| Brainpower games are those games which
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| | numbers, it isn't really about math
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| exercise your mental capacity. My
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| | skills as much as it is about deductive
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| personal favorite is Chess, but there are
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| | reasoning. Like crossword puzzles, it
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| many others, some of which you probably
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| | also has the advantage of being a
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| already play or have played. Here is a
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| | one-person activity, and a small book of
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| look at a few of the more common ones and
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| | these puzzles can be carried with you
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| how they may help your mind.
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| | anywhere.
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| Crossword Puzzles
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| | Poker
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| For many years people have noticed that
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| | Whether played for money or just chips,
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| older folks who regularly did crosswords
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| | poker is one of the best of the
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| seemed to stay mentally sharper as they
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| | brainpower games because it requires so
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| aged, compared to those who didn't
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| | many different kinds of mental skills.
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| exercise their brains in similar ways.
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| | You need to understand probabilities and
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| Recent research has supported this idea.
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| | how to analyze a hand in relation to all
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| As a mental exercise, one of the primary
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| | the other information you have. You need
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| advantages of doing crossword puzzles is
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| | to be observant to gather that
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| that it's a brainpower game you can play
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| | information from the players around you.
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| by yourself.
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| | Learning to "read" other players is a big
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| Chess
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| | part of the game too. Poker is directly
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| Historically THE thinker's game, chess is
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| | useful in training you for real life
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| not - contrary to what many think - just
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| | decision making, because it develops your
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| a left-brain analytical contest. Playing
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| | intuitive grasp of what a "good bet"
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| well requires both hemispheres of the
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| | consists of.
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| brain. Your left-brain will be analyzing
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| | Boggle
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| possible moves and predicting responses
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| | While not as popular as it used to be,
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| of your opponent. Your right brain will
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| | you can still buy a Boggle game in many
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| be grasping the spatial relationships on
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| | department stores. It is a word game
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| the board and providing an intuitive
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| | based on observation and fast thinking
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| grasp of good positioning. An interesting
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| | more than vocabulary. Attempting to
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| note: many top players are also musically
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| | quickly find words in the letters is
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| talented, and handling music is right
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| | great for training your mind to look for
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| hemisphere function in most people.
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| | patterns. Once you notice an "s" for
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| Scrabble
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| | example, you can look at every noun
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| You may think that this classic word game
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| | thereafter to see if the "s" can be
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| is all about vocabulary, and it can
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| | connected to it to create another word
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| really help you learn a lot of new words,
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| | and more points. It is a vocabulary game
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| especially if you play with an
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| | in part, but decent pattern recognition
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| open-dictionary rule. But to really play
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| | skills are the best advantage you can
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| well, you have to learn strategy. You
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| | have.
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| have to figure out where to place your
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| | Some Other Brainpower Games
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| words, and how to make multiple words in
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| | The game of dominoes can be very
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| one play. A good understanding of how to
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| | analytical if you play it well. Card
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| score the most points on each turn can
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| | games like gin rummy are good for
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| make you a better player than an opponent
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| | developing pattern-recognition abilities.
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| with a larger vocabulary.
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| | The classic board game, Monopoly, or the
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| Sudoku
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| | pricier "Cash Flow" game by Robert
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| Sudoku has recently become very popular,
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| | Kiyosaki, are both good brainpower games,
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| with the puzzle books appearing in most
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| | as well as being good for learning real
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| bookstores now, and even at grocery-store
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| | estate investing principles and habits.
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| check-out displays. Though it's all about
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