Debunking The Stereotypes In Online Gaming

Gaming is not simply limited to the physical world but has rapidly conquered the virtual world as well. Internet or online gaming has become the norm. But gaming is an activity of leisure, right? Well, that’s what most people think. This is just one of the many stereotypes associated with online gaming. Let’s explore and try to clear the air about some of the most common myths surrounding online gaming.

A man’s world?

Most people naturally conjure up the image of a man when they think of gaming. However, this is just a stereotype regarding online gaming. According to the Entertainment Software Association, gamers across both genders are almost equal but not evenly distributed. While a lot of women might play games, they might not be necessarily identified as ‘gamers’. Women enjoy gaming sans the label that comes with it. Gaming is also being used as a means to encourage women to choose STEM education. For example – Minecraft: Education Edition allows students to get a taste of the world of gaming and coding simultaneously.

The ‘shrinking violet’ myth

Most people view online gamers as those who are socially inept and dislike socializing with people. Yet, the truth is that most gaming enthusiasts are social butterflies capable of embracing social circles. For instance, most of the rummy lovers play rummy online simply because they are passionate about it. Moreover, online rummy portals and other online games today feature multiplayer options and vibrant communities, offering an opportunity to play and network with strangers. One can also use chat options to make new friends while engaging in a mentally stimulating activity. This way, people can expand their social circles across nations and even continents.

The misunderstood idleton

Online gamers are often seen as couch potatoes with no future goals. The plain truth is that laziness has less to do with gaming and more to do with the person in question. What they many fail to understand is online games can be as mentally stimulating and rejuvenating as, say, reading a good book. Mental activities are not given their due, as many people only seem to see physical activities in a positive light. However, it is important to remember that exercise is not only for the body, but also for the mind- and that is exactly what online gaming can offer.

Purposeful play

Another essential stereotype surrounding online gaming is that it is simply a luxury and not really useful in one’s everyday lives. But nothing could be further from the truth. Many online games are designed by novelists, derived from myths and legends or developed from popular series which are highly educative.

Puzzle games help to develop lateral thinking and problem-solving skills, platforming games are an excellent means to develop faster reflexes, cooperative games encourage teamwork, and strategy games such as rummy enhance one’s decision-making skills – qualities that have much importance in the ‘real’ world. And online gaming, especially those real-time, multiplayer games provide such networks where, by means of “collective intelligence”, one can develop their cognitive skills effortlessly.

The serendipity delusion

A common myth related to online games, especially card games like rummy is that it hardly involves any skill and is based entirely on fluke. Though it is true that your game depends on the way the cards have been dealt, skilled players know how to turn even the worst of hands into their favor. Playing rummy online involves a great deal of skill and mental chops. Also, since cards are dealt at random, there is or no scope for favoritism or biases. You can be down on luck in a few games, but not for long. The cards you’re dealt with may be a matter of coincidence, but what you choose to do with them is purely a matter of skill and discretion.

While it will take some time before the stereotypes surrounding online gaming are dispelled completely, we can start with educating those around us. Needless to say, online gaming has a wealth of benefits to offer. Playing real cash rummy is a legitimate way to win rewards and other exciting prizes, apart from learning new skills. So, if you love playing games online, don’t let these myths keep you from doing what you love and download the online rummy app now!

Technologies That Take Online Gaming To The Next Level

PC games have an innate charm that attracts the young and the old alike. The advent of online games and different theme-based games like roleplaying games, city-building games, strategy games, etc. have given a fresh impetus to it. Indeed, the popularity of online games has been increasing at a steady rate.

Be it famous card games like online rummy, battle games or the several other varieties available, a common point is that you need to devise strategies to win. People derive a sense of satisfaction in employing their mental faculties to decide strategies. The attraction of winning prizes and moving up the leaderboard in online gaming tournaments further helps the popularity of these games.

However, it is the experience of playing that interests most. Now, cutting-edge technologies are taking the experience of playing these games to a new level. So, how exactly is technology changing the landscape of online gaming and what is really going on in this space? Let’s discuss.

