Poker is a casino game that is favoured by players that like a mix of chance and skill. It can be fun, exciting and also nerve-racking, with players bidding and outbidding each other in the contest of the best poker hand – play today.
Online casinos widely offer live poker. If you’re used to brick-and-mortar casino kind of poker, like the traditional No-Limit Hold ‘Em, then get ready to be surprised. The poker that is offered in online casinos is a bit different. All about these differences is outlined in this article.
Play against the dealer
As it stands, you won’t find live, player-against-player kind of poker in online casinos. No one knows why casinos choose to leave out this massively popular game. It is likely not profitable enough for casinos to use. Instead, they have come up with a different game.
You will most usually find a range of poker types available in online casinos. Omaha and 7-card Stud are popular types that are widely available. However, the most popular type found everywhere is Casino Hold‘em type of poker. Played by the rules of Hold’em, this is essentially the same game but the difference is that the players are pitted against the dealer and not each other. Here’s how the game works:
1. The player pays the ante (optional size of the bet).
2. The dealer draws 2 cards for the player (face-up) and 2 cards for themselves (face-down).
3. The dealer draws the flop – 3 community cards at the centre of the table.
4. Now the player has the choice to either fold or continue with the hand by betting double the amount they’ve already paid for the ante. This is known as the “bet”.
5. If the player continues, further 2 community cards are drawn (the turn and the river).
6. Showdown – the dealer reveals their private 2 cards and the player compares their hand to the dealer’s hand.
7. A few possible outcomes can be observed:
◦ If the players’ hand is stronger and the dealer’s hand qualifies*, the player wins double the ante and the bet.
◦ If the players’ hand is stronger and the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify*, the player wins double the ante and the bet amount is received back as a “push”.
◦ If the dealer’s hand is stronger, the player loses the ante and the bet.
*In Casino Hold’em, the dealer’s hand qualifies if it’s a pair of 4’s or better.*
Conclusion
Online casinos will most often have different kinds of live poker available but it will not be the kind of poker that you play in land-based casinos.
In a nutshell, in live casino poker games, only 2 parties are competing – all the players and the dealer. This type of poker has more luck involved than skill because you pay the ante blindly (Step 1) and then only have 1 chance to bet (Step 4).
This type of poker eliminates the multiple betting rounds which are present in traditional Hold’em and forces the player to make a bet/decision before they fully know what they’re playing with. This can prove massively profitable or the opposite. We can see how casinos have put a twist of gamble on the game of poker!
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