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Live Dealer Casino: Guide to Playing Interactive Casino Games
As more and more people turn to the internet for their online casino gaming, a subsection of folks still prefer the good old-fashion brick-and-mortar experience. Online casino gaming does provide more opportunities to play a wide range of casino games from the comfort of home, but there’s no denying that the land-based casino has a human element that can’t be replicated with software. The little interactions with table game Dealers and other players form the backbone of the live casino experience.
Now you can have the live casino experience from the comfort of home- from Bovada's online casino. We’ve introduced a Live Dealer section to our online casino that has real live interactive people spinning the wheels and dealing the cards for five popular table games. You can communicate with them, and other players at the table, the same way you would in a land-based casino. In this casino FAQ, we’ll go over how this new form of online casino gambling works and what games are included. In no time, you’ll be able to play these games: Live Dealer Baccarat, Roulette, Super 6 and Blackjack as seamlessly as you would with the familiar online games for real money.
How does Bovada Live Dealer Work?
In a Live Dealer Casino, all of the casino action takes place on a set. People are stationed at different casino tables where they operate a game the same way they would in a brick-and-mortar casino. Everything is filmed on camera and fed through a live feed, which you can see on your screen. Betting options pop up on your screen, and the Live Dealer can see what you select for bets and actions through a monitor.
Are the Live Dealer Odds Different?
Odds always depend on the rules and payouts of a table game and some rules are standard, while others fluctuate. For example, all of our Blackjack games have unique odds because they have slight rule variations. For example, Single Deck Blackjack has different odds than Double Deck Blackjack because there is just one deck in the shoe, and the Dealer hits on soft 17 instead of standing.
Our Live Dealer Blackjack has a six-deck shoe and pays 3:2 for landing a natural. Players can split once per round, and if players are splitting Aces, they receive just one card before players are forced to stand. Like most of our Blackjack games, the Live Dealer hits on soft 17 hands. Also, there are no restrictions on doubling. This rule set is almost identical to our standard online Blackjack (The New Blackjack), except with split hands; with our online Blackjack, players can split up to three hands per round, giving it marginally better odds.
That being said, games with fewer playing rule variations (and standard real money payouts) will have the same odds regardless of whether they’re played with a Live Dealer or in the online section of our casino. For example, when you are playing Live Dealer Roulette game, the rules, bets and probabilities for European Roulette and American Roulette are the same regardless of which game version you’re playing.
Are the People Real?
All of the people we hire to be Live Dealers are regular people with experience in the casino game industry. As you browse the online games in our Live Dealer section, you’ll see the Live Dealer’s name and photo. Once you join their casino game table and start to play online, you can chat with them by sending messages through the text box, and they’ll respond verbally. They’ll also greet you by name when you first join their table, and thank you for any tips sent their way.
What Games Does Bovada’s Live Dealer Offer?
Our Live Dealer Casino currently offers these games: American Roulette, European Roulette, Baccarat, Super 6, and two casino game versions of Blackjack. Super 6 is a casino game variant of Baccarat that’s exclusive to our Live Dealer Casino. We’ll go over the rules of each casino game below.
What Makes Live Dealer Games Unique?
A number of extra features are exclusive to our Live Dealer games—especially with Blackjack. When one plays Live Dealer Blackjack, one gets the option of back betting, placing side bets and requesting an early payout. Another interesting feature guides is making the optimal move according to basic strategy, which is great for beginner Blackjack players setting off to play.
Blackjack Back Betting
Back betting is a great option for when one has to wait for a seat to become available at one's favorite Live Dealer’s table. This feature lets one bet on another player, meaning one match their bets and actions, and win and lose alongside them. Keep in mind, when the player you’re back betting decides to double down or split, you have to put down a second wager too.
Side Bets
With the exception of Perfect Pairs, only our online Live Dealer versions of Blackjack offer players the opportunity to cash in on side bets. Put some money on the Rummy side bet for a chance to win a 9:1 payout if your two cards and the Dealer’s up-card form a Rummy, which is a three-card Flush, Three of a Kind, or three-card Straight. A second side bet available in our Live Dealer Blackjack is the Pairs bet, which pays 11:1 when your initial two-card hand is a pair (two cards of equal rank).
The online Live Dealer version of Baccarat also offers a side bet that isn’t available in the online version. The Dragon Bonus side bet pays out when you win by a Natural, or by four or more points. Payouts for a Natural are even-money, and payouts for winning by four or more points depend on the number of points that you win by. For example, the minimum four-point win margin pays 1:1, whereas the maximum nine-point win margin pays 30:1.
Early Payout Option
Blackjack Early Payout offers players the option of forfeiting a round early in exchange for a real money payout. The size of the real money casino payout is commensurate with your odds of winning the round and could be higher or lower than your wager.
Basic Strategy Guide
With our Live Dealer Early Payout Blackjack games, the casino software highlights the optimal move to make for each hand based on basic strategy, which is why it’s the highest-paying Blackjack game on the ‘net. If you’re not sure whether you should stand or hit, see what the basic strategy advises and then decide if you want to follow suit or go your own way.
Play Live Dealer Blackjack
Choose between one of two casino options when you play Live Dealer Blackjack at Bovada's online casino: Blackjack Early Payout and Blackjack. The former offers unique (and unknown) real money payouts in exchange for a mucked hand as you progress through the round. It also guides you on optimal play by highlighting the best move to make every step of the way.
Play Live Dealer Roulette
Both European and American Roulette wheels are available in our online Live Dealer Casino. The European wheel has numbers 0 to 36, while the American version has the same 37 numbers plus a “00” double-zero. For the chance to win big, stick to the inside bets on the layout; these pay up to 35:1. The outside bets pay less, but win more frequently.
Play Live Dealer Baccarat
If you want to join the action in the Live Dealer section of Bovada's online casino, but don’t know the rules of most casino table games, Baccarat is a very simple and straightforward starting point. The game pits two sides against each other: the Banker and the Player. Your job is to choose which side will get a higher score through their two to three-card hand. Alternatively, you can bet that they’ll tie for an 8:1 payout. This version includes the Dragon Bonus side bet.
Play Live Dealer Super 6
For a twist on traditional Baccarat, play Live Dealer Super 6. In this version, extra real money payouts can be won through the following five side bets:
Super 6
Boost a select Banker win with the Super 6 side bet, which pays 12:1 when the Banker wins by six points.
Dragon Bonus
Get a bigger return on whichever side you bet on when they beat their opponent by a natural, or a minimum of four points.
Player Pair
If players suspect the Player will be dealt a pair in their initial two-card hand, go for the Player Pair for a 11:1 payout.
Banker Pair
Instead of the Player, players can bet on the Banker to land a pair off the initial deal for a 11:1 payout.
Either Pair
When players opt for “Either Pair,” the odds of winning double. This side bets pays 5:1.
Now that you know how all of the Live Dealer casino table games work, it’s time to experience this innovative new way to play online casino games for yourself. Launch the Live Dealer Casino and browse the list of casino games happening any time—day or night. The Live Dealer and the table minimum and maximum will be advertised on the game card. Over time, you’ll get to know our most popular Live Dealers by name, and they’ll come to remember you too.
