Choose Your Machine – Slots vs Video Poker

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Curious Comparison: Online Slots vs. Virtual Video Poker Games

Online Slots vs. Video Poker Machines

Slot machines are beloved for their speed, unparalleled ease of play, and, despite a relatively low cost of play, the ability to win a life-altering sum of money in a matter of seconds. Video poker is also capable of paying massive multipliers, but you’ll need a little more knowledge than ‘how to press a button’ to do it. Let’s take a closer look…

Slot Machine Savvy

Slots are by far the easiest game to play in a casino. Online or on land, the requirements are the same. Choose an amount to wager, spin the reels, cross your fingers. A few seconds later, the results are in. You win some, and you lose some. That’s all there is to it.

Slot machines can also be confusing, though. The truth is, at least one-third of all slots players don’t really know what they’re doing; or rather, why they’re winning or losing. They just know that, if they keep pressing the spin button, they might win. Few players actually bother to read the pay tables, which detail all the winning combinations, their respective value, and in many cases, the average return to player (RTP) the game will pay back.

Why don’t so many players know about this? Because they don’t need to (refer back to the previous paragraph). Anyone interested in learning more can check out this UNLV paper on How Slot Machines Work.

Virtual Video Poker Games

Video poker takes a bit more knowledge and understanding of the game to play. Most of these machines revolve around on five card draw poker. After placing a bet and pressing the Draw button, you are dealt 5 cards. You can tap on any card you want to Hold (keep), then press Draw again to discard the others and replace them with new ones. If you finish with a worthy hand – usually a Pair of Jacks or better – you win. If not, you lose.

The winning conditions are laid out before you in the pay table, detailed right on the main screen. You’ll see what hands are worthy of a payout, and how much that payout is for each. So, while you are required to make decisions in these games, it’s not exactly a brain strain. Any player with a basic knowledge of poker can do it.

Slot machines are the most common of all casino games. Most players love them. Some are so draw to these virtual reel spinners, they’ve never even tried anything else. If there’s any other gambling machine worthy of your attention, it would have to be video poker. These two games a have a lot in common, yet they are very different in nature and appeal. We’ll take a look at what draws players to slots and video poker games, and what features should be considered when choosing between them.

What’s Better – Slots or Video Poker?

This is a decision every player must make for themselves. If you prefer the mind-numbing blur of ‘spin to win’, slot machines are your best bet. If you’d rather have some strategic control over the outcome of your game, you’ll want to choose virtual video poker games. If you’re serious about winning, we suggest giving this next article a read:

• You Really Can Beat Video Poker Machines