There is very little difference between video poker and slot machines. After all, both of them require video screens, are operated by coins and single-player games that start by the push of a button. If you look at the games overall, both may seem to have much in the common outside. You have to take a seat in front of a screen, add your coins, press the buttons and hope for a positive result. That said, things start to look quite different once you take a look behind the scenes.
Here we will take a detailed look at the resemblances and differences between video poker and slot machines to give you a better idea of exactly what you are getting into when you decide to play one over the other.
Similarities Between Video Poker and Slot Machines
As already mentioned above, both are single-player, coin-operated video games. Both the games offer the chance to adjust your betting options, which generally ranges from 1 to 5 coins in video poker, and up to a certain maximum amount in slots, which varies depending on the individual slot machine. Both provide a great, relaxing, pressure-free alternative, to traditional table games like Poker, Blackjack, Roulette or Baccarat as there is no dealer or other player involved. Both video poker and slot machines use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to ensure that every round is based on random chance. The similarities are however this much only. There are quite many distinctive differences also between both of them. Let us go through those.
Decisions and Strategies
One key difference between slot machines and video poker is that the latter involves an 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 payback whereas slot machines are more relaxing for people who don’t care about strategy or return amount.
The Variations
The difference between the different variety of slot games is very less. Most online slot machines for real money have the same rules and logic. Meanwhile, video poker machines games differ in their essence which is why you have a wider range to choose from.
Pay Tables
Both video poker and slot machines have pay tables describing the payouts for various combinations. The combinations on video poker are based on a deck of 52 (or 53) cards, while the combinations on a slot machine game aren’t based on anything specific.
Payout Percentages
You can calculate the potential payout percentage for a video poker game and the payout percentages on even the worst video poker games and they are almost always higher than on the average slot machine.
Figuring Out Payback of Video Poker Is Easier
You can find payback for plenty of online and land-based slot machines through research. But it may not necessarily be the payback for the certain slot machine that you want to play. That definitely would involve looking at the paytable, playing countless spins, and trying to figure out the frequency of each payout which requires a fortune and a lot of time.
The paytables for video poker, on the other hand, are much easier to figure out. You just need to know what payouts change the payback for specific video poker variations.
Progressive Jackpots
Many slot machines are “progressive slots”, which means they have a progressive jackpot linked to them which gives a chance to the player to take part in the race for the jackpot. Progressive jackpots grow more and more until someone hits it, then it resets at a lower amount and starts growing again. But very few video poker games offer these.
Conclusion
These differences define each game and make them appeal to specific crowds. Those who enjoy using skill and strategy-oriented games to improve their chances of gaining will like video poker more whereas players who want to chase big jackpots and play without considering strategy will like slot machines. You won’t generally need to pick one over the other. Comparing slots to video poker is like comparing heads or tails to chess. Video poker games and slots are entirely different in their structure and each has various advantages, but they’re both great in their particular ways. If one is driven by lady luck the other requires your cerebrum to run. If you do not rely only on luck but rather want to win by skill and knowledge, video poker is your choice.