Live Poker Online Casino Games

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s finally time to begin the discussion. What is live online poker? Is it the same as video poker? And if no, what is it and how to play live poker online?

Fret not, dear players, for BestCasinos is here to bring all the answers. We’ve compiled an extensive walkthrough for all punters – regardless of skill and experience – which will surely prove to be quite handy in numerous situations.

We have a list of the best gambling sites and games you can possibly think of, but we also gave you a glimpse of our rating process so that you’d know what to look for when you start searching on your own.

Let’s start from the beginning: what is live dealer poker and how to play live poker online?

Main Characteristics of Live Poker Online

Before you play live poker online, you must gather all the intel about the games you are about to play. That includes both game rules, in-game info about features, and standard practices on gambling websites.

So, what is live online poker?

Well, the standard live dealer poker is a version of poker played in real-time. The game played at a real physical table is streamed in real-time, with an actual human dealer controlling the game.

Furthermore, players get to watch the action happen in real-time, which generally shortens the betting period, but also opens up social interaction thanks to live chat. You can communicate with fellow punters and the croupier during the game or contact live support if you are experiencing issues with the game.

A common question we get from our readers is whether the dealers can see the punters. The answer is no; they cannot see the players, but they see their actions and reactions shown as camera signals positioned in front of the dealers.

However, the main thing you should remember is that live poker games are the same as regular poker games, they just happen in real-time. you still get a fair pick of variants to choose from, such as Caribbean Stud and Texas Hold’em.

All classic gameplay rules still apply, such as playing against the house (not fellow punters), and you can pick between 5-card and 3-card live poker tables.

In short, the key features of live dealer poker tables are:

• A dealer is a real person, not a simulation
• Players play against the house
• The action happens in real-time via live streams
• The dealers cannot see the players
• Punters can chat with fellow punters and the croupier
• Bleeding-edge software allows various in-game features such as game stats and history
• Live online poker is the closest thing to an actual poker table in a land-based casino

There’s more to this list than meets the eye, but these are the main things you should keep in mind before you play live poker for real money.

How to Play Live Dealer Poker

Playing live dealer poker games online is not a complex task, but it does involve a list of items you’ll need to sort out before you play. One of the key things is to find a reliable casino, register and deposit funds. Once this is done, you can move to the lobby to locate a table you’d like to join.

Here’s a list of things you need to consider when you want to play live dealer poker:

1. Find a respectable gambling website. Register and complete the first deposit. 
2. Choose a table in the lobby. 
3. Enter and place a wager to participate. 

We can help with finding the website and the table. However, ultimately, the choice is all on you – which site do you deem worthy? What table piqued your interest?

To select the table, you must decide what’s your end goal. Are you there to boost skills to participate in live poker tournaments? Or are you interested in only live online poker tables and playing with fellow players casually?

If you want to participate in live poker tournaments, the guide is below. However, if you only want to play poker at live online casinos for entertainment’s sake, we suggest learning the rules of the game and practising a bit in free mode before you switch to real-time gambling.

Professional Live Poker Tournaments

Poker players are also fans of live poker tournaments but reaching the stage in which you can freely participate in a tournament and measure strengths against professional opponents is far from a novice’s reach. It takes a lot of preparation and dedication to become a pro poker player at tournaments.

Poker tournaments are some of the most exclusive and exciting events in the world of gambling. Each year, tournaments attract millions of players – both participants and spectators – and amass millions in prize money for the winners.

Before you sign up for such an event, it’s good to know that

1. You need a high skill level to participate
2. Most tournaments are buy-ins, meaning you have to pay a fee to participate
3. The prize money is big, but the competition is stiff

We advise all those looking to enrol in live tournaments to practice free demo games, play with friends, and observe high-stakes poker tables to get accustomed to the flow of the game.

Free Live Online Poker

There is no free live poker online, as live dealer games are played in real-time with actual cash. You can maybe enter the game and simply watch it without betting anything, but you cannot play with fake money a poker game with live dealers.

But you have other options. For instance, you can play video poker to build skills. Video poker is a computerised variant which is easier to play, has countless versions, and is built for novices. In comparison with real-dealer tables, they are a breeze, which is why so many punters choose them as their go-to option.

