To ensure that every competition is fair, Skillz uses algorithms to match players based on skill level and gaming history. Most matching is now carried out asynchronously. Asynchronous games allow players to play the same match under the same rules without having to do so simultaneously. The actions of one player have no bearing on the game of the other.  Player matching and fairness are both highly important to Skillz. Few Skillz games are synchronous, which means that both players play at the same time and react quickly to each other’s actions. Synchronous games can never be “pending” because they need two players to play at once by definition.