Skill Games For Real Money Online

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The latest operator to launch a skill cash games platform is GetMega. With a social app delivering a range of skill-based games to Indian players, GetMega is looking to grow an already 5 million registered users to 50 million globally by the end of 2021.

What Are Real Money Skill Games?

There is often confusion between what constitutes a game of skill versus a game of chance. This confusion is demonstrated  by the number of potential players that ask questions like “what is skill-based gambling?” and “what is skill game gambling?” We’ll tackle answering those questions here with an example that’s a good illustration:

A few summers ago, I developed a serious problem. I became addicted to Bejeweled. It was bad. I could not wait to get home and play online. Whether it was in front of a PC, laptop, or on a smartphone, Bejeweled was my chosen game of skill.

It’s not hard to see why. Bejeweled is a hugely popular example of a puzzle game of skill, and is highly addictive. It became my major source of excitement and fun. I got to be real good at the game. It does take a certain level of ability to play well.

One day, after having played for what must have been hours, I came to an important realization: “There could be money in this somewhere, maybe I could use my flair to win money playing Bejeweled or any other type of games”.

That single thought introduced me to a world I never knew existed: the world of skill gaming websites. Or more to the point, the world of playing games to make money online using my skills.

I had to find out more. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who wished they could win money playing games. It turns out there are a number of websites where you can play skill-based games for money prizes – from a game show title right through to arcade, word, and puzzle games.

At these skill game websites, people can play games like Backgammon, Rummy, Dominoes, Virtual Darts, Chess, Freecell, board games, and of course the amazing game of Bejeweled.

On top of all that, you can also play console video games in cash contests against others too, and a whole range of arcade games and even titles based on a game show where games include such examples as The Price Is Right.

All can be played either in tournaments or against single opponents – and all with for cash or other prizes on offer too.

So now I knew that there were many options for playing skill games competitively against opponents in contests or competitions – some that require speed and fast reactions or reflexes, ability to predict what’s going to happen, intelligence, and experience, cognitive ability, or good hand-eye co-ordination….and other types that require a strong understanding of strategy, where a strong strategic approach is the main factor in achieving consistent success and the chances of ending up winning a cash prize.

As good examples, one game may test your dexterity skills under a timing situation. Another game may test your accuracy, finesse, or technique under some form of distraction. You can see the point. They will always involve you being good at something, or at least better than your opponent(s).

Skillgames are a world away from those random games of chance where you’d be hoping to make extra cash, such as playing bingo or any one of a number of gambling games in a casino. Those of course will fall under the category of gambling, as you’ll be wagering money on the outcomes and it’ll all be down to luck whether you win.

But of course, it’s not as easy as just knowing the opportunity exists, is it? If you want to use your specific abilities to craft positive outcomes playing a game of skill to make money or win other prizes, you’re going to need to know exactly what you can play and where to find the opportunities.

So that’s what we’ll cover now…..

Game Types

We’ve noted before that any game of skill falls into the classification of those that either need varying degrees of manual or mental aptitude (or both). Certainly in order to be successful enough to win playing them, as opposed to the gambling games of chance where luck has to be smiling.

They require good concentration ability too, and fortunately these can all be practiced at free sites where you can hone those essential skills. You’ll need to be able to use brainpower and maybe even some physical skill.

That brings a whole raft of different game types into the equation, so if we want to break them down they’re going to fall roughly into one of 8 categories:

• Console Video
• Card Games
• Strategy 
• Fantasy
• Arcade & Puzzle
• Trivia & Quiz
• Board Games
• Game Shows

Lets take a look at each of these categories in turn. It’s worth noting that there may be some crossover between one or two:

Console Video Games

There are a number of sites available where you can make money playing competitive video games. There are options to get involved in playing many of the popular video game titles, either in head-to-head contests or multi-player tournament-style competitions.

Those based on sports are particularly popular. Cash games such as these include football, pool, snooker, basketball, and golf. Skill-based soccer games like FIFA are well represented in the list of video games you can play for money.

