February 13, 2019January 19, 2019 Games Poker

2 Surprising Benefits that Poker and Video Games Share

Poker and video games. When these two things are said in the same sentence, when... Read more

January 20, 2019January 19, 2019 Games Gaming

4 Must-read Books about Games and Gaming

When you love something, games and gaming for example, pretty soon just playing won’t be... Read more

December 18, 2018January 19, 2019 Games Poker

2 of the Best Online Poker Websites

The popularity of poker has skyrocketed ever since it came into the limelight years back.... Read more

December 9, 2018January 19, 2019 Games Gaming

2 Great Cooking Video Games to Play

Video games have many benefits. The most obvious one is the enjoyment that people get... Read more

December 3, 2018January 29, 2019 Games Poker

3 Reasons to Play Video Poker

Poker has quickly become a favorite past-time for many people all over the world. It... Read more

2 Surprising Benefits that Poker and Video Games Share

February 13, 2019January 19, 2019 Alden Bonilla

Poker and video games. When these two things are said in the same sentence, when comes to mind? Do they have anything in common?

Perhaps the most obvious one is the fact that both of them are games. They are both played by people to pass the time and as hobbies.

However, would it surprise you to know that these two activities share way more than just their nature as games? They actually share several cognitive and health benefits between the two of them.

Let’s check out several surprising benefits that poker and video games share with one another.

Keeps the Brain Healthy

The first benefit we’ll be looking at is how both poker and video games improve the brain’s function and keep it healthy.

With video games, it is not hard to imagine it keeping the brain active and healthy. If the game were creative, like say taking place in a faroff fantastical land, this is enough to keep the brain active as it pushes people’s creativity.

In terms of gameplay though, it also helps by making people think. No matter if it is an adventure game, a sports game, or a strategy game, the level of difficulty for games these days can be set pretty high.

For those who want a challenge, they will need to outthink their opponents or the game in order to move forward.

It is the same way with poker. Poker is a game of skill and strategy. There are so many more facets in the game that relate to winning. It is more than just relying on your luck as you hope for good cards, and in the case of Texas hold ‘em, waiting for good draws from the river.

Poker requires you to bet well. It requires that you think whether or not it is a good time to bet big, bluff, or just back off.

Seeing the different cards on the river also allows you to anticipate what cards and combinations your opponents might have. The strategy in poker is quintessential to winning.

Coordination

Next, there is coordination. Whether you are on a controller, a mouse and keyboard, or with chips in hand, coordination is improved for each action.

strategy and skills - 2 Surprising Benefits that Poker and Video Games Share

For video games it isn’t hard to imagine why. Hand-eye coordination is required for you to act based on what you see on the video game. Some games require you to react faster, thereby increasing the coordination more.

For poker, it is the chips. If you’ve seen tournament play, you’ve seen people playing with their chips by stacking it up. This act is not a random one. Doing so actually improves the coordination of the people who do it. Just be sure not to be playing online poker, because you wouldn’t have chips nearby.

These are only a few benefits that both poker and video games share. This only scratches the surface. For instance, games can help teach you other skills too. Doing one may help you succeed in another.

4 Must-read Books about Games and Gaming

January 20, 2019January 19, 2019 Alden Bonilla

When you love something, games and gaming for example, pretty soon just playing won’t be enough. You’ll want to find any other sort of medium to constantly fill your hunger and desire for what you love.

One good way to go about this is by reading books about the subject. There are experts out there that can reveal certain facets and interesting facts too. It is also a great way to learn more about your topic of choice.

Let’s check out several must-read books about games and gaming.

Console Wars

For anybody who is a gamer, the term “console wars” is a pretty common one. The first ever console war started in the mid-70s, between Fairchild and Atari. Today, it has even evolved to the PlayStation and the Xbox.

When the term “console war” is heard, there seems to be a misconception about it. No, there really isn’t any violence and animosity between the people. They aren’t hounding for a fight or calling out slurs to offend the other.

The term console war merely denotes the pride that people have for the console that they own. And perhaps a little saltiness at the exclusive video games that they cannot own themselves.

This book though is neither here nor there. It is somewhere in between and talks about an interesting piece of gaming history. It talks about the console war between Sega and Nintendo.

