If you've got the moxie, it doesn't cost a penny to pit your wits against other online gamers. Unlike most Web entertainment, it matters little if you have the slowest of modem connections. You can't blame people for being online-gaming enthusiasts. After all, the concept is pretty rad. You play games such as chess, backgammon, and euchre against real, live opponents from around the country and the world.
Some game rooms are for serious competition while others are more social.
If you're not the competitive type, you can play crossword puzzles, word searches, and trivia games. You can communicate with opponents as you try to outwit them in a game of chess, gin, or whatever. It's common for players to befriend each other and meet up in certain gaming rooms at specified times in order to compete against one another or, in the case of games like bridge, join forces to battle other teams. If you play enough, you might get a reputation on the Net for being a real dynamo. That's because when you win matches in rated game rooms, you garner skill points.