Are there specific games more sensitive to packet loss than others?
Hi there, do you know whether some casino games such as online slots or real dealer games are more sensitive to packet loss than others? I have been told that lag can be very annoying when playing some types of casino games. Does anyone know which ones?
4 Answers
Oh yeah! Live dealer games are way more susceptible to lag and packet loss than slot games. That’s because you’re actually interacting with real dealers – when you chat, bet, and respond to the action, you want that to work out perfectly. Packet loss is the killer here. In particular, roulette and live blackjack are very sensitive – those wheels need to spin smoothly and the dealer’s actions must show up clearly. Fortunately, slot games are not packet loss-sensitive at all: since the reels spin locally inside your browser, a brief interruption will affect your gaming experience very little. Virtual games such as virtual poker and baccarat are sensitive to latency, though generally less so than live table games. Therefore, if you have packet loss, stick with slots or virtual games; if you must play live dealer games, upgrade to a faster connection.
Live dealer games (such as blackjack and roulette) are far more vulnerable to latency and jitter than slot machines. Why? Because you're playing against a timer in real-time versus a slot machine that runs independently of the internet connection. With slots, you can have a terrible connection and it won't affect the game nearly as much as it could with live dealer games. Ensure that you have a strong internet connection before playing at any live dealer tables – if you stall, everyone around the table will know. That's all I'm sayin'.
Live casino table games such as blackjack or roulette are much more vulnerable to latency and loss than online slots. Because real dealer games are broadcast as a video feed, timing is critical (you don't want to miss the 'no more bets' signal). Slots are largely player side (on your computer) so you won't need to worry about buffering up those jackpots! However, if you love to play live dealer games, then you'll want to make sure that when you're on a hot streak, packets aren't dropping!
Live dealer games are much more delicate than slots when it comes to lag. You’re playing in real time – placing bets, watching the dealer move chips around or dealing cards, chatting – all of that requires a working connection. And with even minimal packet loss, the entire experience will be jerky and annoying. But with slots, since it’s just you versus the machine and you get immediate feedback, latency is less of an issue. So if your internet sucks, play slots to avoid the inevitable eye roll that will happen with most live dealer games whenever there’s a delay.