Following a spectacularly well-received debut at ICE 2020, Evolution Gaming officially launches Live Power Blackjack.
There aren’t too many ‘new’ casino games that are received with fanfare these days. New blackjack variants, in particular, generally lack anything unique enough to perk the brows of avid players. But every once in a while, something comes along that actually generates a double-take from the game’s biggest fans; or, in this case, maybe a triple-take or quadruple-take.
I’m talking, of course, about Power Blackjack, the newest addition to the Evolution Gaming live casino menu. As the name cleverly implies, this exceptional variation of 21 gives players more power. “ More power to what?”, you ask… the power to bet, and win, (or lose) more money! Instead of the usual Double Down, players can take it a step or two farther with options to Triple Down or Quadruple Down.
Evolution Launches Live Power Blackjack
It’s been four months since Power Blackjack Live debuted at the ICE 2020 expo in London. Late last week, it was officially launched under the wing of Evolution’s live dealer ‘Infinite Blackjack’ wing. The Infinitive suite of games delivers an unlimited player experience, wherein a single table can accommodate an infinite number of players.
With this game giving all players the power the win up to 4x their wager, it’s sure to become one of the hottest new blackjack games of the year. At least, that’s what Chief Product Officer, Todd Haushalter, and the rest of the executive crew at Evolution Gaming are hoping for.
“The mission was to give players more of what they love about Blackjack without changing the underlying gameplay,” explained Haushalter in a press release regarding last week’s launch.
“We know that players love classic Blackjack, but we are always looking for new ways to keep it fresh,” he said. “Creating a version where players can triple and quadruple down, instead of just double down, felt like a great way to do this.”
The CPO went on to explicate the series of events that led to their production of live dealer Power Blackjack.
“A few years ago we created Infinite Blackjack, which is simply a Blackjack platform that allows an unlimited number of players at just one table, instead of the standard seven seats. Building on the success of our proven Infinite format, we have created further new Blackjack game types such as Free Bet Blackjack and now Power Blackjack, with more to come in the future.”
How to Play Live Power Blackjack
The rules of the game follow that of traditional blackjack, except for a few minor alterations. Having such a player-friendly advantage, the game’s creators were required to skew the rules back into the casino’s favor. The end result was a set of rules that look like this:
8 Decks
Dealer Stands on All 17s (Hard and Soft)
Double/Triple/Quadruple Down on any two-card hand
Split once, up to 2 hands
Double/Triple/Quadruple after split
No drawing to split Aces
Dealer peeks
6-Card Charlie pays 1:1
Blackjack pays 3:2
By these rules, the house edge gives the casino a 1.2% advantage, equivalent to an RTP of 98.8%. That’s higher than the average online blackjack game, but not a terrible trade-off for players who value the entertainment factor above a strategically rendered return on investment.
Live dealer casinos feeling the crunch of COVID-19 closures.
When news of the
Corona virus first erupted, none could conceive of the disruption it
would soon cause to everyday existence; not just in our home towns,
but on a global scale. When the phrase “social distancing” became
a household term, everyone began looking for ways to conduct their
daily activities online. That included entertainment verticals, of
course.
Online gambling
was thought to be a perfect solution for those who already enjoy the
occasional casino rendezvous. However, most online casino games are
RNG-based. They are computer generated, offering no source of social
interaction. Live casinos, on the other hand, are virtual mirrors of
the table games played at land-based casinos, where real people
gather virtually, and communicate digitally, as they play.
This particular
iGaming vertical has harvesting more players than ever before in the
last week. Now, it looks like this form of virtual gambling
entertainment may not be around much longer.
Live Dealer Casinos Feel the Crunch of COVID-19
Closures
On Monday, March 23, news came down the pipeline that Evolution Gaming, the world’s premier producer of live casino games, had been ordered by the Georgian government to cease operations at its live casino studio in Tbilisi, Georgia. This marked the first – and at present, only – known mandatory closure of a live gambling studio.
A statement from
Evolution Gaming confirmed the situation:
“The Tbilisi studio adheres to current guidelines regarding social distancing and the company has taken an extensive number of infection prevention measures in the studio. Evolution Gaming is in close contact with local authorities in order to verify the taken measures and to be able to reopen the studio. The situation is developing, and Evolution will adapt continuously.”
Evolution stated that the vast majority of its operation would continue, as the Tbilisi studio represented just one of its 8 live studios around the world. It was a message meant to reassure audiences, but one that was surely given with a foreboding grain of salt as it predicated a similar future for its remaining properties.
