Live poker is arguably the most diverse category of live dealer internet casino games you can find online. Sure, there are plenty of roulette and blackjack variants out there (and believe me, I’ve played most of them). Those are all largely built on the same rules, though. It’s a touch different when it comes to the best live poker games online. These titles can sometimes be so different that they have seemingly nothing in common. In other cases, it may just be the number of cards used in a deck that differs.
Given that there’s such a broad plethora of options out there, I’m never going to be able to cover everything you need to know about each game in one go. For this reason, you can learn more about specific games in our live casino game reviews. What I can do, though, is introduce you to the overarching genre of live poker games and explain what options you’ve got before you. With that in mind, let’s get started.
The Basics: What Is Live Poker?
Live poker isn’t a specific game – it’s many. I count over a dozen mainstream titles, and the number of spin-offs and variants is incalculable, with seemingly most major software providers having their own take on selected titles. No matter whether I’ve been interested in playing hold’em, stud, draw poker, or even video poker, I’ve always found the gameplay exhilarating, and you will, too. Here’s why:
- Live poker games actively allows you to use strategies and any skills you’ve learned to land wins.
- In some games, you’ll take on the house. In others, you’ll compete against human rivals, and more recently, you can even play video poker.
- The array of rule changes, valid hands, and bet options amongst live poker games is staggering.
- Many live poker games have the potential to feature in tournaments and competitions.
- You can readily find various table limits, making live poker games suitable for low and high-rolling punters alike.
Of course, some of these benefits are going to speak to you more than others. Unless you’re a seasoned poker pro, the only way you can know what it is you’re looking for in a poker game is to give them a shot. Let’s talk about that next.
Types of Live Poker Games – Explained
For years, I was quite content playing online poker at RNG tables. It was a simple life. Of course, once the live dealer bug bit, I had to make the jump. One of the first things I noticed when I decided to have a stab at these titles was how many different live poker options there were. In recent years, the number has only grown. Today, I would say that you could expect to see any of the following poker games in most mainstream live dealer sites:
| Casino Hold’em | A classic Hold’em poker game, this game features two hole cards and five community cards. It differs from Texas Hold’em in that it often features “house” rules. You’re also playing against the house, not other players in this game. |
| Texas Hold’em | Unlike Casino Hold’em, you’re expected to go against other human players in the world-famous Texas variant. The rules are also more defined and less likely to be subject to house alterations. |
| Three Card Poker | Three Card Poker, as its name suggests, involves three bets (your Ante, Play and Raise) bets as you attempt to defeat the house using a three-card hand. |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | This variant allows you to receive five cards. The dealer must qualify for the game to continue. While gameplay is fairly standardised and based on stud poker, Caribbean Stud is most known for its progressive jackpot side bet. |
| Teen Patti | While not strictly a poker game, Teen Patti is an Indian variant that has become increasingly popular in recent years. You’re trying to put together runs, sequences, trails, sets, trios and other unique hands to win here. |
| 32-Card Draw Poker | All 2s through 6s are removed from the deck here. It gets its name from its 32-card deck. Because of this, the game is substantially trickier to call, but it mainly involves rounds of betting and exchanging, along the lines of conventional draw poker. |
| Casino Stud Poker | At heart, this is a basic Stud Poker variant. However, it also has house rules that can differ from game to game, as its name suggests. |
| 3 Card Brag | 3 Card Brag is one of the older games on our list. You’ll only receive up to three cards, from which you’ve got to put together a hand strong enough to win. |
| Heads Up Hold’em | While it is based on Texas Hold’em, the main difference here is that you can’t raise your Ante bet more than three times before the flop. It also features Bad Beat bonuses. |
| Video Poker | While strictly not table poker games, video poker games are slowly emerging in the live casino world, and any of these may be ideal for beginners since you’re only tasked with forming a winning hand to land a prize and not competing against the house or other players. |
I always recommend readers explore the diverse selection of poker games out there. However, I am not suggesting you do that with real money – at least, not a first. Instead, many of these poker games will be available as RNG releases – in short, as demos. Have a pop at those first, especially when it comes to practising strategies and honing your skills. Once you’ve played a bunch of them for free, you’ll have a better idea which poker game ticks your boxes, and you can take what you’ve learned to the live casino tables for real money.
Discover Top Live Poker Casino Software Providers
Despite there being well over a dozen mainstream poker games for you to choose from (arguably more if you browse around), there are only a handful of software providers who dish out those games. If you’re new to playing live poker at online casinos, I wouldn’t recommend firing up anything from smaller-scale developers. I’d start with the big-name brands, as they are more accommodating to newbies and rookies. Amongst the main software providers that you want to look for are these:
| Evolution | 2 Hand Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Casino Hold’em, First Five Jackpot Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Jumbo 7 Jackpot Casino Hold’em, Progressive Jackpot Caribbean Stud Poker, Side Bet City, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, |
| Ezugi | 32 Cards, Bet on Teen Patti, Casino Hold’em, Royal Poker, Teen Patti 3 Card Live |
| Playtech | 3 Card Brag, Bet on Poker, Casino Hold’em, Casino Stud Poker, Heads Up Hold’em, Millionaire Video Poker |
| Vivo Gaming | Infinite Casino Hold’em, Teen Patti |
| XPG | Caribbean Stud Poker, Multiplayer Texas Hold’em Poker, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, |
Between those five providers, you should be able to find a decent mix of high-rolling options, tables with beginners’ rules, more exotic rule twists on conventional gameplay and more. Some games have proven themselves universally popular with poker pros, though, and I want to introduce you to some of those next.
