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Video poker and slot machines are the most-popular forms of machine based
gaming. That said, these two games are often compared in a variety of aspects.

Jul 09, 2014  The first time I ever stepped foot inside a poker club I could feel my gut tighten as I walked through the door. Just the thought of losing even a small fraction of my meager savings was enough to.

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2. Criss Cross Poker (CCP) is yet another stud poker clone. Like all poker clones, CCP faces a very tough road towards success. In recent months I’ve been contacted by a few people who have asked me to take a look at hole-carding CCP. Now that CCP is getting a few placements, I decided to do the analysis.

Many players who take a beating on slots become curious about video poker due
to its strategic element.

Likewise, those who don’t want to bother with video poker strategy become
interested in slot machines due to their simplicity.

If you fit into either of these categories, or you’d just like to know how
slots and video poker compare, keep reading as we break down all of the
important aspects.

Later, we’ll also discuss how video poker and pull tab machines compare since
the latter is also a popular machine game.

Difference Between Video Poker and Slot Machines

# 1 Difference: Video Poker has More Strategy than Slots

One key difference between slot machines and video poker is that the latter
involves intricate strategy.

You begin every video poker hand with 5 cards, and you decide what to keep
and discard. Each decision you make has a long-term impact on pay back.

Let’s look at an example:

1. You’re playing 9 / 6 Jacks or Better
2. You’re dealt: 10c, Js, 9c, 4s, 6s
3. The correct move is to keep Js and discard everything else.

In the situation above, the only correct strategy decision is to keep the
jack of spades. Anything else results in a higher house edge and lowers your
chances of winning.

Contrast this to slot machines, where the biggest strategy aspects involve
bankroll management and choosing games with high pay back.

Once you accomplish these two goals, there’s literally nothing else to do
besides hitting the spin button.

Some of the newer slot machines feature skill-based bonus rounds. But these
bonuses only account for around 5% of overall pay back.

Video poker contains far more skill than this, and there’s no comparison to a
skill-based slot.

# 2 Difference: Slots Offer Bigger Progressive Jackpots

Slot machines are well known for offering progressive jackpots worth millions
of dollars.

Of course, only a small percentage of slots offer this much money. But the
point is that you can make a fortune by winning a slots jackpot.

Below you can see some historic online and land-based slots jackpots.

• $39.71 million

  Won
  by a 25-year-old software engineer at Las Vegas’ Excalibur Casino.

• $34.56 million

  Won
  by cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan at Vegas’ Desert Inn.

• €17.88 million
  (approx. $22m)

  Won by British soldier Jon Heywood at an online casino.

• $22.62 million

  Won
  by Johanna Huendl on her way to breakfast at Bally’s Las Vegas.

• €17.86 million ($22m)

  Won by a Finnish player at an online casino.

These are just
a few examples of the massive jackpots that slot machines
offer. But they show you the type of fortunes that are available when a
progressive prize grows large enough.

Most video poker games offer a royal flush payout worth 4,000 coins, although
some have progressive jackpots too.

The largest progressive video poker jackpot that we’ve seen is a $670,000
payout. Poker pro Huck Seed won this prize in 2011 while betting $500 per hand.

This is definitely a big payout, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to the
largest progressive slots.

# 3 Difference: Video Poker Offers Higher Pay back

While video poker machines don’t give you the opportunity to get rich, they
do offer much higher pay back than slots.

Below you can see some of the highest-paying variations in video poker:

• Full-pay Deuces Wild =
  100.76% pay back
• Full-pay Joker Poker =
  100.64% pay back
• 10 / 7 Double Bonus =
  100.17% pay back
• 10 / 6 Double Double
  Bonus = 100.07% pay back
• 9 / 6 Jacks or Better
  = 99.54% pay back
• 8 / 5 Bonus Poker =
  99.17% pay back

Even if you play 8 / 5 Bonus Poker, you’ll earn higher pay back than any slot
machine can offer.

