Baby Got Backgammon
November 5, 2010
Posted by KaceyM in : Skill Games , 1 comment so far
I keep coming back to online Backgammon every time I go to write this blog. There are several reasons for it:
- There are a lot of great online Backgammon tournaments and online Backgammon sites that feature solid competition, fun interactions, and well-executed software.
- Backgammon has been called the world’s oldest game for a reason–people can’t stop playing it. If you haven’t started playing the game that is better than online checkers and more social than Internet chess, then I haven’t done my job effectively.
- There’s only so much you can say about Darts and Rock-Paper-Scissors, as worthy an online Skill Game as they are.
- Games and Casino has a ginormous spread of Backgammon Rules and Strategies, and it’s a shame we really don’t get to brag out it.
- There are so many ways to play with online Backgammon into the blog title. Backgammon for more, Baby Come Backgammon, Backgammon to the Future. Don’t roll your eyes, I’ll probably use these!
And I wasn’t kidding about the software. Those of you who may be used to playing “games of chance” may overdose on Flash on occasion, but occasionally it’s nice to play a game that really uses your mind and, as a game of skill, is legal in most places. It’s even nicer when you can do it without breaking (or wanting to break) the software it’s played on. Places like BGRoom Backgammon and Party Gammon feature downloaded software so true-to-life, you’ll have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re really competing against players around the world. There may be other things you could be doing in the middle of the night, but playing backgammon online at Play 65 with your new friends requires far less stretching.
If you do want to get limbered up, you’ll want to check out our hot and sweaty Backgammon workouts. Learn What You Need to Know Before Playing Backgammon as well as the various online Backgammon Games available.
With such a large international following, I might even be so bold to say that Backgammon could very well be the new Bingo of online gaming, certainly of online skill tournaments. Who’s going to prove me wrong?
Rock-Paper-Scissors: A Game of Skill?
October 29, 2010
Posted by KaceyM in : Skill Games , 2comments
Sure, Rock-Paper-Scissors is a fun game, but a game of skill? Really?
Game Colony seems to think so. And so do thousands of players. “RPS” may have some of the simplest rules of any game, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t strategy involved. And now that there is money at stake, if you’re going to play the game, you better bring all ten fingers.
Play Rock-Paper-Scissors for cash, peruse the rock-paper-scissors forums (which, to be honest, aren’t the most frequented forums out there–still, they exist, which says something), or jump right into mini-tournament play and get your name on the Ladders (Game Colony’s version of a leaderboard). The Top Ten Rock-Paper-Scissors champions win free tickets, which can be used for entry into cash tournaments.
This just goes to show you that if there are Rock-Paper-Scissors tournaments online, there’s not much you won’t find on the Internet. Raise your hand if you’re going to play!
Rummy Royal offers $5 Free
October 27, 2010
Posted by KaceyM in : Skill Games , 1 comment so far
Rummy Royal is currently offering a no-deposit, no-strings, no-hard-feelings promotion to new Rummy players: Get $5 free just for completing your registration and trying them out. New players are instructed to use the light desktop version of the software and enter the coupon code “5Welcome” during registration. One email validation later, and voila! Free cash to use at all the Welcome tables (marked with a purple W in the lobby).
If you like it well enough to sit and play a while, one real money deposit will open up an entire world of online Rummy tournaments, jackpot tables, leaderboard challenges, and Rummy pyramids. On top of that, all initial deposits of $10 and up are eligible for a 100% bonus match. (I’m using USDollars as an example; several currencies are accepted at Rummy Royal).
If you’re new to the game of Rummy, you’ll want to start at the “Beginner Tables” that are all over the Rummy Royal lobby. Marked with the letter “B” and highlighted purple, these tables will be available to you 90 days after your first deposit and let you play with low stakes while you sharpen your skills. We have more on the subject in our Rummy Royal review.
If you want to play Rummy online or just learn how to play Rummy games, Rummy Royal gives you several ways to to do it. Check out Royal Rummy’s new Gin Rummy room while you’re there!
