The proof is in Seattle losing three of its last four games.
Dallas also struggled down the stretch losing three of its last four and it appears that voters may have been jumping the gun by putting Tony Romo in the Pro Bowl. After leading the Cowboys to a 4-1 record in his first five starts, Romo managed just two wins in his final five games. The Cowboys’ collapse wasn’t all Romo’s fault. The defense allowed their opponents to score an average of 33ppg in the final four games of the season. Perhaps, the struggling Seattle offense will help Dallas’ cause. Perhaps…
Dallas hasn’t won a playoff game since 1996. That seems crazy for a team which dominated the 90’s in my mind. If recent history and playoff experience are relevant factors, Seattle has the edge. These things probably would have been more pertinent last season when the Seahawks were 10-0 at home. This year, Seattle is just 5-3 at home and dropped its last two at Qwest Field.
Romo proved to be human down the stretch and his inexperience could be big factor. However, his ability to scramble and make plays will be a great asset. Seattle’s super star backfield hasn’t looked so super. The experience gained last season by playing in big playoff games will help, but I don’t know if these guys have spent enough time on the field this season to find their rhythm. Dallas’ defense was very solid early on so we know that it is capable, but it was terrible down the stretch. This is where our winning angle lies. Will Dallas defense step it up this week or will Seattle’s offense finally find its rhythm? Jeff Alexander has done his homework and he’s ready to deliver his 5 Star Wiseguy Wild Card Game of the Year. No handicapper has been better in the NFL this season, and Jeff Alexander will prove that he is your only choice for the NFL Playoffs as well. Start off your playoff winnings with Jeff Alexander’s huge Wild Card Game of the Year.
Seattle played most of the season without last year’s MVP Shaun Alexander and Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Now both players are once again sharing the backfield, but the offense is yet to gel the way it did a season ago. The proof is in Seattle losing three of its last four games.
Dallas also struggled down the stretch losing three of its last four and it appears that voters may have been jumping the gun by putting Tony Romo in the Pro Bowl. After leading the Cowboys to a 4-1 record in his first five starts, Romo managed just two wins in his final five games. The Cowboys’ collapse wasn’t all Romo’s fault. The defense allowed their opponents to score an average of 33ppg in the final four games of the season. Perhaps, the struggling Seattle offense will help Dallas’ cause. Perhaps…
Dallas hasn’t won a playoff game since 1996. That seems crazy for a team which dominated the 90’s in my mind. If recent history and playoff experience are relevant factors, Seattle has the edge. These things probably would have been more pertinent last season when the Seahawks were 10-0 at home. This year, Seattle is just 5-3 at home and dropped its last two at Qwest Field.
Romo proved to be human down the stretch and his inexperience could be big factor. However, his ability to scramble and make plays will be a great asset. Seattle’s super star backfield hasn’t looked so super. The experience gained last season by playing in big playoff games will help, but I don’t know if these guys have spent enough time on the field this season to find their rhythm. Dallas’ defense was very solid early on so we know that it is capable, but it was terrible down the stretch. This is where our winning angle lies. Will Dallas defense step it up this week or will Seattle’s offense finally find its rhythm? Jeff Alexander has done his homework and he’s ready to deliver his 5 Star Wiseguy Wild Card Game of the Year. No handicapper has been better in the NFL this season, and Jeff Alexander will prove that he is your only choice for the NFL Playoffs as well. Start off your playoff winnings with Jeff Alexander’s huge Wild Card Game of the Year.
Casino Card Games
There are three types of casino card games -- Poker, Black Jack and Baccarat. These games are played in almost every casino around the world. Though, some people play for leisure, there are those who gamble and bet. There are different types of Poker, Black Jack, and Baccarat. The card games played in casinos usually involve a lot of money on bets and the stakes are high.
Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. A deck of cards consists of four suits, spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts. Each suit has 13 cards. At times the game calls for more or less cards -- the most common variation being the addition of wild cards such as jokers. Sometimes the ace might be the lowest rank card instead of the highest rank card. In some games, it may be both the lowest and the highest rank card. The joker is included in all combinations. The use of the joker depends on the type of the game. Any other card can also become the joker. The number of cards dealt depends on the game being played. In draw poker five cards are dealt, while in stud poker it may vary from five to seven. The other types of poker are Caribbean poker and Omaha Hi.
Black Jack or 21 originated from the French game called 'Vingt-et-un.' In American casinos, the rules are simplified but rigid. It is played with a pack of 52 cards. More often two different packs of cards are used. In the casinos, there are constant dealers. The dealer shuffles the cards and a player cuts the pack. Cards are dealt in the clockwise direction. Different methods of dealing are used depending on the stakes involved and the betting.
Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. A deck of cards consists of four suits, spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts. Each suit has 13 cards. At times the game calls for more or less cards -- the most common variation being the addition of wild cards such as jokers. Sometimes the ace might be the lowest rank card instead of the highest rank card. In some games, it may be both the lowest and the highest rank card. The joker is included in all combinations. The use of the joker depends on the type of the game. Any other card can also become the joker. The number of cards dealt depends on the game being played. In draw poker five cards are dealt, while in stud poker it may vary from five to seven. The other types of poker are Caribbean poker and Omaha Hi.
Black Jack or 21 originated from the French game called 'Vingt-et-un.' In American casinos, the rules are simplified but rigid. It is played with a pack of 52 cards. More often two different packs of cards are used. In the casinos, there are constant dealers. The dealer shuffles the cards and a player cuts the pack. Cards are dealt in the clockwise direction. Different methods of dealing are used depending on the stakes involved and the betting.
Advantages of Online Card Games
Even though I am a huge fan of playing cards, I cannot set aside an evening to play poker with my friends and family because we all have very busy schedules. I miss those evenings when we played poker for hours. Nothing can be compared with sitting down with your friends for a lovely evening of cards, remembering old times and funny memories, drinking a few beers and having some snacks. Personally I find this the best way to enjoy my friends. However, when this is not possible, then I turn to playing online card games, my second favorite activity.
Playing online card game is really easy, you don't have to call your friends and try to arrange a convenient time and place for everyone to get together and play poker. When playing online, you sign in and then you just get started, everyone is already there, you have virtual cards and a virtual table, as well. Everything is redistributed, cheating is impossible and all you have to do is sit down and play the hand. When you get bored, you are free to go or you could change the table. There are even people who can play two or three online card games at the same time. I can only admire such dedication.
When playing online, you can still make some new friends. Online card games have the opportunity for text conversation, so you can talk to the people you are playing with. Using this chat is great because you are not face to face and you don't get nervous about meeting strangers. Moreover, you can pretend to be someone you are not and no one will question you. If you start feeling uncomfortable or you get bored with the game, you can leave whenever you want. Playing online card games has the advantages of face-to-face card playing without the disadvantage of commitment and effort. However, no matter how good online card games might be, nothing is better than a nice poker night with your old friends sharing memories and having a few drinks.
Tips on Winning Solitaire Games
Winning at solitaire games can be challenging and rewarding.
Canfield Solitaire
Canfield is a very popular classic solitaire game.
To win Canfield try to create spaces as soon as possible to open up opportunities to play more sequences. Always build the foundations evenly. Don't let one foundation get too far ahead of the others. Make sure all moves have been made before dealing from the stock.
Forty Thieves Solitaire
Forty Thieves is a very challenging solitaire game with a high skill level.
Since only one card in a tableau pile can be moved at a time, spaces become very important in this solitaire game. Try to get two or three spaces open as early as possible to allow for more opportunities to build on other piles.
Freecell Solitaire
Freecell is a unique solitaire game that once came with Microsoft Windows.
Try to leave the cells open as much as possible as this allows more cards to be moved at a time. Try building on Kings as soon as you can and make sure the King is not covering other cards. Build the foundations as evenly as possible with none getting well ahead of the rest.
Klondike Solitaire
Klondike is the popular red on black solitaire game.
It is important to build the foundations evenly and to not let any of one them get too far ahead of the others. Play cards from the tableau to free up other cards before using the cards from the waste pile. If a choice comes up, try playing from the deeper pile first to allow for more potential plays.
Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid is a challenging solitaire game requiring mostly skill.
Study the pyramid to make sure the game is actually winnable. Check and be sure that every card has enough matches to free them up, but are not blocking each other at the same time. Always try to match from the waste pile so an impasse won't be reached at the very end of the game.
Scorpion Solitaire
Scorpion is very difficult to win, but can be rather enjoyable once you get the basics down.
The face down cards need to be freed up as early as possible. Make plays to free them as soon as the chance becomes available. Avoid making plays that causes a playable card to buried in the same pile that the destination of the playable card is in. Use caution when choosing which king to play to a space.
Spider Solitaire
Spider is a recently popularized and challenging solitaire game.
It is vital to get as many spaces as early as possible in this solitaire game. Try to get two or even three spaces if allowed to do so. Go to any length to get sequences into the proper suit order, even if it takes several moves to accomplish this. Try to get a 13 suit sequence at the earliest time possible.
Canfield Solitaire
Canfield is a very popular classic solitaire game.
To win Canfield try to create spaces as soon as possible to open up opportunities to play more sequences. Always build the foundations evenly. Don't let one foundation get too far ahead of the others. Make sure all moves have been made before dealing from the stock.
Forty Thieves Solitaire
Forty Thieves is a very challenging solitaire game with a high skill level.
Since only one card in a tableau pile can be moved at a time, spaces become very important in this solitaire game. Try to get two or three spaces open as early as possible to allow for more opportunities to build on other piles.
Freecell Solitaire
Freecell is a unique solitaire game that once came with Microsoft Windows.
Try to leave the cells open as much as possible as this allows more cards to be moved at a time. Try building on Kings as soon as you can and make sure the King is not covering other cards. Build the foundations as evenly as possible with none getting well ahead of the rest.
Klondike Solitaire
Klondike is the popular red on black solitaire game.
It is important to build the foundations evenly and to not let any of one them get too far ahead of the others. Play cards from the tableau to free up other cards before using the cards from the waste pile. If a choice comes up, try playing from the deeper pile first to allow for more potential plays.
Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid is a challenging solitaire game requiring mostly skill.
Study the pyramid to make sure the game is actually winnable. Check and be sure that every card has enough matches to free them up, but are not blocking each other at the same time. Always try to match from the waste pile so an impasse won't be reached at the very end of the game.
Scorpion Solitaire
Scorpion is very difficult to win, but can be rather enjoyable once you get the basics down.
The face down cards need to be freed up as early as possible. Make plays to free them as soon as the chance becomes available. Avoid making plays that causes a playable card to buried in the same pile that the destination of the playable card is in. Use caution when choosing which king to play to a space.
Spider Solitaire
Spider is a recently popularized and challenging solitaire game.
It is vital to get as many spaces as early as possible in this solitaire game. Try to get two or even three spaces if allowed to do so. Go to any length to get sequences into the proper suit order, even if it takes several moves to accomplish this. Try to get a 13 suit sequence at the earliest time possible.
Solitaire Game Terms
Learn the terms to solitaire games to make learning rules to new games quick and easy.
There are five basic sections to most solitaire games.
Almost all solitaire card games have foundation piles. These are the piles the cards are played on to eventually win the game. In most games the foundations start with Aces and build up to Kings. Cards played to a foundation pile cannot be moved again once placed.
Another important and common component to any solitaire game is the tableau. This is where most of the action takes place. Cards are played to these piles and can also be removed to be played on other piles including the other tableau piles. Most tableau piles are built up in sequence.
The reserve pile is found in about half of the best known solitaire games. There are two basic types of reserve pile. The first type serves as a placeholder to hold one card at a time. The second type of reserve is a pile of several cards that are usually used to fill spaces in other piles or to go directly to the foundation piles. No cards are ever played to this type of reserve pile.
Another common pile type is the stock. This is a pile of left over cards after the rest of the solitaire layout has been dealt. Cards are dealt out to a single pile or to the tableau to create more play possibilities. Often this pile can be flipped over and gone through again. This is known as a re-deal.
The fifth and final type of pile is known as the waste pile. This is where unplayable cards go to. The top card of this pile is always available to be played on to other piles. This pile can be flipped over and reused if the solitaire game allows a re-deal.
