Playing online games can be a great way to pass the time. It can also be a great way to meet new people, as well as, having fun by yourself, or with others. You can play a solo game, or play with people from around the world. There are several types of online games, but the main two types of online games people are familiar with are the ones where you can play directly within a browser window, and the ones where you have to download the game.

There are also hybrids where you have to download a client, but the actual gameplay is still online. Regardless of what type of game you choose to check out, here are a few tips on choosing an online game that is right for you.

• Check out the graphics of the game. You can have splotches due to internet lag time, but if graphics are constantly overlapping each other, or if they fade in and out, then you may want to let the game organizers know.
• Since most games are fairly new, it will be understandable if there aren’t a lot of people playing at one time. Use this time to get familiar with the game world. Also, if you like the game, tell your friends about it, and invite them to check it out.
• Be sure to understand if you playing on a PvP, or a PvE, or a combination so that you don’t upset people for killing them off when they were looking just to play around the game environment.
• Learn how to level up before you get too far into a game so that you don’t spend too much time doing quests or fighting battles that won’t help you advance to the next level.
• Have fun! Don’t take whatever game you play too seriously. You want to get things done, but at the same time enjoy the experience while you’re there.

Here are some great online games that you should check out. Please note that there is a mixture of both browser based, and client side games.

Batheo

Batheo is a browser-based strategy game, set in ancient Greece, where players govern cities of various sizes, and command armies that engage in wars on medium to large scales.

Unlike most strategy games that focus mostly on planning, managing populations, and dealing with city politics, Batheo puts a strong emphasis on developing your character through combat, although managing and growing a city is also very important in order to be successful in this game. Players have the option of either exploring the terrain of this online world alone, or amongst the ranks of a chosen league.

During combat, players can create formations for their soldiers to march in, as well as, choose which soldiers will lead the formation, and what weapons will be used by the formation. Players will find this feature very useful, although care should be taken to not over think what formations, and weapons to use during combat.

The building system is unique in that buildings are created, and upgraded instantly. This helps immensely in regards to how much time would be wasted trying to fight a war while constructing buildings at the same time (something that was an issue in the 2D versions of Blizzard’s Warcraft series). Conquering neighboring cities, and capturing farmland also add an element of chaotic intrigue into the fascinating fantasy world that is Batheo.

Wizard101

Wizard101 gives you a chance to be a wizard in training as you go through the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. Although this game was inspired by the Harry Potter books, it does have a style and character all its own. With Headmaster Ambrose providing you guidance as you journey through this game, players can go through wizard training either alone, or with other training wizards.

The combat scenes are well done, and provide many visuals for players to take in. During the combat scenes, training wizards are pulled into a magical ring where the combatants duel by using spell cards previously chosen by the combatants. The types of spells available to combatants are numerous consisting of Fire, Ice, Storm, and Balance, just to name a few.

Although the game centers around a magic theme, Wizard101 is kid friendly, and has several safeguards in place that covers every aspect of the game in order to ensure that game play remains somewhat G-rated (including naming the characters, discussions, and the chat room).

Even with the safeguards in place, this game still has the ability to hold a player’s interest and attention. Fun cartoon style characters and a helpful voiced over tutorial adds much to the overall look and feel of Wizard101.

Runes of Magic

Runes of Magic is set in the fantasy world of Taborea, and comes equipped with a vast array of eye-catching 3D graphics. With an ever expanding player base of over 2 million, those who choose to venture into this fantasy world will find many well developed areas to explore. Players will also find the over 600 quests to choose from both intriguing and mentally stimulating.

Other key features of Runes of Magic are an innovative multi-class system, player housing in-game, distinctive player customization, and well evolved dungeon encounters.

Players have the ability to choose between eight different character classes and two character races when creating their character for this game. An unusual characteristic of Runes of Magic is that characters get to keep their skills even if a player switches character classes.

Another noteworthy feature is its dual-classing system, which allows players to pick a second class when their game character reaches level ten. With character classes such as warrior, rogue, and priest to choose from, players of this game will be able to find the right kind of character for their playing style.