Latvian Gov. Considers Suspension of Gambling Licenses
Today, evidence
of that impending future is coming to light, slowly but surely. Word
has it that the Latvian government is considering suspending
the licenses of all its gambling operators. No official announcement
has yet been made. It’s only a consideration at this time, but one
I’ve no doubt will come to fruition in the coming days.
Evolution Gaming
has been headquartered in Riga, Latvia since the company’s founding
in 2006. Its oldest and largest studio is located in Riga Old Town.
If the Latvian government goes through with this proposed plan, it
could spell a quick domino effect of closures for all of Evolution’s
live dealer casinos.
Don’t mistake
the meaning in this. It’s not just Evolution Gaming that would be
effected by the COVID-19 related suspensions. Playtech, NetEnt,
Microgaming, every live casino operator licensed from here to Malta
could soon feel the crunch of Coronavirus closures.
If and when it does come to it, we here at RealMoneyGambling.ca support the effort to protect the health of live dealers and all other staff members at these operations who’ve worked so hard to give us this unique entertainment vertical. To you, we say thank you. Go home, stay inside, stay safe, and we look forward to your return when the strange days of this global pandemic come to an end.
Evolution Live Roulette Canada: The fast and the felicitous!
When it comes to
any form of live dealer online gambling, Evolution Gaming has one
thing none of its rival studios can claim – the absolute best live
casino experience, bar none. A stickler for grammar might argue that
this statement is merely an opinion, but there are 10 straight years
worth of Best Live Casino Supplier awards in Evolution’s
trophy case to prove otherwise. To me, that’s more than enough
evidence to prove it a fact.
That being said,
Canadians looking to experience the best live roulette games the
boundless realm of cyberspace has to offer, would do well to look
within Evolution-powered online casinos. There, you will find more
than enough options to satiate your desire.
Live Roulette Canada – Evolution’s Way
One thing that
sets Evolution apart from the rest of the industry is the company’s
employment of the most sophisticated, state of the art hardware and
software. It’s a commitment they’ve upheld since Evolution first
launched in 2006. Similarly, what sets their live croupier roulette
tables apart from their rivals, is the immense variety of classic and
innovative games players can choose from.
All games offer
player / croupier interaction and universal desktop / mobile OS
compatibility.
Evolution Gaming
provides its live casino licensees with the following types of live
dealer roulette tables, ranging from the most basic, to the most
diverse:
Live European Roulette
This is the most
popular version of roulette played round the world; a basic
single-zero game with a standard house edge of 2.7% on all potential
wagers. Evolution presents these games in standard and VIP table
formats. The interface is both user-friendly and intuitive, featuring
a Favorite Bets menu that can hold up to 15 of an individual player’s
most commonly placed wagers.
Live American Roulette
American
roulette is the double-zero version popularized throughout North
American casinos. Anyone who knows the difference is likely to avoid
this game. That double-zero effectively doubles the house edge to
5.26%. But alas, not everyone knows the difference, and therefore it
remains a classic favorite among more players than you might think.
To encourage more players to choose this lower-odds- version, many
online casinos will offer lower table stakes at American Roulette.
Live French Roulette
French Roulette
is the game the most educated roulette enthusiasts turn to for
maximum RTP. It features the same layout and pay table as European
Roulette, but features the La Partage rule, in which all even-money
bets are returned at 50% if the winning number is 0. This reduced the
house edge from 2.7% to 1.35% on all even-money bets.
Live Speed Roulette
One of the most
popular editions in the live roulette line-up, Speed Roulette is a
quicker version of the classic European-rules game. It’s so fast
that there is an average of just 25 seconds per round. That means the
wheel comes to a halt quicker, and there far less time is allotted to
get your bets on the table This one is obviously best suited for
serious players only.
Immersive Roulette
Evolution’s
award-winning Immersive Roulette tables are live croupier games of
European rules with a lot more cameras in place. As the wheel spins,
the view continuously shifts from one camera angle to another,
zooming in, zooming out, following the ball around the wheel and
creating a more cinematic experience. It’s quite thrilling, to be
honest!
Auto Roulette
I’m not a huge
fan of this one. Auto Roulette is a live game, but it doesn’t
feature a live croupier. Instead, the tables are equipped with
precision “slingshot” mechanisms that put the ball into play. It
speeds up the games, but at the same time, takes away from the
interactive, communal experience. To encourage more people to play it
(since it’s cheaper to run), you can expect to find the lowest live
roulette stakes of $0.50 at these tables.
Dual Play Roulette
This is one of
the most popular forms of live roulette. Canada players can take a
virtual trip to the genuine roulette tables one of many luxury casino
resorts on the other side of the globe. Evolution hosts Dual Play
Roulette tables from various locations, including Grand Casino
Bucharest, the Dragonara Casino in Malta, Grosvenor’s Victoria
Casino in London, and others.