Other commonly used solitaire game terms.
Layout
The layout is the entire playing area for the solitaire game. The layout is created after the initial deal is completed. The layout contains the foundations, tableau, reserves, stock and waste piles.
Column
A column is a group of cards arranged in a straight vertical line running up and down or north and south. Columns can contain two or more single cards in a vertical line or just one pile of overlapped cards.
Row
A row is a group of cards arranged in a straight horizontal line running left and right or west and east. Rows can contain two or more single cards in a horizontal line or just one pile of overlapped cards.
Space
A space in a solitaire layout is an empty slot that may have contained cards at an earlier time in the game. In some games spaces can hold cards while in others they cannot. Many solitaire games, such as Spider solitaire, require one or more spaces to win the game.
Fan
A fan is a small overlapping pile of cards. Fans are common in large layouts and are used in solitaire games like La Belle Lucie.
Build
To build in solitaire means to add cards to a pile using certain rules. One common way of building is by numeric sequence up or down. Another way, which is usually done simultaneously with the numeric rule is to build by suit or by color.
Discard
A discard is any card that is removed from play in a solitaire game. Some games only use a partial deck, or eliminates some cards such as all the Kings. The unused cards are discarded at the start of the game.
Redeal
A redeal occurs when all the cards in the waste piles are gathered and turned over undisturbed to create a new stock. Another form of a redeal occurs when cards in the tableau are gathered and sometimes shuffled to create a new stock or to be redealt to the tableau itself.
Available Card
A card in a solitaire game is available if it can be lifted and played to another pile. Top cards on the waste pile, tableau and reserves are usually available for play on other piles in the solitaire layout
There are five basic sections to most solitaire games.
Almost all solitaire card games have foundation piles. These are the piles the cards are played on to eventually win the game. In most games the foundations start with Aces and build up to Kings. Cards played to a foundation pile cannot be moved again once placed.
Another important and common component to any solitaire game is the tableau. This is where most of the action takes place. Cards are played to these piles and can also be removed to be played on other piles including the other tableau piles. Most tableau piles are built up in sequence.
The reserve pile is found in about half of the best known solitaire games. There are two basic types of reserve pile. The first type serves as a placeholder to hold one card at a time. The second type of reserve is a pile of several cards that are usually used to fill spaces in other piles or to go directly to the foundation piles. No cards are ever played to this type of reserve pile.
Another common pile type is the stock. This is a pile of left over cards after the rest of the solitaire layout has been dealt. Cards are dealt out to a single pile or to the tableau to create more play possibilities. Often this pile can be flipped over and gone through again. This is known as a re-deal.
The fifth and final type of pile is known as the waste pile. This is where unplayable cards go to. The top card of this pile is always available to be played on to other piles. This pile can be flipped over and reused if the solitaire game allows a re-deal.
Other commonly used solitaire game terms.
Layout
The layout is the entire playing area for the solitaire game. The layout is created after the initial deal is completed. The layout contains the foundations, tableau, reserves, stock and waste piles.
Column
A column is a group of cards arranged in a straight vertical line running up and down or north and south. Columns can contain two or more single cards in a vertical line or just one pile of overlapped cards.
Row
A row is a group of cards arranged in a straight horizontal line running left and right or west and east. Rows can contain two or more single cards in a horizontal line or just one pile of overlapped cards.
Space
A space in a solitaire layout is an empty slot that may have contained cards at an earlier time in the game. In some games spaces can hold cards while in others they cannot. Many solitaire games, such as Spider solitaire, require one or more spaces to win the game.
Fan
A fan is a small overlapping pile of cards. Fans are common in large layouts and are used in solitaire games like La Belle Lucie.
Build
To build in solitaire means to add cards to a pile using certain rules. One common way of building is by numeric sequence up or down. Another way, which is usually done simultaneously with the numeric rule is to build by suit or by color.
Discard
A discard is any card that is removed from play in a solitaire game. Some games only use a partial deck, or eliminates some cards such as all the Kings. The unused cards are discarded at the start of the game.
Redeal
A redeal occurs when all the cards in the waste piles are gathered and turned over undisturbed to create a new stock. Another form of a redeal occurs when cards in the tableau are gathered and sometimes shuffled to create a new stock or to be redealt to the tableau itself.
Available Card
A card in a solitaire game is available if it can be lifted and played to another pile. Top cards on the waste pile, tableau and reserves are usually available for play on other piles in the solitaire layout
Solitaire Rules are as Varied as the Games Themselves
Solitaire card games are very much fun to play and one of the main reasons for this is because of the amazing variety of rules solitaire games have. There is almost no limit to the rules solitaire gems can have and when they are combined the amount of games is virtually endless.
The most common rules appear at least once in every solitaire game today. Often a less common unique rule is thought up, placed in a game and the game becomes a hit. Someone invented a rule that allowed four empty spots to store one card each to make more moves possible in the game. Once these spots were filled, no more cards could be placed in them until one of them was freed up. This game became wildly popular and is now known as Freecell. Many other solitaire games now use this rule and are spin offs from Freecell and are categorized as such in solitaire game collections. Most other solitaire card games are also categorized based on a major unique rule they possess.
Rules fall under several categories and these can be modified to make the game play differently. One small change to a rule can totally change a game and how difficult it is to win.
Building rules
The most common rule category is building rules. These rules determine how cards are placed on top of each other. This is called building. Pretty much all solitaire card games require some type of building to win. Build rules can be either by rank, by suit or both. A vast majority of building rules require building up or down in rank by one. If the rule for a pile was to build up, like in a foundation, this would mean an eight would be placed on a seven to follow the rule correctly. Other rank building rules could require building by twos or threes and some even follow complex mathematical formulas for the die hard solitaire player. The other common building rules involve the card's suit. Many card games require that their foundations be built up in the same suit. That means a heart can be placed on a heart, but no other suit can. This can make the game more challenging and could make the game too easy and not much fun if this rule didn’t exist. Other forms of the rule could require building using the same color which mans that a diamond or heart can be placed one heart since they are both red. Some games can also require the opposite color like Klondike, or even any suit but the same. This means nay other suit can be placed on the pile but not the exact same suit. Only a small handful of solitaire games require no building. One example is Cribbage Solitaire.
The most common rules appear at least once in every solitaire game today. Often a less common unique rule is thought up, placed in a game and the game becomes a hit. Someone invented a rule that allowed four empty spots to store one card each to make more moves possible in the game. Once these spots were filled, no more cards could be placed in them until one of them was freed up. This game became wildly popular and is now known as Freecell. Many other solitaire games now use this rule and are spin offs from Freecell and are categorized as such in solitaire game collections. Most other solitaire card games are also categorized based on a major unique rule they possess.
Rules fall under several categories and these can be modified to make the game play differently. One small change to a rule can totally change a game and how difficult it is to win.
Building rules
The most common rule category is building rules. These rules determine how cards are placed on top of each other. This is called building. Pretty much all solitaire card games require some type of building to win. Build rules can be either by rank, by suit or both. A vast majority of building rules require building up or down in rank by one. If the rule for a pile was to build up, like in a foundation, this would mean an eight would be placed on a seven to follow the rule correctly. Other rank building rules could require building by twos or threes and some even follow complex mathematical formulas for the die hard solitaire player. The other common building rules involve the card's suit. Many card games require that their foundations be built up in the same suit. That means a heart can be placed on a heart, but no other suit can. This can make the game more challenging and could make the game too easy and not much fun if this rule didn’t exist. Other forms of the rule could require building using the same color which mans that a diamond or heart can be placed one heart since they are both red. Some games can also require the opposite color like Klondike, or even any suit but the same. This means nay other suit can be placed on the pile but not the exact same suit. Only a small handful of solitaire games require no building. One example is Cribbage Solitaire.
Solitaire Games and Its Amazing History
Solitaire has such a rich and varied history this long article can only touch upon it.
Solitaire games has a long and controversial history.
For most of its life solitaire was called patience. In most of Europe it is still referred to as patience. In Spain it is called ‘Solitario’. The reference to the word solitaire in place of patience has only been around relatively recently. It is believed that solitaire games were first played with tarot cards, which would indicate that solitaire most likely preceded traditional multiplayer card games.
In its early days, solitaire was most prevalent in Europe.
Playing cards were first introduced in Italy in the 1300s. During that time they also became popular in Northern Europe. There is a card game called Tarok that was invented around that time that is still played to this day. The first known solitaire game rules were recorded during the Napoleonic era. During his exile at St Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte played patience in his spare time. Around that same time, the author of War and Peace, Tolstoy, enjoyed playing solitaire and mentioned it in a scene from his famous novel. Tolstoy sometimes used cards to make decisions for him in a somewhat superstitious way. Most early literature mentioning patience is of French origin. The names of most early solitaire games are French names as well, with the most well known being La Belle Lucie. It is not known whether Napoleon invented any of these solitaire games or someone else around that same time period.
The end of the sixteenth century was an active period for the invention of various card games.
This was when the ace first appeared as high instead of low in the rankings of the cards. Several new card games were invented during this time and new variations were added, so this is likely a time when solitaire games were invented and named as well.
Publications about solitaire began to appear in the late nineteenth century.
Lady Adelaide Cadogan is believed to have written the first book on the rules of solitaire and patience games just after the Civil War, but is still reprinted occasionally even today. Other non English compilations on solitaire may have been written before that, however. In England ‘Cadogan’ is a household word for solitaire in the same manner that ‘Hoyle’ is for card games. Several other authors wrote books on solitaire around the same time. E.D. Chaney wrote a book on solitaire games called ‘Patience’ and Annie B. Henshaw wrote a book with an interesting title ‘Amusements for Invalids’. Several years later Dick and Fitzgerald published ‘Dick’s Games of Patience’ followed by a second edition a few years later. Author, Henry Jones, wrote a fairly reliable book on solitaire called ‘Patience Games’. Another Jones, not related to Henry, Mary Whitmore Jones wrote a series of solitaire books over a twenty year period around the turn of the century. Several other publishers of various game books also added solitaire to their long lists of games in their titles. One of the most complete solitaire books was written by Albert Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith. Their latest edition contains rules to over 225 solitaire games and was used in this writing.
Some solitaire games were invented in unexpected places.
A notable inventor of solitaire games was Bill Beers. He was in a mental asylum when he invented a variation of Cribbage Solitaire. Prisoners had plenty of time to play solitaire, but were unable to use traditional cards because they could be used as an edged weapon. They were forced to use thicker tiles for cards that were bulky and hard to handle.
Several solitaire games have gained fame through literature and other avenues.
A very popular solitaire game, spider solitaire, was played by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Spider solitaire is also mentioned in ‘The Gentleman in the Parlour’, by Somerset Maugham. Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ mentions solitaire in its story. In ‘The brothers Karamazov’, by Dostoevsky, a character in the story plays a solitaire game called ‘Fools’, a Russian equivalent of ‘Idiot’s Delight’. A famous casino is responsible for the invention of a very popular solitaire game. Mr. Canfield, who owned a casino in Saratoga, invented a game where one would purchase a deck of cards for $50 and obtain $5 for every card played to the foundations. He gained an average of $20 per game. The actual name of this popular game was Klondike, but Canfield has ‘stuck’ and is almost as commonly used as the word patience. Today most people refer to Klondike as simply ‘Solitaire’. Due to its difficulty to win, the time needed to play and the lack of choices along the way, Klondike has lost some popularity to other popular solitaire games. Even some movies have sported bouts with solitaire. In the movie ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, a character under a queen’s spell asks for a deck of cards at a local pub and proceeds to play solitaire.
Solitaire games has a long and controversial history.
For most of its life solitaire was called patience. In most of Europe it is still referred to as patience. In Spain it is called ‘Solitario’. The reference to the word solitaire in place of patience has only been around relatively recently. It is believed that solitaire games were first played with tarot cards, which would indicate that solitaire most likely preceded traditional multiplayer card games.
In its early days, solitaire was most prevalent in Europe.