This game focuses mainly on PvP combat, and has a “monster card” system where players can pick up skill cards from defeated enemies. Runes of Magic also allows players to have magical pets that can travel with the player, and even participate in battles depending upon the pet’s characteristics.

Battlestar Galactica Online

Battlestar Galactica was a very popular television show during the 70s, and was revived and ran again from 2004 to 2009. Now people can relive the excitement of this show through the online game – a game that attracted over 2 million registered users within the first three months of its release. Gamers can play Battlestar Galactica Online as either a human or as one of the Cylon robots.

Gameplay centers around piloting your ship, and the type of ships available to you will depend on the type of character you have chosen. The key to succeeding at this online game is collecting resources as quickly as possible. These resources will be used to upgrade to more powerful battleships.

In the game, you have three types of ships to choose from: line (heavily armored ships), escorts (medium artillery ships), and strike (fighter ships/small craft vessels). Well polished 3D visuals makes the ingenious missions come to life, while the various combat modes keeps things even more interesting for the player. For those who like online games that center around space battles, Battlestar Galactica Online is definitely a game you will want to check out.

DarkOrbit

DarkOrbit is a space battle game where players can battle it out with either human, or non-human players. With over 65 million registered users, new players will easily find someone that can give them a good battle. As the game begins, players can choose between three companies to partner with: Venus Resources Unlimited (VRU), Earth Industries Corporation (EIC), and Mars Mining Operations (MMO). A short tutorial is shown before players are teleported to the choosen home world game map.

The object of the game is to acquire wealth and power both for yourself and the company to which you’ve pledged allegiance. You improve your rank in this game by battling in space, and gaining experience from your battles. You can also improve your rank by upgrading your ship, and destroying enemies of your company.

DarkOrbit uses a real-time combat system that allows for the use of a variety of weapons. Rockets, laser cannons, and high tech mines are all at your disposal in order to eliminate the competition. The weapons within this game use a targeting system that is activated by clicking on a chosen target. If an enemy is destroyed, a special cargo box appears that contains any ore that was carried by the destroyed opponent. If the destroyed ship is a player, it will cost 500 uridium to repair the ship, although the ship started with in the game is free to repair. Players can play alone or join a clan after passing various requirements. Overall, DarkOrbit presents a great adventure for those who love games set in outer space.

XBlaster

XBlaster is a futuristic machine battle game set in 2053. The earth’s resources became vastly depleted, leading to an all out global war. Once the war ended, not much was left of the earth with most of the land destroyed. Machines became the way of life, and now the remaining survivors of earth use mechanical monsters of destruction to battle in The Arena.

There are different planetary worlds to choose from, and different mech warriors to fight with. You can compete in tournament battles, or in the big Jackpot Battle which is open to everyone. There are also special worlds to compete on that are only open for a limited time period. You never know what’s going to happen when you play on one of the special worlds, but one thing is for sure – whatever happens, it will be worth your while to compete.

One of the special things about this game is the ability to have co-players. You can create one account, and have other people that can play with you through one user name, and password. Makes it much easier to have your friends join you in a game (but choose who you play with carefully, since these same people will also have access to your account’s payment area).

Amazing graphics, and great playing areas definitely make XBlaster a game worth checking out.

SeaFight

SeaFight is a pirate themed browser based game that pits players against monsters, and each other as they fight to gain the most treasure. Although there is some land combat, the majority of battles will take place on the open seas. Fighting against other players presents lots of challenge in order to keep things interesting, but for those that are not into PvP combat, there are a variety of monsters to fight against, as well. As players gain experience and level up, much more challenging monsters will appear.

Any game that features sea battles, must have cannon fire in order to keep the feel of the game as real as possible, and SeaFight is no exception. Cannons are the primary weapon used in SeaFight, each cannon having the ability to fire various types of ammo. There are also a few weapons that can be used by the pirate which influences the success of a player attempting to board an enemy ship.

