Sports Then and Now

Many people with lots of time and money to spare prefer to take their chances in casinos, and why not? Casinos are no longer just for bachelor parties and nights out with friends. Nowadays you can find a local casino just about anywhere.

The proliferation of casinos has made going to them a common hobby. Avid gamblers go to casinos on a regular basis, with some even making it part of their everyday routine. Believe it or not, some people even work by pursuing a career in professional gambling.

The development of the casino industry and its steady increase in popularity has made its adoption and utilization of technology inevitable. Today, you no longer need to take a drive to your local casino to hit the tables. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home just by using your laptop or your phone.

There are multiple apps and websites that offer real money casino games online, with dealers replaced by programs, allowing users to play their favorite games at any time they wish. However, nothing beats the atmosphere provided by a brick and mortar establishment and directly seeing the dealer right in front of you.

But thanks to innovations in the online casino industry, online gamblers can now play live dealer games. If you like playing casino games online but the automation of everything just makes things feel different, then maybe live dealer games are for you.

What are Live Dealer Games?

Live dealer games, as the name implies, are online games with real-life human dealers shown in real time. These games bring you the closest to an authentic casino experience that you can get, as you get to see the dealer in your game of choice move live through video streaming.

Instead of passively engaging with AI and blaming the programmers for your bad luck, you now have a live dealer right in front of you to keep you invested and focused on the game. This is perfect especially in the times that we live in today where going to your local casino probably isn’t the safest bet you’re going to make.

Online casino platforms offer a variety of live dealer games at various stakes to bring the casino as close to you as possible. You can take your pick and spend all your extra cash on one game, or you could spread it out and try each table as you would in the casino and stick to where your luck is best.

Here are 5 of the most popular types of live casino games you can find online:

1. Blackjack

The rules stay the same in live dealer blackjack. Essentially, you’re betting that you have a better hand than the dealer and a hand’s maximum possible value is 21, or else you go bust. Numbered cards have the same value as they indicate while kings, queens, and jacks are worth ten, and aces may be worth either one or eleven. 

2. Baccarat

Baccarat is another simple and easy game for recreational casino goers, as the dealer does all the work for you. In baccarat, you simply bet on whether the player side or the banker side will have a better combination of cards. The highest possible total is 9, so whichever side has a total closest to 9 or equal to 9, wins. Baccarat generally involves the drawing of two cards each for the banker and player side, but the drawing of a third subsequent card is allowed depending on the rules of the casino you play in. Aces are worth one and the numerical cards are equal their value, while face cards have a value of 0. If the total of the cards on either side exceeds 9, the first digit is omitted, so if the total of the banker’s card is 17. it will be counted as 7

3. Roulette

Roulette is another simple and popular game of chance where you just bet on either a particular number or an outcome of the wheel, such as if the ball would land on red or green or on an odd or even number. In live roulette, you see the dealer spin the wheel in real-time, eliminating all doubts on rigged online games.

4. Live Texas Hold’em

Live Texas Hold’em is a quicker-paced variant of Texas Hold’em poker where instead of playing against other players, you virtually play heads-up against the dealer. The main objective of the game is to make a better five-card combination than the dealer. High cards are the lowest possible combinations while the highest possible combination is a royal flush.

5. Monopoly Live

Monopoly Live is a unique version of the popular board game that you can play in a number of online casinos with live dealer games. In this game, you simply bet on a number that you think the wheel will stop at, and you get paid if you guess right. There are also bonus rounds when the wheel stops at particular segments, where you can win more money than usual.