Comparing Blackjack, Video Poker and Poker!

I am sure everyone has read a book or two on Poker strategy and it doesn't matter what book you pickup it will give you some kind of basic strategy to follow. Now you new people to gambling might be thinking do I really need to follow these rules, or are they that important? Well actually yes they are. Unlike Blackjack and Video Poker, live poker is not a game that you play against the house, it is a game that you play against each other. The casino just provides a dealer, table, atmosphere, and for this they charge a rake of each post, or charge by the seat per hour. It operates like the Pari-Mutal wagering system in thoroughbred racing were even though the track takes out a percentage of the betting pool, you are basically betting against your fellow betters. If you are good enough to over come this 17% - 19% take then the game is beatable for you, otherwise you are throwing your money away in the long run.

Video Poker operates not exactly on the same principal but, none the less, is a game that can be set to favor the player if the house so chooses. Video Poker is a game where the house advantage is controlled by the payout schedule, mainly the payouts for the Flush, Full-House, and Four-of-A-Kind. This house edge can run anywhere from 5% for the house, to 1 - 2% for the player. But again this is ONLY if you play that particular game mathematically correct for every hand you are dealt. With such a small edge it only takes you playing 2 or 3 hands incorrectly to loose your advantage, and unlike Poker once your advantage is lost you can't get it back PERIOD! As with all my gambling adventures there was software to help us learn the basic strategy needed to play each particular game correctly. We had to spend countless hours playing these games until we perfected our basic strategy play to a level that satisfied the team leaders before we were allowed to join the team for live play. So no different than live poker you are still faced with a basic strategy to keep you within the winning range of play.

Blackjack I am sure you all know about this game, or have heard plenty on how it can be beat with team play. But again before you are able to join the team you have to prove you are able to play that game at a certain level and keep track of main different things. Such as playing basic strategy, keeping at least two different counts in your head (3 different counts if you are using an advanced system), being able to chat with people next to you, ordering drinks, paying attention to the team hand signals, keeping an eye out for trouble, and sometimes loud music playing right behind you. Keep in mind all this going on at the same time, confusing yes, do you need practice to accomplish it? YES, and plenty of it. 2 to 3 months at 30-40 hours a week.

Which brings me to Poker now. Yes there is a basic strategy to poker, or standard play I guess some call it. Goes along the lines of Top 10 hands (which are usually the top pairs and maybe AK, AQ suited), then middle pairs and suited connectors, below that it is a matter of opinion the way I look at it. Now I guess where you get into intermediate and advance play is probably taking into account your opponents play, your table image, your opponents table image, stack size, position, blind levels, your total bankroll size at the time, etc. So yes there are many factors that come into play in Poker than in Blackjack or Video Poker. But none the less if you want to have a chance in either one you do have to follow a basic strategy plan.

CONCLUSION

I can best sum this up using Video Poker. We had to learn a basic strategy before we were able to play on the team live in a casino. The reason for learning that was in the long run we would be dealt every hand that was in the basic strategy chart, and for the number of time "on average" that is said we would be dealt them. Now of course it wasn't an exact match, but the numbers would work out in the long run and each particular bank would end when the team hit a Royal Flush. The only thing we had to evaluate our play was the amount of money we had won, and the time it took us to win that money. If the numbers didn't work out right, everyone on the team had to be tested to make sure they were playing correctly and not making mistakes. I believe, for those of us serious about Poker, should be just as accountable for our own play and study our own play every chance we get. Poker Tracker is my favorite tool for going over my play after each session.

Poker is going to go the same way because it is a game of percentages just like the others. Over the long haul you will be dealt every two card combination, in each position on the table. Now unlike Video Poker the correct play depends on a whole lot of variables that are constantly changing with each hand. This is what separates the professional from the rest. How we use psychology, mathematics, luck, table image, stack size, and position to our advantage in these situations is what separetes use from the person sitting next to us.

I hope I have helped someone with my information. I am not the best writer in the world but I still try and contribute and help others out when I can.

CyberSorcerer

I purchased the bob dancer win poker software. it trains you by popping up a warning when you make the incorrect play. after I could play an hour without a mistake. I played online @ golden palace and hit two royals in a week. no more online for the US players, but works fine in casinos, however generally only vegas and a few AC casinos offer the 98.54% payback on jacks or better.