Two types of currency rules SeaFight – gold and pearls. Gold is the more common of the two currencies and is gained by defeating opposing players, and the various monsters that abound in this game. Pearls are much harder to come by, and tend to be found in scarce amounts throughout the game map. For those who do not wish to wait to find pearls, this difficult to find currency can be purchased using real money. Gold, and pearls are used to purchase various upgrades within the game. Players can either play alone or within a guild.

A Guild can be formed once a player has reached Level 6 in the game, and works similarly to clans in other multi-player online games. Once a guild has been formed, people can be invited to join the guild, and an updated list of who is in what guild is available for other players to look through. Guilds also have the special distinction of being able to fortify guild islands and set them up as a base of operations. If you’re into pirates, and fighting on the high seas, then SeaFight is just the game for you.

Farmerama

For those who want to take their love of Farmville even further, you’re in luck with Farmerama. Hailed as the ultimate farming simulator, players can grow and harvest crops and raise animals. By completing a vast array of chores and delivery orders, players can level up and gain access to much more advanced crops, and rare farm animals that are only available after reaching a certain level.

Players can add each other as neighbors, and from there neighbors can help each other clear land to make it suitable for farming. Players can also give their neighbors gifts, and experience points to help them level up their characters. Each player begins with a simple farm which can be expanded upon and customized depending on where a player chooses to place their decorations, animal pens, and crops. Players can also purchase seeds, and expand their buildings by visiting “The City”. Items within “The City” can be purchased with either country coins (in-game money) or barnyard bills (real world money). There is also a farmers market where players go to buy or sell their crops, and other merchandise. Players have the ability to plant various crops, but only after the ground has been properly tilled.

Once the land has been properly prepared, seeds can be planted. Over time, the seeds transform into crops that can be harvested for experience points, or saved for use in delivery orders. The growth of your crops can be sped up by using water on the land before the crop is fully grown. If an animal pen is built on the land, animals can be raised and given food and water until they reach maturity. Once fully grown, the animals can be used for delivery orders or offered for sale at the farmers market. Experience points can be gained from harvesting crops, and / or raising animals. If you love the challenge of Farmville, and looking for something even more engrossing (and time consuming), then Farmerama is definitely the game for you.

Online games are great to play, and one of the best things about them is that they tend to be easy to set up so you can get started playing quickly. The above games are definitely worth checking out, however, if you wish to find even more games, you can check out this site with both downloadable games, and browser based games.

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Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!!

This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!

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I don’t know what I enjoy more. Playing Super Mario Brothers Crossover, or watching the creator, Jay Pavlina, play Super Mario Brothers Crossover! First of all, here is the game. But afterwards, you can watch Jay play it by himself. WARNING! Lots of bad language while he’s playing. :-)

Play Super Mario Brothers Crossover

Watch Jay Pavlina Play Super Mario Brothers Crossover

You can keep up with Jay on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Also visit his website ExplodingRabbit.com. Thanks to Jay for singlehandedly sapping 12% of the productivity out of corporate America!

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By Guest Star: Dee Brown of Forever Geek.

Bluffing is one of the most exciting elements in poker. You don’t always need the best hand to win money and whenever you convince someone to lay down a better hand, it’s a great feeling.

Bluffing is more art than science but there are still concepts you can use to decide whether or not to bluff. Here are a several things to consider when you decide to take down the pot with an otherwise losing hand!

Don’t Bluff Multiple Players

The fewer players in the pot, the more likely your bluff will succeed. One-on-one or “heads up” is the best bluffing situation. It’s actually rare to bluff multiple players out of a pot so I usually don’t try. For each player in the pot after the first two, there is a big percentage jump that one of your opponents has a strong hand they won’t fold. If you look at the successful bluffs on YouTube, you’ll find that most of them occur in heads up situations.

Bluff Good Players Not Bad Ones

It’s much easier to bluff skilled players than bad players. Good players realize that folding is an important part to being a profitable player. They realize that most hands are not good enough to win the pot so they fold much more often than bad players.

Therefore, if you’re up against a good player, consider bluffing. But if you’re in the pot with a bad player, play straightforward poker. Bet your strong hands and fold your weak hands.

Think About Your Table Image

Table image, or how your opponents perceive you, can play a big part in bluffing.

