Live Poker Sites

How We Rate

Evaluating live poker sites is a daunting task, as many factors must be considered and assessed, which is why we do it for you. If you’re curious to see how we rate casinos, here’s 13 things we check:

1. Licensing and Regulation: Obtaining licences from notable regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority and following recommended regulations ensure casinos operate legally and adhere to industry standards.
2. Game Selection and Variety: Each live poker casino we recommend offers a wide range of poker games, allowing players to browse and enjoy the game seamlessly.
3. User Experience: We want to ensure that the casinos we list are user-friendly, reliable, and accessible, and we carefully inspect websites’ design, navigation, mobile compatibility, and so on.
4. Bonus Offers: We strive to ensure our players get value for money and closely inspect the attractiveness and fairness of welcome bonuses, loyalty programs, and regular promotions.
5. Payment and Withdrawal Options: We strive to promote casinos that offer many payment options for withdrawals and deposits, secure and fast service, and have indicated associated fees to avoid confusion.
6. Customer Support: We ensure our players always have access to assistance and test support channels’ availability, responsiveness, and helpfulness.
7. Fair Play and Responsible Gaming: Our partner casino websites promote responsible gaming behaviour and have RNG certification.
8. Types of Live Poker Offered: The Poker casinos we endorse have a range of live poker games, such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and more. We also check the availability of tables at various stakes and formats, such as tournaments, sit-and-gos, and cash games.
9. Streaming Quality: We want to ensure a seamless and immersive gaming experience for our players, so we inspect the clarity, speed, and reliability of the live video stream.
10. Expertise and Professionalism of Live Dealers: We check the live dealers’ training, expertise, and professionalism and look for knowledgeable and engaging dealers.
11. Interaction with Dealers and Players: We check if players can interact with dealers and other players at the table and have an engaging experience.
12. Table Availability and Wait Times: We strive to provide our players convenience. That’s why we monitor the availability of live poker tables during peak and off-peak hours.
13. Camera Angles and Customisation: For the fullest viewing experience and player control, we check if players can change camera views, customise the layout, and control other visual aspects of the live poker experience.

Why Trust Our Ratings

We aim to make our reviews and casino recommendations unbiased and accurate. We achieve this by:

• Hiring three casino experts to test live poker sites.
• 30 hours are spent testing the latest live poker sites
• 6 hours are spent on monthly updating our information

How Do Live Poker Sites Work?

Live poker aims to bring the classic game of poker online. In a live poker session, players are connected via live stream to a real dealer that manages the game. Through live poker sessions, players can communicate with other participants and the dealer through the live chat option, which enhances the overall experience.

Why Play Online Poker at a Live Casino?

Live poker combines the excitement of traditional poker games with the modern need for convenience, bringing the ultimate excitement to players around the globe. Live poker enhances trust and transparency, as players can see the cards being dealt and the dealer managing the game just like in a brick-and-mortar casino. Furthermore, they often provide exclusive bonuses and promotions for live poker players, adding extra value to their gaming experience.

How to Play Live Poker?

Live casino poker is played similarly to regular online poker, except in a live setting. Players familiar with the game will be able to get started easily. For those who encounter live poker for the first time, we prepared a hypothetical situation to explain how the game works:

Let’s take the game of Texas Hold’em poker, for example. The main objective of this game is to create the best possible five-card hand out of seven available cards. You must also place a wager against what the other players hold. The five cards should be made up of two pocket cards that are dealt out to each player, plus an additional five cards available on the table for everyone to use. These are called community cards.

These cards are only revealed in stages, better known as the flop (for the first three cards shown(, the turn (the fourth card) and the river (the fifth card).

Players can call, raise, or fold throughout the game depending on how strong their hand is compared to other players at the table. In the end, the player with the strongest hand who hasn’t folded wins the prize pot.

