Play Live Casino Hold’em Poker Online with Live Dealers
Casino Hold’em poker is a relative newcomer to the gaming world compared to traditional games such as roulette and blackjack, which can be traced centuries back. The game is the brainchild of Stephen Au-Yeung, who in 2000 decided he wanted to create a version of the popular Texas Hold’em format that can be played against the house. It was only licensed in the UK in 2007 but has continued to rise in popularity. Today, live Casino Hold’em tables have started to populate the online casino market and, with some nice additions, are really taking off.
All our recommended casinos have been tested fully, and are the result of hundreds of hours of gameplay across a selection of real money games. We consider a host of factors when choosing the best online casino in the UK for any particular game including table limits, bonus wagering requirements, software performance and quality of the live dealers. This is a hugely competitive market where only the very best stand out from the crowd!
Why Live Casino Hold’em is the Best Way to Play
The world of online casino poker games is growing these days, thanks in no small part to streaming provider Evolution Gaming. Live Casino Hold’em joins Ultimate Texas Hold’em and live Caribbean Stud in the gaming giant’s library, but others are starting to join the party. Playtech now also runs live dealer Casino Hold’em games through its partners, and with a return-to-player rate of 99% you can see why it’s so popular.
Live dealer games are the perfect tonic to those suspicious of random number generator (RNG) games that populate most of the online casino business. RNGs are perfectly safe, but there is nothing like the transparency of seeing cards cut and dealt live in front of your own eyes. With an almost limitless amount of people playing at the same table together, a positive atmosphere is guaranteed.
How to Play Casino Hold’em Poker Online
Just like Texas Hold’em, its casino version is played by combining two hole cards with five community cards to create the best possible poker hand. However, unlike other casino poker games, in Casino Hold’em players get to see a flop for free. The gameplay is simple, and there are fewer decisions to make here than you might expect from a game derived from PvP poker. After placing an initial ante, both hole cards and the first three community cards are dealt. The option to either call – a bet of twice the original ante – or fold is available. The dealer qualifies with a pair of 4s or better, and if the dealer fails to qualify, only the ante is paid and the call is returned. And now you know how to play Casino Hold’em Poker, it’s that simple.
Live Casino Hold’em poker also comes packaged with a side bet for landing aces or better. The extra wager pays out multipliers for hands made by combining your first two hole cards with the first three community cards, or ‘the flop’. Up to 100:1 is available for a Royal Flush, with everything below a Flush paying out at even money.
Everything You Need to Know About Table Limits
Table limits tend to be diverse across not only live streaming providers but online casino operators. The way live streaming games work, players from around the world can play using the same cards but on different online casinos at different stakes. We’ve crunched the numbers and put together a helpful summary of the table limits across several providers and operators so you can choose the range that suits you best.
- Ante Bet £1 – £3,000
- Aces or Better Bet £1 – £3,000
- Call Bet £2 – £6,000
- Ante Bet£0.50 – £1,000
- Aces or Better Bet £0.50 – £500
- Call Bet £1 – £2,000
Given that Casino Hold’em games are supplied by both Evolution Gaming and Playtech, there’s quite a bit of room for discrepancy in table limits.
- Ante Bet£0.50 – £1,000
- Aces or Better Bet £0.50 – £500
- Call Bet £1 – £2,000
- Ante Bet £0.50 – £50
- AA Side Bet £0.50 – £30
- Call Bet £1 – £100
Mobile Live Casino Hold’em Poker
Both Evolution Gaming and Playtech versions of this game support mobile play and, with a good connection, can almost match their desktop counterparts for performance. A nice addition to the Playtech live games is the option to switch to a hybrid split screen, with the live dealer stream on top and a computer-generated visualisation of the card table below. We found this to boost mobile performance due to the smaller resolution of the live HD footage. Be careful playing these games over 4G or LTE, they can eat your data pretty quickly. A Wi-Fi connection is highly recommended.
Live Casino Hold’em Poker: Our Conclusion
New live dealer games are coming thick and fast at the moment, and that has to be a good thing. Evolution Gaming is still leading the charge in terms of live poker games but with Playtech now getting in on the action, the competition feels healthy. Your decision to play live Casino Hold’em will surely be a welcome addition to the experience, and with a good Casino Hold’em strategy the house edge is almost non-existent. The gameplay is fast, and the side bet option is one of the more ‘playable’ ones out there. This is one of the best casino poker games you can play in the UK today, without a doubt.