Klondike Solitaire

Klondike Solitaire, such as Tournament Solitaire or SoliDroid, is a classic card game consisting of 28 cards on the playing field. They are arranged into 7 piles of face-down cards with one card at the end of each pile that is turned face-up. The rest of the cards are placed into the draw pile. The object is to manipulate the cards by placing them in descending order while alternating colors on the playing field stacks, and then to move them in ascending order by suit, starting with the Aces, onto the 4 discard piles.

Strategies

• ~During the game always place an ace or a two in the discard pile immediately, or with the deuce when the move is available.
• ~When you have a choice always choose the play that would allow for a card to be turned face-up on the playing field.
• ~Do not empty a column on the playing field unless you have a King to place into it. Leaving these cards separate increases the amount of possible moves you may have to choose from.
• ~If you have a choice between two face-down cards that could be turned up, always choose to turn up the card on the largest stack of down-facing cards.
• ~Only add a card to build upon your deuce in a discard pile if the play will allow you to turn up a face-down card, clears a spot for a king you have waiting, or in some way leads to more available moves. (*Adding cards to the discard too early can lead to being stuck because of a need for them later.Explained more below under Providing Protection.)
• When making any move, try to think ahead to where the move will lead you in terms of available moves and potential options.
• ~When you become stuck and you cannot make any further moves at all, always immediately move all available cards to the discard piles that can be moved.

Providing Protection

The most important thing within the game of solitaire is the strategy of providing protection. You should always choose wisely when you are deciding whether or not to place cards in the discard pile. As stated above, always immediately place Aces onto the discard pile, and place deuces whenever you can onto the discard pile. However, you should always be careful that when you choose to place a higher card onto the discard pile that you will not need it later. If you:

• 1) have already placed the cards on the discard piles that would require that card to be played on the playing field (ie. the two cards of the opposite color that are one value less.)
  or
• 2) you have the same value card, that is the same color open on the playing field

Tri-Peaks Solitaire

Tri-Peaks (Tower) Solitaire, such as Triple Stars or Mega Stars, is a another classic card game where the cards are placed on the game field are placed face-down in an arrangement where they are placed partially on top of each other creating a tower like formation. The cards that are on top with no other cards above them are faced upwards. The remaining cards are placed in the draw pile, or talon. The object is to clear the playing field by removing available cards in a ascending or descending manner regardless of suit. When cards are removed into the discard pile, or piles, the cards that are uncovered are turned face up to become available for game play.

Strategies

• ~The longer the run, or more cards removed from the playing field in a row without using the draw pile, the higher your score will become. Therefore, always keep in mind that a run of 10 cards is worth more than two runs of 5 cards.
• ~Always think ahead when choosing which card to remove from the field. Choose the card that will allow for the longest run possible with the card you have showing.
• ~If there are multiple options to choose from that will potentially both give you the same amount of cards in a run, choose the card that will open up the most cards from those that are face-down. This will give you more choices as the game progresses.

The April edition of the TG Newsletter has arrived!In this issue:

• The TG 2013 Best Website Awards
• Premium Facebook Tournaments Launch
• 5 Signs Your Computer Has a Virus
• Coming Soon for Android
• The Mobile App Pick of the Month

Skill game tournaments are all the rage. What better way to show people how awesome your gaming skills are than by defeating them publicly in front of all their friends by participating in a Facebook game tournament? You might be wondering what kind of games are out there that provide facebook game tournaments. The list is lengthy, but there are a few that I recommend specifically based on my experience.

I prefer games that require you to develop skills and strategies in order to master them. This provides for hours and hours of fun while mastering all the subtle ways you can go about beating the game. This combined with the satisfaction of winning against other people who are playing against you in the game seems to me are the aspects of the best game tournaments on Facebook today. The other thing my favorite games all have in common with each other, other than of course having facebook game tournaments, is that you have the ability to win cash prizes with all of them.

All you have to do to win cash prizes is enter one of the paid tournaments, and then knock your competition right out of the top spot of the leader scoreboard! If you do not want to enter one of the paid Facebook game tournaments, there are always free tournaments that you can participate in.

So what are these games that I find so addictive? Right now, Tournament Games has Trick Bowling – a new version of virtual bowling that is by far more challenging than anything else you have played. Along with Trick Bowling, there is also Aim-N-Aider pool. Aim-N-Aider pool has all sorts of strategies to learn that can help you boost your score, such as bonus balls that give you extra points when you sink them into that hole. Then there is Solidroid, one of the most fun (and difficult) competitive solitaire games out there. The last game in the online facebook game tournaments is Mega Stars, one which will indeed require some skill to master, but is extremely fun to play.

