Posted in Industry September 3, 2018
PokerStars Casino Releases Industry-first Live Social Casino Apps
PokerStars Casino has launched its first live streamed dealer games for ‘play money’, making it the first “social gaming mobile app” to offer live casino and poker table games to players.
PokerStars Play was created to provide online bettors with an immersive gaming experience that features professionally-trained dealers and is optimized for mobile gameplay. The two live dealer games available in PokerStars Play enhance the portfolio of games offered and allow players to experience the excitement of casino gameplay without spending their own money. In addition to its renowned online poker offerings, PokerStars has a history of making players instant millionaires through its progressive jackpot video slots.
Lloyd Melnick, Director of Social Gaming for PokerStars, stated that the games War of Bets and Bet on Poker can be enjoyed on the go or from the comfort of home. PokerStars Play aims to provide iGaming enthusiasts with a seamless gaming experience and is available on Android and iOS devices through the Google Play and App Stores. BetGames.TV, the provider of War of Bets and Bet on Poker, has designed various interactive live dealer games over the years, many of which are managed by captivating female dealers.
PokerStars Casino is gaining popularity as part of the overall PokerStars brand, which is well-known for its online poker room. Its offline poker reputation remains strong as well, with former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker launching his own Moneymaker PSPC Tour across nine US land-based casinos. Winners of each event receive a ‘Platinum Pass’ worth $30,000, including entry to the PokerStars Players Championship in the Bahamas.
What is War of Bets?
War of Bets is a live streamed version of the Casino War table game found in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos. Despite having more limited rules and gaming options compared to the original Casino War, this version has become a sensation among iGaming players worldwide.
In the original game, both players and the dealer receive a single card, and the person with the highest card wins the pot. If the player and the dealer have the same value card, players can choose to surrender half of their initial stake or double down on their wager and go to war against the dealer in a second one-card draw. However, in War of Bets, the dealer is not the opponent. Players simply place a bet on whether they will be dealt a card of higher value than the dealer. The game is managed by a female dealer.
What is Bet on Poker?
Bet on Poker, the second live dealer casino game offered by PokerStars Casino, is a simple betting game based on the outcome of an upcoming hand of Texas Hold’em poker. Players do not need to be poker experts, as they only need to be familiar with the hand rankings of Texas Hold’em to choose the most likely winning hand out of six displayed on the table.
Players have the option to wager on multiple hands per game, with equal odds given to each hand before the flop. Once the dealer reveals the flop (the first three community cards), the odds of each poker hand change based on their strength. There is another round of betting after the fourth (turn) card and the final (river) card are revealed, before the winning hand is determined.
It is commendable to see a leading iGaming brand take live streamed casino action seriously and strive to bring it to the mainstream. Optical character recognition (OCR) technology provides players with more game information at their fingertips than ever before, enabling them to make informed wagering decisions when playing against real dealers. The only downside is that live dealer games have a slower pace compared to computer-generated versions, making it less suitable for quick gameplay. Nevertheless, the trained dealers do their best to keep the games moving smoothly.
