Online casinos have risen in popularity over the last few years, partly due to the pandemic driving people to find more at-home entertainment options but also because of the increase in the range and attractiveness of games. Lately, something that is coming to the foreground of online casino gaming is the use of live dealers. Live dealers can be involved in all sorts of different games, and casinos are widening the ways in which gamers can interact with their dealers. For experienced gamers, anything new in the world of online casinos can bring back the fun and excitement into their leisure time, particularly if they have fallen into the habit of simply playing a few favorite games. For new players, live dealers can make the world of online casinos less intimidating. There is someone to talk to and joke with, who can give advice and tips when playing, perhaps even suggest other games to try. But overall, are live dealer games better to play? We’ve gathered a few pros and cons below for you to make up your own mind.
What are Live Dealer Games?
Any casino game where you might interact with another human being can be turned into an online game with a live dealer. For example, you’re not going to find a live dealer version of slots. On the other hand, live dealer roulette is incredibly popular with casino lovers. Bingo, lotteries and card games also naturally lend themselves to having a live dealer option.
How does it work
Live dealers are not just anybody brought into the employ of the casino, they’re going to be professional dealers (also known as croupiers), or they are specially trained TV hosts. The point is to host the game, keep up a friendly interaction with the player or players and keep the atmosphere light and moving. They’re usually based in a studio or room set up to imitate a real-world casino. The best ones will have wide-angled cameras, often with many around the room and some zoomed in so that the players can see many different views and all the details of the game. This makes the experience even more realistic but also gives a certain level of trust during the play. The dealer will obviously be properly mic’d up too.
Pros of Live Dealer Games
Like a ‘Real’ Casino
Source: gurugamer.com
Live dealer games are a closer simulation of what it’s like to go to a land-based casino. Even though lockdowns have gone, and international and national travel has opened back up again, actually going to a brick-and-mortar casino may still not be a possibility for many people. Often this is due to time or commitment restraints. However, by playing online live dealer games such as those found in here, players can get closer to the experience and atmosphere of being in a real casino and make their gaming a little bit more fun.
Professionalism
If you’re an experienced player, you can get more from your gaming by interacting with a real person. Of course, online casinos have designed their websites to be easy to use and visually appealing to all their customers. However, interacting with a real person can bring a different level of professionalism and sophistication back to the gaming world. As they are fully trained, you will be able to interact with them on an equal footing and enjoy your experience more, rather than simply interacting with a computer to keep your skills up.
Encourage socialization
Source: we-heart.com
If you want to arrange a night with friends, a bachelor party, or an event and have the evening casino themed, then live dealer games are the way to go. This type of evening is great fun and a chance to dress up without the travel involved. As mentioned above, the dealers are professionally trained to interact with gamers and are excellent at keeping the atmosphere high and keeping the evening flowing. They can also give advice and suggestions. If you’re all playing a new game, you don’t need to worry about not knowing or forgetting the rules or even getting into arguments. If you’re not playing in a group of friends, you will be joining a game with strangers. This can help you interact with people you do not know and learn other ways of playing.
Increased level of trust
Some people find that interacting with a live dealer (particularly one that they can see and talk to and watch the game unfold) is much more trustworthy than interacting with a computer screen. Of course, odds and so on are unlikely to change (or at least only tiny amounts) if you are playing a professional dealer vs a computer. Still, many people feel safer gaming and are less likely to feel ripped off when playing a live dealer game. This level of trust and safety can help you to experiment with more games and widen your gaming options. If you haven’t tried something because you were not familiar with the rules or did not feel experienced enough to judge whether a computer was scamming you, then playing against a live dealer can take away these fears and encourage you to relax and simply have fun.
Cons of Live Dealer Games
Speed of Other Players
In a group game, you will be waiting for other people to take their turn. Some people are quick; some are slow. This can be incredibly frustrating on both counts. If you’re playing in a group of people who all play extremely quickly and you want to take more time, then you can feel pressure to make your move before you are ready. On the other hand, if you find that one player in the game always lingers over the cards, it can destroy the game’s mood.
Source: sbcamericas.com
Technical Problems
You need a good internet connection to play. This is not such a big problem when playing non-live games, but if your connection is slow or drops out, then you can find that your bets are forfeited, you are behind in what is happening, or you miss an important move. You may also want to ensure you have a high-quality monitor, video and audio system, if you want to play live dealer games properly. If you can’t see or hear the gameplay properly, then there’s little point in joining the live games.
So, there are some pros and cons to playing live dealer games. They can bring an element to your gaming that is just not found with standard non-live games and add a bit of spice. On the other hand, if your set-up isn’t great, you’re likely to get frustrated, and of course, you will be interacting with other people – with all the ups and downs that go along with that.
