Online Skill Games VS. Chance Games

Are you a skill-type person or a chance-type person?! What I mean is, when choosing a game to play you want it to challenge your skills or not? In fact, skill games are the most popular both at home and online real money gambling sites. The main characteristic of a skill game is that you have some control over the game and can manipulate the outcome to an extent. This means you have some control over the course and the outcome of the game. For this reason, skill games are quite popular among players and people.

On the other hand, social games played at family and friends gatherings are entirely based on luck. In other words, many people love to play chance games. They love the unpredictability and adrenaline that comes with the lucky turn of events during the games. But it can be frustrating for skill lovers because they feel no real control over the game. In this article, I will discuss skill games and chance games so you will end up with plenty of options to choose from.

What Do We Mean By A Skill Game?

Although the name is self-explanatory enough, you should comprehend the fact that luck definitely can affect the outcomes of some skill games. For instance, in Backgammon, if you get a double roll, you can move faster around the board than your opponent. In addition, the rolls of the dice in games like Backgammon or Yahtzee affect your winning or losing chances.

Skill games also have an element of luck involved, but there are some strategies that you can apply and increase your winning chance.  Meanwhile, in such games, if you make a poor decision, you dramatically hurt your chances of winning. For this reason, when two players come to the battle, the player with more skills will have a higher chance of winning no matter what lucky event happens.

What Are Games of Chance?

As the name suggests, any game with an outcome strongly influenced by some randomizing device or gameplay is considered a game of chance. In such games, punters decide to wager money or anything of monetary value on the probability of some random outcome happening or not happening.

The key concept in this definition is that these games are strongly influenced by some randomizing device. Although you and your decisions could slightly control the course of chance games, the outcome is determined by chance.

For instance, Roulette is a chance game. You can choose the numbers, colors, or other bets you want to place. However, this is the only deciding part of the game because the final outcome is determined by the location the ball randomly falls on the roulette wheel. So, no matter what you do, you cannot influence how that ball rolls or where it lands. It is purely by chance. Hence, you should remember that games of chance cannot be strategically beaten. You can make decisions that slightly affect the game outcome, but ultimately, luck will decide who the winner is.

Some Examples of Skill Games

There are hundreds of skill games being played out there, and this is practically impossible to list them all here. But I will cover the most famous ones. First, let me present the different categories of skill games.

Coin-op Games: Arcade games are coin-operated games and as skill games depend on your ability to press buttons (or tap the screen quickly).

 Puzzle Games: have you been in a situation that felt like a puzzle? A puzzle game similar to a puzzle situation is a game that requires your brain cells to be solved. In such games, you need your intelligence power plus skill set acquired from previous games. In other words, the more you play puzzle games, the more skills you acquire.

Word Games: Scrabble is an extremely popular word game available as board games and in online versions. All crossword puzzles you play on your smartphones also fall under this category of skill games. In such games, you need to use your brain and manipulate words so they fit into predetermined spaces and make predetermined meaning words.

Trivia Games: these are more competition than games. In such games, you compete with others in answering interesting but unimportant facts on multiple subjects. Many people often participate in trivia contests in places like bars, or you may find events online as well. Players who are really good at this would make it to the television’s Jeopardy which is the ultimate trivia test.

Roto: Fantasy sports or roto are imaginary contests based on real sporting events and actual players. In such games, you will use your knowledge about the actual players in different sports like football, baseball, and basketball to beat other players. Players have the option to take the season-long leagues or play in DFS or Daily Fantasy Sports. In a nutshell, the skill you need in these games is the ability to pick the best performing players. In fact, you should have a good understanding of the sport you are playing, the players, and actual sporting events statistics.

Card Games: These games are played mainly with a standard deck of 52 cards. In general, the objective of card games is receiving one or two cards and playing with them. The main skill you need is knowing each game’s rules to play your cards accordingly. Such games are mainly played for real money at land-based casinos and online gambling sites. Card games have the skill and luck elements involved and, for this reason, are considered games of skill and chance. Because each card game requires some extent of skill while luck is always there.

All right, let us see what the most popular skill games are.

1. Domino

This famous skill-based game is one of the tile-based games and is played with pieces known as dominoes. The traditional European domino consists of 28 tiles. The game is usually played with 2 to 4 players and the objective is to connect one domino to another according to the rules of the game. Blocking is the most basic variant of the game which is played with 2 players and a double-six set. You and your opponent take turns to connect the dominoes. For this game, you need tactics and strategy because you should know when and how to lay down your dominoes. Also, you should know when to reserve your dominoes and recall which dominoes have been laid down by your opponent.

2. Rummy

This is the best game to play at home and informal settings. Better yet, you can play it online for real money.

You can find various formats of the game online. The most basic format of the game can be found at most online casinos. The scoring system in Rummy varies depending on the setting and the variant. In the most basic variant of the game, you should get rid of all cards before your opponents do to earn points. You will earn points depending on the remaining cards in your opponents’ hands.

In this game, players take turns adding and giving up cards from their hands. There are various ways to do that depending on the game variant and the number of players. However, usually, it is done by getting a face-up card from the main pile- stock- and giving up a card to a discard pile.

Knowing when to pick a known card from the stock is the main skill-based part of the game. This will significantly affect your hand quality and consequently your chance of winning. Also, you must know when to get rid of the cards that will not help you. However, it is crucial to keep track of your opponents’ laid cards because you should not lay down cards that would help them to get “Runs” or “Sets”.

Runs and sets are the two basic forms of hands in the play.

