The increasing utilization of high-definition live streaming of classic casino table games as well as newer offerings, like Evolution Gaming’s Dream Catcher – has added an extra dimension to online casinos around the world. It’s now possible to get involved in the action at the blackjack tables or the roulette wheel while being sat in the comfort of your living room armchair, with the cards dealt and wheel spinning streamed right to your computer screen.

Live casino blackjack and roulette were the first two games to benefit from the introduction of live streaming technology, optimizing the gaming experience for users both on desktop and smartphone or tablet devices. Each table is managed by a human dealer who deals out real cards and greets and interacts with players in turn. Some of the leading iGaming software developers such as NetEnt have also designed low-stakes, live streamed blackjack games with a real party vibe, designed to attract newcomers to play the game online, trained and coached throughout by dealers and hosts/hostesses.

Recreating a land-based casino experience

There is certainly a feeling that the iGaming industry is getting closer to perfecting the immersive casino gaming experience, with live streaming technology not only adding the social element of casinos into the mix, but the visual and audio engagement that one can enjoy on a casino floor too. It was therefore no surprise when the online casinos took the decision to redefine the concept of playing poker online with the use of live streaming too. Offerings in this vein include titles such as Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Live Caribbean Stud Poker and more. For iGaming providers such as Betway Casino online, it has certainly added a new dimension to their casino games offering, but it has also helped the game of poker reach out to a new demographic of player that may not have considered playing online poker before. Developed by brands such as Evolution Gaming and Microgaming, These live casino poker games have already proven to be revenue boosters, rivaling even the latest online poker concepts and trends, due largely to their scalability: each table managed by a human dealer can deal in an unlimited number of players. It’s why many online casinos will now also offer welcome bonuses of up to £1,000 to encourage a new generation of poker players to enjoy the fast-paced live streamed action.

You vs the dealer

So, what’s the main difference between playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker than signing up and playing on one of the various online poker networks? In fact, there is one significant alteration to the gameplay which affects things significantly. Instead of playing against the other players at your table, you simply play heads-up against the dealer with every hand. The key here is for players to try and form a five-card hand that’s superior to the dealer’s. The dealer can only win a hand with at least a pair. Instead of placing bets and raising the betting action during a hand, players that wish to remain involved in a specific hand must place equal ante and blind bets prior to the flop, the river and when the dealer’s two cards are revealed to the table. Only then can a player make one raise bet and risk more of their chips to win.

Take Live Casino Poker at face value and enjoy it for what it is

If you’re a seasoned online poker player, would this format of the game interest you? Possibly. However, if you’re a micro-stakes poker player, it’s likely that these live streamed casino poker games might be a little too rich for your bankroll. In fact, you also always have to play for real money. When you factor in the casino’s costs for streaming live media and servers, it’s understandable that the table betting limits will be a tad higher than you’d find on a dedicated online poker network playing against others. If you do have the funds to get involved, it’s certainly some light relief from playing intensely against up to nine different humans at once. Live casino poker is designed to be instantly engaging and fun, with the dealers trained to be talkative and humorous, like the leading poker pros such as Daniel Negreanu, at various stages of the gameplay.

Unlike traditional Texas Hold’em poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker features a fun optional side bet to make things interesting in a hand. This side bet requires you to secure at least Three of a Kind or higher using your two cards and three of the five community cards dealt on-screen – that’s regardless of what hand your dealer can make.

Many online casinos also operate Live Casino Hold’em, which would almost certainly offer more appeal to experienced online poker players. Rather than playing against the dealer, you can take a seat at a table and play against the other players as you would in the traditional sense at a bricks-and-mortar casino; interacting with them and the dealer throughout.

Providing you have a modest broadband connection, you will almost certainly enjoy the engaging live streamed experience of playing poker online today. Whether it has enhanced the game of poker is unlikely, due to the fact that strategy and considering what other players’ hands could be often tends to go out of the window, with it all being about the strength of your own hand in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Nevertheless, if it can open the eyes of a new demographic of player to the game, it can only be a positive thing for the poker industry long-term.

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