If you’ve been showing strong hands and winning a lot of pots at the showdown, players will remember that and tend to fear you. This gives you great bluffing equity so look to bluff more often. On the other hand, if you’ve been showing poor hands and losing a lot at the showdown, players will tend to call you down so lower your bluffing attempts.

Table image includes how many hands you’re playing preflop. If you’re playing tight, or only playing a few hands preflop, players will tend to fear you. When you enter the pot, they expect you to have a strong hand since you’ve been picky.

But if you’re playing loose, or play a lot of hands, players will tend to call you down because more than likely, you have a weak hand.

Your table image is also built by the aggressiveness of your play. If you are raising and betting a lot, players will think that you are bluffing so they will start calling you down. On the other hand, if you are mostly folding, checking, and calling, players will respect your raises and bets.

Take Advantage of Position

Having position, or being last to act, is a big advantage if you want to bluff. Position allows you to to see your opponent’s play before you make your play.

For example, a common bluffing situation is when your opponent checks to you. A check usually signifies a weak hand so you can often get them to fold by bluffing.

Also, many players will bet a small amount of money if they are not confident with their hand. Once you’ve identified these players, you can successfully bluff them with a big bet when they bet small.

Bluff When Scare Cards Come Up

Scare cards can present opportunities for bluffing. For example, if the flop has two cards of the same suit and then the turn brings a third card of that suit, you can bluff to represent a flush.

The river can also bring scare cards. For instance, the flop and turn is 10 5 J K. If the river is an Ace, consider bluffing to represent that you have a queen for the straight.

Bluff at “Dry” Flops

Players often refer to flops as being “dry” or “wet”. Dry flops are uncoordinated flops that don’t have many opportunities for strong hands or draws while wet flops are coordinated flops with many opportunities.

A flop of K 7 2 of three different suits is very dry. There are no flush and straight draws and only one card above 9. If you’re in a heads up situation, your opponent will probably not have the King for top pair. Therefore, I would bluff the flop to represent a King.

Another common example of a dry flop is a flop with a pair. Flops like 8 3 3, K 2 2, and J J 4 are good bluffing opportunities as long as each of the cards is a different suit.

On the other hand, a flop of K Q J of the same suit is very wet. There are many opportunities for flush and straight draws. In fact, your opponent may already have a straight or a flush. Also, all three cards are above 9, so there is a good chance your opponent may have two pair.

Use the Semi-Bluff

The semi-bluff is a bluff with a hand that has a good chance of improving to the best hand in later streets. For example, you have a flush draw on the flop. Your opponent bets and you raise. You want them to fold but if they don’t, you still have a good chance of making the best hand on the turn or river.

The semi-bluff is a very powerful strategy. It’s much better than the typical bluff because you have two ways to win the pot instead of just one.

How Much Should You Bet?

There are a couple things to consider when determining the amount to bet for your bluff.

Keep track of the money in the pot. The pot amount is important because it determines how strong your bet is. If the pot is $50 and you bet $1, your bet is very weak. On the other hand, if you bet $500, your bet is very strong.

You don’t want to bet too small because that allows your opponents to get a cheap price on their draws. But you don’t want to bet too big, because you’ll lose a lot of money if your bluff fails.

In heads up situations, the standard bet by the pros ranges from half the pot to the whole pot. So if the pot is $100, pros will bet anywhere from $50 to $100. A bet within this range is big enough that your opponent won’t get favorable odds on draws and it’s small enough that you won’t risk too much money to win the pot.

Finally, make your bluffing bets the same amount as your non-bluffing bets. For example, if you usually bet half the pot on the flop, bet that same amount when you bluff. If the betting amounts of your bluffs and non-bluffs are different, observant players will realize this tendency and figure out whether or not you’re bluffing.

Putting It All Together: Analyze the Situation

Bluffing is all about analyzing the situation. Don’t bluff for the sake of bluffing. Instead, be patient and wait until an opportunity presents itself. The principles I’ve outlined above can help you detect a good bluffing situation. When it comes up, have some courage, reach for your chips, and stick it in the middle with confidence. Your opponents will be folding soon enough. Good luck at the tables!

