editor, Author at LearnPlayWin

The Ongoing Debate Between Console and PC Gamers

October 12, 2017 By editor

The PC vs Console Dilemma

There is an ongoing debate between gamers as to which platform is the best one for gaming, PC or Console? Each platform has advantages and disadvantages and gamers will more than likely have their favourite option and stick to it. Just like the Apple-Android debate rages on, so too does each side have a strong opinion and a very clear preference.

To begin with it is important to make a distinction between how each platform is used. PC games are played using a personal computer and console games are developed to be played on a console and are generally intense games. The most popular consoles today are the Xbox from Microsoft, the PlayStation for Sony, the Gamecube and Wii from Nintendo.

Cost and Upgrades

When looking at differences in the cost of these, PC’s are often much more expensive than consoles and the games for PC’s are generally more expensive than console games.

Accessories for a PC often use a standard connection which means that PC users do not have to buy a new mouse, keyboard or headset for example. PC gamers have the option of customising their PC and then upgrading certain parts as technology advances. For PC gamers upgrading is an easy process although it may be expensive and for gamers working within a tight budget they may only have to upgrade their GPU or RAM every 3 or 4 years.

The outlay may be more than a console to begin with, but in the long run it is cheaper to upgrade a PC than to buy a new console when the latest one is released. With consoles, upgrading is not really an option and only certain areas of a console can be customised. Gamers will not be able to open up their console and replace the GPU for example when new technology comes out.

Games

Games play an important, if not the most important factor when deciding on a platform. Although you won’t find anything like the selection of games available at a CAD casino for any console, the genres and variety are important to players. Developers have created many games for Xbox or PlayStation and a gamer that has an Xbox One may not be able to play these games. For PC gamers they get the option to choose many of these games as they are compatible with a PC. Good news for PC gamers is that Sony offers PlayStation Now which is a streaming service offered on a subscription basis for PC gamers. Not to be outdone Xbox offers the Xbox Play Anywhere service.

Initial Setup

There is often quite a lot to setup with PC gaming, which can often be fun for those interested in the technology but if a gamer does not really know all the ins and outs it may become frustrating. Setting up a console is usually very easy and a gamer can get going in no time. Some PC’s will not support multiplayer games, while console gaming is great for this and many gamers can play together in one room.

Speed is important when gaming and for beginners using a mouse and keyboard offers more control than a joystick. The keyboard and joystick are more accurate. On the other hand it is better to play certain games on an Xbox One controller or the PS DualShock 4 using the wired or Bluetooth option. Many of the more popular games can also be played on a PC using a controller.

Both platforms have their pros and cons and knowing which platform to choose will also depend on the type of gamer and whether they prefer casual or hard-core gaming.

Develop Your Backgammon Strategy With Tips From Other Games

October 2, 2017 By editor

Backgammon is a game that requires players to possess a wide range of skills. To get started, there are some basic tactics that you are expected to learn in order in order to improve your ability at backgammon. After this, practicing by playing game after game is a fantastic way of carrying on getting better. However, could you improve even more by playing other games as well?

The truth is that you can make some big advances in your backgammon skills by trying out some other games as well. So what can you learn by taking this approach?

Learn When to Adjust Your Strategy

The more different types of strategy that you are exposed to the better. For instance, in poker you will learn how to manage your money so that you don’t lose much when dealt a poor hand. On the other hand, when the cards fall your way you need to press home the advantage that this gives you and win as much as you can.

If you give chess a try, then this will sharpen your mind in terms of thinking ahead by planning long term strategies. Making good, smart moves on the chessboard means being one step ahead of your opponent and setting a trap for them. The same applies to highly strategy based card games such as bridge.

In the same way, it is possible to learn different ways of playing from other games too. Rather than limiting yourself to just playing backgammon, why not try out a few other options and see how much fun it can be, as well as educational?

By playing a number of different games you will find out about various strategies that could be useful in helping you to adapt to any situation when playing backgammon again. The more different approaches that you have up your sleeve the better for dealing with whatever comes your way in future games.

Learn How to Make the Most of Your Luck

Backgammon success comes from an interesting combination of luck and skill, while some other games depend more upon luck, and others on higher levels of skill. Yet, even in games that depend purely on luck you still need to learn how to make the most of what goes your way.

For instance, if you are playing roulette or slots, do you increase your bets to take advantage of a winning streak and do you lower your bets when it just doesn’t look like it is going to be your day? By playing games that depend largely upon luck you will begin to appreciate how you can make your own luck in backgammon.

Equally, by playing purely strategy based games you will understand how the element of luck involved in backgammon adds to the excitement of playing it and changes your approach.

Then there are other games like Scopa that combine luck and skill in much the same way as backgammon. The same applies to other card games such as euchre, which requires you to make the most of the hand that you are dealt.

With backgammon, you always have the chance to make the most of your good luck or do something to avoid your bad luck leading to a poor game. Having the confidence to know that you can deal with whatever Lady Luck has in store for you will make you feel more confident about handling anything that comes your way.

