Live Casino is an online gaming experience that combines the comfort of playing from home with the heart pumping thrill of taking to the casino floor. It is hosted in special studios designed to resemble those of real casinos with stunning interior design and decor, atmospheric lightning and cutting-edge multi-camera, audio and IT technology. The games are played in real-time so everything is happening as it happens and you can see it all unfolding before your eyes!
There are a huge range of live dealer table games on offer at any one time. Many are based on traditional casino games such as blackjack, roulette and poker. Some are also aimed specifically at players looking for a more social or immersive gaming experience, such as baccarat.
These games are broadcast from studios across the world and some are even run by land-based casinos too. The dealers are trained to follow the rules of the game they are running and players can interact with them via the chat function in a similar way as they would at a regular casino. In order to make the game as realistic as possible, many of these tables will use special software that translates the card, dice and number symbols into data that is sent back to the player on their screen. This allows the software to recognise which bets have been placed and can deduct or award winnings immediately.
All these specialist tools and features can be incredibly expensive to install and maintain. That is why the number of Live Casinos available has always been limited – though the introduction of legalised gambling in more states should change that in the future.
Once you’ve logged into an online casino with a Live Casino, all you have to do is select the table of your choice and click to start the game. Then, you’ll be shown a video feed of the actual table and casino equipment and you’ll have buttons on screen to place your bets. You can even chat to the dealer as the game progresses.
The games are streamed in high definition so they will look good on most home internet connections and modern computers. The cameras used to broadcast the games are incredibly sophisticated and rely on a mixture of optical sensors, infrared LEDs, infrared laser scanners, high-speed digital signal processors and multiple megapixel lenses.
These systems can keep track of each and every action on the table and transfer this information to the computerised monitors in the studio. These monitors are a crucial part of the realistic gaming experience and can display everything from bets to messages from players. They can also be set up to display the winnings on a player’s hand in real-time.
Most live dealer games will operate to standard casino blackjack rules with the dealer drawing to 16 and standing on 17. However, most of the best sites will also offer other variants of the game including Speed Blackjack and Infinite Blackjack. They will also be able to offer several side bets for the player to take advantage of, such as pairs and runs.