There are many ways to play poker online and indeed many formats of poker to play. This game, which has developed over many years and dates back to the 18th century, has steadily grown a strong army of committed fans. Today, poker games are one of the most popular casino card games you will find online. And as great as that all is, at Boom Casino we believe that something is missing with online poker. We are of course talking about the buzz and the thrills of playing poker live!
That is why we are bringing live poker to Boom Casino. All of that live action that was only available in land-based casinos is now accessible online with our live dealer games. Now you can play live poker games where all the action comes straight on to your device, no matter where you are. With real live hosts, realistic graphics and fast action, and awesome bonuses, live poker brings the real-life casino experience to you.
At Boom Casino, we are sure that one of the best ways to enjoy poker online is live. The virtual social setting and the professional live dealer simply mean that you’ll be guaranteed an authentic and engaging casino experience when you play one of the world’s most popular card games at home. So, if you want to get started playing online poker live, you’ll also want to know how to play the game – that is, if you don’t already.
Live casino poker is played in much the same way as regular online poker; so, if you are already familiar with the game, you should have no troubles getting started. If you don’t know how to play Texas Hold’em poker for example, then the aim of the game is to make the best possible five card hand out of seven available cards and wager on it against what others, in live poker’s case, the house, are holding.
The five cards are made from two pocket cards that have been dealt exclusively to each player which remain concealed to others, plus five cards, which are on the table for all to use. These are called the community cards. They are revealed in stages, known as the flop (when the first three are shown), the turn (the fourth card is shown), and the river (the fifth and final card reveal).
In between each round, players can call, raise or fold based on how strong they believe their hand might be compared to others. At the end of the hand, players win what is in the pot.
One thing you might notice when you watch the poker live stream is that the games are generally slower than electronic online poker. That’s because it is much more like playing cards in a real-life casino. This means that there is a great deal of strategy to work through during each hand. Other than that, there are no major differences between live poker and regular online poker.
In live casino poker, players primarily take on the dealer. There are games where they take on a pay table but most of the time it is the players versus the house. There is no need to concern yourself with other real players, the only other person you will see is the dealer. You will also be automatically assigned to a table after you have selected which game, from the six that we have on offer, that you wish to play.
As always, the games use a standard deck of 52 cards and players make their ante bets to get the action started. In our poker live games, there are optional bonus bets that can be made. While you play, the dealer will audibly interact with you, and you will be able to respond to them through the chat button.
In the meantime, all of the poker live stream footage is beamed directly to your device in the highest HD quality. Through the settings button you can even alter your camera settings to modify your view to exactly the way you want it - including opting for the 3D view. Other than that, just log in and head over to our live casino and try your hand at our poker live games today.
At Boom Casino, we have six live poker formats for our players to enjoy. These are 2 Hand Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Side Bet City, and Casino Hold’em. Which one will you take on when you play poker live online?
Derived from the game’s most popular format, 2 Hand Casino Hold’em pits its players against the house with dual chances to win through two separate poker hands. Like the classic game, the best five card hand wins the game. This live poker variant also includes an easy to play and optional bonus bet that pays out when players are dealt a hand of two Aces or better. Put simply, this Hold’em game takes all the thrills of the original and adds a second hand to double the fun. One of the benefits of having multiple hands is that players have increased chances to win. Think about it, when you lose a hand in standard poker, that’s the end of the game but with another hand you have a second opportunity to win.
In Caribbean Stud Poker, you are faced with quick-paced poker action and an added optional progressive jackpot side bet as well as extra fixed jackpot prizes. In the game, players are dealt five cards to take on the dealer with. The dealer also takes cards but must have an Ace and a King or better in order to qualify. Before the dealer’s hand is revealed, players need to decide whether to raise their bet or fold their hand. For added fun, there is an optional 5+1 bonus bet to give players a chance to win despite the outcome of the game against the dealer. With this bonus bet, which has top odds of 1000/1, players need to make the best five card hand by taking their own five cards and the dealer’s first showing face up card.
Live Three Card Poker players must take on our dealer instead of other players. The dealers themselves must be dealt a Queen High to qualify. Plus, players that are holding anything better than, and including, a straight, can enjoy an ante bonus regardless of what the dealer is holding. But with our live Three Card Poker, that’s not the only bonus on offer. There is also the optional and individual Pair Plus and Six Card Bonuses to shoot for with stunning odds of 1000/1!
Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em is the live and online version of the world’s most popular house banked Texas Hold’em game. In this game players go head to head against the dealer but, just like its classic equivalent, they must form the best possible five card poker hand using their two pocket cards and the three community cards on show in the middle of the table. Whereas in real poker players attempt to beat each other, here their hand must simply beat the dealer’s.
In terms of extra excitement, antes and blinds get the game going and there’s an optional Trips bonus bet that will pay out on selected poker hands regardless of the dealer’s hand. Look out too for the Play bet option where players that opt to make an early Play bet can raise their ante by three or four times prior to the flop, turn or the river card reveals. Wait until after the river, and you can only raise two or three times the bet which limits the size of the pot. Of course, if you don’t have confidence in your hand, you can always fold. There is only one raise allowed per game and the earlier players do this the more they risk, but they also have more chances to win.
In Side Bet City, players are transported back to 1985 Las Vegas to bet on 3 card hands, 5 card hands or 7 card hands. Playing not against the dealer or each other, players play against a pay table and are able to wager on all to lose or any combination based on the standard poker hands. That’s it, there’s nothing else to it, just simple poker fun.
This game is a unique take on Texas Hold’em where players compete against the dealer to win payouts worth as much as 1000/1. Simply beat the dealer’s hand with the best 5 card hand constructed of your two pocket cards and the five community cards. If you wish, you can take your chances with the optional bonus bet that pays out if duel Aces or higher are dealt in the first five cards.
Most theories regarding the origins of poker suggest its most likely ancestor was a French game called “Poque”, which was introduced to the US state of Louisiana, a French colony then, in the late 18th Century. The game spread quickly, particularly on the Mississippi riverboats, and rules were added as time went by. By the middle of the 19th Century, poker was well and truly established in the US and the game was known to soldiers during the American Civil War.
Poker is of course famed for its Wild West reputation, where cowboys, hustlers, gunslingers, law men and outlaws all played cards in the saloons and gambling joints of the western frontier. Famously, in 1876 in Deadwood, present day South Dakota, Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed playing poker by Jack McCall, a poor card player. The poker hand Wild Bill was holding at the time – two pair, Aces and eights - has gone down in history as the Dead Man’s Hand. Around the turn of the century, Texas Hold’em, the first poker game to employ community cards, made its debut as an evolution of its predecessor Seven Card Stud.
Today, Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant in the world and you have the opportunity to play it, or games like it, live at Boom Casino today.