The best slots pay back is typically found in online casinos, including the
following games:

• Mega Joker – 99% pay
  back
• Jackpot 6000 – 98.8%
  pay back
• Blood Suckers – 98.0%
  pay back
• Megaspin Break Da Bank
  – 98.0% pay back
• Fishy Fortune – 97.90%
  pay back
• Kings of Chicago –
  97.80% pay back
• Hot Ink – 97.50% pay
  back

These games offer a far better return than what you’ll find in
brick-and-mortar casinos. But they still don’t offer as high of pay back as
video poker games.

If you want a better chance of winning, then video poker is your best bet.

# 4 Difference: Slots are More Relaxing to Play

Earlier we discussed how video poker features a lot more strategy than slots.
But on the reverse side, slot machines are more relaxing for people who don’t
care about strategy or a higher return.

To illustrate this point, let’s look at the process for playing both slots
and video poker:

Slots

1. You select your bet size.
2. You spin the reels.
3. Sometimes you’ll trigger a bonus round or free spins.

Video Poker

1. You select your bet size.
2. You receive a 5-card hand.
3. You decide what cards to keep and discard.
4. You click Draw to complete your hand.

Even if we include free spins or a bonus round, which only happen
occasionally, the slots playing process features one less step. Compare this to
video poker, where you may spend 5-10 seconds thinking during the draw round
(third step).

Again, if you’re just a casual gamer who wants to relax and play some casino
games, then slot machines are a good choice.

# 5 Difference: Video Poker Pay back Is Easier to Figure Out

You can find pay back for plenty of online and land-based slot machines
through research. But what if you can’t find pay back for the particular game
you’re playing?

This would involve looking at the paytable, playing countless spins, and
trying to figure out the frequency of each payout.

Obviously nobody wants to do this because it would cost a fortune and require
endless hours.

Video poker paytables, on the other hand, are much easier to understand. You
just need to know what payouts change the pay back for specific video poker
variations.

With Jacks or Better, you need to concentrate on the full house and flush
payouts. Here are some examples:

Some video poker variations have more than two differing payouts on the
paytable. But as long as you know what payouts to look for with any given game,
there’s no mystery involved in the pay back.

# 6 Difference: Slots Offer More Comps

The big downside to slot machines is that you’re dealing with a larger house
edge. But the upside is that slots offer you more comps too.

Let’s illustrate this point with comp examples for both slot machines and
video poker:

Slots Comps

1. You earn a 2% comp rate on losses.
2. You’re playing a slot with a 5% house edge.
3. You bet $2,000.
4. Your theoretical losses are $100 (2,000 x 0.05).
5. You’d receive $2 in comps.

Video Poker Comps

1. You earn a 2% comp rate.
2. You’re playing 8 / 5 Bonus Poker (0.83% house edge).
3. You bet $2,000.
4. Your theoretical losses are $16.60 (2,000 x 0.0083).
5. You’d receive $0.33 in comps.

A common casino gaming tip is to never play strictly for comps. After all,
you can see that your video poker losses would be $83.40 less than slots under
these circumstances.

But the good news is that you’ll at least receive more comps to soften the
blow.

# 7 Difference: You can Win Long-Term Profits in Video Poker

It’s not easy to find video poker machines that offer positive expectation
(+EV). But you can still find +EV video poker in certain parts of Las Vegas.

Contrast this to slot machines, where you won’t find a single game anywhere
that offers over 100% pay back.

As for +EV video poker games, let’s review the four that were mentioned
earlier:

• Full-pay Deuces Wild =
  100.76% pay back
• Full-pay Joker Poker =
  100.64% pay back
• 10 / 7 Double Bonus =
  100.17% pay back
• 10 / 6 Double Double
  Bonus = 100.07% pay back

Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus don’t offer a very big edge, even with
perfect strategy. But full-pay Deuces Wild and Joker Poker offer noticeable
profits to skilled players.

Here are win rate examples when perfect strategy is used on the following
games:

• Deuces Wild

  You’d
  win $7.60 for every 1,000 hands played.

• Joker Poker

  You’d
  win $6.40 for every 1,000 hands played.

• Double Bonus

  You’d
  win $1.70 for every 1,000 hands played.

• Double Double Bonus

  You’d win $0.70 for every 1,000 hands played.

None of these win rates will earn you a full-time living. But pro players can
make a living with Deuces Wild and Joker Poker when they take advantage of
double and triple point promotions.

