Live dealer card games are some of the biggest draw cards at online casinos. Live dealer websites don’t just cater to those with fat wallets, unlike many land-based venues, where you may be forced to gamble $10 per hand to play. Online you will find live dealer tables with far lower betting limits, on top of the tables catering to the “whales”.
Best live dealer card game sites
Live dealer casinos for international players
This page is a guide for our international readers only, who can find the best live dealer casino games in our ranked casino table above. For Australians, this page is for informational purposes only, because online gambling is no longer legal in Australia as of September 2017, when the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 went into official legal effect.
Live dealer games available to play online
Most online casinos will have the stock standard games like baccarat, blackjack and roulette. Others will dive a bit deeper and provide access to Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud and other games played against the dealer.
Live dealer blackjack
Blackjack is the most popular card game, barring Texas Hold’em, and online it is no different. Betting options are broad for blackjack and can range anywhere from $0.50 to $20,000 per hand. There are even stories of VIP members at online casinos punting millions of dollars on a single hand.
Most online casinos will have tables catering for both high rollers and lower limit players, with most casinos boasting upwards of five different tables. Some of the more exciting live dealer blackjack titles available to play, like the fantastic Ezugi and Evolution Gaming titles are featured at Gday Casino.
Live dealer baccarat
Baccarat online might just have the most upside out of any live dealer game. For most of us the huge bankroll this traditional casino game takes to play rule us out. For instance at Melbourne’s Crown Casino it can cost $100 minimum per hand to even get a start.
Live dealer baccarat generally offers betting options from $1 up to $5,000 per hand. Limits are subject to change so check each casino for current betting stakes (VIP players are often granted higher maximums). The rules online will mirror those at online casinos – although there has been some variants pop up including a game with a side bet called Super 6. Popular online casino All Slots is our no.1 casino for live dealer baccarat.
Live dealer Casino Hold’em
Live casino hold’em takes less than five minutes to learn and the rest of the day to earn. It is one of those games “on the bubble” of becoming a mainstream game to play online. The rules will mirror those at land-based casinos but the house edge is generally more favourable on the Web.
The table limits for Casino Hold’em are usually lower than their land-based counterparts, with a popular version by Evolution Gaming having limits anywhere from $0.50 to $1500 per hand. Our no.1 rated casino for Evolution Gaming live dealer titles is Jackpot City Casino.
Live dealer 3 Card poker
Playing poker with three cards has been around since the early days of poker games. It is believe the casino variant of it was invented by Derek Webb in 1994. He was attempting to combine the best elements of poker and casino games.
Like many of the best casino games it is easy to follow, there are large payouts and the house edge was great enough to make it profitable for the casino. Online the house edge is more favourable for the player, although this game will not be as commonly found on the Web. The table limits are also not as high as some other live dealer games, with the Evolution version ranging anywhere from $1 to $3000.
Another benefit of online play is the six card bonus, where your cards and the dealers cards are combined and if a conventional five card poker hand, beginning at three of a kind and upwards, can be made then you receive a bonus.
Best online live dealer casinos
Not every online casino will feature live dealer games, with many only having games powered by random number generators.
G’day Casino: Features the full array of Ezugi’s live dealer titles. Has a slick instant-play interface with many different tables and betting limits available. You will find blackjack, baccarat, 3 Card Poker and Casino Hold’em.
All Slots Casino: A casino fully powered by Microgaming. Features some extremely high limit live dealer tables, including Playboy live dealer. You will find all of the casino mainstays, including baccarat and blackjack.
Jackpot City: Another casino using a combination of Microgaming and Evolution Gaming live dealer software with an outstanding instant-play interface.
Mobile live dealer
Online casinos are always looking for an edge, and this has lead to the emergence of live dealer mobile play. This means via your smartphone or tablet you can play your casino favourites in live dealer form. AustralianCardGames.com.au recommends always using a WiFi connection, or at the very minimum a strong 4G connection to play on these devices, and using a trusted VPN (virtual private network) for an extra layer of security if playing on a public or shared Wi-Fi connection.
Benefits of playing live dealer online
While the drawbacks of playing casino games online are mainly limited to the lost social aspect and excitement of a visit to a land-based venue, there are plenty of positives, many of which we have already touched on above. But here are some of the main pros of playing at online venues:
- Lower house edge
- Comfort of playing from home
- Lower table limits
- Attractive live dealers
- More variants of popular games
- Huge casino incentives and VIP programs
- Easy casino deposit options (Visa, MasterCard, Paysafecard, bank transfers)
Commonly asked questions about live dealer
How does it work? Picture the image of a dealer at a casino doing their thing. The only thing different is that it’s a video on your computer, TV or mobile device. You then place your bets and make your decisions on a graphical table, mirroring that at a casino.
Can I play for free?: No. The costs associated with running live dealer mean casinos force us to play for real money.
How do I choose a safe live dealer website? Use sites like this one to find legitimate live dealer websites, read player reviews, do some research on what the best software providers are and most importantly always play at sites in respected jurisdictions like Malta, the United Kingdom and Curacao.
Do live dealer games clear wagering requirements? Live dealer table games generally only contribute a percentage of a wagering requirement. For instance a slot game might clear it 100%, while a table game may only clear 10% of the requirement each bet.