Basic Poker Hands

Learning the ranking of poker hands and their probability will give you an edge over other players. Here are the hands ranked from best to worst:

• Royal Flush: A Royal Flush is made of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These must all be of the same suit.
• Straight Flush: A straight flush is comprised of five cards in a row of the same suit.
• Four of a Kind: A Four of a Kind is the same card (denomination) in each suit.
• Full House: A full house features three of a kind on the same hand. For example, three Ks of various suits.
• Flush: A Flush is made up of five cards of the same suit, but not in any particular numerical order.
• Straight: A Straight is a hand made up of five cards in numerical order but not of the same suit.
• Three of a Kind: Three of a Kind is a hand of three cards of the same value (for example, three Kings of various suits) and two non-paired cards.
• Two Pairs: Two different sets of the same card in one hand. For example, two aces and two fours.
• One Pair: One pair of the same card.
• High Card: A High Card refers to a hand with no matching cards whatsoever.

Live Poker Terms

Once you know the various hands and rules, it’s time to familiarise yourself with 16 of the most important live poker terminology we outlined below:

• A-Game: A term used to describe how you make the right decisions.
• Ace-High: A poker hand where the highest card is an Ace without making a pair or stronger combination.
• Action Card: A specific card that comes at the turn of the river. It is perceived to increase the strength of the hands of two or more players who are still in the game.
• Air: A weak holding without any value on its own.
• All-in: When a player wagers all his remaining chips and will not apply any further actions.
• Ante: All players must make a small bet before the hand starts.
• Bet Blind: Making a bet without looking at the cards first.
• Bluff: Wagering with a weak hand to make other players fold.
• Buy-in: The minimum amount a player must pay to play a specific game.
• Community cards: A term that describes the cards dealt face up in the middle of the table.
• Hand Rankings: A list of hand values from the weakest to the strongest.
• Hole Cards: Cards dealt face down and can only be used by you.
• No Limit: A type of poker game where players must wager as much as they want, depending on the given situation.
• Pot: The number of chips placed in the middle of the table.
• Position: The player’s position on the table about the dealer.

Types of Live Poker in the UK

Here are some of the most popular types of live poker:

Caribbean Stud Poker

In this game, the player is dealt five cards to take on the dealer. The dealer also takes its cards but must have an Ace and a King or better to qualify. Before the dealer’s hand is revealed, the players must decide whether to raise their bet or fold.

Three Card poker

In this game, players take on the dealers instead of the players. The dealer must have a Queen High to qualify. On the other hand, players who hold anything better, including a straight, can enjoy an ante bet, regardless of the dealer’s hand.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em

In Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, players are invited to go head-to-head against the dealer. They aim to create the best possible five-card poker hand using your two poker cards and three community cards.

Side Bet City

In this game, players play against a paytable and must bet on all to lose or any combination based on the traditional poker hands.

Live Poker Game Developers

Three of the most prominent live poker game developers on the market are:

1. Microgaming: Microgaming produced over 1000 online and mobile casino games since its inception in 1994. However, a few players know they also create various live casino games known for their reliability and engaging experience.
2. Evolution Gaming: Evolution Gaming has the most extensive choice of live poker games among all live game developers. They created many live poker titles, including Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Casino Hold’em, Live Three Card Poker, Side Bet City and Caribbean Stud Poker.
3. Vivo Gaming: Regarding live casino solutions, Vivo Gaming offers everything a player would need. Among many other games, Vivo Gaming offers Live Poker with a European delivery style, which provides a fast-paced, engaging casino experience.

Live Poker vs Online Poker

Many new players need clarification when it comes to online and live poker. If you want to learn what the differences are, here’s the table overview:

⚠️ Regardless of the Poker version you are playing, it is important to ensure that you are managing your bankroll carefully for a responsible and enjoyable experience.

Online Poker Tournaments

Online poker tournaments are a staple of the virtual poker world that promise significant rewards and intense competition. Tournaments vary in size, and players can participate in large-scale events with thousands of participants or smaller, more intimate gatherings. Either way, players buy in with a fixed amount, receiving a set number of chips, and the goal is to outlast opponents, accumulating chips as the tournament progresses. The dynamics change, and players are eliminated, leading to a final table with the highest stakes. Overall, live tournaments add an extra layer of strategy, as players must not only play their cards well but also navigate the changing dynamics of tournament play.

