I’ve found a new game to experiment with.  2 Ways Royal video poker.  Now, I’m a “Jacks or Better” fan if only because once you learn the strategy, it’s easy to play.  And also, I generally do well money wise.  But the popularity of the Jacks or Better game is probably the reason why so many variations on the game exist.  Casinos are always trying to come up with a new way to entice us to play. Some are better than others.  2 Ways Royal actually seems to be better than many I’ve seen out there.  At least my money isn’t draining too quickly.

The object of the game is try aim for a Hi Royal Flush or a Lo Royal Flush. Keep in mind that these two Royal options are what move the overall pay percentage toward the player.  The odds aren’t as good as a full pay Jacks or Better machine but at least you do win 2 for 1 on two pair.  But for the Full House and the Flush it’s a 6/5 game not a 9/6 machine. 

Now the problem with this game that the machine does seem to answer is — what is a Lo Royal Flush.  The Hi Royal Flush is the standard 10, J, K, Q, A run of the same suit that we’re all familiar with.  A Lo Royal Flush should at least be a suited run, but which run.  Is it the A-5 low cards or the 2-6 cards with the Ace remaining a high card?  This is important information because you need to know which cards to hold if your drawing for one.  Well, I’ve tracked down one screen shot on the web that shows a win on a the 2-6 run.  So if you apply the same strategy that you would for a Hi Royal to the 2-6 cards, you should be in good standing. 

Have you ever considered playing in a Video Poker tournament?  Tournaments are unique ways to win money from a casino or online casino that are more commonly used for slot games.  But some online gambling sites have been introducing them for video poker.  At OnlineVegas you can play in a video poker tournament for as little as $1.99. 

Now with a tournament, you don’t simply wager your own money. Instead you pay an entry fee to the tournament for which the site provides you a playing balance.  All players start off with the same balance, which for this tournament is $100.  You play with that $100 for the length of the tournament and the players who end with the highest balances win prizes.  So, you don’t win the actual amount that shows as your balance, but rather the prize amount for your position.  Since you’re entering the tournament for such a small amount and playing with a larger balance of money, you can do well in the prizes.  Run out of money too soon?  Well, you can buy more credits to play on. For another $1.99 you’ll add money to your balance.

The prizes for the game start at $350 for the first place winner.  Second place wins $110, third $100, fourth $80, fifth $70, sixth, $65, seventh $60, eighth $55, ninth $50 and so on.  The prize winnings continue to 24^th place where 50 players will place for a spot that will award them $3, so enough money to cover their entry into the contest itself.  So, a video poker tournament can be an inexpensive way to play and win.

Right now I’m checking out a 100 hand game on All Slots.  What’s a 100 hand game?  Well, it’s a game where you play the same hand for 100 different chances.  Now, it would seem that playing any variation of poker hands 100 times would produce some great wins.  And it does, but it doesn’t really change the odds of drawing any particular type of hand.  Now I’m playing a Jacks or Better game so I can follow my usual strategy.  And this is a full pay 9/6 game, so it shouldn’t work any differently than playing a regular 9/6 game. 

Which is doesn’t. Except I just drew a Royal Flush that would have taken me hundreds of rounds of play to hit because I was playing three cards to a royal 100 times at once.  Which has placed my nicely up in the money.  But the problem is that since I’m playing 100 hands, I’m wager less on each hand.  So, I didn’t win the Royal on a $5 bet, which was my overall bet, but on a 5 cent bet.  So, I won’t be retiring anytime soon.  The other problem here is that it’s also possible to lose 90 hands or so in one round.  That can be a bit depressing and deplete the ol’ bankroll. 

But sometimes you win and then it’s all good.  Right now I’m winning and up over my starting amount.  I’m always a little cautious around the multi-hand games because I feel like looking at 100 hands at once and seeing a few wins can make it more difficult for some players to judge how much they are winning or losing in the game over all.  Yes, of course your bankroll should do that.  But playing one hand at a time gives you a sense of when you’re losing more than you want and perhaps need to take a break. Playing 100 hands at once can create the illusion that you win every deal.  So play power Video Poker but watch your bankroll.  Now, if I can just hit for another royal flush.

