Ten Live Casino Games To Play This December

Live Casino Advent Calendar: New Releases

Today, more software providers are working in the live casino market than ever. This is a significant benefit for players, giving you more choices than ever!

If you want to try something new this Christmas, add the following games to your “Christmas Casino Advent Calendar”.

Football Card Showdown – Playtech

Football Card Showdown is the latest release from Playtech. As the name suggests, the game is themed around football. It was released on the 28th of November, 2022, to coincide nicely with the World Cup.

The game’s unique format shows the dealer wearing a football kit, and the table is designed to look like a football pitch. There are goals at either end, and a scoreboard can be seen on the right-hand side in the background. There are two prominent betting positions; Home and Away. Once the game begins, each of these positions receives one card. The hand with the highest-value card is the winner.

Firstly, let’s look at the basics. Football Card Showdown is played using eight 52-card decks, and cards are burned at the start of each shoe. Once a round begins, one card is burned. Ace is classified as low, and the game’s RTP is 96.27%.

The “standard” bets loosely resemble what you’d see in Baccarat or Dragon Tiger. You bet on “Home” or “Away” and hope your team draws the highest card. Payouts for these wagers are 1:1. There is also a “Draw” – tie – bet that pays out at 10/1.

Side Bets

Football Card Showdown also offers four side bets – although they all pay 1:1, which is disappointing. These include “BIG”, “SMALL”, “ODD”, and “EVEN”. They’re self-explanatory. The BIG side bet pays if the card drawn to your team has a value of eight or above. The SMALL bet pays if your card has a value of six or lower.

The ODD and EVEN side bets pay if your card dealt is either an odd or even number.

It’s a nice-looking game and fun – especially if you’re a footie fan embroiled in watching the World Cup! However, I’d avoid the “Draw” bet, as the 10:1 payout isn’t worth it, in my opinion.

You can play Playtech’s Football Card Showdown at PlayOJO.

Dead or Alive Saloon – Evolution

Dead or Alive Saloon is a new live dealer casino game from Evolution that was also released on the 28th of November, 2022. It’s a simple game, but its unique theme – based on NetEnt’s viral Dead or Alive video slot – will make it an appealing choice for slots fans.

Dead or Alive Saloon is played using one deck of 52 cards; there are also additional bonus cards. The game’s objective is to guess which card or suit of playing cards will be dealt by the dealer. If you’ve placed a wager on either result, you’ll win whatever has been collected in the prize pot.

Until the first card has been drawn, multipliers on unique bonus cards get added to the prize pool. Once the first playing card appears, the game ends. Whatever you win will be multiplied by the multiplier in play. In a way, Dead or Alive Saloon is like Roulette. You place a bet on the specific result you believe will happen – and if you’re correct, you win!

The bonus cards produce most of the win potential. These include Three Bonus Cards, Six Bounty Cards, Twenty 20X multiplier cards, nineteenth 30X multiplier cards, three 50X multiplier cards, and one 100X multiplier card.

To learn more about Dead or Alive Saloon, and read my strategy guide, check out my full review here.

Power-Up Roulette – Pragmatic Play

While Pragmatic is a relatively new contender in the live online gambling world, they’ve shown tremendous strength – releasing high-quality games with great creativity and big payouts. Power-Up Roulette is the software provider’s second live Roulette game involving multipliers. The first was Mega Roulette. The new version offers much more win potential, with multipliers worth 8,000X!

Power-Up Roulette is played on a standard European Roulette wheel; there is one zero. If you want to be in with the chance of winning the multipliers, you must place straight-up number bets. However, to compensate for the multipliers, the standard straight-up number payouts have been reduced from 35:1 to 24:1. All other payouts are identical to what you’d find at other European Roulette tables.

Choosing the Power-Up Numbers

Before each round begins, three and five numbers are chosen randomly. These become “PowerUp” numbers, with the bonus round beginning if the Roulette ball lands on one of these numbers. During this bonus round, multipliers get assigned to every number on the grid. Initially, these multipliers can be worth up to 500X, but if the bonus round triggers again, the multipliers can grow to 8,000X! The presenter will then spin the wheel again, and if the ball lands on a number you’ve bet on, you’ll be paid out at the current multiplier.

OK, so Power-Up Roulette is a bit like Lightning Roulette from Evolution. However, I’m impressed Pragmatic has not chosen to directly copy the format – choosing the multipliers right at the beginning. I also like the addition of the bonus round; this adds depth to the game, and there’s plenty of excitement when the PowerUp round begins, as the multipliers can get huge!

I recommend playing Power-Up Roulette at LeoVegas Casino – one of my most trusted and reputable partners.

Ultimate Andar Bahar – Ezugi

Ultimate Andar Bahar is a new release from Ezugi. While Andar Bahar isn’t the most popular live casino game in the world, it’s growing in popularity, and more online casinos are featuring it than before. Ultimate Andar Bahar is like the classic game but on steroids; there are multipliers attached to side bets AND the main hand payouts, increasing the amount of money you can win from each game round.

