Play Live Poker Online at The Clubhouse Casino

You don’t need a poker face to play our live dealer casino games. You can smile, frown or look up at the sky when you play live poker online at Clubhouse because bluffing isn’t necessary. As long as you understand the rules of live dealer poker and how to make ranked hands, you could win.…

theclubhousecasino - February 22, 2023

What is Live Poker?

Live dealer poker, aka live cards poker, is a casino game where you have to beat the dealer in a head-to-head showdown. Winning requires you to make a ranked poker hand that’s better than the dealer’s hand.

Getting from an initial bet to a winning hand at a showdown depends on the variant you’re playing. Some live poker games online involve two hole cards and five community cards. Other variants, such as live 3 card poker, involve three hole cards and no community cards.

Regardless of the live poker games you play, the fundamental aim of beating the dealer remains the same. That’s important to remember in the context of the live dealer casino games you can play at Clubhouse.

However, it’s also important to keep in mind when you’re playing other types of poker, such as tournaments and cash games. We’ll discuss the differences between live poker tournaments, live cash game poker and our casino games later in this guide. For now, just know that live casino poker is different to its more traditional counterparts.

Live Dealer Poker Hand Rankings

You can’t play live poker online without knowing the hand rankings. These rankings determine the strength of a hand and whether or not it wins at a showdown. In other words, live poker results are based on where your hand and the dealer’s hand rank on the following list:

Royal Flush = 10s, Js, Qs, Ks, As (all the same suit)
Straight Flush = Five cards of the same suit in consecutive order e.g. 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s
Four of a Kind = Four matching cards e.g. Qc, Qd, Qs, Qh
Full House = Three of a kind + a pair e.g. As, Ah, Ad, 2s, 2c
A Flush = Any five cards of the same suit e.g. 2d, 5d, Jd, Kd, 3d
A Straight = Five cards in consecutive order e.g. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Three of a Kind = Three matching cards Js, Jd, Jh, X, X
Two Pair = A pair + a pair e.g. 3d, 3s, 9d, 9s, X
A Pair = Two matching cards e.g. 3d, 3h, X, X, X
A High Card = No other ranked hand, so your highest card is used

*Hands listed from strongest (Royal Flush) to weakest (High Card)

How to Play Live Poker Online

All the best live poker sites, such as ours, offer a variety of games. We don’t offer free live poker because there are certain costs associated with live casino games that you don’t get with their virtual counterparts. This means you’ll need to make a deposit before you can play our live poker real-money games.

Once you’re ready to mix it up with our poker dealers, you need to know the rules. As we’ve said, the aim is to make the best poker hand possible and beat the dealer. This aim applies in all situations, regardless of whether you’re playing Hold’em or live 3 card poker.

As long as you understand the fundamental aim of live casino poker, you can turn your hand to any of the variants listed in the next section of this guide. Before you take a look at what those variants are, here are the steps you need to take if you want to play live poker online:

Click here to join Clubhouse Casino (or log in if you have an account).
Go to the cashier page and make a deposit.
Wait for your deposit to be processed and go to the live casino lobby.
Select poker and find your preferred game.
Load up the game and say hello to the dealer.
Read the rules so you know the specific rules for the game you’re playing.
Make a bet that’s equal to or greater than the minimum, but not more than the minimum, and play.

The Best Live Poker Games Online

We give you plenty of ways to play live poker online. That’s a fact. However, we can’t maintain our poker face any longer. It’s time to reveal the truth and show you what the best live poker games online really are. So, if you’re in the market to ante up in live poker real-money games, here are the top options here at Clubhouse Casino:

Casino Hold’em Live Dealer Poker

Play live poker online against our dealers in this Hold’em showdown and you could win up to 100X your ante. Every game starts with an ante bet. Make that and you’ll receive two hole cards. The dealer also receives two cards, and three community cards (the flop) are dealt.

This is the point where you have to fold or play. Fold and you’ll lose your ante bet. Play and you’ll need to make a second bet to stay in the race. Assuming you call, then two more community cards (the turn and river) are dealt.

The final stage of this live dealer poker game is a showdown. Your best five-card hand gets compared to the dealer’s and the strongest wins. If your hand comes out on top, you win a prize based on its value. A straight or less is worth 1X your ante bet, while a royal flush (the top hand) is worth 100X.

Casino Stud Live Dealer Poker & Caribbean Stud Live Dealer Poker

This is a five-card live poker game where the aim is to beat the dealer at a showdown. You make an ante bet and receive five cards. The dealer also receives five cards, but one is turned face-down so you can only see the value of four.

After assessing the value of your hand and the dealer’s cards, you can either fold or play. Folding brings the round to an end and you lose your bet. Playing requires you to make a second wager that’s double the value of your ante bet.

