Live Casinos
Live dealer casinos have been all the rage over recent months. The atmospheric and immersive qualities are attracting the entire gambling community, and the excitement surrounding the games is evident. The appeal lies in their similarities with brick-and-mortar casinos. The live casino genre is redefining the way table games are played online. The live casino games incorporate authentic and interactive casino action, as compared to traditional online casino games. As a player, you are transported straight onto the casino floor with all the exquisite features and high-level entertainment, at your fingertips, including a live dealer as your host.
Why Play at Live Casinos?
As much as some of us would wish, it isn’t always feasible to go to a land casino. That is where live dealer games come in. The easy accessibility of the games online is a significant draw. Another advantage is that you can learn as you go and improve your skills and strategy with low stakes until you are ready to hit the big wins and higher limits. Playing in a live online setting, you can experience firsthand how the game plays out.
You won’t have to feel overwhelmed or embarrassed that you are not an expert. The games are rather fast-paced, with few delays between games, and you don’t get the distractions of people talking around you or watching over your shoulder, which allows you to get into the rhythm of the game. The live setting provides all the benefits of playing in real-time. You can control your environment and surroundings better at home than at a land casino. Playing live casino games online gives you the freedom to tailor the experience to suit yourself.
Pros and Cons
Live dealer games are revolutionising the way we play casino games online. The days are past when you have to rely on artificial stimulation to enjoy your favourite table games. Among the many advantages, live dealer games serve up hi-def TV quality visuals. The standout feature is the live interaction in real-time streamed directly to your gaming device, and as long as you have a secure WiFi connection and decent device, you can enjoy the games to the fullest! You will enjoy visually superior images of the dealers, tables, and gameplay.
The live dealer genre is the absolute epitome of real-time casino excitement. The live stream provides a realistic setting where the dealers shuffle the packs of cards and drop the ball onto the roulette wheel. You can play blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat, craps, and other classic table games like never before. Another notable feature of live dealer games is their level of interaction, serving up a social element sorely missing from other online casino games. You can communicate freely with other players and the pretty lady dealers during the game, who will also answer any questions and put you at ease during the game. You can get up close and personal with the dealers, who will even entertain and pamper you!
There aren’t many cons with live dealer games; however, it must be pointed out that table limits tend to be higher than standard table games, and the pace of the game is faster. Another minor disadvantage is that you cannot play for free; nevertheless, that is offset by the ability to watch tables in action before joining in. There may also be an element of distraction with the games, yet that could be construed as atmospheric!
What Live Casino Games Can I Play?
There are many different games you can play at live dealer casinos. The most popular live dealer games include:
- Live Baccarat
- Live Roulette
- Live Blackjack
- Live Casino Hold’em
- Live Caribbean Stud Poker
- Live Dream Catcher
- Live Lightning Roulette
Live Blackjack and Roulette are the most popular, and no casino worth its salt would be seen without them! Many online casinos offer American and European Roulette along with Lightning Roulette. Live Baccarat also has its fans and is commonly found at online casinos. Possibly due to the notoriety of the game and a James Bond favourite, Baccarat has a loyal following thanks to its excellent gameplay. Several decks are used for the live casino format, and the gameplay is somewhat similar to Blackjack with the significant difference of the added magic number 9. Live Casino Hold’em is another popular poker choice. The challenge is to configure the optimum hand, with the two-hole cards and the community cards. This game does require a knowledge and understanding of poker and the various hand rankings to compete at a higher level.
Live Casino Dealers
Fans of table games know dealers are an integral part of the action, not only hosting the games but also making everything seem more luxurious and with a spiced-up atmosphere. They are mostly your hosts and game operators, and the live-action is broadcasted directly to you in real-time.
The opportunity was previously only offered at land casinos, which contributes to the uniqueness of the live games. While socialising with other players and the dealers the and variety of software ensures no loss of quality, and the games themselves are developed and designed by experts. The skilled and professional dealers and croupiers enhance the gaming experience by serving up an unbeatable and immersive atmosphere.
What Makes a Good Dealer?
With such interactive games, the dealer can actually make or break the live casino experience. Whilst it's very uncommon to experience a sub-average dealer during a live game, the best live dealers will guarantee a fun and relaxed gaming atmosphere. This is what it takes for a live dealer to be the best:
- Training: Big live casino suppliers like Evolution Gaming and Netent train their staff thoroughly at the beginning and also at regular intervals to maintain high standards. It's imperative for live croupiers to invest their time in continuous learning throughout their live dealing career
- Experience: many dealers start as shufflers and learn on the job
- Presence & Manners: Good live dealers are calm, polite and always friendly
- Languages: Being fluent in English is a must but it's also highly desired to be fluent in at least one other language. (since there are many games available in various languages)
Different Live Dealer Software Providers
Evolution Gaming has become the undisputed leader of live dealer games, collaborating with several tier online casinos and land-based ones. The developer is committed to delivering a world-class live gaming experience available on multiple channels. Evolution streams live games from state-of-the-art studios in both Europe and the USA, along with dual-play convergence gaming tables at land-based casinos. The extensive portfolio of games includes Live Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat, and one-of-a-kind exclusive content. That includes popular poker games like Casino Hold'em, 3-Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Texas Hold’em Bonus, Progressive Jackpots, The excellent Lightning Roulette, and money wheel Dream Catcher all live.
Apart from Evolution Gaming, others provide live dealer games. Playtech is among the more well-known, and a big name in the business. Microgaming and Net Entertainment also provide excellent live games. Since casinos use software from the same developers, many of them end up having the same games. Other live dealer providers include Ezugi, Visionary iGaming, and Extreme Live Gaming, among others.
Highest Paying Live Casino Games Online
If you compare live casino games to online slots, then you can say confidently that live dealer games have a higher payout %. The best pay-out live casino games in the UK by separate RTP% are as follows:
- Live Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker: 99.46%
- Caribbean Stud Poker: 98.17%
- Live Blackjack: 99.5%
- Live Baccarat: 98.96%
- French Roulette: 98.65%
High Stakes Live Casino Games
When we talk about high stakes or high limit live games, then these are the games which best suited for a high roller casino player (a person who gambles or spends large sums of money) Those looking for high stakes live casino games will need to keep a lookout for the following games:
- Auto Roulette: £150,000 (NetEnt)
- 3 Card Poker: £5,000 (Evolution Gaming)
- Exclusive Blackjack: £20,000 (Evolution Gaming)
- Live High Limit Baccarat: £30,000 (Evolution Gaming)
How to Select the Best Live Casinos?
The best live dealer casinos must rate highly on trust, reliability and honesty. If you believe the casino is reliable, it follows that you will trust the games are operating fairly. Online safety and security are essential too so that you can be certain financial transactions are protected from external threats. Next in line is the user interface and player experience. The casino should provide a decent choice of live dealer games you can access easily.
You should check about casino bonuses and if they apply to the live dealer casino games before signing up. You will always be able to find the bonus conditions before signing up. Mobile availability and compatibility are definite advantages, and sticking to online casinos that offer live dealer games by renowned providers such as Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, or Microgaming will provide the best experience and fairest games. The best live casinos have a decent choice of payment and payout options, including PayPal and should also check the payout timings before signing up. You will find the info on the cashier’s page, or under the terms and conditions of the casino.