Photos courtesy of Jystyn, Tiago Rïbeiro, Jam Adams and Sergio Bertolini.

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Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted a game, but this one was too good not to share!

Alright, alright… I know the description sounds terrible. But just look at that cute little blobby looking fellow! How could you not want to play this game? Tell you what, instead of thinking that you are playing with vomit, how about just thinking about it like it was jell-o?!? You are just kind of sucking the jell-o in and spitting it out. Pay no attention to the fact that you are using your “jello” as a propulsion system at times, or a swimming pool at others!

The Description

You’re born into this world a guinea pig before god. Unsure of his motives you progress through life solving his puzzles searching for meaning in the rudimentary problems of everyday life.

To make sense of life we must evolve past our previous forms, purge from our bodies the rules set in place by our previous selves in order to see the future with new eyes….

In other words Spewer is a game about puking.

More specifically…

Spewer is a puzzle platform that uses liquid physics though regurgitation as its core mechanic. Taking the role of a mysterious test subject, code named Spewer, you must vomit your way through over 60 levels of stomach turning puzzles, learning new abilities, changing forms and piecing together your purpose in life.

Controls

The following keys control Spewer:

• A – Move left
• W – Move up (swim)
• D – Move right
• S – Move down
• Space – Eat
• Mouse – Aim, and spew

To get started, just click on the “Continue” link beneath that ad that is playing once the game loads. Be patient if you are on a slow connection as it’s a 2.5MB game. Enjoy!

WARNING: Spewer is very physics heavy and may run slow at times on your computers. If the game is running slow simply pause the game (Esc or P) and set the detail to low and/or turn off the background rendering. If your playing on a low end PC please download the standalone version, there is a link to it on the title screen.

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Please count the people below, wait for the picture to change then count them again. This is guaranteed to drive you crazy!

How Many People Are there? (Illusion)

Where exactly did the extra guy come from?

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Every once in a while I come across a video that you just know took a lot of time to actually set up and produce, like all those Rube Goldeberg videos I post all the time. Well, here is another one along the same lines.

These guys in Japan took what looks to be a bunch of beer or wine bottles, and filled them with different amounts of fluid to create a different pitch when tapped. They then spaced them out properly, attached a couple of mallets to a radio controlled car, and voila! You drive the car between the bottles and get the theme song from Super Mario Brothers!

Amazing.

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I just found a great little game folks. The only problem with this one is that you have to download and install it. You can’t play it on the Web. Also, I believe it’s only for the PC. But having said that, the concept is quite fun. You’re a robot that was dropped off on Earth and you are wandering around for some reason. Only problem is, those pesky Earthlings don’t seem to enjoy your presence so they are shooting at you and dropping bombs on you and all sorts of fun stuff.

You have two primary sources of defense; you can kick things, and you can throw things. So I guess the goal is basically to stomp through town kicking and tossing the tanks, bombs, and obstacles out of the way. Here is a little video that shows you what you’re in for:

I installed it, and it works great. I figured out real quick that you can actually grow taller or shorter by using the up and down arrow buttons, and it takes a little practice to grab, throw and kick things. The only problem I can’t seem to figure out is when I encounter a really tall building. I can’t seem to figure out how to step over it… So if anyone figures that out please let me know.

If you want to give it a try, you can head on over to Pieces Interactive and download the prototype game for free.

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Ok. It’s been a little while since I posted a game, but here is one that I just can’t resist. If you happen to be a fan of the old Space Invaders video game, you’re really going to like this little gem. This modern interpretation of the arcade classic adds some nice features. Most notably, gravity!

Now when you shoot the alien ships, they fall out of the sky. They even pile up in your path! So, you can be surrounded by the carcasses of the aliens you destroy! Awesome!

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Ok folks, I’m not sure if this is a joke or what. The Australian Herald Sun posted this Right Brain vs. Left Brain test which is nothing more than a picture of a lady spinning around.

