So far only two NJ online casinos offer Live Dealer gambling: Golden Nugget and Betfair. In contrast, this innovative twist on regular online gambling is very popular in foreign online casinos. Now that Golden Nugget Online Casino has been offering it to New Jersey players as well for over a year, I am surprised that other NJ online casinos haven’t jumped on the bandwagon. I am also surprised that Bet Behind, a very popular feature that is frequently offered on Live Dealer blackjack games, is not yet available at Golden Nugget and Betfair. However, it looks like that oversight will soon be corrected.
Meanwhile, if you’re a registered GoldenNuggetCasino.com or BetfairCasino.com player, it’s the other casinos’ players who are losing out by being without Live Dealer games, not you. You can enjoy Live Dealer blackjack, roulette, and baccarat from the comfort of your home every day of the week!
For anyone who finds frequent trips to Atlantic City difficult, but loves the social experience that playing in a real brick and mortar casino offers, Live Dealer games help bridge the gap between online gambling and gambling in a real casino. They combine the fun of interacting with the dealer and other players with the convenience of playing whenever and wherever you want. If you haven’t yet tried the Live Dealer platform at Golden Nugget or Betfair Online Casino, what are you waiting for? Even if you’ve read about these games and what makes them different from other online games, you have to experience the action for yourself to see what you’ve been missing by procrastinating. Once you discover how much the Golden Nugget and Betfair Live Dealer games are like playing in a real casino, you will keep coming back for more.
New Jersey Live Dealer Games: A Good Deal, But Still a Work in Progress
Live Dealer gambling at Golden Nugget and Betfair Online Casinos is off to a good start. However, it is still a work in progress, with room for improvement. The type of improvement I would really like to see is changes in some of the rules to make the games more favorable for the player.
How great it would be to have Live Dealer blackjack games not only where the dealer must stand on soft 17, but where you don’t have to take a chance with your hard 16 against a dealer 10 because you can surrender! But why stop there? Use four deck shoes instead of eight deck shoes and place the cut card one deck from the end so card counters can have a field day! Or at least start by ditching American Roulette and replacing that double zero atrocity with the more player friendly European and French Roulette.
Don’t count on changes of the above-mentioned magnitude happening anytime soon, if ever. But another improved feature should be on the horizon very soon in Live Dealer Blackjack that many players will love–Bet Behind.
Why Bet Behind is So Popular
Every blackjack player, both in brick and mortar casinos and online, has had the frustrating experience of looking around everywhere for an open seat at the desired stakes and not finding any. As players, our time is valuable. The last thing we want to do is come to the casino just to wait around, doing nothing. We want action now! Ordinarily, there is nothing anyone can do about it except keep waiting until a suitable seat opens up. However, Bet Behind offers a better alternative. Bet Behind solves the problem!
Another frustrating experience is seeing another player at your table get all the good cards and win hand after hand while you are stuck in Stiff City and Bustville. Not that we wish the other player a reversal of luck, but it would be nice if we could get more of those winning hands, too. Craps players love playing along with a hot shooter and trying to ride out the streak as long as they can. Roulette players also like to check which numbers are supposedly “hot” and which players at the table are winning and bet likewise. So why shouldn’t blackjack players have the same option? With Bet Behind, they do. Bet Behind lets you get behind the hot player at the table with your own bet!
Using Bet Behind to Your Advantage
Having the Bet Behind option available at Golden Nugget and Betfair will put a complete end to long waits for a seat at Live Dealer blackjack tables. If no seat is available at the time you show up, you can “bet behind” another player in the meantime without missing a turn.
Or, once you are seated, if the cards don’t seem to be falling in your favor, or if you simply want more action, you can choose any other player at the table you want and “bet behind” that player.
In both instances, it is important to note that the main player has complete control over how the hand is played. The player who has “bet behind” has no say at all and yet is at the mercy of the other’s player’s decisions–right or wrong–and the fall of the cards.
If you happen to be betting behind a player who is so clueless about the game as to split fives or hit a hard 16 against a 6, so be it. You can use live chat to try to clue the player in, but he or she might take offense. What I advise instead is watching a few rounds before picking which player you want to bet behind, so you can make a better choice. Remember, even the worst players can get incredibly lucky at times, and then it won’t matter what they do–they will still win. But the streak won’t last forever!
Furthermore, regardless of the other player’s skill or lack or it, there is no guarantee that when you start betting behind that player because he or she has been presumably winning, that the wins will continue. If they do, great, but if not, you have the option at any time to discontinue betting behind that player.
How Soon Will Bet Behind Be Available at the Golden Nugget and Betfair Live Dealer Blackjack Tables?
As of this writing, we don’t have an exact date, but the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has submitted several proposed rule changes, including this one, to the Office of the Attorney General. The casinos want Bet Behind not only because it’s popular abroad and players here have been asking for it, too, but also because it will bring a lot more play to their tables and increase their bottom line. We can’t imagine any objections going forward or any reason why final approval should not be granted. So the likely answer to the question how soon you will be able to take advantage of Bet Behind in New Jersey is that you should be able to get behind Bet Behind very soon.
