A game is basically a structured form of active play, normally undertaken for fun or entertainment, and occasionally used as a teaching tool. Games are very different from work, which typically is performed for remuneration; games are normally an expression of personal or artistic aspects. Games can be physical games (such as chess and checkers), mental games (machines and crosswords) and even video games (such as Tetris and Mario). A game has certain rules that the player must follow and cannot deviate from them. Some games may also have points, or levels, and the player earns points or money when they reach a goal.
There are various different kinds of solitaire games, including the game played in the original version with two players, where each player is given a set of cards (e.g., “qi” for Chinese cards, “mullen” for Indian cards), and the player that has the most cards at the end wins. In many variations of solitaire, one player is always at a disadvantage and cannot remove cards from their deck; in these variants, each player is allowed to use one of his or her hands to make moves. Most online solitaire games are single player. Single-player variants are less structured than multi-player ones, where each player is responsible for his own moves.
The first two types of solitaire games -where each player is assigned a specific number of cards -are usually deceptively easy to learn, since all that is required is that each player follows a specific order, playing cards being turned over one at a time. The “Chinese Card Solitaire”, for instance, is so simple in theory, that many people who are completely new to the computer know how to win in no time. The “oggler’s paradox” is perhaps the most famous of all solitaire games, in which a player is dealt a hand containing a total of seven cards, and must figure out whether or not his cards are even. (If they are, then the whole board is reshuffled, and the person to their left will be dealt a new hand, effectively reversing the original arrangement.) Most people who play Huizinga find this version of the game very challenging.
Most experienced players are quick to remark that such games are “tough” because, with a small deck, it’s often necessary to think ahead and consider not just the immediate present but what might be in the future. It’s in these situations that a player can start considering strategies for beating the game. The most common experience into the game world is undoubtedly the “swing and miss” experience, where the intention is simply to hit the jackpot; with a smaller deck, however, the likelihood of hitting something valuable dramatically increases. This is where a person can start thinking about what cards might land them that lucky jackpot, if the situation permits.
Another common experience into the game world is the “swing and pray” experience, where the goal is to hit as many cards as possible in any turn, hoping to get the luck of the draw. A person might also lose control of the game when they commit a “swing and pray” mistake, such as picking up a card that didn’t have a face in it, or picking up a card that already has a face on it. When this happens, the person must either stop playing the game, or else try to get back on track before making another bad decision. Because there are so many combinations, however, the chances of actually finding something desirable are slim. As a result, players can still take advantage of a draw that might have more cards than anyone else has put into the pot. It’s all about waiting until the right time to strike.
In addition to these classic, traditional games like blackjack and roulette, people can also experience into the world of the computer games. There are a number of computer games available today, with popular ones like solitaire and word games like hangman. The most common experience into the world of the computer games tends to be the same as the classic experience: people play against the computer. However, instead of using a deck of cards, people use a screen that shows a grid of four by four, showing a layout of the game. By playing against the computer, people can practice thinking logically about the best strategy for a given situation.