Caption: Video poker is a popular casino game that skirts the line between poker and slots.
Source: Unsplash
Although both use a 52-card deck and the same hand rankings, video poker and traditional poker are two completely different games. Video Poker is a casino game that is played against the house, which has only a small skill element and is largely based on chance. It’s easy to play and an attractive option for slot players.
Traditional poker, meanwhile, such as Texas Hold’em, is played against other competitors who sit at the same physical or digital table. The casino takes a small rake on pots or entry fees, but beyond that the chips and cash moves hand between the players. There’s a lot of skill and strategy involved in traditional poker, more so than in video poker.
Let’s delve deeper into both games so that you can decide which one is right for you.
What Is Video Poker?
Video Poker uses the rules of 5-card draw. If you are not familiar with the game, you are dealt five cards and then have the opportunity to choose how many of those cards to discard and redraw. After the redraw, you’ll make the best possible five card poker hand with your cards.
Video Poker is played against a paytable, not against other players. This means that the casino or online operator will set the payouts for each hand combination. Typically, the minimum payout in Video Poker is for a pair of jacks. Meanwhile, a royal flush, the best hand in poker, awards the maximum.
There are several popular variations of video poker, including Jacks or Better and Bonus Deuces Wild with higher payout percentages for hands like four of a kind.
Your only real decision in Video Poker is which hands to hold and which to redraw. This does require some skill and learning, such as knowing when to draw to a flush or hold a strong pair. If you play optimally, your expected payout percentage will rise to as high as over 99.5 percent.
Despite these minor decisions, Video Poker is well liked for its simplicity and fast pace of play. It’s based mostly on chance, which suits players who want to relax and see what the cards bring.
What Is Traditional Poker?
Traditional poker, such as Texas Hold’em, is played against other players, not against the house. Your goal is still to make the best five card poker hand. This time, though, you’ll be dealt individual hole cards, followed by a total of five shared community cards on the board.
Each time cards are dealt, there is a round of betting and players are free to bet, raise and bluff as much as they want. It’s an intense game, one that involves deep layers of strategy, mathematics like pot odds, and psychology to gain a long term edge.
The upside to all of this is that because traditional poker is played against real human opponents, there is no RTP cap. Your potential long term returns are based on how much of a skill edge you can gain over the rest of the players.
Although traditional poker can be played casually, such as in home games or very low stakes games, it’s often seen as a pursuit of knowledge that takes a lot of time and effort. This is attractive for some players and a turn off for others.
Key Differences Between Video Poker and Traditional Poker
Now that you are familiar with both formats, here are the key differences between Video Poker and traditional poker. Using this table, you should be able to easily compare the two games so that you can start to decide which one is right for you.
| Aspect | Video Poker | Traditional Poker |
| Game Format | Single-player against the house | Multiplayer against other players |
| House Edge | House edge based on paytable and optimal play | No house edge — skill and edge determine profitability |
| Strategy Complexity | Optimal, fixed strategies from charts | Dynamic strategy involving maths, hand reading and bluffing |
| Game Speed | Fast, consistent pace | Slower due to betting rounds and player decisions |
| Social Interaction | None, purely individual | Social and competitive, reading and adapting to others |
| Variance / Volatility | Lower variance, especially with perfect play | Higher variance due to swings and betting rounds |
| Learning Curve | Easier to learn and master with charts | Steep learning curve; deep knowledge required to win consistently |
| RTP potential | Limited, capped by paytable and perfect play | High, dependent on edge over field |
Weighing Up the Pros and Cons
It’s now time to weigh up the pros and cons of each type of poker game so that you know which one to play. We’ll start with Video Poker.
Pros and Cons of Video Poker
The potential drawbacks of Video Poker is that the gameplay can be seen as a little one-dimensional or repetitive. Also, the results are almost entirely based on randomness, as you have no control over the outcomes other than which cards to draw.
The main pros of Video Poker are the simple and fast gameplay. You won’t have to spend an eternity learning or mastering the game. You can play straight away and if you do want to get better to achieve the maximum RTP, you can study some basic tables to learn when to redraw.
Pros and Cons of Traditional Poker
The potential drawbacks of traditional poker is that it’s a very tough game to learn. Even getting to grips with the basics isn’t easy and you might feel social pressure, especially if you are playing in a casino. You’ll need to dedicate time and energy if you want to get good.
On the other hand, traditional poker can be very rewarding. You’ll get better over time and in doing so your win rate will improve. There’s greater potential in terms of competition, strategy and results.
Which Game Should You Play?
The type of poker you play is entirely up to you. Using this guide, you can decide for yourself based on the key differences, pros and cons of each game.
The great news is that you don’t have to choose one or the other. Both Video Poker and traditional poker are readily available at many casinos and online casino sites. You can also play demo versions or very low stakes to test them out and see if one or both are right for you.