Playing cards were first introduced in Italy in the 1300s. During that time they also became popular in Northern Europe. There is a card game called Tarok that was invented around that time that is still played to this day. The first known solitaire game rules were recorded during the Napoleonic era. During his exile at St Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte played patience in his spare time. Around that same time, the author of War and Peace, Tolstoy, enjoyed playing solitaire and mentioned it in a scene from his famous novel. Tolstoy sometimes used cards to make decisions for him in a somewhat superstitious way. Most early literature mentioning patience is of French origin. The names of most early solitaire games are French names as well, with the most well known being La Belle Lucie. It is not known whether Napoleon invented any of these solitaire games or someone else around that same time period.
The end of the sixteenth century was an active period for the invention of various card games.
This was when the ace first appeared as high instead of low in the rankings of the cards. Several new card games were invented during this time and new variations were added, so this is likely a time when solitaire games were invented and named as well.
Publications about solitaire began to appear in the late nineteenth century.
Lady Adelaide Cadogan is believed to have written the first book on the rules of solitaire and patience games just after the Civil War, but is still reprinted occasionally even today. Other non English compilations on solitaire may have been written before that, however. In England ‘Cadogan’ is a household word for solitaire in the same manner that ‘Hoyle’ is for card games. Several other authors wrote books on solitaire around the same time. E.D. Chaney wrote a book on solitaire games called ‘Patience’ and Annie B. Henshaw wrote a book with an interesting title ‘Amusements for Invalids’. Several years later Dick and Fitzgerald published ‘Dick’s Games of Patience’ followed by a second edition a few years later. Author, Henry Jones, wrote a fairly reliable book on solitaire called ‘Patience Games’. Another Jones, not related to Henry, Mary Whitmore Jones wrote a series of solitaire books over a twenty year period around the turn of the century. Several other publishers of various game books also added solitaire to their long lists of games in their titles. One of the most complete solitaire books was written by Albert Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith. Their latest edition contains rules to over 225 solitaire games and was used in this writing.
Some solitaire games were invented in unexpected places.
A notable inventor of solitaire games was Bill Beers. He was in a mental asylum when he invented a variation of Cribbage Solitaire. Prisoners had plenty of time to play solitaire, but were unable to use traditional cards because they could be used as an edged weapon. They were forced to use thicker tiles for cards that were bulky and hard to handle.
Several solitaire games have gained fame through literature and other avenues.
A very popular solitaire game, spider solitaire, was played by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Spider solitaire is also mentioned in ‘The Gentleman in the Parlour’, by Somerset Maugham. Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ mentions solitaire in its story. In ‘The brothers Karamazov’, by Dostoevsky, a character in the story plays a solitaire game called ‘Fools’, a Russian equivalent of ‘Idiot’s Delight’. A famous casino is responsible for the invention of a very popular solitaire game. Mr. Canfield, who owned a casino in Saratoga, invented a game where one would purchase a deck of cards for $50 and obtain $5 for every card played to the foundations. He gained an average of $20 per game. The actual name of this popular game was Klondike, but Canfield has ‘stuck’ and is almost as commonly used as the word patience. Today most people refer to Klondike as simply ‘Solitaire’. Due to its difficulty to win, the time needed to play and the lack of choices along the way, Klondike has lost some popularity to other popular solitaire games. Even some movies have sported bouts with solitaire. In the movie ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, a character under a queen’s spell asks for a deck of cards at a local pub and proceeds to play solitaire.
Solitaire Game Guide
Despite what you may think, solitaire isn't actually one specific game, it's actually an entire category of different games. Solitaire is actually any card game that you play on your own. The game called "Solitaire" that Microsoft ships with windows is actually a type of solitaire game, called Klondike.
There are hundreds of other solitaire games as well though. Another favorite is Freecell, which Microsoft also ships. Other popular solitaire games, include Spider, Pyramid, and Tri Peaks.
Each solitaire game has different rules, different ways to win, and different styles.
Some solitaire games, like Klondike, don't show you all the cards at the start. A mixture of luck and skill is needed to win the game.
Other games, like Freecell, have all the cards visible, right from the very start of the game. This means that the game is totally under the users control, there is no luck involved at all, and if the user can think things through deeply enough, then they are VERY likely to win. (Of the 32,000 deals available in Microsoft's Freecell, only one, deal number 11982, is unsolvable)
Some games are really hard to win, and require a lot of thought. Four Suit spider is one of these hard games, and completing a game normally takes at least half an hour of solid thinking. Other games are either quite easy (like most deals in Freecell), or don't require much (if any) thought, like Clock.
Some games have distinctive and attractive card layouts. Pyramid has all the cards in a big pyramid shape, and the player must remove cards from the bottom layers until they can reach the top. La Belle Lucie starts the game with 18 fans, which all grow and shrink as the game goes on. (La Belle Lucie looks particularly attractive on a solitaire game supporting rotated cards)
Some solitaire games were played regularly by important historical figures. George Washington and Napoleon were said to play Napoleon at Elba island, with claims that it helped them to think in times of stress.
All solitaire games help you to think, and improve your concentration and memory, and yet they are still relaxing and fun and a much better way to unwind than watching TV!
No matter who you are, or what mood you're in, there is a type of solitaire game that you will find fun to play right now. I encourage you to try out a solitaire game package, and discover for yourself all the great fun available in the solitaire universe.
There are hundreds of other solitaire games as well though. Another favorite is Freecell, which Microsoft also ships. Other popular solitaire games, include Spider, Pyramid, and Tri Peaks.
Each solitaire game has different rules, different ways to win, and different styles.
Some solitaire games, like Klondike, don't show you all the cards at the start. A mixture of luck and skill is needed to win the game.
Other games, like Freecell, have all the cards visible, right from the very start of the game. This means that the game is totally under the users control, there is no luck involved at all, and if the user can think things through deeply enough, then they are VERY likely to win. (Of the 32,000 deals available in Microsoft's Freecell, only one, deal number 11982, is unsolvable)
Some games are really hard to win, and require a lot of thought. Four Suit spider is one of these hard games, and completing a game normally takes at least half an hour of solid thinking. Other games are either quite easy (like most deals in Freecell), or don't require much (if any) thought, like Clock.
Some games have distinctive and attractive card layouts. Pyramid has all the cards in a big pyramid shape, and the player must remove cards from the bottom layers until they can reach the top. La Belle Lucie starts the game with 18 fans, which all grow and shrink as the game goes on. (La Belle Lucie looks particularly attractive on a solitaire game supporting rotated cards)
Some solitaire games were played regularly by important historical figures. George Washington and Napoleon were said to play Napoleon at Elba island, with claims that it helped them to think in times of stress.
All solitaire games help you to think, and improve your concentration and memory, and yet they are still relaxing and fun and a much better way to unwind than watching TV!
No matter who you are, or what mood you're in, there is a type of solitaire game that you will find fun to play right now. I encourage you to try out a solitaire game package, and discover for yourself all the great fun available in the solitaire universe.
Free Solitaire Card Games are Available Everywhere
There are many places to play solitaire card games for free. You may be thinking of a conventional deck of cards and saying to yourself 'unless you count the cost of the cards playing solitaire has always been free'. However, this article refers to playing solitaire games for free on your personal computer using either Windows, Macintosh or Linux Operating Systems. There are dozens if not hundreds of solitaire collections out there that cost anywhere from $5 to as much as $40 to purchase, download, install and finally play. There are even web sites that charge to play their solitaire games online.
However, we are here to discuss free solitaire. These are solitaire games that cost the user nothing to play. You may wonder how companies make money offering free solitaire. The most common way is to place ads on the web sites that offer the games or in the game programs themselves. People click on the ads and the game creator or web site owner make a small amount of money per click. You can see this advertising model all over the web today including Google's Adwords and MSN's sponsored ad programs. If you don't mind having ads near your playing area then free solitaire games should work well for you. Another way a company can make money with free solitaire is to offer a full version for a cost that offers more games and features. This selling model is superior to one offering a limited free trial as the user can play the game for weeks or months which give them a longer time to decide whether to purchase the full version or not. Games can sell for years after their release using this method as many software companies have seen.
Free solitaire games contain less games and features than the pay versions, but for most people this will suffice. If you are a die hard solitaire player, there are many choices of solitaire game collections out there. For a while there were dozens to choose from and some were not very good, but today, the market has stabilized and there are now around eight good collections to choose from. Most of these solitaire game collections offer a free version that will work forever without expiring. They contain enough features to make them enjoyable and some offer over ten games totally free.
The most famous free solitaire game is the one that came with Microsoft Windows. The game is actually called Klondike. This is the popular solitaire game with the well known building red on black and the four aces on top which we call 'solitaire'. Little did most people know that there are over 1000 versions of solitaire. Later versions of Windows added Freecell solitaire and finally Spider solitaire. All of these solitaire games became wildly popular. Freecell can be won almost every time and uses cells to store cards. Spider Solitaire is the latest well known solitaire game. Spider Solitaire is very challenging, but can be won half of the time with proper skill applied.
The popular gaming web sites also include free solitaire games than can be played right from your web browser using Java Script, ActiveX, Flash and other scripting languages. These will have banners and ads on the pages and in some cases annoying pop up ads that will suddenly appear in the middle of your screen. These more annoying types of ads are not popular and are not as common today. These sites offer other types of games as well and many of the solitaire games allow you to race against the clock or even win prizes. These games have become very popular recently.
Finally, there are public domain solitaire games like the well known Pysol for Linux. This large free solitaire collection has also become available for other operating systems including Windows. This collection has hundreds of games and many features and is perfect for the casual solitaire player. Pysol has not been updated for a while, but still boasts graphics that are adequate for play. The newer pay solitaire games have rather incredible graphics including 3D, but these graphics are not necessary to enjoy the game. It won't take you long to find a whole array of free solitaire games to choose from.
We hope you will enjoy many hours playing free solitaire games.
However, we are here to discuss free solitaire. These are solitaire games that cost the user nothing to play. You may wonder how companies make money offering free solitaire. The most common way is to place ads on the web sites that offer the games or in the game programs themselves. People click on the ads and the game creator or web site owner make a small amount of money per click. You can see this advertising model all over the web today including Google's Adwords and MSN's sponsored ad programs. If you don't mind having ads near your playing area then free solitaire games should work well for you. Another way a company can make money with free solitaire is to offer a full version for a cost that offers more games and features. This selling model is superior to one offering a limited free trial as the user can play the game for weeks or months which give them a longer time to decide whether to purchase the full version or not. Games can sell for years after their release using this method as many software companies have seen.
Free solitaire games contain less games and features than the pay versions, but for most people this will suffice. If you are a die hard solitaire player, there are many choices of solitaire game collections out there. For a while there were dozens to choose from and some were not very good, but today, the market has stabilized and there are now around eight good collections to choose from. Most of these solitaire game collections offer a free version that will work forever without expiring. They contain enough features to make them enjoyable and some offer over ten games totally free.
The most famous free solitaire game is the one that came with Microsoft Windows. The game is actually called Klondike. This is the popular solitaire game with the well known building red on black and the four aces on top which we call 'solitaire'. Little did most people know that there are over 1000 versions of solitaire. Later versions of Windows added Freecell solitaire and finally Spider solitaire. All of these solitaire games became wildly popular. Freecell can be won almost every time and uses cells to store cards. Spider Solitaire is the latest well known solitaire game. Spider Solitaire is very challenging, but can be won half of the time with proper skill applied.
The popular gaming web sites also include free solitaire games than can be played right from your web browser using Java Script, ActiveX, Flash and other scripting languages. These will have banners and ads on the pages and in some cases annoying pop up ads that will suddenly appear in the middle of your screen. These more annoying types of ads are not popular and are not as common today. These sites offer other types of games as well and many of the solitaire games allow you to race against the clock or even win prizes. These games have become very popular recently.
Finally, there are public domain solitaire games like the well known Pysol for Linux. This large free solitaire collection has also become available for other operating systems including Windows. This collection has hundreds of games and many features and is perfect for the casual solitaire player. Pysol has not been updated for a while, but still boasts graphics that are adequate for play. The newer pay solitaire games have rather incredible graphics including 3D, but these graphics are not necessary to enjoy the game. It won't take you long to find a whole array of free solitaire games to choose from.