Ultimate Andar Bahar is played using one deck of 52 cards. Like standard Andar Bahar, the goal is to predict which side – Andar or Bahar – will match a card with the Joker. You are not required to name the card – choose either Andar or Bahar when you place your bet. To play Ultimate Andar Bahar, you must pay a 20% fee; this is calculated as 20% of your initial wager. This fee is charged to compensate for the added multipliers.

Types of Multipliers

There are two types of multipliers; firstly, those that are attached to the main hand. When each round begins, between one and three cards are selected. These cards will then have a 2X, 3X, or 5X multiplier assigned to them. You must have placed a wager on the winning hand to benefit from the multiplier, and a multiplier card must be drawn to that side.

The second multiplier is the side bet multiplier. These are assigned during the Ultimate round; anywhere from one to all eight side bets can receive a multiplier of up to 5X. This means the maximum win is 500X from the 41-49 Total side bet. Please read my full Ultimate Andar Bahar review here.

I recommend playing Ultimate Andar Bahar at VBet or LeoVegas.

Five Unusual Live Games You Can’t-Miss

I’ve shown you five new live dealer games to help kick off your Christmas month with some great games. These games offer cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology, and most provide some fantastic winning potential. However, as part of this “Christmas Advent Calendar”, I also want to bring your attention to some older, more well-established live dealer games I strongly suggest checking out.

You may already be familiar with these games – and if so, then you already know why they’re so much fun to play! Below, I’m going to show you five great live dealer games to try out this December – starting with one of the most iconic live casino games ever released; Crazy Time!

Crazy Time – Evolution

Crazy Time – from Evolution – was unveiled in February 2020 at the ICE Exhibition in London. It was a follow-up to the game developer’s highly-successful Monopoly LIVE. Although the addition of special bonus rounds aims to appeal to slot players rather than just those wanting to play live dealer games.

Crazy Time is a live game show on a giant wheel with 54 segments. This wheel has several monetary prizes, worth between 1x and 10x and four unique bonuses and features. Once you load up the game, you will see eight betting options; firstly, you can bet on the four numbers on the wheel. These numbers include one, two, five, and ten. If you bet on a number and the wheel lands on that number, you will win the corresponding prize; for example, a £10 bet on the “5” bet would payout at 5:1.

However, the bonuses and features most players will be looking for include the Cash Hunt, Coin Flip, Pachinko, and Crazy Time bonuses and features. Place a chip on the prize you’d like to wager on. Once you’ve made your bets, a “Top Spin” feature activates. This spins a giant multiplier at the top of the screen. This multiplier can be worth up to 50X and is applied randomly to any of the eight betting options.

Bonus Rounds

The Coin Flip is the most commonly-triggered feature. It’s a simple coin flip, and you’re guaranteed a prize, provided you’ve placed a bet on the corresponding betting option. This bonus round can pay up to 100X without the top multiplier. The Coin Flop bonus round is relatively low variance; it triggers frequently, but big wins are few and far between.

The second bonus round is the Cash Hunt. When activated, you’ll be taken to a shooting gallery with 108 random multipliers. You need to pick one of these using your mouse (or finger if you’re playing from a mobile device), and your prize will be revealed.

Thirdly, there’s the Pachinko bonus round. This requires no intervention from the player; once the bonus round begins, a puck drops into one of 16 drop zones at the bottom of the screen. These zones contain multipliers. You’ll win the multiplier prize wherever the ball lands.

Lastly, there’s the Crazy Time bonus round – and this is, by far, the most lucrative of the four. It’s also the hardest to trigger, with just one wheel segment available to win it. When activated, the presenter will walk through a red door. You then see a giant virtual wheel with 64 segments. You will be prompted to choose one of three flappers – and when the wheel stops, you’ll win the prize that corresponds with the flapper you picked.

Ideally, you want to enter the bonuses and features with a multiplier. For example, if you enter the main Crazy Time bonus round with a 50X multiplier, the minimum win is a whopping 500X!

If you’d like to try Crazy Time, I recommend playing at LeoVegas or Mr Green.

Live Deal or No Deal – Evolution

Live Deal or No Deal was a monumental release from Evolution. It combines elements of live dealer games with a gameshow – and is, of course, based on the hit TV show of the same name.

While it can take a while to get the hang of how Live Deal or No Deal works, once you understand the mechanics, it’s pretty straightforward. Firstly, you need to qualify for the game. You need to pay to spin a wheel with three segments, and if all three match in gold, you’ll be eligible for the bonus.

Once you have qualified, you have the option to “load” more money to the 16 boxes. Click the case you’d like to top up and spin the wheel. A cash value is added to the briefcase.

