Differences Between Blackjack and Poker Players

In the world of online casino gambling, blackjack and poker are two of the most iconic and popular games in the world. In history, even!

They’re like two prima donnas used to taking center stage.

They have a lot in common – mastering either requires strong math skills, coolness under pressure, and keeping track of cards that have been played (called card counting in Blackjack).

In a funny way, the players of both games have a lot in common, too! Both are considered ‘thinking player’s games,’ crave the best action in the casino, and big winners in both have a tendency to attract attention, even to the point of celebrity.

But in the world of digital gaming, it’s becoming more and more clear that there are some serious differences, too…

…and those differences are shared by the players who favor them.

Sure, blackjack and poker players are both thrill seekers. And both tend to see themselves as the top dogs of the casino. With that said, most players will find that they, their friends, and everyone they play with (or against) tend to favor one game over the other.

When it comes down to it, the two games attract two different personalities!

So what separates one from the other? Let’s take a closer look.

1: Blackjack Players Follow the Rules

For serious players, blackjack is game with very thin margins.

that advantage players (that much-ired group of elite players most feared by the casino) do everything they possibly can to get an edge over the house, leaving no stone unturned and no detail unexploited…

…and still look forward to an advantage of .5–1.5% over the house!

This means that there is absolutely no room for variation in blackjack strategy.

There is only the right play (which is mathematically optimal), and the wrong one.

In other words, breaking your own rules costs you money!

That’s why the best blackjack players in the world have no problem following the rules. Players who prefer to trust their gut, follow their instincts and hunches, and occasionally veer off from the plan essentially have no future in top-level blackjack play.

2: Poker Players Can Deviate From the Norm

Poker players, on the other hand, are cut from a different cloth.

Where blackjack players are seeking a small-but-crucial advantage against the casino’s obscenely deep pockets, poker players are trying to wipe out their opponents’ bankrolls and take them for their own!

That is to say, while blackjack is played against the house – represented at the table by a dealer who is contractually forbidden from varying his or her gaming decisions – poker is played against other people.

In that setting, gamblers who are too predictable all too easy to defeat.

That’s why, while blackjack players tend to follow the rules, poker players tend to break the mold. Failure to do so means certain failure at the tables!

3: Blackjack Players Have a Lower Ceiling

The other side of playing against the house – rather than other players – is that it’s harder to score truly massive payouts in blackjack.

Most wins pay 100% of the original wager. The best possible outcome for the player is the 3:2 payout for being dealt the hand of blackjack.

One does hear occasional tales of breaking the bank, sure. And to be sure, plenty of blackjack players have rung up very memorable nights of wins…

…but it takes dozens upon dozens (if not hundreds upon hundreds!) of well-timed wins to make this happen.

By contrast, poker players who can read their opponents well, who can get into their heads?

They can double up their entire bankroll in a single hand.

ing also that poker tournaments can bring massive payouts (when is the last time you heard about the World Series of Blackjack on ESPN?), the simple fact is that, in of raw winning potential, poker players have a higher ceiling.

4: Poker Players are Hypercompetitive

The world’s best blackjack players keep their focus, no matter the situation. They have ice in their veins.

The world’s best poker players, by contrast, have a killer instinct. They don’t stay cool under pressure – they heat up like sharks smelling blood in the water.

That’s not to say that blackjack players aren’t competitive! It’s just a different kind of competition. Blackjack devotees all have the same goal: to win against the house. It simply doesn’t pit players against one-another the way poker does.

In comparison to the camaraderie that blackjack can foster, the poker table can be such a competitive place, it would make 1980’s Wall Street magnates blush. At the end of the day, a poker table is place where people gather to try and take each-other’s money!

What kinds of human beings might be drawn to such an environment?

You guessed it: only the most competitive gamblers around.

5: Blackjack Players Don’t Have to be Social

Blackjack has many advantages, one of which is that players can really choose their preferred level of social interaction.

Conversation may be fun, or not, but it won’t change the outcome of the game. A dealer who hits on H16 will do so no matter what you say!

Poker is quite different. Those who lack social skills, or who can’t read other people well, are at a serious disadvantage. Personality and psychology simply have too much to contribute to the game.

This isn’t to say that blackjack players can’t be social – they absolutely can be!

But they don’t have to be. Poker players do.

6: It All Comes Down to Luck and Skill

At the end of the day, both games involve a fair amount of luck and skill.

And it’s a good thing, too!

If a game was entirely based on luck, there would be no incentive to improve as a player. If it was entirely based on skill, however, there wouldn’t be much excitement at the table: the “best” player would win every single time.

A player’s preference between the two comes down to what kinds of skills they already possess, what kinds of skills they want to improve, and what kinds of luck they are willing to tolerate.

One game isn’t “better” than the other!

But do they draw the same personalities to the tables?

Nope.