We hope you will enjoy many hours playing free solitaire games.
Solitaire Games Features Makes Computer Solitaire
Remember playing solitaire in the past with a regular deck of cards? Remember how fun it was? You may have known how to play two or three different solitaire games and if you could find enough space on a table you would play them. Imagine being able to learn a new solitaire game in less than a minute and being able to play right away? Even if the game required two or even four decks of cards? How about having the ability to leave a game in progress and come back a week later to finish it right where you left off? Better yet, wouldn't it be great if you got stuck and were able to go back twenty or so moves flawlessly and start again with a new strategy?
Well, these days, all of this and more are possible. That is because of the personal computer and the vast array of solitaire card games available to simply download, install and play. Computers allow large amounts of data to be displayed and stored and this works perfectly with solitaire games involving up to 208 separate cards! So read up on the features that computer solitaire games offer to make game play fast, easy and powerfully fun.
Smart one mouse click auto play allows you to play cards to any other legal pile with one click. This makes game play immensely easier and more enjoyable.
Auto play to the foundations makes it easy when a game is won and there is no need to play all the rest of the cards to the foundations by hand. Simply use auto play and all the rest of the cards will play to the foundations automatically for you!.
Automatic game save lets you store an unfinished game so it can be continued where it was left off at a later time. Don't you wish you could do this on your dining room table?
Undo and redo allows a game to be undone all the way to the beginning if need be. This can be done with one click and will also move large groups of cards at a time instantly. Even redeals can be undone.
Saving and later restoring any part of a game comes in handy if a choice has to be made in the middle of the game. Simply save the current position and if the first choice was an incorrect one then revert back with one click. Impossible to do with regular cards.
Automatic card resizing automatically picks the correct size card deck for each game so the cards will be as large and as easy to read as possible. Better than buying twenty different sized decks of cards. Even you can even find that many.
Powerful custom card design allows you to make your cards look any way you wish to create endless possibilities in card design. The surface texture, border, back and face card art can all be interchanged. This sure beats buying thousands of decks of cards for whatever mood you're in.
A customizable playing area allows your 'table' to be customized. It is like having a table for every occasion.
Every game can be logged with the time, date, score, win and loss. Then you can display graphs and charts of win/loss percentages. I sure would not want to do this manually. The power of computers!
Having personal players allows logged games and several personal settings to be stored with each player. Players can be added, reset and deleted. Now the whole family can play!
A card counter can count any part of the layout desired. It works for two and four deck games as well. No way this can be done at the dining room table!
Show hidden cards 'cheat' option can help if a game gets too tough. Simply show the cards to get out of a jam. Yes, even computers allow cheating.
Having full rules for every game allows you to learn a new game in a few minutes. The links and help screen make learning easier than a regular book.
Powerful game selection systems allow highly detailed options to select the exact game type desired. Choice criteria include playing time, chance of winning, skill versus luck and category.
You get billions of unique deals and can completely shuffle the deck in less than a second!
No wonder computer solitaire is so popular. It makes the game so much more fun and easy to play so have fun!
Well, these days, all of this and more are possible. That is because of the personal computer and the vast array of solitaire card games available to simply download, install and play. Computers allow large amounts of data to be displayed and stored and this works perfectly with solitaire games involving up to 208 separate cards! So read up on the features that computer solitaire games offer to make game play fast, easy and powerfully fun.
Smart one mouse click auto play allows you to play cards to any other legal pile with one click. This makes game play immensely easier and more enjoyable.
Auto play to the foundations makes it easy when a game is won and there is no need to play all the rest of the cards to the foundations by hand. Simply use auto play and all the rest of the cards will play to the foundations automatically for you!.
Automatic game save lets you store an unfinished game so it can be continued where it was left off at a later time. Don't you wish you could do this on your dining room table?
Undo and redo allows a game to be undone all the way to the beginning if need be. This can be done with one click and will also move large groups of cards at a time instantly. Even redeals can be undone.
Saving and later restoring any part of a game comes in handy if a choice has to be made in the middle of the game. Simply save the current position and if the first choice was an incorrect one then revert back with one click. Impossible to do with regular cards.
Automatic card resizing automatically picks the correct size card deck for each game so the cards will be as large and as easy to read as possible. Better than buying twenty different sized decks of cards. Even you can even find that many.
Powerful custom card design allows you to make your cards look any way you wish to create endless possibilities in card design. The surface texture, border, back and face card art can all be interchanged. This sure beats buying thousands of decks of cards for whatever mood you're in.
A customizable playing area allows your 'table' to be customized. It is like having a table for every occasion.
Every game can be logged with the time, date, score, win and loss. Then you can display graphs and charts of win/loss percentages. I sure would not want to do this manually. The power of computers!
Having personal players allows logged games and several personal settings to be stored with each player. Players can be added, reset and deleted. Now the whole family can play!
A card counter can count any part of the layout desired. It works for two and four deck games as well. No way this can be done at the dining room table!
Show hidden cards 'cheat' option can help if a game gets too tough. Simply show the cards to get out of a jam. Yes, even computers allow cheating.
Having full rules for every game allows you to learn a new game in a few minutes. The links and help screen make learning easier than a regular book.
Powerful game selection systems allow highly detailed options to select the exact game type desired. Choice criteria include playing time, chance of winning, skill versus luck and category.
You get billions of unique deals and can completely shuffle the deck in less than a second!
No wonder computer solitaire is so popular. It makes the game so much more fun and easy to play so have fun!
How To Play Cruel Solitaire
Did you know there are hundreds, if not thousands of solitaire games? You may have heard of some of the more popular ones, such as Freecell, Klondike, Pyramid, or Spider Solitaire.
But there are LOTS of other solitaire games as well. One of my favorites is a little-known game called Cruel Solitaire.
The aim of cruel solitaire is to build 4 ascending suit sequences in the foundation zone.
The opening tableau is made up of 4 foundation stacks (Each containing an Ace), a talon, and 12 maneuver stacks, each containing 4 cards.
You can move cards in the foundation stack onto cards of the same suit, and one more in rank.
For example, you can move a 3 of Clubs onto a 4 of Clubs, or a Queen of Hearts onto a King of Hearts, and a 2 of Spades onto a 3 of Spades.
Redealing in cruel solitaire
The talon in Cruel Solitaire is unlike the talon in other solitaire games. It doesn't actually deal out any more cards.
Instead, it redeals the cards in the maneuver stacks, so that each stack has 4 cards. The order of the cards stays the same, starting at the leftmost stack, with the bottom cards on a stack going to the top of the next stack.
Cruel solitaire strategy
Understanding how the redeal works is the key to doing well in Cruel Solitaire.
You should focus on only redealing when you have to. The more you play, the more you'll start to discover certain patterns that occur when you redeal. (HINT: A Card on top will stay on top, if all the stacks to the left of it have 4 cards).
Once you understand these patterns, you will be able to have control over which cards will shuffle around when you redeal. When you get to this stage of understanding, winning cruel solitaire becomes much easier. Just focus on moving the rightmost cards to the talon first, and try and leave some leftmost cards in reserve for when you run out of moves. The best case scenario for this is to have a 2 at the top leftmost column. If this happens, don't move the 2 to the talon, until you have exhausted all other moves and redeals.
If you play solitaire, and you would like to try a different game for a change, then give Cruel Solitaire a go... I'm sure you'll find it a lot of fun!
But there are LOTS of other solitaire games as well. One of my favorites is a little-known game called Cruel Solitaire.
The aim of cruel solitaire is to build 4 ascending suit sequences in the foundation zone.
The opening tableau is made up of 4 foundation stacks (Each containing an Ace), a talon, and 12 maneuver stacks, each containing 4 cards.
You can move cards in the foundation stack onto cards of the same suit, and one more in rank.
For example, you can move a 3 of Clubs onto a 4 of Clubs, or a Queen of Hearts onto a King of Hearts, and a 2 of Spades onto a 3 of Spades.
Redealing in cruel solitaire
The talon in Cruel Solitaire is unlike the talon in other solitaire games. It doesn't actually deal out any more cards.
Instead, it redeals the cards in the maneuver stacks, so that each stack has 4 cards. The order of the cards stays the same, starting at the leftmost stack, with the bottom cards on a stack going to the top of the next stack.
Cruel solitaire strategy
Understanding how the redeal works is the key to doing well in Cruel Solitaire.
You should focus on only redealing when you have to. The more you play, the more you'll start to discover certain patterns that occur when you redeal. (HINT: A Card on top will stay on top, if all the stacks to the left of it have 4 cards).
Once you understand these patterns, you will be able to have control over which cards will shuffle around when you redeal. When you get to this stage of understanding, winning cruel solitaire becomes much easier. Just focus on moving the rightmost cards to the talon first, and try and leave some leftmost cards in reserve for when you run out of moves. The best case scenario for this is to have a 2 at the top leftmost column. If this happens, don't move the 2 to the talon, until you have exhausted all other moves and redeals.
If you play solitaire, and you would like to try a different game for a change, then give Cruel Solitaire a go... I'm sure you'll find it a lot of fun!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
NFL's Wild Card Game Bests Games Past
The National Football League Wild Card game on NBC on Saturday, Jan. 6, in which the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 21-20, was the most-watched and highest-rated prime time NFL Wild Card game ever, producing a household rating of 16.4/27 and drawing 26.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research data.
The rating for the Seattle-Giants game was 18 percent higher than the comparable prime time Wild Card game on ABC last season. This is the first year since the late ‘90s that NBC aired an NFL post-season game.
Meanwhile, the Sunday afternoon NFL Wild Card game on Fox, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants, recorded an 18.2.31 rating and share, 21 percent higher than last year’s comparable Wild Card game on Fox. The game was the highest-rated program on any network since the American Idol finale on Fox last May.
The earlier Wild Card game on NBC on Jan. 6, in which the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, scored a 12.6 household rating. The two games averaged a 14.6, up four percent from the two Wild Card games that aired on ABC last season.
The rating for the Seattle-Giants game was 18 percent higher than the comparable prime time Wild Card game on ABC last season. This is the first year since the late ‘90s that NBC aired an NFL post-season game.
Meanwhile, the Sunday afternoon NFL Wild Card game on Fox, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants, recorded an 18.2.31 rating and share, 21 percent higher than last year’s comparable Wild Card game on Fox. The game was the highest-rated program on any network since the American Idol finale on Fox last May.
The earlier Wild Card game on NBC on Jan. 6, in which the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, scored a 12.6 household rating. The two games averaged a 14.6, up four percent from the two Wild Card games that aired on ABC last season.
A Football Betting Strategy for the NFL Wild Card Games
Are you planning to make a wager on the Wild Card Games during the NFL Playoffs? If you are going to place a football bet this NFL playoff season, then you need a football betting strategy. With the right strategy, you are just that much closer to a win.
Saturday, January 6, 2007 begins the first round of the 2007 NFL Playoffs! Saturday's wild card round has the Kansas City Chiefs heading to the RCA Dome to battle the Indianapolis Colts at 4:30 PM EST and the Dallas Cowboys traveling northwest to Qwest Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks at 8:00 PM EST.
Find Live NFL Point Spreads for all playoff games here!
To have a successful football betting strategy, you need to assess your teams’ offensive and defensive capability. You should also know how those capabilities match up to those of the opposing teams. If you are betting on the NFL, then you need to handicap the upcoming games to the best of your ability. Whether you use a stat cruncher, your gut instincts, or both, is up to you. You need to determine who the winner is going to be and by how much, and you should do this before you look at the lines.
If you choose to bet on college football, then your football betting strategy is a little different. You first need to choose a conference or two that you find interesting and can follow closely. There are a lot more games on the college for than on the NFL board so, in theory, it is easier to find soft lines. Some believe that the lesser known conferences may offer better betting opportunities, but it also might be harder to find team information on them in a timely manner. If you can’t find the information, then you can handicap your teams. The best thing you can do is to choose somewhere in the middle. You should select conferences you can watch on TV. You can handicap these teams the same way you do the NFL. You should also do this before looking at the lines. The reason why you do this before looking at any lines is that you don’t want the lines to influence your decision. The lines are just the public’s opinion on the game.