Artificial Intelligence

 The Artificial Intelligence-based game bot named Libratus, a product of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, has already marked its presence in the realm of card gaming. It has played thousands of different games in just three weeks’ time. What is intriguing is that in all these games, it has emerged victorious against human opponents. Yet, it is just the preliminary stages of AI. Companies are now using a combined approach of big data, machine learning, and other AI technologies to enhance user engagement with the game and improve gaming experience for variants of card games.

Virtual Reality

Gaming has significantly improved in quality thanks to Virtual Reality. The technology has made it possible to control games with gesture. Add realistic graphics to it and it is a combo very few can resist.

Technology also lets you interact with the gaming elements. This is a great experience since it does not let the physical environment disturb your gaming experience. The VR headset that you must wear to play the game has the ability to block all foreign sights and sounds. You can immerse yourself in the world of extremely realistic graphics, interact with players and control your moves with gestures much like in the real world. The bright, immersive and interactive experience can take online gaming to a new height.

24/7 Gaming

You no longer need to wait to return home and sit before the computer to play a game online. Most games are available as an app these days. The increase in availability of gaming apps has made it possible for fans to play even traditional card games like rummy with a simple rummy game download. If you have a 4G internet connection, you can easily play games anywhere and anytime. Whether you are sitting at home, waiting for an office meeting or sitting at the airport lounge, you can play your favorite game on your mobile device or laptop. The lively gaming interface and the high-quality graphics in the game adds to the attraction.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is a niche of virtual reality where the aim is to duplicate the gaming environment using innovative display technology and latest software. This offers such a composite view of real and virtual scenes that the player finds it difficult to distinguish between the two and feels further integrated.

Augmented reality has reached such a stage that it can even add smell to the gaming environment and heighten your experience. Players just need to wear a pair of glasses to enjoy integrated experiences like walking down a street, finding treasures, etc.

Gaming Themes And Rooms

Now you can even play games based on themes. You can play MMORPG games, PUBG games, Ninja video games, card games etc. These games differ not only in gameplay, but also by settings, scenarios, backgrounds etc. Games can also revolve around themes like shapes, stories, animals, historical events, sports, age of reason, archaeology, architecture, birds, buildings, city building, civil war, classic games, colonial games. There are various theme-based games available online. You just need to join the room that you are most proficient and interested in.

With various rooms and themes, players get more than they expect. With a variety of themes to choose from, these ‘rooms’ keep the experience fresh, keeping the players engaged.

How Technologies Are Reshaping Online Games

New technologies are helping players in playing games in a number of ways. This includes:

• Hand-Strength Estimation

There are AI-based algorithms, which have the ability to estimate the winning potential of your rummy hand versus your opponent’s. The platform does so by estimating the completion of hands and counting the wins.

• Opponent Modelling

New technology is used to utilise players’ historical data and estimate his or her probability for actions like call, fold, raise etc. This can be done for each opponent and can be quite helpful for players. It takes into account various factors like game type, position, player count etc.

• Strategy Building

Technology like machine learning can come up with utility functions for listing strategies. It takes into account historical as well as current data to build such strategies.

The ongoing summer season in India seems to spare none as the wrath of the sun continues to be unrelenting since the last few weeks. Well, the common  mindset of an Indian is to escape to  one of the hill stations for a few weeks’. That is not a bad idea.! However, if you want to drench yourselves passionately in the sea of joy every minute and every second, then the best way to do it is to make a brief trip to Goa. Situated in the west of India, this state is the one stop destination for all fun lovers. There are so many things which can be done in Goa and here are some of the reasons as to why you will definitely enjoy your stay over there.

Water sports:

The state of Goa, is by default, the best place for indulging in water sports as it is primarily a beach destination. There are loads of water sports available for you to take part and enjoy throughout the summer, thereby experiencing some spine-chilling moments. If you are an adventure lover, you will never like to miss out the electrifying moments offered by sports like parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, dolphin spotting, boat ride, etc.

Summertime festivals:

Summer fests in Goa will be in full swing every year for three months from March to May. Some of the lively fests that Goa has been offering are Shigmo (a street festival), Grape Escapade (a wine festival), the Goan food and music festival, the Konkan fruit festival and the Goa heritage festival. It is fun time all the way if you visit Goa during summer till the end of May.

