Video Poker Vs Slots

With the invention of the slot machine in the late 1800s, a thriving mechanical gaming industry grew. Today, it has turned into video machines rather than mechanical parts, but the lure is undoubtedly still alive and well.

How are Slots Played?

Slot machines are now more likely to have a button or touch screen than the lever that earned them the moniker “one-armed bandit.” Another change in the game is that there can be several pay lines that can be winning combinations.  Most slot games have themes based on films, television shows, musicians, and even game shows with lots of music, movement, and excitement.

Players are encouraged to play multiple lines to increase their chances of winning, especially when they play slot games online. Bonuses games are often a goal to play toward on a slot machine. A progressive jackpot community game can be even more tempting. You can check this website and find out more.

Slot Terms

Symbols

These are the images, bars, numbers that appear on the reels. Each symbol has a payout amount on a pay line. Wild scatters, and multipliers are also symbols.

Wilds

These are substitutions for a missing symbol. It can also trigger another event in the game, such as bonus rounds or expanding symbols.

Scatters

Scatter symbols will get you extra points, even if they’re not on a win line. They can start off free spins, cash prizes, or a bonus round.

Multipliers

Multipliers are very popular in slots. They can multiply your winnings, as the name suggests. They are often seen in the bonus games or free spin rounds. Even better, sometimes the scatter and wilds work together as multipliers for even more winnings.

How is Video Poker Played?

Video poker is based on a five-card draw poker game. The game has certainly changed since it appeared on the first home computers. Casinos began offering video poker in the 1980s, and now it has a firm place on the gaming floors as one of the most popular games.

There’s lots of color, sounds, and excitement with a video poker game. But it’s the skill and strategy that most players look to as a way to make a profit while having fun.

You can play the game at your own pace instead of a table game where you need to keep up with all the players. There are many variations on the game which keep a player’s interest going.

Progressive jackpots are one option that keeps players coming back. As the pot builds up, gamers get excited about chasing after a win. Even if you don’t get a jackpot, there’s plenty of bonuses and promotions that can help a player walk away with a bit of profit as a reward for strategic gaming.

Video Poker Terms

Action

This refers to the amount you bet on a machine during a session.

Boat

This is the same as a full house; three of a kind and a pair in a five-card hand.

Kicker

The cards that aren’t included in a winning hand. In some games, these cards can increase a payout, and in other games, there is no value to a kicker.

Short pay

These are games that don’t offer a very high payout.

Which is the Better Game – Video Poker or Slots?

While Video Poker and Slots are two very different games, they are often compared to one another. They have in common that they’re both at the top of the list as being popular and some of the best casino games available.

At first, players might think that video poker and slot machines are quite similar. They both are single-player games using video screens and accept coins, and you push buttons to play. But that’s really where the similarity ends between the two games.

One significant difference between the two games is that of the payouts between land-based casinos and online casinos. Players have found that online slot games payout more than in land-based casinos. For video poker, there isn’t much of a difference in payouts between the two different platforms.

It really comes down to personal preference. If gamers want to play a poker-like game and can play multiple hands at once, they should opt for a video poker game. If a player prefers a relaxed game with music, themes, and excitement, then slots are what she should choose.

Pros and Cons

Slots

Pros

• Don’t need to worry much about strategy & skills
• More relaxing and fun
• Easy game
• Better progressive jackpots

Cons

• You can’t use strategy or skill for better odds
• House has a better edge
• Can get repetitive

Video Poker

Pros

• Higher returns than slots (avg. return 98%)
• More extended play on a budget
• Learning to decode video poker language you can find better games, but not applicable with slots
• You can practice and become better at the game

Cons

• You can lose even when you play great hands
• Offered less in casino comps
• Random number generator
• They can vary in payouts even on same games

Responsibility

It’s quite easy to lose track of time while playing either game. Not to mention spending over what was initially intended. They’re convenient, easy to sit in front of and keep a player’s attention, and money can be spent, and time can pass quickly.

Setting a limit and sticking to it is essential. Enlisting the help of a friend to make sure limits are not exceeded can be helpful. If a person recognizes they need help with gambling, there are organizations available to reach out to, and casinos often run self-exclusion programs with low self-control.