THE Right Brain vs Left Brain test … do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

They add the following interpretation:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Frankly, I only see the lady turning clockwise. I find it very difficult to believe that ANYONE sees it turning counter-clockwise, much less most people! So please take a moment and leave a comment to let me know how you see it. If everyone sees clockwise I’m going to call this test a fraud…

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Ok. Here is a question for you. Are the balls between the black squares in the image black, or white? Or maybe they are gray? Hmmm.

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This is the continuation of the original Storm the House action game in which you defend your home from marauding attackers by any means necessary! The nice thing about this version is that it adds some new weapons and also seems to improve your ability to shoot the bad guys. But what really happened is they probably just made it a little easier.

Anyway, I’m warning you, if you start playing this game you’re going to be stuck with it for hours! It happened to me. In fact, I went on so long that I actually beat the game! If you look down below you’ll see screen shots of what’s in store for you if you manage to do it. Enjoy!

Don’t forget, there are nearly 40 other games to waste your time here. And by the way, the screen caps below show you what happens when you beat the game…

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Thanks to a suggestion from Jim over on the Tanks, The Game page, I found Storm the House, which is another fantastically addictive little game.

The deal is, you are hunkered down in your cozy little bungalow as a bunch of armed bandits are trying to rape and pillage. It’s your job to shoot them before they get close enough to violate you.

Every time you clear a level, you are given some money and the ability to spend it on upgrades such as hiring gunmen to help you protect your hacienda, or perhaps even a nice little rocket launcher to unleash hell and carnage from the sky!
Enjoy!

Don’t forget, there are nearly 40 other games to waste your time here.

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Hmmm. I’ve got a question… Which do you prefer? The Wii or the PS3?

Now don’t jump to conclusions or anything. You should probably take your time and enjoy a Choco Party while you’re thinking.

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All right already… I know this game is not the Bubble Shooter game – but hear me out. It’s still pretty darn amusing!

Do you remember the original game of pong? You know, you used a couple of paddle controllers and there was a little ball which bounced back and forth and kept going faster and faster? Well, this game is essentially Pong on steroids! You try to break through all the bricks, and your little paddle can get bonuses to make it larger, or give it the ability to shoot a gun, and all sorts of other stuff.

Give it a try. It might at least serve as an occasional break from the bubbles!

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Hey my Bubble Shooter Buddies! Make sure and Friend John P. on Facebook or follow John P. on Twitter!

Folks, I came across this game and couldn’t stop playing it for hours. It’s way, way better than Tetris, though kind of along the same line.

Basically the goal is to use your mouse to point and shoot bubbles up into the group that is descending upon you. If you get three or more bubbles in consecutive alignment they pop. You can see what the next color bubble you’ll have to shoot is, so choose wisely where to aim if you have more than one possible target.

And don’t forget… I’ve got over 30 more games for your amusement!

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In keeping with my ongoing theme of posting casino games, I present for your entertainment the classic 3 Card Poker! (Don’t forget we’ve also got Blackjack and Roulette.)

3 Card Poker (or tri-card poker as it’s also called) is an American version of a British game called Brag. This game originated over three hundred years ago as a game known as Primero, a fast-moving betting game using only three cards. As the game evolved, it became known as Post-and-Pair and then again as Brag. This game made it to the States as Casino Brag and Brit-Brag, but eventually evolved again into the game we now know as 3 Card Poker.

The game is comprised of two different components and here is how they are played…

Ante and Play

For ante-and-play, the player places an ante bet before receiving cards. The player is then dealt cards and after seeing them, can choose to fold the cards and lose the ante, or continue playing and raise by placing a bet equal to the ante bet.

When continuing to play, there are three possible outcomes:

• The dealer does not ‘qualify’. To qualify, the dealer must have a hand of a queen high or better. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante bet is paid out even money, but the play bet is simply returned.
• If the dealer does qualify, the player wins if his hand is of higher value than the dealer’s, and gets paid out even money on both his ante and play bets.
• If the dealer’s hand is of higher value, the dealer takes the Ante and Play bets.

In real casinos rules vary on what happens when the hands are of exactly equal value: some give the player their money back, others pay even money on the bet. So seek out the tables with the most favorable rules.