Bet on NFL at Bodog!
After you have done your handicapping, then you can look at the lines. Pull the lines from your favorite source, newspaper, TV, Internet, and notice the differences between your handicaps and the lines. You should only bet one unit on a game if your handicap disagrees with the line by at least three points. Make sure you place the bet to your advantage. If, on the other hand, your handicap disagrees from the line by a touchdown or more, bet two units.
You should check the lines at least one a day and a couple of times on Saturday morning for college and a couple times on Sunday morning for the NFL. You should watch what lines are moving and do your homework to see why they are. If the reasons are valid, then you should adjust how you handicap the game and come up with a new number. If the reasons are invalid, then there is no need to change a thing.
Does this strategy guarantee you will win your bet? Unfortunately no, but if you are a successful handicapper, then you do increase your odds of winning. So practice your handicapping skills before you lay down your bets. Your wallet will probably thank you in the end.
Saturday, January 6, 2007 begins the first round of the 2007 NFL Playoffs! Saturday's wild card round has the Kansas City Chiefs heading to the RCA Dome to battle the Indianapolis Colts at 4:30 PM EST and the Dallas Cowboys traveling northwest to Qwest Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks at 8:00 PM EST.
Find Live NFL Point Spreads for all playoff games here!
To have a successful football betting strategy, you need to assess your teams’ offensive and defensive capability. You should also know how those capabilities match up to those of the opposing teams. If you are betting on the NFL, then you need to handicap the upcoming games to the best of your ability. Whether you use a stat cruncher, your gut instincts, or both, is up to you. You need to determine who the winner is going to be and by how much, and you should do this before you look at the lines.
If you choose to bet on college football, then your football betting strategy is a little different. You first need to choose a conference or two that you find interesting and can follow closely. There are a lot more games on the college for than on the NFL board so, in theory, it is easier to find soft lines. Some believe that the lesser known conferences may offer better betting opportunities, but it also might be harder to find team information on them in a timely manner. If you can’t find the information, then you can handicap your teams. The best thing you can do is to choose somewhere in the middle. You should select conferences you can watch on TV. You can handicap these teams the same way you do the NFL. You should also do this before looking at the lines. The reason why you do this before looking at any lines is that you don’t want the lines to influence your decision. The lines are just the public’s opinion on the game.
Bet on NFL at Bodog!
After you have done your handicapping, then you can look at the lines. Pull the lines from your favorite source, newspaper, TV, Internet, and notice the differences between your handicaps and the lines. You should only bet one unit on a game if your handicap disagrees with the line by at least three points. Make sure you place the bet to your advantage. If, on the other hand, your handicap disagrees from the line by a touchdown or more, bet two units.
You should check the lines at least one a day and a couple of times on Saturday morning for college and a couple times on Sunday morning for the NFL. You should watch what lines are moving and do your homework to see why they are. If the reasons are valid, then you should adjust how you handicap the game and come up with a new number. If the reasons are invalid, then there is no need to change a thing.
Does this strategy guarantee you will win your bet? Unfortunately no, but if you are a successful handicapper, then you do increase your odds of winning. So practice your handicapping skills before you lay down your bets. Your wallet will probably thank you in the end.
Life is spare for today's pro bowlers
Once upon a time, professional bowlers were sports royalty. Groupies pawed them after tournaments. Casinos blanketed them with free show tickets. Their TV ratings sometimes trumped baseball and golf.
"We were like rock stars," said Carmen Salvino, a bowling icon of the 1960s and '70s.
But today, as America's top lane lizards finish competing in a Fountain Valley match sponsored by Denny's, the glamour has faded.
Motel 6 is the Professional Bowlers Assn.'s official lodging partner. First-place jackpots were recently slashed from $40,000 to $25,000. And tournaments are held in such hot spots as Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Trussville, Ala.
Carpooling their way across the country, bowlers typically sleep two or three to a room in discount hotels they find on priceline.com.
For the Fountain Valley stop, 12 players chipped in for an eight-bedroom, six-bath beach house in Newport Beach.
Between games, several of the beach house dwellers discussed life on the bottom rungs of the professional sports world ladder.
"You're always trying to spend the least amount possible so you can make as much as possible," said Sean Rash, 24, who began bowling as a small child in Alaska, walking down lanes with his mom or dad helping him push the ball.
The trappings aren't always cushy, he said, but the sacrifice is worth it.
Behind the scenes, bowling turns out to be far more complicated and quirky than its public image. Physics, superstition and poker all come into play.
In a trailer parked outside the Fountain Valley bowling alley, a crew of ball doctors uses power drills to create custom bowling spheres designed to help players adjust to lane conditions.
For tournament play, a Zamboni-like machine coats the wooden lanes with invisible oil patterns that affect ball speed and spin. The oil patterns go by such nicknames as Viper, Chameleon and Shark. And the patterns subtly shift during games because bowling balls absorb some of the oil.
So bowlers switch balls the way golfers change clubs, said Keith Brovald, who works in the ball trailer. They also tweak finger grips and modify ball surfaces with sandpaper or polishers to change how the ball rolls.
Still, a big part of the game is mental. Salvino studied physics and chemistry to gain an edge on his opponents. Other players rely on lucky shirts or pregame rituals.
Finding ways to relax is also crucial.
Bowlers don't have a ton of free time during tournaments. In one 16-hour stretch this week, Jason Couch threw 24 games. Couch is the defending champion in Fountain Valley's annual Dick Weber Open, a competition named after a deceased bowling legend who demonstrated his craft in such odd locales as the belly of a flying cargo plane and on David Letterman's show, where he knocked down lava lamps.
When the lanes close each night, the most common off-duty pastime among bowlers seems to be poker, said Rosie Leutzinger, a spokeswoman for the Professional Bowlers Assn.
At the oceanfront rental in Newport Beach, next to a palm tree-shaped floor lamp with light bulbs tucked inside fake coconuts, several laptops sat on a table for online card games. One featured a Hooters mouse pad with a bosom-shaped wrist rest.
Golf, movies and TV are other popular ways to unwind, players said.
Bowlers spend about five months a year on the road, typically earning $70,000 to $80,000 before expenses, according to PBA spokesman David Bassity.
The biggest names earn up to $300,000 a year and often drive the tournament circuit in big recreational vehicles.
Much of a bowler's off-season also revolves around the sport: regional tournaments, trade-show appearances, training.
Couch, 37, spends several hours a day bowling on a high-tech practice lane equipped with sensors that track which board his ball lands on and how fast it travels.
Other players work side jobs or pursue offbeat hobbies such as candle-making and bottling pickles.
After this week's Fountain Valley competition, the 58 bowlers on the 2006-07 pro tour will pack their bags and head to Nevada for the next round, slowly working their way across the country with weekly matches, culminating in the April 1 PBA Tournament of Champions in Uncasville, Conn.
It's a grinding schedule, but the call of the pins beckons.
"Right now," Rash said, "I'm just living my dream and having fun doing it."
"We were like rock stars," said Carmen Salvino, a bowling icon of the 1960s and '70s.
But today, as America's top lane lizards finish competing in a Fountain Valley match sponsored by Denny's, the glamour has faded.
Motel 6 is the Professional Bowlers Assn.'s official lodging partner. First-place jackpots were recently slashed from $40,000 to $25,000. And tournaments are held in such hot spots as Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Trussville, Ala.
Carpooling their way across the country, bowlers typically sleep two or three to a room in discount hotels they find on priceline.com.
For the Fountain Valley stop, 12 players chipped in for an eight-bedroom, six-bath beach house in Newport Beach.
Between games, several of the beach house dwellers discussed life on the bottom rungs of the professional sports world ladder.
"You're always trying to spend the least amount possible so you can make as much as possible," said Sean Rash, 24, who began bowling as a small child in Alaska, walking down lanes with his mom or dad helping him push the ball.
The trappings aren't always cushy, he said, but the sacrifice is worth it.
Behind the scenes, bowling turns out to be far more complicated and quirky than its public image. Physics, superstition and poker all come into play.
In a trailer parked outside the Fountain Valley bowling alley, a crew of ball doctors uses power drills to create custom bowling spheres designed to help players adjust to lane conditions.
For tournament play, a Zamboni-like machine coats the wooden lanes with invisible oil patterns that affect ball speed and spin. The oil patterns go by such nicknames as Viper, Chameleon and Shark. And the patterns subtly shift during games because bowling balls absorb some of the oil.
So bowlers switch balls the way golfers change clubs, said Keith Brovald, who works in the ball trailer. They also tweak finger grips and modify ball surfaces with sandpaper or polishers to change how the ball rolls.
Still, a big part of the game is mental. Salvino studied physics and chemistry to gain an edge on his opponents. Other players rely on lucky shirts or pregame rituals.
Finding ways to relax is also crucial.
Bowlers don't have a ton of free time during tournaments. In one 16-hour stretch this week, Jason Couch threw 24 games. Couch is the defending champion in Fountain Valley's annual Dick Weber Open, a competition named after a deceased bowling legend who demonstrated his craft in such odd locales as the belly of a flying cargo plane and on David Letterman's show, where he knocked down lava lamps.
When the lanes close each night, the most common off-duty pastime among bowlers seems to be poker, said Rosie Leutzinger, a spokeswoman for the Professional Bowlers Assn.
At the oceanfront rental in Newport Beach, next to a palm tree-shaped floor lamp with light bulbs tucked inside fake coconuts, several laptops sat on a table for online card games. One featured a Hooters mouse pad with a bosom-shaped wrist rest.
Golf, movies and TV are other popular ways to unwind, players said.
Bowlers spend about five months a year on the road, typically earning $70,000 to $80,000 before expenses, according to PBA spokesman David Bassity.
The biggest names earn up to $300,000 a year and often drive the tournament circuit in big recreational vehicles.
Much of a bowler's off-season also revolves around the sport: regional tournaments, trade-show appearances, training.
Couch, 37, spends several hours a day bowling on a high-tech practice lane equipped with sensors that track which board his ball lands on and how fast it travels.
Other players work side jobs or pursue offbeat hobbies such as candle-making and bottling pickles.
After this week's Fountain Valley competition, the 58 bowlers on the 2006-07 pro tour will pack their bags and head to Nevada for the next round, slowly working their way across the country with weekly matches, culminating in the April 1 PBA Tournament of Champions in Uncasville, Conn.
It's a grinding schedule, but the call of the pins beckons.
"Right now," Rash said, "I'm just living my dream and having fun doing it."
Company credit-card games are playing with fire
D ear Debt Adviser: I work for an organization and routinely front for expenses and am later reimbursed. Recently, I charged more than $75,000 on credit cards for expenses. My question: Is it worth it to transfer the $75,000 to a zero-interest card and deposit my reimbursement money into a high-yield savings account? Or am I playing with fire at that level of debt? Thanks.
-- Jared
Dear Jared: For most people, it takes years and many mistakes to accumulate $75,000 in credit-card debt. You are jumping headfirst into what could be not only playing with fire, but without the benefit of a fire department, fire extinguisher or a bucket of water anywhere in your ZIP code.
I understand the temptation to earn some money on the $75,000 float. However, it would be a huge risk on your part. Let's take a peek into the future and see what could possibly be.
You are traveling for business and forget that the credit-card bill is due. You return two days after the due date and make a payment or you mail your payment from the road and it gets delayed in the mail. Too late! The interest rate could go from zero to the default rate of 29.9 percent. Your interest charge for the month is $1,744. Ouch! And that is giving you the benefit of having paid the balance down to $70,000 due.
Assuming for the moment that you could, no matter where you park that $75,000, it will not earn $1,744 in one month.
That was the dark future. It is possible that the future could be bright: You could do as you propose and keep up with the payments on the credit-card account without any penalty. If you are disciplined and used an online payment system for the account, you would most likely be OK, but the risk is still there, like that alligator that followed Captain Hook around, just below the water, ticking, waiting.
So the questions you need to ask yourself are:
• If you ran into trouble and your boss found out about it, even though what you are doing may be ethical and legal, how do you think you would be perceived at work? Is this the image you want? Will it help your career?
• Would you be willing to suffer the financial consequences if, for whatever reason, you defaulted on the account and owed thousands of dollars in interest payments?
