Anyone who has not played live Casino Holdem will find that it is actually very similar to the standard game of Texas Holdem, but there are a few differences. The player is restricted when it comes to placing a bet and instead of playing against other players, the game is actually against the casino. The game was developed in the early 2000s and is available at a number of live casinos.
The Rules of Live Casino Hold'em
The first step to playing live Casino Holdem is placing an ante. The value will depend upon the table limits, and it will impact the next bet. Both the player and the dealer get two cards. The dealer’s cards are placed face-down. The next card to be dealt is the flop, and the player then has to decide if they wish to carry on or not. This decision comes down to how strong the hand is. The player has the option to fold at this point, but they will concede the ante bet.
If the player continues, they can then call for double the amount of the ante bet. The dealer then hands out the Turn and River cards and it is at this point that the dealer will reveal their own hand. The dealer can only play if they have at least one pair in their hand. This relies on their best hand from the five cards. If there is a pair on the board, then it is automatic that the hand the dealer holds is a qualifying hand and they won’t need to take their whole cards into consideration.
The Bets
Naturally, as the player is playing against the house, if the dealer has the best hand, then both the ante and call bets are lost. However, if the dealer’s hand is not sufficient for them to continue to play, then the player will win the ante bet and get their call bet back. If the dealer does have a qualifying hand but loses the game, the player will win on both their bets. There are different rates of payouts for the different bets.
Call bets are paid out to the player as even money. The ante bet has different levels of payout depending on what the winning hand is. A player with a Royal Flush will be paid out at 100-1, while a Straight Flush is paid out at 20-1. A hand that contains four of a kind will attract a rate of 10-1 and a Full House is 3-1. A Flush is just 2-1 and a Straight or less will pay out at even money.
Live Casino Hold'em Paytable
In this live table game, players mostly win a standard of 1:1 sum in case they hold a more substantial hand. But for rare hands like the royal flush and straight flush, the payout is 100:1 and 20:1, respectively. Below is the Casino Hold’em ante bet paytable:
Hand |
Payout |
Royal Flush |
100:1 |
Straight Flush |
20:1 |
Four of a Kind |
10:1 |
Full House |
3:1 |
Flush |
2:1 |
In addition to the ante bet, players can also make a side bet or AA bonus. This bet depends on the hand value of the gamer’s two cards as well as the starting three flop cards. The side bet paytable is as follows:
Hand |
Payout |
Royal Flush |
100:1 |
Straight Flush |
50:1 |
Four of a Kind |
40:1 |
Full House |
30:1 |
Flush |
20:1 |
Pair of Aces and Below |
7:1 |