Competitive Casino Games

Besides poker, has there ever been a game offered by a casino where players directly and overtly compete against each other?

I was thinking about that today and it seems like there's a lot of places they could go with that. Just like poker stardom brought a whole new class of players to casinos, another competitive game might attract a new class of young and ambitious people.

It would need the following characteristics:

- a bet can be resolved quickly, about as quick as a hand of poker.

- can be dealt to as few as two players, up to a full table (like poker).

- allows for a rake (like poker)

- not well-suited for collusion play between players (unlike poker!)

- has a strategy that "grows" indefinitely with a player's expertise and devotion. Blackjack Basic Strategy is simple and anyone can learn it perfectly, and even a counting strategy can be mastered to perfection by most people. But other games like contract bridge and gin rummy, poker in most forms, and non-card games chess and go have strategies where even the best human players in the world can always get a little better.

Maybe a Farkle variation?

Flop poker https://wizardofodds.com/games/flop-poker/

I immediately thought of Flop Poker too, but I don't think that's what AutomaticMonkey had in mind.

The only thing that comes close is BlackJack tournaments. Of course, lots of people enter them, then play as if they are playing regular cash BJ, without adjusting for tournament style. If they do that, they might as well play a slots tourney.

A smart BJ tourney player will adjust their bet sizing based on what the other players are doing, as well as change strategy (for example, always split tens).

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Besides poker, has there ever been a game offered by a casino where players directly and overtly compete against each other?

I was thinking about that today and it seems like there's a lot of places they could go with that. Just like poker stardom brought a whole new class of players to casinos, another competitive game might attract a new class of young and ambitious people.

It would need the following characteristics:

- a bet can be resolved quickly, about as quick as a hand of poker.

- can be dealt to as few as two players, up to a full table (like poker).

- allows for a rake (like poker)

- not well-suited for collusion play between players (unlike poker!)

- has a strategy that "grows" indefinitely with a player's expertise and devotion. Blackjack Basic Strategy is simple and anyone can learn it perfectly, and even a counting strategy can be mastered to perfection by most people. But other games like contract bridge and gin rummy, poker in most forms, and non-card games chess and go have strategies where even the best human players in the world can always get a little better.

Maybe a Farkle variation?
link to original post

I don't know if there are any left, but at one time, there were skill games that you played against other players, you could make money hanging around waiting for young weekend partiers on the Las Vegas Strip.

There used to be some money in playing Blackjack tournaments and whatnot, but I'm not sure if there are too many good tournaments around these days.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Besides poker, has there ever been a game offered by a casino where players directly and overtly compete against each other?

I was thinking about that today and it seems like there's a lot of places they could go with that. Just like poker stardom brought a whole new class of players to casinos, another competitive game might attract a new class of young and ambitious people.

It would need the following characteristics:

- a bet can be resolved quickly, about as quick as a hand of poker.

- can be dealt to as few as two players, up to a full table (like poker).

- allows for a rake (like poker)

- not well-suited for collusion play between players (unlike poker!)

- has a strategy that "grows" indefinitely with a player's expertise and devotion. Blackjack Basic Strategy is simple and anyone can learn it perfectly, and even a counting strategy can be mastered to perfection by most people. But other games like contract bridge and gin rummy, poker in most forms, and non-card games chess and go have strategies where even the best human players in the world can always get a little better.

Maybe a Farkle variation?
link to original post

I don't know if there are any left, but at one time, there were skill games that you played against other players, you could make money hanging around waiting for young weekend partiers on the Las Vegas Strip.

There used to be some money in playing Blackjack tournaments and whatnot, but I'm not sure if there are too many good tournaments around these days.

That’s a really interesting question. I’ve also wondered why casinos haven’t explored more competitive formats beyond poker. It seems like there’s definitely potential for a game that’s fast-paced, strategic, and scalable from two players to a full table. Something that rewards skill over time, like chess or bridge, but still fits within the casino environment, could attract a whole new crowd. Curious to see if anyone’s ever tried developing something like that.

I read about Kalooki being played at some casinos in the UK

When you go into a house-banked game having never played before, you know the odds aren't going to be particularly bad and that even if you play badly, you'll probably only lose a maximum of 10% of the money you spend. When you go into a competitive game you have never played before, you could easily lose 100% of your money.

I think this is why Texas Hold'Em Poker remains so dominant; the opportunity cost to learn and get good at a new competitive game is huge compared to the opportunity cost of learning and being good at a new casino-banked table game.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Besides poker, has there ever been a game offered by a casino where players directly and overtly compete against each other?

I was thinking about that today and it seems like there's a lot of places they could go with that. Just like poker stardom brought a whole new class of players to casinos, another competitive game might attract a new class of young and ambitious people.

It would need the following characteristics:

- a bet can be resolved quickly, about as quick as a hand of poker.

- can be dealt to as few as two players, up to a full table (like poker).

- allows for a rake (like poker)

- not well-suited for collusion play between players (unlike poker!)

- has a strategy that "grows" indefinitely with a player's expertise and devotion. Blackjack Basic Strategy is simple and anyone can learn it perfectly, and even a counting strategy can be mastered to perfection by most people. But other games like contract bridge and gin rummy, poker in most forms, and non-card games chess and go have strategies where even the best human players in the world can always get a little better.
I just checked out the review for Cats Hats Bats demo - the aesthetics and bonus mechanics look really well done. 🎃 The thematic touches and suspense in the game presentation stood out — definitely a fun read if you’re into slot design and creative visuals.

Maybe a Farkle variation?
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A skill-based game with fast rounds and low collusion risk could really shake up the casino scene — maybe something like competitive rummy or even a hybrid dice/card game.