Since Bodog Casino has been releasing plenty of new games lately and trying to draw people to their site, so I dropped in to see what was on offer for video poker.  I was pleased and surprised to find a new listing on the video poker games but it wasn’t a game I was familiar with.  The newest game is Coliseum Poker 4-Line video poker. So I had to take some time to go play the game and find out if it was better or worse than the other poker offerings out there.

First the good news.  Despite being a new game, this is actually a Jacks or Better game, so your basic Jacks or Better strategy will work for the game.  You won’t have to learn anything new to play the game to its best advantage.  The difference between this game and regular Jacks or Better video poker is the optional Progressive Jackpot.  You’ll need to play for the maximum 5 coins and hit a Royal Flush to win the Progressive Jackpot, so the odds for that are the same as a standard Jacks or Better game.

Now the bad news.  The odds are terrible.  Here’s where the pay table becomes important in video poker.  Unfortunately Coliseum Poker is a 7/5 Jacks or Better game with a new façade to distract players from the fact that this just isn’t a good 9/6 game.  What’s the difference?  A 9/6 game is a full pay game with odds for a basic good strategy sitting at 99.5%. But with a 7/5 game, you’re down to 96%, so the odds shift significantly in the casinos favor.  And that showed in my results after a good session of play with Coliseum Poker.  My bankroll dropped significantly more than it does even on a bad day at a 9/6 machine.  So, I’d give Coliseum poker a pass when looking for a poker game. Stick to the standard offerings at Bodog’s site and you’ll be much happier.

Chasing the Aces can leave you bankrupt.  Now, I have to be careful with what I say about Double Double Bonus Poker because it is my mother’s favorite game.  She ranks it above Jacks or Better because the payout for four aces is a big one. Not as big as the payout for a Royal Flush, but one that can send her home with some extra money in her pocket.  But chasing those Aces can cause your bankroll to keep dropping and send you home with nothing in your pocket.  The problem here is that you are trading a theoretical large pay out for more consistent small pay outs.  But those small pay outs are often what keeps you earning money to play.

Now, the problem with Double Double bonus poker isn’t that it will give me an big bonus prize for hitting four aces or slightly smaller bonuses for hitting four of a kind with the fifth card as an ace. I like getting extra money. In fact, if anyone has extra money hanging around, send it my way.  But my problem with Double Double Bonus poker is that for that potential extra money, I have to trade the two for one payout for two pairs for a one for one payout.  Now, many players probably don’t notice the effect that has because two pair really isn’t a large pay out in any game.  But during a session of video poker, I may hit with two pair a number of times while I may never hit four of a kind and four aces or four of a kind with aces is even a slimmer chance.  So, I’m trading away the payout that might just keep me playing. 

Perhaps I notice the low pay for two pair even more in this game since the best strategy would seem to involve chasing after any hand that would lead to four of a kind. So, I find that I hold the pairs in hopes of four of a kind, which means my odds of another pair are better than if I were holding for a straight or high card.  So, I’m getting more two pair hands and earning less.  I might just feel better about this if I were actually hitting four aces or four of a kind, but those hands keep eluding me.

Bodog poker has just introduced a new video poker game to their wide range of games - Shockwave Poker.  This is a variation on Jacks or Better video poker which the casino advertises plays like normal video poker until you hit four of a kind.  Then you enter the Shockwave mode.   Before I discuss the Shockwave mode, I want to point out the odds chart for this one.  Remember with video poker the odds chart influences how much of the game play is to your advantage.  With Shockwave Poker, you’ll be playing an 8/5 game instead of a 9/6 game.  Also, the payout for two pair is only 1 for 1, not 2 for 1.  This means you’ll make less money on lower winning hands.  So, when playing Shockwave Poker, you really do have to aim for the “Shockwave” bonus to turn the game to your advantage, and this should guide your play.

Shockwave mode begins with the next hand after your four of a kind and lasts for 10 rounds or until you get another four if a kind. If you draw a four of a kind in Shockwave mode, you’ll be paid at a bonus rate. So, what is Shockwave mode?  Well, I had to play until I hit four of a kind to find out. 

