The name Bodog might be associated with Texas Hold ‘em and other table poker games, but the popular poker room also has an online casino with a variety of casino games to play, including video poker. Today I’m checking out Coliseum Poker in the video poker selection.

Coliseum Video Poker is based on a Jacks or Better game, so if you know your Jacks or Better strategy, you already know how to play this game. If you’ve never played Jacks or Better video poker before, the basic strategy here is to hold winning hands of Jack or better (hence the name) while striving to hit the jackpot hand of a Royal Flush. In most Jacks or Better games, the jackpot for a Royal Flush is determined by the payout table but in Coliseum poker, the amount that royal flush wins is determined by the progressive jackpot. The game places 1.3% of each bet is added to the jackpot with the casino contributing a base amount so that the jackpot is never too low. But the critical point to keep in mind here is that in order to win the jackpot, you must play the game for at least five coins. And since the reason to play this game is to win the jackpot, you have to play for five coins.

Now, another aspect of the game to keep in mind is that this isn’t a full pay 9/6 Jacks or Better game but a 7/5 game. This means that hands such as a Full House and Flush don’t pay as highly as the will in a full pay game. So before playing Coliseum poker, you might want to check to see how high the jackpot for the Royal is. Because it’s not worth playing unless that is high enough to offset the lower pay table.

Bodog is best known for its poker room but the site also offers an online casino called Bodog Casino of course. The casino is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and tested by TST (Technical Systems Testing). At the casino site bodog offers a variety of casino style games but then offer a feature that I don’t find on many other gaming sites - practice play without registration. These means a chance to check out some of the bodog casino games before committing to depositing money or even giving my information to the casino.

So, I’m checking out the Shockwave Poker video poker game. If you play video poker, you’ll recognize the basic structure of shockwave Poker as being that of a Jacks or Better game. But there are a couple of differences. First the feature that earns it its name - Shockwave. If you hit with four of a kind, you enter into Shockwave mode for 10 plays or until you hit another four of a kind (whichever comes first). If you hit another four of a kind in Shockwave mode, you are paid at a bonus rate. Now, before playing the game, consider that the chances of hitting four of a kind are relatively low. And the chances of hitting 2 within 10 hands, very low. So the chance of winning the Shockwave bonus, are low.

Which brings me to another little difference in the game. In a standard Jacks or Better game, if you hit two pair, you are paid at 2 for 1, so if you bet $5, you win $10. In Shockwave Poker, you only are paid 1 for 1 with two pair. Also this is an 8/5 game instead of a 9/6, which means the Flush and Straight are paid less than a full pay 9/6 machine. So what does this translate to? Well, it means that you’ll pay for that potential extra win in the Shockwave mode by playing a game that’s slightly lower in payout than a full pay 9/6 Jacks or Better game. Which means — Shockwave Poker may sound like it’ll rock your world, but you’d be better off sticking to a standard Jacks or Better game. The good news is that Bodog does offer full pay Jacks or Better to play.

Maybe I’m feeling bad for just telling everyone not to play at a certain new casino. It’s not that I’m against trying new places. In fact, if anyone is looking for a new place to play, you might want to check out Box 24 Casino. Now Box 24 isn’t a new casino. It’s a well established casino that is part of the Rival family and licensed by the Curacao Gaming Authority. Now, see, this is the type of information I want to see when I check out a casino to play at. This information is clearly displayed at the bottom of the casino page so I don’t even have to go searching for it.

But how will Box 24 Casino make your New Year this year? Well, the casino is offering you $24 to start playing with. This isn’t a deposit bonus where you deposit some money and get an additional $24 to play with. Nope, this is a free - just sign up and play - $24 to bring new players into the casino.

Now, of course there are terms and conditions on an offer like this. You’ll have to play a limited selection of games. Mostly slots (except progressive slots), scratch cards and keno. But you can play the casinos iSlots, and I look iSlots. Plus you have to play the free bonus 50 times before a maximum cash out of $50 free. So this is an offer designed to get you started playing on the casino. But you’ll have to win that big progressive jackpot with your own money.

Okay, after a few false starts, apparently Totally Wicked also sells electronic cigarettes and e-smoking liquid, I found the new casino. I also found a whole lot of info about electronic cigarettes that apparently deliver nicotine to the smoker without smoke. Since I’m not a smoker, this was weird but not particularly useful. Still, there’s nothing wrong with a little weird information in the morning, especially since it has me wondering - why is an electronic cigarette firm starting up an online casino? Admittedly, they have a great name with Totally Wicked, but does an cigarette firm have the business experience for an online casino?