Lightning Roulette
Last, but most
definitely not least, is the crème de la crème of the live croupier
roulette market – Lightning Roulette. It’s not called lightning
for its speed, but rather the fact that lightning can and will strike
various numbers on the digital roulette wheel as the game is played.
Lightning strikes attach random multipliers to all numbers they hit.
Any player who has bet on one of these lucky numbers will receive a
payout boosted by the corresponding multiplier.
How It’s Played: A detailed
review of Evolution Gaming’s new and lightning-quick Live Dealer
Speed Blackjack games.
Evolution Gaming
is universally recognized as the most innovative pioneer of the live
casino gaming industry. It
is more decorated than any
other live studio supplier, by-far, and has
published a host of the industry’s most beloved live dealer games;
falling into the categories of both class-style
table games (Blackjack,
Roulette, Baccarat, etc), as well as some
more unique, game
show-style varieties (Dream Catcher, Lightning Dice, Monopoly Live,
etc.)
A few weeks ago, the company
announced the launch of a brand new game they call Speed
Blackjack Live. It
is, for all intents and purposes, the fastest live dealer blackjack
game on the world wide web to date. In
order to ensure the quickest game speed, this new title breaks the
most traditional rules of etiquette. It’s not the seating
arrangement, but rather speed that determines who’s hand is played
first.
How It’s
Played: Live
Dealer Speed Blackjack
For the most part, this is your
standard variety blackjack game. The usual rules of classic blackjack
are employed, including the following:
Up to 7 players
8 decks of cards
Dealer stands on all 17s
Double on any first two cards
Split up to two hands
No double after split
No drawing to split aces
Dealer peeks for blackjack
Blackjack pays 3:2
What sets this game apart from
all the others are these more unique rules, designed specifically to
promote faster game play.
Faster Timer:
Once all hands have received their first two cards, a
single timer starts with 7
seconds fewer than Evolution’s standard tables.
First Come, First Serve:
additional cards are dealt to players on a first-to-act basis. For
example, the first player to press the Hit, Double or Split button
will be dealt cards accordingly. The next fastest to act will get the
next card, and so on, until all player hands have been completed
(Stand or Bust).
Auto-Hit:
Any player who fails to act before the timer runs out with
a hand total of 11 or less, will automatically take a Hit.
Auto-Stand:
Any player who fails to act before the timer runs out with
a hand total of 12 or more, will automatically stand on the current
total.
Overall Game Speed:
Evolution attests – and typical game play confirms – the overall
speed of Live Speed Blackjack is approximately 30% faster than a
standard, 7-seat live dealer game.
Experience Review and Recommendations
As a long-time blackjack player
and stead-fast strategist, I found this game quite interesting, but
not necessarily my cup of tea.
The speed of the game is only a
plus if you’re a good strategy player looking to increase your rate
of hands-per-hour; or, if you play for entertainment purposes only
and like the heart-pounding challenge of trying to beat your fellow
players to the punch.
Personally, I like a slower paced
game with a higher RTP. The house edge here, according to its
creators, is 0.71% (RTP 99.29%). There are far better paying games,
both online and on land. As for the entertainment factor, I find that
making rushed decisions can easily result in strategic mistakes. So
again, unless you’re an extremely experienced strategist, or a
recreational, gut-instinct type of player who loves an adrenaline
rush, Evolution’s new Live Dealer Speed Blackjack may not be the game
for you.
Three easy ways to watch live blackjack online (and two good
reasons why you might want to).
There is a very famous saying that goes, “Those who can, do;
those who cannot, teach.” I don’t know if there’s any truth
to that statement, but I do know that, since the dawn of Youtube,
there’s a new phrase worth coining. “Those who can, stream;
those who can’t, watch and learn.”
If you’ve ever watched the live broadcast of a Twitch
streamer playing a game – any game, whether it be casinos games
like slot machines or blackjack, or PC and console video games like
League of Legends, or Call of Duty – you know exactly
what that phrase means. It is the new wave of modern gaming, wherein
the best and bravest gamers exhibit their skills in live stream for
all the web-world to see.
If blackjack happens to be your game of choice, sit back and take a
moment to absorb the following information, as I’ll be tutoring a
brief lesson in…
3 Ways to Watch Live Blackjack Online
There are exactly three ways to accomplish this. If you’re
wondering why you would even want to, hold your horses. We’ll cover
that in the next section.