Assuming you don’t care about being a video poker pro, then you can earn
profits through Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus while also entertaining
yourself.

# 8 Difference: Slots Pay More Online than in Land-based Casinos

In point #3, we mentioned how online slots normally pay more than those in
brick-and-mortar casinos.

While there aren’t any uniform figures on these differences, here are some
estimates:

• Online slots = 96%
  return to player (RTP) on average.
• Land-based slot
  machines = 93-94% RTP on average.

Compare this to video poker, which doesn’t change when moving from online to
land-based casinos.

If you’re playing a 9 / 6 Jacks or Better game, it’s going to offer 99.54%
pay back in both online and brick-and-mortar casinos. If you’re playing a 9 / 7
Double Bonus game, it’ll pay back 99.55% anywhere.

The one caveat is that you’re more likely to find 9 / 6 JoB in online casinos
than in land-based venues. The reason why is because internet operators don’t
have to cover as many overhead costs, and they can offer more high-paying games
like 9 / 6 JoB.

# 9 Difference: Video Poker Requires Max Bets for Top Pay back

The golden rule of video poker is that if you want max pay back, then you
need to make the max bet (5 coins). The reason why is because you’re eligible
for a much-larger royal flush payout when you wager 5 coins.

You can see this below:

• 5-coin bet =
  4,000-coin royal flush
• 4-coin bet =
  1,000-coin royal flush
• 3-coin bet = 750-coin
  royal flush
• 2-coin bet = 500-coin
  royal flush
• 1-coin bet = 250-coin
  royal flush

The 3,000-coin jump in the top royal flush payout is why you should bet 5
coins on every hand.

Some slot machines also require that you make specific bets to quality for
the jackpot and / or bonus rounds. Here’s an example: you’re playing a
50-payline game and you need to play all 50 lines in order to qualify for the
progressive jackpot.

But this is the exception, rather than the norm. You’re not required to make
qualifying bets on most slots – especially online – to qualify for bonuses and
jackpots.

Similarities Between Video Poker and Slot Machines

# 1 Similarity: Both Operate through a Random Number Generator

Random number generation involves creating a sequence of numbers that can’t
be predicted. And both slot and video poker machines use a random number
generator (RNG) to ensure that every round is based on random chance.

Many video poker and slots myths arise because players don’t understand how
an RNG works. Certain players think there’s a pattern or strategy that will
result in guaranteed profits.

But the RNG ensures that every outcome is totally independent of the last.

# 2 Similarity: Video Poker and Slots are Good Alternatives to Table Games

Picture this scenario:

1. You visit a casino and you’re new to table games.
2. You sit down to a blackjack table because you’ve heard it has a low house edge.
3. You touch your cards on the first hand, and the dealer warns you not to touch them.
4. You make a few strategy mistakes and are lectured by the player next to you.
5. You take too long to make decisions on most hands, drawing groans from the table.

Based on this experience, chances are that you won’t be thrilled to play any
more table games. Of course, you may also be too intimidated from the beginning
and avoid the tables altogether.

This is where video poker and slots become perfect alternatives in land-based
casinos. If you don’t want to deal with the pressures of learning table games,
you can sit down to a video poker or slot machine and play at your own pace.

How To Play Casino Poker

# 3 Similarity: The Same Video Poker and Slots Games can Offer Different Pay
back

Earlier, we covered how the same video poker variant has different pay back
based on the paytable. Slot machines are also this way because casinos can order
different pay back for a specific game.

This is mostly the case in land-based casinos, where the same slot machine
might offer 92% pay back at one casino, and 89% pay back at another.

Online slotsmakers normally offer a uniform payout percentage with each
individual game, no matter the casino. But some internet slots can also feature
different pay back as you move between casinos.

One example is Microgaming’s Mega Moolah, which can offer anywhere from
88.12% to 95% pay back.

# 4 Similarity: Both Games Have Betting Options

You can change betting options to your preferences in both video poker and
slot machines.

Let’s check out some wagering options that you’ll see in video poker:

• Bet 1 to 5 coins per
  hand.
• In online casinos, you
  can change the coin denomination (ex. $0.05 to $0.25).
• Play multiple hands
  per turn (in triple play).
• Make side bets for
  multipliers (special video poker variations).