But the real jewel in the crown here – and those that will appeal to the widest range of players – are the popular console titles that focus on warfare and battles.

Strategy

To be successful at strategy games calls for a clear head and a deep understanding of the game along with the experience (or instructions) on what to do for the best results in specific circumstances.

Many of these approaches are required in card games, with poker being the most well-known. 3 Card Poker is an ideal example, where there’s plenty of luck at play in what cards you’re dealt but how you decide to play them can mean the difference between winning and losing. Note though that even though there is an element of skill, these are still classified as gambling games.

You’ll also find strategies useful in other game types too such as those based around navigation of virtual worlds (covered further below).

Card Games

Ah. Card Games! We’ve all played them right? As kids, as teenagers in the loft with illicit-style betting, with grandparents, and as parents and adults. This subject is an immense one, as can be seen on the excellent website Pagat.com….and unsurprisingly a number of them can be played either for fun or real money.

Many players will consider a card game to be a game of chance, but that’s not totally true. While luck does have a say if you use the right strategies you can definitely improve winning chances.

Games include favorites such as poker, backgammon, and solitaire. Let’s look at a few that sit in the ‘real money’ bracket…..

Poker

Perhaps the most obvious example of a game of strategic skill is poker, and – as we’ll see further below – it sits firmly as one of the best you can play for making money. Poker is a game where strategy plays a huge part in successful play, though of course, you do need some good helpings of luck in the cards you’re dealt. It’s possible to play your way through many hands of poker and make perfect decisions but still lose, but overall in the long run you’ll come out on top.

When we talk about poker as a skill game, we are of course referring to the variants such as Texas Holdem, Omaha, and others where you’re playing against opponents. There are a number of casino-type variants – with 3 card poker being a good example – where strategy can help your winning chances but luck does play a much bigger part in the eventual outcomes.

So, poker is a game of chance that gives possibilities to play for fun, for excitement, or for money. Many players play for fun using low stakes. Some like to win a little money occasionally. Only a small percentage actually play for additional income or as full-time poker professionals.

Whether you win or lose, you can enjoy the thrill. There are three things you want to be asking yourself first before playing anything for cash prizes – am I going to enjoy it, how much is it going to cost me, and can I win or make money from it.

With poker, it’s a fair bet you’re going to get the entertainment value! As far as cost goes, as long as you don’t get carried away you can control how much you could possibly lose.

Your chances of winning though heavily depend on your approach; your own personal discipline and skill level, and how much practice you’re prepared to put in to hone your skills. Plus of course, the skill level of your opponents, how they play, and whether they have any advantages which you don’t such as access to some form of software. Playing against poker software (or a bot as it’s sometimes known) can decrease your odds because it’s essentially a computer program that’s making playing decisions.

It’s possible to play poker off the bat with minimal instruction and get some winning hands…and maybe even come out of a session ahead. But in the long run, you’ll need to put the effort in to get a positive return.

So the chances of winning? They’re good, provided you can put in the focused effort that playing well consistently calls for. Of all the different ways to win money playing games online, anyone who can play poker well stands a very good chance of being successful…and of having a great time doing it.

Rummy

The second most popular skill-based card game after poker is rummy. With a number of different formats available to play, it’s especially popular in countries like India.

Different types of rummy games are all based on the same basic concept – that of collecting melds.

A meld is a run of cards, which can be either sets of three or four cards of the same rank or three or more sequential cards in the same suit.

So where does the skill come into play?

You’ll be using your memory and anticipation skills in a rummy game by remembering which cards have been discarded and using that to estimate the probability of getting useful cards from the deck or the recent discard.

Other Card Games

Other games Include such favorites as solitaire, spades, and a double handful of others you’ll find in an online casino. These call for a combination of skills, mental agility, strategic approach, and a fairly hefty dose of luck too!

Arcade – Puzzle – Word

Each of these could take up a category of their own. You’ll often find variations of them on various cash-gaming websites. Clearly, arcade games, word games, and most forms of puzzle games call for a mix of skills, with the arcade type options often requiring manual dexterity and experience, and puzzle, quiz, or word games requiring mental strength.

