How To Play Skill Games

Skill Games need to know how?

Many people who are just beginning the process of learning about games of chance do not fully understand the wide variety of difference that exists within this overall spectrum. In particular, I see a tremendous number of novice gamblers fail to appreciate the unique set of traits required to successfully play skill games. This can become a major problem, as uninformed players easily find themselves getting eviscerated at the tables when seated across from true and seasoned competitors.

The key here is to fully understand the broad variation that exists among a small group of the most popular casino varieties. Trying to compare poker to keno simply based upon the fact that they can both be found under the same roof is the height of folly, believe me. Appreciating the value of real knowledge about how to play skill games can be the most important characteristic a gambler can have in his or her arsenal.

I have my own personal experience upon which to draw in this regard, though I am loath to go into excessive detail. Suffice to say that in the summer of 1979 I entered a no-limit Texas Holdem tournament held in the basement of a sawdust joint on the outskirts of Fort Worth, thinking that my mastery of keno strategy would see me through. I was lucky to walk out of the basement on my own two feet, having literally lost my shirt (along with all my other clothing, valuables and dignity) over the course of an excruciating 7 minutes of play. Live and lean, friends.

For those of you who wish to get a solid handle on your skill game performance, it is a good idea to recognize which variants will require maximum effort. Most poker variants, craps, pai gow, sic bo, and other favorites of the same ilk would definitely fall into the "skill" category. Games that do not merit this designation include slots, keno, Twister and roulette.

Now, I fully appreciate that some of you will be incensed that I have included roulette in the "non-skill" list. I assure you it was not a decision I made without long hours of agonized contemplation. In the end, the unpredictable whims of that little white ball are held so utterly captive to the vagaries of sheer chance that I could not in good conscience call roulette a skill game. Reasonable people can disagree, so please refrain from directing any hate mail or letter bombs to my double-wide located in the most dazzling trailer park on the eastern border of... well, that's enough information.

When you decide which skill game offers the most allure, it's of the greatest importance to place it at the forefront of your consciousness. Some experts advise what is known as "cross-training" (e.g. attempting to master multiple games at the same time) but I've always placed a premium on learning one game at a time. Any particular community card variant of poker, for example, will call upon all of the acumen and focus you are able to muster. There's no need to scatter your attention, simply take things one game at a time.