Basic Guide for Skill-Based Casino Games
It is a misconception that you can only find games of chance in a casino. Far from it, there are many skill based games that test your talent, determination, and resolve. They’re usually played against other players, rather than the house which means you must balance mastering the rules and getting a read on your opponent.
To help you understand more about skill based gambling games, we’ve created this guide that covers what these games are, the most common ones you’re likely to find, and some top tips to use while you play.
What are skill-based games?
Skill based casino games are games that do not rely entirely on luck. This contrasts them against games like craps and roulette where the outcome of the game is entirely down to chance.
In a skill based game, your actions will determine the outcome, or at least have a significant influence over it.
The skills required vary from game to game but can include intellectual skills, physical skills, or a combination of the two. The intellectual skills may be a test of your knowledge, such as in fantasy sports, or one of plotting the different permutations like in chess, while physical skills might involve having good hand-eye coordination.
Psychological skills can also be important too. In some skill based games, being able to read your opponents can give you a significant advantage.
Different types of Skill Games
There are many different games of skill, including some you’re likely to have already played. Here are some of the most common ones.
Arcade
Arcade games is a very broad term, covering many different formats and categories of game. It can include games like claw machines and pinball that offer a chance to win prizes if you manage to tame the mechanical elements to do your bidding.
Casino skill based arcade games come in many shapes and sizes, including crash and mines games, tower games, and match three games.
Mine games are similar to the classic Minesweeper game that you’ve probably played on old Windows computers, requiring you to make a bet and then select the tiles you think are free of mines. Tower games are very similar but with multiple levels to each game.
Match three games are similar to the popular mobile games where you move sweets and gems around on the grid to make groups of the same colour together. These require skill to maximise your score by staying several steps ahead, moving lower blocks to get higher ones to drop where you want them to make larger groups or multiple groups in the same move.
Fantasy Sports
Fantasy sports are a way for sports fans to test their knowledge of their chosen league by making a fantasy team made up of real players from the real world. Each week, their team earns points by the actual performance of their players.
In traditional fantasy sports, players pay to join a league with the highest-scoring contestant winning the pot at the end of the season.
Daily fantasy sports have become more popular in recent years. This uses a similar model but is focused on individual games rather than an entire season.
Dominoes
Dominoes is a classic game of skill that uses tiles with different numbers of dots within either half. The aim of the game is to take turns to position your tiles so that they touch the end of an existing tile on the board. You can only do this with matching numbers, so if a tile has a 3 on its outer half, you must place a corresponding tile with a 3 on it.
Usually, the player who uses all of their tiles first is the winner, but some games keep a score instead.
Rummy
Rummy is a card game that can be played between two and six players using a standard 52-card deck. Each player starts out with a hand of between six and 10 cards with the remaining ones placed face down in the middle of the table.
You then take turns to draw cards with the aim of creating a “meld” of cards. This is a group or sequence of cards, such as a three of a kind or three or more consecutive cards from the same suit.
This is a skill based game that requires you to bluff and think several moves ahead.
Backgammon
Backgammon is a board game that is more than 5,000 years old. Despite its age, it remains a hit amongst players today, just as it was in ancient Mesopotamia. It uses a board with 24 thin triangles with alternating colours.
The board is split into four quadrants with a “home board” for each of the two colours (red and white) and two “outer boards”.
In backgammon, your objective is to move all of your pieces into your own home board by rolling dice to determine how many moves you have. You can use your own pieces to also block your opponent as they will be unable to occupy a triangle that already has two or more of yours on it.
This creates a challenge of trying to balance playing defensively and aggressively.
Chess
Chess is another board game that has thousands of years of history. It is one of the most recognised skill based games on the planet thanks to its iconic black and white board and famous chess players.
The aim is to move your pieces to attack your opponent’s queen but you will need to defend your own at the same time. Success in chess requires a mix of psychology, being able to anticipate your opponent’s moves, and also deploying your own unpredictable attack at the same time.
Poker
Poker is one of the most popular skill based live casino games played today. It comes in many different variants, though the most played is Texas hold’em. All versions of poker require you make a hand with a valuable hand using the cards you’re dealt and (in some cases) the community cards placed on the table.
You don’t need the best hand to win, however. Poker is also a game of psychology as you try to read your opponents and fool them into thinking you’re holding a much better combination of cards than you actually do.
Best tips for Skill Games
If you’re looking to level up your skill based games playing, then these tips and tricks will help you get there.
Know the Rules
In skill based online casino games, knowing the rules is especially important. Before you start playing, it’s a good idea to brush up on these rules and familiarise yourself with the mechanics of the game. There are plenty of resources online to help with this, including video tutorials that can walk you through the process.
Keep your Focus
Skill based games require you to think clearly and be focused. If things don’t go your way, it’s very easy to get distracted and allow your emotions to influence your decisions. Instead, you should treat each game individually, the results of the last one don’t have any bearing on the current one, so focus on your strategy and keep cool.
Manage Your Funds Properly
Bankroll management is critical in any form of gambling, and skill based games are no exception. Start by setting a budget so that you only play with money you can afford and are comfortable with losing.
As you play, make smaller bets, choose tables with lower limits, and pace yourself. Even skill based games shouldn't be seen as a way to make money, so seek to maximise the experience by playing a game you love for longer.
Play Smart
In many skill based games, success comes from the games you bow out of, as well as the ones you call and raise on. In games like rummy and poker, fold regularly and play defensively to preserve your bankroll. There’s nothing to gain from letting your ego take control.
Learn Strategies
Successful players go beyond the basics and use different strategies to take their playing to the next level. For example, in chess, this involves understanding the different plays and how and when to deploy them, as well as how to recognise and counter them if an opponent tries to use them.