Caffeine Games or Meditative Games

2 February 2023

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: We have divided casino games into two categories, caffeine games and meditative games. Of course, there are games that come between these two major categories and we have some differences of opinions about them. These differences are actually no big deal and don’t fully explain what these games are all about.

ABBY: Overall, the caffeine games are those that require intense or somewhat intense attention to the game. If such attention is not paid the game can go down quickly because the player will make mistakes, either in strategy or in the execution of that strategy. This close and necessary attention means one does not have the time or inclination to “chill out” while playing such games. In short, you are jacked up to be aware of what is happening at all (or most) times while the game is being played.

CINDY: The meditative games are ones where the player can relax, sometimes fully relax as if one is in another consciousness. The game will not require much thought or any real thought for that matter. A player can’t fall asleep playing these games because most will require some action on the player’s part. Other than that, a player can disappear into his or her reveries.

ABBY: The mind can be in a sort of clean slate in the meditative games. This would not be true of the caffeine types of games. Here in caffeine games not paying attention or not having proper attention is a critical negative if playing these games properly is the desire. Poor play can cost the player money or more losses than should be tolerated by any reasonable casino person.

CINDY: So which games are which games? The caffeine games would definitely include craps, roulette on most bets, blackjack on all hands and definitely intense concentration on debatable hands, mini-baccarat and traditional baccarat on most bets, all video poker games and some types of slot machines. You can also include most side bets at various games. These side bets can be disruptive to concentration and thought.

ABBY: The meditative games would include Pai Gow Poker (do not include the new type of Pai Gow Poker called “face-up” Pai Gow Poker), one bet can be almost fully meditative at roulette, some slot machines or type of slot play can definitely be called meditative.

CINDY: Players such as me, can be both players at some caffeine games and some meditative games, depending on that player’s mood at any given time.

ABBY: I am just like Cindy as I can play both types of games depending on how I feel at any given time.

CINDY: You could also have one player, let us say at roulette, playing the game in a caffeine state and another player playing the game in a complete meditative state and these players may be playing side by side.

ABBY: If you had a player trying to play craps in a meditative state that would probably result in certain problems. You could find that too at blackjack. A player would have to be nuts to play blackjack in anything other than a caffeine state. The mistakes would be enormous and so would the losses.

CINDY: Next week we will look more closely at the caffeine games.

ABBY: See you then!