Gambling has been a fun way to make some money on the side since the beginning of time… or a not so fun way to lose your entire fortune, house and family. It really depends on a player’s wits, skills, and level of self-control… and of course, luck. So yeah, gambling can be fun, but there are also plenty of risks involved.
Fortunately, we’ve come a long way as a species. Gone are the days when you could get buried in the Mojave Desert for upsetting the Las Vegas mob by winning in a poker game in which you should’ve lost. The entire industry is safer than ever, especially in countries like the US or UK, where regulations are strong and customer-oriented. What’s more, the rise of the Internet and mobile technologies made gambling even more secure: nowadays, provided you pick a licensed and SSL-secured platform, you may play casino games from the comfort of your home without any worries! Your poker mates can no longer kick you in the face after you take all their money.
With this in mind, we’ve decided to compile a list of 4 ways in which live casinos changed online poker gambling.
Gameplay has been improved
In recent years, due to the advent of live casino gambling, there has been a surge of new and better poker games. We’re including here Evolution Gaming titles such as Texas Hold’em, Live Three Card Poker, Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em and so on. Of course, we’re referring to games in which you compete against the house directly, rather than other players.
For a relatively low investment, you get the opportunity to play against a real dealer, in real-time, with real cards, for not too shabby jackpot prizes. Just like in a brick-and-mortar casino, but without the risk of getting robbed on your way home. What’s more, if you check the rules for any of the previously mentioned titles, you’ll see that there are countless new ways to play this classic casino game. Gameplay diversity is always a good thing!
Your opponent can no longer read your body language
The most challenging thing about real-life poker is that you usually need to keep your emotions in check if you want to win big. If you don’t wish to betray your intentions, you often have to act like a robot, and restrict your facial expressions and body language. That’s no fun, especially if you’re a cheery type of bloke! On the other hand, the annoying thing about software-based online poker is the fact that you can’t predict your opponents’ next moves by looking at their faces and mannerisms. So it’s a mixed bag. This is where live dealer poker games offer players a middle path: you can see the human dealer who runs the game via live streaming, but he or she cannot see you. So, in a sense, you get the best of both worlds.
They put more people to work
Another positive side effect of live casino poker is that it creates more jobs than its virtual counterpart. If a website wishes to offer its customers this type of service, it has to invest more money in technology and staffing. A live casino studio usually employs several camera operators and dealers, a technology specialist to solve any technical glitches that may appear and a supervisor to make sure everything runs smoothly. Thus, the live casino industry helps boost the employment rate. So, whenever you choose to play live poker instead of virtual poker, keep in mind that to a limited extent you are helping to put food on people’s tables.
They pushed poker platforms to adapt to new technologies
When the first live casino studios saw the light of day, during the 2000s, the Internet connections were much weaker and games kept freezing up during gambling sessions. But the demand for such games was already there and online casinos had to adapt, to make sure they keep up with the times and their customers’ tastes. That’s why the gambling industry was among the early proponents of better streaming technologies.
It might sound strange in today’s day and age, but streaming was really slow and low-res 15 years ago. Well, not anymore! Nowadays, online poker websites feature live titles where you can see the poker dealer in full HD and interact with him/her in real-time without your Internet connection dropping dead once every 2 minutes. In fact, some sites, like PokerStars, have even begun offering virtual reality poker!
So it seems that online poker has a bright future ahead.
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