#1 Youtube / Twitch Casino Channels
Twitch casino channels are extremely popular right now. They are
hosted by regular online casino gamers who have large bankrolls and
nothing better to do with their time or money than place big bets and
stream the action live. Most people who like to watch blackjack do so
on Twitch or Youtube, so this is where I’d suggest starting, unless
you want to get in on that action yourself.
#2 Live Dealer Casinos
Live dealer casinos present a unique opportunity. They are
essentially the online version of land-based casino games. They take
place in a live studio, with professional dealers chucking physical
cards. Players are able to watch it all happen and take part in the
games, via any modestly equipped desktop computer, smartphone or
tablet. Thus, live dealer casinos allow the viewer to watch and play
the games at the same time.
#3 Live Tournament Feed
There isn’t a very substantial market for this anymore, but they do
still exist. When a major blackjack tournament is taking place, you
can usually find a live feed of it available – again, either on
Youtube, Twitch, or some other live streaming website. If it is being
hosted by a major live/online casino operator, you may be able to
access the feed directly from the gambling site.
What’s So Great About Watching Blackjack
Online?
I can think of two very distinct reasons why you might want to watch
live blackjack online. The first and most obvious reason is for
entertainment purposes. Think about it. If you love the game, but
have a modest bankroll, wouldn’t it be fun to watch a high roller
with thousands in their pocket place massive bets on a single hand?
Sure, it’s not as exciting as if you were the one in the hot seat,
but who doesn’t enjoy living vicariously through others now and
again?
The second reason is to learn. Blackjack is the most strategically
challenging game in the casino. Basic strategy decides how to handle
each decision-making situation, but the best players have skills that
go far beyond this. They are able to keep counts of all the cards;
not just high and low counts, but deck sequencing, ace tracking, and
other special techniques that – when the stars align – can give
them a genuine advantage over the house.
There are plenty of books to read on the subject of blackjack
strategy, but if you’ve ever used a video to help you do a task
that was previously out of your scope of knowledge – something like
fixing an electronic device or changing your own car parts – you
know that video tutorials have changed the way we look at life. The
impossible becomes possible, if only we can understand it, both
verbally and visually.
Top live dealers casino websites for Canadians in 2020.
We’re kicking
off the New Year with a fresh list of top-tier live casino operations
welcoming Canadian players. Live dealer games are preferred for their
realistic experience, closely mimicking that of a land-based casino –
as close as you can possibly get on a computer or mobile device.
There are real live dealers, operating real table games, with
multiple real players joining in the action.
Here in Canada,
we are limited in the number of online casinos we can play at. Some
provinces are privy to locally-regulated gambling websites, but only
two of them have live casino games. There are many more highly
reputable and strictly regulated international offerings, but only so
many have a good live dealer presentation.
Top Live Dealers Casino Sites for Canadians
Normally, a “top” list of anything has 3, 5, 10, or maybe 20 of the best whatever you’re listing. I’m going out of the box with this list and giving you the “Top 4”. Yes, four of Canada’s best live casinos in 2020. Why four? Because I couldn’t possibly cut this list down to three, and there really isn’t a fifth worthy of inclusion.
I’m also not
giving the operators a number ranking. I don’t feel that any one is
better than another. They all have differentiating qualities that
earned them a spot on this list. For instance, the first two, PlayNow
and PlayOLG, are both home-grown operations. Then
again, they’re ring-fenced to their local provinces, limiting who
can access them. The second two, LeoVegas and Royal
Vegas, are open to all Canadians, but present very different
live gaming options. With that being said, let’s get right to it…
PlayNow Live Casino – BC and Manitoba Only
PlayNow is a
great iGaming operation built, maintained and regulated by the
provincial government of British Columbia. Through a player sharing
contract with the BCLC, Manitoba residents are also able to partake
in PlayNow’s internet gambling activities. For residents of these
jurisdictions, the degree of security and player protections can’t
be beat.
The PlayNow Live
Casino is powered by the industry’s #1 Live Casino brand, Evolution
Gaming, and includes live blackjack, infinite blackjack,
baccarat, eSqueeze baccarat, roulette, auto roulette and ultimate
Texas holdem. That’s not a bad assortment, but it doesn’t include
any of Evolution’s immensely popular game show-style productions.
EspaceJeux Live Casino – Quebec Only
Similarly,
Espacejeux is the online gambling operation of Loto-Quebec – home
grown and locally regulated by that provincial government. As such,
security and safety are unquestionable, but only residents of Quebec
can sign up an account and place wagers. That’s good for Quebecois,
as is the implementation of Evolution Gaming’s world class live
dealer software. On the negative side, the only live games are
standard blackjack and roulette, baccarat, and Control Squeeze
baccarat.
LeoVegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
LeoVegas is an
internationally operated casino brand, regulated in multiple
jurisdictions. LeoVegas is licensed in its home country of Sweden,
and also holds gaming licenses from Denmark and Malta. It is powered
by more software brands than I’d care to count; somewhere in the
neighborhood of 50. Several of those software studios offer live
casino games. As such, this website presents, by far, the largest
live gaming menu of any competitor.
There are – and
bear in mind, some of these numbers will appear as duplicates due to
multi-categorization – 48 live roulette games, 31 live blackjack
games, 18 types of “card games”, 16 private Chambre Séparée
(high roller) tables, 16 “VIP” tables, 11 live baccarat
tables, 7 live “game show” style options, and 5 live poker
variants; 23 of which are ‘Fast Play’ titles.
Royal Vegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
There are some
who would argue that “less is more”. By this, I mean having so
many options – as many as LeoVegas presents – can make it harder
to actually pick one. It’s not just a theory, but a scientific
fact. Studies have shown that being offered chocolate, vanilla or
strawberry ice cream makes it easy to pick one, whereas 30+ flavors
can actually cause stress, anxiety, and an accelerated heart rate.
Why such difficulty? People tend to fear that they won’t (or
didn’t) choose the best option, and it leaves a bad taste in their
mouth – pardon the pun.
If you prescribe
to this ideal, then I present to you Royal Vegas Canada. Licensed in
Malta, this operator only employs one live casino supplier, but it’s
the world’s best – also proven by statistical data – Evolution
Gaming.
Evolution has won
the eGR Live Casino Supplier of the Year Award for the last 10
years straight. It’s almost as if they’ve figured out the perfect
formula for live dealers casino games, and they’ve kept it as
confidential as Mr. Krab’s secret formula for the “Krabby Patty”.
Royal Vegas
accepts players from all over Canada. It’s also one of the few
international sites that is approved to process payments via Interact
eTransfer. Live casino games include blackjack, roulette,
double ball roulette, baccarat, casino holdem, 3 card poker,
Caribbean stud poker, private tables, game show tables, and their
signature “Party” tables.
Playtech launches new Live Slots, an online gambling industry first that features Buffalo Blitz via Playtech Live.
For more than 15 years, the “live casino” business has been limited to table games, wheel games, and other interactive, multi-player style gambling amusements. The whole concept of live online gambling centers around games like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Other card games are inherently adaptable, and live casino suppliers often come up with new ways to take advantage of live-streaming technology.
The one thing we never really expected to come in live format – for
rather obvious reasons, I might add – is a slot machine. Slots are
singular games. There is no human interaction involved when playing
land-based casino slots; thus it wouldn’t make sense to portray
slots as interactive, multi-player games, where there entertainment
value is amplified by a live host.
Apparently, everyone who thought that was wrong…
Playtech Introduces Live Slots
Not for the first time in this company’s long and illustrious
history, Playtech has done the unexpected. This month, the
company launched the gambling industry’s very first live streaming
online slots game. It has a game show ambiance with a clear goal of
giving slots play a community feel, just like any other
dealer-hosted, multi-seating casino game.
The Live Casino Slots concept is Playtech’s first
attempt at delivering an entertainment-based live gaming option. It
is essentially the same type of game show experience Evolution
brought us with the launch of its Dream Catcher, Monopoly Live and
Deal or No Deal Live. Whether Playtech’s idea to inject slot
machine play into the live market will catch on like Evolution’s
did remains to be seen. As I said before, the slots experience has
always been a more private affair, enjoyed individually by single
players.
How Live Casino Slots Work
The first and currently only slots game to go live on Playtech is Buffalo Blitz, a 6×4 reel game with 4,096 all-ways win lines. Bets starts at $0.40 per spin, scaling up to $200. Its features include wilds, multipliers and free spins.
For the most part, the game never stops running. Players are required
to take advantage of the ever-present auto-play function. To join in,
players must press the Auto-Play button, then toggle their gaming
preferences. Choices include number of spins (10-99), bet per spin,
loss limit, single win limit, and the option to stop after the free
games feature is struck.
One unique feature of these games is the big ‘Manual Spin’ button
in front of the host. The game normally runs on auto-spin, as I said
above, but the players can request that the presenter disable
auto-play and use this manual spin button instead.
The Negative Spin on Live Online Slots
Unfortunately, I see a few problems with this idea already. First and
foremost, it’s very difficult to keep a crowd entertained while
staring at a slots screen – not for any length of time, anyway. How
many things can you say about a slot machine? In my experience, most
of it is, “Oh, is the feature going to strike? There’s one
scatter – there’s two – here it comes……! Oh, no, not this
time.”
