If you wanted to play table games like blackjack or roulette a few years ago, you only had one choice: go to the casino, and play. Now you have more options. Live dealer casinos online give you the opportunity to play all those table games on your own computer screen. Or, a mobile phone, for that matter.
Playing at a UK live casino
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If you’ve never played at a live casino before, you might want to know more about how it works. So here goes. Live casinos are advanced nowadays. You get to chat with other players and the dealer. If you want, you can even play several games at the same time. In the below, we’ll give more information about the best technology, great live casino sites, and welcome bonus offers.
Why play live dealer casino games?
Times have changed and we want everything to be available to use on the go. Sure, going to the casino as a night out still beats a live casino in terms of ambiance and fun. But you might very much so want to play a game of blackjack on a random Wednesday night from your couch. If that’s the case, let’s see why live casino games are a good option.
Great choice
When you’re looking for a live casino to play games, you have a wide variety of options. Almost every big UK casino also offers a live casino. The games are backed with excellent technology that is fast, reliable and most of all, enjoyable to play. Sounds, live chat conversations and the ambiance on-screen simulate the experience of a real casino. Dealers are professional, cameras are in place to ensure that everything happens fairly.
The basics of a live casino
When you haven’t played at a live casino before, it might be hard to imagine how such a thing works. So let me fill that in. It’s very simple. The live dealer casino tables you want to play on are run by actual human dealers, which you can see at work through a webcam on a live stream. You can see the dealer, the dealer can’t see you. When you want to start playing, you take a virtual seat on the table and you will proceed with how you will do in real life, but then with clicks on buttons. Most live casinos have a live chatbox through which you can communicate with the croupier.
Cards and spins
But how do the wheel spinning and card shuffling work? Pretty much the same as in real life. The croupier uses the same equipment as in real life. You get to witness his actions on the webcam. If you play a game like poker, you will see the dealer placing the cards on the scanner. That scanner communicates to you on-screen its numbers. This allows for a system where you receive your cards and place your bets very much as you would do in real life. In case you’re wondering where the live stream broadcast takes place, that usually happens in studios that are built with the purpose of functioning as a live casino. Occasionally live casinos also operate from the actual land-based casino.
Differences between live casino games and slots
In terms of software and style of playing, what is the difference between playing live games and video slots? The first difference to mention is that video slots use RNG software, table games don’t. RNG software is the software that makes sure that slots operate randomly, and its influence is not controlled by anyone. When you play live dealer games, you’re on the same online interface, but its system is not run by RNG software. Instead, a live dealer is in charge of the game and of course, the fairness of operation is ensured through the placement of webcams.
Slower pace
Another difference is that live games happen at a slower pace than traditional casino games. That is only logical because live dealer games are run by an actual person and not a computer. When you play a live dealer game, you get more of a real casino taste with accompanying sounds and ambiance. Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that if you come to play for enjoyment, live dealer games most likely are more your thing than slots. The live chat box and communication with other players make it more dynamic and interactive, therefore more aligned with having fun.
Which games can I play live?
Every live casino has a great variety of games to play. In the UK we have selected the top choices, the ones with the most options. The classics that are available in a live casino include blackjack, roulette, and poker to name a few. Let’s have a look at some of the top games to play and how they work when you play them in a live casino.
Live Roulette
Compared to most other table games, roulette perhaps is the most simple and relaxing game to play. This makes it a good option if you want to relax, or if it’s the first time you’re going to play in a live casino. The process is as follows. You place chips on the table by clicking on buttons before the dealer spins the wheel. There are different types of roulette out there, and on most UK live casinos you will find European roulette, but often also the American version.
Roulette options
If you find it important that a live casino has a good amount of different roulette options, then you’ll need to pre-select some of your favorite UK casinos. A few exciting variations on the standard roulette game are for example by developer Evolution Gaming. They have a roulette game called Live Lightning Roulette, which spices things up by adding a high-payout number that is randomly generated. If you play another game than a classic, always double-read about what the possible catch could be. When it comes to the stakes, roulette has many different table limits, varying from as little as 10p to much higher stakes.
Live Blackjack
Is blackjack the world’s favorite game? It could be. One thing is for sure, which is that UK players love blackjack. It’s one of the few casino games where your skill has a proper influence on winning the game. Although the game is simple to learn, practice is key. When you play blackjack in a live casino, you play against the dealer. Whoever’s hand hits 21 first wins. Like with most other table games you can play in the live casino, also blackjack comes with several different versions. These different blackjack games each come with their own rules and features. Aside from blackjack games, there are also a number of side bets available to make things interesting.
Blackjack strategies
If you’re the type of casino player that loves to spend time developing strategies, it’s likely that you love blackjack. This game is particularly suitable to employ a strategy. There are a lot of theories and stories out there about when to hit, split, surrender or double down. One of the strategies, and one of the most frequently used, is the so-called flat betting system. It’s a simple and straight forward strategy. What do you need to do? Bet on every hand the same amount of money, regardless of winning or losing. This is also a relatively ‘safe’ strategy that doesn’t expose you to the risk of losing a lot of money all at once. Like with every strategy, try it out for yourself with low stakes to see if it works for you or not.
Live Baccarat
Baccarat is a fast-paced game that in recent years has become popular in the UK. Most of the big casinos have a number of different baccarat options in their assortment, but not everyone. Why is that? Although baccarat has become increasingly popular, it can’t yet be called a mainstream game, especially in the UK. That doesn’t make it less interesting, however, especially if you’re looking to change up your usual casino games routine. At the UK casinos that offer baccarat, you will usually find the game Punto Banco. This is a game where all the players compete against the dealer.
How does it work?
In principle, live baccarat works the same as live blackjack or roulette. The baccarat live room features a number of cameras that capture the game. The dealer slowly turns the cards for the players to see.
Live Poker
Poker is one of the games that just doesn’t seem to decrease in popularity. The game is a dynamic combination of skill, luck, and strategy, something a lot of people love. In the UK’s top live casinos you play against the dealer, for example in a game of Texas Hold’em or Caribbean Stud, both of which are incredibly popular and worth it. If you’re new to poker and are looking to learn, first teach yourself the basics or play a game of free poker to teach yourself the finer set of skills.
New live casinos
Like I mentioned before, setting up and running a live casino is something that requires a lot of investments from the backend. That’s why particularly the big UK casinos, for example, Mr. Green, are great providers when it comes to a good assortment and top software. In the last few years, the quality and experience of playing at a live casino have increased dramatically. Many new live casinos have opened in recent years, but not all of them offer the top quality we want when we play live games.
Standards
When playing live games, we need the software to be quick loading with excellent graphics. Equally important is good compatibility for mobile phones, an attractive welcome bonus, and the latest games. Not all new live casinos can meet these requirements, but when they do, they usually are pretty amazing.
Live casino bonuses
Live casinos and bonuses, how does that work? In recent times, live casinos have been improving their bonus offers. The live casino sphere has become increasingly competitive, which is a good thing for you as a player. Bonuses are ultimately made to attract new players, and when they’re many live casinos out there doing the same thing, the more chance that they make their bonus offers more attractive.
Disclaimer
Like with other bonuses, please read the terms & conditions to see where they apply. Sometimes you’re not allowed to use certain bonuses on live games, or on slots. Every bonus comes with its unique terms & casinos, and while we’ve made a conscious effort to only include the UK live casinos that offer transparent bonus conditions, we always recommend to double-check.
