Key differences at a glance
Poker is player-versus-player. The room takes a fee called rake from qualifying pots or entries; your goal is to beat other players by making better decisions more often. Blackjack is player-versus-house. The casino’s advantage is the house edge set by the table rules; playing correct basic strategy minimizes it. Authoritative references explain both concepts and show how specific blackjack rules move the edge.
How the money works: house edge vs rake
House edge is the casino’s long-run advantage expressed as a percentage of your wager. For blackjack under common eight-deck rules, the house edge with proper basic strategy is about 0.46% when the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17) and about 0.67% when the dealer hits soft 17 (H17). Changing the blackjack payout from 3:2 to 6:5 alone adds roughly 1.39 percentage points to the house edge, which is why 6:5 games are widely discouraged.
Rake is the fee taken from poker pots or buy-ins. Major rooms describe rake as a small percentage with a cap per pot; for example, PokerStars publishes rake policies showing percentage and caps by game and stake, and training articles illustrate typical 5% with a dollar cap. This cost comes out of the player pool collectively, so your long-term profit depends on playing better than the field by more than the rake.
Regulated markets also require independent testing and ongoing monitoring of remote games; in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission’s testing strategy includes live RTP monitoring to ensure games perform as certified. That oversight supports fairness for both RNG and live-dealer products.
Skill curve and learning time
Blackjack’s skill requirement is learning and applying a basic-strategy chart for the specific rules you’re facing; once you do, the edge is small but still favors the house unless you use advanced techniques. Wizard of Odds provides rule-by-rule edges and calculators you can consult before you play.
Poker has a steeper curve because you compete against people. Beyond rules, you’ll study preflop ranges, position, bet sizing, bluffing/value concepts, and table selection—and your expected results depend on how your decisions compare to opponents’, minus rake. Reference pages on rake and bankroll emphasize how structural costs shape profitability.
Pace and volatility: how swingy each game feels
Blackjack hands per hour can be very high at short tables; empirical tables from Wizard of Odds show about 209 hands per hour heads-up and ~70 with five players, which magnifies whatever edge the rules give the house. Poker deals far fewer hands live—around 25–30 per hour—and many more online (roughly 60–75 at 9-max, ~100 at 6-max; 200–250 in fast-fold), so variance feels different and multi-tabling can dramatically change your volume.
What that means for you: blackjack creates a steady drip of small wins and losses at high speed, so table rules matter a lot; poker swings hinge more on opponent behavior, table selection, and your decisions, with volume driven by live vs online format.
Bankroll guidelines for beginners
Because variance differs, bankroll plans differ too.
- Poker cash games: beginner guidance from mainstream strategy sites recommends roughly 30–50 buy-ins for the stake you’re playing; tournaments need substantially more because variance is higher. Use the high end if you’re new or games are tough.
- Blackjack sessions: think in terms of expected loss per hour rather than buy-ins. A rough heuristic is average bet × hands per hour × house edge. With a $10 average bet, ~70 hands/hour, and ~0.5% edge, your long-run expected loss is about $3.50/hour before comps—small, but non-zero. Hands-per-hour figures come from Wizard of Odds.
Which rules and tables to choose
If you choose blackjack
Seek 3:2 payouts on naturals and S17 where possible; avoid 6:5 games. That single payout change adds ~1.39% to the edge against you. If you must play H17, know the edge is roughly two-tenths of a percent worse than S17 under the same conditions. Use a basic-strategy chart for the posted rules.
If you choose poker
Prefer rooms with transparent rake pages and sensible caps; small structural differences compound over thousands of hands. Study preflop charts and use position. If you play online, one table at first is fine; you can add more when your decision-making is automatic.
Quick decision guide
- Choose blackjack if you want fast, structured play where optimal decisions are mostly chart-driven and your goal is to minimize a small house edge by picking the right rules and playing correctly.
- Choose poker if you enjoy reading people or populations, adapting strategy, and competing directly for others’ mistakes; long-term results depend on skill relative to your table and the rake you pay.
If fairness and compliance matter to you, favor licensed sites that publish test-house certificates and adhere to regulator testing strategies such as the UK’s live RTP monitoring.
FAQs
Is blackjack “better odds” than poker for beginners?
Blackjack’s house edge can be under 1% with correct play under favorable rules; poker has no fixed house edge, but you must beat other players by more than the rake. Which is “better” depends on your skill investment and table selection.
How big is the penalty for 6:5 blackjack?
Switching from 3:2 to 6:5 adds about 1.39 percentage points to the house edge, making otherwise decent games poor value.
How fast are the games?
Blackjack can reach ~200 hands/hour heads-up; full live poker deals ~25–30 per hour, while online ranges roughly 60–100 per table and higher in fast-fold modes.
What’s the simplest way to estimate blackjack cost per hour?
Average bet × hands per hour × house edge. Use the hands-per-hour table and a rules calculator to plug in your numbers.