Now let’s look at slot machine betting options:

• Change coin size (ex.
  $0.01 to $1.00).
• Adjust paylines (ex. 1
  to 20).
• Change coins per line
  (ex. 1 to 5).
• Use double-up option
  after wins (in certain games).

Some betting options in video poker and slot machines are nearly the same,
including the coin denomination and coins per hand / pay line.

Video Poker vs. Pull Tab Machines

What are Pull Tab Machines?

Pull tabs are special gaming tickets that involve pulling open perforated
windows on the ticket’s backside. The goal is to pull open symbols that match
the winning combinations listed on the frontside.

Most pull tabs cost $0.25, $0.50, $1, $2, $3, or $5 per ticket.

Pull tab tickets can either be sold by hand or through machines. The latter
is similar to video poker or slots because you put money into a machine, then
receive your ticket.

Electronic pull tabs are another option, allowing you to play through a
tablet device. Electronic pull tabs offer everything that physical tickets have,
except that you don’t physicallypull the tabs – you merely swipe them.

What are the Similarities between Video Poker & Pull Tabs?

• Machine-based
  Play – Both video poker and pull tabs are played through machines.
  Pull tabs can also be distributed physically by vendors (normally through
  charities).
• Transparent
  Odds of Winning – Video poker paytables are transparent and allow
  you to easily figure out pay back. Pull tab players can see how many
  available prizes (predetermined) and tickets are left through a tally sheet
  or electronic display.
• Varying Prizes
  – Video poker and pull tabs feature varying payouts, with the royal flush or
  highest-symbol combination (pull tabs) offering the biggest prize

What are the Differences between Video Poker & Pull Tab Machines?

• Pull Tab
  Payouts are Predetermined – Each pull tab game is released with a
  set number of payouts and tickets (ex. 5k prizes for 50k tickets). When the
  prizes are all won, distributors can either offer another round, or get rid
  of the game completely.
• Video Poker
  Payouts are Totally Random – Each video poker payout offers
  specific odds of winning, just like a pull tab game. But the key difference
  is that video poker prizes aren’t predetermined. Even though a royal flush
  payout (4,000 coins) happens roughly 1 in 40,000 hands, it could
  theoretically happen 4 in 40,000 hands.
• Pull Tab Games
  Don’t Involve Much Strategy – The biggest strategy to pull tab
  machines is finding out how many prizes are left versus tickets. This gives
  you an indication of whether or not you should play based on the odds. Video
  poker strategy, as covered before, is far more involved.
• Every Video
  Poker Outcome is Independent of the Last – Given that video poker
  payouts are based on an RNG, past results never determine future hands.
  Contrast this to pull tabs, where every loss removes one losing ticket from
  circulation, thus improving your future odds.
• Pull Tab
  Machines Play More Like Slots than Video Poker – Considering that
  pull tab machines involve matching symbols with winning combinations,
  they’re similar to slot machines. Meanwhile, video poker is an
  electronic-based version of draw poker.

Conclusion

While video poker and slot machines share similarities, they’re also
different in a variety of aspects too.

We highlighted nine differences, but the key ones that stand out include the
following:

1. Video poker has far more strategy.
2. Slots offer bigger jackpots.
3. Video poker offers higher pay back.
4. Slots deliver more comps (due to high house edge).
5. Video poker has +EV games.

These differences define each game and make them appeal to specific crowds.

Casino Poker Free

Those who enjoy using skill to improve their chances of winning will
appreciate video poker. Meanwhile, players who want to chase big jackpots and /
or play without considering strategy will like slot machines.

These comparisons don’t prove that one game is superior to the other.
Instead, they highlight the aspects you want to consider when deciding what to
play in casinos.

The same goes when pitting video poker and pull tab machines against each
other.

Pull tabs are like a hybrid between slots and the lottery because you buy
tickets and try to match symbols. This offers another luck-based game that
appeals to a different crowd than video poker lovers.

Of course, nothing is stopping you from dividing your play up between video
poker, slots, and / or pull tab machines. We find that this is a fun way to
enjoy a variety of gaming experiences.