Play Live Online Games

One thing that was impossible to practice in the past was how to play in a high tension game with other players. People had to play alone or with friends at home, which meant that they could practice the strategies but not the issue of dealing with the pressure of a real game situation. That changed with the arrival of live dealer casinos that work by combining real dealers with online play. On these sites, players can hone their skills at their chosen game while also experiencing the pressure of a realistic casino atmosphere through a live-streamed feed.

Games that are available on live casinos typically include the likes of poker, roulette, and baccarat. Since we have already seen that poker offers a good way of honing your backgammon skills, then playing live poker online makes a lot of sense in this respect, although live casino poker has some limitations in itself, namely the fact that you’re playing against a dealer rather than other players.

Follow the Example of Jean-Philippe Rohr

An interesting example of someone who has learned a lot from different types of games is Jean-Philippe Rohr. He was a highly successful French international soccer player who started playing backgammon once his career out on the soccer pitch ended. Rohr then became the French backgammon champion on two separate occasions. When a number of his acquaintances from the backgammon world made the switch to poker, he did the same thing.

He has now been successful in the world of competitive poker too, just as he was with soccer and backgammon. The player describes poker as “a sport of psychological combat” and it is clear that he had learned a lot from each of his different careers to date.

There is no need to just stick to one sport or game, no matter how good you are at it. By trying out a few different types you can increase your confidence and skills while having fun. Even if you aren’t as successful as Jean-Philippe Rohr has been in different fields, you can still enjoy playing as many different games as you would like and learn something from each one.

Five rare card games to keep you playing

September 26, 2017 By editor

There’s quite often a stalemate when it comes to which card game to play. Whether there’s no consensus on the right one or none of the players are familiar with the same games, it ends with the same outcome: no game at all, whilst the discussions continue.

Sometimes, it just comes from a desire to have a change from the norm and you don’t know where to turn. You’ve played the likes of rummy or crazy eights too many times already and would like to change it up a little. Whatever your reasons for needing a change, here is a selection of more left-field offerings that will help you put the spark back into your play.

Creights

Start with something that has an air of familiarity. Creights has some of same traits as Crazy Eights, but extra rules that will add new intrigue and competitiveness to proceedings. With as few as three or as many as eight players, you can get underway with single or double-decks. In a nutshell, each player is looking to empty their hand first by playing on suit or rank of the play pile, and if they cannot then they must pick up from the draw pile. It’s a game of points – the more points you have in your hand at the end of the game, the worse off you are. You’re aiming to score as low as possible. Almost every card (except face cards) has a specific role, and this is what will keep you on your toes. The full Creights rules require some memory to get started, but once you’re underway it will come naturally.

Whist

With four players and a single pack of cards, Whist is an Old English game dating back to the 16th century. An exciting element here is that of teamwork, where the players split into two pairs and try to beat their adversaries. Each player gets 13 cards, and the dealer places the last one face up to reveal the ‘trump suit’. Every player to the left must play a card, ideally of the same suit, and the highest card of the same suit wins the round and claims points for their team. 13 rounds are played, one for each card in the hand of the players, and the team that has scored the most points overall will be deemed winners.

99

Following on from Whist, this game was apparently honed as a similar version that could cater to three players, or even two, four or five successfully. The object is to win the exact amount of tricks you bid. You bid by placing three cards face down on the table, which have a numerical value based on their suit. Because you place three cards down to bid, there will only be nine cards remaining, so nine rounds to play. It’s not easy to explain whilst remaining concise, so it’s worth a look at a more thorough explanation of the game. It’s worthwhile taking the time to learn, especially for those looking for a more tactical pasttime, who have friends who want more than a swift game of chance.

Psychological ju jitsu

handful of cards — Image Source: pexels.com

Combative in name, psychologically combative in nature with this game of mental warfare. It’s a swift game that can be rattled through in five minutes if the conditions are right. With one deck of cards, two or three people can play. If there’s any more, then it’ll require more sets of cards to get the game underway. With three players, each person is dealt a full suit of 13 cards which will start from low (Ace -1) to high (King – 13). In effect you are bidding for the card in the middle, which is the remaining suit shuffled to be bought at random. Each player sees the card in the middle, and draws their card together, the highest card wins the card from the extra suit. At the end of 13 rounds, whoever has the highest value of cards that they have taken from the middle wins the game.

Forty Thieves

Not all card games are made for social occasions – sometimes it’s just a good way to pass the time alone, or take your mind elsewhere for a while. Many games have different merits for this. Playing blackjack, for example, is intense and needs strategy when the stakes are raised, monetary or otherwise, to add more incentive. As probably the most popular game that can be played as a single player with the different strategies that come into play, it’s undoubtedly great fun, but it does usually rely on having some computerised assistance to keep it exciting. Therefore, the last game we’re describing is a solitary one that just requires yourself and a couple of decks of cards. No electricity, plugs or internet connection required. The forty thieves are laid in sets of four across ten piles (tableaus), and you must use these and the discard pile to place ‘foundations’. These are piles made up of suits, starting from the ace and all the way up to the king. If you can successfully empty the tableaus and discard the pile into the foundations, you win. It will take a little more reading to get to grips with it, but it’s worth the while.