All of these games can played via your Android tablet as well, so you are not restricted to just playing on your laptop or computer. The time has come, it is time to test skill against other players. If you feel like you want to be part of the competition, but you are unsure whether you are good enough yet, play against the computer for a little while. There is no shame in training to get better, and they offer free online versions that you can play outside of the tournament atmosphere so that you can practice as much as you would like. Once you have some confidence, enter into the free tournaments and see what kind of virtual prizes and recognition you can get. After wetting your feet a little and doing a few rounds of competition with other players in the free tournaments, you can then see if you got what it takes to master the paid facebook game tournaments. Then you can begin to win real cash prizes and challenge your Facebook friends to see who has the best gaming skills and is truly worthy of the championship title of “Tournament Master”!

Games Currently in the Works

Mental Blocks for Android Mobile!

You are all familiar with our Classic Game Mental Blocks. Our developers have been working hard at perfecting a new version of Mental Blocks that will soon be available for Android Mobile. Although currently in the development stage, we will soon announce when it is available in a beta version. We will need some players to test it out and let us know what you think. I will bring more updates as soon as the information makes it to my desk. For now, the memo is.... Mental Blocks - coming soon for Mobile.

This website is one of the longest – if not THE longest ran website around on the internet when it comes to online gaming. We are not just talking about any sort of game either; we are talking about online skill games. Unlike those games of chance, or playing virtual slot machine games, these games actually take skill and tenacity to beat them. The cool thing about Tournament Games is that the games are never playing against a computer, there is a whole social aspect of competing with real life players from around the world, competing in both free and paid tournaments for prizes and most of all… recognition of just how much gaming skill you have.

All of the games here are free to play too, so you get to learn how to play and cut your teeth against the computer before dueling it out with a real life person. As your online skill gaming prowess grows and morphs into legendary status, you will be able to move from just playing in the free competitions to moving into the paid competitions.

By the way, if you are wondering how the website actually makes money to host these free games for you, it is through the paid competitions. When you pay your fee to get in, you stand the very real chance of winning real tangible prizes not on a game of chance like all those boring slot machine games, but in a game of skill and talent, of calculating thought and unyielding endurance against your opponent.

So what games are there for you to take a swing at?

The website consists of a range of games, some of them you may be familiar with at first glance. The familiarity will end there though. Each of the classic games, such as virtual pool games, have both the classic set of rules as well as a few twists that are thrown at you during the game. For example, their online bowling game consists mainly of normal online bowling game rules, but with added obstacles, various pin formations, sides on the lanes for special shots that take “curve balls” in order to knock down all the pins. Or with the online pool games, there are bonus points and multipliers you can achieve based off just how skilled you truly become in the game.

Between Trick Bowling, Aid-n-Aider Pool Tournaments, Mega Stars, and Solidroid, there is a growing variety of games for you to cut your teeth on and grow your online gaming skills while doing so. Many of these games can be accessed easily with your Android, or even more conveniently – via your facebook account. In fact, most of the online tournaments at Tournament Games predominantly take place over facebook now. What easier way exists for you to invite your friends to play some Trick Bowling with you and beat them down in a free tournament than over facebook?

Remember, as you get better, consider entering the paid tournaments. There is nothing more fun than going up against another truly skilled opponent in an online skill game. The most skilled players will always be in the paid tournaments, after all, they are playing for keeps and the prizes there are real tangible prizes that you can win. Not to mention the recognition of being the champion with your name at the top of the leaderboard for everyone to see your achievements, so saddle up and come over to TournamentGames.com and let the games begin!

Tournament Games was the brain-child of Jack Pearson in 1997 and began with the sole purpose of allowing player to compete with each other in games of skill. Starting with only one game, Tournament Solitaire, the website was launched to the public. The idea for Tournament Solitaire began with the release of a classic console arcade game called Solitaire Challenge which was developed by Pearson as well and released to the public in 1994. The game allowed two people to compete against each other in a competition of skill while playing solitaire. Later in 1995, a newer version was released called Tournament Solitaire. Also a classic console game, Tournament Solitaire allowed the competition to extend beyond two players to an unlimited amount of competitors. Players would enter the competition at any point during a seven day long competition and at the end of the week, the player with the highest score was declared the winner and the next tournament began.

