Video Slots vs. Poker
Video slots are by far the most well-known form of casino games available. Table games come in a close second due to their huge winnings and fair payout rates. Many players tend to look past another great rewarding opportunity, which is video poker. There are many reasons for this occurrence, including not understanding the game, finding it boring due to lack of features, or simply preferring slots and the action of table games.
Slots, as we all know, have grown at a rapid pace over the years and provides an amazing range of benefits. Slots are also widely available and can be played at any casino both land-based and online. In fact, many casinos that only have limited gaming space prefer to feature slots instead of table games.
Video poker, on the other hand, has had a huge impact on the gaming industry as well. In Australia, these were among the very first video casino games available and could be found all over the country. They became so popular that the Australians created a nickname for them, known as "pokies." Later on, the name was carried over to video slots due to the similarities in what these games had to offer. Video slots might have passed video poker in quantity, but they remain a very popular gaming opportunity.
Video poker cannot include the range of benefits and themes offered by video slots without changing the features that make the games unique, which is why a limited number of video poker variants are available while slots have the ability to expand more and more as additional developers, game themes, and features are created.
We look at what the key differences are between video slots and video poker. You'll find a number of small differences, while other aspects of these games provide differences in gameplay, amounts won, and we include an understanding of what both styles of game has and what's needed to truly benefit from playing them.
Skills Required
Those of you who enjoy video slots might remember the first time you ever played. The game seemed attractive and somewhat easy to play even though you had no idea what's going on or how winnings are generated, but after some research or playing with someone experienced, you can pick it up very easily and learn to play these games within just an hour or 2. While slots might have a lot to learn about, especially when you're interested in playing to hit the huge wins, it remains rather simple and straightforward.
At the end of the day, slots are all about luck of what appears on the reels, and hopefully, you've selected a bigger bet just before the win triggered, giving you a great payout. Video poker works on the same principal but has a bit more control for the player than just hoping on blind luck. These games provide features that allow players to apply a level of knowledge to the game and increase the reward opportunities.
Video poker takes a lot longer to learn, especially for someone who hasn't played many casino games. The rules are based on Texas Hold'em hands, meaning players need to have a certain level of poker knowledge, or at least the hand rankings. Other variants of video poker such as Double Bonus Poker requires, even more knowledge as small aspects of the rules have been changed. For example, where Jacks or Better use standard hand rankings, including full house, 4 of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush as its four highest ranked hands, Double Bonus Poker's 4 highest hands are different. It offers its highest paying combinations as a result of four 2's, 3's, or 4's, four aces, straight flush, and royal flush.
Game Variants
As mentioned above, video slots come in a huge range of gaming variants that includes different amounts of reels, paylines, bonuses, and betting options. Many of these aspects differ among developers and can have a major effect on how the game provides winnings. There are also multiple variances, which determine how often the game pays and the value of these payments.
Classic slots such as 3-reeled fruit slots with no bonuses tend to be high variance slots as winnings take long to activate, but once triggered, the payments make it worthwhile. There are also many low variance slots that payout all the time, but the winnings are much lower. Medium variance slots tend to be the most popular these days as they give players the opportunity to activate regular winnings with average payments and fair sized jackpots.
Video poker games, on the other hand, tend to be high variance games, which once again depends on how you play. Players who take the chance to go for the big win instead of holding onto the smaller payouts would push their luck more than those who take the small winnings. However, as an average video poker player, these games are still high risk in the sense that you'll need to wait for that huge payout.
There are also a few medium variance video poker games, which includes titles such as Tens or Better. These games provide payments for a pair of 10 or higher, giving you an additional reward opportunity as most variants only offer winnings for Jacks or Better. However, with a lower variance, you'll also find the payments for other winnings tend to be lower, once again shifting back the edge in favor of the casino. As a professional player, there are things to focus on that gives you a higher house edge during the game, but still, doesn't change how often it pays.
Choosing Between Slots and Video Poker
The choice might be easy for some as many of you would already know that video poker isn't for you as you have no idea how poker works or you simply prefer the themes and features offered by video slots. There are millions who find slots more entertaining as developers spend a huge amount of time to perfect the themes and bonus features offered. Many play these games not to win big, but to enjoy what these games have available. Sure, everyone wants to play and hit a huge jackpot, but for many, it's far from the only reason they play slots. Video slots also have more options to choose from, and players get to choose between endless amounts of games while additional titles are added regularly.
Video poker is an exciting game for those interested in learning a bit about poker or who already know about it. The games might seem limited, but there are so many features and benefits to choose from. Games such as Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, Double Dobule Bonus Poker, and many others provide a unique aspect the features available and the winning opportunities. Each variant of video poker is yet another learning curve, allowing you the opportunity to create your playing style and working out variant techniques to best gain from each variant.
Ideally, as you continue your journey into understanding which casinos games are suited best to your individual style of play, reading casino reviews will help you in the process of determining a casino that offers you the game selection that you want to access most.
