Live Casino Hold’em is one of many card-comparing games in Evolution Gaming’s portfolio. Our Live Casino Hold’em review gives you a thorough look at what the live poker game has to offer. It tells you all about the rules, features and payouts so you can decide if it is the right game for you. Evolution Gaming, which has been in the industry since 2006, is a major name in live casino gaming.
Here are some of the online poker sites in the UK where you can play Live Casino Hold’em from Evolution Gaming.
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In Live Casino Hold’em, your aim is to have a five-card poker hand that ranks higher than the dealer’s. Each round uses a standard deck of 52 cards. To form your five-card poker hand, you use your own two cards along with three of the five community cards.
To take part in a round of Live Casino Hold’em, you have to place an ante bet. After this, you and the dealer receive two cards each; the dealer also deals the three community cards. You now get to decide whether to play or fold (leave the game). If you play, you have to place a second bet equal in size to your ante bet; this is the play bet. If you fold, you lose the ante bet.
The dealer then deals two additional community cards and reveals their two cards (which have been face-down up until this point). The dealer and all other players use their two cards and any three of the five community cards to form the best possible five-card poker hand. To qualify, the dealer needs a hand that is a pair of fours or higher. If the dealer does not qualify, you automatically win.
You can also win if the dealer qualifies but has a poker hand that ranks lower than yours. If the dealer’s hand ranks higher than yours, you lose. It is possible for a tie to occur if your hand and the dealer’s are of the same rank.
Live Casino Hold’em is a version of poker, and there are quite a few other live poker games in Evolution Gaming’s portfolio. To give you an idea of what the provider’s other poker titles are like, check out the summaries below.
This is a variant of Live Casino Hold’em that does not have the progressive jackpot, but it does have the Bonus Bet. The key feature of this game is that in every round, you can play two hands against the dealer, not just one.
In this live dealer game, your aim is to form a three-card poker hand that ranks higher than the dealer’s. As well as the main bet, there are a few optional side bets you can place that pay out regardless of whether you win or lose the main game.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em is very similar to Live Casino Hold’em in that you are trying to make a five-card poker hand with your own two cards and three out of five community cards. However, there are extra gameplay features that give Ultimate Texas Hold’em more depth and make it more strategic.
Evolution Gaming’s Live Casino Hold’em has two optional side bets. If you place either or both of these, they pay out regardless of the outcome of the main game. You can decide against placing the play bet or lose to the dealer and still win the side bets.
This side bet pays if you have a hand that ranks as a pair of aces or higher. Many of its payouts are greater than the payouts that the ante bet gives.
With this side bet, you have a chance to win a progressive jackpot. It pays if you end up with a straight or better. Unlike other bets, the payouts are fixed amounts of money, not multiples of your bet. The top payout is the progressive jackpot, which you win if you get a seven card straight flush. This is seven cards of the same suit in sequential order, e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, all of diamonds.
If you beat the dealer’s hand, you receive a payout on your ante bet according to the table below; you receive a 1:1 payout on the play bet. If you win because the dealer did not qualify, the game returns your play bet and pays your ante bet according to the table.
You lose both your ante and play bets if the dealer qualifies and has a higher-ranking hand than you. When the game results in a tie, you get both your ante and play bets back. The table below lists the payouts for the ante bet and the two side bets.
|
Hand Ranking |
Payout |
|
Royal Flush |
100:1 |
|
Straight Flush |
20:1 |
|
Four of a Kind |
10:1 |
|
Full House |
3:1 |
|
Flush |
2:1 |
|
Straight |
1:1 |
|
Three of a Kind |
1:1 |
|
Two Pairs |
1:1 |
|
One Pair or Less |
1:1 |
|
Hand Ranking |
Payout |
|
Royal Flush |
100:1 |
|
Straight Flush |
50:1 |
|
Four of a Kind |
40:1 |
|
Full House |
30:1 |
|
Flush |
20:1 |
|
Straight |
7:1 |
|
Three of a Kind |
7:1 |
|
Two Pairs |
7:1 |
|
One Pair or Less |
7:1 |
|
Hand Ranking |
Payout |
|
Seven Card Straight Flush |
The progressive jackpot |
|
Six Card Straight Flush |
£5,000 |
|
Five Card Straight Flush |
£250 |
|
Four of a Kind |
£50 |
|
Full House |
£5 |
|
Flush |
£4 |
|
Straight |
£2 |
It is reasonable to assume that Live Casino Hold’em runs every hour of the day like most other Evolution Gaming games. It is not certain exactly what languages the game is available in, though there seem to be at least half a dozen options such as Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
Here are the main highlights of Evolution’s Live Casino Hold’em:
Two side bets: Bonus and Progressive Jackpot.
Bonus gives better payouts for most outcomes.
Progressive Jackpot has fixed prizes and a progressive jackpot.
Option to leave the game after three community cards.
Win up to 100:1 from the main bet.
Suitable for poker fans of all experience levels.
Live Casino Hold’em from Evolution Gaming is an ideal choice for players who enjoy poker and want to play something compelling and potentially rewarding. The streaming quality and set design are both excellent (as you would expect from Evolution Gaming) and the game itself is easy enough to play. The only decision you have to make is whether to continue playing after the dealer deals the three community cards. The addition of two side bets is good, though be aware their payouts are not so good in the long run. Overall, Live Casino Hold’em is a great introduction to poker and a fun live game to play.
Rating: 9.0
Here are four common questions about Live Casino Hold'em: