Live Casino Holdem by Evolution is a live dealer poker game released in 2015. It boasts an RTP of 97.84% with a minimum bet of $0.5 and a $500 maximum wager. Available on desktop and mobile, It’s a special variant of online poker developed for a live dealer casino environment.
Those looking to play poker online run into several issues, such as organizing participants. Casino Hold’em by Evolution is one way of avoiding all that by playing against the casino dealer. If that sounds like something you’d try, keep reading this Evolution Casino Hold‘em review.
Game Specifications | |
---|---|
Game name | Live Casino Hold'em (Evolution) |
Game provider | Evolution |
Game type | Casino Hold'em |
Streaming from | Latvia |
RTP | 97.84% |
Bet range | €0.5 - €500 |
Max win | 500:1 |
Side bets | Yes |
Supported platforms | |
Supported OS | |
Languages |
Albanian
Bulgarian
Chinese
Croatian
English
Finnish
+14
All supported languages
|
Evolution Gaming designed Live Casino Hold’em as a way of attracting poker enthusiasts to their live casinos. The game has since drawn huge crowds on desktop and tablet, so there’s interest in something like that. Played with a single deck of cards that are shuffled after each hand and featuring an enticing game play that differs from the one in regular Texas Hold’em poker, Casino Hold’em impresses on so many levels.
The action takes place at branded tables in a studio in Riga and is then streamed to your computer. The action is in real-time and in stunning video quality, with an intuitive user interface and predominantly female croupiers making for a perfect gaming experience.
If you’d like to try something different from the standard live casino offers, Casino Hold’em can be a refreshing experience. Those looking to play Texas Hold ‘em online will find a convenient way to do so any time they want.
Casino Hold’em tables can accommodate an unlimited number of gamers, where one hand is used by all players. The player is required to place an Ante bet if he wants to take part. After the Ante, players are dealt two cards face up while three community cards are drawn face up as well. The dealer also has their hand, consisting of two face-down cards. The player then has the option to Fold or Play, and the Play bet is usually double the Ante bet. Note that if you do not confirm a Play bet in time, your hand automatically folds. The Play wager in Casino Holdem is also sometimes called the Call bet. Also, the Bonus side bet is not affected by this decision – it remains in play even if you fold.
The dealer needs to have a pair of 4s or higher to qualify for the Call bet. If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante bet wins while the Play bet pushes, returning your Play stake. Depending on whether the dealer qualifies or not, there are several possible outcomes to Casino Hold’em by Evolution, as per the table below.
Result | Ante | Play |
Dealer does not qualify and you win | Win | Push |
Dealer qualifies and you win | Win | 1:1 |
Dealer qualifies and you lose | Lose | Lose |
Dealer qualifies and you tie | Push | Push |
Player folds | Lose | Lose |
The standard poker hands are used to determine the winner. Here they are, from strongest to weakest:
When placing an Ante bet, you can also make a Bonus wager. This is a Casino Hold’em side bet, and we’ll describe it in detail further down.
Evolution offers a fairly extensive range of live casino Texas Hold’em games. Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker come to mind, and they can be easily mixed up with this title. Check out the video below to see the various tables, what they look like, and the subtle but important differences.
This short video preview should help you decide which of these is the right table for you. All were made by Evolution, and are thus some of the best casino poker games online. All you have to do is figure out which features you prefer and start playing.
There are three casino holdem payouts you’ll need to keep track of. The Ante Bet’s pay depends on the hand you win with. The Play bet always pays at odds of 1:1, while the side bet has its separate table. It can be a lot to take in, but all of this information is available in-game.
Hand | Payout | ||
---|---|---|---|
Ante Bet Payouts | |||
Royal Flush | 100:1 | ||
Straight Flush | 20:1 | ||
Four of a Kind | 10:1 | ||
Full House | 3:1 | ||
Flush | 2:1 | ||
Straight or Less | 1:1 | ||
Bonus Bet Payouts | |||
Royal Flush | 100:1 | ||
Straight Flush | 50:1 | ||
Four of a Kind | 40:1 | ||
Full House | 30:1 | ||
Flush | 20:1 | ||
Pair of Aces to Straight | 7:1 |
The main RTP rate of this game only applies to Ante bets – 97.84%. Play bets don’t change anything in this context, since they always have the same odds no matter what. The Bonus side bet, however, trails significantly behind at 93.74%.
Make sure to choose the game that suits your taste and budget. For more extensive guides on live blackjack basics, read this article.
The base Evolution Live Casino Hold‘em game is fairly exciting in its own right. Besides, this specific title was intended as a straightforward, simple live dealer Casino Holdem. Other tables in this genre offer myriad different side bets and extra features. Still, there’s one major side bet, and it warrants a detailed explanation.
The Bonus bet is completely optional, but can only be placed after you’ve already put down an Ante. However, if you happen to fold afterwards, the Bonus bet is still in play. That way, you can win a nice payout even if you decided to fold. Essentially, the Bonus bet only looks at the first 5 cards, as in 5-card poker. This includes your hand and the first 3 community cards. If you happen to form a poker hand with these, you’ll win some extra cash. The weakest hand required to win Casino Hold’em Evolution Bonus bet is a pair of Aces. The payouts are as described in the table above.
While the RTP is considerably weaker than the main game, some players love the bonus bet. Since it does not rely on having a stronger hand than the dealer, playing the side bet exclusively can be a viable Evolution Casino Hold’em strategy to win. We wouldn’t recommend it to beginners, though.
Depending on the live casino site you’re using, you may also have access to the Evolution Casino Hold’em progressive jackpot. It comes in the form of a second side bet which you can optionally wager on. Each time you do so, you’ll contribute to the jackpot. If you ever win with a 7-card Straight Flush, all players on the table share the pool, which can grow to hundreds of thousands. Otherwise, you can still win some excellent prizes for weaker hands, as per the table below.
Hand | Payout |
7-Card Straight Flush | Progressive Jackpot |
6-Card Straight Flush | 5,000:1 |
5-Card Straight Flush | 250:1 |
Four of a Kind | 50:1 |
Full House | 5:1 |
Flush | 4:1 |
Straight | 2:1 |
Due to the progressive features, however, this Casino Hold’em jackpot only offers an RTP of 81.64%. This doesn’t take into account that the pot constantly grows, but it’s still pretty bad.