Back in the day, Nintendo was a gaming giant in the industry. Sega was just starting up. That is when Tom Kalinske was brought in to turn the tide. And turn it did. What happened was a generation defining battle. It is an interesting read into a significant piece of gaming history.

Masters of Doom

Does anybody remember Doom? We’re sure that a lot of people do remember Doom, some fondly, some just in passing.

Doom was such a big game though. It revolutionized shooters and graphics. It was so popular that at one point, it became a staple for every computer.

So how did Doom come about? What happened that made it so popular? And who were the masters behind it?

Masters of Doom is a biographical account of the people who helmed the Doom series. It outlines the lives of the Doom creators, from their troubled childhood, to adulthood and side jobs, and eventually to the creation of the gaming studio that had a massive impact on games.

Gamelife

Next, we have Gamelife by Michael Clune.

The people who play video games, especially those who are so passionate about it, will understand that there is an extra layer of importance in the games. They not only act as great activities to pass the time. Poker and games have benefits and teach people things.

gamelife - 4 Must-read Books about Games and Gaming

This is the central thesis of Clune’s book. His book chronicles his love for video games that started at a very young age. At a very young age, he saw that games taught him things that people couldn’t.

The book acts as sort of his personal musings on video games, how they affect people, the way they view the world, and how most importantly, how people think.

We hope you pick up a book and learn as much as you can of the gaming industry that was and is.

2 of the Best Online Poker Websites

December 18, 2018January 19, 2019 Alden Bonilla

The popularity of poker has skyrocketed ever since it came into the limelight years back. From the popular TV shows sprang the initial interest in poker. This eventually led people to try playing.

Numerous successful poker tournaments popped up, and it began to create new poker players. The passionate players know that poker improves their lives with numerous benefits.

Now, poker is so popular that people want to play it on demand now. Well, the demand has been met and people no longer need to visit casinos to play poker. Poker is so popular that they can play it online now.

Let’s take a look at a couple of the best online poker websites.

Partypoker

The first website we’ll be looking at is called Partypoker. This website is one of the highly visited poker websites visited in the world. It is right up there with some of the best and has a great number of people playing on it.

The website has been running for close to 20 years, with its software being routinely downloaded in multiple parts of the world.

First of all, Partypoker has a great app that can be downloaded for free. In fact, it seems that this organization doubled down on creating its app because it simply works. It is stable and all necessary functions are there.

No matter where you play though, whether on the website or on the app, you can be sure that the security you have is top notch. This is also a reason why it is one of the best sites. The money that you put in as well as the important information is very safe.

game security - 2 of the Best Online Poker Websites

Furthermore, it has a good system to protect players from other players who cheat or stack accounts in order to win money. They are also able to see who is using illegal software to cheat.

New players who join will be able to use bonus codes that give you an initial deposit of up to $22. This is great for starting your poker play. As the seasons go though, the organization always makes sure to incentivize players to play switching up the bonuses.

Previously, they offered apparel like caps and shorts for newly registered players.

Finally, the site has everything a poker player may need. On-the-go games, tournament games, and high stakes games are all available on the site and in the app.

888 Poker

Next up, we have 888 Poker. To many people, this website is the best at online poker. Players who have played here cannot deny the infallible experience that they have had on the site.

triple eight poker - 2 of the Best Online Poker Websites

At its core, the reason why the 888 Poker site is so successful is because they don’t merely present the demand. They infuse innovation into it.

For instance, not so long back, they just introduced games where webcams were on. It does give that feel of being at a real game while really being at the comfort of your own home. They also introduced 3D tables that have graphics that gamers can appreciate.

Another innovation is their multi table action game, where players can play as much as four hands at the same time. If that isn’t too much poker for you, we don’t know what is.

We hope that we have paved the way for you towards online poker sites. You may also try out video poker if that interests you. We wish you luck with your hands and remember, go all in with your passions.

2 Great Cooking Video Games to Play

December 9, 2018January 19, 2019 Alden Bonilla

Video games have many benefits. The most obvious one is the enjoyment that people get when they play a game. It staves off hours of boredom.

Another benefit is the fact that playing a video game about a certain topic can actually teach you things and make you better at it. It’s true. Video games can benefit your life.

One such example is playing guitar. Post Malone said that the video game Guitar Hero influenced and pushed him to learn real guitar.

