Best Online Casinos to Play Live Dealer Poker

Overview

Among fans of online casino gambling, poker is one of the most popular games and it is not hard to understand why. Considering the amazing popularity of standard poker games at land-based casinos, there is no wonder why many online casinos offer different online poker variants, including those hosted by real dealers.

To play live poker games online all you need to do is to find an online casino with a live casino lobby that features poker games. Online casinos that house live Roulette and live Blackjack games usually feature at least one or two live dealer poker games. Other variants may also be present.

Speaking of different live poker variants, players generally enjoy Live Pai Gow Poker, Live Caribbean Stud Poker, and Live Casino Hold’em. Other popular live dealer poker games are Live Three Card Poker and Live Red Dog Poker.

Briefly About the History of Poker

When it comes to the history of poker, historians and experts have several different theories. At the same time, most historians and experts agree that the game of poker was played in some form back in ancient times. Essentially, the most popular card game has been around for many centuries.

More specifically, some of the earliest mentions of poker games can be found in texts from the 10th century. Games that are similar to poker, such as dominoes were very popular in the 10th century among Chinese emperors.

Then, there is another group of historians who believe the game was devised back in the 16th century from a popular Persian game called As Nas. The truth about the game’s origin is probably somewhere in the middle.

What we know for sure is that the game of poker was devised from another game called Pogue and this game was very popular in Europe back in the 17th century in France. A very similar game to Pogue was also played in Germany and the German variant of the game was devised from the game called Primero. Primero originated in Spain sometime in the 16th century.

When discussing the history of poker, we have to mention another important detail. The Pogue game which was popular in Germany and France found its way to North America in the 1800s. The game was brought to American soil by French colonists. The Pogue game quickly spread from New Orleans to other parts of the country. At the time, it was very popular among gamblers who visited riverboat gambling houses. In the 1870s, the game of Pogue found its way to Wild West saloons.

What is also interesting to note is that the World Series of Poker had its inaugural edition in the 1970s. Needless to say, the World Series of Poker skyrocketed the game’s popularity. Over the course of several years, different poker games were introduced, including Five Card Draw and Seven Card Stud, among others. Thanks to the tremendous popularity of poker, online casinos feature many poker variants you get to play from the coziness of your home.

How Live Dealer Poker Games Work?

This leads us to live dealer poker games you get to play online. As mentioned in the previous section, live dealer poker games accessible online come in many different formats, including Caribbean Stud Poker, Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, and more. If you enjoy playing poker with other players but you do not want to travel certain distances to get to the closes casino, playing live dealer poker online is the best choice and the closest you get to playing the game in its natural habitat.

Live Casino Hold’em – How This Game is Played?

Live casino Hold’em remains one of the most popular live casino poker games among online players, and for a good reason. Just like other games featured at live casino lobbies at online casinos, live dealer Casino Hold’em is hosted by real dealers and uses actual equipment, including a real poker table and real poker cards. The game shares most similarities with the game of Texas Hold’em in terms of its rules. However, when you play Casino Hold’em, you play against the dealer not against other players like in Texas Hold’em.

The rules of the game are very easy to learn even if you have never played poker games. Also, Casino Hold’em is one of the best options for newbie players due to its simple rules. The main goal of the game is always the same, to beat the croupier’s hand by having a stronger five-card hand. This leads us to the hand ranking system in Casino Hold’em and other live poker games. All possible winning hands are featured down below from the weakest to the strongest.

High Card: Five-card hand that does not win.

Pair: Two cards that have the same value, alongside three other cards that do not match.

Two Pair: Hand with two cards of the same value, alongside two other cards of the same value.

Three of a Kind: Two side cards with three cards of the same value.

Straight: Five consecutive cards that do not share the same suit.

Flush: Five cards that share the same suit.

Full House: Two cards of the same value, alongside three other cards of the same value.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same value.

Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards that share the same suit.

Royal Flush: Same-suited Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

When your Casino Hold’em gaming round starts, you must place an ante bet and the ante bet site depends on your chosen table. Once done, the croupier deals you and other players' cards. The croupier also gets cards. At this point, three community cards are placed at the center of the table.

You have two options at your disposal at this point. You can match the dealer’s bet. If you do so, two extra community cards are placed at the center of the table. If you have a stronger hand than the dealer’s, you win.

If you are not confident that you can win, you fold. If you do so, you give up on your ante bet and you are no longer an active participant in the gaming round.

Other Live Poker Games You Can Play Online

Three Card Poker is yet another popular live dealer poker variant you can play at online casinos. The main goal of this variant is to beat the dealer’s hand with your three-card hand. In Casino Hold’em five community cards are placed at the center of the table and you get five cards.

In Three Card Poker, you and the dealer get three cards and the strongest hand wins according to the previously discussed standard poker hand raking system.

Three Card Poker games use one deck packed with 52 cards. Before you receive your cards, you must place your bet. Once you have placed your bet, you get three face-up cards. At this point, the dealer also gets three cards and these are facing down. You have two options, to continue playing or to fold. Some Three Card Poker games also feature side bets.

Caribbean Stud Poker is equally poker in its live format. Just like in other poker games, Caribbean Stud Poker sessions start with placing an ante bet. Once done, you and the dealer get five cards like in Casino Hold’em.

At this point, you can play or fold, based on what you have. To keep playing, you must place a bet that is two times the original stake. Once done, all five-card hands are compared and the strongest hand wins.

Which Wagering Options You Have?

Why Should You Play Live Dealer Poker Online?