When I was starting out in 1992, seven-card stud eight-or-better — a.k.a. stud hi-low — was being touted as the game of the future, and it was spread in many poker rooms. No longer. It’s still spread occasionally in some of the bigger card rooms like the Commerce and the Bike, but it’s relatively rare, usually only turning up as the “E” in mixed games like H.O.R.S.E. or H.O.S.E.

With the 2016 World Series of Poker upon us, however, interest in all sorts of non-hold'em games including eight-or-better tends to pick once more. Here are eight poker tips that will help you gain an edge in seven-card stud hi-low.

1. Play two-way hands

Poker Easier Home Vs Casino 2017

Some poker books claim that eight-or-better is really like playing two games at once — high and low. Some recommend that you can play starting hands that might win either high or low. That’s awful advice. Go for two-way hands. You want to play to scoop the pot, not win just half. Excellent starting cards that can help you scoop hands include three low cards that are suited, three low cards including an ace, and three low straight cards like , , and .

2. Don't chase with only a high hand

In stud high-only, you’ll often find yourself chasing with a lower pair-higher kicker hand or with a flush or straight draw. Don’t do this in eight-or-better. If you believe you’re the second-best pair on third street, fold. Don’t draw to high flushes or high straights. There are exceptions, of course (e.g., if the door cards indicate no one is going for low).

3. Respect a raising ace

Don’t guess that the player with an ace showing is going for the low when you have kings — and call. Similarly, even your smoothest 6- or 7-low may be behind. Unless you have experience with the raiser and know that he’s likely to misrepresent his hand, or you have a monster yourself, fold in these spots and look for a better hand down the road.

4. Avoid heads-up play when you have only a low

Even your best low hands don’t fare well against a premium pair. They also become increasingly tough to play, even if you catch good. For example, even starting with against a pair of kings, you’re a dog, winning only 40% of the time. Then even if you catch good — with an , for example — you’re still only about even money on the pot. The exception is if you have an ace as part of your low hand, which really turns your hand into a possible high hand as well.

5. Raise with your exposed ace, even if you’re going for low

With a pair of aces, of course you’d raise. But don’t be timid with your exposed ace and two other babes — raise then as well. Scare away the high hands that might be ahead of you, hoping to go up against one or two lows instead. You may scoop by hitting another ace, or even take the high with just one naked ace in the end while winning the low. You also may win half the pot even if your low is beaten.

6. Know where your money will come from if you don’t scoop, and consider your raises accordingly

There will be situations in eight-or-better when there are three of you in the pot. Two of you may each have half the pot locked up by fifth or sixth street, but you’ll have only a one-way hand. Unlike the high-only variation of stud, you might well be better off keeping in the third player rather than raising that player out, since you’ll be dividing up his money on the river.

7. Freerolling is golden

You want to raise mercilessly when you have half the pot locked up and may scoop if you hit, or if your opponent misses. If, for example, you’ve made your low on fifth street, raise your lone opponent if he makes the mistake of betting with only a possible high hand, even if you know he has a monster. Why not? Two perfect cards for you might beat him.

8. If you’re drawing, or unsure where you stand, it often makes sense to fold to aggression on sixth street and the river

High-only players are often in the habit of calling on both sixth street and the river once they have called fifth street, realizing that the size of the pot they might win is huge compared to the size of the bets they must call to see if they can make their draws or to keep their opponents honest. This is often a terrible decision in eight-or-better. With three or more players in, players in the lead often raise and reraise, making it extremely expensive for the odd man out. It’s often not just one more bet to see the next street, but four more bets. Similarly, with a likely split pot, the money you’ll win if you hit is half of what it would be in a high-only game.

This article is meant to give you a few pointers for stud hi-low, not a complete strategy. For that, I recommend two books — Super System 2 (specifically the chapter by Todd Brunson), and Ray Zee’s book on the game, High-Low Split Poker for Advanced Players.

Ashley Adams has been playing poker for 50 years and writing about it since 2000. He is the author of hundreds of articles and two books, Winning 7-Card Stud (Kensington 2003) and Winning No-Limit Hold’em (Lighthouse 2012). He is also the host of poker radio show House of Cards. See www.houseofcardsradio.com for broadcast times, stations, and podcasts.

Poker Easier Home Vs Casino Money

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