Right now I am wearing a 2 month old in a baby carrier rocking back and forth so that he can sleep and I can work. The new multi-tasking! With maternity leave over it's time to check out what's going on in the wonderful world of online casino gambling games. Apparently Microgaming had to recover from New Years and Christmas because their games for January were released on the 30th. I've seen a trend in the Microgaming game line-up these past few months and now I know their game producing ways. Every month Microgaming introduces four games, 2 slots, and 2 other (generally at least one card game) and this month is no different. Today I checked out two slots games, one new poker game and a new blackjack game on offer for Microgaming powered casinos.

According to the Microgaming site they are "starting 2006 with a players' choice of brand new and different online games featuring a major video slot, the latest in the 100 Power Play Poker series, a new Multi-hand Blackjack offering and a simple but silky 3 reel slot." This press release was published on January 30th. Someone explain how you can start 2006 on January 30th? Did I miss a memo? Sarcasm aside, they did make some nice games for this month.

For those of you who like to eat the frosting before the cake I'll introduce you to the newest video slot. Harveys is their latest video slot game on offer and has a food theme best avoided by anyone allergic to shellfish or keeps kosher. Lobster and escargot (that would be cooked snails to those of us outside of France) are some of the winning reels to look for in this gourmet selection. The best of the best winning reel being champagne of course. Harveys is a 25 payline, 5 reel slot with Wild and Scatter rewards, a double or quadruple your money Gamble game-within-a-game and a Free Spin Feature with random and automatic rewards ranging from 6 times winnings to 30 times. It also offers a hidden mystery multiplier which gives wins as high as x25. This is the first time Microgaming has introduced this feature and it sounds like a great one.

One thing about Harveys that made me blink in confusion was the description of the food. Apparently what I thought was sweet potato soup with cream was actually a picture of Crème Brulee, opps. They also called what looks like cheese cake with blueberries on top just blueberry pie. As I can't taste the dishes I guess there isn't any point in arguing with them. If they let me win the $8,000.00 maximum jackpot, or even better, the Lady Luck with Free Spins $200,000.00 I'll let them call the food whatever they want. Players can bet as little as .01 and as much as .20. I liked this game, especially since I won a lot very quickly. The bonus rounds are generous to say the least. Keep in mind that this is a coin game, so your money will be converted into coins for the duration of the game.

Mardi Gras is a basic 3 reel, 1 payline slot on which players can wager anything from 0.25 to 5.00, and up to 3 coins at a time with a jackpot of 4000 coins or $20,000.00. I have to admit that it's not what I think of when I think of Mardi Gras. Not because it's not a fine 1 payline slot but because the subject could have been better explored and a lot more fun in a video slot. Even still, if you like the classic one line slot this is a great one for you. The slot also has Buy-A-Pay, where each additional coin played activates extra winning combinations. The look and feel has partiers dancing through a psychedelic evening wearing masks and crazy clothes. I played awhile with no major wins but enough to have me leave the game with more than I came in with.

On to the card games… Microgaming's new multi-hand bonus blackjack allows players to play up to five hands simultaneously. The key word in this new blackjack game is bonus. Normally blackjack doesn't have a bonus round, but this one (just to state the obvious) does. Players qualify for the bonus payout by placing a bonus side bet. The bonus payouts are decided by the hand combination of the first two cards dealt. I like the bonus bit because it is what saved me. You know immediately after the first round of dealing whether you've done well on the bonus bet, which can be helpful in assessing how much you want to risk on your hand.

If you like playing 100 hands of video poker at once Microgaming has something here you will really like. Deuces Wild 100 Power Play video poker presents 1 to 5 coin wagering flexibility with a minimum bet of 1.00 and a maximum bet of 125.00. Now the real kicker is that you can win $100,000.00 when you choose the maximum bet. This is a 4000 coin jackpot, which is serious. In addition, the game has a double up gamble feature with up to $3,200.00 as an added reward.
This is a game after my own heart, as it takes gambling money management very seriously. Players can choose their personal "stop" budgets by win amount, lose amount, or credit balance before they start to play. Of course there are the legendary Viper accessories such as autplay and analyzer and the guidance on current odds and cover permutations. These details help the casino lose and the player win, as with them the player can learn where the odds are the most in their favor. Granted it also has the Double feature where the player can screw themselves completely by guessing which card will be higher (yes, I lost it all there).

All in all I'd say Microgaming has done a fantastic job this month. Stylish games with fun themes and great payouts. What more could you ask for your entertainment dollar?

Related Links:

• Microgaming Casinos

Posted on: February 20, 2006

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