A showdown takes place at this point. The dealer reveals their hidden card and, if they have an Ace + King or better, they qualify. Your hand is compared to the dealer’s if they qualify and the best one wins. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you win by default and receive an even-money payout on your ante bet (the call bet is returned).

The amount you win in the event of a showdown depends on the strength of your hand. Winning with a single high card is worth 1X. That means you win even-money on your ante bet and 1X the value of your play bet. Hit a stronger hand, such as a royal flush, and you’ll win even-money on the ante and 100X on the call bet.

Three Card Live Dealer Poker

You can play live poker online against the dealer in a three-card showdown. The live 3 card poker games we offer all have a slightly different look and feel but the underlying structure is always the same.

A game starts with an ante bet. This gets you three cards. You assess the strength and showdown potential of your hand and decide whether you want to play or fold. If you fold, the game is over, and you lose your ante bet.

If you play, you need to make a second bet. At this point, the dealer reveals their hand. If the dealer fails to qualify, you win by default. If the dealer qualifies, a showdown takes place and the best hand wins.

Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker

This live casino poker game gives you the opportunity to win prizes worth more than 1,000X your bet. The format is Texas Hold’em, which means you’re trying to make the best five-card hand and beat the dealer.

Because it’s Hold’em, you receive two starting cards that you combine with five community cards. The first three community cards are known as the flop, then you get the turn, and then the river. The defining feature of this live dealer poker game is that you can make two side bets.

The Bonus Bet allows you to win prizes worth up to 1,000X if you make certain hands. The First Five Bet triggers the progressive bonus if the first five cards (your two cards + the three cards on the flop) make a royal flush.

Royal Live Dealer Poker

Live poker games used to be fairly limited with regard to the in-play options of your hand. By this we mean you couldn’t do much during the course of a hand to change the outcome. While that’s still true in one sense, Royal Poker does give you options.

The fundamental aim of this Ezugi product is similar to other live poker games online. That aim is to beat the dealer by making the best five-card hand. However, the twist here is that you can make extra bets and exchange certain cards, get an extra card or insure yourself against a loss.

Making extra bets and using the game’s special features won’t guarantee you a win. However, of all the live dealer poker online games available at Clubhouse Casino, this one gives you more in-play options than most.

Bet On Poker

This table takes what live poker tournaments and live cash game poker offer and turns this into a casino showdown. What does that mean? Live poker tournaments and live cash game poker aren’t played against a dealer. Entering a poker tournament or cash game pits you against other people.

That means you’re not playing a true casino game where the house has an edge. Instead, you’re playing against other opponents and trying to beat them. Contrast this with a casino game such as blackjack where you’re playing against a dealer who has an advantage, and you can see why poker tournaments and cash games are slightly different.

Bet On Poker takes some of the main features of tournament/cash game poker and adds a casino dynamic. The game is Texas Hold’em, and the aim is to bet on the hand you think will win. Hands play out as they would in a poker tournament or cash game.

This means each player receives two cards. From there, three community cards are dealt (the flop). A fourth community card (the turn) is then dealt. Finally, a fifth community card (the river) is dealt. The player with the best five-card hand (their cards + community cards) wins the pot.

Your job is to bet on a hand after the initial deal. You can then add more bets to your chosen hand, or speculate on another one after the flop, the turn and the river. If you’ve backed the winning hand, you’ll win a prize. As you can see, this live dealer poker game is the perfect mix of traditional poker and casino gaming.

Live Casino Poker vs. Poker Tournaments vs. Video Poker

Live poker sites come in a variety of guises. We’re one of the best online casinos around, which means our live poker games pit you against a dealer. We also offer a variety of video poker games where you’re not playing against a dealer, but you do have to make a ranked poker hand.

That changes the dynamics slightly because you aren’t thinking about your hand vs. another. Instead, you’re aiming to hold and/or swap cards to improve your hand. If it makes a poker hand, you’ll win a prize with a value that corresponds with its ranking.

The final way you can play live poker online is in tournaments and cash games. These games are available at dedicated online poker sites that connect players across a network. The aim of these games is to beat your opponents and win more pots than you lose.

The house doesn’t have an edge, you’re not playing against the dealer and you’re not playing in isolation. You’re battling against other players for cash or tournament chips. You can bet for value with strong hands or bluff. That’s the main difference between these games and the live dealer poker options we offer at Clubhouse Casino.

Live Poker FAQs

How do I play live poker online?

You can play live poker real-money games at Clubhouse Casino by making a deposit and a minimum bet. Doing this puts you in a one-on-one battle against a dealer in an effort to make the best poker hand.

Is live dealer poker online fair?

Yes. All of our live poker online games are tested and certified as fair by third-party agencies. In fact, as well as poker, all of our digital and live casino games are certified as 100% fair.

Can I bluff in live casino poker?

No. Live casino poker is similar to blackjack and other card games. This means you’re playing against the dealer under a strict set of rules, and not against other players you can bluff.