Additionally, I hope you have some sort of written agreement with your employer outlining the terms of reimbursement for expenses. From what you describe, you could be in a situation where the reimbursement does not happen or some items are disallowed and the expenses are in your name and not the organization's -- leaving you responsible for the unauthorized or unreimbursed charges.
From my point of view, the risks involved far outweigh what you could potentially gain. If you want to get some additional value from the cash flow passing through your expense account, see if you can earn points on a corporate credit card or miles (a number of banks offer corporate cards that earn flier miles). Those 75,000 miles can take you to better places than you could go if you try your original idea.
In any event, before you act, please consider the risks carefully. If the value of your gain is significant, you might consider consulting your attorney to be sure you are not inadvertently breaching a fiduciary relationship with your employer. The only thing worse than crossing a line that will get you in trouble, is doing it without knowing you are.
-- Jared
Dear Jared: For most people, it takes years and many mistakes to accumulate $75,000 in credit-card debt. You are jumping headfirst into what could be not only playing with fire, but without the benefit of a fire department, fire extinguisher or a bucket of water anywhere in your ZIP code.
I understand the temptation to earn some money on the $75,000 float. However, it would be a huge risk on your part. Let's take a peek into the future and see what could possibly be.
You are traveling for business and forget that the credit-card bill is due. You return two days after the due date and make a payment or you mail your payment from the road and it gets delayed in the mail. Too late! The interest rate could go from zero to the default rate of 29.9 percent. Your interest charge for the month is $1,744. Ouch! And that is giving you the benefit of having paid the balance down to $70,000 due.
Assuming for the moment that you could, no matter where you park that $75,000, it will not earn $1,744 in one month.
That was the dark future. It is possible that the future could be bright: You could do as you propose and keep up with the payments on the credit-card account without any penalty. If you are disciplined and used an online payment system for the account, you would most likely be OK, but the risk is still there, like that alligator that followed Captain Hook around, just below the water, ticking, waiting.
So the questions you need to ask yourself are:
• If you ran into trouble and your boss found out about it, even though what you are doing may be ethical and legal, how do you think you would be perceived at work? Is this the image you want? Will it help your career?
• Would you be willing to suffer the financial consequences if, for whatever reason, you defaulted on the account and owed thousands of dollars in interest payments?
Additionally, I hope you have some sort of written agreement with your employer outlining the terms of reimbursement for expenses. From what you describe, you could be in a situation where the reimbursement does not happen or some items are disallowed and the expenses are in your name and not the organization's -- leaving you responsible for the unauthorized or unreimbursed charges.
From my point of view, the risks involved far outweigh what you could potentially gain. If you want to get some additional value from the cash flow passing through your expense account, see if you can earn points on a corporate credit card or miles (a number of banks offer corporate cards that earn flier miles). Those 75,000 miles can take you to better places than you could go if you try your original idea.
In any event, before you act, please consider the risks carefully. If the value of your gain is significant, you might consider consulting your attorney to be sure you are not inadvertently breaching a fiduciary relationship with your employer. The only thing worse than crossing a line that will get you in trouble, is doing it without knowing you are.
Last weekend's wild-card games were quite a kick
The NFL playoffs are alive and kicking.
A record 18 field goals were made during last weekend's wild-card weekend, more than any other opening weekend since the NFL expanded to a 12-team playoff format for the 1990 season.
And it's very likely there would have been 19 field goals had Dallas quarterback Tony Romo not botched a snap, preventing Martin Gramatica from kicking a 19-yarder in the final minutes to beat the Seahawks. The only true miss by a kicker during wild-card weekend -- Gramatica wasn't charged with a missed field goal -- was a 23-yarder by Kansas City's Lawrence Tynes that clanged off the left upright.
Other than the Romo bobble, the most memorable play of the first weekend was another field goal: David Akers' game-winning 38-yarder for the Eagles against the Giants.
While red-zone offenses sputtered drive after drive, kickers stepped in and delivered. Four kickers went 3-for-3: Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri, New England's Stephen Gostkowski, the Jets' Mike Nugent and Philly's Akers.
Other kicks from opening weekend:
-- The Patriots and the Jets combined for six field goals in their game. Only once since 1990 has their been more FGs in a wild-card game. That was on Dec. 27, 1997, when the Vikings (3) and the Giants (5) combined for eight in the Vikings' 23-22 victory at the Meadowlands.
-- Akers' game-winner was only the third in NFL playoff history that occurred in the fourth quarter as time expired. The other two: The Giants' Matt Bahr kicked a 42-yarder to beat the 49ers 15-13 in the NFC title game on Jan. 20, 1991, and Vinatieri kicked a 48-yarder for the Patriots to beat the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI following the 2001 season.
Safety dance: The Seahawks' rally from a 20-13 deficit in the final seven minutes was aided greatly by a safety. It was the first safety given up by the Cowboys since Super Bowl X on Jan. 18, 1976, when the Steelers' Reggie Harrison blocked a Mitch Hoopes punt out of the end zone.
Run, rookie, run: Joseph Addai rushed for 122 yards for the Colts last Saturday, becoming the first rookie to gain 100 rushing yards in a postseason game since the Ravens' Jamal Lewis did it against the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Addai's total was the highest by a rookie in a postseason game since Jacksonville's Fred Taylor collected 162 yards in a wild-card win over the Patriots following the 1998 season.
Run, vet, run: If this is Giants running back Tiki Barber's last NFL season, he went out with a flourish, rushing for 234 yards in his regular-season finale and more than 100 (137 yards to be exact) in the wild-card loss last weekend to the Eagles. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Barber would be only the second player to rush for over 100 yards in his last regular-season and his last postseason game. The other was Billy Sims.
Oh, brother: With Giants reliever Tim Worrell announcing his retirement, he and his brother Todd find themselves in third place on the all-time list for most major-league appearances by two brothers: 1,295. Tim pitched 14 seasons (1993-2006) and was in 678 games, while Todd appeared in 617 games from 1985-97. Only Phil and Joe Niekro (1,566) and Gaylord and Jim Perry (1,407) combined to pitch in more games than the Worrells.
Newest members: What makes Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., the newest Hall of Fame members, unusual is that they spent their entire careers with one team, Gwynn with San Diego and Ripken with the Orioles. Of the hundreds of Hall of Famers, only 46 spent their entire careers with one team. Among the most recent were Robin Yount, Kirby Puckett and George Brett.
Ripken is the 10th player to make the Hall of Fame who played with the Orioles since they moved from St. Louis in 1954; Gwynn is the sixth Hall of Fame player to wear a Padres uniform, joining Willie McCovey, Rollie Fingers, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith and Gaylord Perry.
A record 18 field goals were made during last weekend's wild-card weekend, more than any other opening weekend since the NFL expanded to a 12-team playoff format for the 1990 season.
And it's very likely there would have been 19 field goals had Dallas quarterback Tony Romo not botched a snap, preventing Martin Gramatica from kicking a 19-yarder in the final minutes to beat the Seahawks. The only true miss by a kicker during wild-card weekend -- Gramatica wasn't charged with a missed field goal -- was a 23-yarder by Kansas City's Lawrence Tynes that clanged off the left upright.
Other than the Romo bobble, the most memorable play of the first weekend was another field goal: David Akers' game-winning 38-yarder for the Eagles against the Giants.
While red-zone offenses sputtered drive after drive, kickers stepped in and delivered. Four kickers went 3-for-3: Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri, New England's Stephen Gostkowski, the Jets' Mike Nugent and Philly's Akers.
Other kicks from opening weekend:
-- The Patriots and the Jets combined for six field goals in their game. Only once since 1990 has their been more FGs in a wild-card game. That was on Dec. 27, 1997, when the Vikings (3) and the Giants (5) combined for eight in the Vikings' 23-22 victory at the Meadowlands.
-- Akers' game-winner was only the third in NFL playoff history that occurred in the fourth quarter as time expired. The other two: The Giants' Matt Bahr kicked a 42-yarder to beat the 49ers 15-13 in the NFC title game on Jan. 20, 1991, and Vinatieri kicked a 48-yarder for the Patriots to beat the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI following the 2001 season.
Safety dance: The Seahawks' rally from a 20-13 deficit in the final seven minutes was aided greatly by a safety. It was the first safety given up by the Cowboys since Super Bowl X on Jan. 18, 1976, when the Steelers' Reggie Harrison blocked a Mitch Hoopes punt out of the end zone.
Run, rookie, run: Joseph Addai rushed for 122 yards for the Colts last Saturday, becoming the first rookie to gain 100 rushing yards in a postseason game since the Ravens' Jamal Lewis did it against the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Addai's total was the highest by a rookie in a postseason game since Jacksonville's Fred Taylor collected 162 yards in a wild-card win over the Patriots following the 1998 season.
Run, vet, run: If this is Giants running back Tiki Barber's last NFL season, he went out with a flourish, rushing for 234 yards in his regular-season finale and more than 100 (137 yards to be exact) in the wild-card loss last weekend to the Eagles. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Barber would be only the second player to rush for over 100 yards in his last regular-season and his last postseason game. The other was Billy Sims.
Oh, brother: With Giants reliever Tim Worrell announcing his retirement, he and his brother Todd find themselves in third place on the all-time list for most major-league appearances by two brothers: 1,295. Tim pitched 14 seasons (1993-2006) and was in 678 games, while Todd appeared in 617 games from 1985-97. Only Phil and Joe Niekro (1,566) and Gaylord and Jim Perry (1,407) combined to pitch in more games than the Worrells.
Newest members: What makes Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., the newest Hall of Fame members, unusual is that they spent their entire careers with one team, Gwynn with San Diego and Ripken with the Orioles. Of the hundreds of Hall of Famers, only 46 spent their entire careers with one team. Among the most recent were Robin Yount, Kirby Puckett and George Brett.
Ripken is the 10th player to make the Hall of Fame who played with the Orioles since they moved from St. Louis in 1954; Gwynn is the sixth Hall of Fame player to wear a Padres uniform, joining Willie McCovey, Rollie Fingers, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith and Gaylord Perry.
Youth gambling is topic of forum
Parents of Belmont school students are invited to a discussion tomorrow night on the risks of youth gambling.
The forum, part of a regular parent education series, comes as the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling is promoting its new school-based curriculum.
The fear among educators is that some teenagers who start out playing popular poker games could turn into problem gamblers later in life.
Studies show a problem-gambling rate of 10 to 17 percent among students, about two or three times higher than among adults, said Margot Cahoon, council spokeswoman. The council estimates 78 percent of Massachusetts youth have placed a bet by the time they turn 18.
And in a survey of 91 schools in 2005, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association found 30 percent of its members responding indicated that gambling was an issue that needed to be addressed in their schools, according to the council.
No specific incident led to the Belmont forum, "You gotta know when to fold: What parents need to know about youth and gambling," said Erica Dinerman, prevention services coordinator for the school department. It is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the community room at Chenery Middle School.
"I'm not saying this is a rampant problem in Belmont by any means," she said. "I don't think there's a huge [gambling] addiction problem as opposed to anything else."
Still, while parents may see poker games as a good social activity for their children, Dinerman said she was inspired to raise the topic after reviewing the popularity of card games, computer games, and online gambling.
Dan Richardson, assistant principal at Belmont High School, who posted the youth-gambling forum on the school's online notice board, said he had not heard of any problems in the school community.
Regardless, he welcomed the forum to raise awareness.
"It's proactive, not reactive," he said.
At the session, a member of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling speakers' bureau will talk about youth and gambling and the signs of when gambling becomes a problem.
In response to an increase in inquiries, the council last year published a pamphlet, "Students Know the Limit," which offers behavioral guidelines and educational resources for students and parents.
Cahoon said society is not educated on the risks of gambling to the same extent as the risks of alcohol and drug use, especially when it comes to teenagers.
The council is also taking steps to deal with gambling problems among youth, partly due to the popularity of televised poker games and publicity of large jackpots, according to Cahoon.
"We're getting more calls from parents and college administrators," she said. "We feel that poker is being glamorized."
Cahoon said the council is urging schools to develop gambling policies similar to those on tobacco and alcohol use.
