August 29, 2006
Online poker players out
there also enjoy playing
video poker. If any of our
online poker players who
dabble in video poker have
been to a land based casino
by the name of Harrah’s
lately may have stumbled
upon a newly developed game
that was introduced at last
year’s Global Gaming Expo.
This new video poker game
mixes the excitement of
playing video poker to the
level of playing at the WSOP
– okay, it has the vibe at
least. This game kicks video
poker up a notch by the
bonus round concept it
introduces to video poker
fans. These WSOP branded
video poker machines were
set up at most Harrah’s to
coincide with this year’s
WSOP. They will remain
exclusive at Harrah’s for
about three months too.
The new video poker game
will be a definite hit with
online poker players who
will be at any Harrah’s
casino (including Chicago).
It is aptly named Final
Table Bonus video poker and
it features just that - a
Final Table Bonus that
developer WMS Gaming was
proud to bring to light last
year at the Expo.
Being the owner of the WSOP,
it is only natural that
Harrah’s has the three month
exclusive debut on the
games. Alas, they will be at
other casinos soon.
If you get to play this
video poker game, you will
notice that it plays just
like most 5 card video poker
machines that contains a
sweet little side bet that
players make on a bonus hand
that contains two additional
cards that will be dealt
from a 52 card deck. This
deck is separate and
different from the one in
the original wager game.
This is an example of how
this video poker game works
for those of you online
poker players out there that
are interested. Say the
bonus hand a player is dealt
is a pair of Js, Qs, Ks, or
aces. If this happens, the
player enters the bonus
feature where they are up
against nine video opponents
that they challenge one at a
time in a game of Hold'em.
This game is very exciting
and it puts a nice updated
spin on video poker.
Once a player is up against
their first opponent in the
bonus feature, they play
with the original bonus hand
they were already dealt.
But, during this and all the
other rounds in which a
player is involved in, they
have the option of ditching
the hand and replacing it
with two new cards dealt
from a fresh deck. The
player can do this up to two
times during each round. It
is a lot easier to
understand when you are
sitting in front of the
machine.
Once the player accepts
their two card hand, their
video generated opponent is
dealt two cards from the
very same deck. The game
begins like Hold’em,
starting with the flop, them
the turn, and lastly the
river card. The game will
automatically update the
winning probability
percentage for both the
player and the video
generated opponent.
Then, the best poker hand
using any combo of each
player's two hole cards and
the five community cards
wins the hand just as it
does in typical Hold’em
fashion. If the player beats
or ties his video generated
opponent, they get to move
on to the next round and a
new opponent using a fresh
deck of cards.
The object is to obviously
beat as many opponents as
the player can.
That’s not it either, you
will find there to be more
exciting bonus factors in
this game too. the two card
bonus hand the player is
dealt includes an ace, any
earnings from the player’s
base (original) game hand
will be tripled and if a
player is dealt a pair of
aces, any earnings are doled
out at nine times the
original winnings..
Additionally, look for the
very interesting free seat
feature where the game may
throw in a free seat at the
final table in this game.
This is a wild feature.
If a player’s base game is
Double Bonus, any
four of a kind payout will
be doubled if the player
also makes it into the
coveted bonus round. Then
there is the In Double
Double Bonus, where the
player of this game gets
four times the payout on any
four of a kind if they make
it into the bonus round.
There is even a bad beat
bonus. This is achieved
when the bonus bet the
player enters has them lose
when they even have a four
of a kind hand. This bonus
pays at 10,000 times the
original bonus.
You will find that the bonus
round is over the top with
excitement, but it is not
easy to get into. Many of
you will find can get
expensive.
In fact, one Harrah’s
location removed a bank of
dollar machines in less than
a week and replaced them
with 25 cent versions.
Besides the higher cost of
game play on many of these
machines, it is an exciting
addition to video poker
play. We will just have to
wait and see if this game
stayed exciting enough to
grace the casino floor.
Online poker players are
always looking for more
choices when they visit
casino on land, we hope this
is a good choice.
These machines are at most
Harrah’s locations in the US
and will remain exclusive
until the next 60 days or
so. If you get to play one
soon, don’t hesitate.
(924)
