All websites run into occasional trouble staying online. Online casinos are no different. Players may experience an outage while enjoying casino sites. It may be the website’s fault, the player’s connection to the internet, or a router in between.
Regulated gambling sites are required to use geolocation to ensure players are within the jurisdiction. That software sometimes has massive outages that affect all operations.
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An online casino disconnection is not a big deal at most games
It can be frustrating when an online casino disconnects. However, that does not mean money is lost.
In traditional online casino games, the action pauses as soon as the system detects the disconnection. If it is a game that requires no player action after the best is made, like baccarat, slots, roulette, and keno, the hand continues to completion. It then pauses until you return. The player logs will show the outcome of the hand you missed.
If the online casino game requires a decision, like blackjack, pai gow poker, Three Card Poker, and video poker, the game stops until you return. The decision hangs until you make it.
Live dealer casino games work differently
Live dealer tables work like one in a casino. There is a live dealer and cards or roulette wheels. Other players either share one hand like stadium gaming, or there are unique hands for every seat. Since other players are involved, it is impossible to wait on decisions from disconnected players.
At baccarat, roulette, and any other live dealer game that does not require the player to act, the hand completes while the player is disconnected. The log of the outcome is found in the hand history of the casino software when reconnected. In blackjack where a decision is required, the software is programmed to use basic strategy. This means that your blackjack hand will be played by the book in your absence.
All types of live dealer games sit the player out immediately after disconnection. It is simple to sit back in a game to join the next hand when it starts.
What happens when you get disconnected from online poker?
Online poker disconnections work differently than casino ones. In the early days of online poker, players used disconnection protection to cheat. If a player shoved all-in and an opponent was unsure about calling, they could disconnect from the poker room. The software would place the player all-in only for the chips already in the pot. Those days are over.
If a player disconnects from an online poker cash game, the time bank counts down from 30 seconds. If the time bank expires, the player checks if there is no action. When there is a bet waiting to be called, the disconnected player folds. The player sits out until the connection is re-established.
In sit and gos and multi-table tournaments, the player also gets a 30-second time bank when disconnected. If the player fails to reconnect during that time, the hand is checked if there is no action in front of it and folded if there is. The disconnected player sits out until they return to the table. Cards are dealt as normal. However, the player folds on any action until reconnecting.
Rules covering mass disconnection during tournaments
If there is a major problem with the poker site’s servers or geolocation that causes a long downtime, the tournament is canceled. Each online poker room has a policy about how to handle this. The following is the typical solution. However, it is important to always read the house rules.
If the tournament has not started or no players have been knocked out, the buy-in is refunded. When players have busted, but the poker tournament is not in the money, all remaining participants receive a full refund of the buy-in. The remaining part of the prize pool splits into two. Half is evenly distributed among all players who still have chips. The other half is paid based on the percentage of chips the player had when the tournament cancelation occurred.
If the poker tournament is in the money, each player is awarded the minimum payout still unclaimed. The remaining prize pool is split based on the chip count. If a tournament had a guaranteed prize pool that was not met, meaning there is overlay, this money is typically only paid if the tournament is in the money.
