Online Poker and Rummy -- Games of Skill or Chance?

The paper aims to investigate the degree of cognitive skills required for success in online versions of the popular card game rummy and poker. The study focuses on analyzing the impact of experience and learnable skills on success in the online card game. We also propose a framework to analyze online games to conclude on whether they are games of learnable skill or are they games of chance. The hypotheses proposed aim to test whether online and offline card games are comparable in terms of cognitive engagement and skill requirements. To assess these hypotheses, key elements of gameplay such as shuffling of cards, card deck randomness, and seating of players are analyzed. We also adopted statistical approaches to understand the characteristics of card games in terms of random chance or skill. From the analysis, we could see that the normality of the derived variables deviates significantly from the normal distribution showing a non-linear trend. It signifies that the mean of the involved skill variables is not zero as the user plays a greater number of games, thereby strengthening the assumption that the long-term success in online card games is attributed to skill and not chance. There is no difference in online and offline versions of card games (rummy and poker) from the perspective of requirement of skills. Moreover, our finding suggests that there is a preponderance of skills to succeed in online card gaming. Overall, the findings of this research contribute to a better understanding of cognitive skills in online gaming environments

Influence of the gambling passion among poker players: a mixed method study

La santé publique s’inquiète des risques de problèmes de jeu chez les joueurs de poker (JdP). Alors que la littérature souligne l’importance de la passion chez les joueurs de hasard et d’argent, son influence chez les JdP est totalement méconnue. Jusqu’alors, l’emprunt d’un devis transversal est la règle pour l’ensemble des études s’étant intéressées à la passion chez des joueurs. Selon la littérature, deux formes de passion coexistent chez les joueurs, la passion obsessive (PO) et la passion harmonieuse (PH), leur intensité respective étant plus ou moins importante. Cette étude mixte séquentielle comprend une première phase quantitative corrélationnelle transversale (n=159) et longitudinale (n=116), suivie d’une seconde phase qualitative descriptive (n=12) permettant d’approfondir et de contextualiser les données quantitatives. Cette étude, qui s’inscrit dans une étude plus large, comprend des joueurs qui se considèrent JdP, recrutés à travers le Québec et vise à : 1) évaluer l’association entre les deux formes de passion et les problèmes de jeu; 2) évaluer l’influence, un an plus tard, des deux formes de passion sur les problèmes de jeu; 3) étudier la pertinence du concept de passion et mieux comprendre les liens entre la passion et les problèmes de jeu selon les joueurs. La phase quantitative a fait l’objet d’analyses de régression logistique multivariées et la phase qualitative, une analyse de contenu thématique. Les résultats transversaux et longitudinaux de la première phase quantitative sont concordants. Dans ces deux volets, la PO est positivement associée aux problèmes de jeu à un temps donné (p<.05) et la PO double le risque d’avoir des problèmes de jeu un an plus tard (p<.01) alors que la PH n’est pas associée. La phase qualitative appuie globalement les résultats quantitatifs. Les joueurs rencontrés se sont montrés enthousiastes à aborder la passion du poker et considèrent que le terme passion est pertinent pour aborder leur relation avec cette activité. Alors que la grande majorité a indiqué avoir été ou être encore passionnée de poker, ils associent la PO aux problèmes de jeu, même s’il est possible d’être passionné sans avoir de problèmes de jeu. Par ailleurs, la passion serait l’un des facteurs influençant les comportements de jeu, mais n’est pas nécessairement déterminante puisqu’un joueur peut continuer à jouer sans être passionné et à l’inverse être passionné sans nécessairement jouer fréquemment. Compte tenu de la pertinence pour les JdP de ce concept et de son influence sur les comportements de jeu, il est important de prévenir la passion obsessive.Abstract : Public health is concerned about the risks of gambling problems among poker players. While literature emphasizes the importance of passion among gamblers, its influence among poker players is totally unknown. Until then, using a cross-sectional design is the rule for all the studies interested in passion among gamblers. According to the literature, two forms of passion coexist in players, obsessive passion (OP) and harmonious passion (HP), with a variable intensity, respectively. This sequential mixed method study includes a first cross-sectional (n = 159) and longitudinal (n = 116) quantitative phase, followed by a second descriptive qualitative phase (n = 12) allowing to deepen and contextualize the quantitative data. This study, which is part of a broader study, includes players who consider themselves poker players, recruited throughout Quebec and aims to: 1) assess the association between the two forms of passion and gambling problems; 2) assess the influence, one year later, of the two forms of passion on gambling problems; 3) study the relevance of the concept of passion and to better understand the associations between passion and gambling problems according to the poker players. Multivariate logistic regression and a thematic content analysis were used to the quantitative and qualitative phases, respectively. Cross-sectional and longitudinal results of the first quantitative phase are consistent. In both cases, OP is positively associated with gambling problems at a given time (p <.05) and PO doubles the risk of gambling problems a year later (p <.01) whereas PH is not associated. The qualitative phase generally supports the quantitative results. Poker players interviewed were enthusiastic to speak about the passion of poker and consider that the term ‘passion’ is relevant to describe their relationship with this activity. While the vast majority said they have been or still are passionate about poker, they associate the PO with gambling problems, although it is possible to be passionate without having gambling problems. Moreover, passion is one of the factors influencing gambling behaviours but is not necessarily determinant since a poker player can continue to play without being passionate and conversely being passionate without necessarily playing frequently. Given the relevance of this concept for poker players and its influence on gambling behaviours, it is important to prevent obsessive passion

Internet and Smartphone Use-Related Addiction Health Problems: Treatment, Education and Research

This Special Issue presents some of the main emerging research on technological topics of health and education approaches to Internet use-related problems, before and during the beginning of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective is to provide an overview to facilitate a comprehensive and practical approach to these new trends to promote research, interventions, education, and prevention. It contains 40 papers, four reviews and thirty-five empirical papers and an editorial introducing everything in a rapid review format. Overall, the empirical ones are of a relational type, associating specific behavioral addictive problems with individual factors, and a few with contextual factors, generally in adult populations. Many have adapted scales to measure these problems, and a few cover experiments and mixed methods studies. The reviews tend to be about the concepts and measures of these problems, intervention options, and prevention. In summary, it seems that these are a global culture trend impacting health and educational domains. Internet use-related addiction problems have emerged in almost all societies, and strategies to cope with them are under development to offer solutions to these contemporary challenges, especially during the pandemic situation that has highlighted the global health problems that we have, and how to holistically tackle them