The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for playing a game of skill in a networked environment. A host server transmits a game data packet to each participant after receiving a request from the participant. Upon initiation of game play, the participants are shown identical game messages so that each participant is playing the same game. After a participant believes they have won the game, a message is sent to the server. The server then evaluates the performance of all the participants and determines a skill level for each participant.