These days most people are familiar with online poker in some way, shape, or form. Whether playing just for fun or wagering a little cash to make it interesting, online poker has become commonplace for card players on the web. With the massive popularity of mobile devices, the power of poker is now in the palms of players’ hands and it looks as though social casinos will only continue to grow, with no signs of slowing down any time soon.
However, with so many sites offering the same old takes on the usual classic games, online gaming has become a little bit stale. Luckily, sites are beginning to introduce new options such as live dealers to help keep the game exciting. Live dealers provide a much more organic relationship between the player and the dealer, and this can be done for a variety of games including all of your traditional favorites like blackjack, poker and baccarat.
Venture Beat’s list of predictions for the future of social casinos says that it expects to live dealers become much more popular and ubiquitous. While automated dealers might be an efficient way to handle a large number of players quickly, a real person behind the table helps to make the game much more social, engaging, and entertaining.
Betfair’s platform offers live dealers for games such as blackjack, Texas Hold’em and even Punto Banco. For those that might be unfamiliar with the term, Punto Banco is simply another name for North American-style baccarat and is the most common variation of the game you’ll see in the United States and the United Kingdom. The site also provides helpful explainers for out-of-practice players as well as those simply looking to try something new.
The usual formats of outdated graphics and random number generators can wear thin pretty quickly and players are starting to expect more from their social casinos. When playing with an automated dealer, it can be easy to get frustrated, especially when the cards aren’t falling your way.
With a live dealer, the experience feels more natural and genuine, and any losses feel more like the luck of the draw as opposed to being defeated by a cheating computer. By having access to trained and professional dealers, players can get even closer to having the real casino experience at home.
A VR World post predicts that virtual reality will play a big part in the future of the social casino as services look for ways to create a more authentic experience. Live dealers are only the beginning and some platforms are beginning to experiment with webcams. Still, most expect that the next big thing in online casinos to be the incorporation of virtual reality.
As VR headsets like the Oculus Rift make their way into the consumer market, the online gaming experience will only become more realistic and immersive. Through the use of VR in addition to an online dealer, a player could feel like they’re in a casino in Monte Carlo without ever having to leave their living room.