At the time of the Tournament Games website’s launch, the internet was in its infancy. Pearson took his idea of Tournament Solitaire modified the current version to be available on the World Wide Web. The console version was the first game of its kind to offer competition between players without the need for the players to be at the same place at the same time. Similarly, the resulting internet version of Tournament Solitaire presented the option of competing against other players while never having to leave the comfort of their homes. Since that time, Tournament Games has introduced new games into the tournaments and developed software that allowed for in-browser game play with no need for a download.

Tournaments are now available on multiple platforms including the downloaded and in-browser versions of their online games for PC. Integration of their tournaments for Android Devices and Facebook are now available, and branching into the realm of Apple platform devices is currently being discussed. As always, Tournament Games holds to the philosophy of Quality over Quantity. A new game may not be released each week, as with some online game companies, however each online game released will undoubtedly hold up to the highest caliber standards of gaming experience possible.

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Online bowling is typically pretty boring, the good news is that with the advent of Trick Bowling, your virtual bowling can finally be an awesome and fun experience. Let me explain. Trick Bowling at first is like any other online bowling game. Obviously, the faster you knock down the pins the higher the score you are going to get. The goal is to knock down all the pins before a timer (which is very lengthy) runs out, attempting to acquire the highest score possible.

This is where Trick Bowling ends all commonality with other virtual bowling games. Unlike other online bowling games, Trick Bowling adds some interesting twists to the much loved and traditional bowling game. Unlike in traditional online bowling games, in Trick Bowling you can throw the ball as many times as you want, and will have to overcome unique pin patterns such as X's and O's, with sometimes having more than just 10 pins to take down at a time.

Trick Bowling can unleash up to a 100 pins at one time, and with settings that adjust how hard or easy it is to maneuver the virtual bowling ball, there is a lot of variance in the game. Depending on your setting for the bowling ball, it could affect the curve of your throw by quite a significant amount. With the added pins and various pin formations, it is going take sometime to acquire the skill needed to succeed in this game than in your traditional online bowling game.

Along with the various pin patterns, you may also get your gutters replaced with side rails. These side rails create an interesting new development to the game as you can roll bank shots, bouncing the bowling ball off of the various sides in attempts to knock down as many pins as possible. Another added obstacle to the virtual bowling game is the idea of posts. In Trick Bowling, posts can be added in the lanes where the pins can surround the post or lay behind the post, forcing the player to learn how to properly roll a “curve ball” to snake the bowling ball around these posts and successfully knocking down the pins.

All of these combined create a bowling game that is far more challenging than any other online bowling game out there. Considering Trick Bowling is designed by Tournament Games, one of the longest running websites for games requiring skill, it is no wonder that the game has raised the bar quite significantly.

It will take you hours (and probably some frustration till you get the hang of it) to master the game and knock down all the pins. You have a generous timer and all the patterns have been tested to be able to be cleared successfully. It is up to you as the gamer to roll the boll correctly, master the curve and the “bank shot” as some of the levels require this in order to succeed. In the end, Trick Bowling is probably one of the, if not THE, most entertaining online bowling games to date.

Plus, it is brought to you by Tournament Games! For the competitive player inside of you, that means you can show off your skills in both free and paid tournaments. What is better? Being endlessly entertained mastering virtual bowling, or being endlessly entertained mastering virtual bowling while winning awesome prizes to boot?

You can have it all with Trick Bowling, the hot new online bowling game brought to you by Tournament Games, so what are you waiting for? Let's get to the online bowling game and start playing!

Watch out, Klondike Solitaire has invaded Google Play. You card enthusiasts out there are about to experience the fantastic mobile app of the month – SoliDroid Klondike Solitaire. You might be wondering... what the heck is Klondike Solitaire? Well, Klondike is actually just another name for Solitaire (also sometimes referred to as Patience).

The patent pending SoliDroid game is currently on the Google Play marketplace, there is a mobile app for you people who love mobile games, and yes before you even ask... our Klondike Solitaire game will consist of card game competitions.

What kind of mobile game company would we be if we did not include good old card game competitions? We are after all, the longest running skill gaming company on the internet (Prove me wrong!)

