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.
