Casino Hold’em in a Live Casino

Casino Hold’em, also known as Caribbean Hold’em, is one of the newer variants of poker. Licensed in the UK in 2007, it was created by Stephen Au-Yeung. It follows the rules of Texas Hold’em Poker so it didn’t take long for gamblers to learn how to play the game. In just a short time, Casino Hold’em became a favorite of thousands.

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The house game was designed to be played in the main casino. What makes this variant different is the fact that players play the house, not other players at the table. It’s a contest between the player and croupier with the possibility of earning extra cash with the side bets.

Interestingly, Casino Hold’em was originally designed by Au-Yeung as an assist tool in Texas Hold’em training. However, he immediately saw the potential of it being a new poker variant and developed it into a House game. Casino Hold’em went online in 2000, appearing as a live casino game in Russia, South Africa, and Egypt. In 2001, it was presented at the World Gaming Congress Expo in Las Vegas while a year later it was showcased at the International Casino Exhibition in the UK.

Amidst its growing popularity, Casino Hold’em was approved in the UK in 2007. In 2017, the game became the first live dealer online poker version in the USA after being launched in Golden Nugget.

How to Play Live Casino Hold’em

Since it was designed to be an assist tool for Texas Hold’em, this variant of poker is excellent for beginners. In fact, it is the best game if you’re now starting with poker. The rules are quite easy to follow and similar to Texas Hold’em, and you don’t need to test your (still developing) skills against top-rated poker players. You only need to beat the house and that’s it. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but it’s certainly much easier than playing against pros.

The rules of Casino Hold’em follow the rules of Texas Hold’em with a few tweaks. The game is played with a regular 52-card deck. At the beginning of the game, you’re required to make an Ante bet. The forced bet is made before the flop when the dealer deals two cards for both of you. Then come the community cards, a set of three cards dealt face up that you and the dealer can you to form a higher five-card rank.

As a player, you have two options at this point. You either call and continue playing or fold and discard your hand. The call is a bet twice your initial wager – you have to make it to stay in the game and win. If you fold, online casinos skip to the next round without revealing the dealer’s hand. When you call, you’ll get two more community cards that can help you win. After this, the dealer’s cards are revealed and the hands compared. Whoever has the higher-ranked hand takes home the pot.

When it comes to the rank of hands, the highest you can get is a Royal Flush. A Straight Flush sits right beneath, followed by Four of a Kind, Full House, and Flush. The High Card is the highest-ranked hand when no other higher hand is available. A pair of Aces is the best possible start to the game.

Casino Hold’em Live Casino
Live Casino Hold’em by Evolution Gaming

Evolution Gaming Live Casino Hold’em

Just like most table games nowadays, there is also a live version of Casino Hold’em. You play against a human dealer on a table via a video link streamed from a land-based casino or a studio. Evolution Gaming’s Live Casino Hold’em is the most popular live variant you can play. It follows all the basic rules of the original game and throws in a jackpot in the mix to make things even more exciting.

The game comes packed with the Bonus Bet and the Jumbo 7 Jackpot side bet as well. This massive jackpot allows players to win an increasing prize as well as fixed lower level prizes. The great thing about Evolution’s Jumbo 7 Jackpot is that it’s uncapped, so it could be potentially worth millions.

To play the game, simply follow the on-screen instructions. If you’re truly lucky, you will beat the dealer’s hand and also get a slice from the tasty jackpot.

Payouts

In terms of payouts in Casino Hold’em, it depends on the hand you have. A Royal Flush pays 100:1 on the Ante bet, while a Straight pays even money. There are different outcomes and payouts in Casino Hold’em depending on your and the dealer’s hand. To qualify, the dealer must have a Pair or Fours or higher. If he doesn’t qualify, it’s a push on the raise bet. In short, you get your wager back but no one wins. If the dealer qualifies and you beat their hand, you get a 1:1 payout on the Raise bet.

Most casinos have a few optional side bets on Casino Hold’em such as the Bonus bet. This bet pays irrespective of the outcome of the game. It only considers your hand after the flop. For example, if you have a Flush during the flop, you get a nice payout of 20:1.

All these side bets and more including a jackpot are available in Live Casino Hold’em, a new hit from Evolution Gaming.

Live Casino Hold’em FAQ

Only regular online casino versions of Casino Hold’em can be played for free. Any live dealer game isn’t possible to play in demo mode, but you can at least “ghost” other players and see how the game works.

Since it’s uncapped, the Jumbo 7 Jackpot can grow quite big (we’re talking up to millions).

In some poker versions, community cards are a set of cards on the table dealt after the flop. You can use them to create a higher-ranked five-card hand and possibly beat the dealer.

All suits in the game are equal – it’s only the rank of the hand that matters.