A Glance at the Difference and Similarities Between Video Poker and Blackjack

Blackjack and Video Poker are two of the most popular casino games, both online and off. They share further similarities and, obviously, some distinct differences, which makes for an interesting comparison.

What Sets Them Apart?

The most glaring difference is that the game play and objectives are totally different for each. In Blackjack, you are up against the Dealer and need to get to 21 without exceeding this total, or busting. In Video Poker, the game’s outcome is totally dependent on the cards dealt and payouts are calculated accordingly.

The age of the games is also a factor. Blackjack has been a hit since its origins in French casinos in the 1600s but Video Poker only got invented in the 20th century. Dale Electronics were responsible for the latter, launching the ultimately unsuccessful Poker-Matic in 1970 which did, however, prepare the world for what was to come.

When it comes to winning at the Blackjack table, the size of your bet makes a big difference, increasing your advantage the higher it goes. In Video Poker, it is always the best idea to play with Max Coins active.

You can stop and have a chat with someone else in a Video Poker game without losing your place. Whenever you come back to your desktop, smartphone, or tablet, everything will be waiting right where you left it. In Blackjack, however, any kind of distraction will mean you suffer a loss. You need to stay focussed on the cards you have been dealt and which step is the right one to make next.

What Brings Them Together

Both Blackjack and Video Poker offer very high probabilities of big returns to players, with variants for both games capable of exceeding 99.5%! To put this in perspective, European Roulette offers a Return to Player percentage of 97% and online slots roughly 97%.

Also, in both 21 and Video Poker, if you adopt optimum strategy, you can realise significantly higher returns. Both are considered to be based on skill and are not as dependent on luck as some of their counterparts are, like Baccarat, Bingo, Craps, Keno, and Roulette. When you combine a thorough knowledge of the rules with some experience in applying basic strategy, your chances of seeing good returns is much higher than they would be in normal circumstances.

What is more, learning the basic strategies for both games is very easy, that much more so at online casinos. This is thanks to the fact that quickly referring to a sheet is not an issue when you are relaxing at home enjoying a game in solitude.

Interestingly, the personality skills of people good at playing Blackjack and Video Poker are very similar. Those who succeed are usually of above-average intelligence, possess excellent memories, and are able to focus on one thing for long periods of time.

Both of these games are also almost ideally suited to playing online and suffer very little in the translation to the electronic world.