Paddy Power Games Launches the 24/24 Marathon Madness
October 24, 2010
Posted by KaceyM in : Skill Games , 1 comment so far
On October 22, Paddy Power Games made history by adding 24 new games to its line-up–all within the span of that day. To celebrate such a momentous occasion, they started to go a little crazy and launch a promotion as well: the Paddy Power Games 24/24 Marathon Madness.
Featuring a different newly launched game every day,the 24/24 Marathon is a points rally to the finish. Opt in and play all your old favorite games, your new favorite games, and, most especially, the Game of the Day (today’s is Chests of Plenty). Every credit wagered counts as a point, and every credit wagered during the Game of the Day counts 3x.
Points will be tallied and 24 winners will be determined at noon on November 16, 2010. A total of €/£ 50,000 euros in cash and free bets is at stake. Even if you don’t place, as long as you’ve Opted in, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win €/£ 24 in free bets (and 76 players will walk away with this prize).
Each day, players will also get an opportunity to win a Game of the Day drawing. Not only do you accumulate the points for your wagering, but if you meet the minimum wagering requirement (€/£ 24), you’ll be entered into a drawing for each €/£ 24 you wager on the Game of the Day. In today’s drawing, for example, you can win one of ten free bets worth €/£ 240!
If you’ve never stopped by Paddy Power Games, you’ll be impressed by the amount of games available. Paddy Power specializes in small stakes wagering as well as odds on non-sporting and novelty markets–like the outcome of your favorite television shows and the latest election. Paddy Power Games is also on the ground with 319 retail outlets around the world (and by “world”, I mean mostly in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK).
If you’re looking for something new, chances are Paddy Power Games will have what you’re looking for.
A little FYI: Since the promotion is fairly new, don’t go by the tickers at the top of the promotional banner. At one point my ticker was actually increasing the amount of “time left” (which would be wonderful, of course, but still wrong). Can you blame them, though? They put all their efforts into creating the games.
Skill Games: Please Scratch My Backgammon
October 18, 2010
Posted by KaceyM in : Skill Games , 1 comment so far
Last week, I mentioned that I’m on an online tournament hunt for games of skill. In other words, games that require more than just pushing the “Spin” or “Deal” button, but that require less than me moving away from my desk. As it turns out, there is an entire online community dedicated to playing both popular and unique skill games, complete with real money prize pools and satisfying bragging rights.
Today I’d like to shine a little light on the game of Backgammon. Some may remember Backgammon as the game John Locke played while on the beaches of Lost. He describes the game to Walt as, “Two players. Two sides. One is light and one is dark.” At that moment, those of us who have never heard of the game wanted to play it, especially if it unlocked the mystery that became the Lost mega-series.
Want to relive the moment? Watch it here: Locke and Backgammon
Like most games, Backgammon is an exciting blend of skill and luck. Quite possibly the oldest game in the world, Backgammon has been won and lost through history charting as far back as the ancient Greeks and Romans. Largely unchanged since the dice were made of bone (with the exception of its name and the addition of the doubling cube), the game of Backgammon has now been launched into the future with more games and tournaments being played online every day.
Backgammon is a game of checkers (the pieces, not the game) and of dice. It consists of a board with 24 triangles (points or pips) and 15 checkers of two different colors. The object of the game is to move your checkers around and off the board before your opponent does. You’ll find detailed set of instructions at BGRoom.com (“Where BG is the name and Backgammon is the game”) as well as at Game Colony, where you’ll find backgammon and a whole host of other skill games.
Right now, several online backgammon sites are offering promotions, tournaments, and deposit specials that can turn your novice skills into cash. For instance:
- PartyGammon.com is now offeringa 50% deposit match on your first deposit.
- Play65.com is currently offering a 40% deposit match, plus $.10 stakes for those new to the game.
- BGRoom.com offers a 30% deposit match, plus $5 free!
All three of these exclusively backgammon rooms feature freerolls, regularly scheduled tournaments (hourly, daily, monthly, etc), chat rooms, prizes, etc. Think of it like the bingo of skill games. Join a new brand of online gaming community or get your feet wet for free.
While the game of backgammon may not be as poetic as John Locke made it sound, it did indeed provide an interesting symmetry for those players on the island. Whether they played pieces that were light or dark, the question always remained who could gather up their forces and leave the board.