Play the Most Popular Live Poker Games
Every poker player has their own favourites, and they will usually be the games you’ve experienced success in or have toned strategies for. However, some live poker games have proven themselves popular with a broad array of players from across the expanse of the internet. In my experience, any of the following poker games will generally get a decent review from players at live casinos:
Casino Stud Poker by Playtech
Playtech’s Casino Stud Poker offers you the best of stud poker with simplified house rules. The game even supports two exciting side-bets, one of which isn’t to be missed. The 5+1 Bonus is made possible by using the dealer’s upturned card, but the Progressive Jackpot bonus is the most exciting element here. The prize can be worth an immense fortune to those lucky enough to land a five-card Royal Flush, although smaller consolation prizes are also up for grabs if you’re not as lucky.
Multiplayer Texas Hold’em Poker by XPG
This Texas Hold’em poker game is quite unlike any other. Played with just a single deck, shuffled after each hand, Multiplier Texas Hold’em uses an RNG interface and a live dealer. It combines the best of both worlds as you take on competing players and the host. Bonus side-bets are up for grabs, too, in this game, so if the Flop, Turn, and River cards aren’t enough for you, you have options at your disposal. What’s even more fascinating is that small-scale software provider XPG is virtually the only developer to have been bold enough to go down this road thus far.
Bet on Teen Patti by Ezugi
A few different developers have put together Teen Patti games, but in my experience, Ezugi’s game is arguably the best. Bet on Teen Patti is loosely based on the 20-20 game. Here, you’re not actually playing Teen Patti against the dealer. Instead, things are far simpler – you’re betting on whether Player A or Player B (neither of which are you) will have the strongest hand, much like baccarat. It’s a three-card poker variant with added twists, and that alone should make this increasingly popular Indian variant worth considering for newbies.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker by Evolution
If you want to play Texas Hold’em poker at live casino sites, then Evolution’s Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker is arguably the king of them all. This classic game tasks you with going head-to-head against the dealer with a five-card hand formed from your own pair of cards and three of five community cards. You’re allowed just a single raise per game, and there’s a correlation between raising early and higher risks (and thus, bigger wins) in this game, helping to separate it from other Texas Hold’em pretenders in the live casino space.
Caribbean Stud Poker by Evolution
Caribbean Stud Poker has its perks – especially if you fancy walking away with progressive jackpot prizes, albeit via side bets. This fast-paced version of the game is arguably the quintessential live poker variant and is commonly found across the net. You’ve got five cards to beat the dealer, who requires an A-K to qualify. Raise or fold beforehand and play with a 5+1 Bonus (with prizes worth up to 1,000:1) or Jackpot side-bets to spice up the action in this game.
My 5 Favourites – Recommended Live Poker Games
I’ve touched on the fan favourites, but now let me cover my own. Here are my recommended options if you fancy having a crack at live poker online today:
- My Favourite Live Poker Casino Game: Casino Hold’em by Evolution
- Ideal Poker Game for Beginners: Casino Stud Poker by Playtech
- Most Realistic Poker Game: Multiplayer Texas Hold’em Poker by XPG
- Best Paying Poker Game: Progressive Jackpot Caribbean Stud by Evolution
- Best Basic Poker Game: Millionaire Video Poker by Playtech
Why Play Live Poker Online?
Do you mean aside from playing online poker for real money? That’s okay – I’ve got plenty of reasons. I’ve whittled them down to five. Here are the only five reasons you need to sit down at a table and play poker with the pros at Gamesbelt’s recommended live casinos today:
- Playing live poker games at online casinos is deemed to be a “softer” experience that going head-to-head with poker pros in dedicated poker rooms. There’s certainly more wiggle room for beginners.
- Live poker games aren’t as fast-paced as some other live dealer games. If you’ve had bad luck in the past with them being fast-paced and you feel overwhelmed, that won’t be the case here.
- The abundance of choice means that you’re almost certainly guaranteed to find a live poker game that will suit you down to the ground.
- Live poker games won’t necessarily see you compete against other players. In some cases, you’ll face the dealer, which makes them more palatable than playing in major poker tournaments.
- There is an abundance of resources out there to help you understand strategy and tactics. These can’t always be deployed in RNG games, but live poker games are a different kettle of fish. Human dealers can also make mistakes, and you may be able to take advantage of any that occur.
Join Gamesbelt’s Top-Rated Casinos Offering Live Poker Today
Hopefully, I’ve whetted your whistle for live poker games, at least just a bit. If so, it’s time for you to head over to one of our recommended live casinos. Each of our sites has been carefully selected because it excels at offering you a service befitting the best. I’ve personally examined and played at the casinos we recommend here at Gamesbelt and given them my seal of approval.
If you want to sign up at trusted, crypto-friendly, live casinos with generous but fair bonuses, great games, superb security and trustworthy operators, then head over to our casino reviews section today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do all online casinos offer live poker?
No. Live poker games haven’t been developed by every software provider. However, our casinos that feature Evolution, Ezugi, Playtech, Vivo or XPG titles all support live poker games.
Can I play live poker in tournaments at online casinos?
Sometimes. It really depends on where you decide to play. For this reason, I encourage you to read our live poker casino reviews for more specific information about that.
Can I claim promos and bonuses on live poker games?
Again, this is something that will depend on the site you choose. I always try to recommend top-notch casinos that support live poker-friendly bonuses.
Can I wager on live poker with cryptocurrencies?
For the most part, yes. The live casinos supported at Gamesbelt are crypto-friendly, and most of the games supported at those sites can handle crypto stakes, to boot.
Which poker game is best suited for newbies?
Video poker games, such as Millionaire Video Poker, are about as simple as you can get. My own advice is to opt for Casino Hold’em by Evolution, though. I consider it the “default” live poker game for beginners.
Which are the best live poker casinos?
BitStarz, Stake and BetFury all come highly recommended at Gamesbelt, but in truth, any of the sites featured in our live casino reviews should tick your boxes.
