One of the things that sets video poker and video blackjack apart from slot machines is that electronic games that use representations of playing cards must offer fair odds. Nevada took the lead, naturally enough, but Mississippi followed suit when its casinos opened in the 1990s, and so did other states.
Regular readers know that I love to hear close encounters of the winning kind. Slot and video poker players have been great about emailing me their experiences in winning back to back jackpots, or at least jackpots within a few plays of each other.
The latest comes from Suzanne, a video poker player who wasn’t sure her story qualified because it involved royal flushes by two different players.
One thing I’ve warned blackjack players about is games that pay less than the standard 3-2 on blackjacks. If you play video blackjack, you have to be extra watchful, as one reader learned.
Players usually don’t notice, or even have a chance to see, behind-the-scenes procedures that are important to the house.
On any common video poker game, the pay table starts with hands that just get you your money back. Bet five credits on Jacks or Better, and a pair of Jacks gets you back five credits.
When you play blackjack, you’re not restricted to the betting spot directly in front of you. You can bet on two spots and get two hands, or three, or more. I once saw a fellow with a much larger bankroll than mine betting all seven spots at table with $100 minimum bets. He wasn’t betting the minimum, either.
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when video card games started to make their way into casinos, there was some thought that video blackjack was going to be the big hit game. After all, blackjack was and is the most popular table game in casinos. There was some surprise when video poker became a casino staple and video blackjack was left on the fringes as a niche game.
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