Arcade

Arcade games involve critical thinking capabilities and fast reflexes. In fact, generally, you’ll need good hand-eye coordination. Some examples are Collapse and Mini-Golf. Shooting and racing games also fall into this category, as do others such as Bejeweled and Tetris Burst.

Arcade games can be also be likened to the different types of popular video games we all know and love. You can read more about these on the ‘play video games for money‘ page.

Puzzle

Puzzle games utilize a player’s ability to apply logic – sometimes combined with manual dexterity – and require a gamer to solve puzzles under a time limit. Some examples include Bejeweled and HexTwist.

Word

Word games are based on solving word problems, with a good example being any word game where you need to rearrange letters to form a word or sentence. Popular options include Bookworm, Alphabet Soup, and Word Mojo. Plus of course the globally-known game of Scrabble.

Many of these types are played under tournament conditions where all participants will pay an entry fee and the winner will get a percentage of the overall pot. If you don’t fancy playing tournaments there are other options to play some word games where the aim is to build up a points balance that can be used to exchange for prizes like raffle tickets, electrical goods, holidays, etc.

Trivia & Quiz 

Trivia games are a clear case of a game of skill. They test your level of knowledge in specific categories, or across a broad range of general knowledge-type subjects. They’re question and answer contests, normally played singly.

Playing in free-to-enter trivia contests can net you some nice cash prizes. The best-known example is probably HQ Trivia, although there are a number of other real money trivia competitions to enter in the list of trivia websites. Many of these offer a skilled contestant good chances to win some money or other prizes.

Fantasy Real Money Games 

Here there are two key types available – fantasy sports and fantasy worlds.

Fantasy Sports Games

These let you focus on your ability to assemble a team composed of great players and build up points based on their performances. In fantasy sports games, you’ll use your knowledge about various sports and the teams to pick effective team members and hold an edge against anyone who just guesses their lineups.

Sports that offer great fantasy contests include football, cricket, basketball, and the game of Kabbadi which is particularly well known in India and followed by Indian sports fans.

Fantasy Worlds

Falling firmly into the bracket of popular video gaming, virtual world games are wildly popular.

If cleverly done they can let you play out deep fantasies based on the running of economies to the conquering of nations, and pretty much everything you can think of in between.

You know what I’m talking about here. It’s those games like SecondLife and similar others that basically offer you virtual world environments in which you can carry out normal life or fantasy-type activities. Those might include the pursuit of building elements in the virtual world or otherwise enhancing your standing in them.

Board Games

The list of real money board games that fall into the cash prize skill games category includes such old favorites as chess, draughts, backgammon, and monopoly. These are generally board games where your effective use of strategy will determine if you’ll win.

Many board game players normally have relatively equal knowledge of playing rules and optimum strategies, hence luck plays a part too.

Game Show Games

Many other skill based games you can play include popular television games based on game shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right, or Jeopardy. These game show options are considered to be skill-based because they test your general knowledge of popular culture and trivia.

Note that even though you can play skill games involving the board-based or card-based games you might find in some game shows, these are exactly the types that some people would categorize as games of chance because they are based on the roll of the dice (as in Monopoly, for example) or the luck of the draw (the card games).

Even Scrabble, which tests skills in vocabulary and spelling, is based on which letters you draw to play with.

And always remember that luck is often playing some part in the outcome of any game or contest. You won’t win every time, but on balance, it’s the person using skills who will win overall even on some game shows.

Online Poker – The King Of Cash Prize Skill Gaming

There’s little doubt that poker sits high up on the list of any games that require skill in order to win some cash. Imagine a game with a multitude of possible outcomes, that’s poker – and poker players need to learn faster than their opponents to keep ahead of the pack.

There are an untold number of aspects to playing successfully which place it as one of the most psychologically demanding of all real money skill games. And make no mistake, playing poker calls for a range of skills which include the ability to outwit your opponents, disguise your hands, and use a number of strategies to best effect.

