Love is in the air across the globe. With Valentine’s Day approaching, many online gaming software providers have announced their newest themed slot game. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of the most basic human emotion: love. Therefore, software developers have devised a way to encompass all that is Valentine’s Day into a slot game. Since the symbols of love and romance vary, software developers have a variety of content to work with.

As with most themed slot games, Microgaming leads the pack with regards to Valentine’s Day games. Each year the software development company releases a new Valentine’s Day variant. Like most of their games, Valentine’s Day versions exude delicateness and elegance. Some of the most popular past titles include, “Burning Desire” and “Love Potions.” This year the company has created “Queen of Hearts” which is scheduled to be available starting February 7th.

Another Valentine’s Day-themed slot game Microgaming will soon be releasing is “Secret Admirer.” The clip at the beginning of the game shows Cupid shooting his arrow through a heartbreaking it into a shower of rose petals. The actual game consists of the following recognizable symbols:

• Mask hiding the secret admirer – the wild symbol
• Diamond ring – Scatter symbol
• “Secret Admirer” heart-shaped logo
• Heart-shaped wreath
• Perfume dispenser
• Rose
• Brooch

The game features are fairly standard with a free spins bonus game and the Microgaming gamble game. This game is available at all Microgaming-powered casinos like Royal Vegas, the Gaming Club, and the Blackjack Ballroom.

Another major Valentine’s Day release is by Vegas Technology with their slot game “Cupid’s Arrow.” The game is of excellent quality and features the following Valentine’s Day symbols:

• Cupid – the wild symbol
• Heart – bonus payouts
• Kiss
• Chocolates
• Roses
• Valentine’s Day card
• Ring
• Teddy bear
• Lovers
• Balloon

A nice feature of “Cupids Arrow” is that all symbols are animated when winning combinations are triggered. This makes the screen extremely active after the reels stop spinning. “Cupid’s Arrow” is available in Slot Galore, VIP Slots, and Grand Vegas casino.

The final Valentine’s Day-themed release is “Love Bugs” from Cryptologic. This version adds the twist of a comic angle. The main plot of the game revolves around Love Bug and Lady Bug’s love as they display antics on the reels. The symbols on the reels include:

• Perfume
• Ring
• Violin
• Chocolates
• Necklace
• Champagne
• Love letter
• Flowers

Many online gaming software providers have created romance-based games but none that are specifically geared toward Valentine’s Day. If you are in the mood for love, romance, and slots, any one of these games will fulfill your needs.

3 Card Rummy is being offered by more online gaming sites each day. The game is a welcomed change from the traditional poker-based games. As regular players become bored, they are looking for exciting new variants and this is one of them.

3 Card Rummy, also known as Vegas 3 Card Rummy, is played with a standard deck of cards. The game begins with the player posting an ante bet in addition to an optional bonus bet. The player has then distributed three cards up while the dealer receives three cards down. The hand rankings are as follows:

• Three of a kind, pairs and two suited cards equal zero points
• Single cards from two to nine are worth their face values
• Aces equal 1 point
• All other cards are 10 points

The object of the game is to have fewer points than the dealer. Based on the dealt hand, the player can either raise or fold. Folding results in a lost ante while a raise is equal to the original bet. Following this round of betting, the dealer’s cards are exposed. The dealer must have a hand of 20 points or less to qualify, if not ante wagers pay even money and raises are a push. If the dealer qualifies the two sets of hands are compared with the lower total winning.

If the player has a lower hand total, he wins even money. Any raise bets are paid by the house according to a payout table. If the dealer has the lower total, all bets placed by the player are lost. A tie is simply a push. Additionally, the bonus bet payout is based on a separate table given specific hands.

The game is simply allowing the player to only have to make two decisions. These are whether to place the bonus bet at the beginning of the hand, and whether to raise or fold. Therefore, the primary tip in the game is whether to raise or fold. Experts have evaluated the main game to have different house edges. If the player raises with 20 or less and folds with 21 or more, the house edge is at least 3.2 percent. Therefore, this strategy should explicitly adhere to.

3 Card Rummy is a simple but fun game to play. With few decisions to make, new players can instantly become good at the game assuming they don’t veer from the above strategy. Try the game out next time you see it at an online casino.

Originating in China, Mahjong involves strategy, luck, and most importantly, skill. Due to the combination of these aspects of the game, Mahjong has become attractive to gamblers. As its popularity grew at land-based casinos, it was eventually added to the portfolio of one major online gaming developer: Playtech.

The Basics

The game is played with 152 tiles that display various written Chinese characters. Every player receives 13 tiles and must complete a legitimate hand by collecting and abandoning tiles. Based on this sequence of actions, leading online gaming provider Playtech has created a fixed-odds version of Mahjong. At Playtech’s casinos, many variants are listed under the “Asian Games” section.

Japanese Solo Mahjong

The most basic version of the game is Japanese Solo Mahjong. The game is based on Japanese rules and is a single-player game, as opposed to the typical four-player variant. Players begin with a legal hand which is a single tile away from winning. In front of the player are 24 face-down tiles which the player must use to find the tile that finishes the hand. Each selected tile that does not complete the hand will be discarded with a message stating “No hand.”

If the hand is not finished in three selections, the game is over and the player loses their wager. If one of the selected tiles completes the hand, the player wins and a predetermined number of points are awarded. These points are then added to the score which determines the amount of money won.

The Calculation Of The Score

On the right side of the 24 tiles is the “Hand Information” area that showcases actions or bonuses that relate to the current game. The final score awarded to the player is based on the hand information. Other areas on the screen include the seat wind and quarter wind. Wind tiles that match the seat or quarter result in a special hand that increases the player’s overall score.

The other Playtech Mahjong game is WMF Solo Mahjong in which the scoring is consistent with the World Mahjong Federation rules. Since the scoring is automated, the rules do not concern the player. However, there is a “Help” area for those interested in the differences. The actual gameplay is identical to Japanese Solo Mahjong.

Each game is a new and exciting way to gamble. Since Mahjong has been played for thousands of years, it is only natural for the game to catch on at casinos. The simple rules with excellent payouts should be enough reason for you to give the game a try.