We suggest playing video poker games for free before hitting live mode to ensure wins and proficiency build-up before staking actual cash.

The Best Live Poker Sites

Live casino poker is no walk in the park, but it’s one of the most sought-after genres for a reason. Live poker sites offer abundance both in terms of tables and poker rooms, but also bonuses and promotions related to these games.

If you want to find the best live poker real money casinos on the internet, you only need to look at our table below.

You can search through the list to find the website that suits your tastes the most. We listed their welcome offers so you can see what you are signing up for when you register. It’s useful to note that 888 Casino has a special section called 888poker, entirely dedicated to live online poker. Ignition Casino is a premium poker site for players in the USA.

How We Rate and Review Live Blackjack Sites

The process of discovering valuable live online poker sites is long and entails many factors and aspects which need to be checked. Before a site lands here on this page, it must first go through our rating and reviewing process.

In case you were wondering how this process looks and how exactly our experts research reliable gaming websites, here is your chance to learn.

We are here to teach you how we rate casinos for live dealer poker players.

The guide below can also be quite handy if you want to start searching for websites on your own.

Here are the main things you should keep in mind while choosing a site:

• Licencing and Regulation
• Reputation and Player Experience
• Content Offer
• Banking
• Customer Support
• Device Compatibility

Each of these items is an essential piece of the whole puzzle. Without one, you cannot truly have it all and enjoy it the best you can. You will see below what we mean by all these listed items.

Licencing and Regulation

For a casino, having a licence is a must. Not all gambling sites have them, granted, but those that do are allowed to work in certain markets which are closed for rogue venues. On the other hand, a licence means a lot to the players as well, as it can be seen as a guarantee of trust in the venue and its fair business.

Then again, not all licences are treated equally. If we are talking about the UKGC licence (issued by the UK Gambling Commission), we speak of high-quality supervision and control over all business dealings. The MGA safeguards the European markets, while Curacao and Alderney have their own designated jurisdictions. Depending on your location, you should always check whether a site is allowed to work in your country by the gambling authority in charge.

Reputation and Player Experience

Sometimes not even a licence can vouch for the safety of players if the site decides to play dirty. In such cases, we always check what the players have to say – they are often the best indicators of the site’s reliability and trustworthiness.

You can try and talk with fellow punters, or you can rely on our reviews in which we’ve taken into consideration everything we’ve heard about the site from punters worldwide. Either way, you shouldn’t disregard it – player feedback is a golden source of information.

Content Offer

You go in for live online poker games, but you might stay for other casino games. Who knows? Life is too short to be limited to one game genre only. We firmly believe in variety and abundance, so we like to see a versatile game lobby capable of satisfying even the most demanding of punters.

When you enter the lobby, make sure to check for other live dealer games such as live roulette, live baccarat, and live blackjack. If you are more into RNG digital games, stop by the casino lobby where digital games await. Oh, and a pro tip: find a casino with plenty of video poker games. Slots, bingo, and dice games are welcome as well!

Banking

All players agree on one thing: money has to go in and out of your casino account any way you can transfer it. So why not find a good banking option which is safe, fast, and easy to use?

The days of unreliable cash transfers, long processing times, and dull verification procedures are over. Nowadays, we have e-wallets, speedy cryptocurrency options like Bitcoin and Ethereum, mobile banking options, and internet banking. You can choose from dozens of methods and so never choose a casino that offers fewer than five. It’s simply not worth it.

Customer Support

Customer Support is there to assist you during your playtime session and provide help for any issue you might encounter. In modern casinos, support is usually reachable via live chat, email, and toll-free phones.

Before we place a site on our list, we must check the response time and efficiency of the team. We value speed and efficiency a great deal, and it usually reflects the sites’ dedication and readiness to be there for their punters.

Device Compatibility

When you find a casino site worthy of your time, you’d think you are ready to start playing. But wait, are you really? Have you checked where you can play?

Device compatibility translates into platform support, meaning we list the platforms supporting the gambling content. Android and iOS devices have become a must as mobile casino gambling is on the rise.

With our sites, you get a clear sense of which sites are suitable for mobile gambling and which ones are unparalleled in desktop gaming.