The same goes for cooking. You may glean a few things if you play several cooking video games.

Thus, let’s check out several cooking video games that you can both enjoy and learn from.

Overcooked

The first game we have on the list is called Overcooked. The plot of this game is certainly out of this world. Aliens came to destroy the world unless you were able to cook them, something they found delicious.

Initially, you fail and the world goes kaput. However, you are able to travel back in time and start learning to cook again.

The gameplay is the core interest of the game. In every level, there is a menu that you need to fulfill. It could be burgers, soup, pizza, and many more. Each level is also a big kitchen with different stations.

These stations resemble the stages of cooking a specific meal. So, if it were hamburgers, there would be a station to gather ingredients, to chop vegetables, and then to put all the ingredients together.

The goal of the game is to fulfill all the orders while learning all of these different menu items.

goal of the game - 2 Great Cooking Video Games to Play

This game truly shines when it comes to cooperative play. If there is more than one player, you’d need to work together to fulfill the orders.

The game will make it so you and your partner will be separate in the stage. Each of you will only have access to a few food stations.

It is a frantic and fast-paced game that builds friendships, promotes planning and teamwork, and lets you understand how a life in the kitchen is.

Battle Chef Brigade

Next up we have Battle Chef Brigade. This is a very unique title in terms of cooking video games. The game is presented in an approach that resembles anime shows. This allows for bright personality to shine through.

The concept of the game is quite unique as well. It is presented as sort of a competition. Each part of the competition acts as a level.

cooking competition - 2 Great Cooking Video Games to Play

In each level, you are tasked to prepare a certain dish that the judges want to each. The twist is that you must go out into the fantastical world and slay beasts in order to get your ingredients.

The beasts borrow heavily from myth and legends, with dragons being a tough meat to gain. The gameplay plays out like a side-scrolling action game where you need to kill your enemies.

Once you have your ingredients, you must return to your kitchen and cook them in a match-3 style activity.

These are only a couple of cooking video games that you can play, enjoy with your friends, and most importantly, learn tips from and apply it to your own cooking.

Be sure to also read books about games and gaming, and how they influence your learning.

3 Reasons to Play Video Poker

December 3, 2018January 29, 2019 Alden Bonilla

Poker has quickly become a favorite past-time for many people all over the world. It is the strategic and analytical aspect, coupled with the nerve and skill that makes people want to play and take it to the next level.

It is not surprising then that casinos have branched out and created machines that facilitate video poker. These machines allow you to play poker against the computer and hopefully, come out on top.

Let’s check out several reasons why you should play video poker.

Great and Consistent Payouts

Some of you may be thinking that a video poker machine sounds a lot like a slot machine. Well, that can’t be farther from the truth. For one, a slot machine relies on luck, but a video poker machine relies on strategy and skill.

odd thing about slot machines - 3 Reasons to Play Video Poker

Next up, an odd thing about slot machines is that you can never know how much it will pay out. There really is no way to know. A video poker machine on the other hand has a consistent payout system that you can use to win.

In fact, the video poker machines are some of the best games you can find in a casino when it comes to consistent and good payout percentage.

The payout table we just mentioned is very important. Depending on the conditions on them, there is a corresponding payout percentage.

For instance, there is a rule called “Jacks or Better”. This just means that if you have a pair of jacks or better, you get a payout. Other rules on the payout table are flushes, straights, three and four of a kinds and more.

It is Everywhere

Another good reason to play video poker is the fact that video poker is everywhere. In almost all casinos that you’ll visit, you will be able to find a video poker machine. This is a testimony to how fun and popular it is.

Sometimes, you don’t even need to head to a casino. There are also these types of machines in restaurants and even establishments like supermarkets.

If you really can’t find one though, you don’t know need to worry so much. A quick search on the internet will show you a number of sites where you can play video poker. Playing online also gives you a chance to practice for the real thing.

Different Types

Finally, the different kinds and types of poker games you can play on video poker machines is astounding. All of these games use the deck of cards, but the variations allow you to experience these games in different and unique ways.

deck of cards - 3 Reasons to Play Video Poker

We hope the list has helped to push you towards trying and playing video poker. We hope you create your own memorable poker moments and just enjoy the game.

You can also try to find websites where you can play poker online if you prefer those.