The main game begins – and here, you’re essentially playing a shortened version of the real Deal or No Deal. You choose one box – and random boxes are then eliminated. The banker will make you an offer after four boxes have been removed. You can either accept or reject it. Once the final briefcase has been opened, the game round ends, and you’ll return to the qualification stage.

Live Deal or No Deal can seem confusing, so it’s worth spending a few minutes studying how the game works – and reading the rules! If you’d like to try it out for real money, I suggest playing at PlayOJO.

Lightning Roulette – Evolution

Lightning Roulette is a unique version of Roulette that Evolution produced. It took the conventional Roulette format and modified it to include multipliers. The multipliers allow players to win up to a 500X payout on straight-up numbers bets. On standard roulette tables, the payout is 35:1. Since Lightning Roulette was released, most leading software providers have created their spin on the game, becoming a top-rated live casino game today.

Essentially, Lightning Roulette looks the same as standard European Roulette. The wheel contains 37 segments (1-36 and zero), and the betting options are identical. However, the big difference in Lightning Roulette is the payouts. Once all bets have been placed, up to five numbers will have a random multiplier between 50X and 500X attached.

If the ball lands on one of these numbers – and you’ve placed a wager on it – your bet will be paid out at that multiplier. For example, if you put a £1 chip on 14, with a 200X multiplier attached, and 14 dropped in, your bet would be paid out at 200:1!

How the Multipliers are Paid for

To compensate for this multiplier feature, a standard straight-up number payout is 29:1, compared to the 35:1 you get on regular Roulette. All other bets are paid as usual; however, multiplier wins can only be won by placing bets on straight-up numbers.

Lightning Roulette is a fantastic creation by Evolution; the win potential is insane, and you’re not sacrificing much. It’s no surprise to see most game developers coming out with their version of the game. If you’d like to try Lightning Roulette, I recommend playing at PlayOJO or LeoVegas – two highly trustworthy online casinos with solid reputations.

Sweet Bonanza Candyland – Pragmatic

With gameshow-inspired live dealer games like Crazy Time and Monopoly LIVE dominating the live iGaming space, it was never going to be long before other software providers came up with similar concepts. Pragmatic’s most successful game show-based live casino game is Sweet Bonanza Candyland, designed to rival Evolution’s Crazy Time.

The game is played on a giant wheel, which contains 54 segments. You can place a bet on three “standard” wagers – 1X, 2X, and 5X – and there are three bonuses and features you can bet on, along with one that’s randomly triggered.

Bonus Rounds Explained

The first bonus round is called Candy Drop. When activated, three sweets drop down through a maze, with multipliers attaching to them as they fall. You will be prompted to choose your sweet before the round begins.

The second bonus round is the Sweet Spins bonus round; this is unique as it is based on the Sweet Bonanza video slot free spins bonus round – and you’ll be taken to a modified version of the slot where you can enjoy free spins, re-spins, and multiplier boosts.

The third bonus round is called Bubble Surprise, which pays a multiplier prize of 5X, 10X, or 25X. It can also trigger entry to the Candy Drop or Sweet Spins bonus round.

Make sure you have a bet on these; otherwise, you’ll not be able to play the bonus rounds when the wheel lands on one of the segments.

Like I saw in Evolution’s Crazy Time, Sweet Bonanza Candyland also has a random multiplier feature – the Sugar Bomb bonus. Before each spin begins, a random multiplier is applied to segments on the wheel. This multiplier is then applied to the prize segment (including the bonuses and features), where the game’s maximum win potential of 20,000X your stake can be achieved!

If you want to try out Sweet Bonanza Candyland, I recommend playing at BetVictor Casino.

Live Hi-Lo – Playtech

The final game to appear on my “10 Live Casino Games To Play This December” list is Playtech’s Live Hi-Lo. While it’s not the most popular casino game in the world, it has a cult following in land-based casinos, and it’s great to see it now available as a live casino game.

As the name suggests, Live Hi-Lo is all about predicting the value of the next card; you will be tasked with guessing whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower than the previous one. It sounds simple, making it an excellent choice for players who want a fast, easy, straightforward live game.

The gameplay begins with the dealer burning the first three cards of the deck. The 4th card becomes known as the “base card”. This is placed directly in front of the dealer.

Placing Your Bet

You will then be given the option to place a bet. You can bet simply whether the next card will be higher or lower – but there are also some more specialised bets. For example, you can bet on whether the next card is a specific value or colour – and you can even bet on a “Snap”, – meaning the next card will be the same value as the one currently displayed.

The odds change depending on the current card; for example, if a Jack is showing, the odds for a Queen, King or Ace will be high; the odds for lower cards will be worth a lot less.

Live Hi-Lo probably isn’t appealing to serious gamblers – but for those looking for quick fun, it’s worth checking out. Unfortunately, it’s not available at all online casinos, as Playtech’s live dealer games can be notoriously hard to find. I recommend playing Live Hi-Lo at Dafabet Casino (Not UK), which offers Playtech’s live casino product.