The forum, part of a regular parent education series, comes as the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling is promoting its new school-based curriculum.
The fear among educators is that some teenagers who start out playing popular poker games could turn into problem gamblers later in life.
Studies show a problem-gambling rate of 10 to 17 percent among students, about two or three times higher than among adults, said Margot Cahoon, council spokeswoman. The council estimates 78 percent of Massachusetts youth have placed a bet by the time they turn 18.
And in a survey of 91 schools in 2005, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association found 30 percent of its members responding indicated that gambling was an issue that needed to be addressed in their schools, according to the council.
No specific incident led to the Belmont forum, "You gotta know when to fold: What parents need to know about youth and gambling," said Erica Dinerman, prevention services coordinator for the school department. It is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the community room at Chenery Middle School.
"I'm not saying this is a rampant problem in Belmont by any means," she said. "I don't think there's a huge [gambling] addiction problem as opposed to anything else."
Still, while parents may see poker games as a good social activity for their children, Dinerman said she was inspired to raise the topic after reviewing the popularity of card games, computer games, and online gambling.
Dan Richardson, assistant principal at Belmont High School, who posted the youth-gambling forum on the school's online notice board, said he had not heard of any problems in the school community.
Regardless, he welcomed the forum to raise awareness.
"It's proactive, not reactive," he said.
At the session, a member of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling speakers' bureau will talk about youth and gambling and the signs of when gambling becomes a problem.
In response to an increase in inquiries, the council last year published a pamphlet, "Students Know the Limit," which offers behavioral guidelines and educational resources for students and parents.
Cahoon said society is not educated on the risks of gambling to the same extent as the risks of alcohol and drug use, especially when it comes to teenagers.
The council is also taking steps to deal with gambling problems among youth, partly due to the popularity of televised poker games and publicity of large jackpots, according to Cahoon.
"We're getting more calls from parents and college administrators," she said. "We feel that poker is being glamorized."
Cahoon said the council is urging schools to develop gambling policies similar to those on tobacco and alcohol use.
Cryptologic gears up for major move on Asia
Veteran gambling software developer and turnkey provider Cryptologic is about to team up Brilliance Technology Company and 568 Network Inc in a significant project to adapt and license its online casino, poker and other skill-based games for the Chinese market.
Company officials this week signed memoranda of understanding with the two companies, which both have strong links to the software and gaming industries in China.
The agreement involves establishing a new and jointly owned factory in the region with the goal of penetrating the high-growth, high-potential Chinese market, including China, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Brilliance will establish a division to deliver the games in two modes: "play-for-fun" subscriptions for users in internet cafes and on mobile devices, and "play-for-money" through sites licensed by China Welfare Lottery, the nation's gaming licensing authority.
Cryptologic's investment will be a minority at first, but with an option to lift its investment to a controlling position. It has the right to appoint all board members to the new company.
President and chief executive Lewis Rose said the agreement was the first major step in what is one part of CryptoLogic's strategy to expand in Asia, which it sees as a growth market.
"This is the first major step in executing one of our cornerstone strategies: to expand in Asia - a key growth market for CryptoLogic," said Rose. "The agreement brings to CryptoLogic substantial game development and IT skills uniquely suited to the Asian gaming market, and provides well-placed resources in China to guarantee that our first steps are successful ones."
Brilliance is a software developer and systems integrator in China, with products that have been awarded various levels of certification by Chinese state agencies. Brilliance also has a proprietary payment processing system which every year facilitates billions of dollars in transactions for the four largest banks in China. Brilliance will enter into an exclusive licensing agreement with respect to the new company's online gaming software and service offering, and will apply for all required gaming licenses.
"There is a huge appetite for online gaming throughout Asia and this is the right group to penetrate the market quickly, deeply and legitimately," said Li Fu Hua, Chairman of Brilliance Technology Co. "CryptoLogic's award-winning online game offering will nicely complement our company's banking, payment processing and networking solutions that are already widely used throughout China."
Asia is quickly becoming the next major geographic area for online gaming. Industry experts expect Asia to be the fastest growing and ultimately the largest online gaming market in the world. China alone has over 135 million Internet users, the world's second largest user group after the United States.
In addition, China has the world's largest mobile phone market with more than 400 million subscribers, many of whom are expected to switch to the high-speed 3G networks over the next few years, creating the opportunity for explosive growth for game and content developers.
Brilliance intends to use its relationships with the major service providers to license the new company's casual game content to their subscribers.
Game568, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, is a game developer, publisher and operator with a Chinese subsidiary already creating games for that market, including card games such as "Fight Landlord" and "Za Jin Hua", and skill-based casual games such as "Lian Lian Kaan" and "Dragon Ball". Game 568 has a license from China Welfare Lottery, and has a database with more than one million registered players in the portals that it owns and those it operates for other developers.
"Our software engineering expertise in Shanghai and our existing Asian game roster, combined with Brilliance's IT leadership position in China and CryptoLogic's unmatched casino and poker game suite will give this partnership a decisive leadership edge in Asia," said William Cheng, Vice-President-China Operations for Game 568.
Company officials this week signed memoranda of understanding with the two companies, which both have strong links to the software and gaming industries in China.
The agreement involves establishing a new and jointly owned factory in the region with the goal of penetrating the high-growth, high-potential Chinese market, including China, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Brilliance will establish a division to deliver the games in two modes: "play-for-fun" subscriptions for users in internet cafes and on mobile devices, and "play-for-money" through sites licensed by China Welfare Lottery, the nation's gaming licensing authority.
Cryptologic's investment will be a minority at first, but with an option to lift its investment to a controlling position. It has the right to appoint all board members to the new company.
President and chief executive Lewis Rose said the agreement was the first major step in what is one part of CryptoLogic's strategy to expand in Asia, which it sees as a growth market.
"This is the first major step in executing one of our cornerstone strategies: to expand in Asia - a key growth market for CryptoLogic," said Rose. "The agreement brings to CryptoLogic substantial game development and IT skills uniquely suited to the Asian gaming market, and provides well-placed resources in China to guarantee that our first steps are successful ones."
Brilliance is a software developer and systems integrator in China, with products that have been awarded various levels of certification by Chinese state agencies. Brilliance also has a proprietary payment processing system which every year facilitates billions of dollars in transactions for the four largest banks in China. Brilliance will enter into an exclusive licensing agreement with respect to the new company's online gaming software and service offering, and will apply for all required gaming licenses.
"There is a huge appetite for online gaming throughout Asia and this is the right group to penetrate the market quickly, deeply and legitimately," said Li Fu Hua, Chairman of Brilliance Technology Co. "CryptoLogic's award-winning online game offering will nicely complement our company's banking, payment processing and networking solutions that are already widely used throughout China."
Asia is quickly becoming the next major geographic area for online gaming. Industry experts expect Asia to be the fastest growing and ultimately the largest online gaming market in the world. China alone has over 135 million Internet users, the world's second largest user group after the United States.
In addition, China has the world's largest mobile phone market with more than 400 million subscribers, many of whom are expected to switch to the high-speed 3G networks over the next few years, creating the opportunity for explosive growth for game and content developers.
Brilliance intends to use its relationships with the major service providers to license the new company's casual game content to their subscribers.
Game568, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, is a game developer, publisher and operator with a Chinese subsidiary already creating games for that market, including card games such as "Fight Landlord" and "Za Jin Hua", and skill-based casual games such as "Lian Lian Kaan" and "Dragon Ball". Game 568 has a license from China Welfare Lottery, and has a database with more than one million registered players in the portals that it owns and those it operates for other developers.
"Our software engineering expertise in Shanghai and our existing Asian game roster, combined with Brilliance's IT leadership position in China and CryptoLogic's unmatched casino and poker game suite will give this partnership a decisive leadership edge in Asia," said William Cheng, Vice-President-China Operations for Game 568.
World of Warcraft Trading Card Game On The Horizon
It has more than 6 million players, a movie in the works, and more buzz on the Internet than Jesus and George Bush. What more could the World of Warcraft possibly need to get players enticed?
It seems the answer to that question is a trading card game. That’s right, a trading card game.
Upperdeck Entertainment intends to launch its official World of Warcraft tabletop card game this October. According to Upperdeck, the game is based on Blizzard’s MMORPG and will enable “players to explore Azeroth as never before.”
The game boasts artwork from some of the industry’s top pros and it does look pretty flashy. Each card pack will contain UDE Point Cards that have codes on them. These codes, according to the site, will let players earn TCG cards, promo items and “distinct cosmetic upgrades for your online World of Warcraft character.”
There’s the hook. Players of the card game, or at least buyers of it, will have a chance for in-game rewards if the boasting is correct. While I’m not a fan of trading card games, that would make a deck or two worth the purchase price.
The cards are set to debut in October. A starter pack with 33 cards built for one of the nine character classes with 2 booster packs will cost $14.99. The UDE store can be accessed here for preorders.
WoW’s popularity is phenomenal in the MMORPG world and it looks like this out of game enhancement might only increase it. While it’s hard to picture the game’s 30-something players running out to buy cards, with the potential for in-game bonuses they just might.
And if the cards weren't enough, WoW can be played on Linux and cross-realm battlegrounds are in the works.
It seems the answer to that question is a trading card game. That’s right, a trading card game.
Upperdeck Entertainment intends to launch its official World of Warcraft tabletop card game this October. According to Upperdeck, the game is based on Blizzard’s MMORPG and will enable “players to explore Azeroth as never before.”
The game boasts artwork from some of the industry’s top pros and it does look pretty flashy. Each card pack will contain UDE Point Cards that have codes on them. These codes, according to the site, will let players earn TCG cards, promo items and “distinct cosmetic upgrades for your online World of Warcraft character.”
There’s the hook. Players of the card game, or at least buyers of it, will have a chance for in-game rewards if the boasting is correct. While I’m not a fan of trading card games, that would make a deck or two worth the purchase price.
The cards are set to debut in October. A starter pack with 33 cards built for one of the nine character classes with 2 booster packs will cost $14.99. The UDE store can be accessed here for preorders.
WoW’s popularity is phenomenal in the MMORPG world and it looks like this out of game enhancement might only increase it. While it’s hard to picture the game’s 30-something players running out to buy cards, with the potential for in-game bonuses they just might.
And if the cards weren't enough, WoW can be played on Linux and cross-realm battlegrounds are in the works.
Differences in strategy between Live and Online
Early in my poker career I read an excellent book called Internet Texas Holdem by Mathew Hilger. The book had a few special sections that went into detail about the differences between playing live poker and online poker. After years of playing, most of what Mathew said still holds true, but the thing that surprised me most is that when you're playing Limit Holdem, the number of differences in the two areas where you can play just isn't really that high. Sure, there will be more preflop raising and aggression online. The general strategy for beating the games however doesn't change very much.
The same isn't true about No Limit cash games.
What I've discovered in the past six months or so is that playing No Limit live as opposed to playing it online is about as different as night and day. Not only are the games completely different, but the basic strategy you should use to get started is also unique to each game. I found this very surprising considering the structure was identical and the only differences were that you can only play one game at a time live rather than six tables, and you also can get better reads on people live.
The reason that the games are so different is primarily based on the preflop environment of a normal game you can expect to sit in. The first thing that you'll likely notice is that live games are far more passive than those online. This makes for a ton of multihanded limped pots and also causes some big changes to general strategy. I'm more than willing to limp with any reasonable hand in any position as long as the table hasn't been raising preflop very much. I'm talking about any pocket pair, suited connectors or one gappers down to 54s. I don't want to give any strict guidelines though as what hands you play will depend on the lineup and the flow of the game. Live players tend to pay off more hands though and also make mistakes in how much they bet, so this should definitely make you want to include more hands in your arsenal. Live games to me feel more like Bingo than actual poker because I am just trying to get in there as much as possible and make some kind of hand that will get paid off. If you attempt this same strategy online and are constantly open limping, you are setting yourself up to be steamrolled. The differences I'd suggest in online No Limit cash games are to tighten up the hands you play from a live game considerably, and also rarely if ever open limp. You can still do it to set traps or if the table has been passive and limping will encourage more limping, but generally you should come in for at least triple or four times the big blind if you are going to play. The typical online game is much tighter than live and open raising with do a lot of good things for you in terms of stealing blinds or setting up a heads up pot (hopefully with position) where you can then fire a continuation bet and make some healthy profit since you took the lead in betting. One thing I rarely even think about when I'm playing live is to steal the blinds because people are more apt to make weak calls. It's often better to open limp and just extract money from them later since most of them are ignorant to the size of the pot anyway and you save money by limping. The exact opposite is true online.