Runs: is having three or more consecutive cards with the same suit. For instance, three of diamonds, four of diamonds, and five of diamonds.

Sets: is having three cards or four of the same rank. For example, six hearts, six diamonds, and six spades.

3. Chess

The game has been around long before the age of the Queen’s Gambit! The objective of the game is to checkmate your opponent. In other words, you should capture your opponent’s king.  This is a pure skill game where intelligence and experience go hand in hand to make a chess legend. It is unlikely to find a game offering a similar level of intellectual challenges.

Chess proficiency varies from player to player and depends on their knowledge, intelligence, ability to remain focused, and experience. Skill levels vary and range from amateur players learning the game to pros who play on a Grand Master and compete in top international tournaments.

4. Backgammon

This game of skill also has been around for a long time. The game is a battlefield between red and black pieces and dates back 5,000 years or more. One factor that adds to the thrill of the game is that no two backgammon games will ever be the same because there are infinite possible variations of outcomes. The game is based on dice rolls. So, it’s unlikely that you tire of it.

If you are a newcomer, the goal of the game is not complicated to learn. You and your opponent have 15 tiles and should try to be the first to get them off the board. You move your tiles around the board based on the rolls of the dice. If you are lucky to get double rolls, you can move around the board way faster than your opponent.

Although people say the game is easy to learn, it requires time and effort to master. For this reason, your skill depends on your experience. So, if you want to become a pro at this game, play as much as you can.

5. Yahtzee

Although Yahtzee is a relatively new game, it has already grown in popularity and it stands out. The game has an element of luck involved, and that is the rolls of the dice because this game is based on dice rolls. To become a pro at this game, you should know when to use specific rolls for certain scores because it is a crucial part of your winning. To win at Yahtzee, you need to get different rolls and know when to use them as part of your score. Because in the end, the highest score will win the game.

6. Poker

It is an extremely popular game in casinos and online gambling sites. Poker is one of the oldest and most popular games for home and informal settings. No matter if you play it for small pots, big prizes, or just for fun, it gives you so much fun.

There are two key concepts you need to understand about poker. First of all, you should always create the best possible poker hand as each hand has a different value. The other key concept is the ability to stay calm and put on a poker face. If you become a pro in bluffing, you can make players with better hands to give up their hands-fold-, so you will win having the weaker hand. Also, if you have a great hand and can keep other players betting for as long as possible, your winnings will increase.

Chance Games Examples

Different kinds of chance games are out there to play. The common types are as follows:

• Casino games.
• Lotteries such as raffles, tombolas, sweepstakes, etc.
• Betting games and gambling machines.

Chance Games And Casino

The most popular games of chance in casinos are Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Slot Machines, and video poker. Bingo is mostly popular among adults and the elderly. Grandparents in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Ireland love to socialize and spend time playing Bingo. This game is also popular for charity events.

 House edge: 1.24 – 14.36%

Baccarat has been known as a high-roller game among classic casino players. It has gradually become much more popular at all limits, especially with the explosion of online casinos. Recently, online casinos allow players to play this game for lower limits and with lower house advantage.

 House edge: 0.28%

21 or blackjack is another classic casino card game loved by all kinds of players and ages. Blackjack is simple to learn and carries a very low house edge as long as you know how to play according to the basic strategy and this is the one game of chance that is beatable. However, you need to spend time and considerable effort mastering the game.

 House edge: 2.70 – 5.26%

Roulette is a super simple casino game to play for real money. There are a couple of betting options ranging from simple to more complex. For example, if you are a newbie and want to keep it simple, bet on red/black or even/odd numbers. You can make the game more complex by betting o specific numbers or unique bets.

The objective of the game is pretty easy. You only need to correctly predict where the little white ball will land. Learning the game is also pretty simple, and you can start playing for real money after a couple of practice hands.

 House edge: 0.00 – 16.67%

This classic dice game is popular among high-speed gamblers and those who love crowds and noise. Craps tables at land-based casinos always attract people and are among the noisiest sections of the casino. Among all casino games, craps will take the longest to learn and master. However, this should discourage you because once you learn the game and experience the thrill, you will realize it is nothing but fun, fun, and fun. I suggest learning the game, practicing enough, then getting into the real money game.

 House edge: 0.46%

If you are a poker lover, Video poker is exactly what you’re looking for. Regardless of your favorite variant, you can find it online. Here, like classic blackjack, with the use of some basic strategy, you can aggressively lower the video poker’s house edge.

 House edge: 2.00 – 15.00%

The slot machine is the ultimate in simple entertainment in the casino. The graphics of new generation slot machines are amazing, the gameplay is super smooth, and the bonus games are insanely fun. However, if you like the classic feel, don’t worry. The classics still exist, especially at online casinos.

Chance and Skill Games FAQs

Is it legal to play skill games in the US?

YESSS! It is completely legal to play the skill games across the states.

What is the best game of skill?

Well, it depends on how you define the best! Actually, card games, especially, rummy and blackjack, are among the most popular skill-based games.

Are the games of chance easier to win than games of skill?

According to their definitions, games of chance are certainly, easier than games of skill. Because training and practice will not improve your chances of succeeding in a purely random game. So, people of varying levels of experience all have the same odds of winning in a game of chance. Conversely, in skill-based games, more experienced players inherently stand a better chance of winning.

To Sum It Up

Before I send you out the door as a master of chance/skill games, I want to make sure you have all of the important takeaways ingrained in your brain. So, try to use both types of games for entertainment, do your homework and understand the game you want to play, employ strategies to lower house edge, and now you are good to go.