In our game below keep in mind that if you choose to continue your bet is automatically doubled. So if you have a crappy hand make sure and fold to avoid the larger wager.

Pair Plus

Pair plus is a simple bet on the cards with a payout for all hands of a pair or better. Below are the probabilities associated with various combinations of cards:

The payouts associated with the various winning combinations also vary among casinos, so again its imperative to seek out the ones where you have the greatest likelihood of winning. In the game we have below, it offers the most favorable odds (payout table 1), but if you were to play at a table with any of the lesser payouts you’d quickly learn that the difference is enormous.

Even a 2.3% advantage to the house is huge, so the Pairs Plus bet is not a very good one. In fact, 3 card poker is not a very good casino game at all as far as odds are concerned.

The Game

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Roulette is a casino and gambling game named after the French word meaning “small wheel”. In the game a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular surface running around the circumference of the wheel. The ball eventually falls on to the wheel and into one of 37 (in European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette) colored and numbered pockets on the wheel.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have stated, “You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it.” And indeed he was mathematically correct. Roulette is an absolute game of chance in which the house odds are stacked from 2-5% against you. Still, the little game I’ve embedded here is awfully fun to play!

How to Play

The Roulette wheel has pockets numbered from 1 to 36 alternating between red and black. They are not in numerical order around the wheel, and there are instances of consecutive numbers being the same color. There is a green pocket numbered 0, and in American roulette there is also a second green pocket marked 00.

The house average or house edge (also called the expected value) is the amount the player loses relative to any bet made, on average. If a player bets on a single number in the American game there is a probability of 1/38 that the player wins 35 times the bet, and a 37/38 chance that the player loses their bet. The expected value is:

-1*37/38 + 35*1/38 = -0.0526 (5.26% house edge)

For European roulette, a single number wins 1/37 and loses 36/37:

-1*36/37 + 35*1/37 = -0.0270 (2.70% house edge)

Roulette Odds Table

The Story

In 2004, Ashley Revell of London sold all of his possessions, clothing included, and brought US$135,300 to the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas and put it all on “Red” at the roulette table in a double-or-nothing bet. And here is the actual video of what happened:

So, if you’re feeling lucky, have a go at it yourself!

The Game

In order to play the game, grab the chips by clicking on them, then click again to place them on the spot on the table you want to bet on. You can bet on Red, Black, Even, Odd, or any individual number. You can also put multiple chips on different spots to spread out the risk. Refer to the odds table above to determine how much the payout will be for any given spot you choose on the table.

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Ok, here is an unusual game to amuse you guys on this fine Friday. Scooby Doo and the Escape from the Coolsonian is a cartoonish, mystery, adventure game. You have to solve clues to advance to the next stage of the game, and it’s challenging enough for kids or adults.

In case you get stuck and frustrated, you can ask the game for a hint and it’ll help you cheat keep going. So, there are about 4 levels and it took me nearly an hour to complete them without actually cheating.

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This video is as cool, or possibly even better, than my previous post on Incredible Japanese Kinetic Machines.

In this video, the creators of this Rube Goldberg machine (a machine that performs a simple task in a complex way) have woven the kinetic reactions all over an entire house!

As it weaves it’s way throughout I can’t help to wonder if someone’s mom is about to come home and freak out at what the kids did when the parents were out of town or something (like with the 60 foot slip-n-slide).

Now, the funny thing is that this video was created by Ben Tyers and Tom Baynham (both scholars of Cambridge University with Master of Engineering Degrees specialising in Manufacturing Engineering) as a demonstration of their ability to create Marketing Virals. I’d say it worked…

When you’ve finished with that video, go ahead and try building your own virtual Rube Goldberg device in this cool little game! Just select the image below and the game will pop open in a new window (courtesy of PBS Kids).

The object is to use your wrench to change objects around and ensure that your contraption works.

For more info about Rube Goldberg machines, see:

• The Rube Goldberg site.
• The 2007 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest site.
• Ideas for building your own Rube Goldberg contraption.

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