Okay, so who owns this casino? Officially Total E Soft Ltd, out of the United Kingdom. I’m seeing reviews chat about the range of games and the methods of depositing cash the casino offers. And of course the promotions. Everyone is going to be a new user, so it makes sense to promote that. But looking at the casino site itself, I’m not seeing any information on who certifies the site or provides testing or even who the developers for the games are. Often I can pick up on game develops just by looking at the slot games on offer. But while the casino does have a great instant play option, I don’t recognize the handful of slot games they currently have available on the site.

I don’t know what to tell you. Yep, the casino has a great name and looks like it may develop to be a graphically appealing site. But I don’t put my money into an online casino that doesn’t display clear and easy to find certification information and where I can’t check the game developer’s reputation. I’ll check it out for a little free play, but my money isn’t heading that way.

I’m looking around for New Year’s promotions to play on but sites still seem to be stuck in the Christmas mood. Not that I don’t like Christmas, it’s just that many of those promotions have ended and the new ones haven’t started yet. But not over at VIP Slots where the 12 Days of Winning are still going on. Yes, 12 days, like the 12 days of Christmas. Only these 12 days started December 22^nd and will end on January 2^nd. But that means there is still plenty of time to get in on the action since there is a new promotion every day.

For example, today is Double Points on all slot games so if you play slots, you’ll want to play at VIP Slots today. But keep in mind that VIP Slots is treating these bonuses like Christmas gifts, meaning that you won’t know what gift you get each day until you unwrap it. This means you’ll need to pop into the online casino every day and check the promotion page to see what you’ve been rewarded with. They promise a wide range of “gifts” to suit every player from extra reward points to matching bonuses on deposits, and even chances to earn free cash. And there are still five more days of winning to be had. And we all like winning.

To take part in the promotion, make sure you have an account at VIP Slots (hey, they are free to sign up and they do offer welcome bonuses), then just click the Promotions tab on their site and look for the 12 Days of Winning page.

Villento Las Vegas is one of the top online casinos out there and I always make sure to stop by and check out their promotions because they have some of the best on the market. Right now (meaning through Wednesday, December 29^th) you can win free spins just for being spotted playing your favorite slots games on the site.

Yep, all you have to do is spend some time spinning the reels of your favorite game because the folks at Villento will be out looking for fifty lucky players who will win 40 free spins on the Cashanova slot game. And those free spins could bring you some reel money (or real money, I’m in a punny mood).

But if you’re going to play some slots at Villento Las Vegas to take part in the Get Spotted promotion, why not play the same slots that will earn you loyalty points in the Triple Play - Triple Pay promotion. You’ll need to be a member of the Villento Las Vegas loyalty program at the Silver, Gold or Platinum level to participate in this program. But I recommend joining the loyalty program because well, it’s free and it has rewards. Just join and then play any of the following slots for triple rewards through Wednesday, December 29^th — Life’s a Beach, Lucky Shot, Mark of Medusa, No Worries, Rainbows End, Reel Baron, or Scoop the Cash.

And remember to follow Villento Las Vegas on Facebook so you can keep up on all the bonus offers. Because they want to keep you playing with them.

First, an interesting little fact I have to mention before we get started. Cleopatra doesn’t have a pyramid. This Queen of Egyptian Queen after the age of the pyramids and wasn’t buried in one. Guess why the Egyptians gave up on building pyramids. Treasure Hunters. Those huge monumental buildings sticking up out of the desert were beacons to treasure hunters. Most were looted in antiquity. So the pyramid builders moved on to tombs which could be more carefully hidden from the raiders.

But what about Cleopatra’s Pyramid, the slots game. Well, if you hit the jackpot, you may find a treasure of your own in this virtual pyramid. The slot game is available for free play or real money play on English Harbour casino. It’s also one of the slot games that shows up now and then in their slots tournaments. If you enjoy slot tournaments, you’ll want to check those out. English Harbour Casino offers a variety of low entry free and even free entry slots games.

Sit down and give Cleopatra’s Pyramid a spin. This five reel, twenty pay line slot game has bets starting at a penny a spin and running as high as $200 a spin. The symbols in the game do use the standard 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, and these win the least amount of money. But you’ll also find enough Egyptian themed symbols to keep it interesting. There’s a sarcophagus, a sphinx, and the eye of horus. Queen Cleopatra herself is the Wild symbol (we’ll have to ask Mark Antony about that). But if you line up five of the Egyptian Queen on an active pay line, you’ll win the jackpot. The scarab is the scatter symbol in the game and three or more of these will win you 15 free spins. And the great pyramids will trigger the bonus round.

During the bonus round you select stones in a pyramid. Each stone you turn as you make your way up the pyramid is will win you money. But be careful because if you turn over the asp, the game ends. The bonus round is a great way to increase your winnings but it can also make you want to find your way to the top of that pyramid. So if you want to enjoy a little Egyptian fun, check out Cleopatra’s pyramid.

laying on the casinos money, not my own. But speaking of playing, some bonuses can only be played through if you play specific games. So that $1000 free bonus to play slots doesn’t help much when what you want to play is Blackjack. So, always read the terms and conditions. Then enjoy the game.

