Live Dealer Casino Technology Review
Ever since the invention of the internet, players have sought ways to engage in fair gambling practices online where there was a decent chance that they could profit. Up until now, there really hasn’t been such a place because players were left to the whim of software programs that controlled the action. Websites like Sportsbook.com are not only changing this trend; they are shattering it in a way that the world has never seen before!
Live dealer technology is unquestionably the format of the future when it comes to internet gambling. The means to electronically deliver fast-paced Vegas style games has been available for awhile now, but the costs involved are enormous and virtual casinos had little incentive to make such a move. By implementing fair gaming straight from a leading European casino into the player’s living room, it ensures the fairness of each and every hand by increasing the player’s odds of winning.
Of course, the enormous startup costs and better player odds are reasons why others were hesitant to make such a move. Many would assume that this type of technology would be simple to implement, but it actually requires several million dollars in software in order to combine live webcams with an interactive control panel in which players can place wagers, study the previous betting hands, and communicate with the dealer. Heck, some internet users struggle to listen to live radio over their broadband connections, but Sportsbook.com invested significant amounts to bring live streaming video to all of their customers worldwide.
The way that live dealer casino technology works from the player’s standpoint is simple. After logging into their gaming portal of choice, they are greeted by a stunningly beautiful young female that orchestrates all of the live action at the various tables. The player has an unobstructed view of the casino table and everything that transpires during each hand; including when the cards are shuffled and cut, the hands being dealt, and each betting round as it happens in real time.
To give a clearer picture of the actual game play, let’s take a look at a hand or two as it unfolds-
I logged into Sportsbook.com and clicked on the “live dealer” tab, and then I selected “live roulette” as my game of choice. Within seconds, Nela greets me at the roulette table as I watch the tiny ball spin around the table. It lands on red one, and Nela says, “Great bet Josh…You win again.” Unfortunately, I’m not Josh…but good for him.
The screen itself shows Nela and the table in the top center of the screen along with instructions on how to play and what type of bets are available just to her left. The entire bottom half of the screen shows a virtual betting table where I can place all of the classic roulette bets, plus my account balance and any wagers I have out on the table. There is also a section that shows the recent betting trends, what spins have recently come out, and what I’ve bet up to that point. The next spin came out red 25, so now I’m ready to get started and bet on black.
Since I’m not a big gambler, I clicked on the virtual $5 chips and placed one on “black,” one on “19 to 36,” and a third $5 bet on “odd.” Nela gives the wheel a big spin and I get each of them down just before she calls, “No more bets,” which surprised me because the action almost identical to being inside an actual casino. The ball finally comes to rest on “black eleven,” so I win two of my three bets and collect a net profit of $5. This entire process takes less than thirty seconds because of the software interface; my bets were paid and/or swept instantly which is what usually slows down the action so much.
With my $5 profit, I decided to take a chance and place it on an actual number for the straight up odds of $35 to 1. I went with “red 32” since it hasn’t hit recently, plus I place a $5 wager on “red” and “even.” I was also going to bet the second column but I was too slow, which was really unfortunate since it came in as the winner. The round ended up with “red 14,”, so I could have doubled my overall profit just like that. I walked away up ten dollars total though, so I definitely can not complain since I was only there a little over two minutes.
In a nutshell, that’s how the live dealer technology works. All of the benefits of a brick and mortar casino are transferred straight to your living room while each of the setbacks from traditional and internet gambling are eliminated. The hands are played quickly and professional gamblers realize that the fast pace works to their favor; especially when counting cards or betting on patterns from past results.
In essence, that’s what makes this live dealer technology so wonderful; there are no pit bosses, no security teams sitting behind cameras, and no limitations on where or how often you place a wager. Professionals are welcome to watch a series of rounds before placing a single bet at all, and they can track the action with spreadsheets or any legal method that they see fit. Bet small when the odds are against you; bet big when they swing in your favor. Each of these decisions is left completely up to the player in online live dealer technology, so the potential for huge profits are almost endless. Why Sportsbook.com would want to incur such tremendous costs only to make the games more favorable to the player is anyone’s guess, but I for one certainly appreciate it.