So, I played for about two hours before I hit four of a kind. This is actually a fairly short period of time, but keep in mind that I tossed out all betting advice and went for any hand that could lead to four of a kind to do this.  That and the little detail that two pair pays out at only one for one brought my bankroll down more than in any normal Jacks or Better game. And the Shockwave bonus?  Well, I had ten spins to hit another four of a kind, which would reward me the same as a royal flush. So, ten spins to try to do what had just taken me 3 hours.  The odds were not with me.

My advice on this game is to give it a pass.  Instead play Bodog’s Jacks or Better game for your video poker fun. Not only are the odds better, the cards are easier on the eyes. Unfortunately Shockwave Video poker uses themed cards that make it more difficult to tell which cards have just been presented to you.

Have you been thinking about playing online video poker but unsure about making a deposit at a casino, Ruby Royal casino has an offer for you.  They will give you $11 free just for registering for a real money account at their online casino.  I’ve claimed my bonus and can tell you that this truly is money to start you playing without requiring a deposit.  You won’t even have to provide a credit card account or other financial information to begin playing, though you will have to provide your name and address.  Of course, if you win a bundle and want to make a withdraw, you’ll have to enter more financial details  with the casino.

So, how long will $11 last you when it comes to playing?  Well, that may depend on the stakes you set and what games you play.  Playing Jacks or Better at a conservative 5 cents a hand just to try out the casino, I’ve made four dollars in a few minutes of play.  Now playing for such a small amount, I’m not likely to hit for enough money to retire on and go cruising around the world.  But I think Ruby Royal may have hit on a great tactic to bring hesitant players into the world of online casinos.  Most casinos offer a new deposit bonus, and Ruby Royal has those, but those new deposit bonuses require you to deposit money before you can claim them.  They hope the $11 will make you comfortable playing with them and then you’ll deposit more money. And lose some of that.  But if you just lose the $11, you really won’t be out anything since it was $11 you didn’t have.  Just don’t be tempted from the Video Poker to the slot machines.  The odds on those are never in your favor. 

The real goal of Jacks or Better Video Poker is to hit a Royal Flush.  Of course, you can play for hours, days, centuries without hitting one.  It’s all in the odds.  About all you can do is flirt with those odds and try to take every chance at the royal flush, even if this means throwing away the occasional winning hand.  The smaller winning hands are what will keep you in the game so you can chase that elusive royal.  After all, if you win well with the smaller hands, you could be playing on the casino’s money, not your own.  I always like playing with other people’s money.  And even if I don’t hit a royal flush in a round of play, I like leaving the game with more money than I started with.

First, players need to understand what a royal flush is.  Video poker is a game that attracts plenty of novice players, so I’m not going to take that for granted.  A flush is a hand of cards, five in video poker, all of the same suit.  This means all five are hearts. Or all five are spades. Or all five are clubs or all five are diamonds.  A straight is a run of cards in numerical order - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for example - of any suit.  Both a straight and a flush are winning hands in video poker.  Those are the hands that let you keep playing.  Now, if you hit a run of cards in order such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and they are all of the same suit, say hearts, then you’ve hit a straight flush which pays out very well.  But if that run of cards of the same suit starts with a ten and ends with the ace, then you’ve hit the Royal Flush which is the top hand in poker and the largest payout for Jacks or Better video poker. 

So, how does this affect your play?  Well, whenever you have three or more cards to a possible Royal Flush, you want to hold them.  Even if it means throwing away what is already a winning hand.  Say you are dealt — Ace hearts, King hearts, King spade, Jack hearts, and a five and a two.  The pair of kings is already a winning high pair.  But the three hearts (Ace, King and Jack) are three cards to a Royal Flush.  If you are playing the maximum coins (which you better be), the two kings will give you even money at one for one odds.  But the Royal Flush will pay you 4000 for one.  You want to throw away the king of spades as well as the two and five (or other non-winning cards) and keep the three cards to the royal. Then draw the new cards.  Now, you probably won’t hit the Royal Flush, but one royal will make those odds worthwhile.  Go for the royal!