With SoliDroid, the patent pending add ons to the game such as Wild Thang, SuperStax and Play Later will give you an edge over your opponents. Unlike traditional Klondike Solitaire games, SoliDroid's Google Play mobile app is out of this world competitive. (Remember, I did say we are the LONGEST running skill based gaming company around in the digital landscape).

We already have people leaving feedback on our Google Play listing for SoliDroid suggesting it is the most fun Klondike Solitaire mobile app they have found to test their brain against both the built in computer and even more fun – other players. Out of 20 ratings on our Google Play listing, we are rate 5 out of 5 stars. What does that suggest to you? Hmmm.

Unlike traditional Klondike Solitaire, using our three patent pending features we have added to the traditional solitaire game – Wild Thang, Supastaxx and Play Later features – there is a flood of new strategies to partake in. These new strategies literally can be used to win (or lose if used poorly) the mobile game. With these new strategies, Klondike Solitaire goes from being a relatively boring game to becoming an intense competitive mobile game experience.

The real question comes down to not whether you would be interested in playing Solidroid, but whether you are up to the challenge to see if you can master Solidroid. Play your hand, lay down your cards, and see if you are the next king or queen of the Solidroid competitive Klondike Solitaire competitions. Find our listing on Google Play now and have at it.

Aim-n-Aider is an online pool game filled with fun challenges. Just like in real pool, there are all sorts of various strategies involved. Whether you are aiming to knock in several balls at once, or looking for just that last black Eight ball to win the pool game, Aim-n-Aider accommodates.

One thing that makes Aim-n-Aider far different than most online pool games is that it is not always an exact replica of pool games or traditional billiards games. You can have anywhere from 9 to 15 balls in a rack at once, along with obstacles that can pose formidable foes on the actual pool table. Along with the 9 to 15 racks and the obstacles that can be added to the billiard game, Aim-n-Aider has a specially marked and color bonus ball that if you sink into the hole you can achieve extra points.

One of the things that make Aim-n-Aider one of the hottest billiard games online is the fact that you can play with other people. Whether you want to play in a tournament (After all the Aim-n-Aider online pool game is created by a website called Tournament Games) or just for fun, you can share Aim-n-Aider with friends and family over Facebook and start playing one heck of a pool game together.

Tournament Games also hosts a ton of online tournaments for their billiards games, which you can find by installing their Facebook app on your personal Facebook. Because of this, you will never be left stranded without anyone to play against – which can be quite annoying for someone who loves addictive arcade games.

Tournament Games themselves have been around since 1997, with Aim-n-Aider being their newest online pool game. You may be asking right now… how does Tournament Games actually make money off of Aim-n-Aider when they are allowing you to play and participate in online tournaments all for free? The answer to that question is relatively simple. How Tournament Games makes money with Aim-n-Aider is by allowing you as the player to buy credits to be entered into special tournaments. Unlike the free tournaments where anyone can join, these credits count as an entry fee into the tournament game. At the end of these specialized tournament games, the winner wins a prize. So really, you can play Aim-n-Aider for as long as you want absolutely for free, or if you start feeling proud of your online pool games skills, you can start entering yourself into these specialized tournament games simply by buying some credits.

What is great about these specialized online tournaments is that once you get good at online pool games, you can actually start winning a lot of cool prizes. Not bad for a game you started playing for absolutely free, huh? Plus, the competitive level goes way up once you start getting into the special tournaments. After all, everyone in that tournament also bought credits to participate and hopefully win in the ultimate billiard games showdown. That means they are likely going to be a lot more focused on attempting to defeat you so they can win their own prizes, along with being more skilled (or maybe overconfident of their skill?).

Online Games

Cognitive Thinking Benefits

You have probably heard of the new wave of Brain Games that are all the rage in the gaming industry and on the internet lately. Seemingly they promote their games as beneficial to your thinking, reasoning, and memory skills. Medical research also seems to back up this theory that playing games can help keep your mind active and healthy. Do you have to pay a website that advertises themselves as having brain games to reap the benefits?

First, we should look at how these games are said to improve your mental functioning. The more you utilize a skill, the more adept you become at that particular skill. The same thing is applicable to all types of thought processes and reasoning concepts. Different types of games exercise different mental skills. For example:

In synopsis, any game you play can be analyzed for mental benefits as long as you are actively using your brain you are in essence keeping yourself mentally young. Who knew the things that we enjoy doing in our spare time, such as online games, would prove to have such medical benefit. So the next time someone starts complaining about online gaming, you can have proof that they are in fact actually mentally healthy for you.