Another thing to consider is that the average skill level of the online player is much higher and most live players at the lower stakes in NL play mainly for recreation. It's because of this that you have a lot more moves available to you in the online game and if you want to succeed you have to strive for balance in your game. This means that you have to be able to check raise the flop with air online while you would rarely attempt such a play in a live game. Value betting is the name of the game in the live arena. Another big thing that comes to mind is that I'm willing to bet the pot on the flop with a big draw and then reraise all in online while I would probably rather just draw at the hand cheaply live and then get paid once I get there.
Every game is different and you shouldn't take any of the examples given here as strict guidelines to follow. What you should learn from this article is that while the buyin is the same and the blinds are the same, the game is completely different when you're playing online than it is live. Big strategy adjustments must be made to do well in both forms of the game and it's important to keep them separate in your mind. Remember that it's better to push small edges online than it is live and that you should be limping a lot in live games and rarely online. If you take these things to heart and are constantly trying to improve, you should do well.
The same isn't true about No Limit cash games.
What I've discovered in the past six months or so is that playing No Limit live as opposed to playing it online is about as different as night and day. Not only are the games completely different, but the basic strategy you should use to get started is also unique to each game. I found this very surprising considering the structure was identical and the only differences were that you can only play one game at a time live rather than six tables, and you also can get better reads on people live.
The reason that the games are so different is primarily based on the preflop environment of a normal game you can expect to sit in. The first thing that you'll likely notice is that live games are far more passive than those online. This makes for a ton of multihanded limped pots and also causes some big changes to general strategy. I'm more than willing to limp with any reasonable hand in any position as long as the table hasn't been raising preflop very much. I'm talking about any pocket pair, suited connectors or one gappers down to 54s. I don't want to give any strict guidelines though as what hands you play will depend on the lineup and the flow of the game. Live players tend to pay off more hands though and also make mistakes in how much they bet, so this should definitely make you want to include more hands in your arsenal. Live games to me feel more like Bingo than actual poker because I am just trying to get in there as much as possible and make some kind of hand that will get paid off. If you attempt this same strategy online and are constantly open limping, you are setting yourself up to be steamrolled. The differences I'd suggest in online No Limit cash games are to tighten up the hands you play from a live game considerably, and also rarely if ever open limp. You can still do it to set traps or if the table has been passive and limping will encourage more limping, but generally you should come in for at least triple or four times the big blind if you are going to play. The typical online game is much tighter than live and open raising with do a lot of good things for you in terms of stealing blinds or setting up a heads up pot (hopefully with position) where you can then fire a continuation bet and make some healthy profit since you took the lead in betting. One thing I rarely even think about when I'm playing live is to steal the blinds because people are more apt to make weak calls. It's often better to open limp and just extract money from them later since most of them are ignorant to the size of the pot anyway and you save money by limping. The exact opposite is true online.
Another thing to consider is that the average skill level of the online player is much higher and most live players at the lower stakes in NL play mainly for recreation. It's because of this that you have a lot more moves available to you in the online game and if you want to succeed you have to strive for balance in your game. This means that you have to be able to check raise the flop with air online while you would rarely attempt such a play in a live game. Value betting is the name of the game in the live arena. Another big thing that comes to mind is that I'm willing to bet the pot on the flop with a big draw and then reraise all in online while I would probably rather just draw at the hand cheaply live and then get paid once I get there.
Every game is different and you shouldn't take any of the examples given here as strict guidelines to follow. What you should learn from this article is that while the buyin is the same and the blinds are the same, the game is completely different when you're playing online than it is live. Big strategy adjustments must be made to do well in both forms of the game and it's important to keep them separate in your mind. Remember that it's better to push small edges online than it is live and that you should be limping a lot in live games and rarely online. If you take these things to heart and are constantly trying to improve, you should do well.
A Bit of Bidding Subterfuge From the Inner Poker Player
When bluffing is involved. In poker you are permitted to behave like a third-string actor, appearing to wish to fold but then reluctantly deciding to stay in the pot for one more round of betting. Of course those theatrics work only against the most naïve of opponents. But if you are to win at poker, your adversaries must believe that you might be bluffing. If you never bluff, you will surely lose.
In bridge acting is not allowed, and bluff bids occur rarely. We have the out-and-out psych, when a player misrepresents both the high-card content of his hand and the length of the suit that he has bid. For example, he opens one spade with eight high-card points and a doubleton spade. A psych is a gamble because partner might have a strong hand with support for the suit opened and drive the bidding far too high.
There are other bluff bids — for example, the imaginative one made in the diagramed deal. This took place last Friday during the two-session Open Pairs at the District 3 Winter Regional in Rye Brook, N.Y. It was won by Jay Borker of Greenwich, Conn., and Michael Kamil of Holmdel, N.J. The runners-up were Warren Rosner of White Plains and Allan Stauber of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Third were William Ehlers of West Orange, N.J., and Gregory Rosoff of Franklin Lakes, N.J.
This was Borker’s third consecutive victory in the event, each with a different partner, which is surely less likely to happen than getting four of a kind in five-card-draw poker.
After a pass by East, Kamil passed with his solid nine-card heart suit — as would we all.
Many years ago, playing rubber-bridge for high stakes at a club in London, John Collings passed as dealer with a solid 10-card heart suit. The auction continued Pass-Pass-Pass. Collings asked his partner what he held.
“Just three bare aces,” was the reply. “What did you have?”
“Only a 10-count.”
Borker opened one spade in the fourth position. Now South had to respond two hearts. Three hearts would have been a fit-showing jump by a passed hand, promising four spades and five hearts. And four hearts would have been a splinter bid, showing at least four spades with a singleton or void in hearts.
North rebid two no-trump, South mentally heaving a huge sigh of relief before leaping to four hearts.
West guessed well to lead the club jack. But South, after ruffing the second club, immediately played a spade. West understandably ducked this. Who would have guessed what would happen next? Declarer won with the spade king on the board and discarded his remaining spades on the ace-king of diamonds to take 12 tricks and score a near top.
In bridge acting is not allowed, and bluff bids occur rarely. We have the out-and-out psych, when a player misrepresents both the high-card content of his hand and the length of the suit that he has bid. For example, he opens one spade with eight high-card points and a doubleton spade. A psych is a gamble because partner might have a strong hand with support for the suit opened and drive the bidding far too high.
There are other bluff bids — for example, the imaginative one made in the diagramed deal. This took place last Friday during the two-session Open Pairs at the District 3 Winter Regional in Rye Brook, N.Y. It was won by Jay Borker of Greenwich, Conn., and Michael Kamil of Holmdel, N.J. The runners-up were Warren Rosner of White Plains and Allan Stauber of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Third were William Ehlers of West Orange, N.J., and Gregory Rosoff of Franklin Lakes, N.J.
This was Borker’s third consecutive victory in the event, each with a different partner, which is surely less likely to happen than getting four of a kind in five-card-draw poker.
After a pass by East, Kamil passed with his solid nine-card heart suit — as would we all.
Many years ago, playing rubber-bridge for high stakes at a club in London, John Collings passed as dealer with a solid 10-card heart suit. The auction continued Pass-Pass-Pass. Collings asked his partner what he held.
“Just three bare aces,” was the reply. “What did you have?”
“Only a 10-count.”
Borker opened one spade in the fourth position. Now South had to respond two hearts. Three hearts would have been a fit-showing jump by a passed hand, promising four spades and five hearts. And four hearts would have been a splinter bid, showing at least four spades with a singleton or void in hearts.
North rebid two no-trump, South mentally heaving a huge sigh of relief before leaping to four hearts.
West guessed well to lead the club jack. But South, after ruffing the second club, immediately played a spade. West understandably ducked this. Who would have guessed what would happen next? Declarer won with the spade king on the board and discarded his remaining spades on the ace-king of diamonds to take 12 tricks and score a near top.
Could the Contract Be Defeated? The Software Oracle Knows
When you play in a tournament that gives out deal records, under every board you see the highest contracts that each side can make in the five strains, assuming the play is double-dummy — everyone knows where the cards lie. (This is done using Bill Bailey’s Deep Finesse software.) Competitors in the Flight A/X Pairs last Saturday at the District 3 Winter Regional in Rye Brook, N.Y., were surprised to see that there was a way to defeat three no-trump by South in the diagramed deal. What leads by West work?
The winners of the Flight A/X Pairs, R. Jay Becker of New York and Bob Sartorius of Lake Hiawatha, N.J., played well and had that necessary slice of luck in this deal.
The event had finished. North and South were itching to leave, not having done well. But they had a late play against Becker and Sartorius, who knew they were in contention. (You get a late play when you take so long to complete the first deal of a round that you do not have time for the final board. Playing that deal is postponed until the end of the session.)
South opened one no-trump, showing 12-14 points. Becker (West) overcalled a natural two hearts. North responded with a natural and forcing three clubs. And South converted to three no-trump.
West, assuming South was prepared for a heart lead, tried our well-known sneak attack with the spade six. East played the three under dummy’s jack to show an odd number of spades. (If dummy wins with the ace, king or queen, it is probably best for third hand to signal attitude. But when dummy has only the jack, signaling possession of the ten is surely a waste of time, so giving count is preferable.)
Declarer guessed well, cashing the club ace to drop West’s king. Next, he played a club to his queen. Now, knowing that West had the heart king for his bid, South should have led a heart toward dummy’s queen. Then South would have won nine tricks: two spades, two hearts and five clubs. And if he had done that, Becker and Sartorius would not have won. Jonathan Green of Kingston, N.Y., and Norman Rubin of Monticello, N.Y., would have taken the title.
But declarer led a diamond to the nine on the board. The defenders took advantage of the opportunity. East won with his ten and returned a spade, West taking South’s queen with his king and leading another diamond. East won with his queen and went back to spades, eventually defeating the contract by one trick.
How can the defenders always defeat three no-trump? West must lead a diamond or — yes — the club king. Then the defenders have an answer for anything that declarer tries, taking one spade, one heart and three diamonds.
The winners of the Flight A/X Pairs, R. Jay Becker of New York and Bob Sartorius of Lake Hiawatha, N.J., played well and had that necessary slice of luck in this deal.
The event had finished. North and South were itching to leave, not having done well. But they had a late play against Becker and Sartorius, who knew they were in contention. (You get a late play when you take so long to complete the first deal of a round that you do not have time for the final board. Playing that deal is postponed until the end of the session.)
South opened one no-trump, showing 12-14 points. Becker (West) overcalled a natural two hearts. North responded with a natural and forcing three clubs. And South converted to three no-trump.
West, assuming South was prepared for a heart lead, tried our well-known sneak attack with the spade six. East played the three under dummy’s jack to show an odd number of spades. (If dummy wins with the ace, king or queen, it is probably best for third hand to signal attitude. But when dummy has only the jack, signaling possession of the ten is surely a waste of time, so giving count is preferable.)
Declarer guessed well, cashing the club ace to drop West’s king. Next, he played a club to his queen. Now, knowing that West had the heart king for his bid, South should have led a heart toward dummy’s queen. Then South would have won nine tricks: two spades, two hearts and five clubs. And if he had done that, Becker and Sartorius would not have won. Jonathan Green of Kingston, N.Y., and Norman Rubin of Monticello, N.Y., would have taken the title.
But declarer led a diamond to the nine on the board. The defenders took advantage of the opportunity. East won with his ten and returned a spade, West taking South’s queen with his king and leading another diamond. East won with his queen and went back to spades, eventually defeating the contract by one trick.
How can the defenders always defeat three no-trump? West must lead a diamond or — yes — the club king. Then the defenders have an answer for anything that declarer tries, taking one spade, one heart and three diamonds.
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