Goa beyond beaches:

The state of Goa is not just about beaches although it is generally perceived to be so. There are in fact, many more things to explore beyond beaches. Whether it is about walking through a lane surrounded by Portuguese houses filled with friendly people or visiting old heritage Portuguese houses or going to an exotic little island called Divar where River Mandovi empties itself to the Sea, there are so many  delectable visits await you whenever you travel to Goa.

Beach visit:

A trip to Goa remains incomplete if you fail to explore its beaches. Although it is not humanly possible to visit all of them in a single trip, you can try to select the ones that suit your taste. A nature lover would love to visit beaches like Vagator, Cavelossim, etc. and if you are someone who loves a very active beach then you can choose ones like Candolim, Baga, Colva, etc. It all depends on what sort of atmosphere you are happy with.

The Grand Rummy Championship awaits you:

If you are a Rummy lover, do not miss out the opportunity to make a trip to Goa as RummyDarbar is offering a live tournament called Grand Rummy Championship, the total prize money of which is Rs.70 lakhs. More importantly, this tournament is first of its kind and RummyDarbar is staging it at the heart of Goa. The qualifier tournaments began from 8^th April onwards and the players who win these qualifiers, win tickets to the Sunday Finale. The winners of the Sunday finale get an entry in to the GRC finale which is scheduled to be held on 19^th of May 2018 at the Lalit Resort & Spa, Goa.  As far as

the entry fee is concerned, there are different entry fees qualifier that you can pick up and play, maximum being Rs. 8,000/-. In fact, you can even straight away make your way to Sunday finale by playing Rs. 8,000/- qualifier.

So, those are some of the things that can kindle your interest in Goa this summer. You will only be repenting if you miss out this wonderful entertainment that this western part of India has to offer!

Permanent Roommates

This is the latest web series running in Tamil language. Mikesh has returned from USA and proposes to Tanya for marriage. However, Tanya is unsure if she should take the plunge. Watch this fun series, showing the conflicts of today’s couples and how it all works out.

Watch it here:

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Take 2

The favourite family of the television comes back with a twist. Adding a bit of pep up and some double entendre jokes this is a fun take that you can enjoy any evening. The show highlights are Rosesh’s marriage to Jasline and Monisha finally walking out. Want to know what happened?

Check it out here. (http://www.hotstar.com/tv/sarabhai-vs-sarabhai-take-2/523)

Tech Conversations with Dad

Well, this is pure fun and we all relate to it at one level or the other. If you have ever thought how difficult it would be to explain simple things of tech to your dad, this answers it right on. There are many that are around, but this Diwali special had just hit the top trending list and went Viral like crazy. Here the dad is learning how to play rummy online. Enjoy it and take a flash back in the Diwali nostalgia.

Watch it here:

As I’m Suffering From Kadhal

Who says couples are regular romantic or saas bahu drama. Here is a web series about four pairs that comprise of a divorced father, his daughter, a live in couple, a married couple and a lovesick Jodi (yep, one still there). It is packed with good laugh and shares the modern love story twists minus the soggy melodrama.

Watch it here (http://www.hotstar.com/tv/as-im-suffering-from-kadhal/14361/meet-the-sufferers/1000179049)

TVF Pitchers

Another bag of interesting TV Series is the ‘Pitchers’ in Tamil. The show is about four friends who share innovative ideas in the day and sit over a pitcher of beer by night. It is all about skills, entrepreneurship and moving forward, in spite of challenges. It is a fun series that is a must watch in 2017.

Watch it here: https://tvfplay.com/episode/11/216/242/1055

So, what is your favourite pick? Share your best entertainment dose with us.

This precisely is what happening to the online games with the advent of mobile games. The games played through mobiles are much preferred by the people as compared to the online PC games nowadays because the former can be played everywhere on the go. The format of games in mobiles has attracted the end users more than online PC games because of the improved processes and graphics that it has been offering time and again.

Why is this happening?

