ShareAsk people to list all the card games they have heard of and there is a strong chance they’ll name both of these games. Blackjack and poker both have origins that are hundreds of years old and they both have elements of both luck and strategy.
Some people say these games are totally different but this isn’t strictly true. Besides the mechanics (which are definitely different) there are a few different things the games have in common and there are definitely trends in the whole of the gambling industry that connect the two in detail.
Recent Technological Revolutions
Something that definitely links the two games (besides being played on a lot of the same platforms) is the fact that both have been through a real technological revolution in recent years.
DeFi and cryptocurrencies have totally changed the way that a lot of people play. Some people choose to now use Bitcoin and modern methods to transfer funds into their gaming accounts. This is often faster as well as having some other features that many modern players are drawn to and finding a crypto casino online has become much more common in recent years as the industry starts to take note of this different way of doing things. Anonymity is another reason why a lot of people are choosing this method. Fewer details are required due to the fact that a crypto wallet is used for the payment, so people don’t have to put in things like bank details. Cryptographic wallets allow users to make deposits and withdrawals without revealing personal information, adding another layer of security and privacy to their gaming experiences.
The technological revolution in gambling has not just changed the finances used to play the games but it has also changed the mechanics of the game. No physical cards being used is one difference! Some games still use physical cards and may do so via a video feed, but there are also interfaces that are made to play poker and blackjack games so people can connect and play with a physical card never being moved (anyone who has used online casinos probably already knows this).
Tech may continue to make changes – in one example, there are people who have started using AI and experimenting with the different ways that AI might inform strategy and impact how they change the game:
What Level of Strategy is Involved?
Some games only ever use luck to decide the outcome. Strategy is part of both of these games but the way these elements come into play differs greatly between the two games.
Poker players compete against each other and the focus is on reading opponents and trying to predict their behavior. There is also an element of managing resources over long periods. Bluffing plays a significant role in poker strategy and this is something that is focused on in virtually every poker course including those created by the GOATs such as Phil Ivey – bluffing involves convincing other players to fold better hands by pretending to have a superior one. The various forms of poker each require different strategies and have some different ways of playing so any player needs to make sure they understand the rules.
Poker definitely has strategy and players like Robert Kuhn have stated that continuing to learn is one of the best things about the game.
Blackjack is a game of mathematics. Players compete against the dealer rather than each other and the goal is to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21. Simple enough! The decisions in blackjack often come down to statistical probabilities and even then there is some luck. While there’s no bluffing in blackjack, the strategy revolves around understanding the odds of getting a certain card and playing accordingly based on how the game could unfold – it is still random but statistics play a part. Data scientists even spend a lot of time getting into the data behind the game.
Variable Game Rules
It may sound a bit unusual to say that one of the things in common is variation within the two games – both have a lot of different styles and ways of playing and this has partially come from the evolution of the games over the years and how both have come to be popular in different countries (some of them have their own twists on the game).
Poker offers a wide range of variations – Texas Hold'em the most popular form has a huge audience but less common games like Seven-Card Stud or Razz. Each variant comes with its own set of strategies and levels of complexity.
Blackjack also comes in multiple forms, though the variations are less pronounced than in poker. Some tables use a single deck, others use multiple decks. Rules can vary on whether the dealer stands on a soft 17 or whether doubling down is allowed after a split. People need to read the rules before they start playing any of the games.
