Which Online Casino Games Are Perfect for Gamers Who Rely on Their Skill?
Major gaming titles like Call of Duty and League of Legends require red-hot gaming skills to be successful. Even titles like Mario Kart and Genshin Impact need a certain degree of talent to get ahead of the games, and it’s developing those relevant skills that make gaming so popular and challenging.
Slide over to the world of online gambling, and the feeling is a little different. Slot machines are easily accessible to even a first-time player as they don’t require any special techniques or skills to play; just a basic understanding of payouts and pay lines. Tables games like roulette and craps meanwhile, are sheer chance. So those may not offer enough of a challenge for gamers who are looking for opportunities to develop and use skills. For that kind of casino play, where talents can be put to the test to beat either a dealer, the odds or even other players, there are still options available.
Poker
This is arguably the king of all casino skill games. It can take years to fully learn, and more often than not there is quite a steep learning curve. It’s best to start small as skill, strategy and psychology are the three key components that are tested in the game of poker.
Because it’s a game where a player is directly challenging others, then interpersonal skills, having a “poker face” and the ability to bluff also come into the picture. There are no other casino games that require that deep-lying variety of skills.
You need to know when to bet, when to fold and this requires an intense study and understanding of the surrounding game. There’s a need to be aware of what other players are doing, to help enhance your own strategy.
Blackjack
For skill-oriented players, Blackjack is another one that can be singled out for casino play to suit any budget preference whether you are a high roller, or a fan of low deposit casinos like at a 5 deposit casino. The skill in Blackjack is understanding the percentages, which, in turn, influence strategy. Knowing what to do, based on the cards you have been dealt and what the dealer’s up-card is, is the basis of blackjack.
The challenge with blackjack is that there are varieties of the game, with different numbers of decks and rules like whether the dealer stands on soft 17. There is a lot of memorization skill required in blackjack, but also a touch of a maverick edge to challenge traditional strategies and even advance into card counting.
Card counting is legal, but if suspected of doing it, you may be asked to leave the table. Card counting is keeping track of what has already been played, to get an idea of how many 10 are still stacked in the deck, for example. It’s a very difficult, time-consuming talent to learn.
The Role of Chance
Chance plays a major role in all gambling. It doesn’t matter what the game is, whether a progressive jackpot machine, the spin of a roulette wheel or the turn of a card in a game of baccarat, things will come down to chance.
However, in certain games, there are skills that players can use to position themselves better against the odds. Chance can’t be eliminated from any game, which is due to the house edge, but better positions can be leveraged with the above games. Still, there is no way to guarantee wins and financial returns from gambling, even with skill in the mix.
The Grey Area
Some players will insist that skills are required for other casino games like video poker, and some will even try and convince others that they have a good history with a particular slot machine. But any type of video game or slot is going to increase the randomness of chance that is played.
Poker and blackjack still have large elements of chance, through which cards are dealt and when. But video slots for example all run on random number generators and the house edge on these is astronomical when stacked up against poker and blackjack.
While there are no skills involved in slots, there are choices still to make in games like video Hold’em, such as when to continue the hand. But it’s a very different world to sitting in person at a table or playing a live dealer game online with a real deck of cards.
What to Avoid
Slots are right up there at the top of casino games to avoid if you are looking for skill-based play. Progressive slots are arguably the biggest of those to avoid because of typically low RTP. Among the other casino games to avoid are American roulette, craps, bingo and any type of fortune wheel game where chance dominates skill.
