http://articles.favoritetoysforall.com/rss.xml A blog about favoritetoysforall.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.favoritetoysforall.com/?a=36126 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Almost every computer these days comes with some free games preloaded on them. These games can provide plenty of entertainment and ways to kill some time or even slack at work. Often these games are card games, and we've all seen the ubiquitous solitaire computer card game. Who hasn't wiled away an hour clicking through game after game of solitaire? Despite the addictive nature of the game, it can get old after a while, and you might want to start looking around for new games to play. <br /><br />There are innumerable card games available on the internet. Most of the games are ones you're probably already familiar with. This would include favorites such as blackjack, poker (which has become hugely popular), hearts, spades, gin, cribbage, bridge, etc. There are also more than a few different versions of solitaire available. You can also find countless original card games on the internet. These are games which this or that person invented and shared with the world. They may use conventional card sets or they may rely on totally new sets you've never seen before. The limit, of course, is the human imagination. <br /><br />You can download games for free or you can buy them. The difference between free games and ones that cost money are getting relatively small. You can find all sorts of great games for free. Usually the ones that cost money have better graphics and more features, but basically there aren't a lot of differences. Pretty much any card game you want to play can be downloaded for free. <br /><br />You may wonder why you'd want to download a game instead of just playing it online. Downloading games allows you to play them whether you're connected to the internet or not. If you connect to the internet via dial up, then downloading games is a good idea because they're usually fairly small files, and since you're playing on your own computer the gameplay will be faster due to not having to worry about your connection speed. And if you're on a limited data plan, playing online can burn valuable bandwidth. Again, you're better off relying on your computer's processor speed than the speed of your internet connection. <br /><br />Having said that, if you have broadband access and/or aren't concerned about being able to play anywhere you want, you can find all sorts of free online games. The advantage to playing online is that you can play against other people who can be anywhere in the world. <br /><br />Next time you're clicking through another boring game of solitaire, switch to your web browser and start searching for new card games. You'll be amazed by the sheer number of games out there. Whether you're looking for Texas Hold 'em, blackjack, hearts, or an interesting new version of solitaire, you'll be sure to find something fun to download from the internet.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as favorite toys at <a href="http://www.favoritetoysforall.com/">http://www.favoritetoysforall.com</a></p><h3 class="popup"><a href="http://www.favoritetoysforall.com/"></a></h3> 2006-10-21T13:21-04:00 http://articles.favoritetoysforall.com/?a=36125 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Air hockey is one of my favorite things to do. I swear it helped make me who I am today. (No snide remarks, please.) In all seriousness, it really did provide a way for me to become more sociable. I made quite a few friends over the air hockey table. When I was a child I wasn't all that competitive or especially athletic for that matter. I wasn't a dork, and I always had at least a few friends, but I was never one of the popular kids, either. <br /><br />Things stayed the same through high school and into college. It wasn't until after I turned 21 and started hitting the bars, that things began to change. I'd played air hockey before I turned 21, but I didn't get into it until I started frequenting a bar that had a table in the back. While most college bars feature darts, pool, and foosball, this place had an air hockey table. I was never all that good at pool, plus it requires a lot of space. It's pretty easy to fit an air hockey table into almost any bar. My favorite bar had a table and I quickly became almost consumed by it. <br /><br />Air hockey is a simple game. You're just trying to get the puck into your opponent's goal, which is a slot at the end of the table. The game gets its name because the playing surface is perforated and air is forced through the holes causing the puck to glide effortless. The object you use to push and block the puck is called a mallet. Usually they're made of plastic but there are ones made of wood and metal. Air hockey is a fast-paced, fun game that anyone can play. <br /><br />The game really helped me open up because, as I said, I wasn't all that good at pool, and darts wasn't really my game, either. But get me at an air hockey table, and I'm unbeatable! There's nothing like enjoying a couple beers and battling it out with someone. Because I enjoyed it so much I was willing to play anybody, and if there were no opponents at hand I'd just go up to someone at the bar and ask them if they wanted to play. Yep, some of these people were women. I was never good at just going up to girls I don't know and talking to them, but the game gave me a way to start the conversation. A girl would much rather hear, &quot;Would you like to play some air hockey?&quot; instead of, &quot;Hey baby, come here often?&quot; <br /><br />I made lots of friends over the games and met a bunch of girls. I left that college bar behind some years ago but I never lost that love for the game. I recently purchased my own table, and I can't express how happy I am with it. If you're thinking about getting one, just figure out what you want to spend and go from there. Tables are available for every budget. It's a great wholesome game that anyone can play.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as favorite toys at <a href="http://www.favoritetoysforall.com/">http://www.favoritetoysforall.com</a></p> 2006-10-21T13:18-04:00