Many of the casinos out there offer players the chance to play for free or for real money. Now there are many reasons why players might want to play for free. For example, if you’re learning blackjack or video poker strategy for the first time, it really is a good idea to try those strategies at a real casino but not for real money. This will allow you to see your mistakes and adjust for them without risking money. When you feel comfortable with the games, you can move over to real money play and hopefully win more than you would have otherwise. But those games are strategy games that players really need to learn to play. Slots games, well, let’s be honest, there isn’t a lot of learning that goes into playing slots. So why would players play for free.

I recommend taking advantage of the free slots games at a casino if there’s a new game that you want to give a test run and see how the winnings fall. Some slot games are known for giving lots of small payouts but seldom hitting the jackpot. Others give more big wins but fewer over all wins. Knowing how a game plays can help you manage your bankroll when you play for real money. It can also let you know if you’re going to enjoy a particular game or might be better off just playing something else.

But there can be another advantage. Playing slots has been shown to help people deal with stress. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the colorful symbols or the hypnotizing action of watching the reels spin, but slots help some people release the stress of the day. (Okay, I will admit I’ve had experience with this. I use to play free online slots when trapped on extended conference calls. Occasionally hitting a jackpot even for free money made me feel like I’d accomplished something.) But whatever your reason, there’s no reason not to enjoy the free play or practice play mode at your favorite casino.

I’m going to tell you my secret to making money using a roulette system. First, invent a roulette system. Then sell it to a lot of gullible people on the internet who think you can make money on a roulette system. Got it?

Look, I’m with you on this one. I see plenty of offers online for systems that are guaranteed to make me a ton of money playing in casinos. Now people believe that I’m going to pay money for their systems, which means that some of you out there must be paying money for roulette systems. Please stop.

Now, let’s talk for a minute about the difference between a system and a strategy. There are many roulette strategies available on the web for free. Most of them deal with where to place your bets to maximize your playing time. Or to maximize your win. These are generally based on clear and valid statistics where of course a red vs green bet is less risky than betting everything on number 21. Or you might find advice on playing European roulette instead of American style roulette. Again, good advice. European roulette doesn’t have a 00 space and that one change in the numbers does move the odds slightly in your favor.

But systems are often sold by individuals who may or may not believe that they’ve really found a way to outsmart the casinos. Now, before you buy one, ask yourself — if you had a system that would let you travel to casinos and clean up at the roulette table, wouldn’t you just do so? I mean, even account for some losses, you could earn enough money to play regular and take advantage of some killer comps and all without really risking money. Because you’re system works. Doesn’t it? Because if it doesn’t, then you’re not going to be successful using it at the casinos, but you still might have something that sounds convincing to eager players.

Casino bonuses present such tempting offers we can’t go wrong to take them. Or can we? Let’s take a look at the idea of the casino bonus and casino comp. If you gamble in a real world casino, you are likely to receive bonuses in the form of comps. These comps can be anything from a T-shirt from the casino gift shop to a free meal at a top restaurant to accommodations in the hotel’s best suite. The level of comps you earn all depend on how much you gamble. Many gamblers compare casino comps to the bonuses that online casinos offer. This isn’t wrong. The online casino bonus money is a form of comp that entices you to play at a specific online casino, just like comps in the real world casinos.

But you want to know where the analogy is wrong. But don’t panic, this is the sort of wrongness that works in the players favor. Comps at a real world casino are based on the time you spend playing and the amount of money you wager. Players usually have to build up a history as a heavy casino player to open the doors to the best comps. Walk through those casino doors as a new player and you’ll work hard, well gamble hard, to earn those comps. And another little Vegas secret is that if those comps at casinos aren’t guaranteed. If you don’t play enough, you can lose them.

But visit an online casino and you’ll be offered a bonus for signing up. Or for returning. Or for making another deposit. Which is great. At online casinos, you don’t have to check with the concierge or the pit boss to see if you get a comp. Just sign up, enter the bonus code and you’re set. However — these casinos aren’t any more eager than brick and mortar casinos to give away money. Their bonuses do have strings attached. These are the “terms and conditions” you’ll find listed on the site. You always want to read all the terms and conditions before you claim a bonus. You’ll find that they often require a certain level of play through before you claim your winnings. The casino does this because the longer you play, the more likely you are to lose that bonus money. But I always remember that I’m playing on the casinos money, not my own. But speaking of playing, some bonuses can only be played through if you play specific games. So that $1000 free bonus to play slots doesn’t help much when what you want to play is Blackjack. So, always read the terms and conditions. Then enjoy the game.