Live dealer poker is the next step in providing poker players with a more immersive online gaming experience. A live dealer poker game offers the same kind of easy-to-use interface found at any normal poker site, but it includes a live broadcast of a real dealer dealing out the cards for you. You can still make the same poker actions and select your bet values digitally, but the game has more of a brick-and-mortar casino atmosphere.
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Differences between Live Dealer Poker and Standard Online Poker
Live dealer poker is designed to be played in the same manner as online poker, so you’ll be able to transfer your Texas Hold’em skills in one format to another. The most significant difference you’ll experience is the increase in the amount of time it takes to complete a hand of live dealer poker. Put simply, live dealer poker is not for poker players looking to manage 12 hands at a time and pull in a high hands per hour ratio to earn maximum winnings. Live dealer poker is more slowly paced, much like a poker table at a real casino, so the players may be more methodical in their playing style and hands may take a several minutes to play out.
The second biggest difference is that a random number generator is not used in a live dealer poker game. The RNG is replaced by live shuffling and card dealing, which is much more authentic and reduces the possibility of the dealer and player cheating.
Choosing a Live Dealer Poker Site
When choosing a live online poker site, take a look at the gaming selection offered. Because live dealer technology is still new, you’ll only be able to play Texas Hold’em; however, a quality live dealer poker site will contain single player and multiplayer modes. The multiplayer mode should accommodate up to nine players.
Make sure the live dealer poker site of your choice offers high quality streaming video and lets you clearly see the cards. Oversized cards are often used to allow you to view the suit and number of each card, and the live dealer or an assistant croupier should always visibly shuffle the deck to promote fair play.
How to Signup at a Live Dealer Poker Site
Signing up at a live dealer poker site is a straightforward process that takes you through account registration and software installation in under ten minutes:
1. Open an account at your preferred live dealer poker site. Make sure that the account is for real money game play.
2. Sign into your own account, access the banking section and enter your financial information to make an electronic deposit.
3. Check the banking or account page to confirm that the deposit has cleared and can be used on wagers.
4. Most live dealer poker sites use applications such as Java or Adobe Air to provide live video streaming.
5. Save the application onto your hard drive, load the installer and allow it to install.
6. Load the application, sign into your account and access live poker in the games menu.
The software required to play live dealer poker should be made available at the main page of online poker site you choose. Certain sites may not required installation of software because the video stream runs through the web browser.
Rules of Live Dealer Poker
There are no major differences between the rules of live online poker and standard online poker. Games played against the house require the dealer to qualify with a pair of fours or better. You receive 10 to 30 seconds to make your decision before being deemed inactive and losing the hand. Many live dealer poker sites allow you to interact with the dealer or other players through the chat box, but you can be removed for sending abusive messages to any participants.
Live Dealer Poker,