Skilled poker players always have a long-term advantage over the lucky ones, and the game deserves its place at the head of any skill games list where you can win cash. You can play in one-off cash ring games or in different types of poker tournaments with sometimes huge prizes.

Fortunately, if you want to find out how to play poker there’s no shortage of information to help………………………

……..and one of the best places to go is PokerStrategy.com.

These guys have been providing poker strategy instruction for many years, and are one of the best known in the business. Plus the great news is that anyone can join and start earning, from pretty much any country in the world (as long as you’re over the legal age of course).

With more than 7 million members – including a number of the world’s most successful players – PokerStrategy.com provides high-quality articles, videos, coaching, and discussions that can be tailored to your own skill level.

Beginner information is accessed via free registration. In order to gain access to strategy content for a higher status, you can either earn points by playing at partner poker rooms (unfortunately not available to anyone from the US), or buy a subscription in the points shop.

Who Can Play

As long as you’re of the specified legal age, and living in a country or region where online skill-based gaming is allowed, then you’re legally able to play games of skill to try and win money.

You will need enough money as a starting deposit, and be able to use a deposit method like a credit card that allows you to transfer money to the site you want to play at. This should never be a problem unless you are in a jurisdiction where online betting is frowned upon or illegal, and there are plenty of different deposit options.

The Difference Between Cash Skill Games & Gambling Chance Games

There are some significant differences to consider when you’re playing a cash skill game vs a game of chance, with the most relevant being that with skill gaming you’ve often got a better chance of winning.

That’s if you know what you’re doing of course. Provided you do, then the power of control has shifted to you rather than sitting with casino software that determines outcomes.

It’s worth noting though – even if your abilities are determining outcomes – there is often an element of luck involved as well. When you’re in head to head competition (such as in games like chess or draughts) that’s not the case, but you can see it would be those similar to poker where your playing actions can determine an outcome but you need some good hands at some point (and the luck to be dealt them).

The other main difference is in how regulatory bodies view legality, and the legal constraints they put around the games. Playing games for cash prizes using skill often falls into a bracket that is considered to be legal wherever you are (although you should check to make sure before you play).

But can you increase your chances of winning at some casino games with skill? 

Indeed, you can use a form of skill to increase your winning prospects in some casino games. But it’s not really skill you’re using; it’s a set of strategies wrapped up in a concerted strategic approach. 

Casino card games like 3 card poker, blackjack, and baccarat are great examples where using effective strategies can increase your odds of beating the house. If you play each hand in these card games with the appropriate perfect strategy, you still won’t be able to beat the casino over time due to the inherent house edge but you’ll certainly have pushed the winning odds more in your favour. 

Other casino games such as craps, roulette, and video slots, or number-draw games like lotteries or keno, are less-likely to have their outcomes influenced by any display of skill. There are limited strategies to these that you can apply but they’re more focused on increasing your bets rather than by applying any ability. 

Are there other forms of gambling where skill plays a part in winning? 

Absolutely. And horse racing betting is the perfect example, although other forms of sports betting could be used a similar good examples. In any horse racing bets, there are, of course, influencing factors that introduce elements of luck. But there’s little doubt that a punter can often apply extensive knowledge around a horse, it’s competitors in a race, and the context around that race to determine which runner is most likely to win. That’s definitely a skill.

Where To Play

If you enter the term “skill games” into a search engine, you will find that there are dozens of websites that offer them. Hundreds, in fact, ranging from those that offer the full suite of opportunities to those with a dedicated focus on games with similar gameplay to Rummy, Backgammon, or Poker. It’s probably not going to be a surprise to find that many of them focus on real cash video gaming.

So there are plenty of places to play, as you’d expect from the availability of such a wide range of different game types.

Essentially skillgames websites can be broken down into two main types – those that actually provide games to play, and those that explain the different operators and give an overview of the sites and the options.

This next section on where to play falls into the first category. It’s an easy-to-follow directory of some of the most popular skill games websites. This includes specific sites that cover general collections of different games, and those that focus on one area in particular such as chess, backgammon, rummy, or others.