Do you love the convenience of playing your favorite NJ casino games online (especially in this unseasonably cold weather), but can’t help yearning for the social comradery you get in a real casino? If so, stop complaining and give Live Dealer games a try. Experience for yourself the fun and thrill of playing online casino table games from a real live dealer, rather than an electronic machine, and even carry on a conversation with the dealer and other players, just like in a real casino. But before you begin, to maximize your chances of winning, you need to know which games to play and which to avoid. In this article, you will find out the best and worst of the four Live Dealer games that are currently available to NJ gamblers.
Where Can You Play Live Dealer Games in New Jersey?
At this time, out of all the NJ online casinos, only two of them offer Live Dealer games: GoldenNuggetCasino.com and its affiliate, BetfairCasino.com. Considering not only how popular the Live Dealer gaming platform is in foreign casinos, but also its success in New Jersey, it is surprising that no other NJ online casinos have jumped on the bandwagon.
Meanwhile, virtually all of the NJ online casinos are continually expanding their slot offerings. Golden Nugget Online Casino leads the pack with over 400 slots. Yet three of the four NJ Live Dealer games have a better return to player than even the best online slots.
If and when additional NJ online casinos are ready to offer Live Dealer table games, too, readers of this website will be the first to know.
What Live Dealer Games Do GoldenNuggetCasino.com and BetfairCasino.com Offer?
As of this writing, the Live Dealer platform at both casinos includes blackjack, baccarat, and both standard and Multiview American Roulette. In addition, GoldenNuggetCasino.com has recently introduced, a fourth game: Live Dealer Casino Hold’Em.
Do you know the best and worst games to play of the four? Even the best Live Dealer game is not as good as some of the other online (and offline) varieties of these games. However, if you are going to play Live Dealer games at all and care about your bankroll, you need to know which are the best and worst games in the bunch and choose accordingly.
Why Blackjack is the Best Bet for Live Dealer Players
Higher RTP = Lower House Edge and Better Chance to Win
An important stat for any NJ online casino player to know is the RTP, which is short for Return to Player. Golden Nugget Online Casino is to be applauded for making this vital information readily available through its information (“i) tab for every game it offers, including its Live Dealer games.
Of course, since all casinos are in business to make a profit, no casino game, online or offline, has an RTP of 100%. However, just as the casinos in Atlantic City have their best and worst games, so do the Live Dealer games you can play online.
The RTP for Live Dealer Blackjack is 99.0%, which means that the house still has a small house edge of 1%. The RTP is not necessarily an indication of much you can expect to win or lose in any one session, nor is it an indication of the percentage of time you will win over a small number of successive sessions. However, it does provide a reliable estimate of the average results that might be expected over many thousands of sessions. The longer and more often you play, the more your results will start resembling this theoretical outcome.
How Live Dealer Blackjack Compares with Other Blackjack Games and Other Live Dealer Games
Live Dealer Blackjack is not the best version of blackjack available to you, either online or offline. Two important rules in this game that increase the house edge over the best blackjack games available to NJ players are eight decks (rather than six) and the dealer hitting rather than standing on soft 17. However, it is still the best Live Dealer game. Here are how the RTPs stack up for the other Live Dealer games in comparison.
- Baccarat: 85% to 98.76% (depending on the bet)
- Casino Hold’Em: 97.64%
- American Roulette: 94.76%
It is important to note, however, that the published RTP for Live Dealer Blackjack assumes that you know and use the correct basic strategy. There are many excellent books and online references that will help you learn or brush up on basic strategy if you need help. If you play blackjack any other way, you may still get lucky and win occasionally, but in the long run, the house edge against you will be greater than it should be and you will lose more than you would otherwise.
Other Reasons Why Blackjack is the Best Live Dealer Game
There are several other reasons why if you play Live Dealer games, blackjack is your best bet.
- Ideal for engaging in conversation
The live chat feature is perfect for getting to know the dealer and other players better. Chat about your favorite casinos and casino games and ask them where they are from and what casino restaurants and entertainment they recommend. You can also ask for advice on how to play your hand if you’re not sure. No one will mind and the dealer and other players will be glad to help you if that is what you want. It’s a very friendly and non-judgmental playing environment.
- Wide betting range
With a betting range of $10 to $1,000 or $15 or $20 to $2,000, Live Dealer Blackjack can accommodate anyone from small players to high rollers. Most importantly, if you are new to the game or playing with a limited bankroll, no need to play over your head and risk putting your bankroll in jeopardy. You can play for as little as $10 a hand, even on weekends and holidays.
Why Roulette is the Worst Live Dealer Game
There is no doubt that Live Dealer Roulette is more entertaining than playing the same game online with an electronically spun wheel and no dealer. You get to watch a dealer who is very easy on the eyes spin the wheel and closely follow every step of the movement of the ball, especially if you play Multiview Roulette.
In addition, not that it will improve your results, since each spin of the wheel is independent and random, but you can see which numbers have been “hot” and root along with the other players at your table.
However, you are paying a steep price for this extra “entertainment.” The only form of Live Dealer Roulette is American Roulette, with both a single and double zero on the wheel.
Because of the added double zero, the house edge is significantly greater than for European and French Roulette, with just one zero on the wheel. French Roulette is the best of the three games because players get half of their even money bet back when the wheel lands on zero or the bet stays “en prison” for the next spin. American Roulette, on the other hand, is a worse game for the player than many online slot games.
As long as players choose to disregard the math and play Live Dealer American Roulette anyway, Golden Nugget and Betfair will keep on offering this inferior game and see no reason to introduce a better Live Dealer roulette game. If you want to play roulette online at Golden Nugget, Betfair, or any other NJ online casino without having to pay a premium price for the privilege, you should check out the casino’s regular online roulette offerings instead.
Summary
The best and worst Live Dealer games for New Jersey players are blackjack and roulette, respectively. Therefore, in order to maximize your chances of winning, you should make blackjack your No. 1 go-to Live Dealer game and never or hardly ever play Live Dealer American Roulette.