This is the type of chatter we hear in our heads as we play slots on
a singular level. It’s kind of strange watching a host say it out
loud, over and over, in as many ways as the English language is
capable of organizing a paraphrase.
Buffalo Blitz is notorious for that, too (as are so many slot
machines). It’s got a high variance and a 95.96% RTP, so teasing
free spins is the most common form of excitement in the live slots
game.
Is PlayOLG the safe secure online casino Ontario players should trust, or are there better options out there?
For more than two
decades, Canadians have had access to a seemingly unlimited supply of
online gambling websites. It’s not really unlimited, of course.
There are nearly 5,000 known iGaming websites in existence. About 25%
of them welcome Canadian players and CA$ deposits. How do you know if
you’re choosing the right one, when there are 1,000+ sites
beckoning?
As of 2015, a lot
of Ontario’s internet gamblers have made the easy choice, signing
up an account with PlayOLG.com, the
official online gaming destination of the Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corp (OLG). Being mandated, regulated, and operated by our
own government certainly offers some assurances, but is it the best
option? Let’s take a look at the most reasons to sign up for local
iGaming.
PlayOLG is a Safe Secure Online Casino
By far the most
advantageous feature of PlayOLG is the fact that it’s run by the
same government that is responsible for enforcing the gambling laws
of Ontario, and Canada as a whole. OLG is going to do everything in
its power to ensure players are protected, just as they aim to
protect the players of their walk-in casinos on land. The regulatory
body invokes the highest standard security measures to keep player
information safe, secure, and out of the hands of those who might use
it for harmful purposes.
This is the exact
same protocol undertaken by the world’s most distinguished,
internationally regulated online casinos. The difference is, we don’t
always know which offshore casino is distinguished, and which ones
aren’t. We can do a little research to find out, or, we can take
the quickest route to safety and join PlayOLG.
It’s a perfect
short-term solution for those of us leading busy lives; a
classification that covers 99.9% of Ontario’s population, aged
19-60. But is it the best decision in the long-term?
Are There Better Options for Ontarians?
This is a relative question with a relative answer. If PlayOLG offers everything you desire out of an online casino, by all means, take full advantage of its fast-track to supreme security. There’s a lot to be enjoyed by members of the home-grown iGaming website.
PlayOLG has (at
time of writing) 110 casino games to choose from, including 90
traditional slots, 5 progressive jackpot slots, 11 table games and 4
video pokers. As an added perk, you can purchase all of your
number-draw lottery and instant win tickets directly from the website
or mobile app. If these features satisfy all your iGaming needs,
there’s no reason to go anywhere else.
You’ll even have access to a rather generous welcome bonus worth up to $300 in bonus credits. Furthermore, no offshore website is going to match PlayOLG’s astonishingly-low wagering requirements of 10x WR on the bonus amount only. (Learn more about the PlayOLG Welcome Bonus here.)
With all these
perks you may be wondering, what do internationally regulated
gambling sites offer that PlayOLG doesn’t?
Benefits of Taking Your iGaming Overseas
There are a few
good reasons why so many Ontario players have continued doing their
iGaming with offshore operators. At one time, it was the promotions
that drew players overseas more than anything else, but now that
Ontario offers the same level of generosity – if not more – there
are only to notable perks for outsourcing your online gambling.
The first is game variety. International online casinos offer anywhere from a few hundred to over one thousand games. It all depends on the software brand(s) they employ. Royal Vegas Canada, for instance, only licenses software from two companies; Microgaming for its RNG-based games, and Evolution Gaming for its live casino content. This may not sound like much, but Microgaming has more than 900 games in its ever-growing portfolio, and Evolution is has been number-one supplier of live dealer casino games for 10 years running.
It’s hard to
beat that kind of content, but LeoVegas Mobile Casino does.
LeoVegas operates under the philosophy that more is always better.
They employ more than 50 different software brands – including
Microgaming and Evolution Gaming, as well as the IGT and
Scientific Games brands licensed to PlayOLG – to deliver
thousands upon thousands of games to their customers.
The second benefit is access to different forms of gambling you can’t find on PlayOLG. Offshore online casinos are not restricted to following the letter of Canadian federal law. They can supply everything, from online poker and sports betting on single events, to international lottery drawings, to skill-based arcade games.
Conclusion
As I said, the correct choice is a relative one. If you’re looking for minimal gaming in a guaranteed safe secure online casino environment, PlayOLG is a fantastic choice. If you want more out of your gaming experience, and don’t mind doing a little research to find the most trusted offshore casino brands, you’ll find the international iGaming landscape to be incomparably well endowed.