A whole new set of games

Here are five games, differing in difficulty, time and rules. You can almost certainly find a new game in there to satiate every type of card player, so the next time you’re stuck you’ll have no problem making a decision when push comes to shove.

The Future of Casino Games

September 18, 2017 By editor

The casino has been around for several hundreds of years. And even more before that name began being used. People have been visiting places to play games of chance for a long time. It is undeniable that gambling rooms have existed for many millennia. Who knows even caveman might have had caves for games of chance?

The Future of Gambling

While the experience of Las Vegas or Macau can never be recreated these places are now getting a real run for their money. Online casino games do not offer the same experience as brick and mortar casinos do. Even though many of them claim to. What they do offer is a completely different experience.

Instead of enjoying the travelling to the casino, the online casinos offer convenience. This is one of the reasons why online casinos have become so popular over the years. The games have now gone on to the mobile platform. Therefore the amount of convenience is greatly increased. Members of the casinos can no longer just play the very top casino games from anywhere. They can play the games on the go.

Anonymity, this is a major concern of many gamblers. While it is a bit more difficult to disguise a visit to your local casino, no one finds out about your playing online casino games, visit online Australian pokies for more information about casino games. This includes your banker. There are many ways to deposit money and play games anonymously. And when you win the jackpot, the same privacy is maintained in giving you your payout.

Very soon internet-based casinos will rival land-based casinos in terms of the social interaction offered. Already the leading online casinos are offering multi player games. These are made possible because of the large number latest technologies. The player gets to interact with the dealer and other players in real time. Even when they are playing the games, the bets are placed and the game plays in real time.

But as technology continues to advance, soon players will soon be able to play in fully virtual casinos. VR devices and game designers keep on improving their capabilities.

Poker Pros – The World’s Top Players Rounded Up

September 15, 2017 By editor

Poker Pros – The World’s Top Players

Gone are the days when poker was a card game played with friends on a Friday night over a couple of drinks. This popular game has evolved in a major sport with rich financial gains to be won by its top players.

Different players have different strengths, and the most skilled might not necessarily have the most cash wins. With skills based games becoming more popular in casinos, we’ve created a list of some of who we think are the best all round poker players today, in no particular order.

1. Daniel Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian born player and has a list of accolades in professional poker as long as your arm. In 2014, he was recognized by the Global Poker Index as being the best player of the decade due to his consistently excellent performances in the live arena. He has won 6 World Series of Poker gold bracelets, as well as 2 World Poker Tour Championships. He has had 6 separate cash winnings of $1 million or more – the biggest of which being $8.28 million which he earned by winning the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop at the WSOP. He is the only player in the world to have ever won WSOP bracelets in Australia, Europe and Las Vegas and is also the only player i to have won the WSOP Player of the Year twice – once in 2004 and then again in 2013.He also plays online and sites like River Belle casino and other establishments have been known to welcome him to their virtual tables.

Antonio Esfandiari

Formerly a professional magician, Antonio Esfandiari is nicknamed “the Magician” on the professional poker circuit due to his elaborate magic tricks with the chips. Antonio has been placed first at 2 World Poker Tour events, and has 3 World Poker Series Bracelets to his name. His biggest win to date was when he beat Sam Trickett at the WSOP The Big One for One Drop in 2012, with a cash prize of over $18 million. This gave him the title of the highest cash winner of all time for poker winnings, although he would be usurped in that category by Daniel Negreanu in 2014.

Sam Trickett

Sam Trickett hails from Nottinghamshire in England, and is currently number 5 in the list top cash winners in the sport of poker. After a knee injury ended his professional football career, Sam began playing poker, and it has turned out to be a very lucrative switch in sports for him. In 2011, he was named the Best European Poker Player of the Year, and Britain’s Best Cash Player also in 2011. 2011 was clearly a good year for Sam, with 2 major cash wins just within days of each other. $1.5 million by winning the Aussie Millions A$100,000 top event, and just a few days later, scooping up the second prize at A$250,000 event, taking home a further $1.4million. His biggest moment to date comes in 2012 however, when he was one of only 48 players spend $1 million on the buy in and compete for the biggest first prize in poker history – the WSOP The Big One for One Drop. He played until the end and eventually surrendered to Antonio Esfandiari to be placed second, but taking home winnings of just over $10 million for that prize.

Phil Hellmuth

Hellmuth was born in Wisconsin United States, and has a mind blowing 16 WSOP bracelets to his name. In 1989 at just 24 years of age Phil Hellmuth won the main event at the WSOP, making him the youngest player in the history of the event to do so. He was inducted in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007, and went on to win the main event in the World Series of Poker Europe in 2012. His accumulated tournament winnings currently stands on over $21 million, and he holds the number 7 spot in the list of all time cash winners.