Tag Archives: practice

Free backgammon allows you to play often and helps build a strategy

Free backgammon is a term most internet savvy players will be familiar with, due to the amazing growth of online backgammon gaming sites. But for anyone not familiar with the world of backgammon online a little explanation is in order. What is generally meant by “free backgammon” is not a distribution of actual backgammon games free of charge, nor is it a reference to free membership at the local backgammon club. What we’re referring to is the backgammon software downloads that are available at no charge to the player from internet backgammon sites. With a basic Internet connection and a computer that can support the high-quality 3-D video backgammon software the player can download and play the game as often as they like for free. It’s a great way to learn the game, practice your strategy and just play non-competitive backgammon for free.

The vast majority of the players who download the free backgammon software are not simply interested in free gaming. In fact the main reasons for accessing backgammon Internet sites and downloading their software isn’t necessarily the interest in backgammon gambling but the ability to simply play for free, have fun and meet other avid players from all around the world. It’s like the world’s biggest backgammon club right at your fingertips.

But other players also see free games as a chance to practice for the big tournaments. The online backgammon industry has developed a reputation for hosting regular backgammon tournaments with high value prizes. These competitions are arranged at all levels, and even a player that doubts they have the skills to get to the final round and win the main prize, can hope for winning a substantial secondary prize if they are eliminated from the tournament in one of the higher qualifying rounds.

In addition to the skilled games, or those who hope to join their ranks, the businessperson who looks forward to play backgammon for relaxation, or to make a small gamble now and again, also finds the online sites a valuable resource. These players find it hard to find the time to go to their local backgammon club and they appreciate the chance to play the game when it fits in with their schedule. For example, if you finish a busy meeting in the early hours of the morning and wish to unwind over a game of backgammon, you will find someone to play against online or, if you prefer, you can play against a backgammon computer.

Another important group of online backgammon players are the new players to the game. A good proportion of these will want to access the articles and instructions available online to learn the backgammon rules. They will also look forward to the chance to practice how to play backgammon against one of the powerful backgammon computers where you can select a game at a level that suits your skills. Later they can find human opponents of a similar or slightly high skill level to further improve their play.

How to Win at Video Poker

Video poker is a game of cold, calculated exactness. A pitting of man against machine, the often daunting mathematical odds prove that only the very brave step up to face the sickly, menacing glow of screen of the online casino video poker game.

And some are willing. A few brave souls rise, unwavering, to the task, and with mathematical prowess, offer tangible human challenge to the terrifyingly alien and inhuman stare of the video poker game.

But for those without that mathematical prowess, there are ways to meet the video poker machine head-on.

You know you’re brave enough, and the day is far in the future where you succumb to a mere machine.

The Tips

The first rule to besting video poker is to know the fundamentals of the game. You may be battling an entity devoid of emotion, a cold steel box from which you cannot pluck an inkling of feeling, or a bluff or a give-away. Knowing the basics of the game will help with this factor. As it is only when we know the basics that all other aspects are disregarded and the game becomes raw, stripped and real; which the only way a computer knows how to play.

Next, use those like you. Join a players’ club and practice the fundamentals. A human-being can conduct thought patterns which transcend those of a randomly generating machine brain. Practicing with fellow poker enthusiasts will open you up to those levels, and if mastered, will help you operate as a poker player, far beyond the linear capabilities of the video poker machine.

Check card combinations online. There are websites available that have on-hand, an array of possible video poker card combinations. If you know the combinations which favour retaining certain cards and discarding others, you automatically stand a chance of better anticipating the machine’s next move. These card combinations can obviously be used with many hands, and it’s up to you to decide whether to ‘stand’ or ‘fold’ as these combinations come at you. Memorising these combinations can only stand you in good stead, whatever the hand.

Adding to this, each game comes with certain pay tables afforded to it and knowing these pay tables, gives you another distinct advantage when deciding on cards. Remember, you need to retain the cards that improve your hand, and discard those that don’t. Knowing the pay tables allows you to decipher which combinations match with which paying structures, and gives you a head start advantage over that stationary opponent.

At the end of the day, though, it’s always best to cut your losses. Decide on a total loss and stop playing when you reach that total. The Online Casino video poker machine can never be the true winner, as it cannot turn from the challenge and live to fight another day. As you practice, memorise combinations, get familiar with different hands and pay tables, and build your poker assault with practice and the knowledge of the basics, you’ll triumph…you’ll triumph in the glow of that inhuman stare, and you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.