Best Live Hold'em Online

Texas Hold'em Poker is one of the most popular gambling games in the world, whether you play at a physical casino, friend's house or live dealer casino online. No other casino game has a world series! You can experience all the thrills - and, maybe, the big wins - of this incredible game when you play live Hold'em online. We've found the best real money Hold'em games for players in New Zealand, plus we've got all the info you need to start winning big.

Find out how to play live Hold'em, plus:

Discover invaluable insider tips for live Hold'em
Why live dealer games are super popular
How we find first-class online casinos

The variable odds and payouts depending on the other players can make it thrilling to win real money playing at an online casino.

What is Live Hold'em?

Live casino Hold'em is live-streamed from a casino floor or professional studio, where a live dealer runs the game using physical playing cards. It's just like playing at a brick-and-mortar casino, including all of the banter and adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.

When you play live Hold'em online, you'll get to enjoy this popular form of poker online. The game runs as follows.

All players ante up to join the game.
Every player is dealt two cards face down, called 'hold cards'.
There is a round of betting where you can check, bet or fold.
Three shared cards are dealt face up, called ‘the flop’.
Another round of betting where players can check, bet or fold.
The fourth shared card is dealt called ‘the turn’.
Another round of betting where players can check, bet or fold.
The fifth card dealt is called ‘the river’.
There's a final round of betting when players can check, bet or fold. Depending on how many players are left, the game can end in a showdown where the players turn over their hole cards and the best hand wins.

In live Hold'em, the dealer is there to run the game but doesn't take part in the action. Instead, you are purely playing against other gamblers online. This can be in tournament form, or sit and go games.

Live Hold'em vs Standard Hold'em

The odds are the same whether you play standard Hold'em or live dealer Hold'em. Casino operators offer both because they will appeal to different kinds of gamblers. So, here are some of the main differences to keep in mind.

RNG vs Cards: Even though the odds are the same, the look and feel of standard vs live dealer Hold'em are very different. The graphics and animations add a stunning exterior to what the random number generator is determining for the next card. Live dealer Hold'em uses actual playing cards, with all the visuals and experiences that you enjoy.

Table Limits and Free Play: Standard Hold'em has almost no overhead for the casino online, so you can find more free online Hold'em options at top casinos online. There are almost no live Hold'em free play options because of how expensive it can be to run live dealer games. Even the table limits are typically higher with live Hold'em online than standard Hold'em.

Interaction: Texas Hold'em is inherently a social game as you take on other players in the hopes of winning the pot. You need to be able to play the other players as much as you do the cards. With a live dealer running the game, this can either augment your experience or distract from your ability to gauge your opposing players.

How to Win at Live Hold'em Online

The first thing to know is the value of each hand in live Hold'em. This is how the various card combinations are ranked, with hands usually composed of hole cards and community cards, although sometimes the best hands are purely made up of community cards.

These are the best hands in live Hold'em, in order.

Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of a single suit.
Straight Flush: Any five cards in sequence, all of the same suit.
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, e.g. Four Aces.
Full House: A three of a kind and a pair.
Flush: Five cards all of the same suit.
Straight: Five non-suited cards in sequence.
Three of a Kind.
Two Pairs.
Pair.
High Card.

While holding a royal flush will pretty much guarantee you a win, there's a lot more to the game than that. You want to get other players to think that they have a chance to beat you, to bet more so that the pot grows before you win big. One of our top live Hold'em tips is to get a sense of the other players, to know if they will bet more when you bet more, or if they like to lead the way and bet big, leaving you to just keep checking and doing small raises to keep the pot growing.

Another important live Hold'em strategy comes down to bluffing. Some players think that you should bluff on any and every hand. While this works for some live Hold'em hands, and for some live Hold'em online tournaments, the reality is that even the absence of facial cues or body language might not hide your bluffing.

Other players can still calculate the odds of how good your cards actually are. What are the chances that your hand is really better if they're already holding all the aces? Bluffing can be a big part of playing live casino Hold'em, but you'll want to use it strategically.

How We Rate & Review Casinos Online

All of our online casino reviews are unbiased and thorough, letting you know what to expect before you visit the casino online. Our team of live dealer Hold'em experts rate and rank each site so that you can quickly and easily see which live dealer casino will be right for your interests or gambling style.

To do this, each review is built around a range of elements, including:

Licensing and Security

The first thing we look for, all sites must be fully licensed and certified. They also need to use the best SSL encryption technology to keep your data safe.

Games

The core of any casino online, the game library needs to be vast and varied, with a wide selection of live dealer casino games.

Software

Whether with apps or instant play in your browser, online casinos need to give players platforms that are stable and work well on computers, smartphones and tablets.

Banking Methods

Using secure, well-known banking methods, live casinos online must offer instant deposits and withdrawal options.

Customer Support

Key for any casino online, live dealer sites need to offer quick and reliable customer service to resolve queries and concerns.

Conclusion

Live Hold'em online combines an authentic casino experience with the convenience of playing online. The variable odds and payouts, depending on the other players, can make it thrilling to win real money playing at an online casino. Live dealer games continue to grow in popularity in New Zealand in 2024, especially as more and more gamblers realize that they can play the best live Hold'em on a computer or smartphone. Play live Hold'em today at one of our recommended sites and join other gamblers winning real money.

Frequently Asked Questions

As the name implies, live Hold'em is played with a real live dealer and physical playing cards. The game is live-streamed to your device.
Yes, it is totally safe to play live Hold'em online at a reputable live dealer casino.
For sure! You can get a welcome bonus as well as loyalty rewards when playing at live Hold'em casino sites.
The odds will depend on the cards you get, your ability to bluff and what kinds of cards or psychology the other players use. This is what makes poker such a compelling game.
Definitely! You can download a live Hold'em app or playing instantly in your browser on any modern mobile device. If you can stream YouTube or Netflix from your smartphone or tablet, you can enjoy live dealer Hold'em online!