Live Dealer Guide – The Games, the Side Bets, the Strategies

Live dealer games at Bodog Casino

And if that’s something you relish, you might be craving those vibes again. Maybe you’ve got a favourite table beckoning you from afar, certainly neglected and lonely from your absence. Or a favourite Blackjack Dealer who gifts you the perfect hand in your dreams. Or that thrill you get watching a high-roller both win or lose.

We totally get it. Just let it all out in a primal scream. Exhale. Back to the moment. Now, more than ever, is a time when you especially long for a true, real-life experience. Just like the old days, when all you had to worry about on a crowded bus was getting stuck under someone’s sweaty armpit.

Good thing we’re here to help. Put us on emergency dial. Because Bodog is a live Dealer casino. That means we’ve got real live Dealers. The human kind. Not humanoids, hybrids or high-def graphics, but a Dealer with a beating heart and a hand that shows efficiency and dexterity behind the table. And it feels just like the real thing, but probably infinitely more relaxing… because you can still do it from the safety and comfort of home.

A live Dealer may be new to you. So like many others, you may still be wondering, Is live Dealer real? (spoiler, the answer is yes). An online live Dealer is just like the real thing, with a bit of technological internet-stuff attached. Real Dealer, real money. Real entertainment.

So, just for a moment, contain your eagerness to interact with a Real Human© and let’s see how gaming works at a live Dealer casino, as well as catch you up on the games you can play to access the Real Human©. Very, very real.

1. How Live Dealer Works

Is Live Dealer real? Again – yes! – we wouldn’t entertain such implied subterfuge among the Bodog community. It’s safe to take us literally.

An online live Dealer is a Real Human© leading your game in real time. They stand at a table in front of a camera, and it’s live streamed to you. You watch them through your computer or phone screen, just like you would on a video chat. The only difference is they can’t see you, but you can communicate through chat, like texting. Hey, hold the shenanigans – this is a Real Human© you’re dealing with. Ha! I punned.

As for the game, you have the same controls you’re used to in a regular online casino game. Whenever you make a selection, the Dealer sees it on their screen. Then they scan the cards being dealt to you and you see them directly. The live Dealer records your results, and everything is tracked.

One more thing is that in live casino Dealer games, you play with Other People©. There are multiple seats at the table, sometimes unlimited. So whatever strategies you use in a land casino with other players, they’re just as applicable here.

2. How Live Dealer Puts You in the Casino

Most live Dealer casinos have real, brick and mortar studios that are built just for the online live Dealer. The studios are designed to look exactly like a land casino. Right down to the theatrical carpet. They have the same tables, and the online live Dealer follows the same rules. It really sets up the vibes, but without the hustle and bustle or other distractions around the table, hampering your game.

And just like a land casino, you get to choose which Dealer you play with, and sit virtually at their table. If you play enough games with one Dealer, you could even build a relationship, just like in real life. But for now, easy tiger.

3. What Games Can You Play with Live Dealer

If you’re still asking yourself, “Is live Dealer real?”, I’d say you should jump in the game and see for yourself. No sequence of words will be enough to convince you, and we’ve sure got words. Taken a peek yet? Excellent! Now we can finally run through the live Dealer casino games you can choose from at Bodog.

American Roulette

The classic game with two green zeros (00) on the wheel. You make bets on numbers and colors, watch the online live Dealer spin the wheel, and see whether or not you’ve won. There are three betting tables, both for American and European Roulette:

$1 – $300
$5 – $1500
$10 – $3000

European Roulette

Same game as American Roulette, but now there’s only one green zero (0) on the wheel, which gives you better odds. And is live Dealer real in European Roulette, as well? Yep. You betcha.

Blackjack

Blackjack with live dealers at Bodog

The classic game both in a live Dealer casino online and on land. It’s you against the Dealer. You get 2 cards, and either hit or stand to reach 21 before they do, without going over. Be nice to your Dealer, though. Remember that they’re a Real Human©. The table is always $5 – $500 for Blackjack.

