To sign up for our daily email newsletter, CLICK HERE
Introduction
More and more of our gambling experiences are shifting online into the virtual world. Not only is it more convenient and accessible, but it’s also becoming safer to gamble online with increased regulation and encryption functions that never existed a decade ago. Now, you can easily find where to play texas hold em poker games or other gambling games that you love.
However, with this phenomenon, some players do find themselves lamenting the loss of the human touch in gambling. After all, gambling is quite a social activity, and nothing about chat functions or multiplayer rooms can make up for interacting with real humans at the casino.
Well, what if we told you that there’s a way to get the best of both worlds? The ease and accessibility of online casinos, but also with a human dealer involved to lend a bit of the actual casino experience. Yes, we’re talking about live dealer games. In a nutshell, live dealer games are essentially games that connect players to the dealer through a live stream. Whether it’s blackjack, lighting roulette or baccarat, you can easily find live dealer games online.
That said, because of the additional manpower and equipment involved, don’t be surprised to see that the cost of a seat at the table is slightly higher than the virtual equivalent of the games. After all, live dealer games give you some of the whole land-casino experience without you actually needing to leave your house.
So to help you make sure that your money will be well worth it, here are three simple and practical tips for you to get the best experience playing live dealer games.
1. Don’t be afraid to explore
As with trying out any new online formats, going into your first live dealer game can be overwhelming. With a whole new user interface, coupled with the apparent pressure of having a real-life human watching you, it can be tempting to jump into placing your bets the moment you enter the online casino.
However, as experience has taught many of us, that’s often a recipe for disaster. That’s because you might be unsure of the many functions that the digital room has, some of which might be very helpful to players who utilize them. Even simple things like knowing how to clear your bets from the table and turning scoreboards on and off can mean the difference between having a fuss-free, enjoyable experience and having a terrible, flustered one.
As such, do take your time to explore the interface when you first enter a live dealer game. Play around with the different settings, increase the volume, adjust the size of the chat window, move the mini-games around to the optimal spots. You can even opt to get notifications when you win a bet or a game.
Often, the possibilities seem endless and it’s hard to know what to choose, but once you find and customize what works for you, you’ll have a better experience for sure.
2. Come prepared
For first-time players, entering into a live dealer game definitely means getting a steep learning curve, but there are things you can prepare beforehand for a smooth experience. Most of them have to do with technology and preventing technical errors.
Needless to say, technical errors are the bane of any online casino business, especially those that employ and feature live dealers. Gambling is often fast-paced and exciting, so when technical glitches do happen, it’s not a great feeling. Think of having a live dealer frozen on the screen, just as he is about to make a big reveal. Other common problems include audio cutting and having a snail-speed Internet connection.
On the live dealer’s end, they are especially prone to tech glitches, given the amount of data that goes back and forth each game. Apart from the single video feed, the server also handles all the wagers, audio, and multiple camera perspectives. It’s no wonder then, that sometimes errors do happen.
What you can do to minimize the chance of technical glitches is by adopting some good habits. First, you should always ensure you’ve got a good Internet connection going on. Then, ensure that you’ve got all the right hardware and software. Hardware, such as having the right computer display or microphone, and software, like installing a flash player or banking application to streamline the process.
3. Remember to tip consistently
Though land-based and online casinos are vastly different, one thing remains the same — and that’s the need to tip your dealer. Yes, even digitally.
For the regular online gambling games, there’s no need to tip because there’s no real person involved in the game, but live dealer games are a different story. Think of the painstaking work it takes to set up a studio, make sure the technical issues are fixed, all on top of actually spending hours dealing, and there’s no question that tips are well-deserved.
Different players have different tipping styles, so choose one that works for you. For instance, some players only tip after each win, giving their dealer a part of their winnings. These can be very generous, but at the same time, are contingent on the player winning. As such, it’s not exactly fair compensation to the live dealer.
A better way to tip then is to go by the amount of time you spend with that particular dealer. We find it helpful to tip the dealer once every 20 minutes or so, just before they change shifts. If you’re not consistent and forget, you risk missing the window to tip them altogether. If you’re too slow, you might end up even tipping the wrong dealer!
Conclusion
To conclude, live dealer games are very similar to the real thing and offer a unique, blended experience of both the human touch and the perks of going digital. With these three simple tips, you’re all set for a great online gambling experience.
That said, do remember to read the policies of the online casino before jumping in! The best ones offer many bonus programs and perks. As for live dealer games, the policies may be slightly more complicated, so do read up and consider the various terms and conditions to make informed decisions.