The same set of users who were hovering on online PC games a decade back have since then switched over to mobile games as they started finding it more comfortable and interesting. In fact, India has now grown into the fifth biggest mobile gaming market with consistent rise in game downloads. The online PC games, therefore, are virtually in a declining phase and are sure to hit rock bottom should the trend continue. It is because of the inability of the online brands to update themselves regularly they have reached a stagnant point from which they are unable to lift themselves up. Had they anticipated the surge of mobile games earlier, they would have accordingly formatted their games with mobile compatibility and increased features.

RummyDarbar stands out as a successful online game

The sensational surge of none of the mobile games can affect the spectacular growth of RummyDarbar. So how could RummyDarbar survive the competition of mobile games? It is simple. First thing first. It is playable using the rummy app and it is completely user friendly. In fact, even with a 2g speed net, you will be able to play the game.  The app is lightning quick to access and functions on any android model. Whether as an online PC game or as a mobile app, it refreshes the users by introducing something new all the time and the support team sets right all the issues even if you encounter a rare one. After all, it is the performance that matters more than the rest for a successful business venture and RummyDarbar has the same in abundance. Play 13 card game online and win real cash prizes only at RummyDarbar.com .

Also Read –

10 Must Download Free Games on Android Phone

Multiplayer Games Online An Exciting World That You Need to Experience

Tournament and its timings:

RummyDarbar has introduced a new tournament called “Ugadi Rummy tournament” which will be on air on 29^th of March only. The tournament offers free entry to the users as a token of celebration. After formally wishing your friends and other close ones on the new year day, rush and have yourself registered for the tournament. The window will be opened for registration from 9 am to 2.55 pm with the game starting by 3 pm.

Prize Money:

The highlight of the tournament is the prize money that it offers which is fixed at Rs.5 lakhs. How good is that? That is the speciality of RummyDarbar which is bent upon being fair to its members keeping their satisfaction as priority.

Here is the summary of the tournament in brief:

Ugadi Rummy tournament

• Date:  29^th March
• Entry fee:  Nil
• Window: 9 am to 2.55 pm
• Start Time: 3 pm
• Prize Money: Rupees 5 lakhs.

With just a day to go, gear up for this spectacular Rummy experience on 29^th and make the first day of the new year an unforgettable one. Download rummy app and play rummy online on mobile anytime anywhere. Read more about rummy rules.

What is Responsible Play?

This concept is simply focused on helping players out in managing their cash roll. As players enjoy rummy tournaments, balancing out and putting a cap on their spending limit is taken care by RummyDarbar. It is like a small well-wisher looking on and not letting you spend too much, too soon.

Does it mean RummyDarbar controls your account?

No, RummyDarbar doesn’t control your account or your wish to play. Enjoy rummy as long as you want, however there is a slow and gradual scale up. This scale up is controlled by cash limit. There are two types of cash limit, daily cash limit and monthly cash limit.

Daily cash limit: This limit is set by the system depending on the player’s level of account validation. This is a 24-hour rolling limit and not dependent on the 24 hour day cycle. So, if a player adds Rs. 500/- at 2 PM today, and his daily cash limit is Rs. 1000/- then he can add the remaining Rs. 500/- till 2 PM of the next day.

Monthly cash limit: This limit is also set by the system by default, depending on the relationship with RummyDarbar. A new player may have a lower monthly cash limit as compared to a player associated for a longer duration.

How can you increase cash limits?

There is no hard and fast rule that the limits can’t change. Here’re ways to increase the cash limits to play 13 card game on RummyDarbar.

Daily limit: The daily limit can increase, all you need to do, is send out a request from the contact us page. The other alternative is dropping a mail on responsibleplay@RummyDarbar.com . Remember, the email id you use, should be registered with RummyDarbar.

Monthly cash limit: This limit, you can change on your own. Just go to your ‘Add Cash Limit’ page under ‘My Account’ and change your monthly cash limit amount. Remember, you can make this change every 48 hours. You can also view your current ‘Add Cash Limit’ on the very same page.

With responsible play, a player can enjoy playing different cash tournaments and not worry of over spending. A system is already in place that doesn’t let you cross your monthly quota. If you want to increase it, then a player is fully aware how much he has spent and how much more he wants to spend on rummy. So, no ugly surprises for RummyDarbar players.