Blackjack Early Payout

Have you ever been in a game, and wished you could pull out because you don’t like where it’s headed? I feel you. You can do just that when you play Blackjack Early Payout at a live Dealer casino. Stop the game whenever you want, and retrieve a portion of your bet. We’re good like that..

These are the tables you can play:

$5 – $100
$25 – $1000
$100 – $2500

Baccarat

Impress your online live Dealer with your utmost sophistication and fancy betting skills. In this game, you play against the Banker, and bet on who will win: the Player, Banker, or a Tie. The person with the hand closest to a sum of 9 wins the game. The tables are:

$5 – $100
$25 – $100
$100 – $2500

Super 6

This is a variation of Baccarat, but with a different betting and payout structure, as well as additional side bets. The primary bets are on the Banker and Player which pay even money. The idea is the same where you want whoever you bet on to get closest to 9. If you choose to do the side bet Super 6, you get paid 12:1 if the Banker wins with a sum of 6.

These are the tables:

$5 – $100
$25 – $1000
$100 – $2500

4. Live Dealer Back Betting

Under some live casino Blackjack tables at Bodog, you’ll notice it says “Unlimited bet behind”. Hmm. Sounds special. Sounds unlimited. What is it?

Let’s say you’re in the middle of a game, as one out of 7 players. You’re doing alright, but player number #2 is absolutely smashing it. Naturally, you want in on some of that wealth. With live Dealer back betting, you can do just that. You can bet on the hands of other players at the table, and win whenever they win. It’s called to bet behind.

In fact, in some Blackjack tables, you can bet behind as many players as you want. Unlimited.

This is absolute money for recreational or new players to Blackjack. That’s because after a few rounds, you can get a feel for which players are playing with solid strategies. You can essentially piggyback on their expertise, making money with them, without knowing the strategies yourself. So your strategy is to figure out who has a better strategy than yours. With equal rewards. It’s like watching the movie instead of reading the book* back in English class. *Bodog fully appreciates the central role that a rigorous education plays in a functioning democracy, and the critical advances of each new generation as they are immersed into society. Read the book.

It also pays out huge because you have the chance to win more hands per round. Keep in mind, however, the flip side is you have more chances to lose. So use back betting wisely. That’s your next strategy.

5. Live Dealer Strategies

Most of the strategies for games with an online live Dealer are the same as regular games. But with an online live Dealer, there isn’t an RNG. This may come to your advantage in some cases. First thing, though, is to pick a game.

Choose a game that matches your bankroll and payday goals. If you know you’re good at math and it’s easy for you to follow the deck, go for Blackjack. If you have a big bankroll to play around with and you want to take some big risk for big rewards, sign up for Roulette.

Whichever you choose, the question Is live Dealer real? will always be yes. So if your choice of game is based on having an authentic casino experience, you’ll always get it with any online live casino games.

In Blackjack, use back betting. Choose a table with unlimited bet behind. When you see a player who’s clearly using a strong strategy, put your money behind them. You may see your paydays double, and you may learn a thing or two, too.

In Baccarat, follow the runs. After playing for a while, you may start to notice some patterns emerging. Those are called runs. A common run is Player/Dealer, Player/Dealer, Player/Dealer, Player/Dealer. If you spot this run in the last four hands of the shoe, start betting on the person who won the last hand. Keep betting on this person until they/you lose.

Get yourself a ‘cheat sheet’. Online live Dealer games don’t have beefy casino henchmen patrolling the floors looking for shady characters and cheats. So feel free to print out a strategy sheet that helps you make intelligent moves. Something like a Blackjack chart will really come in handy when you’re stuck on whether to hit or stand 16 (hit if the Dealer shows 7 or higher, by the way).

Control your bankroll. Generally speaking, online live Dealer games have higher stakes than regular games. For this reason, you want to only set aside the amount of money you’re willing to lose for that day, and only bet 2.5% of your stake.

Let’s wrap it up. Is live Dealer real? Yes, it sure it. Is it possible to be at home, and still be social? Yes, it is. Does Bodog want me to feel right at home at the live Dealer casino? Why, yes. We do. There’s a seat at the table, just for you to play casino games live. And your real life, beating-heart online live Dealer is waiting for you to show up. In the flesh.