Games
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What to Do When Playing the Word Game Wordle Isn’t Enough? Solve It.
Linguists, engineers, and puzzle obsessives unite in the quest for the perfect first word
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The Rise of the $10 Million Disc Golf Celebrity
How much can athletes really make in niche sports? A whole lot more than you might think. Disc golfer Paul McBeth set a new standard by signing an eight-figure endorsement contract—and his deal might only be the beginning.
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‘The Chase’ Has Returned for All the Real Trivia Nerds
There are no pies or dunk pools here—just ‘Jeopardy!’ legends Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer and a lot of tough questions
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Meet the Tony Romo of Cornhole
With sports shut down during the COVID-19 quarantine, a new game emerged in the American consciousness: cornhole. And ace analyst Trey Ryder made it that much more watchable.
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The End of HQ Trivia—and the Rise of Zombie HQ
The final episode of our documentary podcast, Boom/Bust: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia, examines the final days of the wildly popular trivia game—and its unlikely resuscitation
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“You’re on Notice, HQ”
Episode 7 of our documentary podcast series, ‘Boom/Bust: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia,’ examines the beginning of the end for HQ Trivia
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Inside the Passionate, Enduring World of Online Trivia Fanatics
While bar trivia, quiz apps, and other online sources garner fame and millions of fans, LearnedLeague largely flies under the radar. But to its players, it’s more than just a game.
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The Quarantine Chess Tournament That Could Change the Game Forever
After the FIDE Candidates tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus, world champion Magnus Carlsen decided to take things into his own hands. His version of chess could speed the game up permanently.
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How Backyard Wiffle Ball Transformed Into a Competitive Sport
Across the country, as the three true outcomes alter baseball’s spectator appeal, adults have picked up their yellow bats and turned the once-traditional children’s game into a growing phenomenon
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The Pro Athletes’ Guide to Embarrassing Your Dog in Basic Sporting Endeavors
Any dog owner knows that one of life’s great joys comes from running circles around your pal in one-on-one competition. But which sport is best? We broke down tape featuring Klay Thompson, Lionel Messi, and more to answer this extremely pressing pup question.
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Can Bowling Win Over the ‘Lebowski’ Generation?
Fox Sports is certainly betting on it. And it just might have the stars to make it work.
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The Secret Sauce of James Holzhauer’s ‘Jeopardy!’ Success
The quiz show’s reigning champ set a one-day record for winnings Wednesday with $131,127. The 34-year-old is brilliant and keen on big bets, sure. He’s also boxing out competitors almost every time he rings in.
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The Next Great Chess Boom Is Here
The unpredictable champion Magnus Carlsen and a YouTube-trained, Twitch-streaming generation of young fans has revived one of our oldest games. Is chess itself ready for a digital wave? And has the way we perceive it changed?
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AI Taught Itself How to Be the Best Chess Player in the World—So, Uh, What’s Next?
In December 2017, Google’s AlphaZero routed Stockfish, the world’s best chess engine, over the course of 100 matches. The difference between the two machines: AlphaZero taught itself how to play like a human.
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Going All In: An Oral History of ‘Rounders’
How two first-time screenwriters, a guy from Montana, and a pair of up-and-coming movie stars made the greatest poker movie ever
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How Steve Albini Became a Poker Champion
The legendary producer behind classic albums by Nirvana and the Pixies is also … a world-class poker wiz?
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How Fun Is Tag to Play With Kids?
Not very, but freeze tag is, according to our expert guide—inspired by ‘Tag’ the movie—on which games you should play with children, and which ones to avoid
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If Sports Gambling Is Legal, Where Does the Money Go?
With many states set to legalize betting on sports, a showdown is set over how the pie gets divided—but no group may be happy with the size of the slice they end up with
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What Board Game Causes the Deepest Rifts?
We all know Hasbro and those evil Parker Brothers were sadists determined to tear families apart
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The Search for the Next Chess Prodigy
The quest for Bobby Fischer 2.0 is underway, and the grandmasters of chess candidates are getting younger and younger
Phil Ivey’s Semi-Bluff
Poker’s most mysterious and respected player is sitting out this year’s World Series. Is it because he doesn’t care about his legacy? Or because an international scandal threatens his gambling future?
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Tripling Down
One man’s quest to win three coveted bracelets at the World Series of Poker — and the $2 million side bet he made on himself