Origin: The card games originated in China even before 1000 AD. The Chinese people used paper-like dominoes on which dots represented different kinds of combinations. Rummy, is played as a social game in homes in the 1960’s and 1970’s as all other board games. This game is said to be the third most popular game all over the world. It is also the most played card game online.

Intricate design: An interest thing about the design of the cards is that all the queen of diamonds is the only one among the four queen cards that has a slight smile. Among the king cards, the king of spade and club hold swords, while the king of hearts and diamonds have a weapon behind their head.

Entertaining and Rewarding: An effective strategy is important to know your competitor and the trick is to arrange your cards to become a winner easily. Millions of enthusiastic players play rummy online either for fun or to win cash or both. Rummy game is also about winning cash if you follow a well-planned strategy.  RummyDarbar has been designed to give both pro and newbie players the real time experience at ease and win cash anytime they want.

Game of skill: Rummy is a game of skill and it is important that you understand the rummy rules and have the ability to play it online as well. While playing online you should play within a given time-frame, along with some additional time, but the time is limited and you cannot increase it. You can enhance your skills by watching videos on RummyDarbar.com

Active Brain: It has been discovered that playing such games that require mental dexterity help you in absorbing and retaining more facts. Dealing and shuffling activities sharpen the reflexes. This can really help improve your memory.

The skill of multitasking: Most of the above mentioned abilities have to be demonstrated simultaneously. So, it definitely means that some skill at multitasking would come handy while playing rummy card games is necessary.

Socialization: When you play online rummy, you team up with other players. The best advantage of an online platform is that you get to interact with the players across the country. You meet new people, make new friends and become a part of a larger community of like-minded people.

Ultimate stress buster: In our extremely busy lifestyle, we suffer huge stress due to work pressure and tremendous responsibilities we carry out each day. Online rummy gives a way out to people such that they can relax themselves. These engaging games help in reducing stress levels to a great extent. Play on the go with the RummyDarbar mobile and tablet versions!

Time management: A rummy player goes through a series of challenges that involves quick decisions to be taken along with management of time. A player needs to make these vital decisions fast and with quick calculations.

People Reading Skills: Card games consistently require you to make informed decisions as you must keenly monitor your opponent’s moves. So, in real life as well, you tend to make better-informed decisions in situations whether there’s a ton of information available or completely vice versa.

Since, you already know the basics of the rummy game, we will start with those rummy secrets that you now need to master. However, if you still want to brush up on the basics of rummy, here is the complete rummy rules as a handbook for you.

Get the strategy right

This is the most important factor in winning a rummy card game. Planning a rummy strategy is all about arranging your cards and understanding what kind of hand you can form with it. If you are just concentrating picking up a card from an open or closed deck and not really shuffling or moving your cards to form and reform your sequences and sets, you’ll not be able to win the game. Just because, you have already formed a sequence or a set doesn’t mean you can’t move cards and regroup them all over again. Be quick and flexible and arrange your cards as you go along.

Understand the value of the cards

The value of the cards in your hand is another factor that can make you win or lose a rummy game. For example, the middle cards can be much more beneficial for your game as compared to low or high point cards. So, if you have a ‘5’, it can prove to be much better for you as compared to a ‘Ace’. You can actually form more combinations with a ‘5’ rather than a ‘Ace’.

Use your Joker wisely

You must have heard this often enough, however we still don’t use it to the best of our advantage. Try to close your sets and of course the pure sequence and then use your trump card or ‘Joker’ to declare. Even if you have placed your Joker in a set or impure sequence, you can always change it and make a better hand.

Understand your opponent’s moves

This is one rummy skill that comes through practice and observation. Just like you need to understand your cards well, you also need to decode your opponent’s cards. See what cards he is picking from the decks and what card is he discarding. So, if your opponent just discarded a 4 of Hearts then you should avoid discard 3 or 5 of Hearts. He will be able to complete his hand. Just keep it parked, even if you feel you don’t want it.