Evaluation and ranking of the most entertaining casino game Twitch
streamers broadcast live.
Over the last few years, Twitch TV has become an internet
game-streaming sensation. YouTube may be the go-to video app
for all other things, but when it comes to live-streaming game
content, there’s no better feed source. Video games, PC games, mass
multi-player online games, internet casino games – if it happens on
a monitor, and there’s a game involved, Twitch is the place to see
it happen in all its action-packed, real-time glory.
Most types of gaming harvest a niche audience. You have your MMO
fans, Nintendo fans, sports fans, etc. Casino gambling also draws a
niche market, but not every casino game is worth your time to view.
With that in mind, today’s plan is to evaluate the most
entertaining Twitch casino games, ranking them in order of viewing
pleasure.
Most Entertaining Casino Game Twitch Streamers
Play
Some players love slot machines above all else. Some are drawn to
more strategy-based games like blackjack and video poker. But when it
comes to watching other people play these games, popular demand is
based more on entertainment value than anything else.
After playing just about every casino game under the sun, and having
seen most of them in live-streaming format, I came up with the
following list of Top 5 Twitch Casino Games to Watch.
#5 Virtual Horse Racing / Sports
This one may surprise you, but I actually found virtual sports games
to be rather entertaining. They transpire quickly, anywhere from
20-60 seconds max, and many times, they come to a climactic
conclusion. Virtual horse racing was my favorite, but you may prefer
whatever sports you enjoy in real life more, like virtual football,
virtual hockey, virtual bowling, etc.
#4 Monopoly Live (Evolution)
This game is exclusive to the Evolution Gaming live casino
platform. Maybe it’s because I loved the board game growing up, or
maybe it’s the creator’s eye-catching 3D graphics, but there’s
something about this game I found truly entertaining. I’d rather
play it myself, but watching it on Twitch was fun too. It’s games
like this one that have Twitch
casino streamers flocking to live casinos.
#3 VIP Blackjack Live
Live blackjack games might sound boring, and to many of you they may
be, but the best Twitch streamers know how to beef up the
anticipation. First and foremost, the broadcaster must have charisma.
Without it, the live stream will royally suck eggs. Secondly, it has
to be a VIP high-roller table. The more money on the hand, the more
interesting it gets. For casual gamers like myself, living
vicariously through the deep-pocketed gambling adventures of others
is the next best thing.
#2 Feature-Rich Slot Machines
Generally I don’t like watching other people play slot machines,
but if you pick the right games, it can be a lot of fun. The theme
has to be fun, of course, with a good number of features in the mix –
something like Microgaming’s Immortal Romance, or Yggdrasil’s
Nitro Circus, should do the trick. These are the games most of us
wish we had the bankroll to auto-spin until the features go wild.
Well, a lot of Twitch streamers have that kind of cash, so why not
enjoy watching them use it? It can be more fun than you might think.
#1 Deal or No Deal Live (Evolution)
Another Evolution Gaming exclusive, this pick was a no-brainer. If
you enjoy the television game show, odds are you’ll love watching
the live casino version just as much. The only difference is that the
TV show players have nothing invested. Twitch streamers are paying
money to play the game. Their genuine excitement over a good pick, or
devastation after a bad one, is just as gripping.
Hands down, this is my top pick for most entertaining casino game
Twitch streamers broadcast. My only disappointment is that not enough
of them do.
Introduction to Live Texas Holdem Bonus Poker from Evolution
When you think
of Texas Holdem, what comes to mind? Probably a group
of players seated around a table, fiddling with their chip stacks,
stoic poker faces revealing nothing of their underlying emotions. But
there is another game of this nature known as Texas Holdem Bonus
Poker, and anyone can play it, with or without a bluff-worthy
poker face.
In its
traditional format, Texas Holdem is a player-versus-player (PvP)
gambling game; one wherein the players compete only against each
other, and the casino profits by taking a commission, or rake, off
the top of each pot. The Holdem Bonus Poker edition is more akin to
every other casino-style amusement, where the player competes against
a single house bank.
It didn’t
take long for Texas Holdem Bonus Poker to catch on in land-based and
online casinos. It became so popular, in fact, that everyone’s
favorite Live Casino supplier, Evolution Gaming, chose to
convert it into one of their award winning real-time streaming games.
They call it Live Dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Poker.
Live Texas Holdem Bonus Poker by Evolution
The base game
is incredibly similar to a normal Texas Holdem poker game. Hole
cards, community cards and hand ranks are exactly the same. While
other players can join in, you won’t have to worry about them. Much
like blackjack, your only job is to beat the dealer’s hand to win.