Free Poker vs Real Money Poker

We highlighted the 7 main differences between free poker and real money poker below:

How To Start Playing At Online Live Poker Site

If you are itching to get started, we have prepared a detailed version of how to get started at playing online poker with a live dealer. Follow our step by step process below:

• Sign up to a live casino site of your choice
• Make a deposit and select a poker table/game
• Place your bets
• Receive your two hold cards and see the community cards placed on the table
• Check out the turn (fourth face-up cards)
• Finalise your hands
• The winner is revealed

Top Live UK Online Poker Bonuses

We recommend poker sites that offer generous bonuses to their new and existing players. If you’re curious to see what are the most common types of bonuses, we list 4 of them:

1. Welcome Bonuses: Welcome bonuses attract new players and allow them to explore the website without breaking a buck.
2. Freerolls: In online poker, players can play for cash prizes for free since freeroll tournaments allow them to participate for free.
3. Regular reload bonuses: Reload bonuses reward players with free funds when depositing.
4. Cashback: Cashback allows players to recoup some of their losses up to a certain percentage.

Live Poker Sites Payment

A range of payment options is crucial for live poker sites since it allows them to cater to different preferences and attract more players. Here are some of the most common payment methods you can find:

• Debit cards: Debit cards are a common and convenient payment method as they allow easy deposits and withdrawals. On the downside, withdrawal times can be longer, and some banks may block gambling-related transactions.
• E-Wallets: PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill are good ways to achieve fast transactions without disclosing bank details with the poker site. On the downside, they’re sometimes excluded from bonus offers and may have fees.
• Bank Transfers: Great for traditional players or those who handle larger sums, bank transfers usually have higher fees and slower processing times.
• Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrencies offer anonymity, which some players cherish, and have low fees, which is a cherry on top. However, they’re not universally accepted.
• Prepaid Cards and Vouchers: Cards such as Paysafecard are great for controlling spending. However, they’re usually available only for deposits.
• Mobile Payments: Mobile Payments are convenient as they leverage biometric authentication for security. However, they’re not widely available and can be used for withdrawals, which can be inconvenient.

Poker Rake

Poker rake is a fee poker room charge for hosting a game, and it’s a crucial concept for live and online poker games. It’s a way for the casino to cover operational costs, including staffing, software maintenance for online platforms, and equipment for live venues.

There are several methods by which poker rooms collect rake, including:

1. Pot Rake: A small percentage of the pot is collected as a rake and usually capped at a maximum amount.
2. Fixed Fee: The house charges a fixed fee per hand regardless of the pot size.
3. Time Collection: Particularly in higher stakes games, a fee is collected at certain intervals instead of per pot.
4. Tournament Fees: For tournaments, the rake is typically included in the buy-in, represented as a separate fee added to the base entry cost.
5. Rakeback and Incentives: Many poker rooms offer rakeback deals or loyalty programs to reward regular and high-volume players.

Live Poker Sites Security

Safety is paramount for live poker sites, ensuring a safe and fair environment for all players. If you’re curious to find out what types of security measures casino websites employ, here’s a list of 5 most prominent:

• Encryption Technology: Live poker sites usually use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption or similar technologies to ensure that sensitive information, such as credit card details and personal data, is encrypted and kept safe from unauthorized access.
• Random Number Generators (RNGs): To guarantee fair play, live poker sites utilize RNGs to ensure the randomness of card distributions.
• Account Verification: To prevent fraud and ensure that all players are of legal age, live poker sites implement strict account verification processes.
• Payment Security: Live poker sites integrate secure payment gateways and support trusted payment methods, including debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers, ensuring safe and reliable deposits and withdrawals.
• Anti-Collusion Measures: To combat unfair practices like collusion and chip dumping, live poker sites monitor gameplay patterns and interactions among players via sophisticated algorithms and security teams, ensuring a fair, competitive environment.

Live Poker on Mobile

Live poker on mobile devices has become increasingly popular, allowing players to engage in the thrill of real-time poker games from anywhere at any time. Mobile platforms are designed with user-friendly interfaces, ensuring a seamless gaming experience that mirrors the excitement of physical poker rooms. Additionally, live mobile poker often has features like chat options, allowing players to interact and create a more social atmosphere.