Reduce your points

Having high value cards in your hand can act as a burden for you. So, keep your points as low as possible. However, don’t discard a card just because it’s of a high point. Keep on doing those calculations in your mind and push out cards that’s not helping you form a hand and are of high value.

The winning of a rummy game is the combination of all these points together and more or less at the same time. You need time, practice, focus and dedication to win the game.

Pieces in a game of chess have different characteristics/capabilities that allow players to think innumerable moves and combinations. This makes chess an exciting and a highly competitive game of skill. What if we were to invent a game with the same chess pieces that merely required a player to guess the colour of the piece hidden in a closed hand? Would that make this new game (call it “Guess the colour”) still be a game of skill? Obviously not! Just because you use chess pieces in any game doesn’t make that game a skilled game like the game of chess.

Exactly is the case with playing cards. Let’s understand the use of playing cards in games. There are 52 Cards in a pack having different values and suits. Just like in the game of chess, these suits/values allow for a number of ways to use cards for playing games that involve high levels of skill.

There is no doubt that these can be used for unskilled gambling activities as well. Playing cards in the gambling world are the equivalent of smartphones in the normal world – hand-held, flexible and discreet. Set up your gambling stall under a tree and finish some rounds of gambling even before a passer by peeps in.

So let’s admit that there is prejudice against playing cards. But let us also agree that we will not let this prejudice stop us from taking an objective view about card games which involve substantial skill.

There are two games that are popularly played with playing cards – Rummy and Bridge – which involve much more than guess work. Rummy involves picking and retaining cards that appear relatively more useful than other cards in order to make sets and sequences faster than other players. It is also about strategically retaining cards that might not be useful in making sets and sequences but would potentially prevent other players from completing their sets and sequences. A lot of probability, calculation goes into doing this exercise and those who understand the game know it very well how much skill goes into winning a round of rummy.

Last but most importantly, the skill game litmus test… check to see whether you can lose the game against something inanimate – say a bottle of water – and you will be surprised by the simplicity of this answer. You can actually lose a game of Teen Patti against a bottle of water! Challenge the bottle to a game of rummy and trust me, you can never lose.

The wise lawmakers of yore understood all this and built a strong distinction in law between treating activities which are based on skill and those based on chance. Chance based games that required no skill and could be played with a risk of causing great financial loss to oneself were made criminal whereas activities which were based on skill were protected as legitimate commercial and entertainment activities.

Things get slightly legal here. In 1957, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court nicely articulated this distinction between chance and skill based activities.  These constitutional bench decisions (referred to as the “two Chamarbaugwala cases” here) were also relied more recently in the case of Dr. K R Lakshman v. State of Tamil Nadu, (1996 SCC (2) 226) where it reaffirmed this distinctions and the constitutional protection to games of skill.

Some relevant portions of this 1996 ruling are extracted below:

“The new Encyclopaedia Britannica defines gambling as ‘The betting or staking of something of value, with consciousness of  risk and hope of gain on the outcome of a game. Game of  skill, on  the other hand – although the element of  chance necessarily cannot be entirely eliminated – is  one in  which success  depends  principally  upon the superior  knowledge,  training, attention,  experience and adroitness of  the player.  Golf, chess and even Rummy are considered to be games of skill.’  As such a game of chance is one in which the element of chance predominates over the element of skill, and  a game  of skill  is one in which the element of skill predominates  over the  element of  chance. It is the dominant element – “skill” or “chance” – which determines the character of the game.”

“This Court, therefore, in the two Chamarbaugwala-cases, has held that gambling is not trade and as such is not protected by Article 19(1) (g) of the Constitution. It has further been authoritatively held that the competitions which involve substantial skill are not gambling activities. Such competitions are business activities, the protection of which is guaranteed by Article 19(1) (g) of the Constitution.”*

[[*Article 19(1)g  is the fundamental right “to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business”]]

I do hope this piece clears all the doubts anyone may have had on Rummy being a game of skill or a gamble. I would be happy to answer any more questions on this. Please feel free to ask anything in the comments section. For personal queries, you can write on blog.rummydarbar@gmail.com

Go ahead and enjoy the game of rummy for its legal, safe and very entertaining.

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