In that regard, it’s kind of like playing heads up poker – one on
one against a single opponent.
Like any other
house banked game, however, the casino always has an advantage over
the player, no matter how slight. In this case, the rules give the
house an edge of 2.04% on the Ante bet alone, 0.53% overall. Let’s
take a closer look…
How to Play Live TX Holdem Bonus Poker
What draws most
players to this game is the ability to increase ones bets when the
cards are falling in your favor. It gives you the opportunity to
control your own destiny in terms of situational hand value.
You start with
an Ante bet (we’ll talk about optional side bets later). The
dealer will then dealer two hole to the player and him/herself. The
player’s hole cards are face up; the dealer’s face down. From
here, you can either fold, forfeiting the ante bet, or play on,
placing a Flop bet e1qual to 2x the ante.
After placing a
Flop bet, the dealer will deal the first three community cards (the
Flop). Next you can Check, placing no bet but staying in the
hand, or place a Turn bet, equal to 1x the ante. The fourth
community card (Turn) is played face up, followed by one last Check
or bet – the River bet (1x ante).
At this point,
the final River card is played. The dealer turns up their hole cards
and both hands are compared. Each must come up with the best possible
5 card hand using any 5-card combination of the 7 cards available to
them – these being their own two hole cards plus the five community
cards.
Don’t worry,
the computer will automatically generate the best possible hand for
player and dealer. At this point, the two hands are compared, and the
following win, loss and payout rules apply:
If…
Then…
Dealer wins
Player loses all Ante and Play bets.
Player wins
Player wins even money on Play bets (Flop, Turn, River); Ante is a
push.
Player wins with Straight or better
Player wins even money on all Ante and Play bets.
Dealer and Player tie
All Ante and Play bets push.
Live Dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Side Bets
Evolution’s live dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Poker comes with a pair
of optional side bets known as the Bonus Bet and the
First 5 Jackpot Bet. These wagers are entirely
optional. They have no bearing on the base game, nor does the result
of the base game have any bearing on the side bets. They can be won
or lost irrespective of each other.
Bonus Side Bet
The Bonus bet is based on the player and/or dealer’s hole cards
only. The best starting hands in Texas Hold’em are the ones you’re
aiming for with this bet, including any pair, or any A with a Jack or
better (A-A, A-K, A-Q, A-J), with suited hole cards paying more. You
cannot combine the player and dealer cards. Either the player’s
and/or dealer’s hand must match one of the winning hands shown in
the pay table below.
Hole Cards
Payout
A-A, Player’s and Dealer’s Hand
1000 to 1
A-A, Player’s Hand Only
30 to 1
A-K, Suited
25 to 1
A-J or A-Q,
Suited
20 to 1
A-K, Mixed Suits
15 to 1
J-J, Q-Q or K-K
10 to 1
A-J or A-Q, Mixed Suits
5 to 1
Any Pair 2-2 thru 10-10
3 to 1
First 5 Jackpot Side Bet
This $1 side bet carries a progressive jackpot, paying out to any
hand of high enough rank. Only the player’s hand rank counts
towards the First 5 Jackpot bet.
The jackpot grows with every First 5 side bet placed, and pays out
100% of its girth when a Royal Flush is dealt (assuming at least one
player made the bet). Since all players are sharing the same hand,
all players who have placed the bet will share in an equal portion of
the total jackpot. A progressive counter display on the right of the
screen will show exactly how much of the jackpot each player is privy
to if a Royal Flush is dealt.
The following hand ranks and pay table apply.
Hole Cards
Payout
Royal Flush
100% of Jackpot
Straight Flush
2,500
4 of a Kind
250
Full House
50
Flush
25
Straight
10
3 of a Kind
3
Overall RTP
Each eligible bet within this game carries its own theoretical return
to player. The Play bets have the highest return rate of 99.47%. The
Ante bet only has an RTP of 97.96%, but is required in order to get
the higher RTP on any Play bets.
The side bets are sucker bets, of course. The Bonus side bet will net
you an RTP of 91.46%, equivalent to a house edge of 8.54%. If you
think that’s bad, the First 5 Jackpot is far worse at 81.84% RTP
(house edge 18.16%).
Don’t be fooled into making this bet. Many players feel the urge to
place it, thinking the odds of winning at least a share of the
jackpot will be so much higher with a large number of players
participating, but it is nothing like the Bad Beat Jackpots on a
traditional live Texas Holdem game (PvP). There is only one player
hand being dealt – not one hand to each active player. The odds of
a Royal Flush being dealt are still an incredibly low 1 in 43,316, no
matter how many players are at the table.
